New to the Ocean

I am new to Ocean fishing. Where is an easy place to launch out of? I am in Brentwood , so Santa Cruz is not too far. How about San Leandro? Just looking for something that does not take a  all day drive. Thanks

  Really any harbor/boat launch is going to be easy to paddle out of, so SC, HMB, or Bodega.  I've never fished in the Bay or Delta much so can't help there.  Keep in mind that after 12pm the ocean wind really picks up and can make for a tough paddle back in even going to a harbor.

I am new to Ocean fishing. Where is an easy place to launch out of? I am in Brentwood , so Santa Cruz is not too far. How about San Leandro? Just looking for something that does not take a  all day drive. Thanks

i'm in brentwood too, i go to these places regularly. it goes without saying, go with someone initially. i mostly do solo trips these days but i'll be happy to assist.

stillwater south (pebble beach). the best place in terms of launch, paddle, practice, etc... not that great to catch fish, too much pressure. take 101 on the way there early in the morning, 156/152/5 on the way back, cut through tracy, extra 20 min but less traffic.

pigeon point. easy drive and launch, better fishing than SC. bad or no diving here. heavy traffic on the way back.

timber cove, ocean cove, fort ross. a bit further drive than SC but better fishing/diving. easy launches. some traffic on the way back.

anchor bay, moat creek, 1hr+ north from above places. tough launch, great fishing/diving. some traffic on the way back.

james

Welcome to NCKA Badfish 

For launching/landing, it doesn't get any easier than the SC harbor. And contrary to rumors, there are some fish out there too...

Half moon bay doesnt get any easier on the backdide of the harbor. 50yds of sand to the water tops. Lots of lings out there too. ; )

Thanks for all the info. I will give it a try. James , I might look you up when I get ready . Thanks again.

OK I'll "that guy" and say that the kayak launches mentioned above are vastly different in terms of exposure, waves, currents, etc.

If you are just starting out in the ocean i would HIGHLY recommend taking a class form a paddle shop first. That will cover how to deal with capsizes, paddle strokes, and the myriad of other small things that can make or break a good time on the water.
Kayak Connection is right there in the SC harbor, and Half Moon Bay Kayaks is right on the water in HMB.

HMB can have wind issues, and wave issues too. SC harbor is probably the safest as you'll likly have some other boaters around and the fishing grounds are not too far removed form the harbor mouth.
The San Mateo Coast is not what I would suggest for a beginner, as it is relatively remote and most launches are surf launches. The small beach at the lighthouse is most protected, but I've seen yardsales there too

OK I'll "that guy" and say that the kayak launches mentioned above are vastly different in terms of exposure, waves, currents, etc.

If you are just starting out in the ocean i would HIGHLY recommend taking a class form a paddle shop first. That will cover how to deal with capsizes, paddle strokes, and the myriad of other small things that can make or break a good time on the water.
Kayak Connection is right there in the SC harbor, and Half Moon Bay Kayaks is right on the water in HMB.

HMB can have wind issues, and wave issues too. SC harbor is probably the safest as you'll likly have some other boaters around and the fishing grounds are not too far removed form the harbor mouth.
The San Mateo Coast is not what I would suggest for a beginner, as it is relatively remote and most launches are surf launches. The small beach at the lighthouse is most protected, but I've seen yardsales there too

^^^THIS^^^ do not take poseidon for granted, it can change in a matter of seconds you really need to pay attention to safety. we at NCKA are Safety first, Fisherman second!

Welcome!  Post a hookup and go out with someone more experienced for your first trip out.  Make sure to have all safety gear like wetsuit, pfd, vhf, etc. 

I have been out three times,Once in Oceanside and twice out of Monterrey . All very easy to launch. I was just looking for an easy launch around here too. Safety is always first. Thanks for  all the help.

I have been out three times,Once in Oceanside and twice out of Monterrey . All very easy to launch. I was just looking for an easy launch around here too. Safety is always first. Thanks for  all the help.

Pm me too
If you'd like any company, I'm learning the ocean as well and have only a few trips under
My belt, would love to tag along if company is welcome.

I'll likely be heading out in the next couple of weeks. More than likely on a Saturday. I've fished Santa Cruz a fair bit and don't mind newbs tagging along. The nice thing about SC is that when the wind picks up, it generally blows from the NW, which pushes you back towards the harbor. Keep your eyes out for a hookup in the near future.

Can't stress what Alshobieoutback said. Take all of those things. I take a little more but that is a must have.

I'm down for some fishing. Doesn't matter if it's SC, HMB, MBK, Pebble beach or pigeon point. Only been out once with a couple of the members here.

we just got back from Big Sur area and it was a rough day. swell was very bad even dough the swell report looked good. we managed to catch some nice fish before it got to us. 2 of them went chumming and we call it quits.