Pt Arena area

I'm going up to Manchester KOA in Sept and now realize the fishing will be closed north of Pt Arena. We will be diving for abs north of Pt Arena but I still want to fish. Is there a productive fishing area near Pt Arena that is on the south side? 

Nothing has yet to be posted about the DFG closing the rock fish season north of Point Arena. So don't cancel your trip yet, and hang in there

While spending many unproductive hours at the pier I have watched people launch in the Pt Arena cove and paddle/motor out to the kelp beds at the mouth of the cove where they have done very well (a lot better than I was doing anyway).

The coffee shop at the cove and the little grocery store in town sometimes have bait but it's worth calling to check. Their numbers are fairly googleable as I recall.

Good luck.

The Sept 2 Rockfish closure IS posted on the DFG website and has already been incorporated into the area specific bottomfish regs,  game over for this year at least, unless there's some legal wrangling and it reopens for a short period like it did once in the past.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/inseason2008.asp#summary
http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/bfregs2008.asp#northcentral_north

dale

Good News for the trip.

Northing is 38° 57.5' so according to google earth, launching next to the Point Arena pier and fishing for RCG complex is legal after September 2nd.  Just don't go north of the lighthouse which is over 3 miles north of the pier.

I'll be looking for some more lings reports.

I just returned from our kayaks club annual outing at Van Damme. One of our members is an ab hunter and brought back some beautiful abs...delicious! He said he got them in 15' of water free diving. It has been many years since I had ab...now I may have to get some gear and join him! BTW, pan fried ab and pinot grigio were made for each other...lol...and that little bakery in Mendo really does make excellent sourdough.

Hey Amphibian,

Two good spots:

1) If it's flat, go to sea lion cove.  Check it on google earth, but right where the road to the lighthouse makes a dogleg turn there's a pull-off.  You need to lift your yak over the cattle gate, put it on wheels a go about 1/8 mile south on a really easy old road.  That gets you to a launch spot in the cove.  Either fish the cove (if it's rough outside) or paddle out the north or south entrance of the cove to fish the outside.  Even if you don't catch fish (which you will), this is one of the most beautiful spots in Norcal.

2)  Moat Creek.  About 1.5 miles south of Point Arena on hiway 1 is a public access called Moat Creek.  Its at the bottom of the hill, with a nice parking lot.  The trail's a few hundred feet.  If you're adventurous, you can hit Saunders reef from there, which is about a mile to the south.  Otherwise, just fish the edge of the kelp.

Also, as someone mentioned, you can paddle out from the cove (harbor), which is the easiest launch. 

Good Luck!

Dave