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[Water_news] 3. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: WATERSHEDS - 5/15/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment

 

May 15, 2009

 

3. Watersheds –

 

FLW tournament anglers hit Lake Oroville

The Oroville-Mercury Register – 5/14/09

By Steve Carson


Some 109 boats carrying 218 competitors in the nationally organized Forrest L. Wood (FLW) bass tournament hit the water on Thursday, the Lake Oroville event having been postponed from its original date back in January due to low water levels.

 

Lake Oroville is one of the best bodies of water in the nation as far as quantity of bass goes, so anticipation is running high from the organizers, City of Oroville officials, and the competitors themselves. A successful event will mean more national-level tournaments held here.

 

Elite national-level competitor Ish Monroe of Hughson was very glad to be fishing on Lake Oroville.

 

"It's great to be on Oroville, it's one of the best lakes in the country," said Monroe on Wednesday evening before the start.

 

 "Beautiful weather, tons of fish; everything you could want!"

 

Popular host of the Sacramento radio show "Ultimate Bass" on AM 1140 Kent Brown observed, "It's always fun to come to Oroville. I have a lot of history on the lake, having fished it with Gary Klein back when I was 14 years old. You always know you're going to catch something on Oroville."

 

Oroville resident Toni Corpe has been a member of the Chico Bass Club since 1993, and this is her fourth time competing in a national-level tournament.

 

"I don't feel any pressure as a co-boater," related Corpe. "My best finish was fifth in a BASS event on the Delta (as co-boater) in 2003, but this is my first time in an FLW tournament."

 

Thursday afternoon's weigh-in saw Monroe with one of the top catches, including a nice 3.15-pound largemouth.

"They were hitting everything," advised Monroe. "We caught fish on topwater, dropshot, Senkos and spinnerbaits. I probably released 30 fish today."

 

Corpe reported, "I caught lots of small fish, mostly on Senkos. My weight wasn't much, but I probably released over 30 for the day. My pro partner (Robert Faaborg) was great."

 

Overall the pros and co-anglers caught phenomenally high numbers of mostly 1- and 2-pound bass. Many reported releasing 20 to more than 50 fish for the day.

 

Oroville-based pro Steve Klein said, "No matter where you went, there were plenty of fish to be caught, we just couldn't find any big ones."

 

There are a number of local competitors in the field of entrants. Local anglers include Klein, Richard Forhan, Jason Bubier, John McClellan, Gary Souza, Lo Ching Saechao, Corpe, Randy Chapman (Oroville); Jeff Hardin, Sean Kavanaugh (Chico); Troy Davenport (Paradise); Colby Knowles (Magalia); Ron Rodgers (Willows); Glen Lockhart (Biggs); and Dave Rush and Dugan McIntosh (Palermo).

 

Weigh-in today will begin at 3 p.m. at the Spillway, with the top 10 in the Angler and Co-Angler categories making the "cut" for Saturday's final. The festivities on Saturday will include the weigh-in for "National Guard College Bass Fishing" at the Spillway at 1:30 p.m., with the Chico State Bass Team hoping for a good showing. The big FLW winner will be decided in the parking lot of the Oroville Wal-Mart starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

 

Chico HOFNOD

 

Chico's free "Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs" children's fishing event will run from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Horseshoe Lake in upper Bidwell Park on May 30. Some 10,000 pounds of catfish will be planted, with free loaner rods, free bait, and free fish cleaning provided for all area children age 1 to 15.

 

As with many charitable events, funding has been difficult to come by this year.

 

"We have lost several long-time sponsors this year, and the cost of stocked catfish has risen considerably," noted event chairman Pete Giampaoli. "We also need as many skilled anglers to act as 'Fishing Coaches' as we can get."

 

To donate, volunteer or for more information, call 891-4757.

 

Sacramento River

 

Stripers, sturgeon and shad are all being caught on the Sacramento River, reported Phil Peeples at the Tackle Box in Chico.

 

"The sturgeon fishing is just OK," remarked Peeples. "Striper fishing is mostly slow, people are spending more time looking for them than they are fishing for them. If you find a pocket of fish, it can still be good.

 

"Below Colusa, the stripers are hitting on live minnows, and from Princeton to Butte City they are hitting on topwaters. Nothing really big, but there have been a few 18- to 22-pounders."

 

Peeples tipped, "The shad are just getting started. We did see a few of them showing up at the washout."

Lake Almanor

 

Reports were looking positive on Lake Almanor, according to Doug Neal of Almanor Fishing Adventures.

 

"Threaded crawlers and red/gold Seps Pro Secrets were best, modified with a treble hook," said Neal.

 

"Troll off a downrigger at 18 feet or more. Good catches of brown trout, king salmon and rainbow trout in the 2- to 4-pound class were being caught by numerous anglers. Productive areas included Goose Island to Prattville and Rec 1 to the A-frame. The cloud cover has kept the fish active, even in the afternoon."

 

Quagga mussel inspection training

 

The DFG will provide multiple quagga/zebra mussel inspection and decontamination trainings in Northern California during May and June. Certification training in our area will be held in Lakeport and Chester.

 

Training participants will learn how to conduct hands-on vessel inspections. The training is open to boaters, water managers, marina operators and other interested parties who have responsibility for recreation, access or use of California's waters.

 

The training is free, but space is limited, so participants are asked to sign up in advance. The Chester session will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on May 28 at the Chester Memorial Hall. Register via e-mail to kevintraub@sierrainstitute.us by no later than May 26.

 

The Lakeport session will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 21 at the Konocti Casino Conference Room. Register via e-mail to mmamola@DFG.ca.gov by no later than Tuesday.

 

Both species of mussel are non-native aquatic mollusks that can ruin boats, compromise water delivery systems and wreak havoc on the environment by disrupting the natural food chain. Although they range in size from microscopic to only the size of a fingernail, they are prolific and attach themselves to hard and soft surfaces. #

 

http://www.orovillemr.com/sports/ci_12376446

 

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