A Line from your President…
In my letter last month, I outlined options for getting out and enjoying the outdoors during the pandemic. This month I would like to update fishing opportunities and restrictions pertaining to our local waters. Shoreline fishing is currently permitted at Dixon Lake and Lake Wohlford. Facial coverings are required when purchasing a fishing permit and social distancing will be enforced. Full day boat rentals are currently available. Hourly rentals are not available for the time being. Fishing docks at Dixon Lake are open to the public at pre-marked spots on docks. Though both lakes are currently stocking catfish, Dixon Lake will not be open for Night Fishing this year. Lake Poway will have Night Fishing every Friday and Saturday night until September 5th. The lake will be open until 11:30 p.m., and boats must return to dock between 9 and 11 PM. Due to COVID-19 boat rentals will be limited. Everyone must bring a face covering and wear it when required. All occupants of a boat must be from the same household. To verify this, you must show picture ID at dock after renting a boat at concessions All San Diego reservoirs are open during regular business hours for walking, jogging, cycling, fishing, and boating. All visitors to the lake are asked to follow County Covid-19 restrictions and to follow guidelines from the CDC. Check the schedule before going, since opening hours vary per lake. Lake Morena and Lake Cuyamaca are both open for camping, boat rentals and fishing. As with the other lakes, they are asking guests to follow County Covid-19 guidelines.
For those of you who are planning a fishing trip to the eastern Sierras this summer and fall, the Department of Fish and Wildlife recently posted some very bad news: “Several California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) fish hatchery facilities in the eastern Sierra and Southern California are battling a bacterial outbreak that has the potential to cause significant losses to both hatchery and wild fish populations “ and “A successful approach will have three components: Treating the affected fish at the hatcheries, finding the origin of the outbreak, and planning ahead to contain and prevent the spread of the bacteria. Unfortunately, we may be in for a long battle here, which means there will not be a lot of fish plants in the near future in the eastern Sierra and Southern California. “ The alert went on to say that there might not be anymore stocking for the rest of the year in these areas. The news might be a little brighter for those headed to June Lake in September. After closing it down for quarantine out of precaution, the Hot Springs Hatchery has reopened. Our own Ken Harrison recently returned from a stint as a disc jockey in Bishop. He brought back this more promising news. “The Hot Creek Hatchery was not closed down. Only those south of Mammoth. DFW has agreed to bring fish over from the west side for next year, but maybe not the rest of summer. The resorts are still buying from private hatcheries.”
Saltwater charter trips opened up again throughout the state. Short range boats have been reporting a great calico bass bite, and long range boats have been bringing in some nice catches including Bluefin, Yellowfin, Yellowtail and Dorado. Things are a little different now to allow for health guideline compliance. Boats are required to maintain distancing and all customers must have ready access to hand sanitizing stations or supplies. Prices have increased since boats will have fewer people to accommodate social distancing. Face masks are required, though the neck gaiters that many fishermen wear for UV protection count as face masks.
This is the current information as of the writing of this letter, but make sure you keep up with current events, because changes can come suddenly. For those of you venturing out on our waters, good luck and stay safe. Due to the continued closure of the Senior Center, we will not be meeting again this month. Monique and I wish all of you a safe and happy month and look forward to seeing you all again.
Tony Smock President
“So Many Fish…...So Little Time”
