FREE BEACH FISHING!!!!

Photo: http://activerain.com/blogsview/1105127/wordless-sundays-myrtle-beach-sc

I don’t know how useful of a date idea this is considering your lady-friend might be a bit squeamish. Even if she is, she’ll have plenty of opportunity to catch up on her tan as you grow a beard and do other awesome manly things that fishing involves. Shoot… you should make yourself a badge if you do end up CATCHING A CRITTER from the beach water.

The issue when fishing in California is that most sport fishing requires you to own a fishing license (good for an annual year for around $40) when fishing out of state, county, or shore water. If caught without a license in these situations, the rangers will take your critters, your gear, and your money. Don’t do this.

The only free spots to fish out of California are off of public piers.

Taken directly from the Department of Fish and Game:
Anyone 16 years and older must have a fishing license to take any kind of fish, mollusk, invertebrate, amphibian or crustacean in California, except for persons angling from a public pier in ocean or bay waters. A license is required to take reptiles, except for rattlesnakes.

According to this statement (on the DFG site as of 3/10/11, or this posting date), you must have a sport fishing license in order to fish in California unless on a PUBLIC PIER.

“What is considered a public pier,” you ask? The DFG defines a public pier as:
A public pier is defined in the sport fishing regulations as a publicly owned man-made structure that has the following characteristics: is connected, above the mean high tide, to the main coastline or to the land mass of a named and charted natural island; has unrestricted free access for the general public; and has been built or currently functions for the primary purpose of allowing angling access to ocean waters.

My personal general rule-of-thumb is that if you have 3 bodies of water surrounding you (left, right, front), you are probably on a place legal to fish.

Here is the list of our free California angling spots on BeachCalifornia.com
Free Fishing in Southern California

The Laguna Beach “Art walked” showcases the first Thursday of every month from 6-9 pm. Most of the exhibits in the area are as mild as one can expect from Laguna Beach display. You shouldn’t expect to see anything controversial (such as naked women folding into themselves while covered in paint). You’d have better luck finding that in Downtown Hollywood. As a so cal date idea, this should be used to test the waters with someone who seems conservative. It includes a walk, some art that you can appreciate without a deep knowledge of art history, and the beach across the road. Simple. Clean. Effective.

Here are the dates for the rest of 2010:

Source: http://www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com/

If you have a bit of cash and want to do something really extraordinary, Southern California has whale watching charters. I guess the area this particular charter sets out of is actually considered Long Beach, CA, however, I believe it borderlines Orange County. Regardless, this is an amazing date idea in Southern California.

HarborBreeze Cruises offers an exceptional whale watching experience. The prices for a day’s trip aren’t too outrageous and the activity is something very unique.

Images: 2SeeWhales

The ship sets out of a Long Beach port and out in to the Pacific ocean for around 2 to 3 hours. While on the water, the captain narrates what you are seeing and seeks out all sorts of marine mammal life.

December to mid-May is actually the prime season to catch grey whales out in the water. Prior to now (from June to December) was actually blue whale season. Most charters averaged 2 blue whale sightings in November.

Anyways, for an awesome and unique day out, this Orange County date idea is top notch. A 2 to 3-hour date will probably run you from $60 – $90 without food.

Prices:

According to their website, adult admission is $45. The tickets I paid for and the link directly on their site that puts you to http://tickets.harbor-cruises.com (for WHALE WATCHING) is $30. I’d expect to pay around the same price.

If your date is one with an ability to take in the beauty of nature, the Corona Del Mar tide pools might be a cheap and free date idea in So Cal. Keep in mind that this idea could be considered a heightened walk, so tennis shoes are usually preferred. You will be climbing, hiking, and falling over things;  dress accordingly as you will actually walk over and around tide pools that are nested in rocks.

Images: NewportBeachRealEstateCafe

The Newport tide pool areas aren’t public attention grabbers, however, the beaches between big public beaches are what you are looking for. The best, in my opinion, are the Corona Del Mar tide pools. During low tide, the water gets low enough to connect both Big and Little Corona. The easiest way to get down towards the marine life is by walking down the hill on the left side (facing the beach) while you are in the residential areas near Marguerite.

My personal suggestion to using this as a date idea is to casually ask your date on a simple walk. Make sure he or she is wearing the proper attire before heading out to the beach. He or she will be wonderfully surprised when the idea of a simple walk turns in to something so spontaneous, yet planned.

As a preservation message, please don’t touch, poke, or destroy the wildlife. The Corona Del Mar tide pools is an excellent date idea and we all hold a special place in our hearts for it. Hopefully you can also make it apart of yours.