Outdoor Notes : Halibut Are Biting; One Fisherman Lands a 31 1/2-Pounder

Fishermen have found 1988 to be a banner year for halibut in Santa Monica Bay so far. An early bite has local landings targeting the prized flatfish when anglers might otherwise be after the winter rockfish.

At Marina del Rey Sportfishing, 548 keeper halibut--22 inches or longer--have been brought in since Jan. 1 by fishermen aboard the Happy Man and Spitfire, according to landing operator Merrily Gee.

While most fish are in the five- to six-pound range, some have been much bigger.

Wednesday, Danny Weiss, a Mar Vista resident, caught one weighing 31 1/2 pounds, and several have been in the 20-pound range.

The fish, which normally show up to spawn in March and April, have apparently been biting mainly at the short banks, an area three to six miles off Marina del Rey in 200 feet of water.

The Department of Fish and Game has completed its winter census of pronghorn antelope in northeastern California and has found the population to be at its second-highest level ever.

Aerial surveys of Modoc and Lassen counties and eastern Siskiyou County produced a count of 7,201 animals. A record count of 7,256 was recorded in 1955.

The figures, coupled with summer browse available, are used in a mathematical formula to determine how many hunting permits will be issued for annual limited pronghorn hunts. Over the last 24 years, hunters have killed more than 7,700 pronghorns--95% bucks--while the antelope population has tripled.

This year’s census will also help the DFG schedule a trapping and relocation project aimed at reintroducing antelopes to San Benito and San Luis Obispo counties.

About 1,500 Christmas trees were dropped in Lake Havasu earlier this month in a coordinated effort by the Lake Havasu Bass Club and the Arizona Game and Fish Dept. to improve the largemouth bass habitat.

Californians 62 and older could fish free without a license under a bill approved Jan. 25 by the Assembly.

A vote of 46-26 sent AB212, authored by Assemblyman Gary Condit (D-Ceres), to the Senate.

Currently, fishermen 16 through 64 must have at least a basic license, which costs $19 a year. People 65 and older who have incomes of no more than $575 a month can get fishing licenses for $2.

Siskiyou County in Northern California was the state’s leading producer of deer last season, edging Mendocino County, the DFG said.

Hunters during last fall’s regular season bagged 1,717 bucks in Siskiyou County, compared with the 1,682 reported killed by hunters in Mendocino through early December.

Third on the list is Trinity County, 1,442; followed by Lassen, 1,293; Shasta, 1,170; Tehama, 1,163; and Modoc, 1,097.

Sacramento County had just four reported kills, the fewest in the state.

Briefly

Showtime: Fred Hall’s Recreation Vehicle, Boat, Fishing, Outdoor Sports and Travel Show, Feb. 3-7, Palm Springs Convention Center.