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Recreation
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
CDFW annually offers two Free Fishing Days, typically around the Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends (the first in 2018 was held July 7).
On these two designated days, people can fish without having to buy a sport fishing license.
Free Fishing Days also provide an easy opportunity for licensed anglers to introduce non-angling friends and children to fishing and the outdoors.
All fishing regulations, such as bag and size limits, gear restrictions, report card requirements and fishing hours and stream closures, remain in effect.
Every angler must have an appropriate report card if they are fishing for steelhead, sturgeon or spiny lobster anywhere in the state, or for salmon in the Smith and Klamath-Trinity river systems.
Anglers residing in urban areas also have opportunities to fish close to home. Some CDFW regions also offer Fishing in the City, a program that allows children to learn to fish in major metropolitan areas.
For more information on the Fishing in the City program, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing-in-the-city.
All anglers should also check the rules and regulations at www.wildlife.ca.gov/regulations for the waters they plan to fish because wildlife officers will be on duty to enforce them.
In addition, information on fish planting is available at https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/fishplants and a fishing guide can be viewed at www.wildlife.ca.gov/fishing/guide.
For more information on Free Fishing Days, please visit www.wildlife.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/free-fishing-days.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
This year’s season for mourning dove, white-winged dove, spotted dove and ringed turtle dove will run from Saturday, Sept. 1, through Saturday, Sept. 15, statewide, followed by a second hunt period, Saturday, Nov. 10 through Monday, Dec. 24.
Mourning dove and white-winged dove have a daily bag limit if 15, up to 10 of which may be white-winged dove.
The possession limit is triple the daily bag limit. There are no limits on spotted dove and ringed turtle dove. Hunting for Eurasian collared dove is legal year-round and there is no limit.
Please note that as of July 1, 2015, nonlead ammunition is required when hunting upland game birds on all California Department of Fish and Wildlife lands.
Please plan accordingly. For more information please see the CDFW nonlead ammunition page.
A dove identification guide can be found on the CDFW Web site, along with a map of upland game fields in Imperial County, the state’s hub for dove hunting.
Following two years of increased precipitation in northern California, abundant forage and water availability has provided mourning doves with the basics for a productive nesting season. Early banding data show high numbers of hatch year birds reported around the state.
Mourning doves are generally short-lived and can respond with high reproductive success given ideal habitat conditions. This, paired with a Saturday opening day, should draw many hopeful dove hunters to the fields.
Dove hunting is a great starting point for new hunters. There is very little equipment required and just about any place open for hunting will have mourning doves.
Minimum requirements are a valid hunting license with upland game bird stamp (junior license holders are not required to have an upland game bird stamp) and Harvest Information Program (HIP) validation, good footwear, a shotgun, shotgun shells and plenty of water. Hunters should be careful not to underestimate the amount of fluids needed, especially during the first half of the season or when hunting in desert areas.
Many dove hunters like to position themselves in a known flyway for doves. Flyways can run to and from roost sites, water, food sources or gravel.
Doves are usually taken by pass shooting along flyways, but hunters may also be successful jump shooting.
Dove movement is most frequent in the early mornings and late evenings when they are flying from and to their roost sites (this is when the majority of hunters go into the field). Late morning to early afternoon can be better for jump shooting. Hunters should scout out dove activity in the area a few times just prior to hunting.
Important laws and regulations to be aware of include the following:
– Shoot time for doves is one half hour before sunrise to sunset.
– All hunters, including junior hunting license holders, are required to carry their hunting license with them.
– Hunters must have written permission from the landowner prior to hunting on private land.
– Bag limits apply to each hunter and no one can take more than one legal limit.
– It is illegal to shoot within 150 yards of an occupied dwelling.
– It is illegal to shoot from or across a public roadway.
– It is illegal to hunt within 200 yards of an artificial water source for wildlife.
– It is the responsibility of every hunter to know and follow all laws, including identifying game species.
Safety is the most important part of any hunting adventure. Although wearing hunter orange (blaze) is not required by law, it may be required in specific areas.
Wearing a minimum of a hunter orange hat is recommended, especially when sitting or when hunting in deep vegetation. Safety glasses are a simple way to protect the eyes and are available in many shades for hunting in all types of lighting situations.
The weather throughout the state on Sept. 1 is expected to be hot and dry. CDFW urges hunters to drink plenty of fluids, wear sun protection and have a plan in case of an accident.
Full dove hunting regulations can be found on CDFW’s Web site.
- Details
- Written by: Mendocino National Forest
Participants can enjoy a great morning catching fish, testing skills in the casting contest, and participating in demonstrations such as cleaning fish and tying special fishing knots.
The event is for children 14 and under.
Parents can register their children at the Mendocino National Forest office, 825 N. Humboldt Ave., Willows, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Westside Outdoorsman on 323 N. Tehama St., Willows, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or Saturday 8 a.m. to noon. Kids will receive registration cards at school.
A map to the fishing derby site is available at registration sites.
Children 10 years and under need to be accompanied by an adult at the derby.
Hot dogs and drinks will be provided by the Willows Lions Club. Fishing tackle will not be available – participants need to bring their own.
This event is sponsored by Mendocino National Forest, Glenn County Fish and Game Commission, and Westside Outdoorsman.
For information, call 530-934-3316.
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
The changes to the authorized fishing depths described below take effect Saturday, Aug. 25, at 12:01 a.m.
The recreational groundfish fishery depth restrictions will be as follows:
– Northern Management Area (Oregon/California state line to Cape Mendocino): Take is prohibited seaward of 20 fathoms (120 feet) in depth through Dec. 31.
– Mendocino Management Area (Cape Mendocino to Point Arena): Take is prohibited seaward of 20 fathoms (120 feet) in depth through Dec. 31.
– San Francisco Management Area (Point Arena to Pigeon Point): Take is prohibited seaward of the 30 fathom depth contour (180 feet) through Dec. 31.
– Central Management Area (Pigeon Point to Point Conception): Take is prohibited seaward of the 40 fathom depth contour (240 feet) through Dec. 31.
– Southern Management Area (Point Conception to the U.S./Mexico border): Take is prohibited seaward of the 60 fathom depth contour (360 feet) through Dec. 31. No changes are slated for this area.
Note that in the months of November-December, allowable fishing depths in the Northern and Mendocino Management Areas will remain at 20 fathoms, and will not extend to unlimited depths.
The 20 fathom depth restriction is described by the general depth contour (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 27.20(a)).
The 30, 40 and 60 fathom depth contours are defined by straight lines connecting the waypoints as adopted in Federal regulations (Code of Federal Regulations Title 50, Part 660, Subpart G).
Based on recent bycatch estimates for yelloweye rockfish (Sebastes ruberrimus) from the California sport fishery, CDFW projects that the harvest guideline specified in federal regulation for 2018 (3.9 metric tons) will be exceeded unless changes are made.
Pursuant to CCR Title 14, section 27.20(e), CDFW has the authority to make modifications to the fishery to avoid exceeding the limit, and must issue notice of any changes at least 10 days in advance of the effective date.
Yelloweye rockfish are a long-lived, slow-growing shelf rockfish species that were declared overfished in 2002 and cannot be retained in the recreational fishery.
They are currently managed under a strict federal rebuilding plan to allow the population to recover, which has required significant cutbacks to west coast sport and commercial fisheries for more than a decade.
CDFW urges anglers to avoid fishing in areas where yelloweye rockfish are known to occur (e.g., rocky outcrops and pinnacles). If taken, yelloweye rockfish should be immediately returned to the water with a descending device to minimize injury and mortality.
CDFW also encourages anglers who encounter them to change fishing locations to prevent catching additional yelloweye rockfish.
For more information regarding groundfish regulations, management, stock status information, fish identification tools and current catch trends, please visit the CDFW Marine Region Groundfish Central webpage at www.wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Marine/Groundfish.