Hit PRP tonight after work. Started with some topwater (popper and a rapala minnow) but no hits. Went to worming and got several bites but I think they were just little guys checking out my worm. Didn't hook anything, the wind started to pick up so I headed back towards where I started where there was shelter and the water was flat. Threw some worms and was gonna swtich back to topwater but then they started announcnig that the park was closed and they'd fine people. I wasn't sure what the deal was so I took off. Oh yeah, all my fishing was on the north west end of the lake. Might hit it again this weekend if I find time. There were a lot of small fish (frye?) in the shallows, but I didn't see anything worth catching....but we know they're there!

Hey RookieFish! Check this previous post out by MVBRUIN:

http://www.calfishing.com/dcforum/freshreports/1419.html

Hey guys, I got it from a good reliable source that the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the local fishwrap, is doing a story on the deplorable condition at the Peck Road Water Conservation Park soon. Hope you guys get a copy!
I'm with you guys I know the big bass are there but hopefully the County will clean up the trash!:'(

Yes.. that would be nice.

Dakine, MVBruin1, Rookiefish, JerryG and all others that fish at Peck Road Water Conservation Park...did anyone see the front page story in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune yesterday on Peck Road Park? It was a good story and hopefully will open the eyes of the County officials responsible for upkeep of the reservoir...for years this little neglected park has become a dumping ground, it time to stop this practice, and return it back to the beauty it once was. What do you guys think?:-)

I missed the article but would love to read it. If anybody could post the text, that would be really cool. Anyway, the place is a trash hole. I've pulled out more garbage on my line than fish. Last week, I got a rubber glove, a beer carton, and some sort of plastic wrapper....oh and no fish.... I've walked around the entire lake (including the quick sand on the north shore!), and there isn't really any spot that looks clean. At times I think they should drain the lake, clean up the entire area and then refill it and build up a new fishery....BUT, that would mean no fishing for years AND probably entrance fees to cover the cost....Still it needs some type of cleaning... Anyway, I'll be there early on Thursday hoping to hook a few. Does anybody know the official hours? I know there is a sign at the entrance but I've been parking at the golf course so haven't checked the sign..... Also, What do you guys think are the top three spots to hit this time of year? I think the North West and North East plus the East shore (in the lower portion) look the fishiest? Any other thoughts?

RF

Rookiefish, I was there lately and about 10 days ago, there was a brother who catch a big-un on a spinning outfit with a small bluegill lure on the lower portion south of the parking lot and east of the bicycle trail, there is a small cove and the tips of the submurged trees are visible, also an upside down picnic bench is near by...others told me he had just released a big-un back into the reservoir, he also said that they come in this cove looking for forage to eat. Anyway you might wanna try it there too! :-)

What types of rigs are other using at Peck? I've tried worming with a carolina rig but tend to pull up too much junk from the floor. Have also wormed weightless using texas rig which has come out clean but the casting distance isn't too great. Top waters of course are safe for avoiding the hidden tackle traps but I haven't had any luck on the top. What has worked for others and where?

I've fished this rock quarry twice and both times I came up empty. I threw cranks, jerk baits, senkos, jigs, you name it - I threw it. I didn't catch anything and lost a lot of stuff on the sunken grocery carts and other garbage in that place.

I saw two small bass along the shore in my second trip and there's usually not many others (if anyone at all) on the water. The water is wide and deep - and I have a feeling most of the bass are where us shore anglers can't get to them.

Most of the reports on this lake on this board are about "lost" fish...or so it seems. It appears that the fishing there is consistently tough.

I wish I could float tube the deep parts of that rock quarry.

If you keep at it - good luck. I'd love to hear some success stories.

Peck Road Park suffers from effects of drought, pollution

By Diana L. Roemer
Staff Writer

July 1, 2002 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune:

EL MONTE -- Peck Road Water Conservation Park in North El Monte is a haven to residents penned in by city streets and freeway offramps in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley.

But park visitors say for years the lake, actually a flood control basin, has been polluted by people.

And now, with the water level lower than ever from drought, that pollution is evident. Shopping carts, trash cans and other debris have popped up in the lake. Areas of the park on land are messy, too.

"This is a mostly forgotten reservoir that can be a true oasis in the San Gabriel Valley once again ... with a little care and maintenance ... and more water," said resident Richard Oropeza.

While county officials said the level of water is out of their hands, the trash isn't.

"We're investigating this," said Tony Bell, a spokesman for Supervisor Michael Antonovich.

The park, owned by the County Flood Control District, is maintained by County Public Works. Runners jog on its paths, families picnic at its tables and fisherman cast their lines in the basin of water fed by mountain runoff and rain, on the park's north and west sides.

While it's mostly clean of litter and locked up at night, picnic tables are etched with graffiti and broken sprinklers flood grassy areas while adjacent grassy areas stand dead and brown.

Oropeza said he loves the park and it's painful to see the neglect.

"I went to the lake (Friday) and was more appalled than before. The water level is dropping even more than last week," he said.

Johnny Marrin lives a few blocks from the park and walks his dog there regularly. He said while he's seen worse, the park isn't clean enough and the trash exposed by the low water level is a disappointment.

"It just looks very unkempt," he said. He pointed out graffiti on a park bench and a sprinkler gushing near a family playing horseshoes.

"Aren't we in a drought?" he asked.

The spewing water is a stark contrast to the level of the reservoir behind it.

Shopping carts dumped into its center protrude from the reservoir floor, visible because of the low water level.

Ducks and geese forage through the trash.

"On a one-to-10 scale of priorities, it's apparent the park is not really high with budgets the way they are," Marrin said.

Marrin said the county police curtail gang activity in the park, but when he moved to the neighborhood three years ago, he had hoped for a better park to stroll through.

County officials are undaunted by the problems and said as soon as they heard about the trash, they visited the park.

"We're going to get to the bottom of it. We'll fix it," Bell said.

-- Diana L. Roemer can be reached at (626) 962-8811, Ext. 2105, or by e-mail at diana.roemersgvn.com

Thanks SJ,
That article was good but I don't think it really portrayed just how dirty that park is. They talked about it being 'free of litter' at night? What about the layer of junk that is strewn all along the shores of lake? Well, hopefully something will get done to get the park headed in the right direction. I was thinking about going and picking up trash, but last time I was there it was soooo overwhelming that I didn't see the point.... We really need like an event to clean up the place because it's gonna take a lot of work.

RF

Hey guys that's me on the cover of the Tribune. Who do you think got Ms. Roemer to visit the lake let alone write the article about it. Hey Rook, your right the park needs a group and they already supposedly have one. Its called the Friends of Santa Fe Dam support group that meets every 1st Tuesday nite of the month at 6:00pm at Santa Fe Dam. They say Peck Road Park is too small to maintain its own group, what do you guys think? Anyway if you want to voice your concerns contact Fred Evans, Superintendent of Santa Fe Dam at (626) 334-1105 ask him when the next meeting of the support group will be held, attend and let it rip! I wanted to go tonite but got busy at home and didn't contact Fred to see if they were going to have a meeting. I got the ball rolling now someone needs to step to the plate and not just on this messageboard...anyone have any big ca-ho-nes out there or is it just lip service?;)

I just started fishing Peck again this year after 20+ years. I've been fishing at least once a week if not more for the past 25 years but I've just focused most my efforts on saltwater and a few other local lakes.

In returning I found out quick that the key to success in this lake was light line timing and live bait. I'm as die hard as anyone when it comes to fishing the artificials but a split shot or flylined night crawler or a live crawdad will produce big bass at this lake consistantly while other methods have fallen short.

I've had some luck on Senko's and plastics but live bait is much more effective here. I havn't fished it a whole lot since I started fishing it again this year but I have caught a 7lb and an 8lb bass for my efforts as well as several 2-3 lb fish.

I have devoted more of my after work afternoons/evenings trips to Legg Lake which has been producing much better numbers. There is qaulity to be had there as well and the fish are more willing to eat the artificial. The difference is Legg Lake will ussually always produce at least a couple fish but Peck on the other hand will leave you skunked. One thing I have noticed is that when you do get bit at Peck hold on because it's ussually a nice fish. If you want to try Peck, Legg, or puddingstone sometime after work Let me know. I fish them all. I fished Legg this evening and I caught two fish for an hour of fishing. Lost another as well. It was actually slower than it has been lately. Today's bass where only 12-14 inchers. I fish freshwater on weekdays and on the weekends I ussually fish salt. Hope the info helps. Also hope Peck gets some clean up. It's pretty trashed.

JerryG