I went to El Dorado Park over the weekend for a couple hours and as I drove in, I noticed some new blue signs that were posted. The signs instructed anglers that from February 20 through the end of May, bass were strictly catch and release only - for the purposes of the spawn.

My fishing was uneventful, but I was glad to see this city park taking some steps to protect a fishery that usually gets hammered very hard during the spawning season.

Hopefully, other lakes in other locations will follow their lead.

How are they able to do this? And who put up the signs? Sure would like to see it at the lake I fish :D

The lake is managed by the City of Long Beach and there is a Ranger station located within the park. Signs are posted on the kiosks as you enter the park.

Thats a beautiful thing, if they can enforce that and the size/limits of fish people keep we would all have great fisheries withing minutes of where we live. Unfotunately if people want to keep spawning fish or small fish they will find a way, at least the new bass anglers who may not know about spawning patterns will realize not to keep these fish.
keep fishin'

It is enforced...
The Rangers drive around in a quad runner making sure of it...
They have posted signs like that every year for as long as I can remember...
I have fished there since late 80's early 90's...
That is a great fishery...
Machado Lake is close but hard to access all the shore...

ChuyDawg,

Gee, I've never seen the signs before - at least not in the last three years. Thanks for sharing.

BTW, I've never fished Machado Lake - Have you been there lately?

I went to El Dorado today...
Caught some nice bass...
Found several starting to bed...
One pair is bedding near the Ranger station by the tree that bends down into the water...
Parking in the Ranger station and heading to the lake it will be on your right side...

Another pair is off the bridge in the first set of cattails to the right, once you cross the bridge leaving the Ranger station...
I used a pumpkin color salamander with a chartruese tail..
Texas rigged on 12 lb test...

Trout plant today and saw schools of trout at the channel under the bridge...

I caught three bass on a white dbl willow blade spinnerbait...

SJ I saw the sign you are referring to...
It was posted on the window of the toll booth and one on the poster sign on the way to the Ranger station...
Normally they post those signs on the wooden sign as you enter through the Spring St entrance...
As you leave the toll booth the signs right in front of you that give the hours of operation...


Good luck...
Tight lines and bent rods...