“Well now take down your fishin’ pole,
And meet me at the fishin’ hole.
We might not catch a bite all day,
But don’t you rush away”
– From the Andy Griffith Theme Song.
That was the feeling at the annual Crystal Lake Fishing Derby. When talking with folks who know fishing, there’s a hundred reasons why the fish are biting, and a thousand more why they are not. But that’s all just good banter while spending a Sunday morning at the Crystal Lake beach.
The contestants were spread along the shoreline of the lake. Some bunching up on favorite spots, and others hoping for an edge by staking out their own spot. Perhaps following the feeling of Hemingway who believed, “Somebody just back of you while you are fishing is as bad as someone looking over your shoulder while you write a letter to your girl.”
One young girl who attended The Derby was diligently searching with her little brother for seashells on the beach. Their father gently advised that sea shells are not found near lakes, but by oceans. The man stood corrected when his daughter displayed a collection of seashells. Crystal Lake has just had truck loads of sand delivered in preparation for the new season, and the sand came from the Jersey Shore. So, yes, you can go searching for seashells on the shores in Oakland.
We did not know the results of the Derby when going to press with this story, but based on our polling, The Oakland Journal is ready to project everybody a winner. One proud participant did provide us with a photo-op of his catch. Justin Miner caught the fish, while Mike Miner did us the favor of holding it out for the camera….Thanks guys.
Check out the Crystal Lake website to learn about beach membership fees, hours of operation, and future events. The club offers several packages for full, part-time, or day pass memberships. It is open weekends starting May 24th, and open daily June 21st to September 1st.
If you attended The Derby, please add to our article by submitting a comment below. All comments are approved before posting, but we will get them up ASAP, and they will appear directly below this article.
THE RESULTS ARE IN!….The big winners of the day were Conor and Brianne Given. This brother and sister team took first and second place. Conor pulled in a 13 inch bass (putting him in first place for largest fish caught) and also for catching a total of 8 fish between the two of them. Our third place winner was Diana Maas, who caught a total of 3 fish. Each child was awarded with a new fishing pole.