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Recreation
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Co-hosted by local rice farmers, the naturalist-led tours will focus on tundra swans in one of the premier locations for viewing swans in California.
Ducks, geese, ibis, shorebirds, herons, egrets and raptors are also commonly seen in this area, which contains 23,000 acres of rice fields.
Tours will be held on Saturdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3 p.m. The driving tours also involve walking a short distance and carpooling is encouraged.
Pre-registration is required at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regions/2/swan-tours and up to 30 people can register for each tour.
The tours are part of CDFW’s wildlife viewing services program, which includes outdoors opportunities at Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area, Isenberg Crane Reserve and North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.
For more information, please call (916) 358-2869 or email
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Middletown tennis court will be closed Monday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 21, to allow for the preparation and installation of a new surface.
The tennis court will reopen Monday, Oct. 22.
The Upper Lake Park tennis court will be closed Wednesday, Oct. 17, thru Wednesday, Oct. 31, to allow for the preparation and installation of a new surface.
The tennis court will reopen on Thursday, Nov. 1.
For more information contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 707-262-1618.
- Details
- Written by: BoatUS
And in the halls of power of Washington, D.C., and 50 state capitals, credible data carries extra weight when it comes to advancing policies and laws that benefit recreational boaters.
That’s why Boat Owners Association of The United States, or BoatUS, is calling attention to the release of economic data by the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis, or BEA, that shows the significance of the outdoor industry – and boating in particular – to the U.S. economy.
First, the numbers:
– Outdoor recreation accounted for $412 billion of the U.S. gross domestic product, representing 2.2 percent of the overall GDP.
– This translates to 4.5 million jobs with compensation of $214 billion in the same year.
– Outdoor recreation contribution to GDP is greater than farming, mining or public utilities, and is comparable to broadcasting/telecommunications.
– Recreational boating and fishing accounted for $36.93 billion of that total, the single largest category of activities identified in the report.
“As we work for boaters in Washington and state capitals, this data will help policymakers understand that boating is more than just fun on the water,” said BoatUS Manager of Government Affairs David Kennedy. “For boaters, the BEA data will help BoatUS advocate for laws and policies that support access to waterways and help boaters enjoy a variety of water-based recreation activities.”
The analysis was a result of passage of the Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016, which required the Department of Commerce, acting through BEA, to enter into a joint memorandum with the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to conduct, assess and analyze the outdoor-recreation economy of the United States and its effects on the overall U.S. economy.
The BEA report can be found at https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife Marine Environmental Scientist Jenny Hofmeister, the most lobsters last season were caught off Catalina Island. “In the past, San Diego has usually been the most plentiful spot,” she said. “But recently many fishers are finding success out at the islands.”
A lobster report card is required for all persons fishing for lobster and individuals 16 years or older must also possess a valid sport fishing license and ocean enhancement stamp to take lobster south of Point Arguello.
Any person using hoop nets from a public pier and children who are under 16 and fishing for lobster do not need a license but must possess a valid lobster report card.
A typical legal-size spiny lobster will average about one pound in weight. Occasionally divers and hoop netters will find lobsters over five pounds (considered trophy size) in California waters.
Spiny lobster taken must measure at least 3 1/4 inches in length and are measured in a straight line on the midline of the back from the rear edge of the eye socket to the rear edge of the body shell.
The daily bag limit for lobster is seven per person and an individual may not possess more than seven at any time except when a valid declaration for a multi-day trip has been obtained.
Lobster can be taken with hoop nets and by skin or SCUBA divers by hand only. No appliance (such as fish spears or poles) may be used to assist.
Additional regulations governing the sport take of lobster and general fishing information can be found in the California Spiny Lobster Fishing brochure.
Lobster fishers should also consult the Marine Protected Area maps for the California coastline to ensure they are not fishing in prohibited waters.
CDFW marine biologists suggest using an oily or aromatic bait to dispense a scent trail that nearby lobsters will follow back to the net. Squid, Pacific mackerel, bonito, anchovies, sardines and even cat food may serve as good bait.
A wire mesh bait container will help prevent the loss of bait to fish or other large predators such as seals and sea lions.
Because lobsters are strong and have hair-trigger responses when they sense predators, the best strategy for divers is usually to grab or pin the lobster to the bottom by their body, rather than grabbing it by a leg or antennae which will likely tear off.
Although lobsters can regenerate lost limbs, marine biologists have found that these lobsters ultimately produce fewer offspring because of the energy requirements for limb regeneration.
“They definitely can sense your hesitation,” Hofmeister said. “Most of their daily life is spent trying not to get eaten, so they are pretty good at getting away if you aren’t quick enough.”
Lobster report cards must be returned or submitted online to CDFW at the end of each season by April 30, regardless of whether the card was used or any lobster were caught. Fishers who fill up a report card can turn in their card and purchase another.
Failure to report catch from all cards by the deadline will result in a nonreporting fee that is charged when you purchase a report card next season.
“Reporting your catch is so important for managing the recreational lobster fishery,” Hofmeister said. “Our goal is to ensure that we can all be catching lobster decades from now, and to do that we need to know how many are being caught, where you are catching them, and what it took to get them. That is why we want to know about all of your trips – including the ones where you get skunked.”
The complete spiny lobster regulations are contained in the 2018-2019 Ocean Sport Fishing regulations booklet, found on CDFW’s Web site and wherever fishing licenses are sold. A lobster fishing FAQ and other biological information specific to California’s spiny lobster can also be found on the CDFW Web site.