OUTDOOR NOTES : State-Record Catch in Jeopardy Already

Mike Arujo was on top of the world last week after catching a state-record largemouth bass. He never figured to be taken down so soon.

At 21-pounds 12-ounces, Arujo’s fish--taken from Lake Castaic--was only eight ounces shy of a world record that has stood since 1932. It was checked and certified by a Dept. of Fish and Game biologist. Today, Arujo will be at the Fred Hall outdoor show at Del Mar, his record fish on display.

But it might end up merely another trophy, pending verification of the latest Castaic catch.

On Tuesday, Castaic’s Bob Crupi was fishing the lunker-productive Los Angeles County reservoir and pulled out a fish that weighed 22.01 pounds on the certified scale at 7th Heaven liquor store in Castaic.

Crupi couldn’t be reached for comment, but Gary Soltani of 7th Heaven said the Castaic resident--who kept the fish alive in a live-well--brought the bass in Tuesday at 9:30 a.m.

“The belly was full of eggs, so he released it after weighing and measuring it,” Soltani said.

Last year, Crupi caught and kept a 21-pound 1-ounce fish at Castaic and has several trophy mounts in his name.

Arujo, of Santa Monica, did not want to deny anyone his due, but questioned whether releasing the fish before it could be checked by an official might jeopardize its chance at becoming a record.

The DFG was not able to specify Tuesday afternoon the process necessary for qualifying a fish as a state record, but spokesman Curt Taucher said it should have been inspected by a DFG official.

“It will be reviewed--the scale, the witnesses,” he added. “They will take every bit of information they have on that fish (into account) to see if will be a legal record.”

By the time that happens, though, the record may be broken.

Many figure it is only a matter of time before George Perry’s 59-year-old catch of a 22-pound 4-ounce fish--in Alabama’s Montgomery Lake--is stricken from the record books.

Has five years of drought adversely affected California’s rafting industry?

Indeed, but it is not the lack of water that is hurting river outfitters. Rather, it is “the public perception that there is no water to float,” according to Nate Rangel, Western Region representative for America Outdoors, a national outfitters’ association.

Rangel said that the South Fork American, easily the most popular river in the state, “will have guaranteed steady flows from now through September.”

Projections for California’s major dam-regulated whitewater routes, using the rapids rating of I for little more than a ripple to V:

South Fork American--A significant flow most Tuesdays through Thursdays. Rating: III.

Middle Fork American: heavy flows on weekdays and questionable releases on weekends. Rating: III to V.

Tuolumne: Swift flows at times, but low summer weekday releases are possible. Rating: III to V.

Lower Kern: Significant releases expected June through July. Rating: III to IV.

Stanislaus: Steady weekday releases on Camp 9 Run. Weekends questionable. Rating: III.

North Fork Feather--Healthy weekday releases all summer on Big Bend Run. Saturdays questionable and Sundays doubtful. Rating: III.

Upper Klamath--Conditions good through spring and summer. Rating: IV.

Among the snowmelt runoff rivers, Merced has been rated IV from April through May; the Kings has a III from early April to early July; the Upper Forks Kern a IV or V from mid-April to early June; the Kaweah a V from late April to late May and the North Fork American a IV now through early May.

Briefly

TROUT--More than 600 anglers competed in the annual Blake Jones Trout Derby at Pleasant Valley near Bishop last Saturday. Jones was a longtime guide in the area who died three years ago. The blind bogey winners who matched guide Matt Nitschke’s catch of a 2-pound 13-ounce rainbow were Mark Pollard, Bakersfield, and M.E. Cox, Trona. Mike Henneman of Moreno Valley caught the largest fish at 3 pounds 13 ounces.

Randy Prescott of Bishop weighed in a catch at 3 pounds 8 ounces--after milking its eggs to use for bait and allowing it to dehydrate for five hours. Fresh caught, it probably weighed four pounds. Big losers: five men from Ridgecrest who were cited by DFG wardens for having a total of 40 fish more than their limits. Two also were cited by Inyo County deputies for possessing marijuana.

BAJA FISHING--Striped marlin fishing is improving steadily each week. Boats fishing off Grey Rock to Hotel Cabo San Lucas are averaging two stripers a day. Dorado fishing is excellent, with fish averaging 10-35 pounds, according to Darrell Primrose of the Tortuga fleet. A group fishing with Edward Reyes, owner of Las Palmas Restaurant, caught 35 in one day. Roosterfish, jack crevalle and sierra mackerel are being taken off sandy beaches.

FLY FISHING--Fly tier Roy Richardson will teach beginner-intermediate tying at East Fork Flyfishing store Saturday at 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Cost, $50. . . . Tom Morgan, owner of Winston Rod Co., will talk obout rod design, construction and finishing Saturday, 10 a.m., at Greg Lilly’s store in Tustin. . . .A nine-week beginners’ course in tying, offered by San Gabriel Valley Fly Fishers, held at Sorenson Park in Whittier, March 19 at 7 p.m. Cost, $25. Details: (818) 969-0682.

CONSERVATION--The volunteer bighorn sheep census in the Lytle Creek area of the San Gabriel Mountains last weekend produced a preliminary count of “a bit less than past years,” according to wildlife biologist John Fisher of the DFG. Despite the availability of a helicopter, Fisher said, “We weren’t able to cover a couple of areas because of high winds, but even if we had it would have been less because of the drought. Reproduction is suffering and the older sheep are suffering.” About 80 volunteers assisted the DFG and the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep. . . . Volunteers are needed for a project to rebuild three big-game guzzlers in the Granite Mountains of Riverside County the weekend of March 23-24. Details: (213) 256-0463.

INSTRUCTION--Eagle Claw saltwater Fishing School, exploratory run to Coronado Islands aboard the Prowler out of San Diego. Cost, $125. Details: (714) 840-6555.