Senior Anglers of Escondido Welcomes Anglers Back After Two Year Hiatus

ESCONDIDO⸺ On May 13, the Senior Anglers of Escondido welcomed members back after a two-year hiatus from COVID-19. 

 

The Senior Anglers of Escondido are a recreational fishing club out of Escondido that gathers together to share a love of fishing, camping, and the great outdoors.

The club has been around since 1975 and is comprised of members over the age of 50 who have an interest in fishing, whatever their skill level. 

 

The club meets on the second Friday of every month to hear from speakers and plan for their next adventure. In addition, they participate in fishing tournaments, picnics, and good old-fashioned hangouts throughout the year with lots of good conversation, company, and of course, food. 

 

“We are a fishing club, primarily freshwater, but we do saltwater as well,” said Public Relations Officer Ken Harrison. “We have surf fishing tournaments, and we do charters several times a year. But the other main component is we are a camping RV club.”

 

The club holds several fishing events throughout the year ranging from saltwater shore fishing to getting out to try different freshwater spots, all looking to make the best record for the club. 

 

The camping component lets anglers get away from the coast for camping trips a couple of times a year to try different lakes for trout fishing and make lifelong friends by sharing incredible memories. For Harrison, one of his favorites is from a group trip to June Lake that had everyone on the trip reaching their trout limit in only a couple of hours. 

 

“All of us, all 15 of us, limited out within two hours,” said Harrison. “…We couldn’t believe what we were pulling in. It was one right after another after another. Everybody was catching fish, and it was really neat and just really special.”

 

The club accepts anglers of all skill levels, from novice anglers looking for a new adventure and experienced anglers looking to continue learning about their sport. 

 

“We are very supportive,” said Harrison. “We get people who come out and say, ‘I’ve never fished before; what do I do?’ You know, we help them gear up and head out to the beach just for a couple of hours.”

Another club component that goes hand in hand with their fishing mandate is a speaker lineup with several experts coming in to give lectures on their expertise, from professional anglers who give their best tips to chefs who share their favorite secrets to prepping your catch. 

 

           During their May 13 meeting, the club heard from Bill Augustus, a park ranger for the San Diego County Department of Parks and Recreation’s Santa Ysabel Nature Center. Augustus has worked in the field for 11 years and used his experience teaching the public to present members with a lecture on local wildlife and plants in the region. 

 

            Aside from their comradery, the club also looks to give back to the community through youth and community programs. 

 

           “We work with several different agencies to make sure that kids get to go fishing,” said Harrison. “We work with the Escondido YMCA; we have a day for them. We take them out, we get them a boat… and we provide all the tackle and lunch and that kind of stuff.”

 

           The club also works with the city of Escondido to help run their fishing tournaments by setting up ponds for the kids and providing a calibrated scale to weigh catches. 

 

“It is about fishing, it is about fellowship, it is about fun, it is about family,” said Harrison. “… These people become lifelong friends, and that is not just something you create. It happens organically when you have people who are sharing the same love for their sport.” 

 

The Senior Anglers of Escondido meet on the second Friday of every month at 9:30 a.m. at the Park Avenue Community Center. For more information, see the website at https://senioranglersofescondido.net.