A Line from your President. . . . . . . . . . .
Just as I was thinking what else could happen this year, we got news that all the National Forests in California were closing until at least September 17. Unfortunately, this caused the Club’s trip to June Lake to be called off. As luck would have it, the Forest Service reopened camping and fishing on the 16th, which would have been halfway through our campout. Our deposit had been refunded, and it was too late to reschedule. Despite the campout being cancelled, I would like to thank the Perdues and Gary Beckman and Ann Savage for their hard work and patience in the planning for this outing.
If there was a bright side to our cancellation, it would probably be that fishing has been very poor in Mono County. According to an article by Mike Stevens in Western Outdoor News, the June Lake basin lakes have not been stocked by Fish & Wildlife since the July 4 weekend. After last year’s hatchery kill off due to disease, it is taking the replacement hatchery trout time to reach catchable size. Stocking has been sparse through the 2021 season. Instead of limits the hope is to catch one or two of the larger trout that have been stocked by the local resorts.
The good news for freshwater fishermen locally is that bass and catfish have been biting well, and that Dixon, Santee and Poway Lakes will begin stocking trout around the first of November. Since these lakes are stocked by private hatcheries, they are not affected by the Fish & Wildlife hatchery problems.
This year’s Dixon Lake Annual Trout Derby will be held December 3-5. Once again, we will be operating the weigh-in booth and we will be assisting at the Kiddy Ponds. We will start to sign up volunteers at the October General Meeting at Dixon Lake. This is always a fun event, giving volunteers a chance to catch up with other Club members, and those who work the Kiddy Ponds get to see the joy on the children’s faces as they catch their first fish. Everyone who helps gets a free motorboat rental and two fishing permits to use at either Dixon Lake or Lake Wohlford, so this event is rewarding in more ways than one.
Saltwater fishing is still going strong with lots of Bluefin, Yellowtail and Dorado being taken.
Each year the SAE Club gives an award to the largest Class I and Class II fish caught during the year for both freshwater and saltwater. To apply, fill out the "Large Fish Documentation" form found on our web site at www.senioranglersofescondido.net. The deadline for submitting this form is November 1. The forms are simple and require a picture of your catch. And there is one at the end of this newsletter, for your convenience.
The annual dues of $15 for 2022 are due by December 1st. Please pay your dues to Membership Director Linda Perdue. Let’s all make Linda’s end of the year less stressful by remembering to renew our memberships on time.
Tony Smock
President