Larsen Hill had spent years fishing in Hawaii, but on the second-to-last day of Coronado’s youth fishing camp, he hooked something he had never caught before: a stingray.
The 12-year-old, who is entering sixth grade next year, reeled in the ray with a smile as he and another boy rushed down to the rocks to help pull it in.
They brought the baby fish up from the water looking ecstatic.
“I need pliers,” one said as they worked to remove the hook while avoiding the barbed tail.
The camp leader and founder, Hudson Marovish, then helped throw it back into the water.
Hill was among 12 youngsters, ages 7-13 who attended the first ever Coronado Fishing Camp. The catch came toward the end of the week-long adventure, where campers spend late mornings to early afternoons learning about knots, rigging, casting basics, reading tides and fish identification.
That outing was a precursor to the final day, when the children would take the ferry across the bay and fish on the other side to use the skills they had accumulated that week. According to Marovish, that side of the bay is about 20 feet deeper and has potential for different fish species or sand sharks because of the depth. Next year, he is thinking about taking the kids further to Ocean Beach or Imperial Beach.
The camp is led by Coronado residents Hudson Marovish and Emmett Warner, who often fish together in San Diego Bay.
Marovish is the founder of the camp and is now a sport fishing private charter boat captain for a company called Nauti Three Charters. Before this, he attended the University of Alabama, where he studied finance, but he worked on boats during the summers throughout college.
He learned to fish from working on boats his whole life and learning from his parents and grandparents. He also hung out dockside and asked other fishermen what to do. He wants to encourage the next generation to get off their phones and have those experiences.
Emmett Warner recently graduated from Chico State and now works at a jet ski rental at the ferry landing.
“Me and my friends would go out and just ask old guys on the pier how to tie different knots. You don’t really see kids doing that anymore,” Marovish said.
Marovish said he created the program after noticing a lack of fishing camps for young kids in San Diego.
“We heard the yacht club had one, but they just take them out and pre-set rods. You don’t really learn to fish,” Marovish said. He said he wanted the camp to focus on teaching children how to fish rather than simply creating an opportunity for them to catch a fish.
At his camp, there are no phones. Instead, the focus is on being outdoors and understanding the process behind fishing. Throughout the week, campers learn how to set up their own gear and prepare for a day on the water.
Marovish recalled a 7-year-old camper who became frustrated after failing to catch a fish. He talked the boy through his frustration, explaining that fishing requires a lot of sitting and waiting.
“He finally caught a fish,” Marovish said. “Then he was ecstatic, and all he wanted to do for the rest of the week was fish.”
Throughout the week, Marovish was surprised by how eager the campers were to learn. By the end of the week, they were taking initiative, going to grab what they needed to set up their own rods.
“I like it because it’s chill, but when you catch something, it’s like really cool,” camper Callahan Dugan, 12-years-old, said after he demonstrated how to tie a knot.
The camp is $399 for the week and includes fishing rods tackle, hooks, weights, lures, bait and line. Marovish said this year’s camp lasted only one week, but next year he’s planning sessions throughout the summer.
