They are driving off of the end of West Nees behind George Brown's Gym. There are considerable problems associated with that.  While it is true that a pre-existing access to a State river can not be blocked from the public domain, the landowners on either side of the road are being trampled by that very public, tearing down fences, 4-wheeling new and diverse erosion channels into the bluff, and building campsites and "hooches" below the rich folks homes. Some have even decided that it is a free hunting zone and come down with everything from paintball guns to assalt rifles.  Most of this activity we watch with amusement from our side of the river.  However, the Fresno PD, Fresno Sheriff's Dept, DFG, and Fresno Fire Dept have urged us to call in these activities.  As we don't want to be a nuissance to the dispatcher, we only call in when there is an instance of gunshots or fires.  Mostly, Eagle 1 (the chopper) does a fly-over once or twice a day during the weekends and scopes it out from the air.  Legally, you cannot get into any trouble if you leave your vehicle on the paved road and proceed by foot from there.  Keep in mind that the property owners on either side of the road have liability issues and are motivated to NOT have you on their land.  Also, if you drive off the pavement and get stuck in the sand, the tow truck that comes to rescue you may be accompanied by an officer! Now you have a tow bill, a fine for "will-full destruction of riparian habitat", and possible tresspass - hard to get out of when your vehicle is stuck in the guilty position - en flagratto, so to speak. Also,there is a small cadre of river-istas that routinely tear down signs and repaired fences in the name of "free access" and liberation. Another small cadre of folk that put up the signs and repair the fences.  These two groups do not get along!  And then there are the ones I really dislike who consider the end of the road a "free dumping zone".  We can read license plates from our side and these folks DO get reported forthwith.  Efforts are underway to block the access entirely so vehicles CAN NOT drive beyond the pavement.  This is entirely due to public access becoming "public nuissance".  Our concern as management of the Sycamore Island Park is in stopping the vandalism and miscreants from speading across the river into the Park, and nothing more.  Personally, I enjoy the entertainment aspect of all the activity over there.  We have nick-named it the Pinedale-Pismo Recreation Area.

The ramp to the river has been improved.  The pot holes and the drop off at the end has been fixed.  It is a concrete ramp.  Some have complained that it is too steep and needs to be completely re-done.  We agree!  That would be a major contruction change and is outside of what Falcontail Enterprises is capable of doing.  As this property is owned by the State through the San Joaquin River Conservancy, state funds would have to be allocated for this.  It is certainly worth lobbying for.  Should money come our way, the first priority would be in bridging the channel for better access to the Island.  Second would be to excavate a small ditch to restore waterlevels to the ponds that are drying up and to the channel itself.  Third would be rebuilding the boat ramp.  Of course, most of the issues regarding this would be alleviated by simply having more water flowing down the river, a hotly contested issue that is in the news almost daily.  There is not much we can do about this here at the local level.  What we could do, we have done - repairing the existing ramp.

 

Oddly, this IS a frequently asked question.  Individuals have sat in the bait shop for HOURS and advocated it. Some have suggested WE grow it here, what a great place, think of the money, etc. One individual refreshingly and opening simply asked if I minded if he grew marijuana here. NO! I understand the bait shop is an outback sort of place to sit and BS, but this is too much.  One individual whom I thought was a friend, became angry and actually said that he was growing it "near" here and that both the game warden and I were not smart enough to find his plants or catch him!  It is not only outrageous and annoying, it is decidedly illegal.  My position, Falcontail Enterprise's, the San Joaquin River Conservancy's and the State of California's is simple.  NO!  You will be reported to the game warden and local law enforcement.  Plants are easily found and erradicated. 

 

I get this more than anything.  The only answer is the obvious one and I don't mean to be flip.  They are in the water!

 

 

All the fish here are freshwater fish. What we mostly see caught are large-mouth bass, channel and bullhead catfish, perch, radar, bluegill, crappie and carp.  Only occasionally do we see any of the trout that are planted 15 river miles upstream below Friant Dam. I believe most of them are eaten by the bass, if indeed, they swim down the stream this far. Twice I have seen striped bass here, but that is a rarity.

 

Once upon a time......  In 1996 $8,000 of Florida Bass and crappie were planted.  But in January 1997 we had the huge discharge from the dam that destroyed the bridge at Highway 41 and flooded the entire area.  Most of the Florida Bass were washed downstream.  Nothing has been stocked here since.  Occassionally, the hatchery in Friant will have extra trout fingerlings and will put them in the river half a mile above the Island.  Very seldom are they seen or caught after that. That means that most of the fish are native and self-sustaining populations.

 

Crappie are in all the ponds.  Some catch them.  Some don't.

 

It is a reasonable fee. And it hasn't changed in 3 years.  Also, it discourages people who don't want to pay $9 from coming in.  We have discovered that when it was $6 people brought in more garbage and old tires than after we raised it to $9. I don't have a rational explanation for this.  I am actually considering raising the fee to $10 and including a garbage bag and then giving $2 back as folks bring me back a full-ish bag on their way out.  Is this do-able?

 

When people come in and pay at the bait shop they also sign a release of liability.  It also says that you are aware that you swim at your own risk.  This has been a fishing area for a long time and there are strange and mysterious rusty hooks and old illegal trot-lines underwater.  I am only aware of 3 drownings we have had here in 50 years as opposed to Skaggs Bridge with 1 per year and Avacado Lake with several every season.  We strongly discourage swimming, but it's up to you.

 

We don't condone, advocate or promote use of recreational drugs here or anywhere.  As for alcohol (and tobacco), it is not available at the baitshop.  Is it illegal to drink beer on State property or while in your boat on the river?  I am not sure.  I can say that drunken and disorderly conduct and annoying other patrons is not permitted.

 

Absolutely.  But again, ask when you arrive.  The conditions of the ramps are largely dependent on the water level in the river, i.e. the discharge from Millerton Dam.  All aluminum boats are doable at all the ramps if they can be carried or man-handled.  Beware of the sand and mud.

 

Yep.  The fee is for ACCESS, not for fishing.

 

Yes.  Because the water areas are not fully fenced in and access can be gained from the river.  In other words, the river runs through it.  The area is now all State owned.  Even formerly when it was private property, you needed a license.  The game warden had a saying I liked "It may be private property but it is still State water."  Best advise: buy a fishing license in January and carry it with you proudly.

 

We don't sell fishing licenses.  Closest place to get them is at John's Liquor in Pinedale.  We do have a 17 foot canoe, a 10 foot jon boat and a  14 foot fishing boat  - so far - that are available for rent ($20, $30, and $40 respectively, for half-day use).  Occassionally, folks drop off boats here for sale.  So if you see one and you are interested, just ask.

 

Camping is doable on Friday and Saturday nights.  Technically, we call it "All Night Fishing" because no ground fires are allowed.  Barbeques and hibachi-type cooking is okay, but again, dumping your hot coals on the ground IS NOT OKAY.  Be prepared to douse your coals when done and pack them out with you.  We are working toward gaining and installing the park-style grills that you find cemented on poles, but they aren't here yet.