Catherine Miller, Event Director, announced today that John "Hopalong" Cassidy long time San Diego resident will be handling the Master of Ceremonies duties on the main stage for the 30th Anniversary celebration.

Cassidy's roots run deep in San Diego sportfishing where his father introduced him to fishing in the mid-fifties. Later he crewed on several well-known San Diego based boats including the Del Mar, Kingfisher and Paularto ll.

After graduating from San Diego State and a brief stint working in the Aerospace Industry, he married his longtime sweetheart, Vicki Kessler.

San Diego Fishermen Magazine hired Cassidy in 1979 as a feature writer where he was soon writing a seafood-related cooking column, Hopalong John's Galley. Attending the very first Day at the Docks as a member of the magazine's staff thirty years ago, Hopalong served over 1,100 samples of Mama Gio's original ceviche recipe.

In 1981, Hopalong was elected president of the San Diego Council of Bass Clubs and in 1983, he and Vicki founded Angler's Arsenal, in Del Mar. In 1993, they purchased Western Plastics which soon expanded into the lure and fishing products distribution company it is today.

In 1995, Vicki and Hopalong began running freshwater bass fishing tournaments and later expanded into the saltwater inshore arena running fishing tournaments through the San Diego Saltwater Bass Showdown series.

Today, Hopalong can be heard regularly co-hosting the Sunday Rod & Reel Radio Show on 540 AM in San Diego and 1260AM in Los Angeles. www.rodandreelradio.com.