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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

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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

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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

hijola@cox.net

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

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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

lamer2@cox.net

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

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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

thebigkatuna@cox.net

619-300-1857

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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

GarysHomeLoans@hotmail.com

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 loubigfish@cox.net 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 vikingman@cox.net

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.