how deep is California halibut inside Tamelas bay?

My son is visiting from Utah next Tuesday for halibut fishing at Tamelas Bay. I scouted the water twice but failed to hook any fish. Need some feedback to avoid more skunk day. My experience has been:
1. trolling is nearly impossible, I checked hooks every 5 minutes, weeds were always on them.
2. Should I anchored kayak or slow drafting/pedaling? how do you avoid weed getting on hook if you are drafting?
3. Nice local boater and kayaker pointed to me good spots near Hoag and Tom's Point buoys, but what's the depth I should try jigging or baiting?
4. do you add scent, flasher or plastic squid on frozen bait or live bait to attract fish?

We will have fun just going out on the water, a fish or two will make it more memorable:) thanks for your advice!
Chris

I have had best luck jigging up some live anchovies or smelt on a sabiki then drifting with the live bait on a trap rig.

As far as spots to check out, yellow buoy is a good starting place near hog. It’s busy but gauge to see if anyone is catching around there and if not move around.  I know ppl catch them there (I never have though) the north side of hog is good too and then back in the Marshall area. A good place to check where they’re catching them right now is The Lawson’s landing fishing report. Good luck out there. I’ve found tomales to be a very feast or famine type of spot. Mostly famine for me lol….

The area around hog island has produced for us in the past. Dont remember which way the tide was moving but we were in about 40 feet of water

I catch mine in 18-24 fow of water.  You never know where they are.  Gotta kinda think like bait and like a hali at the same time.  I like the top or bottom of the outgoing tide.  Drifting a shiner or smelt is my preferred technique but throwing a swimbait will get you one as well…after many casts…study the channels on a map and stick to your plan. The weeds have a trail and can be absolutely defeating.  It’s another task to avoid them along with maintaining your trail.  Check your bait often.

My second try for halibut still resulted in no bite. Couldn't get bait fish so I only used swim bait. It was a beautiful and quiet day and I was so happy just to be on the water. Getting more familiar with the area, the wind shift, weed bed, channel depth, fog...etc. that shall make the next trip easier. I will keep trying and thanks for your advice.

Can you launch from Lawsons and avoid the bar while peddling to hog island?

Can you launch from Lawsons and avoid the bar while peddling to hog island?

Thats a looooooong peddle.  Better to launch from Nicks Cove if you're trying to get to Hog Island.

You gotta have a clean sand bottom.  A few rorcks here and there are OK.  If you're getting weeds it may be old floating weed in which case pull up and try to find a clear spot.  If its a seagrass bed or growing seaweed on the bottom you're in the wrong place.  Primary factor is clean bottom.  Use your FF.  Zoom it so you're looking at the bottom and about 10 feet up from the bottom.  this magifies the botttom structure for you.  We don't need to see the whle water column if we're fishing the bottofor flatties.  Floating weed and debris can look like smudges or light bluespeckles above the hard red bottom.  If you see that just move.  that same spot that was weedy yesterday might be perfectly clean today if it's floating junk on the bottom.

Bushy

Can you launch from Lawsons and avoid the bar while peddling to hog island?

I tried it and will never do it again. Not just a long trip by distance (I only made it half way before fog and wind picked up). If I didn't turn back around noon, NW afternoon wind will make it impossible to return to Lawson's . Even so I had never felt so tired and devastated in my life pedaling again that wind.

Best way to make a trip to Lawsons or near Lawsons is to launch from Nick's Cove on an outgoing tide and return on the incoming. Tidal outflow can run swift on the west bank when tides go from very high to low. Less current near the east side. Very doable on the right day.

Just re-read your post title and have the perfect answer.  "All the way Down!"

Bouché