Fishing in the Central Valley: Cleaning up the shores, another part of good fishing
Most fishermen and women started with humble beginnings from the shorelines, but there has always been a serious concern about bank fishing areas – excessive trash and debris. My own fishing journey began as a child on the levee of the Calaveras River in my hometown of Stockton where we used to catch largemouth bass, bluegill, and the ever-present carp.
In the Central Valley, the California Aqueduct and Delta/Mendota Canal are popular entry level fishing locations for anglers, but access to the fishing grounds is threatened because of excessive trash and debris left along the water conveyance systems. Regardless of where debris is deposited, it will always make its way to a waterway. For many Central Valley anglers, the canals are a cost-effective way of taking part in the sport. Striperz Gone Wild, a group of aqueduct enthusiasts from the Central Valley, are concerned about continued access to the fishing grounds, and they are doing something about it.
“We stress to our participants to leave nothing behind,” club organizer Bill Sterling said. “We are trying to keep access open along the aqueduct as there was a section off Sullivan Road east of Gustine that was a popular spot for fishing, but the local landowner shut down access due to dumping.”
The group held a cleanup along the bridges of Canyon, Volta, Pioneer, South Creek, and Billy Wright roads west of Los Banos on May 18. They rented six-by-12 foot U-Haul trailer and purchased contractor trash bags and pick up sticks to clean the area, Sterling said. They also painted over graffiti on the bridges.
“There are garbage cans on every bridge, but many don’t take the time to walk to the end of the bridge to deposit trash, instead shoving it into the gaps in the guard rails and bridge pilings,” he said. “We filled that trailer to the max within a few hours, and plan on coordinating our next clean up with the Coastal Clean Up in September.”
Fresno’s Roosevelt High School Bass Fishing Club (BFC) also dedicates time to pick up trash on every fishing and camping trip along with regular clean ups within the city. “We are very fortunate to have partnerships both in the city and out where we can contribute to a better community and enjoy the benefits of a healthy environment,” Mike Spencer, Roosevelt High teacher and BFC club advisor, said.
“In town, we work with Beautify Fresno and try to host or participate in at least six events in a school year, like the Mayor’s Clean-up in August, Youth Service Day in November, or the Great American Clean-up in April,” he said.
Spencer and his students also do their part to clean up open spaces as well. “The Coastal Clean-Up is a great event, but the following Saturday is National Public Lands Day, and we stay local helping with facilities improvements and trash clean up at Hensley or Eastman depending on which site hosts that year,” Spencer said.
“We also try to work at Pine Flat after Christmas with habitat improvement projects and have partnered with the San Joaquin River Parkway and Trust on projects including clean-ups and youth fishing days.”
Spencer said the club makes clean up part of every trip.
“Wherever we go, the trash bags come with us. After every camping trip, the last thing we do is walk shoulder to shoulder across the whole area making sure the next group finds a clean camp to better enjoy their time in nature. Show enough students that their actions have the power to make a positive difference and positive results take root,” he said.
This year’s Coastal Clean Up Day is Sept. 21, and the annual cleanup is recognized 1993 by the Guinness Book of World Records as the “largest garbage collection” ever organized. In 2022, 39,318 volunteers collected a total of 331,364 pounds of debris. Information on how you can participate in the 35th Annual California Coastal Clean Up is available via https://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html. In the words of Sterling, ‘We are trying to do our part.’ That’s a good message for all of us.
Dave Hurley is a longtime educator, fishing writer and member of the California Outdoors Hall of Fame.
