From seasoned fishing enthusiasts to those who have never set foot in a boat, there is a little something for everyone at the 31st annual Day at the Docks event on Sunday, April 18. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the San Diego Sportfishing Landing on Shelter Island. “It’s so much fun,” said event producer Catherine Miller. “We’ve set this event to have appealing elements for every member of the family.” About 25,000 people are expected to attend the free event, which celebrates the start of Southern California’s spring saltwater fishing season. Miller said the fish have already been biting in advance of the event. “This year, the yellowtail started biting in earnest about three weeks ago, so we’re a little late in celebrating it. The season may be in full swing by the time this kickoff takes place,” Miller said. “We’ve had some of the best spring yellowtail fishing we’ve had in years and expect it to continue throughout the kickoff to the season.” Among the highlights of this year’s Day at the Docks is a star-studded lineup at the Catch, Prep and Cook Center. Among the guests will be Fiddler’s Green head chef Steve Rock preparing white sea bass in a ginger and lime marinade, Scott Wagner from ChileCo Catering and Julie Frans, owner of Dining Details personal chef services. “That whole series should be very interesting this year,” Miller said. Another treat is the fleet open house, which will give those who have never boarded a fishing vessel a chance to peek around. Miller said this is a rare opportunity. “If someone has not been aboard a one of the boats in the fleet before, they need to take this opportunity and walk down the docks and walk on board,” Miller said. “There are very few times during the season where you’re going to see this many boats to walk through.” More than 200 exhibitors will be at Day of the Docks, showcasing a variety of items from all sorts of tackle to De-Fishing Soap to The Coolest Shoes in California. The latter are European-designed plastic shoes that are nearly weightless. Entertainment and food will be served up all day long, including Catalina Offshore Product’s fish tacos which will be sold to benefit the Monarch School for homeless and at-risk children downtown. Competitive spirits won’t be disappointed either, with a casting contest at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and a knot-tying competition. For future captains, the Kids Fishing Adventure will have stocked pools of fish from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for children ages 4 to 12. There will also be an area where children can try their hand at painting pictures of marine life. Returning for a second straight year is Capsize a Captain, in which those in attendance can pay $5 to get three shots at sinking a skipper in a dunk tank. The event, hosted by Red Rooster 3’s captain, Andy Cates, benefits the Friends of Rollo charity (which conducts marine awareness fishing trips) and was a big hit last year. “He put captains in the seat and had people throw trying to dunk them,” Miller said. “He had a line all day long — people really wanted to dunk these captains.” Free parking for Day at the Docks is available on Shelter Island, with red double-decker shuttle buses running every 10 minutes. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/day-docks2010.