Fishing with the Family: A Perfect Oceanside Adventure

It isn’t hard to find something to do in Oceanside, but it can be tricky to find something that appeals to the whole family. One activity you can suggest is fishing; most kids love the idea of fishing even if they’ve never tried it before!

The best way to make your fishing experience a memorable one is to of course make sure you catch fish. While you can never guarantee any fishing trip will be a successful one, you can implement the following strategies to help increase your kids’ odds of reeling in some fish. So before you go check out these great spots and strategies for fishing in Oceanside!

Select a Suitable Location

Finding the fish is often one of the most challenging parts of any angler outing, but that’s not much of an issue in Oceanside. Assuming you don’t plan to hire a guide or climb aboard a charter, you basically have three options: You can fish from the beach, or you can fish from either of the two local piers — the Oceanside Municipal Fishing Pier or the Oceanside Harbor Fishing Pier. You may need to walk up and down the pier a little, or drift down the beach until you find a productive location, but you won’t spend all day searching for fish!

You can catch plenty of fish from either location (more on that below), but each offers a different and unique type of experience. Fishing from the beach will give you a little more elbow room, and your kids can run on the beach or build a sandcastle if they need a break. On the other hand, pier fishing tends to be a bit more crowded but this also means that your kids are likely to see people catch some pretty cool fish!

Target Abundant Species

One of the most important things to do is recognize the locally abundant species, and target them specifically. When fishing from the beach you’ll want to target croakers and surfperch which are plentiful off the shore. You may also catch the odd stingray or smooth hound shark as well, which will certainly impress the kids!

More: Unique and Unexpected Things to do in Oceanside

While there are plenty of fish to be caught within casting distance of the shore, the pier provides ample access to fairly deep water. You’ll still be able to catch various croakers from the pier, but you’ll also have the chance to catch sand bass, butterfish and halibut. If you make your way out to the very end of the pier you might also have the chance to catch mackerel, bonito, kelp bass and rockfish. If you are really lucky you might even reel in a barracuda!

Use Equipment Suited for Your Kids

Set your kids up for success by providing them with a rod and reel they can handle competently. This means avoiding bait casting reels in favor of spinning reels, and using rods that are a little shorter than average. You can find appropriate rods and other tackle in a variety of area stores, or you can just rent the necessary equipment from the pier’s tackle shop (the staff can also help answer any questions you may have and point you in the right direction).

Don’t worry about using fancy artificial lures when teaching your kids to fish. Most of the inshore fish in Oceanside can be caught with a basic sinker rig, baited with mussels, bloodworms or pieces of cut mackerel. The Pier Bait Shop stocks several different baits that you can purchase as well, and because they keep track of what the fish are biting most you are sure to have the right bait for the job!

Licenses and More

If you plan on fishing in Oceanside be sure to stay on the right side of the law – you don’t want to set a bad example for your youngsters. You and your spouse and any kids over 16 will need a fishing license to fish legally from any location besides the public Oceanside Pier’s. Children under the age of 16 are free to fish without any license regardless of location. Check with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to find more information including current prices and how to purchase your licenses.

If you want to learn more about the best ways to catch fish with your kids, check out Outdoor Empire’s review of the subject. There you can learn about the best equipment and baits for your kids, as well as tips on selecting good locations and targeting the species that are the easiest to catch.

Beaches, Bikes, and Besties: A Girlfriend Getaway to Oceanside

Whether its for a bachelorette party, a baby shower, or that you simply need to getaway and laugh with your friends, there are many reasons to pick a date and get together for a girlfriend getaway. Jamie Wade, an aesthetician in New Hampshire, recently invited her girlfriends, who live in different parts of the country, to join her for a destination getaway in Oceanside to celebrate her 40^th birthday.  Their three day vacay included a stay at a private home near the Oceanside community of South Morro Hills, a day at Oceanside beaches, and a themed dinner party.  

Jamie wanted to make sure the girls had all of the supplies needed for their fun in the sun and put together swag bags that included sunscreen and towels. The girls then began their day in Oceanside with bike rentals where they cruised by the Top Gun House and then cycled down the Strand. They enjoyed a catered lunch set up for them by Details Defined where they toasted the birthday girl and shared endless laughs. Jamie hired local photographer Tatiana M Photography to capture the special moments of the day as well as get in a fun little photo shoot. What a special way to remember their time in Oceanside!

Thank you for sharing your photos with us on Facebook, Jamie! We really enjoyed seeing how you and your friends played in Oceanside.

Looking to plan a girlfriend getaway? Our group travel team is here to help! Request our gathering guide to get started or click here for our own Girlfriend Getaway Itinerary!

Fun on the San Luis Rey Bike Trail

A family heads to Oceanside for a day of discovery and a bit of a history lesson
By Alyssa Guttendorf

When my husband, John, had suggested we take the kids to Oceanside for a weekend away, I envisioned a relaxing day of sunbathing. But John had something else in mind: a bike ride to visit the historic San Luis Rey Mission. Actually, architecture, great weather and ocean views sounded good to me. It wasn’t every day we got to see the ocean. Melanie and Ryan, our 16-year-old twins, would love their dad’s idea.