Lone Pine kicks off spring fishing season

The comedian Steve Martin famously said, “A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” But for the fishermen and women at last Saturday’s Early Trout Opener at Diaz Lake in Lone Pine, “A day without sunshine is just as good as any other day to go fishing.”

The weather was overcast and cool with occasional drizzle, but that did not dampen the enthusiasm of those at the fishing derby. Most would have cheerfully agreed with the outdoor sportswriter Patrick McManus who famously wrote, “The two best times to fish is when it’s rainin’ and when it ain’t.”

According to the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce CEO, Kathleen New, there were 157 registrations, half of last year’s turnout. “A lot of people expected rain,” said New “and stayed home.”

The $800 Blind Bogey prize sponsored by Gardner’s Hardware was split between Rod Ayers of Lone Pine and Tim Burns of Northridge, while Jeremy Acevedo of Lone Pine was the lucky winner of $213 in the 50/50 draw.

Blind Bogey co-winner Burns brought his two granddaughters Elizabeth and Nicole Burns with him. They were 2nd & 3rd Place winners in the Junior Category for Largest Fish, so the whole family won something.

Another “winning” family at the derby was that of Steve Guerrero, who took Adult 2nd Place Largest Stringer, while his sons Jeremy and Alex took 1st and 2nd Place for Largest Stringer in the Junior Category.

Adult winners: 1st Place Largest Fish? Kelly Clark from Big Pine at 2.16 lbs.; 1st Place Largest Stringer? Mark Lopez from Boron at 8.28 lbs.

Junior Winners: 1st Place Largest Fish? Ryan Meindl of Ridgecrest 2.7 lbs.; 1st Place Largest Stringer? Jeremy Guerrero of Placenta 9.04 lbs.

43 local businesses and individuals made donations in support of the fishing derby. Each winner who placed received a large bag filled with a new fishing pole, tackle, bait, and other gear.