Stockton Trout Bout Kicks Off Urban Trout Season    By: Dan Bacher January 15, 2008 More Articles by Dan

The San Joaquin County Area Parks and Recreation Department started the fall and winter trout fishing season at Oak Grove Regional Park in Stockton on November 16 with their Eighteenth Annual Trout Bout, cosponsored by the Delta Flyfishers.

The county stocked 2,000 pounds of rainbows in the pond from Calaveras Fish Farm prior to the bout. An estimated 800 to 900 people, including children and parents, fished the pond starting at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.  

“We will be planting the lake every Friday with 300 to 500 pounds from now through the first week of February,” said Sandy Costa-Adams, marketing director of the San Joaquin County Parks and Recreation Department. “We have allocated funds for purchasing 7,000 pounds of fish and the DFG will hopefully provide additional plants.”

Costa-Adams emphasized that this is one of the few annual fishing events in the Stockton area where anglers can have great time fishing in a safe, family friendly environment.

 In addition to the trout program at Oak Grove, she said that the County would be building an additional 3-acre lake in an addition to Micke Grove Park that will provide increased fishing opportunities in the Stockton area. “We plan to begin planting the new lake with channel catfish in June or July of 2008, when the lake is ready to be opened,” she said.

The weather for the event was unusually mild, with no rain. Although the fishing wasn’t as hot as last year, when many anglers reported catching limits, a lot of anglers caught big, bad rainbows while using a variety of offerings at this year’s bout. 

For example, Daydan Carter and his family found exceptional action last year, catching trout after another. In contrast, the action this year was more subdued, with his five member angling team bagging a total of five trout. 

However, it was a big day for his son, five-year-old Daylynn Carter, who nailed 2nd place in the 8 and under division with his whopping 1 lb. 14. 7 oz rainbow. It was not only a prize-winning fish, but it was the first fish that he had ever caught. 

A proud Mikayla Kranick of Lodi also demonstrated her fishing skill by catching a beautiful 1 lb. 13 oz. rainbow trout on Power Bait. “She caught it all by herself,” her father told me.

Other successful anglers included Walt Warnecke and Walt, Jr. who bagged six feisty rainbows while fishing “hatchery brown” Berkley Power Bait.

While anglers young and old dotted the sides of the lake, members of the Delta Flyfishers tied flies and helped young anglers cast. In addition, volunteers and park staff sold hot dogs, chili, nachos, coffee and donuts for the hungry anglers. 

The last weigh in took place at 12:30 p.m. and the organizers read off the winners and gave out the prizes. 

Four-year-old Emily Ly of Stockton caught the largest fish taken by a child or adult at the event, a 2 lb. 5.7 oz. rainbow, while fishing with her father. She took “grand prize“ honors in the youth division. “It was the first fish she ever caught during her first time fishing," said her proud father, Lao (photo at top).

The youth competition featured three groups: 8 and under, 9 to 12 and 13 to 15. Young anglers competed for the first, second and heaviest trout.

Eight-year-old Jimmy Phoeurng of Lodi captured first place in the 8 and under division by catching a 2 lb. 5.7 oz. rainbow while fishing with his dad, Sok. “One of my kids won this event three years in a row – 2003, 2004 and 2005 – and again this year,” Sok said.

Daylan Carter took second place in the 8 and under category with his 1 lb. 15.7 oz. trout, while 8-year-old Jennifer Silva captured third place with a 1 lb. 13.9 oz rainbow.

In the 9 to 12 age group, Armando Villapuda easily captured first place with a 2 lb. 1 oz. rainbow trout. Maylene Toung placed second with a 1 lb. 13 oz. trout, while 9-year-old Anthony Garcia captured third place with a 1 lb. 11.6 oz. rainbow.

Fourteen-year-old Tim Boyer took first in the 13 to 15 year group with a whopping 2 lb. 4.3 oz. trout. Fourteen-year-old took second place with a 1 lb. 12.5 oz. rainbow, while 14-year-old Erik Peterson finished third with a 1 lb. 11 oz. trout.

In the adult division, Don Navarte won the adult grand prize with a 1 lb. 12 oz. trout. Joe Letlow placed first with a 1 lb. 10.3 oz rainbow, Paul Lee came in second with a 1 lb. 7.6 oz. trout and James Machael took third with a 1 lb. 5.8 oz. trout.

In the Sacramento area, the Department of Fish and Game’s “Fishing in the City” started its fall and winter trout planting program with a plant of rainbow trout in metropolitan area ponds on Friday November 23, the day after Thanksgiving. The ponds where trout are being planted are in William Land, Howe, Hagan and Elk Grove parks. Trout are being stocked every week in January and February and during the first week of March.

For more information about planting times and fishing clinics, call Joe Ferreira, DFG, at 916-358-2877 or 916-358-1644. 

More Articles by Dan