April 29, 2009

Commentary
Trout season opener in Sierra
yields limits of cold and trout

By JIM MATTHEWS
Outdoor News Service

     MAMMOTH LAKES -- Throughout much of the Eastern Sierra Nevada, trout season kicked off this past Saturday with below freezing temperatures and a howling wind out of the north that made it seem below zero in many places.
     “It was as cold as I’ve ever seen it,” said Mickey Baron with the new Lake Crowley Guide Service. “I was the one who went out to shoot the flare off [that signals the start of trout season at Crowley], and I said, ‘Let me back in.’ It was co-o-o-ld.”
     Crowley Lake had whitecaps and a short, choppy swell that swamped four anglers’ boats, requiring rescues but there were no injuries. Anchored or drifting boats quickly had waves breaking over bows and filling boat bottoms with water, leaving trolling as the only real boat-fishing option. Most boat anglers didn’t even go out, and from Highway 395 it looked like Crowley was nearly devoid of anglers.
     “Opening day produced the biggest waves I’ve ever seen on Crowley,” said Kent Rianda, owner of The Troutfitter in Mammoth Lakes, who also guides on Crowley. “I stayed in the marina all day working on my boat, but the guys who braved it did really well trolling.”
     Shore anglers found decent trout action at Sandy Point, off Green Banks, and Leighton Springs in spite of the wind, which calmed by mid-afternoon as the weather warmed. At the end of the first day, the cold and wind was forgotten and anglers were all talking about one thing: the average size of the trout coming from Crowley Lake and other waters in the region this opener.
     “Everyone I talked with said the fish were bigger and heavier this year out of Crowley than ever before,” said Ron Graves with the Owens River Fly Shop in Bishop.
     “There were a lot of three to five-pounders,” said Rianda. “These are the biggest fish we’ve ever caught on opening day from Crowley.”
     In Bridgeport, Jim Reid at Ken’s Sporting Goods echoed a similar sentiment about the action in Bridgeport Reservoir.
     “There were just lots and lots of fish in the two to five-pound range, and from that standpoint, this was the best opener in a long, long time,” said Reid.
     But he was disappointed that no monster brown trout were caught from one of the local lakes opening day, especially Upper Twin Lake or Lower Twin Lake.
     “When I got into the store here at 3:30 in the morning, it was snowing, and I thought, ‘yeah man.’ But there were no bruisers, and I was a little bummed about that,” said Reid. Historically, the two Twin Lakes out of Bridgeport have produced their biggest brown trout during openers with the coldest, nastiest weather. Maybe, it just didn’t stay nasty long enough.
     In the June Lake Loop, most of the lakes were more protected from the winds and the fishing was generally good. It was June Lake that cranked out opening weekend’s biggest trout, a 10-pound, eight-ounce broodstock rainbow planted by the Department of Fish and Game last fall and caught by Bill Denault of Santa Barbara opening morning. Nearby Little Walker Lake, up a canyon on the north end of the Loop, produced the biggest brown trout of the weekend, when David Wohler, El Dorado, caught a 10-pound, two-ouncer on Sunday. And it was little Gull Lake that again produced the weekend’s biggest stringer, a five-fish, 23-pound limit caught by John Weisfoss of Oxnard.
     In the Bridgeport region, an eight-pound rainbow caught from Upper Twin Lake by Kenny Turturici of San Mateo was the top fish reported, while Evan Eyraud of Bakersfield had the top fish from Lower Twin, a six-pound, one-ounce rainbow.
     Reid said Bridgeport Reservoir produced almost an equal mix of brown trout and rainbows opening weekend, and Logan Frey, 10, who’s family has a cabin at Twin Lakes, had a five-pound brown trout, the best brown out of the reservoir.
     Brian Balarsky at Convict Lake Resort said there wasn’t the usual parade of big broodstock DFG fish from Convict this year, but the action was good overall in both the lake and Convict Creek below the lake. Daniel Schumert from Hacienda Heights recorded the biggest fish of the weekend at Convict, a six-pound, five-ounce rainbow.
     Opening morning, anglers found icy roads in the Bishop Creek drainage and one slid off the road and rolled onto its side, prompting closures of the upper elevation roads until they could be treated and the day warmed. Once opened, anglers found good ice fishing at South Lake, but the ice a Sabrina Lake was mostly rotten, allowing for limited fishing. All of the upper lakes in the Mammoth Lakes basic offered ice fishing opportunities, and the Virginia Lake had light fishing pressure, but very good ice fishing action.
     The better quality of fish from Crowley Lake, Bridgeport Reservoir, and most other lakes in the region was attributed to how long these waters had been ice-free this year, giving the trout a longer growing season and better forage.
     “I think everyone was happy,” said Dave Smith at Culver’s Sporting Goods in Bishop.
     How could they not be, it was the opener.

OUTDOOR CALENDAR

     APRIL 30 DEADLINE FOR JESSE’S HUNTING HOG HUNT: Jesse’s Hunting and Outdoors (JHO) web site is having its annual hog hunt on the Tejon Ranch May 22-24. Cost is $400 per person for one hog, and the deadline to apply is April 30. First timers are welcome to learn how to hog hunt. For more info, e-mail hunting@elwing.com and put “JHO Tejon Hunt 2009” in the subject line.
     MAY 9 HOG HUNTING A TO Z SEMINAR: There will be a six-hour compendium wild hog hunting class at Bass Pro Shop, Rancho Cucamonga, beginning 10 a.m., Saturday, May 10. The $75 seminar will be conducted by Durwood Hollis, hunting book author and public land hog hunting expert, and Ron Gayer, a long-time hog hunting guide at the Tejon Ranch. For information and to register, call Hollis at 909-605-3719.
     MAY 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 remaining 2009 class dates are June 13, July 11, Aug. 15, Aug. 22, Aug. 29, Aug. 30, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Nov. 7 and Dec. 12. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
     MAY 14 ORANGE COUNTY CALIFORNIA WATERFOWL FUND-RAISER: The Orange County Chapter of the California Waterfowl Association will have its 4th annual fund-raising dinner beginning 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at Po Folks Restaurant, 7701 Beach Blvd., Buena Park. Dinner tickets are $55 per person. For information, contact Frank Theodoropoulos at 714-227-3304.
     MAY 16-17 BIG BEAR LAKE MAY TROUT CLASSIC: The 26th Annual Jim Hall Memorial May Trout Classic will be held at Bear Bear Lake the weekend of May 16-17. Sponsored by The Fishing Association of Big Bear Lake, the event provides funding for annual trophy trout plants, artificial habitat structures, conservation projects, and tournaments for designated species. For more information, call 909-585-4007.
     MAY 16-17 ONTARIO GUN SHOW: The Crossroads of the West Ontario Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 16, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, May 17, at the Ontario Convention Center, Ontario. Admission is $10. The next Ontario gun show will tentatively be Oct. 24-25. Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.crossroadsgunshows.com.
     MAY 23 HUBBS SEAWORLD WHITE SEABASS TOURNAMENT: A white seabass fishing tournament will be held Saturday, May 23 to benefit Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute (HSWRI). This trophy tournament is designed to raise money and awareness benefit HSWRI, the non-profit organization that has released more than 1.4 million juvenile white seabass into California coastal waters over the past 25 years. There will be five divisions of competition. For information on the tournament or awards luncheon the following day, visit www.HSWRI.org or contact Karen Terra at 619-226-3870.
     MAY 30-31 BIG BEAR LAKE FISHING FOR 50K TROUT DERBY: The Fishing for 50K Trout Derby will be held the weekend of May 30-31 at Big Bear Lake. The event will feature 10 tagged trout, with the top fish worth $50,000 if caught during the two days of the event by a registered angler. Entry fee is $35 for adults, $20 for anglers 15 and under. For more information or to register, call the Big Bear Lake Resort Association at 800-424-4232 or go to www.BigBear.com.
     MAY 30-31 SNAKE AVOIDANCE CLINIC: The San Gabriel Valley Chapter of Quail Unlimited will be holding a snake avoidance clinic for dogs Saturday and Sunday, May 30-31 at the Sierra Madre Dog Park. Sessions are by appointment only and arranged from  8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Cost is $65 per dog. For an entry form, e-mail sgvqu@onebox.com or call 866-206-9070 x6715 and leave a message with your mailing address.
     JUNE 5-7 WATER-FOR-WILDLIFE WORK PROJECT: The Mojave Preserve Water-for-Wildlife Volunteer Group will have a guzzler repair project in the Lanfair Valley area of the Mojave National Preserve June 5-7. Food will be provided two evenings and two mornings, but everyone should bring camping gear, water, firewood, food or lunch and snacks, and gloves. For more information and directions to the camp site, contact Cliff McDonald at 760-326-2935 or via e-mail at bigmc@citlink.net.
     JUNE 5-7 SHOOTING SPORTS FAIR: The Raahauge’s Shooting Sports Fair has been cancelled for 2009 due to a severe shortage of ammunition. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
     JUNE 6-7 BIG BEAR LAKE CARP ROUND-UP: The 6th Annual Carp Round-Up bowfishing tournament will be held at Big Bear Lake the weekend of June 6-7. Cash prizes for most carp poundage taken over two days. Entry fee is $40 per two-person team and there are shoreline and boat categories. The event has turned into a rivalry between Southern California and Arizona bowfishermen. For more information, contact Mike Stephenson at 909-866-5796 or go to www.bbmwd.org.
     JUNE 6-7 COSTA MESA GUN SHOW: The Crossroads of the West Costa Mesa Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at the Orange County Fair and Event Center (Orange County Fairgrounds), Costa Mesa. Admission is $10. The next Costa Mesa gun shows will tentatively be Aug. 15-16 and Nov. 28-29 (Thanksgiving weekend). Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.crossroadsgunshows.com.
     JUNE 6-7 VENTURA GUN SHOW: The McMann’s Roadrunner Gun Show will be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 6, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 7, at Seaside Park, Ventura. Admission is $9. The next Ventura gun shows will be Sept. 12-13 and Nov. 7-8. Information, directions, and $1 off coupons available at www.mcmannsroadrunner.com.
     JUNE 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 2009 class dates are July 11, Aug. 15, Aug. 22, Aug. 29, Aug. 30, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Nov. 7 and Dec. 12. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
     JUNE 20-21 BAKERSFIELD GUN SHOW: The Central Coast Gun Shows Bakersfield event will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21 at the Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield. The next dates for the Bakersfield gun show include Sept. 5-6 and Nov. 21-22. Information at www.centralcoastgunshows.com or call 805-481-6726.
     JULY 11 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 2009 class dates are Aug. 15, Aug. 22, Aug. 29, Aug. 30, Sept. 12, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Nov. 7 and Dec. 12. Sign-ups are taken at all Turner's Outdoorsman stores. Contact Raahauge's at 951-735-7981.
     JULY 16 RIVERSIDE QUAIL UNLIMITED FUND-RAISER: The Riverside Chapter of Quail Unlimited will be hosting its annual fund-raising dinner beginning 6 p.m., Thursday, July 16, at Vince’s Real Italian Spaghetti Restaurant, 1206, W. Holt Blvd., Ontario. Cost is $25 per person. For information or reservations, contact Ron Gibbons at 909-902-9814 or via e-mail at gibbent@gte.net.
     JULY 18 YOUTH SAFARI DAY: Help expose youngsters who've never had a chance to experience the outdoors by rounding up neighborhood kids, inviting single moms, and bringing your own clan to the 14th Annual Youth Outdoor Safari Day, where they can learn to fish, rock climb, shoot .22s and shotguns, kayak, make quail calls, and identify wildlife. Registration begins at 7 a.m., Saturday, July 18 at Mike Raahauge's Shooting Enterprises in Norco. 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.
     HIGH DESERT FLY-FISHERS: The High Desert Fly-Fishers holds its monthly meetings on the second Thursday 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 Prado Olympic Shooting Park, 17501 Pomona Rincon Road, Chino (one block west of Euclid, just off the 71 freeway). 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.
     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.