Post by neiljeff » Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:57 am
In the late 1850's and early 1960's, My buddies and I spent as many Saturdays & Sundays as we could get our parents to let us, fishing at Lakeside in the big pond. This was a big deal because someone had to drive us out there from SE Fresno, drop us off and then pick us up. We bought fishing supplies and goodies to eat and sodas from Dominick's Liquor on the NW corner of Blackstone and Bullard. We cough a lot of Bluegill, Bass, and Crappie from that pond. It had a berm that was about ten feet tall and about that wide at the top going all around the circular, or oval pond. I believe we had been told many times that it had been a racetrack before being filled with water. A caretaker would charge us 50 cents each for fishing. Sometimes he didn't show up.
In the winter, on the foggy days, we could get away with building fire on the berm to keep warm. That was when the crappie fishing was at it's best. My biggest fish, of which I still have a photo, was a 3 1/4 pound bass. I think we only went to the pool one time out of curiosity. We preferred Blakely's pool out on West Tulare Ave, on the big property right just before you get to Clovis Ave. It was the site of an old mansion complete with a circular driveway lined with olive trees, and a old winery way in the back. It was later converted to a large complex which stands there today. I don't remember any pond, but the property was backed up against the canal called Fancher creek. For a young teenager, Blakely's was the best possible place to hang out in the summer, for the entry price, went from 60 to 75 cents, you get your hand stamped and could come and go all day, and hang out on the grass in the picnic area and visit with people who dropped by to visit and hang out. I still think of Blakeley's every time I see a bikini.
In the late 1850's and early 1960's, My buddies and I spent as many Saturdays & Sundays as we could get our parents to let us, fishing at Lakeside in the big pond. This was a big deal because someone had to drive us out there from SE Fresno, drop us off and then pick us up. We bought fishing supplies and goodies to eat and sodas from Dominick's Liquor on the NW corner of Blackstone and Bullard. We cough a lot of Bluegill, Bass, and Crappie from that pond. It had a berm that was about ten feet tall and about that wide at the top going all around the circular, or oval pond. I believe we had been told many times that it had been a racetrack before being filled with water. A caretaker would charge us 50 cents each for fishing. Sometimes he didn't show up.
In the winter, on the foggy days, we could get away with building fire on the berm to keep warm. That was when the crappie fishing was at it's best. My biggest fish, of which I still have a photo, was a 3 1/4 pound bass. I think we only went to the pool one time out of curiosity. We preferred Blakely's pool out on West Tulare Ave, on the big property right just before you get to Clovis Ave. It was the site of an old mansion complete with a circular driveway lined with olive trees, and a old winery way in the back. It was later converted to a large complex which stands there today. I don't remember any pond, but the property was backed up against the canal called Fancher creek. For a young teenager, Blakely's was the best possible place to hang out in the summer, for the entry price, went from 60 to 75 cents, you get your hand stamped and could come and go all day, and hang out on the grass in the picnic area and visit with people who dropped by to visit and hang out. I still think of Blakeley's every time I see a bikini.