KENNEWICK -- The Richland Rod & Gun Club's March general meeting will be held 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Kennewick Elks Lodge.

The main speaker will be Dave Hedden from Hedden's Northwest Sportfishing.

He is a licensed fishing guide, USCG certified and specializing in walleye, salmon, steelhead, sturgeon and bass fishing and guides on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, Potholes Reservoir, Moses Lake and other waters.

His topic is local spring walleye fishing.

The Tip-of-the-Month presenter will be Dale Schielke, whose topic will be Wood Duck Nesting Box Inspections and Results.

Two Bluewood racers alternates to Jr. Olympics

DAYTON -- Two members of the Bluewood Alpine Race Team (BART) were named as alternates for the Pacific Northwest Ski Association (PNSA) in the Junior Olympics, being held March 16-20 at Squaw Valley, Calif.

Reid Reininger and Colleen Gibbons, both of Walla Walla, made the transition from Youth Ski League racing to Juniors racing this season. Being 13 years old, both are first-year J3 competitors.

Sea lions killing sturgeon at fast rate

CASCADE LOCKS -- Steller sea lions are killing sturgeon at Bonneville Dam almost twice as fast this winter as in 2010, having taken at least 1,000 since early January.

The weekly report of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Feb. 18 says observations taken from dam tally 1,003 sturgeon caught by Steller sea lions between Jan. 7 and Feb. 16, with another 434 unknown fish taken.

Robert Stansell, a Corps biologist, said at least 90 percent of the unknown fish are believed to be sturgeon. Observations are made on weekdays. Weekends are not being monitored and the information is considered preliminary.