Oceanside anglers use a lot of line

Members of the Oceanside Senior Anglers fishing club, as part of their conservation platform, have joined a nationwide monofilament fishing-line-recycling program. Since last April the local club has recycled over 20 miles of used fishing line.

The club joined with fishing outfitter Berkley and their innovative line-recycling program. Through the company’s Conservation Institute, Berkley uses the old line to create artificial, underwater, four-foot cubes that provide habitat for complex fisheries in lakes and reservoirs. They are especially useful under piers and fishing docks — a place for young fingerlings to hide out from larger, predator fish.

A Berkley spokesperson said almost immediately after placement, underwater plants get attached to the cubes, and small fish are attracted.

The club asks its 650 members to bring in their old line to the monthly meetings. Members also encourage others to save old line on their charter boat trips. This year the club, which sponsors wounded warrior fishing trips and the Boy Scout’s Camp Fiesta Island fishing program, added the old line from both of the program’s numerous fishing reels that were respooled with fresh line.

To date, Berkley has recycled more than nine million miles of old fishing line — enough to fill two reels for every angler in the country. Bo Bolender, the Oceanside Senior Angler’s Conservation Program Director, says old line sometimes gets left as trash, or in the landfill, and can eventually hurt wildlife.