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Lake Jennings a great place to catch fish and shoot the breeze
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 22, 2003
Lake Jennings, on the eastern corner of Lakeside, doesn't get a lot of attention, but it offers outstanding fishing most of the time and even better conversation. Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER
R.C. Russ' wife gave him explicit marching orders yesterday morning and, being a good husband, he obeyed.
"Our daughter's getting married tomorrow, so my wife told me to get lost for four or five hours," Russ said. "So, here I am."
For Russ, that meant soaking some Power Bait from the quiet, peaceful shoreline of Hermit Cove at Lake Jennings. He had a couple of trout in the 2-and 3-pound range, but Russ wasn't in a hurry to catch more. His two lines were out of the water and, instead, he was making friends with nearby anglers.
"This is our family spot for night fishing for catfish in the summer, but it's good for trout, too," Russ said.
All around the nearly full, picturesque lake, anglers like Russ were having luck at this solid alternative to the troubled San Diego City Lakes.
As the city lakes struggle without concession services or rental boats for fishermen, other county lakes such as Jennings, Cuyamaca, Dixon, Henshaw, Poway, Santee Lakes (no boat rentals) and Wohlford offer all the amenities.
Tucked away in the eastern corner of Lakeside as it is, Jennings often has been overlooked by fishermen dashing off to San Vicente or El Capitan.
But there is no better lake for catching rainbow trout right now than Jennings, and the bass fishing, especially for big bass up to nearly 16 pounds, is one of the best-kept secrets in the county.
Throw in some huge channel catfish and even bigger blue catfish to 60 pounds, along with healthy redear sunfish and Florida bluegill populations, and this lake deserves more angling attention.
"We stock 28,000 pounds of rainbow trout here during the season, 1,200 pounds a week," said supervising ranger Jerry Burton, celebrating his 20th year at the lake. "You won't see me plant any brown trout or steelhead, because they cost more than rainbows. I'm staying with the basics, getting more fish for the dollar, and the fishermen here like that."
Burton has transformed Jennings from a rugged, brushy and tule-lined lake into a fishing-friendly place that is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the occasional Monday holiday.
A look around the lake shows some of the little touches and big projects Burton and his staff and concessionaire Maureen Fernandes and family have done to make it better for fishermen.
There's the public-access fishing float, the gazebo with a barbecue grill, the parking areas spread around the perimeter of the lake and at the better fishing holes, accessible shoreline and new electric motors for rental boats.
Burton also has taken a 20-foot section of 18-inch pipe and set it up to unload and stock rainbow trout just a short distance from the public-access fishing float and closer to the backwater coves where fishermen gather. Instead of dumping all the trout at the launch ramp, Burton goes the extra steps for anglers and spreads them around the lake.
On this day, Burton was holding court, along with ranger John Moltke, at a picnic table at the concession pavilion. Lake regular Mike Bihum of Alpine had brought a plate of brownies baked by his wife, Georgia, who once caught a 35-pound channel catfish at Jennings.
It was a little after 7 a.m., and the thermostat read 39 degrees in the shade, but Burton had a propane heater going and was pouring coffee to go with Georgia's brownies. The conversation was the stuff usually heard over a cracker barrel from guys in a smoke-filled bait and tackle shop.
"I had a big catfish on for two hours here on 40-pound test line but lost it," Bihum said. "But I caught my 41-pound blue catfish here on 12-pound test."
Hank Jeitler of San Diego arrived with tales of his quick limit of trout, all caught yesterday on rainbow Power Bait in Half Moon Cove, before 8 a.m.
Back out on the shoreline with Russ, the angler and avid hunter made fast friends with a father and son, Darrell and Steve Wood, also fishing from the bank.
Like Russ, who had an appointment today to walk his daughter down the aisle, Steve Wood and his wife had just had a milestone of their own, the birth of their first daughter.
But as Steve Wood looked out on the glassy surface of Jennings and was alone in his thoughts of fishing and his newborn princess, Russ rudely interrupted.
"Start saving for her wedding," Russ advised.
Fishing advice and counseling, all free, on the shoreline at Jennings.
Get out and go
At Lake Jennings, hikers, walkers and joggers get the unique opportunity every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to make a complete five-mile loop around the picturesque lake in Lakeside. Rollerbladers and bicyclists aren't permitted on the road and trail, so those hoofing it have it to themselves. The hike includes a section of the Lake Jennings County Campground. Take I-8 east to the Lake Jennings Road turnoff. Go left two-tenths of a mile on Lake Jennings Road to Harritt Road. Turn right, and the lake entrance is three-tenths of a mile away.
By Ed Zieralski, San Diego UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 22, 2003
Lake Jennings, on the eastern corner of Lakeside, doesn't get a lot of attention, but it offers outstanding fishing most of the time and even better conversation. Photo by SANDY HUFFAKER
R.C. Russ' wife gave him explicit marching orders yesterday morning and, being a good husband, he obeyed.
"Our daughter's getting married tomorrow, so my wife told me to get lost for four or five hours," Russ said. "So, here I am."
For Russ, that meant soaking some Power Bait from the quiet, peaceful shoreline of Hermit Cove at Lake Jennings. He had a couple of trout in the 2-and 3-pound range, but Russ wasn't in a hurry to catch more. His two lines were out of the water and, instead, he was making friends with nearby anglers.
"This is our family spot for night fishing for catfish in the summer, but it's good for trout, too," Russ said.
All around the nearly full, picturesque lake, anglers like Russ were having luck at this solid alternative to the troubled San Diego City Lakes.
As the city lakes struggle without concession services or rental boats for fishermen, other county lakes such as Jennings, Cuyamaca, Dixon, Henshaw, Poway, Santee Lakes (no boat rentals) and Wohlford offer all the amenities.
Tucked away in the eastern corner of Lakeside as it is, Jennings often has been overlooked by fishermen dashing off to San Vicente or El Capitan.
But there is no better lake for catching rainbow trout right now than Jennings, and the bass fishing, especially for big bass up to nearly 16 pounds, is one of the best-kept secrets in the county.
Throw in some huge channel catfish and even bigger blue catfish to 60 pounds, along with healthy redear sunfish and Florida bluegill populations, and this lake deserves more angling attention.
"We stock 28,000 pounds of rainbow trout here during the season, 1,200 pounds a week," said supervising ranger Jerry Burton, celebrating his 20th year at the lake. "You won't see me plant any brown trout or steelhead, because they cost more than rainbows. I'm staying with the basics, getting more fish for the dollar, and the fishermen here like that."
Burton has transformed Jennings from a rugged, brushy and tule-lined lake into a fishing-friendly place that is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the occasional Monday holiday.
A look around the lake shows some of the little touches and big projects Burton and his staff and concessionaire Maureen Fernandes and family have done to make it better for fishermen.
There's the public-access fishing float, the gazebo with a barbecue grill, the parking areas spread around the perimeter of the lake and at the better fishing holes, accessible shoreline and new electric motors for rental boats.
Burton also has taken a 20-foot section of 18-inch pipe and set it up to unload and stock rainbow trout just a short distance from the public-access fishing float and closer to the backwater coves where fishermen gather. Instead of dumping all the trout at the launch ramp, Burton goes the extra steps for anglers and spreads them around the lake.
On this day, Burton was holding court, along with ranger John Moltke, at a picnic table at the concession pavilion. Lake regular Mike Bihum of Alpine had brought a plate of brownies baked by his wife, Georgia, who once caught a 35-pound channel catfish at Jennings.
It was a little after 7 a.m., and the thermostat read 39 degrees in the shade, but Burton had a propane heater going and was pouring coffee to go with Georgia's brownies. The conversation was the stuff usually heard over a cracker barrel from guys in a smoke-filled bait and tackle shop.
"I had a big catfish on for two hours here on 40-pound test line but lost it," Bihum said. "But I caught my 41-pound blue catfish here on 12-pound test."
Hank Jeitler of San Diego arrived with tales of his quick limit of trout, all caught yesterday on rainbow Power Bait in Half Moon Cove, before 8 a.m.
Back out on the shoreline with Russ, the angler and avid hunter made fast friends with a father and son, Darrell and Steve Wood, also fishing from the bank.
Like Russ, who had an appointment today to walk his daughter down the aisle, Steve Wood and his wife had just had a milestone of their own, the birth of their first daughter.
But as Steve Wood looked out on the glassy surface of Jennings and was alone in his thoughts of fishing and his newborn princess, Russ rudely interrupted.
"Start saving for her wedding," Russ advised.
Fishing advice and counseling, all free, on the shoreline at Jennings.
Get out and go
At Lake Jennings, hikers, walkers and joggers get the unique opportunity every Friday, Saturday and Sunday to make a complete five-mile loop around the picturesque lake in Lakeside. Rollerbladers and bicyclists aren't permitted on the road and trail, so those hoofing it have it to themselves. The hike includes a section of the Lake Jennings County Campground. Take I-8 east to the Lake Jennings Road turnoff. Go left two-tenths of a mile on Lake Jennings Road to Harritt Road. Turn right, and the lake entrance is three-tenths of a mile away.
