Mission Bay Bridge, back in the day

Found this shot of the old Mission Bay bridge before the bay was dredged into the world's largest man-made water park.

If you look closely, you will see what looks like long sticks. These aren't all rods. Some are spears, usually with a trident tip like a big frog gig. Back in the day, one way to get the white seabass and halibut that spawned in the lagoon was to spear them as they passed under the bridge in the shallow water.

Another technique my grandfather employed while my father was a young boy was to put a pair of car headlights on a jon boat and drift the bay looking for halibut with a trident. It was tough access sometimes, and on one such trip, grandpa got the truck stuck in the reed-choked muck that lined a large part of the old lagoon. It took a day and a half to get someone to finally help get them out. Wasn't that folks were refusing to help, or they weren't trying, there just weren't many at hand with a vehicle that could get them out. Different times.

December 28 dock totals

Chubasco 2 Sportfishing 37 Anglers, 1 Boat, 4 California Yellowtail, 1 Lingcod, 2 California Sheephead, 3 Pacific Bonito, 73 Rockfish, 3 Bocaccio

H&M Landing 78 Anglers, 2 Boats, 3 Whitefish, 228 Rockfish, 1 Lingcod, 8 Sheephead, 1 Sand Bass

Helgren's Oceanside Sportfishing 49 Anglers, 2 Boats, 93 Whitefish, 6 Sanddab, 2 Rockfish, 1 Vermilion Rockfish, 38 Skipjack Tuna, 20 Sheephead, 13 Bluefin Tuna, 9 Yellowtail

Point Loma Sportfishing 76 Anglers, 3 Boats, 259 Rockfish, 11 Sheephead, 26 Whitefish, 11 Bonito, 2 Lingcod, 5 Sand Bass, 9 Yellowtail, 53 Sculpin Released

Seaforth Sportfishing 142 Anglers, 3 Boats, 23 Yellowtail, 27 Vermilion Rockfish, 11 Sheephead, 538 Rockfish, 5 Lingcod, 5 Skipjack Tuna, 16 Bonito, 1 Bluefin Tuna

37 Anglers aboard the Chubasco II 1/2 Day AM run caught 4 California Yellowtail, 1 Lingcod, 2 California Sheephead, 3 Pacific Bonito, 73 Rockfish, 3 Bocaccio

Proving there are still some Tuna on the Tanner/ Cortez Banks, 27 Anglers aboard the Oceanside 95 1.5 Day trip returned to the dock with 92 Ocean Whitefish, 38 Skipjack Tuna, 20 California Sheephead, 13 Bluefin Tuna, 9 California Yellowtail

The Tribute 1.5 Day with 28 Anglers aboard put 22 California Yellowtail, 5 Skipjack Tuna, 7 California Sheephead, 220 Rockfish, 2 Lingcod, 16 Pacific Bonito, 1 Bluefin Tuna in the hold

25 Anglers aboard the Mission Belle 3/4 Day Coronado Island run boated 8 Pacific Bonito, 3 Barred Sand Bass, 51 Rockfish, 3 California Sheephead, 20 Ocean Whitefish, 9 California Yellowtail