Huntington Beach : City Hopes to Bring Back Fishing Boats
Tales of the-big-one-that-got-away will bluster once again on the Huntington Beach Pier if the city can find a taker in its effort to bring back sportfishing boats to the city.
Deep sea angling by means of the pier flourished from the 1940s to the 1960s, said Community Services Director Melvin Bowman, but then hard times hit.
Access to boats was made impossible when a storm destroyed a ramp in 1975. When the End Cafe and much of the rest of the pier crumbled in a 1983 storm, plans to rebuild the structure included a ramp.
“We’ll be sending out requests for proposals to sportfishing operations all along the coast, from San Diego to Long Beach,” he said, adding that experience and quality of the boat will be the major considerations in selection.
The operator would have to pay a minimum of $500 a month or 5% of gross revenues, whichever is greater, according to the request for proposals, and at least $1 million in liability, property and fire insurance.
The pier is tentatively scheduled for a Sept. 1 opening and sportfishing could begin before the end of the year, he said. The deadline for applications is Sept. 27.
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