Striped Bass Become Targets of the DFG

Striped bass: love them or hate them, the California Department of Fish and Game has declared war on them.

The state Fish and Game Commission next week will discuss a proposal by the department to double the daily catch limit next year to 10 at Silverwood, Castaic and Pyramid lakes--the three prime sites for stripers in Southern California. The purpose is to reduce the numbers of stripers, which prey on other game fish, such as largemouth bass and trout.

Glenn Delisle, a DFG senior biologist in Sacramento, said Tuesday: “Most of those fish get to those reservoirs by way of the California Aqueduct. It’s something we can’t stop. They grow much larger (than other species of fish), and to grow they eat other fish. They aren’t choosy. They’ll eat anything that swims in front of them.”

There could be some spirited lobbying before the new fishing regulations are adopted at Long Beach in December.

Delisle concedes that the DFG’s position on striped bass might be inconsistent. There has been considerable concern about the stripers in the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary, where the population has dropped from 3 1/2 million in the 1960s to 700,000.

“That population is in grave danger,” Delisle said.

Yet earlier this year DFG Director Boyd Gibbons ordered no planting of hatchery stripers there because of a perceived threat to the endangered winter run of chinook salmon.

Ideally, Delisle said, the surplus Southland stripers would be shipped back north, if anyone could figure out how to do it.

Briefly

HUNTING--On opening day last Saturday, Southern California duck hunters enjoyed the highest rate of success--2.9 birds per shooter--at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. Otherwise, numbers were not as high as anticipated because the weather was too warm and dry from northern California through southern Washington. Hunters averaged 1.8 birds at Baldwin Lake’s first hunt since 1985, but only 23 of 35 assigned hunters picked up their reservations. The Imperial Wildlife Area average was 1.63. At the San Diego lakes, hunters averaged 1.7 birds at Otay, 1.3 at Barrett and 0.8 at Sutherland. Most were mallards. . . . In Kern County, the duck season opens Nov. 20 for Lake Isabella north. . . . Free copies of the 98-page “Guide to Hunting the Quail of California” are available by writing to the California Department of Fish and Game, Upland Game Coordinator, 1416 Ninth St., P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, 94244-2090.

LOCAL FISHING--Skippers able to make the trip to the northern Channel Islands--whether or not they fish there--are putting their customers on the best fishing. There is an abundance of squid near Santa Cruz Island and landings from Oxnard to Santa Barbara are filling the receivers with the highly prized bait, and as a result are turning in impressive fish counts. “We’ve been catching yellowtail averaging 25 to 40 pounds,” said John Shull, owner-operator of the Pacific Dawn out of Cisco’s Sportfishing in Oxnard. A few boats from as far as the South Bay have been making squid runs before venturing to such places as Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina islands and the Cortez Banks--all are encountering excellent yellowtail fishing.

MEXICAN FISHING--Cabo San Lucas: Last week’s 13th annual, three-day Bisbee’s Black & Blue Marlin Tournament had 123 boats entered, with 153 billfish tagged and 144 released. The nine weighed were topped by Mark Kronemeyer’s 615-pound blue. Kronemeyer, of Mazatlan, split the $61,500 first prize with teammate John Buckley of Cabo San Lucas. Next was a 452-pound black by Wally Albright, for $24,600. San Jose del Cabo: Pangas averaging 5-6 wahoo; sailfish also abundant. Roger Gomez, Diamond Bar, and Rudy de la Loza, San Diego, each caught 90-pound sailfish on light tackle. San Diego Long-range: Boats from Point Loma Sportfishing have been making 1 1/2-day trips 130-140 miles south but still have had time to collect limits of yellowfin tuna for everyone. The Red Rooster III, eight days farther south with 27 anglers, got bigger yellowfin, topped by a 129-pounder by Joe Talasy of Bellflower.

MOUNTAIN BIKING--Mountain and River Adventures’ third annual Kernville Fat-Tire Festival is scheduled Friday through Sunday, with rides, contests and a Halloween costume party. Registration: $70. Details: (619) 376-6553.

CONSERVATION--Fishing interests apparently have won their final battle over the East Walker River, which was destroyed as a fishery when the Walker River Irrigation District released excessive flows in 1988. The Nevada farmers lost a criminal suit by CalTrout in 1990 and last week resolved a civil suit brought by the California Department of Fish and Game by agreeing to pay the DFG $250,000, flush remaining silt downriver to re-expose gravel and spawning pools and to maintain a minimum level of 2,000 acre feet in Bridgeport Reservoir.

FLY-FISHING--Tackle, trips and display plates will be available at the Fly Fishers Club of Orange County’s annual fund-raiser Thursday, 6:30 p.m., at the Revere House in Tustin. Dinner: $15. Details: (714) 373-2721. . . . The Sierra Pacific Flyfishers will give a four-week class in graphite fly rod building starting Nov. 3, 7-9 p.m., at the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks Senior Citizens Center. Donation: $25. Details: (818) 845-5656.

OFF-ROAD--Ecological 4-Wheeling’s next two outings are Nov. 12-15 to San Felipe, Baja California, and “Fat Hill Fandango” Nov. 26-28 to Cerro Gordo in the Owens Valley. For details and guidebooks on California off-roading: (714) 540-7731.