SAN DIEGO — One of the joys of living in a coastal city such as San Diego is, well, the ocean. Nothing beats a day out on water -- the fantastic views, beautiful wildlife and the calmness of the Pacific Ocean.
But with 38 kids, ages 8-17 crowding the deck of the ship Premier, it wasn't as peaceful as it normally is. The goal for them today: To learn to bait, cast, hook and reel in the spiny, colorful fish at the ocean floor.
The program was organized by San Diego Parks and Recreation, Sarah Erazo, the program manager, was instrumental for making the fishing trip happen.
"This initiative brought opportunities to children in the South Bay and in the southeast," said Erazo. "Neighborhoods that don't typically have opportunities like this to come out and go fishing, take home their catch and share this experience with their friends and family."
Kids like Aaron, 12, who reeled in five fish on the trip.
"I just never, I've never had an experience of fishing before," he said. "I thought it would be fun. I'm feeling a little sick right now, but it's still fun catching all these fish."
As the sun started to set, there were smiles all around. A full day in the sun, the new anglers caught dozens of fish. Their catch, filleted and ready to be brought home. A sport fishing trip like this would have cost an arm and a leg-but thanks to the city, the lessons learned and the experiences shared are priceless.
WATCH: Deep sea fishing back in San Diego (June 2020)