Fred Hall Outdoor Show Opens in Long Beach

The Fred Hall Show opened Wednesday at the Long Beach Convention Center and will run through March 11. Known as “The Ultimate Outdoor Experience” the show marks the advent of spring and all the great outdoor opportunities that come with it.

The show is already the largest boat show in the Western United States and California’s largest travel show. This year's show will be adding more hunting and shooting sports and will feature over 400 seminars. You can even learn to scuba dive on the show floor.

Fishing will be an integral part of this year's show as it always has been. You can meet your favorite long range skippers, learn about catching a giant Alaskan halibut, find out where to catch a tarpon in Costa Rica or take your kids to the free trout pond to feel that magical tug at their line. Inevitably, the first big spring bite for yellowtail or other gamefish in Southern California seems to break loose during the show each year creating a buzz throughout the building.

You can pick up fishing tackle at a big discount, book your next outdoor adventure, check out camping gear, boats, marine accessories, as well as get cooking lessons on how to prepare your catch.

For more information or to purchase tickets on line, please visit www.FredHallshow.com

Rockfish season opened on the first of the month to good fishing in several locales. Fishing along the coast was good to excellent while island fishing was superb. The Toronado was at San Nicolas Island on Sunday on a "Fishing with Phil Adventure" for excellent shallow water bottomfishing. The group landed  more than 20 lingcod along with lots of big sheepshead and whitefish.

An interesting fact about the California sheepshead is that all of the species are born as females. Around the age of 7-8 years, they morph into males and live out the rest of their 50 or so years that way.

There are a myriad of regulations that anglers are required to adhere to so please make sure you are up on current Department of Fish and Game Regulations. For example, you can keep vermillion rockfish at San Clememte Island but not at San Nicolas. At Catalina Island, you can fish up to 360 feet in depth while at San Nicolas Island, anglers are prohibited to fish deeper than 120 feet.

If you would like to volunteer to help kids go fishing, the Philip Friedman Outdoors Youth Program has two opportunities on the horizon. On Monday, March 12th, over 150 children from 75th St. Elementary in Los Angeles will be out on the water while on Sunday March 18, kids from the Friendship Circle in Redondo Beach will be out. If you would like to be part of these very special days, please call 424 237 0250.

Twilight fishing continues good out of Long Beach Sportfishing on the Native Sun with a few big sand bass, good sculpin fishing and even some nights where the octopus come out to play. The bite has been best when the weather has been warmer so this weekend bodes well for some good fishing.

Lots of northbound gray whales are being spotted by Southern California whale watchers as they make the return journey from the lagoons of Baja California to Alaska. Also in the mix have been some fin whales, humpback whales, lots of dolphin and the early arrival of a few blue whales.