Crazy Days of March Extend to Other Realms of Sports

March Madness? For some, the month has much more to offer than college basketball.

The world beyond closed doors is just now springing to life. Bears are coming out of hibernation, just as the basketball Bruins are about to go into theirs.

Sierra peaks are still layered with white, but the low rolling hills are a lush green. The sky is mostly blue instead of gray, and warmer, longer days are putting those not so consumed with mainstream sports in the mood to go out and bask in the splendor.

Fishing rods are coming out of the closet, shotguns are being removed from their cases, boats are being brought out of the yards and kayaks and canoes are being pointed downriver. Wax is being applied to surfboards as well as on skis.

For many, this is what March Madness is all about. So here’s a taste--not all of it savory--of what’s going on beyond the hardwood:

* Catalina croakers: You know it’s spring when white seabass start spawning at the island, and Santa Catalina has been serving them up all week on days when the wind isn’t up. On Sunday, a 71-pounder was the biggest of several large croakers hauled aboard the Lucky Strike out of Pierpoint Landing in Long Beach. On Wednesday, 37 anglers aboard the Big Game out of Pierpoint bagged 37 seabass to about 40 pounds.

“It’s been a bonanza out there,” says Philip Friedman, whose 976-TUNA hotline is running a series of charters out of Pierpoint. Some bonanza. The season bag limit was reduced to one a day on March 15 and reverts to three on June 15. Still, one 30- or 40-pound seabass is ample, both at the end of the line and in the freezer.

* Halibut high: The spring bite is on and more than 3,000 anglers are expected to compete for exotic fishing trips and other prizes in either of two huge tournaments held annually in Santa Monica Bay. The Marina del Rey Halibut Derby is April 1-2. You can enter by calling (310) 827-4855. The Santa Monica Bay Halibut Derby is the following weekend: (310) 450-5131.

* Halibut low: At S.E.A. Laboratory in Redondo Beach, they’re mourning the loss of Big Mama, a 50-pound halibut that was one of 20 apparently speared and stolen by intruders who left a trail of blood and guts.

Big Mama was a 10-year resident of a 10-by-20-foot oval tank at the hatchery-aquarium at the base of King Harbor. She was unique in that she willingly spawned in captivity and had been very productive over the years. She was also hugely popular among children visiting the facility. The motive for the butchery is unclear, but if someone turns in a 50-pound halibut at either of the aforementioned derbies, he or she will fall under heavy scrutiny.

* Troubled waters: Reports are still filtering in of vessels outfitted with controversial long-line gear plying Mexican waters well within the 50-mile limit supposedly in effect to preserve game fish populations. The latest come from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico’s crown jewel in the eyes of sport fishermen, who contribute millions to the country’s economy each year.

Rumor has it, corrupt individuals within the lame-duck administration are selling long-line permits to anyone who wants one. This, of course, has not been proved. Another explanation is that some fishermen are being allowed to use the gear--which basically is miles of lines with hundreds of baited hooks--as part of an “experimental” shark research project.

Mexican fisheries officials have been vague on the issue, but do acknowledge that there is some illegal fishing going on. Meanwhile, tourism officials are up in arms over the matter, and rightly so. They can build all the golf courses they want in Cabo, but as the marlin fishery goes, so goes the city.

* Troubled town: Farther up the Sea of Cortez at Loreto, yellowtail arrived en masse, on cue not long ago. And they were promptly rounded up by commercial seiners.

“The commercial netters are taking all of them, even within the boundaries of the [national] marine park,” says one frustrated fleet operator.

Loreto, one of Baja’s most beautiful and charming cities, basically has two sportfishing seasons, one for yellowtail and a mid- and late-summer run of dorado. Only dorado, a species reserved for sport fishermen, are protected against the seiners.

* Roosterfish raids: Spring is when gill-netters from mainland Mexico, who have largely fished out their waters, start making illegal raids on inshore areas in the remote East Cape region of Baja California, trying to load up on anything they can catch to satisfy an increased demand for fish during Lent, the period preceding Easter. Notable in their nets are roosterfish and jacks.

Since protecting the interests of sportfishermen--whose value to the economy far surpasses that of commercial fishing--does not seem to be a priority this year, there’s no reason to believe the gill-netters won’t be back.

* On the brighter side, there is some decent fishing off southern Baja, mostly for dorado and small tuna in the East Cape and La Paz areas.

Says Las Arenas Beach Resort spokesman Jonathan Roldan, “In an already rather wacky season, the dorado just about exploded here last week in the middle of cold, green water.”

At the East Cape, Julio Cota, captain of El Loco II out of the Palmas de Cortez hotel, was honored recently with Aftco’s Tag and Flag award “for tagging and releasing the most striped marlin in the Pacific Ocean,” according to a hotel press release. Cota handled 110 stripers in 1999.

* On the lighter side, overweight police officers in the northern Philippines have been ordered to climb Mt. Pinatubo volcano once a month so people will stop referring to them as “pigs.”

Actually, it’s part of a national police fitness campaign mandatory for cops with waist sizes 34 inches or greater. The police can consider themselves fortunate, though. In 1991, the volcano blew its top, shrinking in height by 984 feet to 4,740 feet.

* Trout opener update: Late winter weather brought plenty of snow to the Eastern Sierra, but there is expected to be little, if any, ice on lakes below 7,000 feet on April 29, the opening of the general trout season. This indeed is an anomaly. Even Mammoth’s Twin Lakes, which at 7,400 feet are almost always at least partially iced over, has mostly open water this week.

* Fly-fishing festival: The annual spring fly-fishing festival at Fishermen’s Spot in Burbank is set for Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The festival--which also features tying seminars and a casting area--and raffle are free of charge.

* Talking turkey: The spring hunting season opens Saturday and runs through April 30. These wild birds are elusive at any time, but usually more so on opening day with so many people afield.

It’s best to hunt in grassy areas rich with wild oats, and during clear and calm weather, since wind and rain tend to keep the turkeys in deep cover. Bag limit is one bearded turkey (beard visible through breast feathers) a day, three a season. Turkey hunting is the focus of the DFG’s Upland Game California magazine. Details: (916) 653-4263.

* Be a mountain man: The National Coast Trail Assn. is seeking “mountain men” to take part in its Jedediah Smith Millennium Expedition. Those interested can hike one-, two- or three-week stretches along the approximate route traveled by the pioneer’s famous expedition of 1828. The expedition, starting June 23 at the Smith River in California and ending July 14 at the Smith River in Oregon, will be led by NCTA director Al LePage. Details can be obtained on the Internet at https://www.coasttrails.org or by calling (503) 335-3876.

* A Mammoth idea: Plans are in the works to get a major air carrier--American Airlines and perhaps United Shuttle--to offer service to and from the Mammoth Lakes area by the winter of 2001-2002. Initial service would be from Los Angeles and San Jose. This is just what Mammoth needs to become a world-class destination resort. Of course, the plan is far from final and extensive modifications to the airport would be required.

* Winding up: Spring typically marks the beginning of boating and fishing seasons. So, it probably is no coincidence that the following stats arrived via faxes this week, by organizations pushing for more coverage:

The number of Americans who participate in recreational boating: 77.8 million (Source: National Marine Manufacturers Assn.). The number of Americans who fish: nearly 50 million--more than twice the number of Americans who golf (National Sporting Goods Assn.). If sportfishing were a corporation, it would rank 13th on the Fortune 500 list of America’s largest businesses in terms of revenue (American Sportfishing Assn.).

Throw in the millions who hunt, hike, surf, ski, snowboard, paddle, climb and bike, and there’s no question about interest in the great outdoors.