How to resolve AdBlock issue? 
Recreation
- Details
- Written by: Carrie Wilson
Question: Is it legal to scout wild game from a non-motorized paraglider? If so, would it also be legal to locate game from the sky and then land and pursue the animals on foot? (Tony A.)
Answer: For scouting big game, this would be illegal because using any device capable of flight in order to locate big game during the hunting season is prohibited.
“No person shall pursue, drive, herd, or take any bird or mammal from any type of motor-driven air or land vehicles…. Additionally, no person shall use any motorized, hot-air or unpowered aircraft or other device capable of flight or any earth orbiting imaging device to locate or assist in locating big game mammals beginning 48 hours before and continuing until 48 hours after any big game hunting season in the same area.” (California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 251)
Carp spearfishing in the Russian River?
Question: I’ve been told that even though the Russian River is a salmon spawning river, I would be allowed to spearfish for carp because the carp are invasive. I need to confirm this from the regulation book though. Can you please help? Is this allowed? (Michael S.)
Answer: No. Spearfishing is only allowed in the waters listed under section 2.30 in the 2017 Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet (CCR Title 14, section 2.30) beginning on page 12. In fact, even possessing a spear within 100 yards of the Russian River is unlawful (CCR Title 14, section 2.09).
Upgrading to lifetime fishing license?
Question: I’ve already purchased my 2017 sport fishing license. Can I pay the difference and upgrade to a permanent fishing license? (Bob I.)
Answer: Thank you for your interest in a lifetime license. Unfortunately, annual licenses cannot be upgraded to lifetime licenses mid-year. We suggest that you continue to use your annual license for the remainder of the year and purchase a lifetime license at the end of the year, before the new year to avoid any potential lifetime license fee increases.
How many hooks are allowed when fishing Sabiki rigs?
Question: My question is regarding Sabiki rigs. These pre-made rigs are sold with six hooks, and I have read that we are only allowed to use rigs with a max of three hooks.
Does the three-hook rule also apply to Sabiki rigs since these rigs (the small ones with No. 12 hooks) are only for catching bait fish instead of game fish? If so, do I need to cut the rig in half? (Andy S.)
Answer: It depends on where you’re fishing and what you’re fishing for. To catch and keep some species of fish you’re required to use a certain number of hooks. If you catch one of these fish on a rig with more hooks than permitted, you’d have to throw it back.
Many species of rockfish, especially blue rockfish, will bite Sabiki rigs. So, even though they are designed to catch bait, they target any fish species that sees them as food.
If you have rockfish, cabezon, greenling or lingcod on your boat, you cannot use a full Sabiki rig and must cut all but two hooks off.
Also, if fishing in inland waters, you would be restricted to using three hooks or less.
And remember, it’s not legal to keep chinook salmon if taken with barbed hooks or if using more than two barbless hooks per line if a salmon is in possession. If you have no fish onboard and are trying to catch bait with a Sabiki rig, you would be required to release any such species.
I suggest that you read the Gear Restrictions section of the annual Ocean Sport Fishing Regulations booklet beginning on page 33, and the Fishing Methods and Gear Restrictions section beginning on page 12 of the annual Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations booklet, to learn more about the regulations of the fish species you expect to encounter.
Maximum number of crab traps allowed per vessel?
Question: We just bought a new boat and would like to start fishing for Dungeness crabs. The sport fishing regulations state that a maximum of 10 hoop nets are allowed for Dungeness crabs per vessel (CCR Title 14, section 29.80). Does this regulation also apply when fishing crab traps south of Point Arena? (Lynard S.)
Answer: No, there are no restrictions on the number of crab traps the average sport crabber can have on a vessel for recreational purposes between Point Arguello, Santa Barbara County and the California-Oregon state line.
The same is not true for charter/party boats that take recreational fishermen crabbing.
When fishing for Dungeness crabs, the commercial sport fishing boats are restricted to using 60 traps per vessel (CCR Title 14, section 29.85(a)(4)). When fishing south of Point Arguello, hoop nets for crabs are allowed but crab traps are not.
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
- Details
- Written by: Editor
On June 21, the California Fish and Game Commission voted unanimously to reduce sage-grouse hunting permits to zero for the 2017 season.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife recommended this action to the commission based on spring lek, or breeding ground, surveys that showed significantly fewer sage-grouse in all four hunting zones.
Although managed hunting, in and of itself, is not considered a risk to the species, five years of drought conditions, the large-scale Rush Fire of 2012 and heavy storms in winter 2016-17 have all contributed to habit loss and degradation of the sagebrush ecosystem.
Scientists found that sage-grouse population counts have decreased between 47 percent and 62 percent in the four hunt zones over the last five years.
CDFW bases its population estimates on extensive scientific data collected in the field. However, heavy winter snow hampered biologists' access to sage-grouse leks this spring, and some sage-grouse that were present in the survey area may not have been accounted for in the survey.
CDFW thus took a precautionary approach in making its recommendation to the Commission.
Sage-grouse populations fluctuate naturally based on weather and habitat conditions. By this fall, California's sage-grouse population is projected to be 1,341 on the low end and 2,145 on the high end.
The Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies coordinates conservation efforts across the 11 western states and two Canadian provinces where sage-grouse live. Leaders from dozens of participating state and federal agencies meet quarterly to work toward achieving shared conservation goals.
In 2015, a proposal to list the sage-grouse under the federal Endangered Species Act was determined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be not warranted, following review of stakeholder-developed conservation plans and amendments to federal land use plans throughout the species range, including California.
- Details
- Written by: Editor
LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Westshore Pool is once again open for the summer.
The pool is located at 250 Lange St. on the grounds of the Lakeport Unified School District.
Pool season runs through Aug. 1.
The public swim takes place from noon to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The Lake County Channel Cats will be operating a snack shack during public swim hours.
Young children must swear a swim diaper if they are not potty trained.
Please contact the Lake County Channel Cats at 707-263-3131 for information about swimming lessons.
The city is unable to accept reservations for private pool parties or other special events this year. Picnic tables are available for use but cannot be reserved.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – UC Davis rowing coach Mike Sullivan will be offering beginning rowing lessons this summer in Lakeport as part of the Clear Lake Scullers summer season.
Saturday “Learn to Row Days” are free on June 24 and July 1 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Everyone is welcome, including residents and visitors of all ages.
Kayaks will be available to try in addition to the rowing sculls.
People are also welcome to learn to row on the team boat every Saturday at 8 a.m. No experience is necessary.
In addition Sullivan will be teaching rowing for adults on July 3 and July 5 to 7 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. for $100 which includes summer membership and use of club boats. Youth and high school lessons will be taught from July 1 to 7 for a cost of $40.
Membership is open to the public and there is rowing year round, weather permitting.
The goal of Clear Lake Scullers is to provide broad access to beautiful Clear Lake and to expose people to a wide variety of aquatic sports with emphasis on safety and competence.
Sullivan is also available to teach the skills necessary for athletes to train and race.
The club is located in the city of Lakeport at the site of Natural High School on Main Street just north of Library Park. You will see the boats there in a fenced in yard.
For more information visit http://clearlakescullers.org/ or contact Sullivan at