Wet Sands of Ocean Beach: A Fisherman’s Perspective

By: Kerby Lau

      My dad had a passion for fishing that I never really understood. I fished with him for a bit when I was a kid. I even venture off fishing on my own but eventually quit. When my son was 9 years old, he asked me to take him fishing.  I told him it’s been so long, 35 plus years. I wouldn’t know the first thing to do.  I told him to ask his grandfather and so he did. My dad was very reluctant at first because of how dangerous Ocean Beach could be but he finally agreed. Unfortunately before my dad had a chance to take Zach fishing, he got really sick and passed away in February of 2016. Shortly afterwards, my boy asked me to take him fishing again. He wanted to follow his grandfather footsteps and become a great fisherman. I said ok but kept pushing it off. Later that year in October, my uncle Ken, a true fisherman loved by all unexpectedly passed away.  That was last of the fishermen in my family.

      Early in 2017, Zach asked me to take him fishing again. My reply was soon son. I again pushed it off to the end of summer when my boy said “dad, fishing is in our blood. The heritage and legacy of the great fishermen in the Lau family will end here if we don’t go fishing.” I relented and took my boy to a trout farm in South Lake Tahoe hoping to satisfy his desire for fishing. He caught some nice size trout but he knew that wasn’t real fishing. So we started our quest to become great fishermen by fishing in local lakes with an arsenal of equipment from my dad and uncle Ken. We got skunked time after time. We were on the verge of quitting thinking maybe fishing wasn’t in our blood. Out of despair and frustration, I suggested we go surf fishing. The only problem is I had never gone before and didn’t know where to begin.

Well thank goodness for YouTube! I came across a funny Filipino guy with a channel called More than Fishing. We watched all his videos and followed his lead. In September 2017, we began surf fishing and on our second day out, my son, Zach caught 7 perch and 1 striper while I caught a 3” perch. That was the start.  Since then we have been slaying fish together. The passion my dad had for fishing is now instilled in us.

        Today my son and I walk the wet sands of Ocean Beach where my dad had walked many times before.  Our quest to carry on the fishing heritage in our family has brought father and son closer together. My dad and uncle Ken would be proud. That I know.

“It’s not just fishing, it’s More Than Fishing.”

Author: Kerby Lau