PUTTIN’ ON THE FISH : Some Boats Filled With Bass, Some Filled With Laughter as Event Mixes Novices, Experts

At 6:21 Saturday morning, Ben Griggs and Rich Ireland, a couple of guys who spend their weekdays in the Navy, meandered down to a dock at the south end of Lake Morena.

The sun had only recently replaced darkness over the 1,000-acre man-made body of water in the rolling hills of the Cleveland National Forest, an hour east of downtown San Diego. The two would-be fishermen wiped the last bit of sleep from their eyes.

Neither seemed to be in a particular hurry, but then who would be at this hour? Down at the old Oak Shore Malt Shop--the only place around to grab an early-morning bite--they were stirring, but the breakfast rush was at least a few hours away.

Still, on this day, Griggs and Ireland had missed reveille.

Almost an hour earlier, at 5:30, Tony DiGiovanna and his 73-year-old partner Slim Hill--we’re talking real fishermen now--led a group of 54 boats, two on each, onto the lake for the seventh San Diego Parks Society Bass Tournament.

DiGiovanna, recognized as one of the finest bass fishermen in Southern California, said he may find some time next month to compete in the national championships at Lake Mead in Las Vegas.

You can tell he’ll be ready if he goes. His boat was loaded with all the conveniences--a radar to locate schools of fish, plenty of room for reels and tackle, and a brand-new motor that would whisk him across to the west side of the lake, to Hot Rock, so he could get started.

Hot Rock has been good to DiGiovanna. One time with Richard White, one of the more skilled locals, he pulled in 10 fish (the most the state allows for one day for two). The average of each was nearly 4 pounds. By the way, it was snowing that day, so the two men did their work wearing ski masks and sharing the deck with a battery-operated heater.

“Best day I ever had at Lake Morena,” White said.

It seems that Griggs and Ireland, the Navy pair, won’t find similar success. In fact, it appeared that they might never make it out. Already an hour late, their operation was slowed when Ireland forgot to put the anchor in the boat. The twosome--for tournament purposes, Team 47--had encountered another delay.

Ireland smiled and went back for the anchor, and then Griggs started rowing. He wasn’t whisking across the lake, mind you, but rowing. His rental boat had no motor.

“I don’t think they’ll be winning this tournament,” said tournament official Dennis Smith with a laugh.

No, they wouldn’t. But at least Griggs and Ireland were out there with DiGiovanna and several others who have top-notch credentials. That’s the essence of the event.

“What makes this tournament special and different from the rest of them (there are bass fishing tournaments every month throughout the county), is that this is the only one in which club members, pros and people out just to have a good time can all compete,” DiGiovanna said. “So there’s no pressure, and you can just have fun.”

That’s why DiGiovanna took Slim out with him. He said it seemed as if it would be fun to fish with the oldest fellow in the tournament. A couple of kids, no older than 6, fished with their dads.

Over by Hot Rock, DiGiovanna caught the biggest fish of the day, 9-pounds 4-ounces.

But he didn’t win the overall title. The first prize of $400 went to Bob Cook and Jim Putney of La Mesa with a 10-fish haul of 33-pounds 14-ounces. DiGiovanna and Slim finished fourth and split the $200 prize for the biggest fish.

“I still enjoy this tournament more than most,” DiGiovanna said.

Seven years ago, the San Diego County Parks Society began the tournament at Lake Morena, mostly because the lake needed the publicity.

Park rangers had just put out some new rental boats, but nobody was coming their way to take advantage of them. The tournament was started, and it became an instant success.

Nowadays, anglers say that Lake Morena is as good for fishing as any in San Diego County.

For the past four years, the event has been run by members of the San Diego Fish and Game Assn. bass team. The group holds many of its tournaments at Lake Morena during the year, so it agrees to host the Parks Society event.

White, a member of the Fish and Game Assn. team, was thus reduced to an official Saturday.

“The only thing better about being an official is that you can drink a couple of beers,” he said. “When you’re in tournaments, you’re not supposed to drink. That hurts you sometimes.”

But not often. Sans beer, White finished second this year in the California state tournament.

“This lake here is one that you have to spend some time with,” White said Saturday as he watched anglers in the competition scurry from side to side. “After a few hours in the competition, everybody starts to wonder why they’re not doing as well as they should be. So they move.

“If you have all the tackle and boats and reels, it doesn’t mean a thing without bass confidence. That’s the problem with these people, they don’t have the confidence in themselves to wait it out.”

For Cook and Putney, there wasn’t much waiting. Less than an hour after they left the dock at 5:30, they had reached their limit. They spent the rest of the morning--the event ended at noon--trying to top what they already had. They couldn’t do it.

“This is a thrill for us because you’ve got some of the best fishermen in the county out here,” Putney said.

Added Cook: “We may even go over and celebrate with a malt.” The Oak Shore Malt Shop still makes ‘em the old-fashioned way, in those silver containers.

Just then, as Cook and Putney were holding their fish for pictures and congratulations, up rowed Team 47. Griggs and Ireland were worn out, but not because they had been bringing in fish.

Totals for the day: one bass that wasn’t big enough to keep (13 inches was the smallest allowed in the competition) and one that slipped off Ireland’s hook on the way in.

The rest of the anglers combined to catch 124 fish, all but nine of which were sent back into the lake afterward, one by one.

Griggs took note of this and turned to Ireland with a brilliant idea.

“Hey,” he said. “Let’s go back out there right now. With all those fish they’re sending back out there, we’re bound to catch something.”

White, close by, heard the suggestion.

“Seems like they’re learning,” he said. “Seems like they’re learning.”