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Recreation
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- Written by: Editor
HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – The HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club held a medal play tournament on Nov. 15.
The results were as follows.
- First Flight: Bill Brewster finished first at net 34. Tom Gibbs, Jim Wilson, and Dave Mann finished tied for second at 36.
- Second Flight: Bill Helt was first with 35. Mike Casolo and Jim Hodges tied for second with 36.
- Third Flight: Don Holland and Ed Carver tied for the top spot at 37. Jim DeRosa and Pete Gumina tied for third at 38.
Closest to the par 3 pins were Arch Madsen and Bill Brewster.
Chip-ins were scored by Bill Stricklan, Ed Carver and Bill Helt.
Thirty-eight men participated in this event.
Congratulations to Bill Brewster for earning the 2012 HVL Men’s Niners Golf Club Points Championship.
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- Written by: Editor
NOAA Fisheries, the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and the Fishery Foundation of California recently completed removal of a 7-foot dam, re-opening more than six miles of spawning habitat for federally protected steelhead.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, fish barriers have been identified as a limiting factor for the steelhead population. The removal of this dam on Bear Creek, a tributary to San Francisquito Creek, will allow steelhead for the first time in decades to access historic habitat for spawning and rearing, and improve ecological connectivity for other fish and wildlife resources.
“With few streams left in the Bay Area that support self-sustaining steelhead populations, protecting and enhancing these watersheds is vital for the continued existence of these fish,” said DFG Environmental Scientist Kristine Atkinson.
Steelhead migrate as adults from the Pacific Ocean into freshwater streams and rivers to spawn. The dam at Bear Creek was on private property in Woodside and blocked fish passage for more than 60 years.
The population of steelhead native to Bear Creek, the Central California Coastal Evolutionarily Significant Unit was listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 1997. DFG and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement worked collaboratively with the property owner to remedy the situation.
“Habitat loss and degradation is a high priority for us under ESA, and this case is a good example of how providing compliance assistance helps us solve problems collaboratively,” said Martina Sagapolu, acting Special Agent in Charge for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement’s Southwest Division. “Partnering with landowners as well as agencies such as DFG and NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center is critical to our success.”
The removal of the dam took two years to complete and cost approximately $30,000. Funding for the project was provided by both the private landowner and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s San Francisco Bay Salmonid Habitat Restoration Fund.
“Recovery of threatened and endangered species is a tremendous, long-term challenge that offers lasting benefits to the health of our environment and communities,” said biologist Joe Pecharich, of the NOAA Fisheries Restoration Center. “Our work is far from over in the San Francisquito Creek watershed. There are still a number of barriers that DFG and NOAA are looking into for enhancement opportunities.”
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- Written by: Editor
The commercial Dungeness crab season north of Sonoma County will be delayed at least two weeks to allow crabs more time to grow to ensure they are of suitable quality.
The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) delayed the opening of the commercial Dungeness crab season after tests showed crabs in the area lacked the required body mass.
The decision means the scheduled Dec. 1 opening will be pushed back at least two weeks and possibly longer if the crabs need more time to mature.
The central California commercial Dungeness crab season is set to open on schedule Nov. 15.
The North Coast crab fishery is subject to tests to ensure the crabs are not harvested prematurely.
“Tests are routinely performed each year by the commercial fishing industry and market buyers to determine if the crabs are mature enough for harvest,” said DFG Environmental Scientist Christy Juhasz.
“Crabs ready for harvest should contain 25 percent of their body weight as meat. In tests performed two weeks ago, crabs from the North Coast contained only 16-18 percent body mass,” Juhasz added.
Additional testing will be done in December, and depending on those results a further delay could be ordered. A similar delay was implemented last year off the North Coast.
“Crabs from the Central Coast do not fall under the same restrictions and so their season will open as normal on Nov. 15. Fresh crab should then be immediately available to consumers, provided the fishermen and the markets can agree on market prices,” Juhasz said.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: I was always taught as a kid fishing in the streams in the high Sierras and Mother Lode lakes that a child under 16 had to count their catches under their licensed parent’s or other adult’s license on site.
My question is, can a child capable of catching their own fish without assistance from an adult catch a limit of trout, for example, separate from a licensed adult? I see this come up with parents who want to take their kids fishing (and the kids really want to learn how to fish!), but the parents are not interested enough to buy a fishing license.
I’m interested in taking a group of kids fishing but can’t figure out how many licenses we’ll need and how many fish we can legally take. Some of these kids are too young for a license but really want to catch their own fish. Can you please clarify this for me? (Doug M.)
Answer: A child or young adult 15 years of age or younger does not need a fishing license to catch their own limit of fish. They also do not need to put their catches under an adult guardian’s license limit. All of the same regulations apply for them except the requirement to purchase a fishing license. However, if fishing for sturgeon, abalone, lobster or steelhead (which all need additional report cards), then they will have to purchase those.
Tips for pig hunting
Question: What are the rules for hunting wild pigs and where can I find maps or private farms were I can go to hunt them? (Isaac G.)
Answer: According to Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Wild Pig Program Manager Marc Kenyon, “I am asked this same question all the time!” Before going into the field, Kenyon suggests you first read the California Mammal Hunting Regulations, especially sections 352-355 and 368 ( www.fgc.ca.gov/regulations/current/mammalregs.aspx ).
A good reference publication is DFG’s “Guide to Hunting Wild Pigs in California.” It details some of the finer points of hunting pigs and provides hunting information for public lands. To download, go to:
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=23231 . DFG also offers some special pig hunts, some of which are on private lands (see www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/pig/specialhunts.html ). In addition, commercial hunting club information can be found at: https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=38624&;inline=true .
Lastly, you may benefit from attending an advanced pig hunting education clinic. These clinics take basic hunter education to the next level by having experienced hunters teach advanced techniques, pig behavior, hunter ethics and more. They also provide a discussion of places to go and a demonstration of cleaning and butchering a pig.
More information and a schedule of upcoming classes are available at:
www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/advanced/ .
Storing abalone in the freezer
Question: Regulations literally say abalone must remain in the shell until ready for immediate consumption. Does an abalone stored at home in the freezer really have to remain in the shell? If so, if intestines and guts are still attached, isn’t there a possibility of food poisoning occurring? (Anonymous)
Answer: The law does require that abalone remain attached to the shell until ready for immediate consumption. If you freeze the entire abalone whole and intact until ready for immediate consumption, the flesh and the guts are both preserved by freezing and should offer no health risks.
California or Arizona license required?
Question: I’m going camping in Buckskin Mountain State Parkin Arizona. Am I allowed to fish on the Colorado River there with a California fishing license since the river is split with California? Would I have to be on the other side of the river with my current license or would I need a fishing stamp (Colorado River Validation)? (Aye F.)
Answer: Your California fishing license is only valid when fishing from shore on the California side of the Colorado River. In order to fish from a boat in the Colorado River, you must have both a California sport fishing license and an Arizona special use stamp or validation.
The required Colorado river stamp must be purchased through a California DFG license agent in the area. Arizona licensees must buy their stamps through Arizona Game and Fish Department license agents.
For more information, please review the 2012-2013 Freshwater Sportfishing Regulation booklet (page 7) available wherever sportfishing licenses are sold or online at
www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations/FreshFish-Mar2012/ .
Carrie Wilson is a marine biologist with the California Department of Fish and Game. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week. Please contact her at