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~~~~Bluewater Bulletin~~~~ www.SanDiegoRodandReel.com
February, 2019 San Diego Rod and Reel Club (760) 533-6920
President
Tom Gruber
Where we are, we weren’t
before,
Where we were, we ain’t no
more.
That little rhyme was on the best
“We’ve Moved!” card I’ve ever
seen. It certainly applies to us,
now that we’re in Arizona. And
yet… do we ever really move
away, move on completely?
While we unpack boxes and find
the right places for our things,
memories also pop out of every
box. That trip that turned
unexpectedly freezing, and we
bought these heavy coats. That
specialized bit of tackle – when
will I ever use that thing again? It
was hard enough to weed out
years’ worth of ‘good stuff’.
Handling it all again while
unpacking, you can’t help but
have second thoughts. But isn’t
that exactly how life is? Did any
of us, back when, think we’d find
ourselves doing the things we are
now, being with the person we’re
with now, being in the place we
are now? For sure I never
thought we’d look like our
parents, or sound like them!
That’s just life, isn’t it? Prices go
up. We move to a different
house, another town. Your new
phone has all this different stuff
on it, argh! Stupid fish – they
aren’t biting where they were
yesterday! Why fight it? Your
only alternative is for the world
to move on without you. That
must make for an awfully small
kind of life.
But the good news is, you never
really “leave it all behind,” not
all of it. We’re not going to run
into that one crabby jerk at the
corner store anymore, that’s a
bonus. We might not run into our
friends as often, but they ARE
always with us. YOU are always
with us. This fishing club has
been such a huge part of our
lives, for so many years. It seems
like we hardly have any
memories that aren’t spliced
together with memories of club
events and club friends. We still
have phones, you know. And
even better, once in a while, we
actually ARE with you! We’ll
see you at Fred Hall Del Mar the
end of March. We’ll see you in
the East Cape in October. And
other times, too, so behave! If
you just can’t, then invite us!
This month you’ll have a new
mix on the board, and true to the
nature of life, they’re sure to
change things up a little,
although likely not much. After
all, we have a pretty darned good
thing going with this club! I’m
sure that any changes will only
be made with the intention of
keeping the club as awesome as
it has always been. Get right in
there and give the board a hand
where you can. When we call
this our club, we mean yours,
too. And save us a few nice fish
out there, for when we’re in
town!
With fond regards,
Tom Gruber, President
Rhonda Gruber, Former
President
Picture of the Month
New member, Cuauhtemoc
Fuentes, with his first Halibut
caught in Puerto Penasco,
Sonora, MX. What kind of bait
was he using … Hookup Baits,
of course!
Awards Banquet
February 10th
, 2019
** At The Admiral Baker **
2400 Admiral Baker Rd,
San Diego, CA 92124.
11:00 am – 3:00 pm
2
VP
Bill Renick
Hello FCMs,
Big Changes for the Lake Poway
Kids Fishing Derby. The
organizers of event on Saturday,
February 2nd decided to use city
volunteers to put out the food for
the kids. That frees up our
members for MORE
IMPORTANT (AND FUN)
work. We are asked to help the
kids by baiting hooks for the
little ones, clearing snags, and
telling stories.
Fishing is from 6 AM to Noon.
Many of the kids will have spent
the night in the park
campgrounds, but most of the
kids will probably show up
around 8:00. That would be a
good time for our volunteers to
fan out with whatever you need
for cutting line, tying knots,
pulling hooks from fish (and
kids) etc.
The police will likely be there, so
wear your CLUB NAME
BADGES. We don’t want to
appear to be a creep hanging
around a kids’ event.
Want to know more? Please call
Bill Renick at 619-988-9862 to
volunteer. Our volunteers
traditionally meet at Cully’s
Restaurant for a great breakfast
before the Derby. It opens at 6:30
on Saturday morning. If you’re
planning to come for breakfast
before going to the lake, please
call Mary (619-850-9476) by
Thursday, January 31st so she
can reserve a table that’s big
enough for us all.
Tournament Master
Pepe Valdivia
Plan ahead for our 2019
Tournaments … mark these
down on your calendar…
2019 Tournaments:
March 16th
: Bay Bass Hold’Em
April 13th
: Bay & Local Bass
May 18th
: Spring Fling Inshore
June 8th
: Twilight Trip
July 20th
: Yellowtail
August 17th
: Big Fish
Sept. 21st: Surf Fishing
Oct. 26th
: October Shootout
Nov. 23rd
: Bay & Inshore Bass
I’m sure you're all ready to go
fishing this year. At the January
meeting, FCM Rick Beck talked
about going on the Dolphin out
of Fisherman’s Landing, and
participating in a halibut
tournament on the boat. That trip
is $50 with an additional $10 for
the Jackpot halibut (mandatory).
It leaves at 6:30 AM and returns
at 3:00 PM, so it’s like a short
3/4 day trip. Five of us went out
the following Wednesday (but
Rick didn’t go). When we signed
in, we had an option to
participate in an additional
Biggest Fish jackpot for an
additional $3. There were 50
passengers on the boat that day.
The winners would get $500 for
the biggest halibut and an
additional $150 for the biggest
fish.
The day of the trip was the day
the big, BIG surf was reported on
the beach. FCM Tim Foote
warned us not to go, because of
the big 8’ swell that was
reported. Well, we went anyway,
and so did Tim. The rumor on the
Dolphin was that Tim had
purchased Travel Insurance for
$125 for the $50 trip, which he
denied. Fishing off Imperial
Beach the entire day gave us an
excellent view of the back of the
huge waves splashing on the
beach. They were huge waves,
but not for us on the water. The
good news was that the interval
for the swells around the time we
were coming in would be about
18 seconds, so basically we had
an excellent morning on the
water.
Unfortunately, for most of us not
many fish were caught. FCM
3
Tony Belandres scored big time
with a legal halibut. Since the
fishing was very slow throughout
the day, we thought for sure
Tony would be the winner. There
were only a few more short
halibut for the day, along with a
mix of nice bass. That is, until
the big fish was caught around
noon. And the winner? A 4-year-
old, who fished all day on the rail
with his dad, reeled it in himself.
Just as if it was a big tuna, he
gallantly fought the halibut all
the way to the waiting gaff.
Tony’s halibut was about an inch
shorter than this kid’s, whose
halibut also was the biggest fish
for the day. So the young man (or
his dad) took home $650 from a
short daytrip to Imperial Beach.
Since we’re talking about kids
fishing, who are they, and what
does the SDRRC have for kids?
In the San Diego Rod and Reel
Club, a young member (girl or
boy) is considered a Junior.
Juniors and their parents
sometimes question their status
on the year they’ll turn 16. For
club scoring purposes, juniors
who are 15 on January 1st remain
juniors until the next year.
(However, be aware that in our
state, kids are required to
purchase a fishing license at the
age of 16.) We use this Junior
status to identify a different
tournament category when a
Junior participates, which they
can enter for free. Juniors who
are registered to participate in a
tournament can win a gift card
of; $25, $15, or $10 if they weigh
fish that place 1st, 2nd or 3rd.
Junior Members also receive
points when they participate in
our tournaments, just like the
adults. These earned points are
accumulated and used to select
the Junior Sportsman of The
Year Award. The points earned
are 5 points for each 1st, 4 points
for each 2nd, 3 points for each
3rd, and 1 point for every
registered participant.
TO CLARIFY TOURNAMENT
FEES:
With the exception of the Big
Fish Tournament, the entry fee is
$20 for Members and $25 for
Guests, and Juniors participate
for free. The Side Pot is $10 and
you must be 18 to participate in
that. If you realize at the last
minute that you’ll be able to
participate in a tournament after
all, call me no later than 8:00 the
night before. I can sign you up,
and now have the ability to take
your card payment over the
phone. If you pay at a meeting
but realize you can’t go after all,
you must notify me by 8:00 the
evening before in order to be
eligible for a refund.
Pepe Validivia
Tournament Master
619-384-1138
Weigh Master
John Chuckta
Hook Up, FCM’s!
We are working on making
turning in weight receipts easier
by doing them online through the
club’s web site. This way you
won’t have to print the form,
complete, fax, email, snail mail
or hand them to me at the
meetings.
This year’s banquet we’re doing
something different than what’s
been done in the past… giving
options for a plaque, a gift card
or clothing for recognition of
your largest catch of a fish in the
designated species. Before we
would just give you a plaque. If
you caught the heaviest fish in
multiple species, then we added
each of those fish on One plaque.
We do, however, separate out
winnings for local fish, fish that
are more than 150 miles away,
and the 1st catch of a Yellowtail,
Dorado and Tuna. Each of these
categories earn one plaque;
therefore, gift cards in the future
will be based on these categories,
not per heaviest fish.
Now, get those weight receipts in
for a chance to win 2019 awards!
Thank You, John Chuckta
4
Clothing Master
Mary Belandres (That’s actually Mary pictured!)
IT PAYS TO ADVERTISE
Recently Tony was getting gas
on base on his way home from
fishing. He was driving his VW
bug (original owner since 1969),
with rods sticking out the
passenger window. No surprise,
someone noticed. And when
you’re standing there pumping
gas, with nothing better to do,
friendly people tend to strike up a
conversation, or at least comment
on the weather, or the price of
gas.
This particular person knew
without Tony saying a word that
they had three things in common:
the military (they were on base),
VW beetles (pretty hard to miss),
and fishing (hello -- the rods). So
HE started the conversation.
They had a friendly chat, and the
club now has someone who’s
eager to hear about our next
meeting. Tony sent Tim Foote
has his email address, and he’ll
be getting the bulletins.
So if you’re NOT flaunting your
history, NOT wearing boots
covered with scales, NOT
driving the right car, or NOT
walking around with poles or a
bucket of fish, how is anyone
supposed to know that they
already kind of like you? Shucks,
that’s easy. Get a club hat or tee
shirt, those are really reasonable.
Not only will you be looking
good, but like-minded people can
spot you. You can tell them a
little about the club. Get their
phone or email, and let them
know about the next couple of
meetings. Or, you can turn it over
to the Membership person. And
did you know, at the Membership
table they have these little cards
with club info. Ask Tony for a
couple, there’s room to write in
the next meeting date, location,
and time, or your name and
number. Remember that
bringing a guest gets you ten
extra raffle tickets, and if they
join, you get 20. But first, you’ve
got to get that hat or shirt! After
that, it all falls into place. It’s
like shooting fish in a barrel …
oh wait, we’re not supposed to
do that -- no sport points for that
AT ALL!
Mary Belandres
Clothing
619-850-9476
Raffle Master
Ellie Duchene
Hello FCM'S,
The club banquet is fast
approaching and you really don't
want to miss this fun club event
that honors our members who
fished, and fished, and came out
at the front of the pack! There’s
plenty of time to socialize during
the meal, and as always, we will
have one of the year’s best
raffles. With beautiful baskets, a
reel worth $406, two of Bob
Cox’s amazing carvings, a club
chair with personalization
included, one free entry into the
March Bay Bass Poker
Tournament plus the side pot, a
free $60 club membership,
certificates for half-scoops of
bait, a Terrafin membership, the
swag just keeps on going.
There’s a rumor that one basket
has a purse, a tote, and a pricy
pair of lady’s Costa sunglasses,
so check basket contents
carefully! Another ‘basket’ will
be more manly, starting with a
pricy, super heavy-duty
waterproof dry bag, with a sun
screen mask, a Cool Buddy, a
bait certificate, a club ball cap,
and tackle! To move things
along, all raffle items will be
targeted opportunities, so cross
your fingers and put your tickets
5
in the bags attached to the items
you’re hot for!
Remember that spending more
on tickets gets you even MORE
tickets, with bonus tickets for
larger purchases ($5 = 6 tickets,
$10 = 13, $20 = 30, $50 = 80,
$100 = 180!). Admiral Baker is a
great place and hosts our best
banquet, and we hope to see you
all there.
Please plan to attend – our
volunteers work hard to make
this event, like all our club
events, successful and fun! You
may want to bring a bag with you
to carry out your haul!
Keep buying tickets!
Love, Ellie
The Chuckta family and friends
relaxing on the bay and catching
fish, like Maddie’s Spotted Bay
Bass … WTG Maddie!
Membership
By Tony Belandres
BEING PART OF
THE FAMILY
Of our 66 regular memberships,
we have 37 that are either new or
renewed. If we don’t count the
new members, then we’re not
quite half renewed. There’s no
reason why people can’t print out
the renewal form from this
newsletter, have it all filled out,
and turn it in with their payment
at the February 10th banquet, for
processing afterwards. Or you
can mail it in to the PO Box, the
address is right there at the
bottom of the form. You
definitely want to be a member in
good standing before our
tournament season starts with the
Bay Bass Poker Tournament in
March. How much would it hurt
to catch one of the big ones and
not be a member? Pay more and
not get points, either? I’d be so
disgusted with myself for not
taking care of that. For SURE get
it in at the March meeting!
Tournament Master Pepe’s
article this month has a big
section about Juniors. It explains
that for tournament purposes,
junior members who are not yet
16 on January 1st will count as
juniors all year long for prizes
and points. (He also points out
that even if they turn 16 and still
count as juniors in the club, they
DO have to buy a license when
they hit 16.) They still count as
juniors for tournament and sport
point purposes for the remainder
of the year.
However, over here in the
Membership department, we
keep an eye on a different
number: 19. Kids who have
turned 19 during the year need to
get their own membership for the
following new year. Like adults,
they can participate in the early-
bird renewal, October through
December, and maybe win the
great prize that’s offered. Or they
can wait until January to fill out a
form, like about half of the other
adults. Kids under 19 are
included in a parent’s
membership, when the parent
adds the Family option and lists
the kids on the form. Adding the
Family option is only $10, and
covers the principal member’s
spouse, plus their kids who are
still under age 19 on January 1st
of that membership year. That
$10 can save you bucks all year
long, on anything where the kids
would otherwise be paying
guests.
Tony Belandres
Membership
619-300-1857
6
GIVE CREDIT
WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
We’ve been taking credit card
charges for a while, and
something that we thought we
could forget about has gotten
harder to ignore. We ALL love
the convenience of charging
things at the club on our cards.
No more squeezing in a trip to
the ATM before the meeting, or
remembering the checkbook. All
you need is the wallet you
usually carry. Piece of cake!
But it’s like our piece of cake has
no frosting – it’s just not quite as
thrilling as we thought it would
be. The thing is, we get charged a
little fee each time one of us
swipes a card. Now that we can
also take charges over the phone,
we get charged even a bit more
for that. That little bit eats away
at the funds that help make things
happen for our club. This last
year, we lost enough that we
could have paid four months’
worth of juniors’ tournament
prizes with it.
But we have a simple fix. Like a
number of places do, we’re going
to add a small fee onto most of
the charges made: $1 on a swiped
charge, and $2 on charges where
the card isn’t present, like
charges made over the phone.
This fee won’t completely cover
what the club is charged, but it
will take a bit of the sting out of
it. The only spot where we feel
we can absorb the fee is when
you’re getting raffle tickets;
you’re still good there. Please
don’t get crabby about this --
using our cards is a convenience,
after all. If you don’t want to
rack up a bunch of little charges
(imagine how last year’s 101
charges dinged the club), then
fold a check into your wallet, or
carry a bit of folding green for
small stuff.
We have more people who can
take charges now at the club. For
your convenience, Raffle (Ellie
& Sharon), Membership (Tony),
Clothing (Mary), and
Tournament (Pepe), all have
Squares for processing payments.
Pepe will probably be the one
who will take the most phone
charges, as he is now set up to
take tournament sign-ups and
payments as late as 8:00 the
evening before a tournament. If
you want, you can pay for the
banquet by phone now, too.
Please see me if you need in
depth details,
Mary Belandres
Editor: Gary Mouritzen
619-571-8787
My fellow Fishing Club
Members (FCM’s),
I am already getting pumped up
for the first tournament of the
year! Plus, I love playing Texas
Hold’Em, so hopefully I can win
the side prize with the best hand!
Too bad there aren’t any
opportunities to bluff and go “All
In!!” Maybe another day.
As many of you know, I do
mortgage lending. 2019 has
brought us lower interest rates
than what we’ve had on a steady
rise. If you’re looking to buy
your first home, I have a lot of
First Time Home Buyer
programs with little to Zero
down! If you own a home and
want to pull cash out for home
improvements and/or debt
consolidation, or you simply
want to lower your mortgage
payment, call me. I give nothing
but my honest approach and I
will tell you if it makes sense or
not, and you won’t get pressured.
Now… Get Bent! Gary
AWESOME
Friends & Food, Awards & Raffle!
Our Annual Awards Banquet will be here in another week, on Sunday, February 10th, from 11:00 to 3:00. Please RSVP no later than Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3rd. This all-you-can-eat champagne brunch features mimosas, prime rib, ham or turkey, an omelet station, waffles, bacon & sausage, scrambled eggs, cold shrimp & cocktail sauce, assorted breakfast sides, potatoes, mac and cheese, casseroles, veggies, fish, chicken, pastries, fruit platters, cheese board, salad, ice cream & toppings, pastries, cakes and other desserts, coffee and tea. You can purchase other drinks in the bar. The Admiral Baker Clubhouse is a beautiful, roomy facility in a lovely setting, a hidden gem where Mission Gorge meets Mission Valley. After our event, you’re welcome to hang in the comfy bar, or chill on the patio with your friends. From the 15, turn East on Friars Road, left at the light on Santo Road, and immediately right onto Admiral Baker Road. Follow that all the way to the clubhouse up at the end. There’s no other meeting in February, only the banquet. You can RSVP to Ellie Duchene, and either pay over the phone with a credit card, or promise faithfully to bring a check, cash, or card with you to the banquet. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids ages 4 to 10. No matter which option you choose, you need to give Ellie the names of those attending with you, whether they are adults or kids ages 4-10, and your contact info. Ellie can be reached (call or text) at 619-890-5401 or [email protected] The catering staff needs our numbers on February 3rd, so we can’t accept last-minute walk-ins at the event. We'll have someone handing out wristbands at the door, but so they can enjoy themselves too, try to be on time. It’s from 11:00 to 3:00, but FYI, food service slows around 12:30 and stops at 1:00.
2019 Annual Planner
Version 1/23/2019
JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL
1 Rockfish season closes 3 Club Meeting, Bali Hai 8 Board Meeting Rex Finney
2 Lake Poway Youth Fishing Derby 10 Awards Banquet @ Admiral Baker (No regular club meeting) 12 Board Meeting
1 Rockfish season opens 6-10 Fred Hall Long Bch. 7 Club Meeting 12 Board Meeting 16 Bay Bass Hold ‘Em (Fish & Poker) 28-31 Fred Hall Del Mar
4 Club Meeting 9 Board Meeting 13 Bay & Local Kelp, Bass, Inshore 14 Day at the Docks 27 SD Yellowtail Derby Begins
MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST
2 Club Meeting 7 Board Meeting 18 Spring Fling With Everything! Multi-species
1? Lindo Lakes Youth Derby (may be moving to Lake Jennings) 6 Club Meeting 8 School’s Out! Twilight Charter Trip 9 SD Yellowtail Derby over 11 Board Meeting Wendy Tochihara
11 Club Meeting 16 Board Meeting 20 Yellowtail Open 27? Crystal Pier Youth Derby
1 Club Meeting 6 Board Meeting 10? Shelter Island Pier Youth Derby 17 Chula Vista HarborFest 16 Big Fish Captains’ Meeting 17 Big Fish Tournament 18 Big Fish Awards Banquet
SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER
5 Club Meeting 10 Board Meeting 21 Surf Fishing + Picnic
3 Club Meeting 8 Board Meeting 26 Fall Shootout, Inshore, Multi-species
7 Club Meeting 12 Board Meeting 23 Last Chance SD Bay & Inshore Bass
5 Holiday Party 10 Board Meeting
Tournaments in Blue, Volunteer events in Green, Uncertain dates in Red Events are subject to change or cancellation because of meeting location availability, weather, etc. Watch for updates in the newsletter and the e-mail blasts. Watch for email from [email protected]
San Diego Rod and Reel Club
2019 Membership Application
INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS SECTION WILL APPEAR IN THE CLUB DIRECTORY Date:
PLEASE CHECK ONE: NEW MEMBER □ RENEWAL□ ACTIVE MILITARY□ BADGE ONLY□ ADDRESS CHANGE□ PRINCIPAL ADULT MEMBERSHIP (19 AND OVER) FREE FOR ACTIVE MILITARY $60 $______ SPOUSE / FAMILY MEMBERSHIP (ONLY $10 FOR ALL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . + $10 $ ______ NAMES ON BADGES _____________________________________________+ $5 each $ ______ NAMES ON BADGES _____________________________________________ + $5 each $ ______
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: TOTAL $ _______
SAN DIEGO ROD AND REEL CLUB, PO BOX 83296, SAN DIEGO CA 92138-3296
SELF _____________________________________ SPOUSE _____________________________________
PHONE (cell) ______________________________ PHONE (cell) _________________________________
PHONE (home) ____________________________ PHONE (home) _______________________________
PHONE (business) _________________________ PHONE (business) _____________________________
E-MAIL __________________________________ E-MAIL ______________________________________
CHILDREN (under 19, with mo/yr of birth) _____________________( / ) ____________________( / )
(Only first names will appear in the directory) _____________________( / ) ____________________( / )
ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________________________ (Number & Street) (City) (State) (ZIP) BOAT NAME ______________________________ MAKE ___________________ LENGTH _____ MMSID (DSC) ___________
I am open to the idea of filling open spots on my boat with fellow club members.
I would appreciate the opportunity to fish with boat-owning club members, understanding that I may be asked to help clean the boat, share part of the expenses, or similar, as I am able.
WE SUGGEST THAT THE TWO INVOLVED IN A ‘RIDE SHARE’ OPENLY DISCUSS AND AGREE UPON EXPECTATIONS.
IF AN AGREEMENT CAN’T BE REACHED, NO HARM, NO FOUL – TRY SOMEONE ELSE.
(Club use only – circle one) Cash / Check / Charge
Person taking payment: Date:
San Diego Rod and Reel Club tournament and event Liability Waiver
All references to the club or San Diego Rod and Reel Club mean The San Diego Rod and Reel club, its members and officers. All participants of club tournaments and events hereby waive liability against the club for any injury, affecting one’s person or property incurred during a club event, including club fishing tournaments. By signing below you agree that the club does not assume responsibility for any injury, affecting one’s person or property incurred during a club event, including club fishing tournaments. This waiver also applies to third parties who may be injured by you during a club event or club fishing tournament.
All anglers in club tournaments must abide by California regulations that may apply. The club is not responsible for problems you may have with authorities of Mexico or California. Please note that fishing in Mexican Waters can result in unpredictable problems with the Mexican government that may include confiscation of your vessel. The club does not encourage anglers to fish in Mexican waters. Nor does the club encourage captains entered in club tournaments to fish at extended distances. The club cautions captains and other tournament participants to fish within safe distances. Only the captain knows the capabilities of his or her boat and the club does not assume any responsibility for any injury incurred due to a captain’s error, negligence or other cause.
Captains must be aware of ocean and bay depths, conditions including weather and swell conditions, hazards and bottom structure. If a captain encounters dangerous ocean or bay conditions, the captain must immediately return to port. Your participation in club events and tournaments also requires that your vessel or the vessel that you are traveling on meets all coast guard safety requirements. It is also required that the vessel has a functioning VHS radio and/or other device (such as an EPIRB) capable of contacting the Coast Guard for assistance. All captains participating in club events including club fishing tournaments must have an effective insurance policy for their boat that includes liability insurance coverage for injury to person and property of the captain, all passengers and third parties.
The San Diego Rod and Reel club takes no responsibility whatsoever for any personal injury or property damage resulting from conduct, negligent or otherwise of its members or guests at club events, including fishing tournaments. The San Diego Rod and Reel Club assumes no responsibility for weather or sea conditions. By affixing your name to this waiver of liability form, the signatory assumes all risk of injury, liability, or property damage and agrees to hold the San Diego Rod and Reel club harmless should any injury or damage occur.
I have read this waiver of liability and voluntarily agree not to sue or make any claim against the San Diego Rod and Reel Club arising from participation in club events and/or fishing tournaments. I waive my right to pursue any claim or action which is related in any way to a club event, including club fishing tournaments. My boat or the boat that I will be travelling in for the San Diego Rod and Reel Club event or tournament, complies with California and U.S. Coast Guard safety regulations and the boat is adequately insured for personal and property injury liability. I am also signing on behalf of my minor children (names) _____________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________ Signature __________________________________________ Date: ________________ Printed name: ______________________________________
1
In The News …
LATEST FROM THE
TOATOABA & VAQUITA
FRONT
Sea Shepherd’s M/V Farley
Mowat is patrolling the totoaba
and the vaquita porpoise’s
protected zone, and on January
19th
posted “Sea Shepherd Crew
Update on Attack in Vaquita
Refuge” on YouTube. Before
that, there was a Facebook post
from one of the local pangueros.
The Farley Mowat attempted to
take an illegal gill net they saw
being hauled in, and a number of
pangas engaged them, shouting,
gesturing, and throwing things;
weights, anchors, at least one
bottle of hot sauce that made
quite the orange splash on the
white ship. One panguero
appeared to be making a Molotov
cocktail. Other gill nets were
seen, and one was tossed in front
of the Farley Mowat, becoming
entangled in the stabilizers and
props. The larger ship attempted
to discourage the fishermen by
blasting water from a hose. Even
so, five managed to board the
ship, but were encouraged to
leave by the Mexican Marines
onboard.
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SAN DIEGO CRACKING
DOWN ON MPA FISHING
We might not be big fans of
MPAs, however it is the law that
we can’t fish in them. San Diego
is cracking down on poachers,
some of them having been
blatant offenders, like the four
guys who took 250 lobsters off
La Jolla in June of 2017. You’ll
all remember that the Pacific Star
received a five-year suspension
last year. Fish and Wildlife has
increased their patrols and have
been allocated additional
funding. New bills have passed
that greatly increase fines and
penalties for commercial
poaching in MPAs.
More than 80 signs have been
posted at key access points
across the county to improve
public awareness of MPA
boundaries and rules. A number
of local agencies and
organizations have collaborated
in printing MPA guides that
illustrate local wildlife, history,
locations, regulations, and even
best practices for tide-pooling.
Any number of groups are
working together to support
education, compliance, and
prosecution. Lifeguards have
greater law enforcement power,
and the public is also encouraged
to report fish and wildlife-related
crime. Please protect your license
to fish by being MPA-aware.
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WHAT’S YOUR HEADING?
The U.S. military has requested
that a model used in crucial
navigation systems be updated a
year earlier than scheduled, due
to the erratic and rapid shift of
the magnetic North Pole since
2014. The mounting level of
inaccuracy in guidance across the
Arctic for ships, planes, and
submarines could be caused by
changes in the flow of iron in the
Earth’s outer core. Another
possible reason is that the
magnetic poles may be on the
verge of reversing, which is
believed to be long overdue.
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IT’S WARMER, IT’S
COLDER, IT’S CONFUSING
Scientists keep publishing reports
stating that global warming is
advancing more quickly than
previously thought. Almost all
the planet’s excess heat ends up
stored in its oceans – that’s 93%
of the heat that greenhouse
gasses have trapped in our
atmosphere. 2016, 2017, 2018,
our ocean temps just keep
breaking records. If it weren’t for
the oceans, land would heat up
even more. Warming air and
water temperatures are producing
the most obvious changes in the
Arctic, where melting ice is
pouring 14,000 tons of water into
the ocean every second, and
where shedding from glaciers is
the largest single contributor to
sea level rise.
Warmer Arctic air also messes
with the jet stream, causing it to
slow and become ‘wavy’.
Normally it spins quickly, rather
like a lasso, containing colder air
close to the pole, but a weaker,
slower jet stream allow Arctic
blasts to travel south in winter,
and can stall weather systems in
the summer, resulting in lengthy
periods of both rain and drought,
as weather systems inflict
themselves on an area and refuse
to move along.
Snowpack in California is also
misbehaving. We use it like an
extra reservoir in the West,
because it usually melts during
late spring and early summer.
2
That’s a great time for
agriculture, and it helps prevent
forest fires. When it melts earlier,
now often at the same time we’re
getting our rains, it’s too much at
once and can overwhelm the
flood control capacity of
reservoirs. That not only causes
flooding, but releases water that
certainly would have been nice to
have on hand later in the season.
Early melt means a longer dry
season, thus a longer fire season.
And of course, tourism and ski
resorts suffer.
For years our military has been
leading the charge, being on the
forefront of both acknowledging
and preparing for sea level rise.
The Navy, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, and the Port
Commission , plus other
agencies, are working together to
plan for sea-level rise. The
Pentagon has flagged 79
installations for climate
problems, highlighting Joint
Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia
which has had 14 inches of rise
since 1930. Naval Base
Coronado is subject to isolated
and flash flooding during tropical
storms, especially in El Niño
years. Naval Base San Diego
(32nd
Street) is also flagged in the
report for flooding. Some of the
studies predict coastal
installations valued at more than
$100 billion will lose
considerable land by the end of
the century. Melting of artic ice
will open up more sea lanes to
monitor and protect. Flooding
and drought may cause political
instability around the world,
certainly an issue for our
military. The military considers
these climate studies as they do
any threat assessment study.
The recent king tides that caused
issues along our coast, flooding
streets, thrilling Marine Room
diners, ripping railing from the
Ocean Beach Pier, and really
doing a number on Imperial
Beach, are considered to
represent only mid-range
scenarios of sea-level rise.
Imperial Beach, although subject
to some very serious flooding all
the way to the Tijuana river
estuary, had luckily partnered
with Scripps to install an early-
warning system a few months
ago. Scripps was able to let them
know which day the swell and
flooding would hit, and residents
and businesses prepared with
sandbags and covered windows
with plywood. Warning signs
went up, and lifeguards and
public works crews? All hands
on deck! Besides the flooding, in
some areas as much as two feet
of sand was washed in.