With 70 miles of coastline and neighboring Mexican waters teeming with sea bounty, San Diego overflows with opportunities for folks to be “gone fishing.” From a privately chartered and intimate 40-foot boat to a larger vessel carrying up to 72 passengers to fishing among beds of kelp from a kayak, there is something for everyone off the shores of San Diego. The most economical voyages, marked by a short duration and less opportunity for motion sickness, are usually half-day trips lasting around six hours. They generally cost $42, not including a fishing license. Point Loma Sport Fishing runs two daily trips, casting off in the dawn light at 6:30 a.m. and another midday trip at 1 p.m. Trips are made aboard two 65-foot vessels named “The Daily Double” and “The Point Loma,” each carrying maximum passenger loads of 72 anglers (people who fish with a hook and line). “Weekends are busier, but during the week and in the morning you could luck out with a real small group of only 10,” said Point Loma Sport Fishing reservations agent Shawn Gray. From Point Loma Sport Fishing’s southern location on the Peninsula, their half-day trips sail to various spots near the Mexican border. “Using sonar equipment called ‘fish finders,’ captains will steer their boats toward hot-pockets, or areas where there are large numbers of fish,” Gray said. The day of fishing begins shortly after a hot pocket is found. Anglers will cast their lines with weighted lures to explore a lower depth column or use sardines and anchovies as live bait with a jig for top water fish like barracudas. Pacific Beach resident Sarah Webb recently embarked on a three-quarter-day trip option with Point Loma Sport Fishing, heading out at 6 a.m. and returning at 5 p.m. The longer trip allows for more time to get to areas not so heavily fished like the Coronado Islands of Mexico. It also is slightly more expensive at $95. “I caught a bonita fish near the [Coronado] Islands, but a seal ended up eating it before I could reel it all the way in,” Webb said. “All I was left with was the head. We didn’t stay there too long because the seals were so bad.” Webb’s day ultimately turned out to be successful. She caught four other fish, two sand bass, one bonita and one barracuda. Webb said she was very satisfied with her fishing adventure that day, particularly because of the individual instruction. “For a couple bucks extra, the crew will even fillet your fish for you so that you can go home after and throw it right on the grill,” Webb said. Another option for a fishing excursion is Seaforth Sportfishing on Mission Bay. Seaforth runs a similar operation as Point Loma Sport Fishing with 6-hour, 12-hour, overnight and multiple-day trips. “We both go to the same southern fishing spots on the extended trips, but on the half-day trips we take our boats north to La Jolla,” said Seaforth reservation agent David Tittle. “Our most popular trip is with privately chartered six-pack boats, which take up to six people. We have two 40-foot six-pack boats named ‘The Alexes’ and ‘El Gato Dos.’” These trips are a little more expensive, with the rental of a six-pack boat running $750 for a half-day. The higher price affords the renter a more intimate and personalized atmosphere with more instruction because of the smaller number of passengers. “It takes about 45 minutes to get up to the kelp beds of La Jolla,” Tittle said. “We anchor about a mile offshore, south of the protected marine reserve where fishing is prohibited.” Seaforth Sportfishing captains will anchor their boats in a way to ride the ocean current. Their goal is to swing the back of their boats into the kelp for optimal fishing. After chumming the water to attract fish, anglers will be shown how to use live bait to catch fish like Calico bass, which can be seen swimming right out of the kelp. Fishing in the La Jolla kelp beds in a much different manner is Jim Sammons and his small groups of guided kayak tours. Sammons owns and operates Kayak Fishing Adventures in La Jolla. Sammons claims 15 years of experience in the sport, which he said he has seen grow tremendously in recent years. “I was the first person to catch a marlin from a kayak in La Jolla in ’98 right in front of Scripps Pier,” Sammons said. La Jolla generally sees very good fishing because of the upwelling of nutrients from the underwater topography in the area. This upwelling provides food for a wide variety of animals, including small sharks and squid, Sammons said. Kayak fishing in La Jolla provides a unique challenge because anglers need to get through the surf and out to sea before they can start casting their lines. “I have a surf safety and paddle-skills class as well, which teaches people how to handle their kayaks in the surf zone, how to get back on if knocked off and how to save people when they fall off,” Sammons said. Sammons also runs guided tours around San Diego Bay, which is what he suggests for beginners. He said since there is no surf it is easy to paddle out, and kayakers can immediately start catching a larger amount of smaller fish. One-day fishing trips run between six and eight hours and are limited to three people per guide to ensure safety and individual instruction. A one-person weekday trip costs $175; a two-person trip costs $300 and a three-person trip will run $400. The paddles and surf-safety skills class costs $75 per person with a minimum of three people. For more information visit: • pointlmoasportfishing.com • seaforthlanding.com • kayak4fish.com.