Ponds at Ford Park in Redlands

[pacerpacer8]

i grew up in redlands and fished those ponds 35 yrs ago during the summer we would ride ice blocks down the hills,im down ,i forgot about griswalds

[mudskipper76]

sign me up! would love to see that place get fixed up!!

[Big Bear Legal Eagle]

Thanks to everyone reading my post on the ponds at Ford Park in Redlands. We are gaining some real traction here and my goal is to put together a project outline to submit to the Fish America Foundation grant contest with up to $25,000 for rehabilitation of an urban fishing area. I'm just up the hill from the park. You can reach me at (909) 793-3512 or at McAttorney@aol.com

Barrett McInerney

[carpanglerdude]

Making that place C&R except for kids would be nice...or C&R for everything.

[ANGLER-IN-TRAINING]

You don't hear much about these ponds because fishermen keep it quiet. At times, it can be WFO even on topwater!!! However, I have not been to it for a good while, weed build up is a big problem. It's nice that somebody is going to, finally, do something about it.

My first bass was out there on a buzzbait, wo-ho!!!

[Mrborohachi]

Has anyone fished it lately? I too remember in the time of Griswold's Smorgasbord and the candy shop. When was the last time DFG even stocked the place?

[Sublime-Steve]

I do professional photography if ya need me lemme know free of charge

[FireBassMan]

I fished there this spring every weekend for a month and caught 4-7 bass everytime i went. my kids love it because its like a forsure catch when they go weather it is bass or baby bluegill. the sad thing is to see locals catching the bed fish and taking them out. its good to see someone taking time to make that park a better place for the kids.

firebassman

[usmcfisherman]

i have never actually fished the park but i have driven by it many times and always wondered about fishin it. if u need volunteers to help with anything i can pitch the idea to my JROTC instructor. hes a huge fisherman.

[Big Bear Legal Eagle]

Thanks for the offer!! The Marines to the rescue?? Love it!!
As an update for everybody, I am trying to do all the footwork just to make sure we don't step on any toes. I have had very favorable responses from the the City of Redlands Parks Department, the Redlands Water Department, Mike Giusti (the local Cal Fish & Game biologist), the citizen volunteer group building a dog park at Ford Park, Brent Erhler (the professional bass fisherman who first fished at Ford Park), Jim Matthews (Outdor News Service), Peter Jorris (Executive Director of the San Bernardino Mountins Land Trust), the owner of Pond Diggers (the company that builds waterfalls and ponds throughout Redlands and the Palm Springs area), and several members from the Fishing Network. I am still looking forward to making contact with the Ford family members who still live in the area, Deep Creek Flyfishers, local bass clubs, the Sierra Club, the Redlands Conservancy and the Inland Valley Retriever Club (my 6-month old Lab was the one who "discovered" the ponds). If you can think of anyone else, let me know!
Once I have locked down the source and reliability of the replacement water supply (As Mark Twain wrote: "In the west, whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting."), I will set up a general meeting at the ponds to walk the perimeter of the ponds and then go back up to our house for an initial overview meeting over "adult beverages." The goal is to have a written proposal by the end of the summer for submission for the urban fishing grant programs by the FishAmerica Foundation, the California Wildlife Conservation Board and anyone else where we can obtain donations. Thank you all for your continued interest and please do not hesitate to call.
Barrett McInerney
McAttorney@aol.com
(909) 793-3512