Yes, we have reached our limit of kayaking volunteers, but you can still help at Lake Hodges. The bank fishing areas are a constant source of fishing line and litter. And they are easily accessible on foot.
Just this morning Janet and I went for a hike along the Del Dios shore. At the end of our hike we dropped down to do a beach walk. We didn’t have a bag, so we could not bring back the trash, just the fishing line. Here is what we found on the beach in about 15 minutes:
There’s a lot more line there than it looks like in the photo!
That bright bluish looking line was a trotline. It was left tied to a branch at the waterline and had a baited treble hook on the other end. It was just left there and it is lucky we found it before a grebe did. Trotline fishing is illegal and we find a lot of trotlines at the lake. We’ve also found at least one bird caught on a trotline hook that some illegal fisherman just left out there.
You can do bank walks like this, too. Take an hour out of your day, come down with a couple of those reusable plastic grocery bags, and walk the shore. Take your time and enjoy being there. You may see the shorebirds that are returning south from their summertime breeding grounds, you will certainly see our year-round birds on the shore and in the water, and you will certainly experience the peace that can be felt when you amble along the shoreline.
You will also experience the pride of knowing that the lake shore looks cleaner, more beautiful and is much safer for birds and wildlife than it was before you came. So give it a try.