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Jeffery Schaub, the KPIX Green Beat reporter

March 15, 2009 -- Jeffery Schaub, the Green Beat reporter for bay area station KPIX, Channel 5, called Bill Jennings, the Executive Director, CSPA to get some background on Assemblywoman Fuller's newly introduced bill, AB 1253, which would remove all Fish and Game regulations relating to the striped bass.

Jeff was looking for a fisheries advocacy group's opinion on the bill and what effect it would have with the state's anglers. Bill arranged a boat ride for Jeff and a discussion on the water with John Ryzanych, a member of the Northern California Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers and a fishing supply company owner, and Jerry Neuburger, a delta guide and CSPA's webmaster.

The two picked up Jeffery and his camera man, Chris on Thursday and, while fishing, explained the importance of the striper to bay area anglers and the fish's relationship to the other delta species including the delta smelt and the chinook salmon. Neuburger explained to Jeffery how the three species lived in relative harmony for almost 100 years with absolutely no decline in numbers until the pumps started exporting vast amounts of delta water while John Ryzanych explained the fish's importance to the economy of the numerous businesses involved in the fishing industry from equipment manufacturers to the corner store that sells a six pack of coke and a bag of chips to a hopeful angler.

At the end of the news story Jeffery was given a few lessons in the art of casting a fly rod and proved to be a quick learner. The fishing was better than the catching for Jeff but he said he was interested in coming back and giving it another effort.

When last seen, Jeffery and his camera man were headed south to Modesto to speak to the Modesto Irrigation District after the on the water interview with CSPA. MID is the agency that brought the bill to Assemblywoman Fuller and asked her to introduce it.