where do I go in Monterey?

My son and I have surf fished for years off the Mendocino coast.  We generally pulled in Cabs and rock cods and dreamed of pulling in a stray Ling.  One day last year we were sitting on the rocks feeling the surf tug and pull on our 12 foot Ugly Sticks when out of the fog came a small flotilla of kayaks packed with fish we hadn't even imagined catching.  We both look at each other and said...we got to do that!!!  So we took kayak and surf lessons at MBK, bought some kayaks, but now how do we start?  We plan on going out near MBK in Monterey this Sunday, but we have no idea of where to go or what tackle we need...if anyone could help with a first trip in Monterey it would be greatly appreciated.  thanks.

Topher:

it is an easy paddle from MBK over to the kelp beds near Cannery Row.  Use conventional gear with swimbaits, or shrimp fly jigs, or rat trap tigs  for whole anchovies or squid (see the how to catch halibut article for rat trap details)

Don't go past the little white buoys in front of the Aquarium, that's a reserve area.  fish the edge of the kelp beds out to 60 feet or so and you will catch fish, maybe even big ones.  Be careful, stay saafe, and have fun!!

Review the posts on this board for tons of details about rigging and lures to use.  Just type in Monterey or MBK in the search bar.

Allen

Welcome to the madness Topher!

If it's your first time on the big blue, IMO: it's always better / safer to hire an "experienced" guide...and Allen (scallen) is da man! Kayak fishing is not so simple as many people think. You have to consider the Wind,swell,fog,tides,restrictions,identifying your catch, rules,regs,season and of course, the most important is safety. You can learn all this by spending a day with Allen. If you plan to kayak fish for a long time, it's worth every cent to learn from a pro.

Anyway, good luck and hope to see you on the water soon! I love paddling and fishing the Monterey area 

thanks Joel

but, sadly I will be in ALASKA!!!!! for the next few weeks.  Topher and his son shoudl get out there while the getting is good.  Also, topher, sign up for the MBK tourney later in August, you can meet a whole bunch of like-minded kayak anglers there

Allen

thanks for the tips Mooch and Allen.  We talked about getting a lesson from da man, but we want to get our feet wet first, maybe we will at a later date.

Good luck!  Post results.

Keep your dry side up!

Allen

We got our toes wet on Sunday...what a beautiful day!!!  We both caught a few; Jeff, my son, caught a nice ling cod that was a keeper.  We are both itching too do it again, but after the weekend shark attack, I need to get more term life insurance before my wife will let me back on the water (jk).  How often do sharks attack kayaks anyway?  Thanks again for the tips, we will be out again soon, maybe this coming weekend.

Hi Topher,

Welcome to the madness. 

I'll be heading out this coming weekend, either Saturday the 28th or Sunday the 29th.  Haven't decided yet...nor have I decided on where to go.  Possibly Stillwater Cove in Carmel, but I've been dying to try the Coral Street launch so I may go there.  If I'm feeling particularly energetic I may even hit Garrapata, assuming I have a buddy to help lug the kayaks up and down that cliff.     It all depends on the weather, really.  I'll post in the hookups section once I have things figured out.

How often do sharks attack kayaks anyway? 

Only like 3-5 documented attacks in the last 1000 years if I remember correctly before Dans encounter. I believe only 10 known actual deaths in California that are GWS related since the 1920's. Still a much better chance of getting attacked by a road rager on your way to the launch or by a neighbors dog for that matter. A few years ago I read more people die in one year in the whole world from bee stings than have ever died or even been attacked by a GW. I just watched a documentary called Coma and it said every fifteen seconds in the US a serious head injury occurs. That being said it can happen and as the seal and sea lion populations increase the GWS population should as well. But when I look around at the increasing big rig/semi population on our highways I wish someone made a semi-shield.  

Jeff

Hey topher!
Just saw this thread or I would've chimed in earlier. You should browse the "Places to Launch and Camp" board on this forum. There should be some good info on there about launches around Monterey.

Some of the established places to launch (driving South) are MBK, Coastguard Jetty/Breakwater, Otter Cove, Lovers Point, Coral Street, Asilomar Beach, Stillwater Cove, Carmel Beach, Carmel River SB, Monastery Beach, Soberanes Point, Garrapata Beach, Andrew Molera SB, Limekiln SP, Mill Creek, and Pacific Valley. I am sure there are more but these are the ones that have been used most frequently.
A great resource for finding these spots and more potential-spots is: www.californiacoastline.org
That site has been very good for me and helped me find many great shore-fishing locations too!

Good luck,
PK