Free fishing day offers time to get hooked on reminiscences

June 13, 2003

Looking for a new way to pass a warm summer day? How about fishing the limit here on the Delta?

This past weekend the California Department of Fish and Game allowed everyone the opportunity to fish at no charge throughout California's waterways. Usually Fish and Game requires a fishing license for anyone 16 or older. On Saturday, no fishing licenses were required, so my family decided we would take the opportunity to see what all the excitement about fishing on Oakley's waterway was all about.

Actually, the experience was not new to me. My dad is an avid fisherman. When I was a kid we used to fish on Montawk Point on the tip of Long Island, New York, whenever my dad had an opportunity. He worked nights and took care of me as a toddler during the days while my mom worked, so he would drag me out to the point for fishing. When I was a teenager we moved to California and spent every weekend out on the family boat. Many times we would come to fish on this Delta.

While my dad was a black bass fan, his favorite fish to catch was the catfish, so many times we were out at dawn and tolling along the Delta for the best catch. Today my dad lives and Florida and fishes with friends off the coast there.

I never really got back into fishing after my teen years, so it surprised me when a couple of weeks ago my nine-year-old decided he wanted to spend a Saturday fishing. That was how we found out about the free fishing day. We decided to take it slow and went to Raley's in Oakley to pick up a rod, reel, some sinkers and some bait.

For general novices like us we decided to head over to the Antioch-Oakley Regional Shoreline at the end of Bridgehead Road. At the tip of the park is the old Antioch Bridge that has been turned into a pier where people fish on a regular basis. For those who haven't been to the park, having it called the Antioch-Oakley Regional Shoreline is just a formality since three quarters of the property was incorporated into Oakley's boundaries when Oakley became a city. At the time it was called the Antioch Regional Shoreline and one the Oakley City Council's first goals was to add Oakley to the name. At any rate, the pier is on the Oakley side of the property.

Saturday was quite a breezy day and right on the Delta it was a little cold as well. Of course, for real fishermen like my dad that would mean nothing. I can remember weekends in the rain in our fishing boat. But for those of us who wore shorts and T-shirts, the day ended in about an hour and a half. During that time we didn't catch any fish, although my husband swears there was nibble. He showed me his leftover half of a night crawler still clinging to the hook as proof.

One of the nice things about fishing is that you are bound to encounter people who are friendly and always interested in sharing a story. While we were leaving we spoke with one fisherman who said he fished whenever he had the chance. He likes fishing at the pier because it is close by and a place to come when he only has a few hours. He usually catches black bass, striped bass and crappie. He said that at the end of the pier people have been known to catch sturgeon. Usually just at the limit size. To catch the really big guys you have to be in the deeper water.

Many people say that fishing can be boring. My dad is usually very active in his life, and at most times impatient, but with fishing it always amazed me how calm he was. He could sit for hours just waiting for the right fish.

Free fishing day usually happens twice a year and will be around again in the fall. Otherwise the cost is $30.70 at Raley's for a license. To fish for bass you need a special stamp for an additional $3.70. Children under 16 get to fish for free year round. There aren't many places on the shoreline to fish here in Oakley. That is something that different groups are working on, hopefully someday there will be more places to spend the day on the Delta.

Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.

Distributed by the Contra Costa Times

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