Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Feb. 8

Attention anglers: Outposts will attempt to post the daily Southern California saltwater fish count, courtesy of 976-TUNA, each evening. Hope you find it useful:

Daily Wrapup	Boats	Anglers	Fish	Audio
H&M Landing	1	28	108 Rockfish 3 Sculpin
Seaforth	1	11	15 Calico Bass 19 Sand Bass
Dana Wharf	1	60	12 Giant Squid
Newport Landing	1	17	51 Sand Bass 10 Sculpin
Pierpoint Landing	1	9	2 Calico Bass 42 Sand Bass 53 Perch 1 trigger_fish
Long Beach Sportfishing	1	19	28 Sand Bass
LA Harbor	1	22	55 Calico Bass 7 Sand Bass 3 Sculpin	play
Marina Del Rey	1	24	5 Calico Bass 19 Sand Bass 42 Sculpin	play

Filming underway on biopic about surfer and shark-attack survivor Bethany Hamilton

Carrie Underwood had a busy weekend. After singing the national anthem at Super Bowl LXIV, she hopped on a plane bound to Oahu, Hawaii.

The five-time Grammy award-winner is not there for a vacation, but to make her film-acting debut in a biopic about surfer Bethany Hamilton, who at age 13 survived an attack by a tiger shark that ripped off her left arm just below the shoulder.

Tentatively titled "Soul Surfer," the movie is based on Hamilton's autobiography of the same name.

In 2003, Hamilton was surfing off Kauai with a friend when she was attacked. Had the shark bitten two inches further in, the incident would have proved fatal.

Despite the trauma of the attack, Hamilton was determined to return to surfing, and just three weeks later was back on her board and in the ocean.

Katie Spotz, 22, is attempting to become the youngest person to complete solo row across the Atlantic Ocean

Katie Spotz has been rowing for 37 straight days. Not on a rowing machine in air-conditioned comfort, but across a large expanse of sea since mid-December.

Spotz, 22, is attempting to row 2,500 miles across the Atlantic Ocean, from Senegal in West Africa to French Guiana in South America. If successful, she will become the youngest person to solo row across the Atlantic Ocean.

"Most people think I am crazy and my family is not an exception," Spotz said in a pre-departure interview posted on her website. "Their main concern is my safety, but after becoming aware of the many safety precautions I will take, I think they are warming up quite nicely to the whole idea. Regardless, I can understand how it would not be easy to be my mother in this situation!"

Spotz is rapidly closing in on the halfway mark and has rowed more than 1,000 nautical miles, putting in 10 hours of rowing and 10,000 strokes daily.

Just thinking about her adventurous endeavor is awe-inspiring. Nothing but ocean in every direction you look; total darkness at night save for the moon and stars and the few navigational lights on board; blisters, rashes and aches and pains in areas never imagined; no fresh foods or cold drinks -- there is no refrigeration on board; and the only hot food available is dehydrated -- made by pouring hot water heated on a small gas-powered stove into a pouch.

Trout plants for Southern California during the week beginning Feb. 8

Barring adverse weather, water or road conditions, the following is a list of Southern California waters, listed by county, that will be stocked with rainbow trout throughout the week of Feb. 8 by the Department of Fish and Game:

RIVERSIDE: Lake Cahuilla, Perris Reservoir and Skinner Reservoir.

SAN BERNARDINO: Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park Lake, El Prado Regional Park Lake, Glen Helen Regional Park Lakes, Silverwood Lake and Yucaipa Regional Park Lake.

ORANGE: Centennial Regional Park Lake, Mile Square Regional Park Lake, Ralph Clark Regional Park Lake, Tri-City Park Lake and Yorba Regional Park Lake.

SAN DIEGO: Cuyamaca Reservoir and Morena Reservoir.

Photo credit: Ken Lubas / Los Angeles Times

Surf City USA Marathon takes off on Super Bowl Sunday

More than 20,000 runners are expected to converge on Huntington Beach for the Surf City USA Marathon, half-marathon and 5K, taking place on Super Bowl Sunday.

Formerly known as the Pacific Shoreline Marathon, the 14th annual run is the largest oceanfront event of its kind in California.

The marathon gets underway at 6:30 a.m. in a two-wave start from Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street. The 5K -- a three-wave start -- begins at 6:50 a.m. at PCH and Main, and the half-marathon will get underway at PCH and Huntington at 7:45 a.m., with a nine-wave start.

There will also be all sorts of other activities going on in conjunction with the marathon. 

Surf-rock bands aplenty will be performing along the course and in the post-race beer garden.

The Active Lifestyle Exposition, located oceanfront across the street from the Hilton Resort, will have exhibitors representing a high-end cross section of active lifestyle products and services such as yoga and Pilates, nutrition, health, apparel, and sports and fitness.

And don't worry -- for those interested in watching the Super Bowl, all races will be finished in plenty of time to make it to the chips and salsa at pregame viewing parties.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Runners taking off at the 2009 Surf City USA Marathon. Credit: Run For Mobility

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BoatU.S. releases annual list of top 10 boat names

What's in a name? A lot, when it comes to naming a boat, according to the Boat Owners Assn. of the United States, which recently released its annual top 10 list of most popular boat names for 2009.

"One newcomer to the list, the number five pick 'Bail Out', clearly speaks volumes about what's on boaters' minds," said BoatU.S. president Nancy Michelman. "With today's economic uncertainty, naming a boat Bail Out could indicate that boating is a survival mechanism for the family that will keep them afloat.”

In countdown order, here's the 2009 list:

10. Comfortably Numb

9. Namaste

8. Serenity Now

7. Pegasus

6. On the Rocks

5. Bail Out

4. Jolly Roger

3. Lazy Daze

2. Seas the Day

1. Second Wind

The list is assembled each year by the BoatU.S. Boat Graphics service, which offers a free library of over 8,500 boat names and also allows boaters to select, custom design and preview watercraft names online.

A listing of the annual top 10 vessel names beginning with 1991 can also be found on the website.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A boater attaches the name of his boat. Credit: Boat Owners Assn. of the United States

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Sailor Abby Sunderland, 16, in Cabo San Lucas for vessel repairs

Abby Sunderland arrived in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in pouring rain on Tuesday to get some  repairs done on her 40-foot sailboat, "Wild Eyes."

The 16-year-old reported that the vessel is having equipment issues -- the wind gauges have stopped working and the solar panels and wind generators on board are not creating enough power to keep up with energy needs.

The Thousand Oaks teen was met by her father, Laurence, as well as members of Team Abby, who flew down to lend a hand with the necessary repairs.

In the meantime, Abby has been keeping busy -- when not working on the boat -- posting pictures and updates on her blog. Here's an excerpt from her latest post:

I got in Tuesday afternoon in the pouring rain.

The work on the boat is going as well as can be expected. We couldn't get a whole lot done on Tuesday because it was getting late and raining pretty hard, but six o'clock this morning we were all hard at work and luckily the weather has been sunny and warm all day!

Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival this weekend at Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument is hosting their annual Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The 23rd annual event is being held in celebration of the Pacific gray whales and their return to local waters during their southbound migration to Baja California.

The weekend will feature opportunities to watch for the leviathans as well as guided tidepool walks.

There will also be films, guest speakers sharing their expertise on a variety of marine-related subjects, and exhibitor booths filled with activities and information about whales, tidepools and local oceanic organizations.

All events are included with the regular park entrance fee of $5 per vehicle and $3 for motorcyclists, bicyclists and walk-ins.

Cabrillo National Monument is located at the tip of the Point Loma Peninsula, just west of the city of San Diego.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: A statue of explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo looks out over the San Diego Bay. Credit: New Thanyacheron / National Park Service

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Hikers' encounter with mountain lions prompt temporary park closure

Two brothers hiking in Pescadero Creek Park in San Mateo County had a close encounter of the threatening kind when they came face to face with two aggressive mountain lions, prompting the temporary closure of the park.

The California Department of Fish and Game reports that the men were hiking in the park late Sunday afternoon when one of them was approached by a mountain lion showing aggressive behavior. The man picked up a large stick and started swinging it at the lion while shouting. His brother, who was nearby and heard the shouting, came to his aid and then noticed a second lion approaching.

The mountain lions remained outside the range of the swinging stick, but just a few feet away. Together, the men eventually scared off both animals.

The hikers told DFG wardens that they were confronted for an estimated two to four minutes, which is highly unusual for mountain lions. Thus, the animals were deemed a threat to public safety and the park was closed.

Sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet collects almost 1 million pairs of shoes for Haiti relief effort

Sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet and shoe charity Soles4Souls joined forces Jan. 15 in an effort to collect footwear for victims of last month's devastating earthquake in Haiti.

In less than two weeks, more than 950,000 pairs of gently worn men's, women's and children's shoes were dropped off at Sport Chalet’s 55 stores.

"We are simply floored by the overwhelming support that our partners at Sport Chalet have received,” Wayne Elsey, founder and chief executive of Soles4Souls, said in a statement. “Their donations will be used to bring hope to the people of Haiti as they struggle to rebuild their lives. We are proud of the public for stepping up to help those less fortunate."

Sport Chalet originally set a goal of collecting 55,000 pairs of shoes, with Soles4Souls aiming for a national goal of 250,000. After the first three days of the footwear drive, Sport Chalet had collected nearly 70,000 pairs, and decided to increase their goal to 250,000.

"Our customers are the best," said Craig Levra, chairman and CEO of Sport Chalet. "They have proven, in an overwhelming fashion, that they are truly generous people who gave from their hearts. We had children, communities, schools, businesses and local organizations all rallying to donate their new and gently worn shoes. Their outpouring of support for the besieged residents of Haiti is unbelievable, and we are very grateful that we could help."

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Sneakers for sale at Sports Chalet in Costa Mesa. Credit: Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times

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Sporting goods retailer Sport Chalet and shoe charity Soles4Souls partner for Haitian relief efforts

Fish and Game Q&A: Can someone be cited for the inadvertent stomach contents of their catch?

In support of the California Department of Fish and Game and its effort to keep hunters and anglers informed, Outposts, on Thursday afternoon or Friday, posts marine biologist Carrie Wilson's weekly Q&A column:

Question: Can someone be cited for the inadvertent stomach contents of their catch? As an example, a typical cabezon belly might contain a couple of 3-inch abalone, crabs and/or octopus. Is it a violation to have the abalone (and crabs and octopus if it is in a no-invertebrate take zone) in possession? Another example would be a ling with a big rockfish in his belly. Could the stomach contents place you over the 10-fish RCG complex (rockfish, cabezon and greenlings) possession limit? (Craig G.)

Answer: This situation would be the same as if you caught an undersized or prohibited species unintentionally while fishing. According to Lt. Dennis McKiver, you are required to discard or return to the sea any prohibited species as soon as you discover you have caught a prohibited species. Although you would not be required to remove and inspect the stomach contents of all fish you catch to make sure the fish did not contain a prohibited species, if the fish regurgitates a prohibited species you would not be allowed to retain possession of that prohibited species. You must return it to the ocean even if it is dead.

More positive news on snowboarder Kevin Pearce

The news on snowboarder Kevin Pearce continues to be positive. An update posted this morning on the Facebook fan page created by Pearce's family said that, just one month after his accident, Pearce has been transferred from the University of Utah Hospital to Craig Hospital in Denver, a world-renowned rehabilitation center for people with traumatic brain injury.

Elaine Skalabrin, the Utah hospital's neuro-critical care medical director and one of Pearce’s doctors while he was there, is optimistic about his progress.

"Kevin has made tremendous progress since being admitted to University of Utah Hospital on Dec. 31. He is able to walk and do many daily activities with some assistance," she said. "I asked him how he felt about being discharged from the hospital, and he said, 'Excited! I'm ready to keep on going!' His positive attitude and determination will certainly serve him well as he moves on to the next phase of his rehabilitation."

The next phase will be an evaluation of Pearce's injury, sustained while training in the halfpipe at Park City, Utah.

Winter Dew Tour champions to be crowned this weekend

The second season of the Winter Dew Tour will culminate this weekend when top Tour athletes converge at Mt. Snow in West Dover, Vt., for the Toyota Championship, taking place Thursday through Saturday.

Featuring men’s and women’s snowboarding in both slopestyle and superpipe, and men's freeskiing in both slopestyle and superpipe, the competition for a portion of the $1.5-million purse is sure to be exciting -- and close.

Two of the disciplines -- men's skiing slopestyle and women's snowboarding slopestyle -- have ties in the point standings for the top competitors.

And two 16-year olds, Tyler Flanagan of Mammoth Lakes and Sage Kotsenberg of Park City, Utah, have only 20 points separating them in their quest for the Dew Cup title in men's snowboarding slopestyle.

Ski report for California, Feb. 4

Outposts will attempt to post the most recent ski report for California, courtesy of SkiReport.com, each Thursday:

	BASE	LIFTS	SURFACE	24 HR	72 HR
Alpine Meadows	77-131"	7 of 13	PP	1-2"	2"
Badger Pass	84-96"	4 of 5	PP	0"	0"
Bear Mountain	48-72"	7 of 12	HP	0"	0"
Bear Valley	85"	9 of 9	PP	0"	0"
Boreal	92-132"	8 of 8	HP	1-2"	2"
Dodge Ridge	63-65"	9 of 10	HP	0"	0"
Donner Ski Ranch	92-140"	5 of 8	PP	6-8"	8"
Heavenly	39-58"	27 of 29	PDR	2"	2"
Homewood	70-98"	6 of 7	WETSN	1-2"	2"
June	48-120"	7 of 7	LSGR	0"	0"
Kirkwood	112-155"	12 of 12	PP	0"	0"
Mammoth	86-115"	28 of 29	PDR	0"	0"

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Feb. 3

Attention anglers: Outposts will attempt to post the daily Southern California saltwater fish count, courtesy of 976-TUNA, each evening. Hope you find it useful:

Daily Wrapup	Boats	Anglers	Fish	Audio
H&M Landing	2	22	85 Giant Squid 80 Rockfish 1 Bonito
Seaforth	1	48	350 Giant Squid
Dana Wharf	2	119	587 Giant Squid
Davey's Locker	1	80	421 Giant Squid
Newport Landing	4	189	834 Giant Squid
Long Beach Sportfishing	1	50	275 Giant Squid
LA Harbor	1	22	2 Halibut 33 Calico Bass 9 Sand Bass 7 Sculpin	play
Marina Del Rey	2	17	1 Giant Squid 60 Sand Bass 28 Sculpin 10 Perch 2 trigger_fish	play

Irvine Lake rainbows to 11-0 go for trolling lures

Here's this week's Irvine Lake fishing report, written by veteran angler Steve Carson:

Clear skies [for the moment] and dry roads were good news for trout anglers at Irvine Lake, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “The overall trout bite has been good the last few days,” observed Getty. “All of the roads around the lake are now open and dry, but be sure to allow up to 36 hours drying time if the rains reappear. Rain is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday, so be sure to call the Pro Shop, (714) 649-9111, for up-to-the-minute road conditions. We have been seeing a lot of limits for bait anglers coming out of boat dock cove because of the relatively clear water. The water over in Santiago Flats is still pretty muddy.”

Getty added, “We are getting an additional 2,000 pound load of 1.5- to 2-pound wipers [aka hybrid stripers or sunshine bass] on Friday of this week. These fish are on a “catch-and-release” basis only, but they dispersed into the lake almost immediately when we stocked them last week, and none had been caught as of Wednesday morning.”    

Irvine Lake Pro-Team member Steve Hercht reported a wide-open troll bite this weekend at mid-lake. “It was easy limits for three anglers [15 trout] by 1 p.m., along with at least 6 or 7 additional fish that came unbuttoned,” remarked Hercht. “The hot trolling ‘zone’ started at the end of Trout Island and then moved toward mid-lake in the direction of Rocky Point. The trick setup was to place the lures 150 feet back on 4-pound test line, and troll slowly back and forth through the zone.”

Capt. Phil Harris, of 'Deadliest Catch,' shows improvement after suffering stroke

Phil Harris, captain of one of the crab-fishing vessels featured on the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch" is showing sign of improvement after suffering a stroke Saturday.

Harris was transported to a local medical facility, where he has been resting comfortably.

His sons, Jake and Josh, have released the following statement regarding their father's condition:

"No one ever said Captain Phil Harris wasn't tough. Today, dad showed some good signs of improvement, squeezing our hands and even summoning his trademark Captain's bluntness. We are encouraged but still very cautious."

"It is a long road ahead, but it's made more bearable and comforting knowing your thoughts and prayers are with us. We are strong because of you -- our fans. Thanks and we will continue to update you as best we can going forward."

Harris suffered a stroke while in port offloading his vessel, the 128-foot Cornelia Marie, which he has captained for 18 years. His sons work as deckhands on the boat.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Capt. Phil Harris with sons Josh, left, and Jake, right. Credit: Discovery Channel

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Capt. Phil Harris, of 'Deadliest Catch,' suffers stroke

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Wildlife advocacy group against proposed changes to California bear hunting regulations

California Department of Fish and Game recently posted the draft environmental documents regarding proposed changes to bear hunting regulations, and one animal welfare group is already vehemently opposing the proposal, which if approved would allow for expanded bear hunting in California.

"Bear hunting is nothing more than legalized cruelty," Brian Vincent, communications director of Big Wildlife, told Outposts. "The agency's plans to expand bear hunting across California fly in the face of good science and public opinion."

A summary of the proposed changes include: incorporating additional areas of the state to allowed bear hunting; increasing the current quota to 2,500 bears; raising the number of bear tags issued to 30,000; eliminating the current in-season closure mechanism, instead ending the season on the last Sunday in December; and allowing global positioning system collars and treeing switches on dogs used while bear hunting. (The entire 171-page document can be viewed online.)

"Bear hunting is a blood sport, and permitting hunters to use hounds to chase bears to exhaustion is glorified dog fighting that pits hounds against bears," Vincent said.

"The public was rightfully outraged when it was revealed that Michael Vick was forcing dogs to fight each other. Why then is it legal for houndsmen to engage in what is essentially animal fighting?"

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Feb. 2

Attention anglers: Outposts will attempt to post the daily Southern California saltwater fish count, courtesy of 976-TUNA, each evening. Hope you find it useful:

Daily Wrapup	Boats	Anglers	Fish	Audio
H&M Landing	1	12	80 Rockfish 1 Bonito
Seaforth	2	50	320 Giant Squid 14 Calico Bass 26 Sand Bass 1 Bonito
Helgren's Oceanside	1	11	2 Calico Bass 16 Sand Bass 26 Sculpin 15 Perch
Dana Wharf	3	77	495 Giant Squid 2 Calico Bass 8 Sand Bass 2 Sculpin 1 Sargo
Newport Landing	2	76	118 Giant Squid 12 Sand Bass 70 Sculpin
LA Harbor	1	30	53 Calico Bass 26 Sand Bass 4 Sculpin	play
San Pedro 22nd Street Marina	1	10	85 Giant Squid
Redondo	2	18	17 Calico Bass 17 Sand Bass 5 Perch	play
Marina Del Rey	2	19	20 Calico Bass 49 Sand Bass 25 Sculpin 3 trigger_fish

Quota reached, Idaho closes another wolf hunting zone

Idaho Fish and Game ended the wolf hunting season in the Middle Fork zone on Monday, with the limit of 17 animals achieved.

The area, located in central Idaho, is the sixth zone reaching its quota since the inaugural wolf hunt began in the state last year.

As of Monday, 146 of the predators have been reported killed, leaving 74 of the 220 statewide limit. Six zones remain open, with each closing either when its quota is reached or when the hunting season ends March 31.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo credit: National Parks Conservation Assn.

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