Many marina managers and park staff at Southern California’s trout fishing waters will tell you Department of Fish and Game trout plants are well below last year’s levels and a pittance of historic stockings.
     The records from the DFG tell a completely different story. The agency says it is stocking more and bigger trout than ever before.
     “Somebody is twisting some numbers,” said Adam Casey at Casitas Lake’s marina. “The DFG pulls up and they take out a few net-fulls of trout and drive off. We’ve never seen that until this year. We’d always get 1,000 to 1,500 pounds in the past.”
     At Castaic Lake, Jon Salkeld, manager of that lake’s marina, said he “didn’t know if they were stocking the right amount here, but lately all we’ve seen is one small truck, and they’ve been splitting that load between the upper and lower lake. We’re probably getting about 400 pounds of trout every two weeks.”
     But Gary Williams, the DFG hatchery supervisor for this region, scratches his head over those claims. He says allotments are up across the board for almost all Southern California waters and the 2010 numbers are also going to continue to be higher.
     So what’s going on here?
     The problem seems to be one of communication and a relatively recent Department of Fish and Game policy that forbids the release of trout stocking information, other than which waters are scheduled to be planted each week. In the past, the DFG happily published the annual stocking goals for each water stocked, and the DFG staff on the stocking trucks told lake staff and anglers how many pounds of fish were planted each week and their average size.
     The state agency is harranged regularly for not publishing the day each week when any given water is planted, but the idea is to keep truck-followers at bay and give the trout a little time to acclimate to their new homes without excessive disturbance. Since most anglers only get to fish on weekends, this policy was accepted by most anglers, assuring that fish hogs wouldn’t clean out the trout before they had a chance to catch a few fish.
     But not telling the annual allotments for waters and how much was being stocked each week confused anglers and marina operators. The standard question was logical: What is the DFG hiding? Every one just assumes the news is bad.
     For the DFG, it wasn’t about hiding anything. It was about getting called on the carpet when circumstances required that they alter weekly or annual stocking plans. So rather than just emphasize that things could change, they just decided to quit broadcasting the information in advance.
     Williams insists that he’s happy to get all the data out there to lake and marina operations, after the fact. Then he can tell them the exact information on total poundage, sizes, and locations of the plants. He explained that the DFG’s planting efforts have actually become pretty sophisticated. The poundage of fish planted can vary based on a variety of factors, with water conditions the most likely reason for stocks below normal or expected levels.
     “We’re not going to dump in a whole load if water conditions aren’t right. We might just put in 300 pounds of fish and see how they do,” said Williams. He also said most of the hatcheries have small trucks that might do “swing by” plants that aren’t scheduled to boost fish numbers before holiday weekends or after busy fishing weekends. And these plants don’t show up on the weekly schedule published by the agency.
     With computerized records, the agency can make up for light weeks when conditions improve for both the fish and fishing. Williams said that all of Southern California waters were right on their allotments for 2009, after a quick computer check.
     Some lake operators believe the DFG is on track with its plants. “Poundage wise, I think we’re getting more fish from the state,” said Juisa Powell at Glen Helen Regional Park. Staff at the Lake Perris marina thought their plants were up, too.
     But others aren’t so sure. At Piru Lake, the staff there reported that they were seeing about 1,100 pounds every two weeks, but that they received 3,300 pounds every two weeks last year. One lake employee at another water said she was told by a DFG hatchery truck driver that he wouldn’t be buying a license anymore because the funds were going to places other than hatcheries.
     A better effort by the DFG to let lake operators know when and how much is being planted -- even if it’s after the fact -- would go a long way toward stopping the complaints and misinformation. Some of us happen to believe that giving proposed stocking amounts each week would also be a good idea, and the DFG should go back to publishing its target annual goals for each water -- emphasis on “target.” Anglers and lake staff realize that conditions can change.
     Two factors have conspired to give Southern California anglers more trout than ever, and the DFG should trumpet the increases in this region. It would make them look like heros for a change instead of being another black eye. AB 7 has mandated that 1/3 of fishing license fees be used on trout programs, and the lawsuit banning the stocking of trout in hundreds of waters throughout the state. Those two things mean that waters in this region are going to get more trout than in a long time.
     The DFG could take a bow for that instead of hiding the data and making people think things are continuing to get worse for anglers. No news is not good news in this case.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

     JANUARY 9 IMPERIAL VALLEY CWA FUND-RAISER: The Imperial Valley Chapter of the California Waterfowl Association will have its annual dinner and fund-raiser beginning 5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 at the Aspen In The Desert, 595 W. Main Street, Brawley. Tickets are $50 per person or $75 per couple. Contact Hollis Daker at 909-615-6329, Frank Theodoropoulos at 714-227-3304, or Tom Homen at 209-606-7257 or go to www.calwaterfowl.org for an event flyer.
     JANUARY 9 BALD EAGLE CENSUS VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are needed for the annual Bald Eagle counts done at four Southern California mountain waters where the birds winter -- Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Silverwood Lake, and Lake Hemet. The counts are done for a one-hour period, 9 to 10 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 9 at each lake. There were birds seen at all four lakes on the Dec. 19 survey. Counts will also be held Feb. 13 and March 13. For information, contact Marc Stammer with the U.S. Forest for Big Bear and Arrowhead counts at 909-382-2828, Joshua Ertl or Kevin Forester with State Parks for Lake Silverwood at 760-389-2303, or Matt McDonald with the Forest Service for Lake Hemet at 909-382-2933.
     JANUARY 9 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The 2010 class dates are Feb. 13, Mar. 6, April 13, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, 21, 28, Sept. 11, and Oct. 2, 9. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
     JANUARY 9-10 VENTURA GUN SHOW: The McMann’s Roadrunner Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, at Seaside Park, Ventura. Admission is $9. The next Ventura gun shows will be Mar. 13-14, June 5-6, Sept. 11-12, and Nov. 13-14. Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.mcmannsroadrunner.com.
     JANUARY 16-17 BASS PRO SHOPS HUNTER SAFETY CLASSES: Bass Pro Shops is offering hunter safety classes four days per month on the first and third full weekends, with classes on Saturday and Sunday of each weekend. The classes are all one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety classes. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $10 per person. Sign-ups are taken at Bass Pro and class size is limited. For information, call 909-922-5500. A pre-class study course is available at www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/.
     JANUARY 30-31 COSTA MESA GUN SHOW: The Crossroads of the West Costa Mesa Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, at the Orange County Fair and Event Center (Orange County Fairgrounds), Costa Mesa. Admission is $10. The next Costa Mesa shows are scheduled for Mar. 27-28, June 5-6, and Aug. 28-29. Information, directions, tickets, and $1 off coupons available at www.crossroadsgunshows.com.
     FEBRUARY 12 SAN DIEGO CWA FUND-RAISER: The San Diego Chapter of the California Waterfowl Association will have its annual banquet and fund-raiser beginning 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 13 at the Elks Club, 1400 East Washington, El Cajon. Tickets are $65 per person or $95 per couple. Contact John Howard at 619-440-8319 or go to www.calwaterfowl.org for an event flyer.
     FEBRUARY 13 BALD EAGLE CENSUS VOLUNTEERS: Volunteers are needed for the annual Bald Eagle counts done at four Southern California mountain waters where the birds winter -- Big Bear Lake, Lake Arrowhead, Silverwood Lake, and Lake Hemet. The counts are done for a one-hour period, 9 to 10 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 13 at each lake. The final winter count will be held March 13. For information, contact Marc Stammer with the U.S. Forest for Big Bear and Arrowhead counts at 909-382-2828, Joshua Ertl or Kevin Forester with State Parks for Lake Silverwood at 760-389-2303, or Matt McDonald with the Forest Service for Lake Hemet at 909-382-2933.
     FEBRUARY 13 NORCO HUNTER SAFETY CLASS: A one-day, 10-hour certified hunter safety class will be held at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises, Norco. Classes are required for all first-time California hunters before a hunting license can be purchased. Cost is $35 per person. The remaining 2010 class dates are Mar. 6, April 13, May 8, June 12, July 10, Aug. 14, 21, 28, Sept. 11, and Oct. 2, 9. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.

CALENDAR RESOURCES

     For a complete list of HUNTER SAFETY CLASSES held throughout the state, including times, dates, and locations, go to the Department of Fish and Game’s web site at this address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/huntered/classes.aspx.
     For the rules and regulations on GRUNION RUNS, along with a complete schedule and the expected times of the runs, go to this web site address: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/gruschd.asp

CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

     The following is a list of hunting, shooting, and fishing clubs and organizations in Southern California with contact information and regular meeting dates:
     976-TUNA ROD AND REEL CLUB: The 976-Tuna Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Bass Pro Shops, Rancho Cucamonga. At the December meeting a free trip to Palmas de Cortez in Baja will be given away. Contact Phil Friedman at 310-328-8426.
     CALIFORNIA STATE VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The California State Varmint Callers Association meets 7 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Denny's just north of the 210 freeway at Irwindale Ave., Irwindale. Contact Steven Childs at 626-407-8826 or steve@sdchilds.com. Web site: www.csvca.com.
     CANYON OAKS SPORTSMAN’S CLUB: The Canyon Oaks Sportsman’s Club meets the first Tuesday of every month at it’s clubhouse in Lakeview Terrace-Sylmar. The club has regular trap, skeet, smallbore, big bore, handgun, and Cowboy Action shooting events. Contact Gary White at 818-998-7240, Mike Totta at 818-362-2181 or Mike Nickoloff via e-mail at idpamike@yahoo.com.
     CERRITOS ROD & GUN CLUB: The Cerritos Rod & Gun Club meets the second Wednesday of each month at Heritage Park in Cerritos. Contact Charles Sharp at 714-317-8290 or fish_90605@yahoo.com.
     CLUB FISH: Club Fish, a 20-year-old fishing club, meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse, Santa Ana. The clubhouse is located at the entrance to Riverview Gold Course. Contact Mike Cross at 949-854-5258 or m_r_cross@yahoo.com.
     DEEP CREEK FLY-FISHERS: Deep Creek Fly-Fishers meets on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League clubhouse in Fairmont Park, in Riverside. Go to www.deepcreekflyfishers.org to download a map to the club house. Contact Brett Browning at 909-793-8912.
     GOLDEN STATE FLYCASTERS: The Golden State Flycasters and Trout Unlimited Chapter 920 meets 6 to 9 p.m. Monday before the third Thursday of each month at Tio Leo’s Restaurant, Del Mar. Information at www.goldenstateflycasters.org.
     HIGH DESERT FLY-FISHERS: The High Desert Fly-Fishers holds its monthly meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at The Apple Valley Fire Conference Center, 19235 Yucca Loma, Apple Valley. Contact John Rose at 760-247-5966.
     HIGHLAND PARK SPORTSMEN'S CLUB: The Highland Park Sportsmen's Club meets at 8 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2035 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles. Contact Mauro Garcia at 323-254-0763 or incareal@juno.com.
     NATIONAL VARMINT HUNTERS: The National Varmint Hunters meets 7:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Veterans of Foreign Wars club located on Grand Avenue, just west of 17th Street, Santa Ana. Contact Mark Harris at 714-655-6954 or mhitis1@yahoo.com or Terry Mathers at 714-299-9938 or coyote@jps.net.
     NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (INLAND EMPIRE CHAPTER): The Inland Empire Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at Bass Pro Shops, 7777 Victoria Gardens Lane, Rancho Cucamonga. Contact David Halbrook at 760-694-1191 or nrajrc@msn.com.
     NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at The Firing Line, 17921 Jamestown Lane, Huntington Beach. Contact Pat Ryan at 714-373-3688 or Casey Rasmussen at 714-377-5859.
     ORANCO BOWMEN: The ORANCO Bowmen meet the second Tuesday of each month at the club range, 17504 Pomona Rincon Rd., Chino (Euclid Avenue one block north of the 71 freeway). The range is open to the public on Sundays 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call 909-597-7582. Web site: www.oranco.org.
     ORANGE COUNTY BASS CLUB: The Orange County Bass Club meets 7 p.m. the third Monday of each month at the Garden Grove Elk's Lodge. Contact Steve Pendergast at 949-651-8172 or prendergasts@netzero.com.
     PLUNGE CREEK COWBOYS: The Plunge Creek Cowboys, a new Cowboy Action Shooting club in the Inland Empire, has shoots the third Saturday of each month at the Inland Fish and Game range on Orange Street in East Highlands. Authentic or replica firearms and garb required. Information: www.plungecreekcowboys.com.
     PREDATOR CALLERS OF ORANGE COUNTY: The Predator Callers of Orange County meet 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month at the Denny's restaurant, 7490 Edinger Ave., Huntington Beach. Contact Rickey Macy via e-mail at rickmacey@juno.com.
     QUAIL UNLIMITED (HIGH DESERT CHAPTER): The High Desert Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month at the Apple Valley Gun Club. Contact Cruz Garcia at 760-949-6334 or fathercruz@verizon.net.
     QUAIL UNLIMITED (ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER): The Orange County Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the Izaak Walton League Clubhouse (located at the entrance to Riverview Golf Course) in Santa Ana. Contact Craig Riedel at 714-282-1194 or criedel@mflex.com.
     QUAIL UNLIMITED (RIVERSIDE CHAPTER): The Riverside Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at Hunny’s Restaurant, Main Street and 4th Street, Corona. Contact Ron Gibbons at 909-902-9814 or gibbent@gte.net. Web site: www.quriverside.com.
     QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN DIEGO CHAPTER): The San Diego Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at DFG Headquarters at 4949 Viewridge Rd., San Diego. Contact David Preddy at davidpreddy@cox.net or visit www.sdqu.org.
     QUAIL UNLIMITED (SAN GABRIEL VALLEY CHAPTER): The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited meets 6 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Triple B Clays in El Monte. Contact Tim Bovard at 866-206-9070, ext. 6715 or sgvqu@onebox.com.
     REDONDO ROD & GUN CLUB: The Redondo Rod & Gun Club meets 8 p.m. every Thursday of every month at its own clubhouse. The club has promoted hunting, fishing, sport shooting and the outdoors since 1948. The clubhouse is located at 2023 Vanderbilt Lane, Redondo Beach. Contact 310-379-7772.
     RIVERSIDE VARMINT CALLERS: The Riverside Varmint Callers meet 7 p.m. the last Saturday of each month at Flo's Country Kitchen, Riverside. Contact Lance Cochrane at 909-919-4309 or Ray Gauthier at 951-785-4986. Web site:www.californiavarmintcallers.com/chapters.html/.
     SAN DIEGO SPORTING DOG CLUB: The San Diego Sporting Dog Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at the Animal Medical Center, 600 Broadway, El Cajon. Contact Steve Sarmiento at 619-659-9393 or sssarmi@sbcglobal.net.
     SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VARMINT CALLERS ASSOCIATION: The Southern California Varmint Callers Association meets 8 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month at the Denny's Restaurant at Pioneer Blvd and Imperial Highway in Norwalk. Contact Granville Crow at 310-548-6221 or crowshot1@cox.net or Skip Gildner at 562-900-9020 or mtnhigh5@excite.com.
     TEMPLE CITY SPORTSMEN: The Temple City Sportsmen meet the first Thursday of each month at the Temple City Civic Center in Temple City. Contact Jim White at 626-201-7782 or TCSPresident2006@yahoo.com. The club’s web site is www.tcsportsmen.org.
     TURNER'S OUTDOORSMAN ROD AND REEL CLUB: The Turner's Outdoorsman Rod and Reel Club meets 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month at Marie Calendar’s Restaurant, 2300 Foothill, Pasadena. Contact Richard Crowe at 626-960-9610.

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