Fishing enthusiasts and funseekers who simply want to spend a day bayside can celebrate the start of the fishing season in style on Sunday, April 19 when Day at the Docks returns for its 30th year. The event will be held at San Diego Sportfishing Landings in Point Loma from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. “It’s the only show of its kind on the West Coast,” said Day at the Docks’ press coordinator Gary Graham. There is no cost for the event, which features a wide variety of fishing activities, food and entertainment throughout the day. Graham said what makes Day at the Docks unique is that it all takes place on one day. “Most of the events are multi-day events. This happens on one day,” Graham said. “The exhibitors you talk to say that it is the best single-day event (around).” Day at the Docks will be marking its third decade Sunday, and Graham said he expects about 25,000 participants. “It’s right on the waterfront, at the home of where sportfishing was born in Southern California,” Graham said. Anglers can be schooled during Day at the Docks, with seminars geared for all levels of fishermen. Lecture topics range from “10 Percent of the Anglers Catch 90 Percent of the Fish” to “Fishing Lines and Secure Knots” to “Trolling With Rapala Jigs for Yellowtail and Tuna.” Those in attendance will also have the opportunity to pick the brains of the crews of the San Diego sportfishing fleet, whose boats will be open to the public during the event. Graham said most of the captains of the 70 boats moored there will be on their vessels during the open house. “If you’re a beginning angler or an expert, it’s an opportunity for you to talk to the guys that can make you better than you are right now,” Graham said. “You can talk to the guys that do it every day for a living and do it better than most. These are the guys that started this business.” A number of tackle vendors will be demonstrating and selling their products at Day at the Docks. Graham said the event allows smaller retailers to show off their unique products. “Because of the low cost, we get the entrepreneurs that have something to offer to the sportfishing community,” Graham said. For the competitors, there will be a casting contest at the pier north of H&M Landing at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and a knot-tying contest throughout the day at the Izorline booth with a tie-off at 3:30 p.m. Raffle tickets will also be sold for raffles held on the main stage. A trio of musical acts will provide live music on the main stage as well. Classic rock ‘n’ roll band Pound Dog will start off the day at 9 a.m., followed by the Bayou Brothers at 12:30 p.m. and fisherman musicians Three Legged Dog at 3:15 p.m. As for those who aren’t the biggest fans of fishing, cooking seminars will be held all day at the Catch, Prep & Cook Center. There, people can learn how to prepare sushi and ahi from the experts and even get a taste of the famous fish tacos by Shauna Barton of the South Bay Lady Anglers at 3:30 p.m. “There’s almost 200 exhibitors and they’re showing not just fishing stuff,” Graham said. For $2, attendees can also take a ride around the San Diego Bay. Boat rides will take passengers around the bay from Point Loma and H&M Landing. Even the littlest anglers will not leave Day at the Docks empty-handed. For kids, there will be an art area and an area stocked with mackerel from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. “We’ve got over 1,000 pounds of mackerel for kids to fish for and that’s all free,” Graham said. The San Diego Sportfishing Council will be handing out coupons at Day at the Docks allowing kids 15 and younger to fish free during the month of May. From April 20 to May 31, a child’s fare is free with the purchase of an adult half, three-quarter, or full-day fare for fishing trips leaving from H&M Landing, Fisherman’s Landing and Point Loma Sportfishing Landing. “This is a great opportunity and it’s a very affordable thing,” said Day at the Docks producer Catherine Miller. “If you get kids fishing early, they adopt it as a lifetime sport. It is also a great time to spend time with a child out on the ocean.” Free parking for Day at the Docks is available on Shelter Island with free shuttles running to and from the event from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information on Day at the Docks, including a full schedule of events, visit www.sportfishing.org or www.twitter.com/dayatthedocks. “If you love fishing,” Graham said, “you can’t not go to it.”