Ed's 2006 Article
Ed's 2007 Article

Kids fishing derby brings out the best of Lake Cuyamaca

By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
2:00 a.m. September 29, 2009

LAKE CUYAMACA — Mountain communities don't come any friendlier or more down to earth than Lake Cuyamaca. That was evident Saturday during the 11th annual O.P. Ball Fishin' in the Pines Kids Derby at the scenic lake.

Fishing started at 6 a.m. and went to 11:30 a.m., followed by a barbecue featuring fish donated by Mario Ghio's Sportsmen's Seafood and hot dogs donated by Kraft. Members of the San Diego Anglers — John Otto, Dwayne Patenaude, Bob Pence, Dave Hanes, Gary Smith, Triston and Eric Klingensmith, Doug Shulte, Tiera Hanes, Noel Bruce, John DeLaurentis, Dean Lewis, Louis Almeida and Gyan Evans — did the grilling while Linda Ele and Al Leyva of Heart of Gold played tunes.

Cuyamaca supervisor Georgia Martin had her staff out in force. Ranger Becky Strahan worked the North Shore. And volunteers worked the shoreline and the tent area by helping kids rig their rods and reels and hooks and bait. Gary Ceiplis and his father, Ed, along with John Davis rigged gear in the tent area. Gene Calloway, a board member for the Cuyamaca Park and Recreation District, worked the shoreline. Butch Paddock, another board member, helped set up the stage and awards area.

Bill Reimund, a volunteer from the San Diego Chapter of Quail Unlimited, showed kids how to make a homemade quail call from a clothespin, a rubber band and a couple pieces of electrical tape. His niece, Julia Devore, and nephew, Dylan, helped with the raffle.

Exhibitors like Barbara DeGraw of the San Diego Chapter of Safari Club International displayed pelts from several different critters, including a bobcat and a skunk.

And, oh yes, there was some very good fishing, with lots of trout weighed in for prizes.

Zachary O'Kesson, 11, won the grand prize for a 2.3-pound rainbow trout. He won a rod and reel, a stocked tackle box and other goodies.

Other winners in the age categories included Jacob Catanzari, 6, third place in the 4-7 category, with a 1.9-pound trout; Kelly St. Martin, 11, 2.3-pound trout, to win the 8-11 division; Juicy Smith, 12, won the 12-15 division with a 1.14 trout.

Nancy Gaudette gave away a bike in memory of her son, Jose Limon Jr., who passed away this year. Gaudette said her son loved to visit Lake Cuyamaca. She said she'll pay tribute to his memory by giving away a bike every year at the kids derby. She also donated a gift certificate for a helmet.

Glenn Pamaran of Shimano showed up with 15 reels that the kids gobbled up in the raffle. And “Raccoon” Bob Brogan, a part-time resident at the lake's cabins, donated a couple boxes of rod-and-reel combos.

Georgia Martin's daughter, Linda, contributed two gift baskets from Sea World for the adult raffle. It included four entry passes and a $75 gift certificate.

Former Padres lefty and Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones wrangled two autographed baseballs from Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. And the Padres, thanks to Jones, donated countless items that went into the hundreds of goodie bags handed out to each youngster who registered.

Much of this wouldn't be possible without the volunteer work done by Steve Tillesen, who scours the county for fishing-related donations for the raffle and the kids fishing prizes.

Is there a better way to pay tribute to a deceased long-range angler than catching a giant fish on a lure he left behind?

That was the case on a recent “Old Wild Bunch Charter,” in honor of LeRoy Belardes, who died on Easter Sunday this year.

Belardes' son, Steve, was the chartermaster. He joined his brother, Scott, aboard the eight-day run on captain Tommy Rothery's Polaris Supreme.

Larry Bennett of Buena Park was trolling one of LeRoy Belardes' old hex head skirted jigs that was found in his tackle box and landed a 90.4-pound wahoo on it.

Dock reporter Bill Roecker said the jig was refurbished with a new squid-colored skirt with varying colors, including pink and white. The Belardes boys said it was the hot jig on the trip, producing nine fish. Scott Belardes caught a 79.6-pound wahoo on an orange and black Marauder.

Union-Tribune Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225;

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Fishing derby lures a crowd

By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 23, 2007

LAKE CUYAMACA – As seasonal transitions go, there can be no more dramatic one than summer to autumn, and no better place to watch it go down than the Cuyamacas.

A dark gray cloud clawed its way over Cuyamaca Peak and covered the sun just before sundown Friday, and I felt the chill of the seasons changing clothes. A husky mule deer buck and his doe – both already thick-coated – bounded below me as I worked a ridge for a better view of a valley that had been so lush and green in May. But now its grasses were golden brown and swaying in a crisp breeze.

Campers along the shoreline at Lake Cuyamaca tied down their tents snugly to prepare for the season's first true storm, which disappointed as darkness draped summer.

We hoped for rain that these dried-out mountains desperately need, but there were only short waves of mostly mist. Not nearly enough to chase home an estimated 800 folks – including more than 300 kids – who braved the cold and occasional drizzle yesterday to fish in the O.P. Ball Memorial Fishin' In The Pines Free Kids Fishing Derby.

Every kid went home with something, thanks to the derby's 55 sponsors, including a generous gift from the Orville P. Ball family. Steve Tillesen organized the prize patrol for Christmas in September at Cuyamaca under the supervision of lake superintendent Willard Lepley and general manager Georgia Martin.

Bob Katula, who represents Mustad and lives in Anaheim, drove 2½ hours to reach Lake Cuyamaca. He set up a work station where volunteers such as John Grabowski, Ed and Gary Ceiplis, Don Deaett, the Golden State Fly Casters and others tied proper Mustad treble hooks, line and sinkers for kids, many of whom came rigged for ocean fish.

“Gary (Ceiplis) and I walked a lot of the shoreline and I'd say 80 percent of the folks weren't rigged right for trout,” Katula said. “But when we left them, they had Mustad treble hooks on 4-pound Ultra Line leader below a swivel and a small egg sliding sinker.”

Rebecca Mascarenhas of Chula Vista brought her son, Ray, 8, and nephew Garrett High, 8. “Their dads were chickens and didn't want to come out because of the rain, but I bought them a couple of ponchos and figured they'd have as much fun playing in the rain as they would fishing,” she said. Holly Steele, Ramona, had her six kids there, mainly because Landon, the oldest at 11, already is a true fisherman. “Landon woke me up at 4 this morning and said it was time to go fishing,” Holly Steele said.

The San Diego Anglers cooked fish donated by long-rangers through Mario Ghio at Sportsmen's Seafood. Gary Shiebler of the World's Greatest Fishing Band warmed folks with good fish tunes.

The lake wasn't open for swimming, but Elijah Wagner, 4, of El Cajon took an unexpected dip when he tumbled off the fishing pier. His alert mom, Sandy, fetched him from the water and hustled him to their heated auto, where he was quickly stripped out of his wet clothes and wrapped in a blanket. If anyone felt the autumn chill all the way to their bones yesterday, it was young Elijah.

Ed Zieralski: (619) 293-1225; ed.zieralski@uniontrib.com

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Kids get hooked on fishing at local lakes

By Ed Zieralski
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
September 24, 2006

It was National Hunting and Fishing Day, but at Lake Cuyamaca yesterday it was all about fishing and all about setting a Southern California record for kids with rods and reels in one place.

“I'm pretty sure this is a record for a kids' trout fishing event,” said Steve Tillesen, major volunteer for the Lake Cuyamaca Fishin' In The Pines Free Kids Fishing Derby.

No one had an official count of munchkins, but supervising ranger Willard Lepley and Captain John Grabowski of the Red Rooster III and All Outdoors Radio figured it was more than 550. Throw in the adults who accompanied them and the crowd of more than 1,000 that lined the shoreline and dotted all parts of the lake with boats.