I’m an ocean child. I would never miss a chance to be on the beach, in the waters or on the surface of the sea. So naturally when a friend suggested we go deep sea fishing, the answer is yes please.

I’ve never been deep sea fishing before, but the way my friend explained it is simple: you just take a boat to the middle of the ocean and fish off the side of the boat. It’s really just that but not half as boring as it sounds. We booked Davey’s Locker’s half day trip a few days in advance, and showed up at Long Beach on a beautiful Sunday. The ticket costs around $40 and with additional fees like rod rental and fishing license, the total added up to around $75.  Certainly not cheap, but definitely worth the experience.

It was beautiful to see how the saturation of the blueness that surrounded us grew as we sailed deeper into the ocean.

Lucky as we were, we also saw dolphins! I totally thought they were sharks at first, but when they started swimming parallel to our boat, hopping out of the water occasionally, I was so happy I almost cried. (and I totally forgot to take photos)

We sailed for around 40 minutes before we made our first stop. First try — no results.

The captain stopped at several spots afterwards, each around half an hour. There was once that we came close to something big, but it turned out just to be seaweed tangled to rocks and such.

But just before the end of the day, my friend caught a fish! I absolutely love this shot. So vibrant, so candid — definitely photo of the day (or week).

As we set sail back towards shore, seagulls hovered above us and followed us the entire way. The crew set up a table to clean the fish for a few dollars. The jackpot for the heaviest fish fished during the trip was also revealed. While fishing isn’t exactly as active an activity as I’m used to, the atmosphere onboard makes it great for a more relaxed weekend trip.

We docked at Long Beach just around sunset. The line of palm trees along Shoreline Aquatic Park is one of favorite views around LA. They stand so tall and proud among a background of clear sky and water. That little park is worth a trip to Long Beach on its own.

Some tips for when you go deep sea fishing at Long Beach:

• Check groupon and similar platforms for discounts! (there are usually discounts for boat tickets but not rentals)
• Arrive early — the boat leaves on time
• Bring a thick jacket! It gets really chilly as you sail deeper into the ocean
• Take some medicine for motion sickness if you tend to get seasick
• Don’t drink the night before unless you want to feel like shit in the middle of the ocean (learned this the hard way)

Go have fun!

 

xx

– Vivian