Hello my friends!!
I traveled Monday to a park I've never hunted before. I met up with three of my hunting buddies, Dana Point Val, Mike(ratman), and Curt(Bibleman). Since Mike had hunted this park in the past, he gave us some insight to the better producing areas. The park was loaded with a high amount of ground minerals(hot rocks), iron, fill dirt, and EMI from power lines. Sub-par conditions for sure, but I was very satisfied with the outcome of our day there. Between the 4 of us, we managed 16 silvers, and over 80 wheats. I ended up my day with 9 silvers, along with 47 wheaties. I couldn't find any info on my token, but it's in pretty good shape. My best find of the day was the large copper tag with the words, "Pop's Willow Lake". Mike and I had talked in the past about this famous, old swimming hole built out of a rock quarry that was popular in the 30's until around 1954, before closing up, and how cool it would be to find a piece of history from this establishment. The tag still had a safety pin attached to it, which crumbled in my hand. Today, there are no signs of this swimming hole in the Valley, but you can find info about it on the Net.. Who knows, the tag may have been given to Marilyn Monroe before swimming in the lake.
Pop's Willow Lake was opened in 1931 by James A. (Pop) Gautier. It washed away in the 1938 flood that devastated the Valley but was rebuilt in time for a young Marilyn Monroe (then Norma Jeane Baker of Van Nuys High School) to spend wartime dates there with her first husband, Jim Dougherty.
It was a very productive hunt for me, especially from a park I never hunted in the past.
Thanks for looking!
Keep The Passion High!
CAPTN SE
Dan
PS - I'm posting my "junk" from the hunt also....there was such an assortment of trash items, I'd thought I would post it up for you!!
I traveled Monday to a park I've never hunted before. I met up with three of my hunting buddies, Dana Point Val, Mike(ratman), and Curt(Bibleman). Since Mike had hunted this park in the past, he gave us some insight to the better producing areas. The park was loaded with a high amount of ground minerals(hot rocks), iron, fill dirt, and EMI from power lines. Sub-par conditions for sure, but I was very satisfied with the outcome of our day there. Between the 4 of us, we managed 16 silvers, and over 80 wheats. I ended up my day with 9 silvers, along with 47 wheaties. I couldn't find any info on my token, but it's in pretty good shape. My best find of the day was the large copper tag with the words, "Pop's Willow Lake". Mike and I had talked in the past about this famous, old swimming hole built out of a rock quarry that was popular in the 30's until around 1954, before closing up, and how cool it would be to find a piece of history from this establishment. The tag still had a safety pin attached to it, which crumbled in my hand. Today, there are no signs of this swimming hole in the Valley, but you can find info about it on the Net.. Who knows, the tag may have been given to Marilyn Monroe before swimming in the lake.
Pop's Willow Lake was opened in 1931 by James A. (Pop) Gautier. It washed away in the 1938 flood that devastated the Valley but was rebuilt in time for a young Marilyn Monroe (then Norma Jeane Baker of Van Nuys High School) to spend wartime dates there with her first husband, Jim Dougherty.
It was a very productive hunt for me, especially from a park I never hunted in the past.
Thanks for looking!
Keep The Passion High!
CAPTN SE
Dan
PS - I'm posting my "junk" from the hunt also....there was such an assortment of trash items, I'd thought I would post it up for you!!
Congrats.
Thanks for the pics and the great story. HH.
JJ