OUTDOOR NOTES : Courage Blows Up a Storm of Fishing

It was a bit of a gamble when Bob Burns skippered the Red Rooster III south of the border and into paths of prospective hurricanes that had been swirling up the Mexican coast and out over the Revillagigedo Islands.

But Burns, with a weather fax aboard, was able to monitor conditions and became one of the first of the season to reach the tuna-rich fishing grounds of the popular island chain. Even so, he had to hold over for 1 1/2 days in Baja California’s Magdalena Bay while Hurricane Trudy blew through.

After that, it was smooth sailing for about 400 miles south to the Clarion Island, where the 22 passengers aboard had five days of fishing at one of the world’s most productive areas for giant yellowfin tuna. The all-tackle world record, a 388-pound 12-ounce tuna, was taken off the chain’s San Benedicto Island.

While Burns kept tabs on Trudy to the west and the waning Hurricane Vance to the southeast, his passengers were battling yellowfin tuna during the night and early morning hours, and wahoo during the day.

Buena Park’s Frank Rowe, 36, on his first trip to the Revillagigedos, lost several fishing reels because of the raw power both species possess.

“They just blew up on me,” he said of his reels.

But Rowe did manage to land five tuna and a wahoo. He won the trip jackpot with the 189-pound yellowfin he caught while the rest of the passengers were eating breakfast.

“He spooled the reel, basically,” Rowe said. “I stopped him with about 40 yards to go and caught him 40 minutes later.”

The largest fish was a 213-pound yellowfin that was disqualified as a jackpot fish because more than one person fought it.

The Red Rooster III, of Lee Palm Sportfishing in San Diego, returned to port Saturday with 172 yellowfin averaging about 100 pounds, 138 wahoo, 65 dorado, 45 yellowtail and two marlins.

The season for trips to the Revillagigedo Islands usually begins in late November and runs through May.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced that the winter run of chinook salmon in the Sacramento River is a threatened species, which blocks the take of the fish by sport or commercial fishermen.

The run will be added to a list of threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

The fisheries service decided in 1987 not to list the species as threatened, but to depend on restoration and conservation efforts planned by state and federal authorities. But that plan hasn’t worked.

In 1989, the run for the year was estimated at 533 fish, and an emergency rule declared the species threatened on Aug. 4, 1989, the agency said. Early data for 1990 show even fewer winter chinook returning, so the ruling is being made final.

Briefly

LOCAL FISHING--Yellowtail continue to draw anglers to local waters and those surrounding the northern Channel Islands, thanks to the abundance of squid--a favorite food of the yellowtail.

The Monte Carlo, a half-day boat out of 22nd St. Landing in San Pedro, reported 62 yellowtail--most 10-15 pounds--taken from the nearby Horseshoe Kelp area on Tuesday. There is so much squid in the water that skippers have reportedly been catching it in the southern Santa Monica Bay, thus keeping much of the local fleet in supply.

Ventura Sportsfishing is awaiting arrival of two boats capable of overnight trips--the skippers of each having gained their experience at San Diego’s outer banks--to complement the fleet of three-quarter and half-day boats. The Pacific Dawn, which had been fishing for tuna out of San Diego during the summer, is already based in Ventura--its passengers caught 42 yellowtail to 40 pounds on Monday--and the Sea Hunt and Charger are reportedly en route.

San Diego boats making three-day trips are fishing the outer banks for yellowfin tuna, catching a few, then moving inside to the productive rockfish grounds off Colonette. The overnight fleet, however, is slowly shifting its effort to local fishing for rockfish and bass.

FLY FISHING--Darryl Wong, a Bishop-based biologist with the Department of Fish and Game, will discuss Eastern Sierra fisheries at the Pasadena Casting Club’s meeting Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Masonic Temple in Pasadena. Details: (818) 845-7119. . . . Montana guide and author Gary LaFontaine will discuss entomology of caddis flies and the natural history of the trout at the Long Beach Casting Club’s meeting Nov. 14 at Recreation Park in Long Beach. Details: (213) 433-9408.

HUNTING--The San Diego Lakes are producing excellent duck hunting, and although most sites are sold, openings are usually available because of cancellations. Last week at Otay, 51 hunters shot 130 ducks of various species. Barrett: 17 hunters, 27 ducks, 20 of which were green wing teals. Southerland: four hunters, one mallard. Information: (619) 465-4500. . . . Nov. 10 season openers: fall turkey, hunters allowed one turkey--either sex--daily, one in possession; Pheasant, hunters allowed two birds--either sex--daily, two in possession in Southern California. Two male birds, four in possession--after opening day--in the rest of the state.

CANOES--The public is now able to observe wildlife from canoes throughout Upper Newport Bay, thanks to a program offered on selected Saturdays by the Department of Fish and Game. The next trip is scheduled Saturday.

“We’ve got people touching and seeing all kinds of marine life in the back bay, and getting within 10 to 15 feet of the waterfowl and sea birds inhabiting the area,” said John Scholl, naturalist for the DFG’s ecological reserve. Cost is $10. Details: (714) 640-6746.

PHOTOGRAPHY--Entries for the DFG’s wildlife-nature photography contest must be submitted by Dec. 31. The DFG will accept duplicate color slides and black and white prints. The winner’s photograph will be displayed in the state Capitol and the photographer will have an opportunity to accompany DFG staff on a trip involving the capture of wildlife. Rules and entry forms can be obtained by contacting the DFG Conservation Education Office, 1416 9th St., Sacramento, Calif., 95814.