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When you take a kid fishing, it's a tossup who will benefit
most. The child will enjoy the outing, feel empowered by learning
from you a pastime and means of survival, and come to understand
the food chain and our place in it. Sometime during the day you
may honestly have trouble blinking back a tear because you will
feel so good about providing such a profound experience and thus
contributing to the growth of the child. You'll both benefit
greatly and equally, which makes this a very worthwhile
adventure. So invite a kid or two and make plans today for a trip
that will improve the quality of life for everyone involved.
Kids, a pier and simple tackle offer a good introduction to
angling.
PHOTO: CAPTAIN DAVID BACON
It's easy. Along the Southern California coast, there are dozens
of places to go wet a line and enjoy a few hours of fishing from
a pier or harbor breakwater. If you're an old hand at this,
you'll know to bring some light easy-to-use tackle such as
spinning gear and pre-tied leaders. Light weights from half-ounce
up to three ounces will suffice in the near-shore zone. If you're
a novice angler yourself, the folks at the tackle shops can help
keep things simple.
A stop by the local bait and tackle shop is always a wise idea
for experienced or novice anglers alike. The shopkeeper will know
what's biting, what to use, and can give you directions to the
best spot. Follow that good advice. Buy some bait and whatever
tackle you need. For pier, breakwater, and surf fishing, it's
easiest to buy surf leaders already made up with a swivel or loop
on the bottom for your weight and one or more hooks on short
dropper loops above the weight. They are so simple to tie on and
use that they save time, tangles, and frustration once at the hot
fishing spot.
Bait is another matter. The most common baits are fresh frozen
or salted anchovies. They are easy to work with, not too messy,
stay on the hook fairly well and the fish seem to like them.
Frozen squid is another good bait. It is extremely durable so it
stays on the hook well and is difficult for the fish to steal
without getting caught. Other preferred baits include mussels
(which can be bought frozen or broken off of pier pilings and
rocks), blood worms, and shrimp. You can also dig up sand crabs
from the wet sand where the waves wash ashore. It's a lot of fun
and they make great bait for surf zone fish like barred
surfperch, corbina, and even bass.
Where you fish is what determines what kind of fish you catch.
From a pier for example, the surf zone where the waves are
breaking is where perch and corbina hunt. Just behind the
breakers is where larger perch and young halibut feed actively. A
California Halibut must be at least 22 inches to be legal, so a
sub-legal fish is big enough to put up a good fight. Every once
in awhile a legal one will come up and then you're in for a truly
tasty meal. Farther out on the pier over deeper water you'll be
fishing for bass, larger halibut, sand and shovelnose sharks,
croakers, and mackerel. On occasion, schools of surface gamesters
such as bonito and barracuda come through and really heat up the
action for those casting and retrieving shiny lures.
Other fun options are available. For example, some live bait
docks allow fishing for a fee and provide live bait. It's no
secret that kids love fishing with live bait and it certainly
helps keep them occupied. Renting a skiff and venturing forth on
the water is another possibility. I would recommend this only if
you already have some boating safety knowledge, fishing skills,
and an understanding of where to find fish. Boats are notoriously
expensive to own and maintain and insurance is high, all of which
manifests itself in skiff rental fees which seem a bit high.
Teenagers will do okay on a large open party sportboat such as
the half-day, ¾-day, and all-day boats that run out of the
sportfishing landings. Younger kids may have trouble with the
competitive environment at the rail. Some of the guys who
frequent these boats aren't willing to give a kid much respect.
The stern area is usually the most competitive, and the bow is
where the hard-core jig slingers congregate. You can make the
most of the scene by staying right with the child and fishing
midway up the side of the boat. Sportfishing landings like to
attract family groups and many offer lower fares for kids. Nearly
every harbor along the SoCal coast has at least one sportfishing
landing. Your tackle shopkeeper may have brochures and advice.
The ultimate but also most expensive option available is a
private charter aboard a 6-PAK boat. The charterboat and skipper
will be totally dedicated to helping children or teens learn to
fish and interpret the conditions and sea life. The skipper will
know what's biting, where to go, and how to rig-up. Rods, reels,
and tackle are available on many of these charterboats. If the
$400 to $600 charter fee is a bit higher than you're able to pay,
consider calling some friends and sharing the cost.
Private chartering is my business. I own and operate
WaveWalker Charters in Santa Barbara. I'm happiest when there are
kids aboard who want to learn how to fish and better understand
the marine environment. To be perfectly honest, I still have
trouble holding back a tear when I'm helping a young child
understand the sea and all of it's creatures.
Capt. David Bacon a.k.a. “Capt. WaveWalker”
WaveWalker Charters, Santa Barbara
(805)964-2046 or (805)895-3273
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