Blatant Hucksterism : It’s Fins and Finns in Huntington as Youngsters Take the Pole Position

After little Justen Steeman caught an 11-inch smelt off Huntington Beach Pier Saturday morning, he cracked a big smile, jiggled with excitement and grabbed his fishing pole, ready to give it another try.

The 4-year-old from Highland, near San Bernardino, then exclaimed, “Fishing is my favorite” thing to do.

He was not alone.

The young angler was among 140 youngsters who participated in the annual Huck Finn Fishing Derby off the pier, sponsored by the city and Let’s Go Fishing, a local bait and tackle store.

“It’s really a fun event,” said Bob Thrall, city recreation supervisor. “We never know if fish will be caught, we just hope it’s a good day.”

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Thrall said the event has been a tradition for about 40 years, started by Ella Christensen, who used to sell bait, beer and sandwiches on the pier.

“We’ve always kept it going, except for some years when the pier was closed down” because of storm damage, Thrall said.

Parents agreed that the event is a welcome summer tradition that teaches youngsters sportsmanship and confidence and offers them exposure to sport fishing.

“It teaches him about nature and the outdoors,” said Jerry Steeman, Justen’s father. “It’s good clean fun and a good family thing to do, and, it’s not expensive.”

Vicki Dawson of Westminster, whose son, Nathan Sierer, 8, dressed like Huck Finn, said the competition was a lesson in perseverance.

“It’s a good chance for kids to see how hard it is and how much patience you have to have,” Dawson said. Catching a fish “doesn’t come easy.”

For Saturday’s competition, some brought fishing poles and buckets in which to place their catch of the day.

Others dressed for the occasion and mimicked Huck by wearing straw hats, rolled-up and beat-up jeans held up with rope belts, and chewed on corncob pipes and cattail. There were also look-alike Becky Thatchers as girls donned overalls, simple dresses and pigtails.

Prizes, donated by local merchants, were given to all youngsters who participated. Those dressed as Huck or Becky competed for best-costume prizes and others contended for prizes for catching the biggest or most fish. First-place winners received new fishing rods.

Barefoot and carrying a bamboo fishing pole and slingshot in his pants pocket, Bryan Osuna, 9, of Huntington Beach, won first prize in his age category for being the best-dressed Huck.

Wearing a plaid shirt that had a rubber frog popping out the front pocket, a knife clasped onto his old jeans, a straw hat decorated with a rubber snake and fishing bobbers, Bryan said the best part of the fishing derby was not necessarily catching fish.

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“It’s fun dressing up,” said Bryan, who also sported freckles and a black eye and caught only one small fish, which he tossed back into the ocean.

But for other fishermen, catching the big one was the goal.

“I hope to catch anything big,” sighed Robert Cobb, 13, of Huntington Beach, as he placed an anchovy on the hook then cast his pole into the ocean. “Because anything big will win the contest.”

Robert didn’t reel in the biggest fish. It was Rick Valentine, 14, of Yucaipa who was the luckiest angler.

Using squid as bait, Rick pulled in a 38-inch shovel-nose shark.

“I like catching big fish,” said Rick, who took up the sport nine years ago. He planned on having his catch for dinner.

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Winning the first-place prize for the biggest fish caught meant, “I got a lot of good stuff,” Rick said grinning. He got fishing lures, a new tackle box, fishing rod, hat and T-shirt, among other items.

Luis Rosales, 13, also of Huntington Beach, has been fishing since he was 7 and considers himself a pretty good fisherman. After all, he caught 20 fish, all six- to eight-inches long, and was given the prize for the most fish caught.

“I’m happy,” Luis said, “because I got a new fishing pole.”