Hook-ups like this one were common at Hagan Park in Rancho Cordova on June 15 . Photo by Dan Bacher

n a surprisingly mild June evening , Isabel Garcia of Elk Grove grabbed her rod and began battling a channel catfish . After getting the fish in to shore as it struggled to get away , she added it to the six other fish that were already in the ice chest . Garcia caught the most fish that any of the young anglers who were fishing during the California Department of Fish and Wildlife ’ s Fishing in the City program at Hagan Park Pond in Rancho Cordova reported catching . Other young anglers fishing around the pond also caught channel catfish while fishing an array of nightcrawlers , pieces of hot dog , whole shrimp and prepared catfish at the event on June 15 . Just before 8 p . m ., Richard Muñoz , coordinator for the Fishing in the City Program in the Sacramento region , announced that the fishing in the pond was now open to adults , since the kids had all got their chance to catch fish , Although the bite wasn ’ t as good as it was , several adults managed to do well on channel catfish before the park closed at 9 p . m . While I was there , Don Paganelli , who has been with the “ Fishing in the City ” program for many years , gave free seminars for novice anglers awhile Munoz and a team of volunteers handed out rental rods and showed the anglers how to rig and bait up the rods . The CDFW ’ s Fishing in the City program is now planting urban ponds in the Sacramento area with channel catfish , along with holding fishing clinics at the ponds and conducting virtual gatherings . The Fishing in the City program

sponsored an opportunity to catch channel catfish - and attend free fishing clinic - on Friday evening , June 14 , Free Fishing Day , at Hagen Park in Rancho Cordova . The CDFW planted 750 pounds of catfish , as well as 300 pounds each at North Natomas Park and Granite Regional Park in Sacramento , before the Hagen Park event . They also planted 350 pounds of channel catfish . Information : https :// www . wildlife . ca . gov / Fishing-in-the-city / SAC . The next Fishing in the City clinic will be held on Saturday August 19 , 8:00 a . m . - 12:00 p . m ., at Hagan Community Park in Rancho Cordova . The next virtual gathering in the program , Catching Fish in the Hottest Months ( opens in new tab ), will be held on Wednesday , July 26 , 6:00-6:40 p . m . - “ With summer temperatures starting to soar , knowing how to make adjustments is key . Join us to learn about how fish respond to increased heat , and ways to have fishing success .” That event will be followed by these two virtual gatherings : Wednesday , August 9 , 6:00-6:40 p . m . - Fishing Folsom Lake - “ Historically one of the best fishing lakes in California ,

Isabel Garcia from Elk Grove shows off her hefty channel catfish that she caught during the CDFW ’ s Fishing in the City event on June 15 .

Photo by Dan Bacher

Folsom Lake , we ’ ll dive into how to tackle this local treasure . Topics include techniques for Folsom ’ s variety of fish , where to go with current high-water conditions , and warmer weather .” Wednesday , August 23 , 6:00-6:40 p . m . - Cooking Your Catch - “ Enjoying a meal of our fresh caught fish with family and friends is all about sharing the love and celebrating your catch ! Whether you ’ ve cooked your catch or simply eaten a fresh catch , everyone has something to share . Come learn and share favorite dishes , recipes , and techniques .” Fishing in the City , now in its thirtieth year in the Sacramento area , is one of the best and most needed programs that the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has ever initiated . Created to improve angling opportunities for the growing and urban population in the nation ’ s most populous and most diverse state , the Sacramento program officially began at Southside Park in the summer of 1993 . When introduced to Sacramento and Southern California in 1993 , novices and veteran anglers alike welcomed it . Up until that time , young anglers generally were introduced to fishing by the parents and guardians , grandparents , other relatives and friends . If you didn ’ t have parents or friends that were experienced anglers , you were often out of luck . The program has been offering fishing clinics , free rod and reel rentals and stocking rainbow trout and channel catfish ponds in close to home ponds in the Sacramento and Stockton metropolitan areas for all of those years . The program also serves the San Francisco and Los Angeles metropolitan areas . The program has gone through a number of changes over the years . The current mission of