A glassy sea shimmers with the heat of a summer sun. The air is still, the birds are chirping, and from my perch in the shade, life feels peaceful. I’m listening to Scott Bender of Redondo Sportfishing talk fishing – commercial pressures that threaten it, people who find escape in it, the thrill of hooking a halibut. He knows the birds alighting around us by name – “Over there’s Little Pete,” he says – and every fisherman on this pier.
My vantage point is the Redondo Landing, the quaint wooden pier that’s home to a bevy of salty characters and true-blue fishermen who live for a bite.
Cigarettes dangling from their lips, they’re baiting and casting, lost in their thoughts and in the beauty and stillness of this place, this respite from a big and busy suburban world.
“People come down to this pier for so many reasons,” Scott tells me. “They’re communing with nature. Everyone’s handshaking – it’s just beautiful. It’s a beautiful place, and it’s our mandate and mission to bring a high level of service to people who want to come here.”
Fishing opportunities abound in the South Bay. Redondo Sportfishing has bait, rental poles, and tackle for landlubbing fishermen and grandfathers who are yearning nostalgic for the sport of their youth.
For the seafaring type, Redondo Sportfishing sends several charter boats out daily at 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The only requirement is a fishing license, which is available for purchase at the shop, and a love for the sea and her creatures.
In summer, yellowtail, white sea bass, calico bass, sand bass, sheephead, and halibut are running, and Redondo Sportfishing has skippers that know where to find all of them.
The business’ sexiest new vessel is Aahi – she’s a 38-foot custom Scotton, and Scott’s personal favorite. The 65-foot Redondo Special accommodates up to 60 people, and the 38-foot Betty G has been an institution on the Redondo fishing scene for over 40 years. There’s also the 39-foot Highliner, which fishes the waters of the Santa Monica Bay and Catalina daily.
This is “original Southern California sportfishing right here,” Scott says, drinking in the view and nodding in the direction of the old-timers casting off the pier. “This is about family and relationship – there is absolutely no judgment. Just come and have fun.”
Redondo Sportfishing is located next to Polly’s on the Pier in Redondo Beach. For more information, visit redondosportfishing.com.
Just Fishing by Pete, 2427 190th St., Redondo Beach
Be prepared to get lost in an old fashioned world of poles, reels, hooks, lures and fishing lore. If you’re not sure what you need, just do what Pete tells you to do. He’s been setting up SouthBay top fishermen and fisher women for over three decades. (310) 376-7035.
