Giving bass fisherman a bad name!

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http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports...9outdoors.html

OUTDOORS ED ZIERALSKI
Vandals, poachers hit Murray

UNION-TRIBUNEMarch 9, 2007
As the city takes strides to make its reservoirs more accessible to fishermen, a group of thugs is doing its best to sink the operation.
Vandals sank some canoes at Lake Murray and took two gas cans from rental boats and set them ablaze on the courtesy dock Wednesday night. All this comes in the wake of reports of late-night poaching of giant largemouth bass at Murray.
Joe Weber, the city lakes program manager, said the San Diego Police Department will patrol the lake more often now.
“We'll have to do something out there because whoever is doing it obviously has no respect for the resource,” Weber said.
Weber has worked hard in recent months to get fishermen more access to the lakes. As the city struggles to figure out what to do with its lake recreation program, Weber and his crew have done a wonderful job, keeping lakes open and creating more fishing and boating opportunities.
Murray now is open seven days a week to fishing and boating. Fishermen and boaters pay at iron rangers for fishing permits and launch fees and don't have to go through city lakes employees.
Weber said yesterday he's going to try the same program at Miramar Lake in Scripps Ranch. Just like at Murray, it will be done on a trial basis, with fishing and boating permitted seven days a week. He said Miramar's new electronic pay station should be up and working at the end of next week. Same with Murray, which will have an electronic pay station in addition to its iron rangers. Both electronic pay stations are located near the concession stands at Miramar and Murray.
Lower Otay also has iron rangers that fishermen may use Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
“It's a necessary move because we have so many vacancies in our lakes staff,” Weber said. “This not only increases access for the public, but it also reduces our cost. We don't have to have someone there to sell permits.”
Now it's up to fishermen and boaters to be aware of any illegal activities on the lakes and report them. These aren't just kids, either, although the vandalism at Murray smacks of teens. The poachers are 20-, 30-and 40-somethings who never grew up and feel they're entitled to fish the lakes any time they want. It's nothing new.
One fishermen said recently that he knows a number of big bass have been caught at night at Murray and some other lakes around the county. He said some of the poachers are brazenly putting their pictures on the Internet complete with the time and date of their trophy catch.
The poaching photos can be found without much searching. Bassaholics know who they are.
Catching and releasing (we hope) bass during closed hours on a lake is one thing, but setting gas cans on fire and sinking canoes is another. With the city lakes' fishing and boating program hanging by the equivalent of 2-pound test, what would it take for some of these new city officials, many of whom don't want fishing and boating on the reservoirs, to pull the plug on the entire lakes recreation program?
Let's not let it happen. Turn these punks in. The Cal Tip line for turning in poachers to the Department of Fish and Game is (888) 334-2258. Let the police know who they are so we don't lose access to these urban fisheries that provide nearby fishing for kids, adults and families.
Notable

The Department of Fish and Game has extended the deadline to March 21 for turkey hunt drawings for Millerton Lake (archery only) and Tejon Ranch (juniors only) and wildlife areas up north. Check www.dfg.ca.gov (Game Bird Heritage Special Hunts).John Curry used a Senko for a 5.8-pound bass at Lake Hodges last week. Gale Bucciarelli of Del Mar, 6.75 and 2.5-pound bass, Senkos, also at Hodges near I-15 Bridge. Bill Collins, Chula Vista, 6.80 bass, plastic worm, Harvey Arm.
Dane Valle, San Diego, showed up at Squidco on Barnett Avenue yesterday with a 6-pound spotfin croaker he caught on Philippine sea worms in the surf in Pacific Beach. Ven Nguyen, City Heights, caught two spotfin, each weighing 4 pounds, at Fiesta Island on the incoming tide on sea worms.
Justin Fleck is the new full-time captain on Bill Poole's Excel, according to a report by Bill Roecker of fishingvideos.com. He replaces Shawn Steward, who decided to move closer to his family and run the Aloha Spirit out of Capt. Hook's Sportfishing in Channel Islands Harbor. Joe Crisci steps up as second captain on the Excel.
Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com

I don't know if anyone here knows the problems regarding lake access and financial issues here in San Diego. But this could be a huge problem for the bass fisherman out here.