FISHING
FISHLESS FOURTH COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS MAKE FOR A SLOW FREE ANGLING DAY ON BAY AREA’S LAKE CHABOT By Chris Cocoles
C
ASTRO VALLEY–As we headed up the residential streets and then a winding road – we missed the first turnoff and had to backtrack a bit – on the way to Lake Chabot, I was more curious than excited. Normally, a sunny day, a lake full of
trout and catfish and the promise that fishing would be free on this Fourth of July Saturday would be reason enough to be thrilled just to be there. But in a COVID-19 world, everything I do carries a what-about-the-pandemic subplot. This would be no different. Still, any chance to cast out the Shakespeare spinning combo I
purchased about a year ago brings some anticipation. But our routines are anything but routine in the coronavirus era. As we packed up my sister Charlene’s SUV early on July 4, I was just as much concerned about carrying my facemask and having enough antiseptic wipes as confirming that we had sunscreen
July 4 was the first of California’s two annual Free Fishing Days, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bay Area’s Lake Chabot was mostly quiet, with only a handful of anglers participating. (CHRIS COCOLES) calsportsmanmag.com | AUGUST 2020 California Sportsman
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