Fish Sniffer On Demand Digital Edition Issue 3613 June 9-23 2017 | Page 5

VOL . 36 • ISS . 13

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Let ’ s hear your compliments , or your gripes ! Whatever it is , send it to : HEY , DAN !, c / o Fish Sniffer Publications , The Fish Sniffer - P . O . Box 776 , Colfax , CA 95713 , or you can now e-mail it at danielbacher @ fishsniffer . com . Please enclose a self-addressed , stamped envelope for the return of pictures or text . Thanks !

“ Hooked on Fishing ” children ’ s event in Chico draws over 2,100 kids

Hey Dan !

The 30th annual “ Hooked on Fishing , not on Drugs ” children ’ s event last weekend at Horseshoe Lake in Chico ’ s Upper Bidwell Park was again highly successful , with favorable weather allowing an increase in attendance from last year ’ s event . Approximately 2,100 children showed up to catch their first fish . As such , it continues to be one of the largest single-day children ’ s fishing events in the entire USA .

Warm water temperatures and pleasant air temperatures , along with a brim-full lake meant that the whiskerfish were on a steady bite right from the opening bell . It kept getting warmer , and by 11:00 AM and extra-long cast was needed to reach the fish .

The grade of catfish was most in the 1 and 2-pound class , but some 4-plus pounders were mixed in . At least one in the 9-pound range ended up on a stringer , and several more quickly snapped the line of kids who had kid-type tackle . The kids really had fun , and squeals of delight could be heard from multiple directions and across the water .

] That 9-pound whopper was landed by 8-year old Tyler Landucci of Chico , who is a veteran of the event . “ I fished here with my dad for the last four years ”, related Tyler . “ The fish jerked very hard , it was a lot of fun . When we tried to land the fish , it broke our net .”

Attending the event for the first time was 8-year old Kole Hanna of Chico , who landed a fine pan-size catfish . “ It ’ s a patience game ”, young Kole noted wisely . “ But my favorite part is when I get to reel the fish in ”. Pretty much sums up the feelings of most anglers !

In the “ Huck Finn ’ s Pond ” area , the littlest anglers age 1 to 5 found that the fish were always biting . Toddlers and even kids in strollers found that water-filled livestock troughs and pre-hooked catfish were the answer to short attention spans . Almost 400 little ones left the kiddie pool area with a nice catfish and numerous memories .

Event veteran , 18-year old Aline Henriksen of Chico started out coming to the event as a 1-year old with her father , and has been working as a volunteer for several years , supervising the kiddie pool area . “ It ’ s amazing to see the kid ’ s faces when they catch the fish and then touch it ”, remarked Henriksen . “ The tiny kids are so proud of their catch ; and look right at their parents to show it off .”

A special program run by the Chico Bass Club and Shakespeare Fishing Tackle awards a new rod and reel combo to any child who catches and releases one of the lake ’ s resident bass , carp , or herps . A total of five Shakespeare combos were awarded this year , all for releasing bass . One of the recipients who released a bass was only two years old , and clutched the Barbie pole she won like it was a lottery check .

The yeoman task of cleaning the hundreds of catfish fell to the Chico Rotary Clubs . A perennially popular aquarium

Volunteer fishing coach Morgan Bowerman of Colusa [ R ], traveled to Chico to help out at the “ Hooked on Fishing ” event at Horseshoe Lake . Working at the kiddie pools reserved for 1 to 5-year olds , she helped this father / daughter team to a successful catch .

Photo by STEVE CARSON , Chico .

display of the fish , herpetological , and invertebrate life of the lake is run by the Chico Area Flyfishers . The nearly 600 loaner rods are rigged up in a joint effort by the Chico Bass Club and Paradise Bass Club . The loaner tackle included special Danielson “ Enviro-Quest Steel ” sinkers , as required by lake regulations , some 5,000 live nightcrawlers were donated by Oro Dam Bait , and the Chico Rod and Gun Club generously allowed the use of their on-site facilities .

A little more than half of the 8,500 pounds of catfish stocked for the event were harvested , and the remainder will provide an opportunity for kids to fish in this popular city park lake for the rest of the summer . Hundreds of people continued to fish Horseshoe Lake in the days after the event .

The big stocking of catfish carries a $ 30,000 invoice , so financial sponsors are vital . Key donors included : Captain Rollo ’ s Kids , California Inland Fisheries Foundation , Chico Rotary Clubs , Chico Area Flyfishers , Bryan V . Kerchal Memorial , Butte County Fish and Game Commission , Chico Rotary Clubs , CES Electric , Franklin Construction , and Chico Area Flyfishers .

Event chairman [ and co-founder ] Pete Giampaoli has been involved every year for the 30 years of the event ’ s existence . Giampaoli said “ Our goal is for every child to have the opportunity to catch a fish , and hopefully give them an alternative to the many negative influences that are all around them . Fishing is a sport that anyone can participate in for their entire life . I would also really like to thank all of our great volunteers and those who contributed to help make this event possible .”

~ Steve Carson , Chico

Hey Steve ! It sounds like you and the others organizers sponsored yet another wildly successful “ Hooked on fishing ” event in Chico . It ’ s so good to see when anglers , local businesses , fishing organizations , community groups and conservation organizations come together in an effort to introduce more children and their families to the joys and excitement of recreational fishing .

~ Dan

Former Fish Sniffer staffer and expert bass angler , Albert Berends has been on a big bass rampage this spring . He caught and released this pair of massive spotted bass while working the world record producing waters of Bullards Bar Reservoir . As of press time the spotted bass bite at Bullards isn ’ t as good as it was early in the year , but some amazing fish that range up to and beyond the 8 pound mark are still on the bite . Swimbaits are effective early and late , while Senkos and jigs are top options when the sun climbs high in the sky .

Photo courtesy of ALBERT BERENDS , Sacramento .

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