“Summertime and the livin’ is easy, the fish are jumpin’ and the cotton is high.”
Lyrics from and old iconic song can sure describe California in the summer. Although you don’t think of California in the “cotton is high” part of the song , cotton fields do exist in California. However, we are talking fishing!!
With the Pacific Ocean flanking our west coast and the multitudes of lakes, rivers, streams, lagoons, fishing in California is a popular pastime all year round.
Fishing gets you outside, into nature and it is a relatively inexpensive activity. Bait isn’t expensive, you can get good deals on rods and reels, and the permit is less than $50 for the year. Leave the expensive gear for the serious enthusiasts. Probably the most expensive part is the gas to get there or if you are renting a boat. Plus you can share the day with your kids as this is a great family activity.
Check out this link for fishing permit information:
https://www.dfg.ca.gov/licensing/fishing/fishdescrip.html
On public piers, you do not need a fishing license. Remember though that there are regulations that you should be aware of as it pertains on what you can keep. You should educate yourself on these before you consider taking something home.
In almost every harbor along the coast you can take a half or full day boat trips where you are helped by the deck crew and the gear can be provided. There are even overnight and longer trips you can take. You can also rent smaller boats and tool around most harbors.
Fishing isn’t for everyone, you have to bait the hook and some people don’t like to see the fish suffer or get hurt.
There are many ways to alleviate this with non barbed hooks and making sure you know how to pull hooks out without hurting the fish. Or know when to leave the hook in to give the fish the best chance to survive. This is part of fishing that is not for everyone. You really have to decide if this activity is for you.
However, for the faint of heart you can tag along with your buddies and just enjoy the day. If you saw our post about San Diego Bay, the fishing dock was right on the bay and there was so much to look at and keep you entertained.
Only half of us were actually fishing. Here Staycationer JoJo enjoying the day.
Whether you want to fish or just join your friends, fishing is a perfect example of a staycation activity. Plus we had some cool photos we wanted to show you.
Either way, get outside and enjoy!
Or stay and watch our favorite thing, the sunset.
Staycations California 