OUTDOOR NOTES / PETE THOMAS : Fall Color Is Green for Boat Operators

With fall comes a relative calm at the Southland’s sportfishing landings.

What is different about this fall, however, is that there are smiles on the faces of skippers, landing operators and boat-owners, even though passenger loads are dropping steadily.

“I would say people are going into the off-season more upbeat than they did last year,” said Buzz Brizendine, owner of the San Diego-based Prowler.

That would be because of the tonnage of tuna hauled aboard boats hailing from Los Angeles to San Diego. Because passenger loads have been heavy, outstanding bills have been paid and money has been stashed. Because last season was one of the worst on record.

“It’s been a good year so far and it’s not over yet,” said Paul Morris, part-owner of Fisherman’s Landing in San Diego. “At least we’re getting our bills payed off. It’ll keep us rolling until next year.”

Said Darren Wilson, a shift manager at L.A. Harbor Sportfishing: “Business-wise, it’s been like a 100% turnaround. Last year it didn’t seem like anything was biting for us. It was like we didn’t come out of the spring. Now it’s been a bonanza since June. Maybe it’ll hold out through October.”

Maybe not. Despite tuna still breezing through local waters, fishermen have apparently had enough.

“Everybody’s kind of tuna’d out,” Wilson agreed.

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How good was this season compared with last?

In 1991, fishermen at San Diego’s three primary landings caught 162 albacore, 2,189 yellowtail, 993 bluefin tuna, 136 bigeye tuna, 1,977 yellowfin tuna and 85 dorado.

This year, through September, fishermen landed two albacore, 17,655 yellowtail, 6,992 bluefin tuna, 58,907 yellowfin tuna and 22,510 dorado.

“And they’re still getting them,” said Paul Morris at Fisherman’s. “You can probably add 3,000 yellowtail, 5,000 dorado and 1,500 yellowfin.”

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As usually happens during an El Nino year, unusual catches are reported from time to time.

The latest, all in the past week aboard San Diego-based boats: A 91-pound wahoo caught aboard the Royal Star 140 miles southwest of Point Loma, a larger-than-usual wahoo taken well north of the wahoo’s range; four marlin taken aboard the Tracer in one day, something that hasn’t happened aboard a San Diego party boat in more than a decade; and a shortbill spearfish, weighing 63 pounds, aboard the Vagabond. Spearfish are rarely taken on rod and reel.

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Product alert: If you have purchased a “Worm Gett’R” to catch worms for your next fishing trip, be forewarned: The device is deadly.

Or so says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which adds that at least 28 people--mostly children--have died of electrocution because of the device, which uses electrical current to shock earthworms to the surface.

About 30,000 “Worm Gett’Rs” have been sold nationwide, the safety commission says.

Briefly

SALTWATER--Calls are coming in from rock cod fishermen, but the fleets aren’t about to make the transition from surface to bottom fishing until the tuna disappear. Yellowfin remain the primary attraction and full-day boats are finding fish in the 10- to 30-pound range as close as 10 miles off of the coast. The bluefin bite at the outer banks is mostly hit or miss. Top catch: an 84-pound bluefin taken at Cortez Bank aboard L.A. Harbor Sportfishing’s Shogun.

San Diego’s medium-range fleet is reporting an excellent bite in the vicinity of San Martin Island, where yellowfin tuna and dorado are providing steady action. The Morning Star included in its count eight bigeye tuna weighing 50-65 pounds.

Tournament: An annual event to benefit the group Heal the Bay will be held Saturday at Marina del Rey. The contest, involving seven species, will be confined to the Santa Monica Bay. Details available at area tackle stores.

Cabo San Lucas: Weather and fishing is good, but crowds are down, leaving several boats dockside for days at a time. Blue marlin, striped marlin, sailfish, dorado, tuna and an occasional wahoo are being taken by the few doing the fishing.

HUNTING--California’s general bear season opens Saturday and will end when the quota of 1,250 bears is reached. Last season, hunters were issued 11,468 tags and bagged 1,493 black bears. Hunters using trailing dogs posted a 66% success rate. . . .California hunting regulations for resident and migratory game birds are available at Department of Fish and Game offices and sporting goods stores. Southern California’s upland game bird season will begin Oct. 17, and the general waterfowl season will start Oct. 24. As for Saturday’s goose-opener at Imperial Wildlife Area in Niland, manager Chris Gonzales offered this prediction: “We’ll be here, and we’ll be ready. But if you come, you’ll be bored and disappointed.” Gonzales said the birds have yet to show in any “huntable” numbers, but added that they are expected soon.

Quail Unlimited, an organization devoted to improving the habitat of upland game birds, will announce its new Antelope Valley chapter Thursday at 7 p.m. at a meeting at the Antelope Valley Pheasant Hunting Club in Lancaster. Regional director Dick Haldeman will discuss the scope of the organization and progress of other chapters. Details: (805) 724-1291.

BOATING--Congress has approved legislation to repeal the controversial “user fee” imposed on more than four million recreational boat owners. If signed by the President, the fee would be repealed immediately for boats 21 feet or less; Oct. 1, 1993, on boats 37 feet or less, and on Oct. 1, 1994, on all larger boats. The Bush Administration has not indicated its position on the repeal bill.