CARLSBAD – It's not every day that North County residents can talk rods and reels with a reality television star.

But those who pay $100 to participate in Saturday's Celebrity Fishing Tournament may get the chance to trade diet tips with “Celebrity Fit Club” competitor Erin Moran of “Happy Days” or discuss “the one that got away” with Adrianne Curry from “My Fair Brady.”

After more than two decades as a Hollywood press agent, David Mirisch is famous for persuading movie, TV and sports personalities to attend charity and fundraising events. Mirisch, an Encinitas resident, has made golf, basketball and bowling tournaments, gala dinners – even paintball competitions – more appealing by arranging celebrity appearances.

Mirisch has taken on the daunting task of arranging for about a dozen film and television personalities to participate in a fishing tournament to raise money for the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation and Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute in Carlsbad. Besides rubbing elbows with Hollywood names, the guest who catches the longest halibut, bass or spotfin croaker wins $500.

Mirisch guarantees there will be plenty of fish just waiting to be caught along the Carlsbad coast. But he doesn't promise that a certain celebrity will show up because none of them is paid for making an appearance.

Star absenteeism at his fundraisers, however, is rare. One of Mirisch's specialties is making sure celebs show up to an event supporting a good cause because, well, he has a certain reputation.

“The stars I've represented have trust in me,” Mirisch said. “They know I look out for their better interests.”

Mirisch, known as a press agent with a “golden Rolodex,” counted Farrah Fawcett, The Supremes and Omar Sharif among his clients. He started his career as an assistant to Henry Rogers in the prestigious public-relations firm Rogers & Cowen.

DETAILS Celebrity Fishing Tournament When: Registration starts at 6 a.m.; lines drop at 7 a.m. Where: Discovery Center, 1580 Cannon Road, Carlsbad Tickets: $100 for tournament; $35 for luncheon and awards presentation Phone: (760) 632-7770 Online: david@dmirisch.com

“I sat in his office in a corner, and I had to have every trade paper, newspaper and magazine read and every Rogers & Cowen client underlined by the time he walked in,” Mirisch recalled. “I still start every workday at 5 a.m., seven days a week.”

Other television and film celebrities scheduled to appear Saturday include Arianne Zuker, Kyle Lowder and Patrika Darbo (“Days of Our Lives”); Richard Steinmetz (“Passions”); Roland Kickinger (“Son of the Beach”); Chip and Kim McAllister (“The Amazing Race”); Justice (“American Gladiators”); Brett Cullen (“Lost”); Marc McClure (“Superman”); Brian Krause (“Charmed”); Christopher Atkins (“The Blue Lagoon”); and Matthew Borlenghi (“All My Children”).

Registration starts at 6 a.m.

Participants can pick up an event T-shirt, whistle (for alerting judges to measure a caught fish) and a wristband at the Discovery Center in Carlsbad. The wristband allows entry to a 1 p.m. luncheon catered by St. Tropez Bakery & Bistro. People can buy $35 tickets to the luncheon even if they choose not to fish.

Actor Christopher Knight (“My Fair Brady”), who stars in the new NBC show “Celebrity Circus” next month, said he looks forward to a day of fishing in Carlsbad.

“David and I go way back to the early 1980s, when he would host a lot of tennis tournaments,” Knight said by phone from his home in Los Angeles.

“He does a lot of these charity events for various causes and always has. More often than not, I'm not available.” But this one sounded like fun, Knight said, “and I'm driven to help the lagoons and estuaries.”

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Marcia Manna covers arts, entertainment and community news in North County for the Union-Tribune.