View Full Version : Superbowl Sunday trip to Castaic
fishinone
02-07-2010, 02:14 PM
I planned my traditional Superbowl Sunday trip to Castaic.
When we arrived the gate lady told us that the lake had been closed since 9:30am.
I went down to the launch ramp and spoke to or at the Lifeguard. Incredibly lame is all I can say. The docks were dry and the Lifeguard was claiming the closure was for our safety.
In the past I've gone over there and been turned away when at least I could see their point that someone might be able to hurt themselves if they were completely clueless and tried to launch, but today I'm not buying into it.
I think, "THEY CLOSED LAKE BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO HOME AND WATCH THE SUPERBOWL".
This seemed so lame to me that I took a look at the west ramp web cam history at
http://castaiclake.com/cam_wr1/.
Here are some pictures of the lake today.
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-08.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-09.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-10.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-11.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-12.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/westramp1-9.jpg
http://i454.photobucket.com/albums/qq265/fishinone/Superbowl%20Sunday%202010/wr1-2010-0207-13.jpg
In my opinion these Civil Servants ruined my day and the days of many others just because they didn't want to work.
I know my fish report sucks. It seems like that's how it goes when Civil Servants get involved.
Trout-Chaser
02-07-2010, 02:30 PM
That is the lamest thing I've ever heard--and I sure am glad I was too lazy to get up this morning and head up there!!! I had my car all packed, too. And such a gorgeous day! I think you are right about them wanting to watch the game. The photos say it all!
In reality I guess we are at the mercy of something every time we fish: 'civil servants', the weather, Mother Nature, the fish:Big Grin:
fishinone
02-07-2010, 02:37 PM
An act of God I can handle.
It's the little "gods" that I find hard to deal with.
diamondbear
02-07-2010, 03:33 PM
Good thing you didn't launch today as your LIFE WAS IN DANGER , ha ha
Fire Ball
02-07-2010, 07:43 PM
Believe me, it was pretty bad today. I was fishing the Lagoon and it was very windy. It might have been even windier at the Upper Lake. In the morning, it was very calm, then the wind started to come and I could see white caps and waves forming about 50 ft to my left, while where I was it, it was still very calm. Then it died down for a little bit so it wasn't too bad, but still kind of bad. Later it picked up again and just didn't stop. I have some pictures from the Lagoon that I will put up in my report later.
TroutOnly
02-07-2010, 08:36 PM
I dont see big white caps but they get to make the call they are always scared some rookies will get hurt but if you watch people launch i surprsed more are not hurt,they need to classes to the noobs and rookies, so they know the deal,,,,,plus they probably did want to see the game , but thats alright the life guards wont be around much longer hopefully the cops will run it better,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
MarkyMark
02-07-2010, 09:01 PM
I dont see big white caps but they get to make the call they are always scared some rookies will get hurt but if you watch people launch i surprsed more are not hurt,they need to classes to the noobs and rookies, so they know the deal,,,,,plus they probably did want to see the game , but thats alright the life guards wont be around much longer hopefully the cops will run it better,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I didn't know that...Budget cuts????
MM
marzocchi
02-08-2010, 04:10 AM
That sucks. You will get them next time. You would have probably had the whole lake to yourself if they let you launched on superbowl sunday.
fishinone
02-08-2010, 10:46 AM
I had an interesting thought yesterday after I unhooked the boat at the house. I thought, I should go back and fish from shore to the last minute to make sure their plan didn't work.:Razz:
Believe me, it was pretty bad today. I was fishing the Lagoon and it was very windy. It might have been even windier at the Upper Lake. In the morning, it was very calm, then the wind started to come and I could see white caps and waves forming about 50 ft to my left, while where I was it, it was still very calm. Then it died down for a little bit so it wasn't too bad, but still kind of bad. Later it picked up again and just didn't stop. I have some pictures from the Lagoon that I will put up in my report later.
When they turned me around at 12:45 the docks were dry. The wind would have made tubing a lot of work but it wouldn't have been a problem in the boat.
I dont see big white caps but they get to make the call they are always scared some rookies will get hurt but if you watch people launch i surprsed more are not hurt,they need to classes to the noobs and rookies, so they know the deal,,,,,plus they probably did want to see the game , but thats alright the life guards wont be around much longer hopefully the cops will run it better,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I didn't know that either, I hope the don't loose their jobs.
When the main ramp is a mess the west ramp is a mill pound. They don't take advantage of the safer water. Maybe they should attend the classes.
The closest that I've come to having someone get hurt was when one of the lifeguards "jumped in" to "help" just as I got my boat lined up on the trailer and started to accelerate to push the boat up the bunks. I throttled back and didn't crush him. I got waves over the transom because the bow had ridden up, dropping the stern but I hadn't been able to to move the boat up the trailer. We had to back the trailer farther down to get the boat on, but it beats hurting the lifeguard.
Maybe that's who they're trying to protect!:LOL:
That sucks. You will get them next time. You would have probably had the whole lake to yourself if they let you launched on superbowl sunday.
Yea, that was the idea. It's my tradition to fish Superbowl Sunday. I've been out there when I was the only boat. This works especially well on days when it's snowing.
There were a half dozen boats at Sharron's Rest yesterday. I figured most or all of them would leave in time to watch the game.
As I was leaving there was another boat headed up so I wouldn't have been alone.
BIG0FISH
02-08-2010, 03:18 PM
well, i launched at around 10am. it was somewhat foggy but it cleared up in few minutes.
it was very windy on the west side of the lake but not too bad on the otherside as long as you stick close to the north shore.
fishing was pretty slow anyways. most of the people were crammed in one spot pretty much catching SUPER DINK stripers.
if you didnt get to fish yesterday dont feel too bad.
other than the incident in the morning, lifeguards had wetsuits on to assist boater. waves around the dock were pretty bad so lifeguards were in the water to guide the boat onto the trailer.
I can understand why they closed the lake "LOOKS DANGEROUS!!!" j/k WTF.....
Fire Ball
02-08-2010, 07:00 PM
When they turned me around at 12:45 the docks were dry. The wind would have made tubing a lot of work but it wouldn't have been a problem in the boat.
It looked like a classic windy day at Castaic to me, where they close the lake to launching. I don't recall the docks ever being wet when I have been at Castaic. Even when there were some big waves at the ramp and extremely high winds, lol. What is tough for tubing is also tough for boating. The ways in which it is tough is a lot different though. Plus the wind would have made fishing miserable anyway!
Lowe Boat
02-08-2010, 07:06 PM
Just for the record:
1: The lifeguards do not have access to TV's or the internet while on duty.
2: When they shut down the lake, they have to stay and work.
3: The boats that are on the lake prior to it being shut down are not required to leave, thus lifeguards MUST remain on duty.
I was at the lake at 9:45.The wind was blowing directly on to the dock at 15 to 25 mph with the end of the dock wet.
I have personally been helped and seen others helped by the lifeguards.
fishinone
02-09-2010, 10:19 AM
Just for the record:
1: The lifeguards do not have access to TV's or the internet while on duty.
2: When they shut down the lake, they have to stay and work.
3: The boats that are on the lake prior to it being shut down are not required to leave, thus lifeguards MUST remain on duty.
I was at the lake at 9:45.The wind was blowing directly on to the dock at 15 to 25 mph with the end of the dock wet.
I have personally been helped and seen others helped by the lifeguards.
Just for the record.
1) There was no safety issue with launching from the main ramp while I was there.
2) The only reason not to launch, was that they wouldn't allow it.
3) I appreciate your input, but I know that you grew up with the head lifeguard, Jim.
4) It may have been unreasonable for them to allow you to launch at 9:45. I don't know, I wasn't there.
5) There is another ramp that was sheltered with the wind blowing in this direction. Maybe they should have asked you to launch from it.
6) It would have been fine for them to allow you to launch from the main ramp at 12:45. I know, I was there.
All that aside! Let's go fishing sometime.:Big Grin:
fishinone
02-09-2010, 10:27 AM
It looked like a classic windy day at Castaic to me, where they close the lake to launching. I don't recall the docks ever being wet when I have been at Castaic. Even when there were some big waves at the ramp and extremely high winds, lol. What is tough for tubing is also tough for boating. The ways in which it is tough is a lot different though. Plus the wind would have made fishing miserable anyway!
What the lifegaurds have told me in the past, is that the docks being wet is the criteria by which this decision is made.
I don't quit and go home just because fishing isn't going to be easy. Do you?
Fire Ball
02-09-2010, 07:33 PM
What the lifegaurds have told me in the past, is that the docks being wet is the criteria by which this decision is made.
I don't quit and go home just because fishing isn't going to be easy. Do you?
Alright, that is good to know. I quit and go home when fishing starts to become miserable or unsafe because of the weather! :ROFL:
fishinone
02-10-2010, 09:52 AM
Alright, that is good to know. I quit and go home when fishing starts to become miserable or unsafe because of the weather! :ROFL:
Pay attention son! I didn't didn't refer to miserable or unsafe.
If you quit because things aren't easy, your not going to get much out of life.
Yes you're funny.:LOL: Just not hat funny.:Neutral:
Even after I read Marzocchi's post today I disagree with the Superbowl decision. There was nothing like this predicted for Sunday.
fishinone
02-12-2010, 10:13 AM
OK, cooler heads have prevailed.
It's unreasonable for me to think that the lifeguards closed the lake for selfish reasons. They really do have the safety of others in mind and I appreciate their efforts.
Lifeguards are people too. I hope they will accept my apology. It's not right for me to lash out at them when I don't get what I want.
Ron (fishinone)
I was on the water that day on my 22ft champion and came into the dock area at around 2:30. There was 3 rangers on the dock trying to keep boats from landing on the dock in the high winds and 2ft to 4 ft wind waves. While my friend was backing down my trailer and I was circling around in front of the ramp my boats front and back deck was completely wet from the swell. I think most guys were coming over to the dock and having the rangers guide there boats onto their trailers so they wouldnt miss their trailers and run aground.