fishing

Fishing at Big Bear Lake

July 26, 2011 by Ole Leave a Comment

I took my sons fishing at Big Bear Lake over the weekend. I have never been to Big Bear during the summer, and I don’t think I’ve ever been to the lake, so I wasn’t sure if we could fish from the shore or if we should rent a boat. When we got to the lake, we saw a bunch of people fishing from the north shore who had parked their cars on the side of the road. So, with my brand new fishing license in hand, we found a spot and started fishing.

Unfortunately, we didn’t catch anything. Next time, I think we’ll rent a boat.

I fished a lot with my dad when I was a kid, and I’ve taken my sons to a few lakes around the area and to the Balboa Pier, but I am definitely not a seasoned fisherman. My youngest son loves fishing, so I want to take him to all of the local (and hopefully some not so local) fishing spots. If there are any anglers out there who want to chime in with some tips for fishing Big Bear, Lake Perris, Diamond Valley, Corona Lake, etc., I’m all ears.

We also stopped by Snow Valley on the way back down the mountain. I used to ski at Snow Valley when I was younger, so it was kind of interesting to see the slopes without snow. I’ll have to bring the family back up during the winter and hit the slopes again.

One of the nice things about living in Riverside is that we’re not too far away from the mountains or the beach.

Bass Pro Shops – Rancho Cucamonga, CA

August 20, 2010 by Ole Leave a Comment

My youngest son enjoyed his first time fishing so much that he is asking me every day to take him again. Since I have lost track of the fishing equipment my dad and I used when I was a kid, it was time to go shopping.

After checking out the selection of rods and reels at our local sporting goods store, we decided to try out Bass Pro Shops in Rancho Cucamonga. This place is awesome.

When we walked in for the first time, it took a few minutes to take everything in… aquariums, rock formations, stuffed animals, and lots of stuff to buy. Check out the pictures on the store’s website to get an idea of how huge this place is.

It reminded me of the Blues Brothers when Jake and Elwood were driving through the mall and Jake said, “This place has got everything.”

If you are in to hiking, camping, kayaking, boating, fishing, hunting, shooting, archery… (you get the idea), then this is your place. The fishing section alone is the largest I have ever seen.

In addition to all of the merchandise, this store has an indoor shooting range, an indoor archery range, a NASCAR simulator, a full service fish restaurant and a shooting arcade.

I have found that big stores often suffer from poor customer service, but not this place. I saw five employees working in the fishing section alone, and there were probably more. Two of the employees helped me pick out what I needed, and I appreciated that they did not try to steer me into the most expensive equipment.

The next time we need anything for the great outdoors, we will definitely be back.

Bass Pro Shops

7777 Victoria Gardens Lane
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Huckleberry Fish Pond – Anaheim, CA

August 16, 2010 by Ole 5 Comments

I took my two sons fishing this past weekend at Huckleberry Fish Pond, which is located at the Santa Ana River Lakes in Anaheim. This is a great place for kids to try out fishing.

If you don’t have your own equipment, you can rent rods and reels at Huck’s Shack. Nets and bait are also provided, so you could pretty much walk in with just your wallet and have a great time fishing. The staff is very friendly and will help your children fish.

The best thing is that they guarantee that kids will catch fish. My boys caught four catfish in about two hours (it would have been five but dad didn’t get the net under one of the fish in time).

One thing to note is that there is no catch and release. In addition to an admission fee, you pay per pound for the fish you catch.

Many other animals roam around the pond including chickens, roosters, goats, geese and even a peacock. Don’t worry about any flying birds trying to snag your bait or fish since the entire pond area is enclosed by netting. However, the chickens will try to get your bait if you don’t keep the lids closed.

The same people that operate the Santa Ana River Lakes operate the Corona Lake off the 15 freeway. According to their website, these lakes have produced multiple state records, including:

Santa Ana River Lakes: Largest Rainbow Trout at 27.5 pounds
Corona Lake: Largest Catfish at over 61 pounds

My boys enjoyed it so much that they want to go fishing at a big lake. Next time, we’ll go to Corona Lake.

Click on the thumbnails below to view full-size images: