Proposed closures ready for viewing

MLPA would shut down some fishing

By Ed Zieralski

San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer

September 25, 2009

The long-awaited final maps of fishing closures proposed for San Diego's coastline under the Marine Life Protection Act now can be viewed on the state Department of Fish and Game Web site.

The three proposals submitted by the three South Coast Regional Stakeholder groups have been posted at dfg.ca.gov/mlpa . The MLPA's Blue Ribbon Task Force will review the three plans and submit final proposals to the state Fish and Game Commission, which is expected to vote on the closures in December.

Anglers have one more chance to be heard on the subject.

On Oct. 21, the MLPA's Blue Ribbon Task Force will hear public comments in two sessions, at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., at the Hilton Long Beach & Executive Meeting Center, 701 West Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90831.

Comments on the MLPA are accepted via e-mail at MLPAComments@resources.ca.gov.; via mail at Marine Life Protection Act Initiative, c/o California Natural Resources Agency, 1416 Ninth Street, Suite 1311, Sacramento, CA 95814; or via fax at (916) 653-8102. To be presented at the Oct. 21 meeting, comments received via e-mail, mail or fax must arrive by Oct. 11.

Notables

•Kids day: Tomorrow is National Hunting and Fishing Day, which means a free day of fishing, lunch and lots of prizes for kids at Lake Cuyamaca. Fishing starts at 6 a.m., and registration begins at 8 a.m. Fish must be weighed in by 11:30 to be eligible for prizes. There will be a raffle for kids and adults.

•Ocean fishing: Captain Bryan Zulka on El Gato Dos reports good fishing for big albacore up to 35 pounds at 38 miles west of Mission Bay for three-quarter-day trips. Rough seas early in the week made for tough fishing, but Tuesday his group managed a triple jig strike on the bigger albacore plus two on bait. They also caught five yellowfin that were traveling with porpoise. Bob Fletcher fished with fellow San Diego Rotary Club members on captain Shawn Trowbridge's Legend that same day as part of a 1½-day trip. They caught 21 albacore, 44 yellowfin tuna, 46 dorado and 15 yellowtail. “Great fall fishing,” Fletcher said.

•FLW: He's not fishing for $1 million like he did at the FLW Championship in Pittsburgh in August, but Alpine's Rusty Salewske is picking up where he left off on the Allegheny River. Fishing at the California Delta, Salewske jumped from eighth to first yesterday during the second day of the Walmart FLW Series National Guard Western Division. Top prize is $125,000 for pros, $25,000 for co-anglers. Salewske's fishing buddy, Jon Strelic of El Cajon, earned the day's $293 Folgers Big Bass award in the pro division thanks to an 8-pound, 8-ounce bass he caught on a green-pumpkin Sweet Beaver. Robert Faaborg of Ramona is third in the co-angler division.