14 September 16 , 2022 MAP FEATURE VOL . 41 • ISS . 15
F ishing in the City , now in its twenty-ninth 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 Fishing in the City-Sacramento “ is to join communities in the critical work of creating a racially equitable outdoor movement to expand access for all to parks , open spaces , nature , and cultural amenities ; and to ensure that fishing opportunities are accessible , safe , and welcoming to all people who ’ ve historically been prevented from enjoying them and the health benefits they afford .” “ We stock channel catfish in the
The pond at Granite Bay Regional Park produces plenty of big channel catfish and rainbow trout for angler every year during the CDFW ’ s Fishing in the City program .
Photo by Dan Bacher
Sacramento Fishing in the City Program Enters 29th Year
ponds in the warmer months and rainbow trout in the cooler months ,” said Richard Muñoz , who took over the program after Joe Ferreira retired five l years ago . “ The catfish plants take place from May through September , while the trout plants take place from November through March .” In the five years since he has been with the program , Muñoz said the program is constantly trying to better meet the needs of the community . “ Over the past few months , we have seen a lot pf people who have never fished before and caught a fish before ,” he noted . Before coming to work for the CDFW , Muñoz worked with the state parks department in Hollister for 8-1 / 2 years . The Fishing in the City program sponsored an opportunity to catch channel catfish - and attend free fishing clinics - on Saturday , September 3 , Free Fishing Day , at Hagen Park in Rancho Cordova . The CDFW planted 300 pounds of catfish , as well as 300 pounds each at North Natomas Park and Granite
Liem Nguyen of Sacramento landed these two large channel catfish while fishing squid at Granite Regional Park in Sacramento on September 3 .
Photo by Dan Bacher
Regional Park in Sacramento , before the Hagen Park event . Information : https :// www . wildlife . ca . gov /
Fishing-in-the-city / SAC . Fishing was tough ; no catfish were landed while I was there , although some small sunfish were caught by young anglers . Why the fish were not biting remains unclear ., but it probably was because of the heat wave and warm water temperatures that came with it . While I was there , Don Paganelli , who has been with the “ Fishing in the City ” program for many years , gave three 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 . Anglers at Granite Bay Regional Park found better success . Vincent Nguyen , who attended the Hagen Park event , caught two catfish in the 4 to 5 pound range at Granite Park . Liem Nguyen of Sacramento also landed two catfish weighing 8 and 9 pounds while using squid . The last in person Beginner Clinic will be hold on Friday , September 16 at Howe Community Park , Ages 5 +, from 5:00 p . m . - 7:00 p . m . The CDFW will stock the Howe Park pond and two other area parks with catfish . These will be the last catfish plants of the season . Finally , a virtual gathering will be held on Wednesday , September 21 , 6:00-6:40 p . m . “ How to Bank Fishing : ( find the best spot ); “ Ever wonder where ’ s the best spot to fish when you visit a lake or pond ? There ’ s a few tips we can share that will help you to have a good chance to catch a fish . This will be an interactive session . Join us and share with others different ways you assess a pond or lake for fishing from the bank .”