Veteran angler Steve Carson hosting free fishing seminar Nov. 29 and 30 at Sport Chalet

Veteran angler Steve Carson, whose Irvine Lake fishing reports appear weekly in Outposts, will be hosting a sport fishing seminar from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 29 at Sport Chalet in Marina del Rey and Nov. 30 at the Torrance Sport Chalet.

Carson will be sharing tips on how to catch more and bigger fish -- and have more fun doing it -- in Southern California, Alaska, Mexico and elsewhere, covering freshwater and saltwater fish with emphasis on the current hot local trout bite at Irvine Lake and other urban trout destinations. Carson will also discuss teaching kids to fish, and how to hopefully keep their interest up while fishing.

Carson, Penn Fishing University program director, has an impressive resume. He's ranked in the top 10 in the world among International Game Fish Assn. membership for the most different species of fish (235) caught on rod and reel; he was named one of the "Top 30 anglers in the West" by Western Outdoors magazine in 2006 and was inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame in 2010. Carson is also a radio personality; outdoors writer; pro staffer for Penn, Rapala, Luhr Jensen, Berkley and Flambeau (to name a few); and tournament director for the Berkley Alaska Grand Slam, Lake Oroville Open Bass tournament and Penn International Baja Grand Slam tournament.

There will also be a prize drawing, with the chance to win a pair of admission passes and boat rental at Irvine Lake as well as additional prizes from Rapala, Berkley and others.

Admission to both seminars is free, but attendees are advised to arrive early as seating is limited. The Marina del Rey Sport Chalet is in the Via Marina Marketplace, 13455 Maxella Ave.; the Torrance store is located at 21305 Hawthorne Blvd.

-- Kelly Burgess
Twitter.com/latimesoutposts

Photo: Angler Steve Carson will be hosting free sport fishing seminars at Sport Chalet locations in Marina del Rey and Torrance. Credit: Steve Carson

Artist completes artificial reef, 'The Silent Evolution,' installing 400 sculptures underwater

Artist Jason deCaires Taylor recently completed work on one of the most surreal and awe-inspiring artificial reefs I've seen.

"The Silent Evolution" is the final and most ambitious of four stages of an underwater museum and consists of 400 permanent life-size sculptures forming a monumental artificial reef in Cancun/Isla Mujeres, Mexico.

DeCaires Taylor said in an e-mail release that "the road has been long -- taken 18 months, required 120 tons of cement, sand and gravel, 3,800m of fiberglass, 400kg of silicone, 8,000 miles of red tape, 120 hours working underwater and $250,000," adding that "sculpting close to the mangroves in Puerto Morelos the team received over 2,500 mosquito bites, tabano bites, fire ant stings and more than 20 nips from Damsel fish during installations in the sea."

Located in the National Marine Park of Isla Mujeres, Cancun and Punta Nizuc, the environmentally friendly reef -- each of the sculptures is made from specialized materials used to promote coral life -- was constructed with the cooperation of marine park officials and the Cancun Nautical Assn. in an effort to promote the recovery of nearby natural reefs. The hope is to give visitors an alternative to the Cancun Marine Park, one of the most visited stretches of water in the world, with more than 750,000 visitors each year.

Fish and Game Q&A: Why no world record broomtail groupers?

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

Question: I just received notice from the International Game Fish Assn. that world-record applications will not be accepted from California for broomtail grouper catches. This is because possession of broomtail grouper is prohibited everywhere in California, even if caught in Mexican waters.

Please explain why possession of broomtail grouper is prohibited in California for even Mexican-caught fish, while possession of black (giant) seabass is allowed if proper Mexican documentation is present. Only a relative handful of broomtail have ever been caught in U.S. waters in the last 100 years, and most of those were what would now be considered illegal transplant/introductions in the La Jolla/San Diego Bay region. Numerous other primarily Mexican species are very rarely caught in California, but are not a prohibited catch. Shouldn’t the proper Mexican-waters documentation be sufficient? (Steve C.)

Answer: According to Department of Fish and Game Lt. Eric Kord, species that are illegal to possess in California are also prohibited from being imported into California. Fish and wildlife cannot be imported into California unless they were legally taken and possessed outside of this state (Fish and Game Code, section 2353). Although this code and regulations do not expressly prohibit their possession in this state, California Code of Regulations Title 14, section 28.12 does expressly prohibit the possession of gulf grouper and broomtail grouper in California. Therefore, neither of these fish may be imported into California.

The reason why black seabass may be imported and possessed in California is because CCR Title 14, section 28.10 does not expressly prohibit their possession in California. In fact, the section specifically authorizes their importation from Mexico with the appropriate documentation.

Cabo San Lucas' Picante Sportfishing reports the blue marlin have arrived

Outposts will attempt to post the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, saltwater sportfishing report, courtesy of Team Picante from Picante Sportfishing, each week:

After all the ups and down of the last few months, it looks as if the summer routine is settling in. With baitfish not being around and the striped marlin bite being on and off, it has been a disappointing spring. Lots of striped marlin have been seen sunning on the surface -- some boats reported seeing a dozen -- but few seemed interested in lures or live bait. 

It was just a matter of time before the blue marlin made their way to the underwater mountains surrounding the Baja Peninsula. With water deep blue in color and temps in the low 80s, this was the week it happened. June 23 started it off with Picante's 35-footer, Salsa, leading the way. With Capt. Juan Carlos Lopez at the helm, the Turchin family hooked a nice blue marlin, estimated at about 400 pounds. The fish took some coaxing but finally took, and then it put on a show with some great runs and jumps. After about an hour and a half, the fish was released. 

Also, Capt. Emiliano Arenas, aboard the Picante 45, put the Sherman family onto some real fishing memories -- before lunch they caught and released two blue marlin. Both were about 225 pounds, and were firsts for both anglers. The group also boated some nice tuna. 

On June 25, another blue marlin was caught on the Salsa for the Hagedorn party. But the boat of the day ended up being the 32-foot Cabo Picante Express, with Capt. Antonio Romero. Mark Rowan and his friends, fishing in  the 13th annual Stars and Stripes tournament, caught and released four striped marlin.

Total Picante Sportfishing fleet total for the week: four blue marlin, 15 striped marlin, two dorado, four wahoo and 43 yellowfin tuna.

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: One of the marlin caught (and released) on the Picante 45 this week. Credit: Team Picante

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'Expedition Great White' premieres Sunday on National Geographic Channel

The great white shark has been on the planet for more than 10 million years, and yet still remains one of the world's most mysterious predators.

Now, a crew has set out in an attempt to document more information on white sharks, hoping to better understand their migratory patterns -- where they actually travel, and why.

"Expedition Great White" premieres Sunday at 9 p.m. on National Geographic Channel, with two hourlong episodes. Three additional episodes will follow, airing at 10 p.m. on Sunday nights through June 27.

Using a specially designed, 126-foot long mothership that includes a 37-ton hydraulic platform for hoisting a living shark out of the ocean, marine biologist Michael Domeier takes a crew to Mexico's Guadalupe Island, 160 miles west of Baja California, in the hopes of landing, tagging and releasing seven sharks alive.

Domeier has been studying white sharks at Guadalupe Island, one of the world's largest seasonal gathering places for adult great white sharks, for at least a decade. He has compiled a database which includes more than 100 sharks -- identified by gill slits, pectoral fins, tails and color patterns -- and can identify many by the names they've been given.

Fish and Game Q&A: Is it legal for one diver to get a second limit of lobsters for another diver?

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: I’ve got a question regarding situations when buddies are diving together for lobsters. Each diver has a license, bag and measuring device, but one is experienced and the other is a rookie. The skilled diver gets his limit and finds out the other diver isn’t getting anything. The skilled diver then continues diving with the intention of helping out his buddy, but because they are separated, he puts the over-limit of bugs in his own bag, with the intention to transfer the extras to his buddy while still in the water. In other words, the bugs will be placed in another bag “during the hunt” for when they regroup. Is it legal for one diver to get a second limit of lobsters for his buddy who is having trouble getting his limit? (Jim C., Redondo Beach)

Answer: No. Each diver may only take and possess their own limit (currently seven lobsters), and may not take additional lobsters on any day after taking a limit. Diving is not a team sport in this sense. Once the diver takes game in excess of the legal daily bag limit and they are under his control, he is in possession of an over-limit.

Holiday giving comes in all shapes and sizes

Long Beach resident Todd Cameron shows that the spirit of giving is alive this holiday season.

Cameron returned recently from a 14-day Baja fishing trip aboard the Red Rooster III out of San Diego's H&M Landing, during which he boated a yellowfin tuna weighing in at almost 300 pounds.

Rather than keeping it, Cameron decided to share his good fortune by donating the fish to the Foodbank of Southern California, located in Long Beach.

The cow, weighing in at 296.5-pounds, was the largest yellowfin Cameron has caught and it gave him quite a fight.

"The fish almost spooled me -- 700 yards of line. I wasn't too excited about chasing the fish in a small skiff in shark-infested waters, but he stopped and I was able to get him back to the boat," Cameron told Outposts.

He also gave thanks to the ship's crew.

"This one took over an hour to land, and skipper Andy Cates and first mate Joe D'Acquisto helped me land this whopper," said Cameron. "I couldn't have landed this fish without Joe's guidance. The crew on the Red Rooster are true professionals."

This isn't the first time -- nor will it be the last -- that Cameron, a Southern California Edison employee, thought of others less fortunate.

"I donate part of my catch every year to the food bank," he said. "But this year a lot of families are in need, so I decided to donate my big fish."

-- Kelly Burgess

Photo: Todd Cameron poses with the 296.5-pound yellowfin he caught on H&M Landing's Red Rooster III. Credit: H&M Landing

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Giant Humboldt squid return to waters off San Diego

For those wanting to try a different angling adventure, Humboldt squid have returned to waters off San Diego.

These giant, cannibalistic creatures look like something out of a horror or science-fiction flick and are reportedly a lot of fun to catch.

Also called jumbo squid, they were once found primarily off South America and have slowly expanded their territory and are now believed to have become permanent residents off the West Coast.

Humboldt squid can reach up to six feet and weigh as much as 100 pounds, and can eject themselves from the water and glide through the air to escape predators.

To take advantage of the squid's return, San Diego's Seaforth Sportfishing is now sending the New Seaforth out for nightly angling trips from 4 to 10 p.m.

Reservations can be made via the Seaforth website or by calling (619) 224-3383. 

One note: Raincoats are mandatory, as these feisty fighters will douse their predators (in this case the angler who hooks them) with gallons of cold sea water and/or ink, according to Philip Friedman of 976-Tuna.

--Kelly Burgess

Photo: Divers Pete Thomas, left, and Rocio Lozano witness a Humboldt squid catch in the Sea of Cortez near La Paz, Mexico. Credit: Jim Knowlton

Cabo San Lucas striped marlin bite drops off, now only fair

So much for the wide-open marlin bite off Cabo San Lucas. Captain George Landrum of Fly Hooker Sportfishing, in a report issued today, referred to last week's bite as a "two-day wonder" and says fishing for billfish has tapered off. Here is Landrum's report (edited and abbreviated):

BILLFISH: I did not hear of any blue or black marlin being caught this week, even though the water temperature is fine for them. The striped marlin bite we had at the tail end of last week was a two-day wonder, lasting Sunday and Monday. Since then the better catches have been topping off at three fish per boat, but the average is probably less than one release per boat per trip. More have been seen on the Pacific side than on the Cortez side, and the ones that are being caught show a preference for artificial lures over Caballito, and for mackerel over artificial lures. There have been some very small fish in the releases, but the average seems to be staying around the 100- to 110-pound mark, with an occasional fish in the 160-pound range.

YELLOWFIN TUNA: Still a slow bite on yellowfin, with a few fish being found on the Golden Gate Bank every few days, as well as off Palmilla on the Cortez side. A few boats have been going as far out as 50 miles to the south and west with little luck, and the fish they have found have mostly been football-size.

DORADO: The water temperature across the area warmed back up and dorado have remained in the area, but the bite has been slower than it was last month. This week was a repeat of last week as boats were averaging four to eight fish per trip, with an occasional limit. The fish were averaging 12 pounds with a few large fish in the pick but no big numbers of them. Live bait seemed to do the trick this week, slow trolled in areas where frigate birds were seen to be working. The fish were spread across the area, but the best results seemed to be close to the shoreline and close to Cabo.

Cabo San Lucas striped-marlin bite breaks wide-open

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, the undisputed striped marlin capital of the world, is once again living up to that reputation.

The bite is a bit late this season, but with the recent cold snap the scrappy billfish seemed to flood into an area north of Cabo on the Pacific side of the Baja California peninsula.

"It was as if somebody flipped the switch to winter ... and the cooler water has bought mackerel, the bait of choice for striped marlin," said a post on the Pisces Sportfishing blog.

Pisces, which last November alone logged more than 2,000 striped marlin releases, is off to a good December start. Anglers on the vessel Cabolero on Sunday had 14 marlin releases, one sailfish release and two dorado, which presumably were kept for table fare. They were fishing close to Cabo off the Old Lighthouse less than two miles from shore.

Anglers on Rebecca released eight marlin, and a group aboard Tracy Ann released seven marlin and caught three dorado a bit farther up the coast at Pozo de Cota.

Strangely, all three charter groups were from New York.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Pisces Sportfishing

Rare albino sailfish caught off Cabo San Lucas

*Updated with photo

Outposts received an interesting fishing report this morning from Pisces Sportfishing in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, regarding a charter group that caught and released an albino sailfish. Here's the description from fleet general manager Tracy Ehrenberg:

"This Saturday, November 28th, I received a phone call from our dockmaster, Mario, around 8 a.m. to tell me that our 54-foot Bertram 'Get Over It' was hooked up to a very weird fish and they asked, 'What should we do?' I immediately got on the phone with the captain Jobe Villavicencio to see what was going on. Jobe was very excited saying they were hooked up to a sailfish that was completely white.

"Incredulous I got on the internet and found that a couple of 'albino' sailfish had been caught before, one aboard a commercial boat in Manzanillo, Mexico and another in Guatemala. The captain wanted to know if he should boat the fish or release it. This put us in a bit of a dilemma; knowing how rare this fish was, we knew that it would be very valuable to local scientists, however we had paying clients on board and the decision had to be theirs, when you charter a boat from Pisces you get to call the shots, it is  your boat for the day. 

Point Loma Sportfishing's Intrepid returns from trip with seven yellowfin tuna weighing 300-plus pounds

The Intrepid out of Point Loma Sportfishing returned to San Diego from an 11-day Baja trip yesterday with an amazing catch of yellowfin tuna.

Anglers boated seven yellowfin weighing more than 300 pounds each and 35 over 200 pounds.

"We had a school of yellowfin tuna that stayed with us for four days," said Intrepid skipper Kevin Osborne. "It was like we were a magnet and the fish never left us."

The last time such a haul of giant yellowfin was caught was 32 years ago, when the Royal Polaris out of San Diego's Fisherman's Landing brought in 10 fish weighing over 300 pounds.

There was a wealth of other sea life as well. Squid were easily caught for bait, sea turtles were abundant, and hundreds of dorado swarmed around the boat at night.

The boat is out on another 11-day sportfishing trip today. The next 11-day trip for the Intrepid and its crew departs Dec. 8.

--Kelly Burgess

Photo: Anglers pose with their 300-plus pound yellowfin tuna. Credit: Point Loma Sportfishing