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Recreation
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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
State and federal fisheries officials are asking for public assistance and offering a $20 reward for the return of each satellite tag from green sturgeon.
The satellite tags, which are programmed to release from the fish after a predetermined time, are most likely to be found along the open ocean coastal portions of San Francisco and San Mateo counties, and the shores and waters of San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay, Suisun Bay and the Delta.
Biologists use the tags to gather information on the Southern Distinct Population Segment of green sturgeon, a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The tag rewards are being offered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in collaboration with the West Coast Groundfish Observer Program, UC Davis and central California commercial halibut trawl fishermen.
If you see a live fish with a tag attached, do not remove the tag from the fish. Instead, note the tag number and call or email the point of contact printed on the tag.
If you find a detached tag, please pick it up for return and contact Kristine Lesyna, CDFW Marine Region, 650-631-6742, or Ethan Mora, NOAA Fisheries, 831-420-3663.
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- Written by: Editor
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown High School's cross country athletes – who are Valley fire evacuees – are asking for a show of support for their team at this Saturday's meet at Spring Lake in Santa Rosa.
The meet takes place from 8:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m.
If you're willing to go support the team, please break out your best purple and gold attire to support the Middletown Mustangs and their school colors.
“We need all the support we can get to show that our community is one and can conquer anything in this disastrous time,” said team member Tiyanna Meese.
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- Written by: Editor
Anglers have only a few more days to fish for salmon in a popular Humboldt County spot before it closes for the season.
Klamath River anglers will have caught their sub-quota of 2,120 adult fall-run Chinook below the Highway 101 bridge by sundown Tuesday, Sept. 15, closing the spit (within 100 yards of the channel through the sand spit formed at the Klamath River mouth) to fishing one hour after dark.
Only the mouth of the river is affected by this closure. Fishing downstream of the Highway 101 Bridge in the estuary will be unaffected until the lower river quota of 7,067 adult fall-run Chinook over 22 inches is met.
Once that number is met, anglers will still be able to fish but will have to release any Chinook over 22 inches. The lower Klamath River tally is currently at 2,687 salmon caught.
The Klamath River above the confluence with the Trinity River will remain open until 2,403 adult Chinook are caught.
The quota on the Trinity River is 2,332 adult Chinook from the confluence with the Klamath River up to Cedar Flat, and 2,332 adult Chinook from Cedar Flat up to the Old Lewiston Bridge.
Anglers may keep track of the status of open and closed sections of the Klamath and Trinity rivers by calling 800-564-6479.
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- Written by: Carrie Wilson
All that glitters can be deceiving
Question: I have been studying up on different methods of spear fishing while free diving and have read about the use of “glitter” as an attractant for bait fish.
I have an idea to sprinkle glitter in the water so that when the bait fish come to investigate, the large game fish will follow and be caught as they attack the bait fish!
What are your views and the legal ramifications of this method? I understand chumming is not legal for taking game animals in our state, but the use of artificial lures is.
With my idea the game fish would not be chummed by this method but instead just attracted by the collection of bait fish. If this method actually works, would it be legal? (Theodore G., Stockton)
Answer: You have an innovative idea there. Unfortunately, even if your plan to lure unsuspecting fish to you by sprinkling shiny, sparkling glitter in the water were to work, you could be cited for doing so. Placing glitter in the water is littering and is prohibited under Fish and Game Code, section 5652.
The activity you describe would be considered chumming and chumming is defined as “placing any material in the water, other than on a hook while angling, for the purpose of attracting fish to a particular area in order that they may be taken” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 1.32).
Chumming in the ocean is allowed (as long as the chum is not considered to be litter!). But, chumming in freshwater is typically not permissible except in specific areas and for certain fish species (see CCR Title14, section 2.40).
Prohibited from retrieving deer from private property
Question: I recently shot a doe with my A31 tag in Los Angeles County (Archery Only-Either Sex). It appeared to be a lethal shot from 22 yards with decent shot placement.
I tracked the blood to a privately owned ranch 100 yards away. I stopped tracking it when it appeared she went onto the ranch property. I then approached the ranch manager to get permission to continue tracking my deer.
The owner initially agreed but after one of her coworkers talked to her, she retracted her permission (approximately 10 minutes from the time we spoke in her office).
She requested that we leave her property at once as she didn’t want people to think they approved of hunting. I didn’t have enough time to locate my deer and left broken-hearted.
I don’t like seeing animals die or suffer for no reason. I would never have shot if I would have known I couldn’t recover her. I believe I did everything legal and correct but it shouldn’t be right that a deer goes to waste because of the bias of a property manager.
Is there anything I could have done to recover my deer? Do I have any rights or is there anyone I could have contacted? I’m still sick over the situation. (Luke G., Loma Linda)
Answer: It’s unfortunate that this happened. Although the law prevents one from wasting the deer, the law does not permit the trespass to retrieve it.
Perhaps, if you’d contacted the local game warden, they may have been able to contact the ranch manager or owner for some possible assistance to prevent the deer from going to waste.
According to California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Lt. Todd Tognazzini, when archery hunting it is recommended to hunt farther from private property boundaries to avoid this type of problem as deer taken with archery usually travel farther after a lethal wound than those shot with a rifle.
Tognazzini says he has never been refused when a fresh and legitimate blood trail is found leaving public land onto private property.
Where do inland waters end and ocean waters begin?
Question: I would like to fish with two rods in the Delta but don’t know whether the regulations are in the freshwater books or in the ocean books.
Is the Delta part of the ocean regulations or is it considered inland waters? Where does it change from ocean to inland if considered inland? (Brian S., Felton)
Answer: You can legally fish in the waters of the Delta with a second rod stamp. Inland regulations apply from upstream of the Delta to Carquinez Bridge.
The definition of inland waters vs ocean waters is, “Inland waters are all the fresh, brackish and inland saline waters of the state, including lagoons and tidewaters upstream from the mouths of coastal rivers and streams. Inland waters exclude the waters of San Francisco and San Pablo bays downstream from the Carquinez Bridge, the tidal portions of rivers and streams flowing into San Francisco and San Pablo bays, and the waters of Elkhorn Slough …” (CCR Title 14, section 1.53).
Carrie Wilson is a marine environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. While she cannot personally answer everyone’s questions, she will select a few to answer each week in this column. Please contact her at
