POACHING BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL POACHING
Thursday, March 13th, 1997We’ve all heard of or seen fishermen catch and keep too many fish. Once again, as soon as you’ve taken your limit and keep fishing, even with a buddy who is not catching fish, you are, in my mind, poaching.
The limit on the Russian River and other California coastal streams is one steelhead or salmon over 22 inches and one under that length, or two under per day. I heard Monday of a guy fishing in the Cummisky Station area of Southern Mendocino County who caught four adult steelhead and gave two to his buddy.
If all four fish were over 22 inches, both fishermen broke the law. It’s time for all of us to help Fish & Game by informing others of fish limits. We also can anonymously call the anti-poaching Cal-Tip number, 1-800-952-5400, to report a violation.
Meanwhile, steelhead were reported throughout the Russian River with fish caught at Austin Creek-Brown’s Pool on the Casini Ranch, at Monte Rio, at Steelhead Beach and up river as mentioned. But, despite all the reports, I have yet to see a good catch day anywhere. I heard of 18 steelhead caught by noon Saturday at the Casini Ranch. On Monday morning, my partner and I saw one fly guy take and release an 8-pounder at the ranch. There were six fly guys early and about 10 later along with other fishermen. Check other river details at King’s Sport & Tackle in Guerneville or the Casini Store.
Darrell Brown at Brown’s Sporting Goods in Garberville says blueback steelhead and bigger fish are being landed in good numbers in the South Fork of the Eel River, which was fishable all the way to the muddy Main Eel. Now I guess I should rush up to the South Fork where there was a 50 percent chance of rain Saturday.
Fishing reports
It’s March and spring break is approaching. So I turn to lake fishing.
Jim Reese of Ukiah and his brother, Skeet Reese of Rohnert Park, set a Clear Lake bass-tournament record last week when they won the Clear Lake Team Bass Tournament with a two-day total of 14 bass weighing 61.71 pounds for a $3,000 cash prize. The tourney record was 60.96 pounds. The tourney’s second-place weight was 59.51 pounds.
The winners’ weight total may also be a Northern California bass tournament record. But that is yet to be confirmed. The Reese brothers were using spinner baits in murky water, mostly at the lake’s north end. The lake record was confirmed by J. E. “Pete” Kroppmann at Pete’s Sporting Goods in Lakeport.
Kroppmann says bass were beginning to bite in the warming lake. Catfish action has been good. Most fishermen were using large minnows and white or chartreuse spinner baits for bass. Gil Lujano at Don’s Bait in Clearlake says bass were taking spinner baits and jumbo minnows throughout the lake.
Lake Sonoma is beginning to clear, but the bass remain deep, according to John Berndt, who fishes the lake with Mike Barrett. Both work at Long’s Drug in Cloverdale. They provide lake and upper Russian River fishing details.
At Lake Berryessa’s Markley Cove, Dan Bluett says 70-degree weather has improved trout fishing along with bass action on minnows. Crappie are starting to show.
Ron Madden at Ron’s Grocery in Ukiah says striped bass are starting to move at Lake Mendocino along with large and smallmouth black bass, particularly along the dam face. Try black grubs and nightcrawlers for black bass and live minnows deep for stripers. The catfish bite remains slow.
No answer at Lake Pillsbury Resort (anyone have another source?), but plan on trolling or drifting a nightcrawler deep for trout. Some say to fish the north and east portions of the lake. Fishing should get better soon.
Spring break will find North Coast residents heading for Lake Shasta for trout and other fishing. Call guide Bud Kubowitz, (916) 926-0290, or fax, (916) 926-5044 for trip details along with Bridge Bay and other area resorts, (916) 275-3021, or Sugarloaf Cottages, (916) 238-2448.
Next week’s trout plants include Lake Hennessey in Napa County and Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
Other fishing
Rough seas cut into ocean sport salmon fishing out of Fort Bragg. However, bottom-fishing party boats continue to take a few salmon. Ocean sport salmon season opens Saturday from Pigeon Point in San Mateo County to the Mexican border. Go south Sausalito and Bay Area party boats.
Wil’s Fishing Adventures at Bodega Bay reported 21 limits of rock fish and 104 ling cod last week for the Tracer at Cordell Bank with Ron Crowder of Santa Rosa weighing a sack of fish at 110 pounds with an added five lings. The Payback had six limits on the same day. Perch fishing remains good around Bodega Bay. Call 875-2323.
Sturgeon action remains good on mud shrimp in the Pumphouse area, according to Keith Fraser at Loch Lomond Bait in San Rafael, (415) 456-0321.
The party boat Cobra out of Sausalito Dock, (415) 331-9696, continues the best ling cod bite of the decade around the Farallon Islands with 142 lings to 27 pounds and 413 rock fish over the weekend.
Ending on a sad, but deserved note, I learned of the March 6 death of Howard Stevens of Santa Rosa. Howard was the quiet, consummate sport fishermen. He landed many stripers on the Napa River — nearly a legend in his time — with his longtime fishing partner, Dick Thomas, also of Santa Rosa. He also enjoyed trolling for trout at Lake Hennessey in Napa County. He was good at what he did in retirement, fishing.
Send your comments and suggestions to John Adams, The Press Democrat, P.O. Box 910, Santa Rosa, 95402.
Memo: FISHING & OUTDOOR NOTES
Sonoma County Friends of the National Rifle Association will hold its fifth annual fund-raising dinner at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Sebastopol Veteran’s Memorial Building.
No-host cocktails start at 6:30 p.m. In addition to dinner, there will be an auction and door prizes. Tickets and more information are available by calling Dale Heiser, 763-6063.
Ron Crandall of Ron’s Reel Repair in Santa Rosa has joined forces with Ken Jones of Boonville, author of “Pier Fishing in California,” on the latter’s web site. The page will provide information on fishing piers throughout the area with the Pacifica Pier the selection this month and others to follow from Crescent City to San Diego.
Also included will be tips on reel maintenance. There also will be articles on other fish and fishing like this month’s offering on Barred surfperch, also by Crandall. Access the site at http://www.pacific.net/(tilde)kjcapfsh/.
Elsewhere for wandering guides, the state Fish & Game Commission accepted a proposal from California Trout to add 200 miles of the headwaters of the South Fork of the Kern River in Tulare County to the California Wild Trout Program. The move protects the Volcano Creek Golden trout, which is the state fish.
The move does not ban fishing outright, but requires improved management of the habitat and watershed. New fishing restrictions could be developed as part of management awareness. It is the first time an entire watershed had been protected, according to Michael Bowen of Cal Trout in San Francisco. Support was received from Trout Unlimited and the Federation of Fly Fishers.
POACHING BY ANY OTHER NAME IS STILL POACHING
Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
March 13, 1997
Author: John Adams
Staff Writer
Estimated printed pages: 4
Edition: FINAL
Section: SPORTS
Page: C5
Column: THE FISHING LINE
Index Terms: FISHING
Copyright (c) 1997 The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, CA)
Record Number: 9703130119