Remote Surveillance Trailer in Oceanside, CA

OCEANSIDE, CA — Whether you're a seasoned angler or you've always wanted to try your luck at catching a rainbow trout, California is hosting Free Fishing Day on Aug. 30 for all to enjoy.

On this day, fees and license requirements due to the state will be waived, allowing Californians to discover or revisit the activity, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In Oceanside, here are the nearest waters to fish:

"It's a great excuse to relax next to a beautiful lake or river and enjoy the great outdoors, and you might go home with tasty fish to throw on the grill," the CDFW wrote in a statement.

While children 15 and younger can fish for free every day of the year in the Golden State, there are only two Free Fishing Days this summer, where anyone and everyone can experience the hobby for free.

California is known to be a great place to fish, with hundreds of fishing locations and boat launches available for use around the state.

"Dozens of bodies of water across the Golden State await anglers with catchable-size trout recently stocked by CDFW hatcheries staff," according to CDFW.

Interested anglers can choose between many of California's lakes, streams and rivers. Fishing is also available on some piers, jetties and breakwaters along the coast. To find more fishing locations around the state, visit this link.

Anglers might be able to catch freshwater fish such as Black Bass, Brook Trout, Coastal Rainbow Trout, White Sturgeon, Striped Bass, Sacramento Perch, Kokanee salmon and more.

But before heading out, be sure to familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations for each water you plan to visit.

To find out which species will be released into natural waters to support recreational fishing, visit this link. For those who end up getting "hooked" on fishing, an annual sport fishing license can be purchased here.

A Resident Sport Fishing license, available for those 16 and older, costs $62.90 per year. For those who live outside of California, that annual fee is $169.82. For low-income Native Americans, there is no fee.

Find out more about sport fishing discounts here.

High school football season is back, and small towns are buzzing under the Friday night lights. This year, T-Mobile is raising the stakes with Friday Night 5G Lights — putting more than $4 million in prizes on the line for schools across America.

“We heard inspiring stories from schools all across the country since kicking off the competition over two months ago, and the passion is just incredible,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “It’s clear these schools are on a major mission not only to chase the big win but to also build pride in their communities.”

That sense of community is something three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes knows well. “I know firsthand how much high school football means to families and entire communities,” Mahomes said. “I grew up in a small Texas town, so seeing how hard these high schools have hustled really resonates with me. These finalists represent everything that makes the game special, and I’m proud to be part of spotlighting their stories.”

Four-time Super Bowl champ Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski agreed: “Friday nights in small-town America are pure magic with the energy, the pride and the tradition that make it so electric. I already know these Top 25 are going to take the competition to another level, and I can’t wait to see how they rally their communities and people across the country on their mission for the million-dollar grand prize.”

Each of the 25 finalists has already scored $25,000 and a T-Mobile–hosted home game celebration, but only one will walk away with the ultimate prize: a $1 million football field upgrade, a renovated weight room from Gronk Fitness, a consultation with stadium experience experts, an all-expenses-paid trip to the SEC Championship Game for 16 school representatives and a 2026 tailgate party to reveal the finalized upgrades.

Voting is open from Sept. 25 through Oct. 24 at, and the winner will be announced Oct. 30. Fans can vote once per day, and schools can rack up extra points by completing weekly Spirit Week challenges.

Now, meet this year’s 25 finalists — each with a story of pride, resilience and community spirit:

Remember that wave pool that was planned for Oceanside, California?

It might be a little hazy, since news surrounding the surf park began bubbling a handful of years ago. In fact, the construction began four years ago, with plans to open this year or the next. But then, the project got embroiled in a number of hurdles – including lawsuits, city approvals, and the discovery of Native American artifacts on the site.

Now, Ocean Kamp, as the project is dubbed, is back in the news. Reports are showing that the project will resume construction next year.

According to The San Diego Tribune, preparation of the site took much longer than expected. (Ahem, those aforementioned Native American artifacts.) But now, the project is back on, and per Jon Corn, an attorney and CEO of N4FL Worldwide, the organization developing the wave pool, “we’re very close to the end. Our goal is to be under construction by April or May of 2026.”

For more details on the project, and the surrounding development, as previously reported here on SURFER Mag:

“The 92-acre project, that’s just 3 miles from the ocean on the north side of highway 76 just east of Foussat rd, aims to transform the former swap meet and drive-in movie theater site into a mixed-use development featuring residential, commercial, and recreational elements including a 3.5-acre wave pool as its main attraction. Key components of this project also include up to 667 all electric, solar powered homes, a 300-room resort hotel, and 134,000 square feet of retail and office space.”

As for the wave-making technology expected to be used at Ocean Kamp, that’s still under wraps. However, in a previous , Corn hinted at some possibilities:

“We lean strongly to pneumatics, but that’s as much as I can say right now.”

That’s the same tech seen at pools like The Palm Springs Surf Club, Waco Surf, 02 SurfTown Muc, and others…specifically not Kelly Slater Wave Co.

Stay tuned; more to come on this pool (hopefully) soon.