FOR THE KIDS : It’s Easy to Get Hooked on Fishing at the Pier : Annual Ventura tournament aims to bring together young and old for a good time, with a prize for the day’s biggest catch.

It may be the only fishing tournament around where the price of admission is hooking someone over 50.

But that’s the deal if your kids want to compete in the second annual Gone Fishin’ Sportfishing Tournament on Saturday on the Ventura Pier. It’s free--provided each angler or fishing party is accompanied by someone at least 50 years old.

The whole idea is to bring kids, teen-agers, parents and grandparents together for an intergenerational experience, according to Skip Robinson, recreation coordinator for the city, which is organizing the event with help from other sponsors.

“It’s the first of its kind in the state,� Robinson said.

About 200 anglers of all ages showed up last summer for the first tournament. Another 400 or so crowded the pier to watch.

“We got grandpa sleeping on the bench with the kids fishing, and kids sleeping on the bench with grandpa fishing,� he said. And if seniors don’t want to fish at all, that’s all right. They are welcome to just come and hang out.

The big catch of the day last year was a seven-pound halibut caught by a young girl who took home a custom-made rod, reel and tackle box as the grand prize.

The top prize is the same this year for the day’s heftiest catch. Other prizes--free dinners, gift certificates, T-shirts--will go out to the winners in a slew of categories, like grandparent and grandchild, parent and child, adult and child, and so on. Throughout the morning, prizes also will be raffled off.

It helps to be an early bird for this event. Registration opens at 6 a.m. on the pier. Fishing goes on until 11 a.m. Weigh-in is at noon, followed by the awards ceremony. (If the kids get antsy, there is a playground next to the pier. There’s always a chance that the sculpture at the end of the pier, WaveSpout, will be spitting water.)

Anglers young and old must bring their own equipment. Either freshwater or saltwater gear will work fine off the pier, Robinson said. He recommends a six-pound test line or stronger, with a two-ounce weight.

But tackle, especially for kids, need not be sophisticated. You can improvise. Even a drop line with a hook and a weight will work off the pier.

“A little creativity and anyone can fish,� Robinson said.

The city will supply bait in the form of anchovies for those who want it. The bait shop on the pier will be open too. Veterans say squid and mussels work well.

One thing you won’t need to worry about is a fishing license. You don’t need one to fish off the pier, but you do have to heed state Fish and Game Department requirements. But the emphasis in this contest isn’t on how many you catch--it’s the biggest one. In fact, Robinson hopes fishermen will release all the fish they catch except the big one. And, if you catch a shark and want to enter it, you must release it alive after the weigh-in.

The pier is a popular spot for regulars who pull out halibut, mackerel, croaker, sea trout, smelt, bass, surf perch and shark. The catch usually runs anywhere from six ounces to eight pounds.

“It’s always kind of a mystery as to what you’ll catch off the pier,� Robinson said. “This has been an exceptionally good year for fishing in the Ventura area.�

You might think that hundreds of people fishing off the pier would drive the fish away. But Robinson said that generally doesn’t happen. “You get that much bait in the water and you tend to catch more fish.�

Details

* WHAT: Gone Fishin’ Sportfishing Tournament.

* WHERE: Ventura Pier, near Harbor Boulevard and California Street.

* WHEN: Saturday, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.

* COST: Free.

* CALL: 658-4726.

* FYI: Bring sunscreen and snacks. There is a restroom on the pier.