Pinto Lake, Watsonville, Ca.

     Always have the fishing gear packed in the basement (what storage under the coach is called) just in case we're on or near the water and feel like doing some fishing.  Usually it depends on the lake or stream and the State we're in and their fishing license requirements.  This place looked good and we're going to be here for a week without TV so why not do a little fishing, so I went in town and got a two day license for $23.50.  They rent boats, row boats for $10/hr. which I think is a bit steep since by the time I rowed over to a shore line suitable for fishing for some of those big bass it would cost me $10.  Talking to the gal at the boat house about all this she tells me and I start to see some signs posted that the lake is toxic!  No swimming, and don't eat any fish you catch!  Do they fish here a lot and catch big bass, oh yes and there's a wall full of pictures proving that point.  So it's a lot of catch and release and that is surely no problem for me, only usually keep what we can eat that day anyway.  But then I had to laugh out loud to what she said next, she said "yes it's pretty much catch and release except for the trout...........you can eat any trout you catch"!  You're saying I can't eat the bass, crappie, bluegill but I can eat the trout, why can I eat the trout and what makes them any different?  To which she replied "because there are not trout in the lake"..............WTF!  Just some humor I guess, but she looked dead serious I tell you, I think she meant every word of what she said.
     So the yesterday I strolled down to the lake with fishing gear in hand to snag one or two of those trophy bass I seen pictured on the wall.  There were a few local lads fishing and in talking to them I asked about the toxic water and the fish not being able to eat, to which they said "ya that's what they say but we eat some of them, no problems"........after reading the sign's I'm now wondering what's wrong with these fellows.  You see my first clue was when I purchased my license from the local "Big 5" sporting goods and mentioned doing a little fishing at Pinto Lake his reply was "oh you're going after some of those 3 eyed fish huh."  By late afternoon there were a few fathers and their kids throwing lines in all around me, I throwing lure after lure at the bass with no luck but these kids are throwing lines with just a salmon egg and catching bass................3-4 inch bass and having a blast!
     I'm forgoing my second day of fishing on my license, who knows maybe late tonight, but hey it was fun talking to the local boys and getting some insight to what's happening at Pinto Lake.  Here are some pictures of the signs down by the lake.