Free Fishing for All

There’s a massive mackerel run hitting the Gaviota Pier as you read this, with dozens of anglers plucking the small but tasty fish out of the sea and into their buckets to grill up over an oak fire back at camp or fry in the pan at home. The pier is just one of three spots in southern Santa Barbara County where you don’t need the state’s $45 fishing license to dip your stick in the ocean, the others being Stearns Wharf and the Goleta Pier. And there’s also no need to worry about the wardens on Saturday, September 3, when the California Department of Fish and Game celebrates one of two annual Free Fishing Days, a chance to try sport fishing on the ocean, lakes, or creeks. See dfg.ca.gov for more info.