Tomales Bay Rockfish?

Hello everyone! 

I've been lurking in this forum for a little while now and have found a lot of useful information. All the information that I've gathered here has helped me get my first yak all set up and semi-ready for fishing. Thank you all for the contributions you've made to this forum.

Because my yak is only semi-ready, I'd like to venture into the safer waters of the bays before I head out to the Pacific Ocean. Though Tomales Bay is 2 hours away from me, I find that it is my favorite bay due to the varriety of seafood offered and the beauty of its environment there. My primary target is rockfish currently.

I found a map on a popular fishing book that illustrates the different fishes offered in different areas all over CA. According to the map on this book, there are actually rockfish in Tomales Bay. Can anyone confirm that, please? Is the map correct about the area (west side of the bay, south of Lawson's Landing?) where the rockfishes are found in the bay?

Maps can be viewed here: http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgrftg37_15gth5bk 

They show up in old scientific samples but there aren't anywhere near enough to target them.  Its largely mud and sand except at the southern point and I wouldn't fish there...VERY sharky.

That was what I kind of suspected. Thank you for the info.

I read on a recent post stating that flat water conditions exist when there is wind slower than 5MPH with swells around 3 feet range. I looked in last year's historical data ( http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/view_text_file.php?filename=46012h2006.txt.gz&dir=data/historical/stdmet/ ) for Halfmoon Bay and there were hardly any days of the year where that sort of condition existed. Rather than looking (waiting) for flat water conditions to get in the water, is it still fairly safe for a rookie to head out in slightly rougher conditions?

Maybe it'll help for you to know the yak that I'm going in: OK Scupper Pro.

Welcome to your future "madness".....I too told myself that i'd wait for LAKE PACIFIC to show, before I get out in the BigBlue. Lake Pacific has happened,but not when I can get to it. Keeping your eyes on the swell and wind is best, but it can also keep you from going to check it out too, thinking that it will be a waste of time. My first couple of launches were in ROUGHER than ideal conditions. Linda mar and HMB and I didn't even try to hard to fish because it was plain nasty and I only paddled/trolled/jigged for an hour at the most. However, on the next ocean voyage, I went to da'Bean on dan's lucky day(gws attack) the forcast was 4ft.swell and wind in the afternoon. It was easy out and easy in, wind did show,but not CRAZY, got fish and now I have built a bit of confidence.
Try to go when there are EXPERIENCED OCEAN PEOPLE launching.
IF IN DOUT?....abort launch!

HMB & MBK launches are NO SURF ZONE to deal with. 

Guys,
 Isn't the ideal, failsafe launch for the area Half Moon Bay?
 Easy in, easy out. Launching is in a kiddie pool....all the time!
 Begginers have enough on their plate w/out worrying about flipovers and wipeouts.
If the fishings not as good???? So what?
 They need to hone yakking skills in the beginning anyway.
Since experienced fishers have avoided HMB so often, maybe the fish are coming bacK!
 Any recent reports of fish from there?
 Steve

Tomales bay can be a very dangerous spot for someone unfamiliar with the area,wind and tides. Conditions can change VERY quickly. Although it is beautiful and one of my favorite spots, I have yet to take my Yak out there. I have fished the bay for over 30 years in all size boats and have experienced some scary moments on all of them. There have been many days when I drove out there to launch and turned around and came home. That being said, if you hit one of the glassy days it is awesome. Great halibut, shark and ray fishing ( the Jack Smelt on a ultra light rod can keep you entertained all day). One of may fishing buddies has been involved in two rescues INSIDE the bay and unfortunately several people lost their lives.

I'm not trying to scare you off the spot, I deal with life and death emergency's every day at work and many of those people PUT them selves into dangerous positions without thinking through what their doing.

I just felt compelled to reply so that you can go out there and be prepared with a Little general knowledge that it is not a place for beginners. Hope you give it a TRY SOMEDAY AND BE CAREFUL AND HAVE FUN.

Matt

PS I have never hooked a rock fish in the bay

HMB & MBK launches are NO SURF ZONE to deal with. 

Guys,
 Isn't the ideal, failsafe launch for the area Half Moon Bay?
 

HMB= HalfMoonBay= yes, a kiddie pool, until you get out of the harbor. CHECK THE SWELL!

Also watch out for pbs coming in and out of the harbor at hmb...Their swells can be intimidating for newbie yakkers.  I think the best place to learn yakking and catching rockfish is at MBK.  You might even catch a halibut

Guys,
 I trust and respect your experience but as a kid...I used to fish the first bouy out of HMB harbor in a 10 foot rickety wooden boat and catch good quality fish more often then not.
We always took cabs and lings.
[Advancing to a 12 foot aluminum caried the days even better.]
 When the swell is down...and one hugs the jetty [ out of the boat traffic] and sneaks out to the first bouy or the first kelp....how is the rockfishing today?
 After what has happened at Bean Hollow lately, it sounds pretty hairy as well.
Steve

Yakaroo,
Here's the deal with Tomales. The most predictable time to give it a try is when the fog is in thick along the coast. That usually means the bay will be flat most of the morning. As soon as the fog starts to clear, it's time to head off. After the fog clears,it can get real windy and choppy in a hurry. It's about a mile across to Hog Is. So you need to leave with enough time to get back. Chances are you will be taking a side wind chop once the wind starts. As far as rock fish go, I've only seen a couple real small ones. Mostly halibut, sharks, and rays. Some folks cross and camp on the west side then come back the next day before the winds kick up. You are supposed to get a camping permit back in Point Reyes. The other more rare times I've seen it nice there, are those rare hot still days when the bays are all calm all day. Fall usually is the time for those rare gems.

WOW, thank you all for the insight. I guess I'll leave TB for clamming. If any of you are into clams, I'll see y'all there over Thanksgiving weekend.
When I've gotten more experience with landing smaller fishes on a yak, I'll then shoot for some nice halibuts there.

The west side has a lot of rocky shoreline and some kelp.  There's rockfish in Tomales.    Not many people target them because they are usually fishing for halibut and sharks in the bay.  We use to sample the recreational catch at Lawson's Landing.  When it was too funky to cross the bar those in the know would hit the west shore for rockfish, greenling, lings, and cabs.  Watch the tide around Tomales Pt the out going tide rips through there and it is a dangerous area.