The spillway at Lake Casa Blanca: thousands of talapia swim south
By Daniel Muñoa
Increased precipitation over the last 12 months has topped off Lake Casa Blanca, filling it to capacity. In this time of plenty the lake's spillway comes alive as it did during the last week of March and the first weeks of April, conveying excess water from the lake to Chacon Creek following periods of heavy rain.
I recently enjoyed an afternoon of fishing for talapia, having reached our spot by taking the partially submerged utility road that runs perpendicular to the flow of water in the spillway. The water flow in the area was so shallow that it was easy to spot the thousands of talapia coming out of the lake and making their way into the creek.
I met an angler by the name of Jaime Blanco who was doing something I have never seen done before. He was fishing with a bow and arrow from a canoe. There was a reel on the bow with one end of the fish line attached to it and the other to the arrow. He said he was using a lighter, simpler bow with a maximum range of 25 yards . It seemed effective enough because he had an ice chest full of fish. I was fortunate to catch a few pictures of him in action as he shot the arrow and successfully dragged out a good-sized talapia.
All the while, two Osprey, birds of prey, circled overhead ready to dive and catch their meal for the day, reminding me that Lake Casa Blanca, the only clean, public recreational body of water in the area, is a treasure to be conserved and protected from development.
