Fishing License No Longer Required At Lake Poway

Interesting stuff...........


When Lake Poway opens today for the first day of fall trout fishing, anglers no longer need a state fishing license at the suburban reservoir.

The city of Poway applied for and was granted an aquaculture permit from the state Department of Fish and Game. The move exempts anglers from needing a state license.

It's a growing trend in California as budget cuts limit what the state can provide for fishermen and hunters. Water districts that receive no stocked fish or other services from the DFG are opting to run their own programs.
It costs $690.75 for a new aquaculture permit, and $346 each year to renew it. There is a $518 surcharge if the business exceeds $25,000 the previous year.

There is a similar fishing program at Santee Lakes, where the Padre Dam Municipal Water District operates under an aquaculture permit.

“We talked to other lakes like Santee and Santa Ana River Lakes up north, and they felt it was working for them,” said Michael Pacheco, supervisor at Lake Poway.

“We stock our own fish. We buy our own water (Poway Municipal Water District), and we supply our own rangers. We were doing it ourselves as it is.”

Unlike at Santee Lakes, where permit fees were increased after it received its aquaculture permit, the fishing fees remain the same at Poway. A permit costs $6 for adults ($9 at Santee), $3 for kids 8-15 and $4 for seniors and military on Fridays only. Children 7 and under fish free with a paid adult, but only one limit of fish may be taken per permit.

Pacheco said the city of Poway and concessionaire Tom Wituschek have big plans for the trout fishing season. The lake was stocked with 1,500 pounds of trout from the Chalk Mound Trout Farm in Nebraska yesterday. Another 3,000 pounds will arrive in a couple weeks.

Ron Baker's Trout Fishing Classes start Nov. 30 and run to Dec. 21. Only one spot was available Thursday in that class, but there will be more starting in January. Call (619) 977-2829 to sign up. The classes take parents and kids through the basics of trout fishing, from how to rig a rod to how to catch some of Poway's lunker rainbows.

Pacheco and Baker are putting together the annual Youth Derby set for Feb. 6. They're working on having a winter family campout on the eve of the derby to prevent the long line that forms every year at the lake entrance.

Once again, Baker has enlisted Poway fishing legend Mike Long and former Padres Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones to help with the derby.
Pacheco said he's also considering new regulations at Poway, possibly going to a slot size for bass, which should improve the lake's fishing for that species.