New Kayak Fishing, Maybe this weekend

(Posted on that pinned thread, but now I see that separate topic is what most are doing.  Guess this ends up being one more post on my way to 10....)

Screen name: OmegaTCB
Real name: Thomas

Will add a pic later.

Tried kayak fishing about 10 years ago with college friend on Monterey Bay and Half Moon Bay.  Got pretty wet and had zero bites, but it was still one of my all time favorite fishing trips.  Not sure why I haven't tried it since.

Going to see if I can get my 12 and 13 year old boys interested.  Will look for a calm weekend, tandem rentals, and a good guide for Monterey.

This weekend (Saturday) looking like a good bet.  Read safety stuff -- won't do first excursion with my kids without a guide.  (I was younger and dumber 10 years ago).

Welcome to our community Thomas 

Thanks Sailfish!

Looks like the fishing tours with the rental companies are either fully booked (mb kayaks), or not happening (kayak conn).  And those rental spots don't really open early enough for a proper fishing trip (at least not in my book).  Years ago it was possible to rent a yak in San Jose the night before.  Will check forum there have been past recommendations on that.

Welcome to NCKA!

You can try contacting Str8fishin to guide for you and he can hook you up with rental kayaks as well. That is if he’s not too busy chasing the salmon.... LOL!

Welcome!  There are quite a few guides on NCKA... Bushy is in Santa Cruz.  There are couple of guys that guide out of HMB and more as you go north.

Welcome Thomas and it’s never too late to get back into kayak fishing!
Sounds like great family fun waiting to happen 

Thanks guys.  I'll PM a couple of the people mentioned, but am getting ready for a DIY trip.  Dusted off the tackle box (okay, it was a cardboard box in the garage), pulled the rods and reels down from the rafters.

Looks like Outback Adventures might rent me a tandem sit-on-top.  Will jury rig a few rod holders.  And new plan is Saturday morning and Sunday morning fishing, one day with each boy (and more fishing for Dad!)

Lots of fun on Saturday.  Thank you to the kayak fisherman at West Marine whole helped with some advice on gear and on redirecting us to Halfmoon Bay.  And thanks to the folks who gave us some advice as we launched next to the rental place in HMB.

Morning with with one of my boys, afternoon with the other.  I am a bit tired.  Two small rockfish (both released) and some fun pretending that we were salmon fishing.  Breaking waves around the reef had me a little nervous in the morning.  Was really really calm from about 12 to 2.  Had already decided to head in when I heard a couple of you guys on the radio note to conditions getting worse.  Bit of a pull to get in through the wind around 2, but no real issue.

I am curious, for any of the guys who were out -- how did those conditions rate in terms of wind, waves, and swell.  Just trying to calibrate -- I wouldn't want to go out if the weather was much heavier.

Nice salmon for the guy who came in around the same time as us!  I think seeing those fish was enough to keep my son interested despite our meager results.

Was eyeballing the 4th, but forecast of 8ft swell and morning wind of ~9 kts definitely means a no-go for me.  Am curious if those conditions are doable for the experienced paddlers.

Maybe I'll just look for a party boat and an easy salmon (knock wood).  After all, I did put in some real work this last weekend -- I have earned it!

(And yes, I am trying to bump my post count to see what treasures await after 10 posts.)

Here is a pic of me and my boys, in case you see us out there.

(Trying to list my post pumping to this one thread....)

While Wednesday the 4th looks a little rough, the 5th looks like it might be extremely calm.  Perfect for a noob.  Maybe I am taking the morning off from work!

A good spot to take the kids would be the kelp beds in Monterey off cannery row. Its pretty protected and the bite can be pretty good. You can rent kayaks at Monterey Bay Kayaks and its a quick paddle to the fishing grounds just be aware of the no fish zones.. Good luck and welcome to the club!

Thanks Fish Master1!  Will give it a try next time I am in Monterey.

10 posts now.  Will quiet down now, at least until I have questions about buying a used kayak.  Have done some forum searches on the topic already.  Probably kidding myself that I will find a tandem that works well as a solo too, especially as I am not exactly the lightest guy around.

Many do the hobie oasis alone but can be pricey depending on time of year and year made. I personally use tandem i14 bc I like the ability to pack it and take my kids out with me sometimes. Take it by myself sometime too. So depends on what your liking is