Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 25

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
Point Loma	1	36	16 Sand Bass 4 Sheephead 5 Whitefish 21 Rockfish 13 Bonito 2 Sculpin
H&M Landing	4	40	258 Yellowfin Tuna 7 Sheephead 12 Whitefish 12 Mackerel 28 Bocaccio 50 Rockfish 2 Bonito 1 Sculpin 36 Perch 49 Red Snapper 82 Rockcod 58 Wahoo
Seaforth	2	41	3 Calico Bass 2 Barracuda 7 Sheephead 59 Rockfish 2 Lingcod 4 Sculpin 4 Red Snapper
Dana Wharf	1	38	15 Calico Bass 28 Sand Bass 11 Sheephead 5 Sculpin
Davey's Locker	2	25	4 Calico Bass 1 Sand Bass 9 Sheephead 10 Rockfish 62 Sculpin 19 Perch
Newport Landing	1	28	1 Calico Bass 7 Sand Bass 4 Sheephead 2 Rockfish 1 Bonito 18 Sculpin 115 Perch

Global sailor Jessica Watson, 16, will spend the holidays alone at sea

As millions of Americans begin to gather with their families to celebrate Thanksgiving, a lone Australian girl is in the middle of the Pacific, pointed toward treacherous Cape Horn aboard a 34-foot pink sailboat, dining on fresh fish.

Jessica Watson, 16, who is attempting to become the youngest person to sail alone around the world -- nonstop and unassisted -- is one brave soul.

She left Sydney on Oct. 18 and plans to be sailing for about seven more months. She recently rounded Christmas Island in Kiribati, above the equator, and has turned to the south and crossed the equator a second time on a course toward one of the most notorious passages on the planet.

She rounded Christmas Island in strong headwinds and currents. Bruce Arms, who is part of her support team back home, said in a post on her website that he was impressed by Jessica's sailing skills.

"The wind conditions have not been favorable for her, so it has been a very challenging few days," Arms wrote. "But we have all been so impressed with the manner in which she has gone about this rounding. She kept well clear of the island and did not take any shortcuts."

Jessica has found time to fish, and made her first catch Monday (pictured). She joked on her blog: "It's not huge but I'm sure that there will be plenty for everyone!"

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 24

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
Point Loma	1	11	1 Halibut 8 Calico Bass 5 Sand Bass 2 Sheephead 20 Rockfish 2 Sculpin
H&M Landing	2	42	7 Calico Bass 4 Sand Bass 6 Sheephead 10 Whitefish 98 Rockfish 18 Bonito
Seaforth	3	66	2 Yellowtail 17 Calico Bass 12 Sand Bass 5 Sheephead 75 Rockfish 65 Bonito 2 Sculpin
Dana Wharf	3	121	31 Calico Bass 63 Sand Bass 16 Sheephead 1 Whitefish 14 Rockfish 1 Bonito 232 Sculpin 67 Sand Dab
Davey's Locker	2	42	4 Sand Bass 4 Whitefish 38 Rockfish 12 Sculpin 2 Perch
Newport Landing	1	16	21 Sand Bass 2 Sheephead 3 Bonito 2 Sculpin 40 Perch
Pierpoint Landing	1	9	13 Sheephead 40 Whitefish 18 Rockfish 4 Sculpin
Redondo	3	37	12 Sheephead 177 Rockfish 5 Lingcod 22 Sculpin 40 Red Snapper
Marina Del Rey	1	26	8 Calico Bass 16 Sand Bass 1 Sheephead 4 Sculpin 50 Perch
Channel Islands Sportfishing	1	18	180 Rockfish 1 Lingcod
Captain Hook's Sportfishing	2	46	2 Sheephead 14 Whitefish 460 Rockfish 15 Lingcod 3 Sculpin

Hunter bags two deer with one bullet

Many hunters are notable conservationists, and one recently found an unexpected way to conserve bullets.

Prairie du Sac, Wis., resident TJ Hauge was hunting on opening day of the state's nine-day gun deer season. Settled into his tree stand when a buck came into his sights, TJ took careful aim and squeezed off a shot. Bull's-eye -- the buck dropped in its tracks -- and so did the unseen one standing directly behind it.

"Between the adrenaline and the rather strange outcome, my mind had a little trouble grasping what had just transpired," TJ told Outposts. "I spent the next 25 minutes with a big, uncontrollable smile and occasionally laughing to myself in disbelief of what had happened."

TJ immediately text-messaged the other members of his hunting party, "two bucks, one bullet."

Malibu 10-year-old becomes youngest angler to complete billfish 'royal slam'

Malibu's Wes Davis has completed a remarkable achievement in the world of big-game fishing: the International Game Fish Assn.-sanctioned  Billfish Royal Slam, which entails catching nine billfish species.

And the kid's only 10, so he becomes the youngest angler ever to accomplish the feat.

The globe-trotting Davis got started when he was 6 and caught a short-billed spearfish. Three months later he reeled in a white marlin. In subsequent years he boated two Atlantic sailfish, a Pacific blue marlin, three Pacific sailfish, a swordfish, a black marlin, three striped marlin and the grand finale: a 300-pound Atlantic blue marlin Davis brought to leader after a two-hour struggle in rough seas.

All but the swordfish were tagged and released. Congratulations, Wes!

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Wes Davis, right, gets started on his billfish royal slam with capture of short-billed spearfish. Credit: IGFA, which did not provide identification of others in the photo.

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Irvine Lake fishing topped by 9-14 rainbow

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

Excellent trout fishing was again the story at Irvine Lake this week, reported Jimmy Getty at the Pro Shop. “The trolling bite is just phenomenal, you can’t keep ‘em off the lures,” observed Getty. “We are seeing well over 100 trout limits a day, and are selling lots of second-limit passes and even a good number of third-limit passes. The bite in the Kids Lagoon is also wide-open on just about any small lure. One 8-year old youngster even caught his first-ever fish in the Lagoon while using a bare hook!”

Getty added, “We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day so that our staff can spend the day with their families, but we will be open regular hours on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the holiday weekend.”

Most trout filling up the limits are in the 1-to 3-pound category, but a nice mixture of 4-to 9-pounders are spicing up the stringers. Good catches were reported from Trout Island, the west shore, boat dock cove, mid-lake and near the dam. 

Trollers scored better than bait dunkers, but both techniques produced plenty of fish. The “natural” Power Mouse was the best bait choice, made with a white Gulp! Salmon Egg and a nightcrawler. Almost any good trolling lure nailed the fish, with firetiger CD05 Rapalas, or hot pink in the SC Shiner or XR06 X-Rap being the top choices. 

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 23

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
Point Loma	1	17	1 Calico Bass 1 Sand Bass 1 Sheephead 6 Rockfish 72 Bonito 12 Sculpin
H&M Landing	2	47	1 Calico Bass 2 Sand Bass 3 Sheephead 22 Whitefish 18 Rockfish 24 Lingcod 4 Sculpin 56 Red Snapper 42 Rockcod
Seaforth	3	50	3 Yellowtail 3 Calico Bass 10 Sand Bass 1 Sheephead 101 Rockfish 18 Bonito 1 Sculpin 34 Red Snapper
Mission Bay	1	20	7 Yellowtail 12 Calico Bass 3 Sheephead 25 Whitefish 23 Bonito 18 Red Snapper
Helgren's Oceanside	1	14	3 Calico Bass 12 Sand Bass 3 Sheephead 5 Rockfish 18 Sculpin
Dana Wharf	2	27	21 Calico Bass 28 Sand Bass 10 Sheephead 7 Whitefish 11 Bocaccio 40 Rockfish 23 Sculpin 27 Sand Dab 12 Red Snapper

Joel Centeio wins Hawaiian Pro; Nate Yeomans qualifies for 2010 World Tour

Local knowledge and a Houdini-like performance on an eight-foot barrel helped propel Joel Centeio to victory in the Reef Hawaiian Pro surf contest at Haleiwa on Oahu's North Shore. 

Centeio, 26, a Haleiwa resident, prevailed in the four-man final largely on the merit of his long tube ride, which received a score of 9.33 out of a possible 10. He won with a best-two-waves score of 14.76, and the victory makes him $20,000 richer and the early leader in the Triple Crown of Surfing series race.

That race now moves to Sunset Beach and will conclude at the fabled Banzai Pipeline.

"It's the best thing that's ever happened to me," a jubilant Centeio said, moments after emerging from the water. "It's a dream come true to win here at my home break."

Centeio defeated C.J. Hobgood, Australia's Jay Thompson and Tahiti's Alain Riou in the final after a marathon Monday session that began with the Round of 32.

Also celebrating is San Clemente's Nathan Yeomans, who by reaching the quarterfinals of the ASP World Qualifying Series contest earned enough points to qualify for the 2010 ASP World Tour. Yeomans climbed to No. 7 in the WQS standings with one contest remaining: the O'Neill World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach.

(The Billabong Pipeline Masters is a World Tour event and will decide this year's world champion.)

While the triumph catapulted Centeio from 131st to 51st on the WQS, he cannot qualify for the 2010 World Tour.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Joel Centeio ducks beneath the lip of a wave at Haleiwa. The subsequent barrel ride earned the surfer a score of 9.33 and helped him win the Reef Hawaiian Pro. Credit: Bernie Baker / Triple Crown of Surfing

Note: To follow this blog on Twitter please visit @latimesoutposts

Children's life jacket safety calendar now on sale

The BoatU.S. Foundation free life jacket loaner program is popular, lending flotation devices for children more than 90,000 times annually.

To bring attention to the importance of right-sized life jackets for kids, the nonprofit organization held a contest looking for images for their 2010 calendar of children wearing the loaners.

The winners have been chosen and now grace the calendar, available for sale on the foundation website. A portion of each sale will be used to help support the loaner program.

"Everyone needs a calendar and boaters will love the photos of these cute kids being safe on the water," said Life Jacket Loaner Program manager Alanna Keating. "It will also help show children and parents that wearing a life jacket is cool."

BoatU.S. Foundation is a national nonprofit organization that focuses on boating safety, education and environmental programs. They offer the only accredited, free online general boating safety course.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: 2010 calendar cover. Photo credit: BoatU.S. Foundation

Poacher hit with $30,000 fine and 10-year hunting ban for killing two deer

A Wyoming man has been ordered to pay a $30,000 fine and has been barred from hunting and from accompanying anyone else hunting for 10 years for shooting two mule deer from his pickup truck.

In a plea agreement, Casper, Wyo. resident Timothy Alme also received two years suspended jail time and had to forfeit the rifle used to shoot the animals.

Wyoming Game and Fish wardens were originally tipped off by a state Highway Patrol officer, who was investigating a traffic accident involving a guard rail and a pickup truck, which was abandoned along the highway. During the investigation, the officer noticed a lot of blood and deer hair in the bed of the vehicle,  registered to Alme.

A consented search of Alme's residence by game warden Shawn Blajszczak turned up four deer carcasses, only two that were confirmed to be legally harvested.

Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks hunting and fishing

I plucked the December/January issue of Outdoor Life from the mailbox Sunday afternoon, shortly after learning that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suffered what was believed to be a mild concussion in a losing effort against the Kansas City Chiefs.

By strange coincidence I turned to the back page first and there was Big Ben, whose team is the defending Super Bowl champion, talking about how much he loves the much safer pastimes of hunting and fishing--and boasting about how he once bagged three ducks with a single blast.

Here's the brief Q&A:

Outdoor Life: How did you start out?

Ben Roethlisberger: I grew up in Ohio and have been fishing and hunting as long as I can remember with my dad and grandpa. Whether it was bobber-fishing for bluegills or spin-fishing for bass, I'd do it. I'd get out often.

OL: What's your favorite place to fish?

BR: Anyplace there's water! Seriously, though, I've taken my dad to Wyoming to fly-fish and it's been a great experience.

OL: How about hunting?

BR: I've always been more of a bird hunter than a deer hunter. I love to hunt ducks, geese, quail, grouse and turkeys.

OL: What's your most memorable hunting experience?

BR: As a kid, hunting with my dad on the Ohio River, I once got three ducks with one shot.

OL: How does playing football compare to hunting or fishing?

BR: I think my dad said it best when he said, "Being outdoors is still  better than anything else you can do." It's hard, but we always manage to get a day off and I'll get outdoors.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger warms up before a game against the Detroit Lions this season. Credit: Leon Halip/US PRESSWIRE

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 22

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
Point Loma	1	18	1 Sand Bass 4 Sheephead 9 Whitefish 26 Rockfish
Seaforth	6	105	10 Yellowtail 2 Calico Bass 3 Sand Bass 3 Sheephead 277 Rockfish 61 Bonito 24 Lingcod 34 Red Snapper
Dana Wharf	2	29	6 Calico Bass 7 Sand Bass 3 Sheephead 9 Whitefish 3 Bocaccio 58 Rockfish 3 Bonito 47 Sculpin 16 Sand Dab 19 Red Snapper
Davey's Locker	2	33	3 Calico Bass 4 Sheephead 2 Rockfish 22 Sculpin 7 Perch
Newport Landing	1	16	2 Bocaccio 51 Rockfish 17 Red Snapper
Pierpoint Landing	4	74	4 Yellowtail 1 Calico Bass 44 Sand Bass 3 Barracuda 70 Sheephead 81 Whitefish 181 Rockfish 10 Bonito 11 Lingcod 40 Sculpin 98 Perch 1 Cabazon

Trout plants for Southern California during the week beginning Nov. 23

The following is a list of Southern California and Eastern Sierra waters, listed by county, that will be stocked with rainbow trout throughout the week of Nov. 23 by the Department of Fish and Game:

LOS ANGELES: Alondra Park Lake, Belvedere Lake, Cerritos Lake, Downey Lake, Echo Park Lake, El Dorado Park Lake, Hollenbeck Park Lake, Kenneth Hahn Lake, La Mirada Lake, Legg Lakes and Lincoln Park Lake.

ORANGE: Carr Park Lake, Eisenhower Park Lake, Greer Park Lake, Huntington Park Lake and Laguna Lake.

RIVERSIDE: Hemet Lake, Perris Lake and Skinner Lake.

SAN BERNARDINO: Mojave Narrows Regional Park Lake, Prado Park Lake and Silverwood Lake. 

SAN DIEGO: Chollas Park Lake, Lindo Lake and Murray Lake.  

Photo: Unidentified anglers display their catch at Beaver Cove on Crowley Lake. Credit: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 21

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
Point Loma	2	37	1 Halibut 15 Sand Bass 14 Whitefish 33 Bocaccio 79 Rockfish 29 Bonito 56 Yellowfin Croaker
H&M Landing	5	108	2 Calico Bass 3 Sand Bass 34 Sheephead 38 Whitefish 60 Mackerel 12 Bocaccio 184 Rockfish 85 Bonito 7 Lingcod 1 Sculpin 52 Perch 60 Red Snapper	play
Seaforth	4	79	15 Yellowtail 2 Calico Bass 7 Sand Bass 2 Sheephead 4 Whitefish 124 Rockfish 33 Bonito 34 Red Snapper
Dana Wharf	3	73	47 Calico Bass 18 Sand Bass 1 Barracuda 13 Sheephead 2 Whitefish 1 Rockfish 131 Bonito 7 Sculpin 17 Perch 1 Sargo 29 Sand Dab 16 Red Snapper	play
Davey's Locker	2	18	3 Calico Bass 1 Sand Bass 13 Sheephead 2 Whitefish 9 Bocaccio 30 Rockfish 33 Bonito 1 Sculpin 2 Perch 3 Red Snapper
Newport Landing	2	30	1 Sheephead 50 Rockfish 34 Bonito 2 Sand Dab

Skateboarder Mike Vallely in fracas at hockey game

News item: Mike Vallely, a legendary figure in the core skateboarding universe, is arrested after a brawl at the end of a Friday night Anaheim Ducks hockey game (a video has already been posted on YouTube). The fight begins when player Scott Niedermayer tries to toss his stick to a girl in the front row as a friendly gesture. Niedermeyer stares in disbelief through the glass at a group of people struggling for the stick, including Vallely. The Ducks reportedly have disassociated themselves from Vallely, who's a die-hard fan and had blogged on the team website.

Reaction: Perhaps the Ducks ought to discontinue the practice of tossing sticks to fans. This so-called fight was mostly just a struggle over a stick intended for a girl who might have been Vallely's daughter. Not to defend fighting among fans, but can you blame him if this was the case? That said, Mike V.'s rebellious acts have appeared in other videos and so have his fights -- the skateboarder/rocker is semi-famous for another fight video in which he takes on four people at once and beats them to a whimper. 

Were the Ducks right to yank Vallely's blog and will they be right if they also pull his season tickets, as they're reportedly considering? I wasn't there so I'll reserve judgment. If you were present or have any thoughts, please chime in.

-- Pete Thomas

 

Saltwater fish count for Southern California, Nov. 20

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	11	4 Sand Bass 2 Sheephead 4 Whitefish 14 Rockfish 3 Sculpin 18 Red Snapper
Seaforth	2	37	5 Calico Bass 3 Whitefish 47 Rockfish 4 Bonito 1 Sculpin 12 Red Snapper
Dana Wharf	3	30	16 Calico Bass 18 Sand Bass 24 Sheephead 6 Rockfish 2 Bonito
Davey's Locker	1	8	1 Calico Bass 7 Sheephead 2 Whitefish 5 Rockfish 1 Perch
Newport Landing	1	10	5 Sand Bass 10 Sheephead 9 Whitefish 10 Rockfish 2 Sculpin 10 Perch
Pierpoint Landing	3	29	27 Yellowtail 27 Calico Bass 60 Sand Bass 22 Sheephead 12 Whitefish 19 Rockfish 18 Bonito 29 Sculpin 46 Perch

Buck's amazing rack may be a new Nebraska record

A Texas man may find himself in the Nebraska state record books after shooting a 38-point whitetail buck.

Lexington, Texas, resident Wes O'Brien was hunting with a friend on private land in Richardson County, Neb., on Saturday when he spotted and shot the deer from about 100 yards.

O'Brien told the Lincoln Journal Star that his trophy has received a preliminary score of 281.

The rack's official score won't be determined for 60 days, the "drying period" during which the antlers will shrink a little.

Should O'Brien's buck be scored the new state record, it will beat a record held for 47 years by bow-hunter Del Austin of Hastings, Neb. Commonly called "Old Mossy Horns," the deer shot by Austin scored 279-7/8 non-typical, which was not only a Nebraska record but also a world record for whitetail taken by archery.

Tony Korth, aquarium director at Schramm Park and a certified Boone and Crockett scorer, said that he has never seen another buck like the one O'Brien shot in nearly 20 years of checking hunters' deer.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime buck," said Korth. "Remarkable is a really good word for it."

Should the deer break the state record, "Old Mossy Horns" will remain in the books as the top archery buck.

But O'Brien doesn't seem that interested in the possibility of making the record books.

"I don't care if he doesn't get any records. He's amazing to me," O'Brien said of his trophy buck with the impressive antlers.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Wes O'Brien of Lexington, Texas, shows off the massive whitetail buck he shot Saturday on private land. Credit: NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission

Girl, 14, dies after skiing accident at Breckenridge in Colorado

A 14-year-old girl died late this morning after an accident on the slopes at Breckenridge in Colorado.

Vail Resorts, which operates Breckenridge, confirmed the news but did not release the name of the girl. The accident occurred on an intermediate trail called Spruce. The girl reportedly was wearing a helmet and might have struck a tree. 

She was administered to by emergency personnel and transported to Breckenridge Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

Breckenridge has issued a media release stating: "Breckenridge Ski Resort, Breckenridge Ski Patrol and the Vail Resorts family extend their deepest sympathy and support to the family and friends of the young woman."

It's the first known fatality involving a skier or snowboarder this season in Colorado, and perhaps the first nationally. Breckenridge opened Nov. 12.

-- Pete Thomas

Nationwide campground and RV resort survey gives 31 'A' grades

Thirty-one campgrounds and recreational vehicle resorts have earned all-around "A" grades in the second annual consumer satisfaction survey of independent parks. But only one -- Meadowcliff RV Resort -- is in California.

Nearly 17,000 camping and RV enthusiasts participated in the online survey, which evaluated guest experiences at 1,840 independent campgrounds and RV resorts affiliated with the National Assn. of RV Parks and Campgrounds. The survey was for privately run locations only -- national and state parks were not included.

"Sixteen of the nation's 31 top parks in our survey also received 'A' ratings last year, but we also had 15 parks that received 'A' ratings for the first time," Bob MacKinnon, president and CEO of GuestRated.com said in a press release. The Murrieta, Calif.-based company conducted the online survey on behalf of the National Assn. of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

Consumers are invited to submit their own reviews of private campgrounds and RV resorts they have recently visited by logging on to www.gocampingamerica.com and clicking on the "Review a Park" tab. Survey results are currently posted for 265 parks on the website.

"The objective of these surveys is to help private campground, RV park and resort operators to pinpoint the improvements they need to make to provide their guests with the best possible camping experience," said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Assn. of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

The 31 parks earning "A" grades for 2009 are:

Storm arrives in Lake Tahoe area as resorts plan weekend openings

The Lake Tahoe area is already feeling the effects of the season's first significant winter storm, and resorts in the region are expected to receive about a foot of fresh powder through tonight.

At Heavenly ski area, which overlooks the sprawling lake, today's planned opening is postponed until Saturday because of strong winds that arrived in advance of the storm. Light snow began to fall during the lunch hour.

I checked the Heavenly website and plucked its "Snowmakers" video (above), which provides an entertaining glimpse of the crews in action, and some new powder as seen from spectacular vantage points the resort is famous for.

Boreal and Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe are already open. Northstar-at-Tahoe and Squaw Valley USA will open Saturday. Alpine Meadows will open Dec. 5. Kirkwood and Sierra-at-Tahoe will open when conditions allow.

Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in the Eastern Sierra also hopes to receive a boost from the storm. It has about 100 acres open with top-to-bottom runs and a 16- to 24-inch base. Mountain High in Wrightwood and Bear Mountain and Snow Summit in Big Bear are open. Mt. Baldy plans to open before Thanksgiving.

-- Pete Thomas