Kids are piling out of school and looking to have some fun this summer. So help them!
All you gotta do is invite a couple of kids to go fishing. A fishing trip is way more fun than moping around home saying, “I’m bored!” They will learn a bunch about nature and critters and hopefully get to enjoy a healthy and fresh fish dinner. You are going to have fun, too.
How and where? It’s easier than you may think.
Piers are an easy place to start. Goleta Pier is probably the best overall fishing pier on the coast. Stearns Wharf is pretty good, too. You can opt instead to fish on the beach, casting into the waves for perch, sharks, rays and maybe even a halibut. Boat fishing can be arranged and is a fabulous experience, but ups the ante financially.
Wherever you decide to go, the starting point is your local bait and tackle shop, Hook, Line & Sinker on Calle Real between Upper State Street and Highway 154 (on the same street as the big Sansum Clinic). That’s my shop, and I or Capt. Tiffany Vague, the store manager, can set you up with just what you need and give you all the helpful advice you’ll need.
Kids very much enjoy the stop at the tackle shop. In fact, we have a few pre-teeners and teenagers who help us out at the shop in exchange for fishing knowledge.
At the shop, you’ll learn the best (maybe even a secret) spots and how to rig up and fish them. We teach people this stuff all the time. It’s easy. Then you are off to a pier or beach spot, or if you prefer, we can help you figure out how to get onto a fishing boat.
A trip on a big open-party sportboat is best for bigger kids who can stand their ground at the rail, whereas smaller kids may have trouble with the competitive environment on these boats. Stay right with the kid at the rail and you can both have a great experience. Ask the crew for extra help and tip the crew well. Sportboat crew members always rely on your generous tips to augment their income. Kids always love the full-service galleys aboard these boats. In Santa Barbara, we have the Stardust and the Coral Sea.
A private-charter experience is the ultimate option. The boat and seasoned skipper are totally dedicated to helping the kid learn to fish and interpret the surrounding conditions and sea life. Private charters are the simplest option in terms of planning and preparation, since you can use the rods/reels, tackle and bait available aboard the charter boat. In Santa Barbara, we have WaveWalker Charters, my charter boat.
Another option is a drive up to Cachuma Lake. The water may be low, but it is well-stocked with trout and there are plenty of other fish in there, too, such as catfish, bass, crappie and carp. The lake is a gorgeous place to be and the fishing is fun. While there, stop by the Neal Taylor Nature Center.
With summer vacation beginning and the weather warming nicely, now is the time to put a plan together that will result in something positive for the kid to include in that first important school essay assignment: “What I Did On My Summer Vacation … .” You may even get an honorable mention in that essay!
— Capt. David Bacon operates WaveWalker Charters and is president of SOFTIN Inc., a nonprofit organization providing seafaring opportunities for those in need. Visit softininc.blogspot.com to learn more about the organization and how you can help. Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
