Family fun on the fly set to cast in Point Loma

More than 20,000 people are expected to walk the docks and trade in their land legs for sea legs during this year’s Unified Port of San Diego’s highly popular Day at the Docks event. The free 33rd annual event is scheduled for Sunday, April 15 at the sportfishing landings in Point Loma. “It’s the oldest and largest sportfishing show on the West Coast,” said event coordinator Vic Gamboa, “which means the all-day affair will have plenty to offer for families of all ages and sizes.” Bright and early at 9 a.m., guests will be welcomed on the main stage with some classic rock ’n’ roll music to get the day started. Throughout the day, the main stage will be home to two local bands, a handful of seminars and three raffle drawings to win the newest and coolest fishing gear, with proceeds benefiting the San Diego Burn Institute. Aside from cool fishing gear, the other obvious component to becoming a world-class sportfisher is a cool fishing boat. If guests so choose to strengthen their sea legs, they can take a guided tour of the world’s largest state-of-the-art sportfishing fleet, that just so happens to call Cup Harbor at San Diego Bay its home port. Not only will there be an opportunity for families to explore boats, but to cruise San Diego Bay itself — on the cheap. Trips around the bay will run continuously throughout the day from all three Point Loma landings for just $2. Guests should be prepared to bring an appetite. The festival will not only offer plenty of food options but also classes on how to prepare the day’s catch. Local chefs will be on hand with tips, ideas and techniques to improve the enjoyment of a fresh seafood catch. Presentation topics will range from proper handling and storage to preparation of fresh fish. There will also be recipes and samples available at the seminars. To become a seasoned fish-filleter, event organizers said one must become an expert fish-catcher — and there are seminars for that, too. Captains, crews and experts will give presentations to help improve hook-up and catch rates for both beginners and experienced anglers. Gamboa said people are already getting excited for this year’s new seminars and seminar presenters like Ronnie Kovach, who hosts Fishing Ventures Television on Fox Sports West. The first seminars start at 10 a.m., and topics range from sportboat fishing techniques to choosing the right rod. Other seminars, like “Bringing the Family into the Sport,” offer something for everyone because Day at the Docks provides all-day activities for children. There will be fishing areas set up on each landing for kids to get the chance to catch their own mackerel. “For a lot of them, it’s the first fish they’ve ever caught,” Gamboa said. Children ages 4-12 will be provided rods, reels and assistance by members of the San Diego Rod & Reel Club and the San Diego Anglers. Besides the hands-on fishing adventure, there will also be games and drawing contests for children. And for the kids-at-heart or the super-competitive guests, there will be knot-tying and casting competitions throughout the day. Winners of the contests will be awarded fishing trips and tackle packages. While Day at the Docks gives families the opportunity to win prizes, it also marks the official beginning of the spring sportfishing season — which means the memories will last longer than a day. Point Loma has long been a hot spot for sportfishing and touts a variety of options that are available to fishing enthusiasts. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.sportfishing.org.