NOTES / PETE THOMAS : Man, Son Are Charged With Lobster Poaching

Zigmont Mackevicius, 52, and his son Michael, 29, both of Dana Point, are charged with poaching lobsters from another man’s pot and face fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

Department of Fish and Game wardens Dan Sforza and Paul Hamdorf, in a sting operation, planted marked lobsters and then observed the two men through night vision equipment as they removed the lobsters from traps about 30 yards off the South Laguna shore.

“We didn’t have to wait long,” Sforza said. “They were the first and only guys in the water and we saw them rob both traps.”

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It’s tournament time in Cabo San Lucas and, as always, the target species are blue and black marlin.

Things are behind schedule off Land’s End, however, as the big billfish have yet to put on a show of force typical this time of year.

That isn’t putting a damper on spirits, however. Those in the charity tournaments, notably the Pete Lopiccola event to fight leukemia, will be fishing for a cause.

And those in the money tournaments, notably the Bisbee’s, the richest billfish derby in the world, are well aware that it takes only one fish to strike it rich.

Last year, Joe (Rocky) Gentile of Chatsworth hauled in a 993-pound marlin that earned his team $321,510 in prize money and him a $280,000 boat.

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There’s still time to catch a tuna, but don’t count on them sticking around much longer. The ocean is slowly cooling and the counts are dropping.

Limits of yellowfin were the rule on boats from L.A. Harbor to San Diego on Tuesday, but not a skipper will argue that the first significant cooling trend will send the fish running south.

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Young hunters are gearing up for junior pheasant hunts designed only for children at various locations this fall.

The DFG will select, in a drawing, boys and girls possessing resident junior hunting licenses. The next hunt--the first was held in east San Diego County last Saturday--will be Nov. 12 at the San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County.

Two others will be held in Imperial County on Dec. 10, and one will take place in Norco on Nov. 18.

Only the Norco hunt is excluded from the draw, and parents of prospective hunters for that event can call (800) 733-4868 for details.

The DFG also announced the first “Family Pheasant Hunts” which, it is hoped, “will encourage experienced hunters to invite their youngsters and beginner kin along.” They will be held Nov. 18-19 and Dec. 2-3 at two sites in eastern Riverside County.

For drawing information on junior or family events, call the DFG’s Long Beach office at (310) 590-5126.

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The mystery surrounding the death of 38 bighorn sheep in the Mojave Desert last August has been solved, experts believe.

Apparently, a water guzzler caved in and 13 sheep fell in and drowned. Their decomposing carcasses contaminated the water and poisoned 25 more.

The presence of botulism toxin was found in the guzzler. Guzzlers are devices built to provide the sheep with water.