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Topic: Is the GG Bridge fishable by Kayak  (Read 3560 times)

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Only A Few

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I know a few people who claim to fish the Golden Gate Bridge by kayak, but everything I know about the GGB says its too risky as the currents and traffic are always screaming through there. With the sammys running through the bridge I can't help but consider it. Lets hear some feedback...


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bdon

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If low/hides tides are close than the current will be more manageable.

I fish a few times a week at torpedo warf and Fort Point from shore because it's so close to my place.  I've see more recreational kayakers and hardly any fishing kayakers, but recently there have been quite a few fishing boats.

Boat traffic wise wouldn't be too bad, just pass through south of the south tower.  The middle shipping lane has very fast moving water.

I was planning on hitting up Crissy Field this weekend if the ocean conditions aren't ideal.  The halibuts there have been really good this year.   I've caught quite a few throwing swimbaits.


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Check out my avatar pic.  Totally doable on small tide days.  I saw a bunch of party boats fishing right under the bridge on a morning last week and just read that they were picking up Salmon.  Easy parking and beach launch at Horseshoe Cove/Fort Baker on the Marin side. 


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What Marin Schoolie said...launch from Fort Baker but plan with the tides. You could pretty much go towards Kirby cove on the outgoing and come back with the incoming.

If going for salmon in the bay, might be less risky to go to Cal City...
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Eddie

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From what I've studied, the Marin side rips and the Chrissy side is more doable.  I could be wrong but I would launch at Chrissy and hit the south tower but I'm not sure the regs in the south tower area.  I thought there was a restriction. :smt102
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Eddie

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Get out there, maybe Monday for me
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Saucyangler89

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I am defiantly considering hitting it up myself on a better tide day, as soon as i get my new big wheels for my PA 14. feel free to let me know when and id be happy to join if I'm free!!


bluekayak

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this popped up on coastside overnight

Quote
Hey guys, this might belong in another forum. Please steer me elsewhere if needed.

I’m a new boat owner, new to fishing the Bay Area, just getting started. Several Coastside guys were a big help in getting me info and insights and even giving me rides in their boats to help in my purchase decision, grateful for that! Reading all the great posts, fish reports and tough weather, all helping me to learn.

So I’ve started to venture out, being cautious, trying to take it one step at a time and not exceed my beginner’s boating limits. I did make it out around the corner twice, once very calm, another more choppy, the boat and myself – seeming to handle everything fine, so far so good.

Most trips staying inside the gate in calm water with my wife, she’s not interested in swaying around and rocking and rolling. But she’s ridden along with me outside the gate a few times, and holding up well. Not always fishing, just riding out there and getting used to the currents, tides, swells, the washing machine sections.

So this morning, we head out around 10am out of Sausalito. Feeling a bit of wind but all in all, really nice. So we decide to head out towards the GG. Wind hits us a bit, no problem. Hit some washing machine as we near the bridge, started to get rougher. In the distance we saw what appeared to be some kayakers right near the north end of the bridge.

As we got closer, we saw a small skiff with an OB, and it looked like the guy in the skiff was trying to do something near the kayakers, not really sure. We steered left to give a wider berth, didn’t want to get too close.

We got yet closer, and it looked like one of the kayakers was flipped. The water was rough and choppy, pretty serious washing machine. The guy in the skiff was trying to get ahold of the kayak or something, not quite sure. At that point, it looked like something was wrong, and I decided to see if they needed help. Slowed down and started to move closer.

At that point, we saw a person in the water, looked like a woman. It was pretty obvious it was the kayaker, she was trying to swim towards her flipped kayak and the skiff. The skiff was having trouble getting to her. At that point, I had no choice (at least in my mind), I needed to assist. I told my wife “we’re obligated to assist”.

This all took about 60 seconds. I’m not really sure how long it took, there was a bit of going into a zone. Keep in mind – I’m a beginning boater, my boat handling skills are rudimentary. I’m sure I made some mistakes here, I look forward to any feedback, and I’ll have a few notes and thoughts at the end of this.

I got closer, and I saw her more clearly. She was right in the middle of very rough water, near the north tower (or north end of the bridge). I saw her face, and she looked scared and frantic, and she was trying to make headway swimming towards the skiff, but not really making any progress, she was taking big strokes and going up and down in the washing machine. When I saw her face, it didn’t look good, and at that moment I think I shared her fear.

So I got closer, and my wife (who is tiny, around 5ft, not a boater, but is a hero – at least in my view) got back in the cockpit. My boat was now pointing out west and rocking in the washing machine like crazy. I got closer, slowed to a near stop, put a slight bump in reverse to slow even more. By some major luck, I managed to get the back end of my boat close to her (we have a swimstep). At this moment I yelled back to my wife to throw a rope (see below). Seconds later - either we drifted to her, or she drifted to us (or more likely a combo of both), and she and the swimstep managed to come together perfectly.

My wife was at the rear, she opened the transom door, grabbed the rail, stuck out her hand. The woman in the water stuck out her hand and through a quick combo of pulling on both sides, my wife managed to get her up on the swimstep. The woman was gasping, and she said she was very glad to see us. At that point, I slowly pulled back, I looked at the guy in the skiff, he pointed towards Fort Baker. I then made my way over to Fort Baker. While we were going, the lady was catching her breath and her wits. It seemed that she was OK. It didn’t appear that she had any lifejacket on. She may have had a full flotation suit, not sure, didn't look like it. We made our way into Fort Baker and dropped her off at one of the docks.

As we pulled out of Fort Baker, the guy with the skiff was making his way in. He had her kayak in the skiff. He looked at me and gave me a two-handed prayer sign of thanks. We gave a thumbs up.

So I’m not even sure if this was as serious as it seemed at the time. It looked bad, but maybe we are just not used to this stuff. My wife and I were both in a bit of shock, we still are. It turned out well, but as I was thinking back, I’m not sure if I was approaching the situation correctly. For example, we might have been coming from the wrong direction to assist. We might have drifted over her, that might have made the situation much worse. I think we got super lucky that the (so called) maneuver worked. It certainly wasn’t skill, I simply don’t have enough hours and experience. At the moment, I wasn't sure what the skiff was doing, but it didn't look like it was working. It appeared he was struggling to get to her.

In addition, there were things we should have had ready, and we didn’t. We should have had our life jackets ready and a throw floater ready, and we didn’t. It all happened very quickly once we got near, and there just wasn’t time. I yelled at my wife to throw a rope – that probably wouldn’t have the best option, but I wasn’t thinking at that point. As it turned out, we didn’t need to throw it, but still.

My boat is a 28’ Cutwater. It’s an inboard, straight shaft with a rudder, not super maneuverable. It’s got bow and stern thrusters, but they are only useful in no-wind slip docking maneuvers. I’m getting used to making moves with the boat, bumping back and forth but quite frankly I wasn’t ready for this – we got lucky. I can’t really say if the woman was in any danger, but man – in the moment and minutes afterwards, visualizing the woman in that washing machine, **** **** ****.

Apparently, the woman told my wife that she was taking a class, and the guy in the skiff may have been an instructor. I don’t know the details of any of that – we just dropped her off and proceeded slowly out of Fort Baker.


Rk2fish

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We used to take our boat out of the gate, crabbing by Baker beach. Those currents can get quite nasty going thru the gate, especially  the mid portion of the gate. Sometimes our 16' boat/60hp motor would have trouble cruising thru some parts of the currents. It would definately be an eye opening experience with a kayak, especially when that wind picks up. From what I understand, you can't fish anywhere near the GGB anymore.


MontanaN8V

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Better have one helluva reel to hold line. +/-280 feet from bridge to the water ;)
No overhead casting please...
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Eddie

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Better have one helluva reel to hold line. +/-280 feet from bridge to the water ;)
No overhead casting please...
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Man, I wouldn’t attemp it unless you got lucky and missed the tides.
I have never seen it calm from a boat. The surrounding areas might look calm, but that Gate is a killer. I wouldn’t attemp it even if someone paid me a lot of money and what are you going to fish for?
There’s do many other safer and more productive places to fish🎣🐟🙏😎
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Eddie

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Man, I wouldn’t attemp it unless you got lucky and missed the tides.
I have never seen it calm from a boat. The surrounding areas might look calm, but that Gate is a killer. I wouldn’t attemp it even if someone paid me a lot of money and what are you going to fish for?
There’s do many other safer and more productive places to fish🎣🐟🙏😎
I agree, if I were to launch at Baker I would be going east around yellow bluff to fish Sausalito.
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Squidder K

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GF and I were at the fort years ago and watched a kite sailor loose his ski. he drifted out under the bridge in 2 minutes. Another kite surfer brought him his ski (not sure if that is the correct name for it), but the current rips there, and I thought to myself if no one helps him he will be half way to the Farlones in the next 5 minutes.
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