NOTAM NOT ISSUED IN TIMELY FASHION FOR NEW APCH PLATE MINIMUM XING ALTS.

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I WAS USING MY APCH PLATE DATED MAY/XX/94 FOR THE VOR RWY 26 APCH TO CMA. AS I APCHED BAINE INTXN; AT 3200 FT MSL; THE MUGU CTLR ASKED ME IF I HAD THE NEW AMENDMENTS REQUIRING A MINIMUM ALT OF 3400 FT (NOT 2900 FT) AT BAINE AND 2600 FT (NOT 2100 FT) AT ACRAT INTXN. I SAID THEY MUST BE IN BOOK SOMEWHERE AND CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO 3400 FT. AFTER BAINE; I DSNDED TO THE NEW MINIMUM ALT OF 2600 FT BEFORE ACRAT AND FLEW THE REST OF THE APCH AND LANDED WITHOUT A PROB. I CHKED MY BOOK AND FOUND NO CHART NOTAMS ON THE CMA APCH. I HAD GOTTEN MY WX BRIEFING FROM DUATS; WHICH MADE NO MENTION OF THE AMENDMENTS IN THE GENERAL NOTAMS. I HAD GOTTEN A TWR ENRTE IFR CLRNC THROUGH THE WHP TWR; AND THERE WAS NO MENTION OF SUCH A MAJOR CHANGE IN THE APCH (A 500 FT INCREASE IN THE MINIMUM ALT). I CALLED THE CMA TWR BY PHONE AND LEARNED THAT A NEW FLT DATA COMPUTER NOTAM HAD JUST BEEN ISSUED AND MANY PLTS WERE FLYING THE OLD APCH USED FOR YRS. CONCLUSION: A VERY MAJOR CHANGE IN AN APCH SHOULD GET WIDER PUB -- PERHAPS A GENERAL NOTAM ADVISING A CHK OF FLT DATA COMPUTER NOTAMS OR FSS. LEARNING ABOUT IT IN IMC WHILE EXTREMELY BUSY IN COCKPIT IS DANGEROUS. I WAS LUCKY TO QUICKLY REACT AND CORRECT MY APCH SAFELY AND WITHOUT A VIOLATION. BUT OTHER PLTS MIGHT NOT!