Outdoor Notes / Earl Gustkey : Bass Fishermen Try Unique Plan to Aid Lake Mead

After years of talking about doing something to improve Lake Mead bass fishing, bass fishermen are going to attempt to artificially fertilize 20,000 acres of the lake’s Overton Arm May 30-31. More than 1,000 fishermen on about 300 boats will each pour in roughly 70 gallons of a liquid fertilizer.

Mead’s fisheries have been in a steady decline, biologists say, since the completion of upstream Glen Canyon Dam in 1963. The dam blocked the natural flow of phosphorus to Mead, and the increasing sterility of the water eroded the bottom of Mead’s food chain.

Eastern Sierra residents are making sure their dogs are secured these days after one was shot and killed by a Department of Fish and Game warden recently.

Wardens are empowered to kill any dog seen harassing wildlife. The shooting occured in the Swall Meadows area, north of Bishop, when a warden shot an Alaskan malamute seen chasing a fawn.

Prospective Crowley Lake fishermen, who wish to avoid long boat inspection lines on April 25, opening day of the Eastern Sierra fishing season, can pre-register their boats with the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department on three consecutive Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., beginning March 7 at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro. The next two inspections will be March 14 at the Los Angeles Swim Stadium, next to the Coliseum, and March 21 at the Northridge Recreation Center, 18300 Lemarsh St., Northridge.

Fishermen who want to rent a boat for the Crowley opening weekend must participate in a lottery drawing March 14 at 9 a.m., at the Friendship Auditorium, 3201 Riverside Dr., Los Angeles.

Some trout waters in southwest Inyo County will open for fishing March 7, the DFG reminds fishermen. The area is bounded by the Inyo County line on the south and west, Independence Creek on the north and Highway 395 on the east.

Arizona game wardens are investigating reports of a possible illegal shooting of a jaguar.

The big, spotted cats are more commonly found in southern Mexico, in rain forests, but they occasionally wander as far north as Arizona. Officers will say only that they are investigating reports from several witnesses that an individual in the southeast portion of the state was seen with a jaguar carcass.

Virginia’s wildlife department has grown weary of fishermen following trout-stocking trucks to state waters, and catching trout soon after they’re released. The solution: The department will no longer announce when or where it will stock fish. Note: California announces trout-planting locations and there is no indication that any change is planned.

California’s share of 1986 Wallop-Breaux Trust Fund allocations is $5,497,965. Wallop-Breaux money, collected as excise taxes on fishing tackle, customs duties on imported pleasure boats and fishing tackle, and motorboat fuel taxes, is spent by states on fish restoration and boating access projects.

Briefly Showtime: Western Sport Fishing, Tackle and Boat Show, Long Beach Convention Center, March 4-8; Newport Used Boat Show, Lido Marina Village, Newport Beach, March 26-29. . . . The San Fernando Valley Flyfisher are offering a fly fishing course beginning March 7, 9 a.m., Reseda Park, 18411 Victory Blvd., Reseda. . . . Sporting dog trainer Pat Callaghan, who has produced national champion field trials dogs, will conduct a seminar for dog owners May 15-17 at the Shooting and Hunting Sports Fair at Raahauge’s Pheasant Club in Corona. . . . Phil Whittemore of Santa Barbara, caught 17.29 pounds of largemouth bass and won $3,000 cash and boating equipment at U.S. Bass’ recent tournament at Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico. . . . The Department of Fish and Game is seeking about 100 volunteers to help count bighorn sheep at the Lytle Creek area of the San Gabriel Mountains Sunday, March 8, as part of the DFG’s annual bighorn census. Prospective volunteers should call the DFG’s Long Beach office, (213) 590-5158.