Start at 4:00 a.m. for Mission Bay halibut

The first two tournaments I fished in were the first two organized kayak-fishing tournaments in San Diego; one off La Jolla and one in Mission Bay. Both are still going on, and though over time they morphed a bit, both draw over 100 entrants, each. Most kayak anglers just can’t keep it on the down-low. It’s as though you found a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; we just can’t shut up about it.

This week’s Mission Bay Classic fishing tournament on Saturday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. will be hosted by Heroes on the Water. Heroes on the Water began in 2007 as a way to help veterans recover from the physical and mental injuries of warfare.

The Mission Bay Classic, based at Santa Clara Point, is a bass and halibut tournament. In the bass division, spotted bay bass, sand bass and calico bass may be caught on artificial baits only, weighed and released alive. The winner has the highest total weight of up to five fish. In the halibut division, anglers may use bait and keep the fish. The bass division kicks off with a 7:00 a.m. shotgun start. Halibut anglers may launch at 4:00 a.m. and check in the day prior at the website. Kids under the age of 18 fish for free with a paid adult.