OK to travel for fishing?...

We were supposed to leave for a road trip to San Diego yesterday with two longboards and a shortboard, Max researches every surf Spot on the west coast

We planned it months ago now is a no-go and I will probably be working instead especially if the shit hits the fan as it probably will sometime in the next few weeks Already a shitshow now

Kids pets and surfers are doing the best attitudinal maintenance from what I’ve seen

I went diving 10 minutes from my house a week ago.  It felt phenomenal and helped me to feel normalcy in my life.  I stayed away from others, barely used any gas, didn't take much time away from family and my duty to stay at home as much as possible,...  but when I shared my trip - because I've done that for many years and enjoy the sharing and inspirations - it supplies normalcy to me - when I shared it, I felt guilty.  I felt like I was a bad example - not because others might seek out activities providing normalcy near their own homes, but because others may see my report and decide to seek out similar activities that aren't near their own home.

That's why I asked the question, and I'm sorry if I made it too obvious what I think the answer is.

Q: Is it OK to travel outside your local area to fish?
A: Forget the regional/location-based component of the question. It is unsafe to travel within your own local area to fish, if you fail to take the proper measures. (i.e., if you are unaware of how to prevent the spread & protect yourself, it doesn’t matter if you only travel 1 mile to the store or 500 miles to the beach)

Is it OK during this pandemic to travel outside of your local area for recreational fishing or surfing or any other solitary activity?

My 2c

As long as what you’re doing puts nobody at risk it’s a good thing

and if you keep a little blood pumping in the local economy bY spending a little money picking up a little bag of to-go food even better

"Q: Is it OK to travel outside your local area to fish?
A: Forget the regional/location-based component of the question. It is unsafe to travel within your own local area to fish, if you fail to take the proper measures. (i.e., if you are unaware of how to prevent the spread & protect yourself, it doesn’t matter if you only travel 1 mile to the store or 500 miles to the beach)"

How do you prevent the spread and protect yourself?

We’re heading out for a morning cappuccino to go(very safe) and then hit the little local grocery store(maybe not so safe), seems like we should be leaving generous cash tips for the people working there right now

Then it’s surf time not sure where(very safe) and if there’s any place open for business we’ll drop a little cash there too

     Over time, I can imagine the government and the media getting so good at this.   I begin to stop thinking for myself and get on my bookmarked forms asking for assistance as a common practice until the tax money runs out. Everyone will be classed and distributed allotted resources.  This is a slow frog boil scenario...
     I'm choosing to be wise in responsibility to express freedom, there's that curious word, defined by everyone according to their own personal history and definition, based on many complex experiences per person from birth to now. 
     My question is why am I choosing to go out and fish and why am I choosing to stay home?  Am I honestly staying home for the greater good?  Am I staying home to protect my marriage from division?  It takes a village?  Fear of death?  Fear of the death of others?  Fear of the death of those closest to me?  Monkey see monkey do?  Mandated recommendations from the government?  Am I staying home because I don't want to be judged by anyone, fall in line and be a good citizen like the "trusted"  government and media demand? I do not deny that this is dead serious.  I choose to search my soul and be very aware if I am doing any action from a place of fear.  Fear is the enemy.
     Why am I going out to fish?  To be brave or foolish or just be?  To practice freedom responsibly?  To "take advantage" of quiet streets and glassy windless fishing days?  To catch fish and share with others who love fish?  Am I going out to fish because of my impatience in the home?  Looking forward to an event and a hope?  Is fishing this season, a healthy grieving process of what was?  Fear of not knowing future economy so as to instinctively practice that skill of bringing home the bacon?  Learning the new restrictive norm? 
     Has the government along with the media, proven capable of solving so many issues with the amount of money they are responsible for?  Do I trust them with an experiment in controlling peoples behavior and movement?  Many are referring to China whipping this thing.  They've had their people whipped for many years.
     Is the media worthy of objective reporting? Are ratings, advertising, politics, and markets, their master?  Are we incapable of responsible "self rule" without being selfish?  Who decides that?
     Lo' I struggle because I know we all want the same thing.  Health, life, provision, unity, to be cared for and not abandoned. We have different histories and philosophies, gods and no god...
     My biggest struggle, that puts this all in perspective for our family. is our pursuit of God's will during this season. The church community is scattered.  I experienced my first video prayer meeting and was absolutely blessed by the faces and words that bolstered each unique families needs for prayer.   To create a place in my distracted mind and soul to be receptive to any Spirit led inkling to act, speak, be humorous, grieve, cry, encourage and forgive is the work and identity that I desire and this is who I am.  Not a kids barber, a kayak fisherman, a conservative libertarian, a husband, a father, a loyal friend of friends...however you roll...you are loved!

Wow Eddie , that’s a lot of questions...
Luv U too Bro!

...
How do you prevent the spread and protect yourself?

I try to go out only when needed and finally ventured out to get popeyes yesterday and did the following:
-Ordered online in order to just step inside and pickup
-wore n95 mask with disposable gloves
-picked up and placed the items in the passenger side and carefully removed the gloves before entering the driver side
-gloves are placed in a tray for re-use a couple of days later and treated the mask the same way (bought a sh*t load at harbor freight months ago since they're so useful)
-had wife bust out containers as I transferred the food to our bowls and discarded the Popeyes containers (washed hands, etc)

Unless there's a strict SIP, I plan on taking my boat out to open ramps during this crisis using the same precautionary methods. The only thing touching a surface that can be infected is the dock line to cleat connection. Even doing that will use a separate pair of gloves.  Moss Landing is a creepy place to launch a kayak and you have to know what you're doing and I see this the same way.

What I don't get is why is Costco always still busy? I wouldn't step in that place until we get the real numbers on how many  people are infected or have been w/out knowing.

I feel like I need to practice social distancing from this forum. I thought the winter months were bad, but this SIP is torture. At least in the winter there was an occasional fishing report sprinkled in between all the bs. Reading everyones Covid 19 opinions is the worst. Cant for this to be over and we can get back to fishing

Wow Eddie , that’s a lot of questions...
Luv U too Bro!

Yeah buddy!  Speak life!

Wow Eddie , that’s a lot of questions...
Luv U too Bro!

Yeah buddy!  Speak life!

Wishing you and yours well Eddie .

Alex

I"ve been out fishing a few times since this whole things started. I've gone to Tomales twice. The first time I launched from Heart's Desire - not a soul around when I launched and when I returned. This was in the beginning and the dialogue wasn't so intense - so I stopped at Bovine Bakery to pick up a scone and went to Toby's for a cappuccino in Pt. Reyes before going out to Heart's Desire - probably not so smart, won't do that again.

The second time I went out was during the week. I went to Ft. Baker with my kids to fish from the pier. No one was there. We caught a lingcod (18"..). No close encounters. Out and back and no contact except me and my kiddo.

The third time out during this crisis I launched from Chicken Ranch - no one was there when I launched, but the beach was packed when I came back. Right after that weekend, Marin announced that all of the beaches and parks were closed b/c no one was practicing social distancing.  Ugh. No more Chicken Ranch.

This week, I went to Rodeo Beach to surf fish. Not many people there and certainly no close encounters. Out and back with no contact.

Yesterday, I wanted to surf fish at Rodeo again - no dice. They'd shut down the road leading to Rodeo in prep for the weekend, so I went out to Muir. I was able to get to the beach at Muir even though the parking lot was closed - caught three perch (let them all go, they were dinky) and then made the hike back to my truck. A few people were on the beach, I'm assuming they were locals. Again, out and back with no contact.

I think if you can make it out and back with no contact, then go fishing.

If you’re reading this thread, chances are you’re one of the well-informed regarding the covid19 situation. As the well-informed it should be our job to set an example for the less-informed.

True, during a solo kayak fishing trip in the bay or ocean, it is unlikely that you will ever need to come within 6ft of another human being. True, you could also be very careful at the gas station and bait shop by wearing gloves and an N95 mask.

Unfortunately though, there will be that one less-informed guy who sees you fishing and doesn’t take the same social distancing precautions you took. That one less-informed guy will go on to infect an average of 2.3 people, and those 2.3 people will go on to infect 2.3 more people each, and so on, infecting thousands of more people down the line. Thousands just from that one less-informed guy.

I think what we have to realize is that every action we take now has a huge cascading effect. I hate to sound grim, but our decision to go fishing might mean life or death for someone else down the road. Due to the shortages of ventilators, hospitals here in California will soon have to decide which patients get ventilators and which patients have no chance.

I may be biased in my opinions because I have 2 loved ones that are immunocompromised, but I ask everyone who is thinking about fishing in the next few weeks to just give this some consideration. What’s 2-3 weeks of not getting a line wet going to do to you? Once we flatten the curve things will return to normalcy. These next few weeks are just critical to our hospitals. Staying home won’t stop the virus, but it will prevent our doctors from having to make the decision of who lives and who dies. 

This poll isn’t worth anything

Isn't it worth having this discussion?

I guess it depends upon what type of discussion you want to have.  The way the poll is phrased doesn’t invite an open discussion.  It invites the reader to agree with you, and disagree with anyone who doesn’t see it exactly as you do, by sophistry and a false dilemma.

I don’t find that discussion useful, no.  As it turns out people didn’t take that invitation and have had a good discussion about the merits of traveling to fish vs staying home and it’s been pretty civil.  Except for the guy who implies that if you go fishing you could literally kill people, which is nonsense, but I think that a lot of folks think exactly that which is why they are so passionate about not traveling to fish.