NOTES / PETE THOMAS : Drinking, Boating Deadly on Holiday

For thousands of boaters on this long, hot weekend, a sobering reminder: As many as 60 people will die on July 4 alone in boating accidents across the country.

And half of those accidents, according to the Boat Owners Assn. of the United States, will be alcohol-related.

“Drinking and boating is a serious safety issue any day of the week, but it’s far worse on July 4 because it’s a traditionally festive occasion,” said Richard Schwartz, BOAT/U.S. president.

Schwartz issued the following advice: appoint a “designated skipper” to keep an eye on the water and passengers.

“A guest on your boat who has had too much to drink could easily fall overboard and drown,” he said.

Additional warning: Boating while intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of .10 or greater, is illegal.

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San Diego’s overnight sportfishing fleet will soon feel the financial pinch if the situation offshore doesn’t improve soon.

Billed as the world’s largest sportfishing fleet, it relies on the appearance of tuna southwest of Point Loma every summer. But the water’s still too cold--60 degrees in most areas within range of the smaller boats--for yellowfin tuna and the dorado that usually accompany them.

That’s ideal for albacore, the most popular tuna, but those fish haven’t shown locally in years and there are no signs they will this year.

The water is adequate for bluefin tuna, which the fleet hopes will offer some kind of season until the water warms and the yellowfins show.

Therefore, a series of what Pacific Queen skipper Eddie McEwen calls “prospecting tours” are planned this week to try to locate some fish.

McEwen and Producer skipper Ray Sobieck did some prospecting last weekend, and Saturday afternoon, at an area about 140 miles out, both stumbled onto a huge school of bluefin ranging in size from 20 to 150 pounds.

The fish were breaking the surface and obviously feeding, but being the fickle fish they are, they refused to take the sardines cast their way.

Only two fish were caught, a 132-pounder aboard the Producer and a 117-pounder aboard the Pacific Queen.

“They were mostly the bigger fish,” said McEwen, whose boat runs out of Fishermen’s Landing. “We only had eight customers and we got there late in the afternoon, but we had our chances.”

McEwen’s next trip starts Friday night and he has reason for optimism. The Polaris Supreme, on a multi-day trip well south of the border, on Tuesday located a band of warmer water--up to 69 degrees--holding yellowfin tuna about 200 miles south of the landings.

“That water could move up here in a hurry,” McEwen said.

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To try to make fishing more enjoyable for people who don’t have the resources to travel, the Department of Fish and Game this summer will stock 73,000 catfish in downtown area lakes in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties.

Of course, to fish for those catfish, anglers will still have to pay $24.95 for a fishing license.

In all, 20 lakes--15 in Los Angeles County--will receive monthly plants of up to 2,000 catfish from 15 to 17 inches long.

“These are clean, healthy fish raised in a disease-controlled hatchery and thoroughly inspected before they are stocked,” said John Sunada, coordinator of the Fishing in the City project.

Information can be obtained by calling (310) 590-5020.