Beginner launches during winter

Hi everyone,

This is my first post since my introduction post and I'm happy to say that I finally bought a tandem fishing kayak. Apologies if there is already a thread on this, but I couldn't find anything when I searched around. I'm looking for some suggestions for safe places to launch as a beginner kayak fisher. I've kayaked about a dozen times in the past, but never combined it with fishing. I'm based in SF, so ideally something within an hour of the city. And while I'm not trying to land anything substantial, it would be nice to launch in an area with some action, even if it's just some jack smelt or herring. Looking forward to hearing any suggestions or if there are other threads I should check out. Thanks in advance!

Oyster Point, Alameda Rock Wall, Berkeley Marina, Ferry Point, Paradise Park, Fort Baker... are just a few with very easy launches and relatively safe surroundings to fish. 

What kind of kayak did you get? I fish in a traditional kayak and that changes the definition of what's safe for beginners. For the East Bay, I would probably launch out of Alameda Rockwall before Berkeley. The action can be decent close to shore and the jetty can give you an emergency out in case everything goes pear shaped. Be mindful of the crazy winds we're having too, that can put you in a bad position pretty quick.

San Pablo Reservoir opens on Feb. 5.  Very nice place to go fish and yak.
https://www.ebmud.com/recreation/east-bay/san-pablo-reservoir/

What kind of kayak did you get? I fish in a traditional kayak and that changes the definition of what's safe for beginners. For the East Bay, I would probably launch out of Alameda Rockwall before Berkeley. The action can be decent close to shore and the jetty can give you an emergency out in case everything goes pear shaped. Be mindful of the crazy winds we're having too, that can put you in a bad position pretty quick.

I don't have space for a hard kayak, so I got this one a midrange inflatable fishing kayak: https://www.amazon.com/Intex-68309EP-Excursion-Pro-Kayak/dp/B07F88P35C/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=intex+excursion+pro+kayak&qid=1611247883&sr=8-1 . It's my first time in an inflatable, so I also want to be a bit cautious about launches. I'm an experienced surfer so I understand how powerful the wind and tide can be in the bay and want to be appropriately careful.

Stick with freshwater until you gain experience. Try the Delta or one of the East Bay lakes. Do you have a partner for that tandem? Does it allow for center seating ? If not your bow is going to be riding high, unless you have a large cooler etc in front. With the bow up and the lighter weight of an inflatable you are going have problems on the open ocean.
If you hit the SF Bay, plan it towards the last couple hours of the tide.  let it take you one way and help you get back to the launch when the tide shifts direction If possible plan so the prevailing wind also helps you return. This is even more important in an inflatable

I would consider trying Pillar Point at Half Moon Bay.  It is a very easy launch on the sheltered side of the breakwater and that gives a huge sheltered area to be able to check out the parameters of the new boat.  You can then take a look at the conditions outside of the Jaws and head out of the breakwater if conditions look favorable enough.

Outside of your 1 hour limit, you could also try Santa Cruz Harbor, which is also sheltered till you get past the lighthouse.  Definitely not as much sheltered space as Pillar Point though.

Also outside of your 1 hour limit, but an excellent place to try out a new boat is Elkhorn Slough at Moss Landing just north of Monterrey.  It is very sheltered and the wildlife viewing is spectacular!

Hope that helps!

Honestly, I wouldn't venture out in the ocean on that, solo or tandem.

Per the advise of others, I would highly recommend smaller lakes or the delta where you can hit the shore in case of an emergency.  Even at pillar point harbor or anywhere else, once the fan comes up it becomes a difficult journey, even more so in a inflatable tandem.  Good luck and be safe.

Check out Crane Cove Park.  It at the end of 18th street and Illinois St.  Puts you right into the Bay but VERY sheltered.

https://sfport.com/crane-cove-park

Thank you everyone for the advice! To answer one of the previous questions, I have a partner I will be sharing the kayak with. We definitely don't want to do anything stupid and so starting with lakes, the delta, or somewhere very sheltered seem like good places to start with. I've never fished the delta before. I saw a few threads mention Sherman lake and Orwood. Are these good places to launch? What sort of rig would be best? Again, happy to catch anything easy.

The two key things to be mindful of are wind and current. This is written for the bay but applies to the delta as well.

Look up any launch spot to learn what the tides are and when. Know which way the current will push you. The further you are from the Golden Gate the less current, and vice versa. The current at Crissy Field is a constant fight at about 4 to 6 knots, other places less so.

Always look at the weather forecast. As you no doubt know, the prevailing winds in the bay TEND to come from the west, so in general east bay spots are safer regarding wind. Alameda's Encinel boat ramp is probably the most user friendly place to start out. If the wind gets hairy you can line it up to push you back in instead of offshore. It's less useful for fishing until you get out a lot further, but Alameda beach is a very safe forgiving place to just paddle around.

Normal thermal winds are usually less in the morning and build into the afternoon, so plan accordingly. If you are someplace like Oyster Point, thermal winds can come on like someone turned on a fan. If the wind starts coming up, get the heck back in. Storm winds are more variable in direction, timing and speed.

Dress for immersion. Many bay kayakers wear a farmer john wetsuit (pro-tip: Get the NRS one with a front zipper!) and booties. It can mean the difference between a minor mishap and a life threatening one.  You can get by with your surfing wetsuit if you have a 3/2 or a shorty, but a farmer john is nicer for paddling and the front zipper is great since you don't tend to flush out your wetsuit sitting in a kayak. I wear some sort of wind protection over it since when you aren't down in the water you get a lot more wind chill.

And always wear a PFD.
Once you start getting further from shore, in addition to having your phone, consider getting a marine radio.

Good luck!
 

If your looking on info for fishing in the delta feel free to shoot me a message ive fished a majority of it and will happily let you know what i know. Ill shoot you my number if you pm me and we can talk launches and fish to target and what to watch out for. (i.e. where ive fucked up before).

If you don’t mind chasing stripers at culligan ranch of hwy 37... that a nice spot to paddle around and noob friendly..

With that boat I'd probably skip Berkeley and just do ARW, just avoid when the wind is up and the current is ripping (don't go right in the middle of a 5' tide swing).

If return/upgrade is an option, I would consider getting something out of the Advanced elements AdvancedFrame line, especially if you want to fish saltwater. The basic model is pricey on Amazon but I've gotten one for about $400. It's not as nice as a real boat but it tracks straighter and is a little more agile than other inflatables I've tried. That's saved me a few times from bad conditions.

With that boat I'd probably skip Berkeley and just do ARW, just avoid when the wind is up and the current is ripping (don't go right in the middle of a 5' tide swing).

If return/upgrade is an option, I would consider getting something out of the Advanced elements AdvancedFrame line, especially if you want to fish saltwater. The basic model is pricey on Amazon but I've gotten one for about $400. It's not as nice as a real boat but it tracks straighter and is a little more agile than other inflatables I've tried. That's saved me a few times from bad conditions.

Thanks for the advice! We looked at the Advanced Elements but they were out in our area until late Feb, and we figured this would give us enough of a taste at a lower price point to see if we liked it and wanted to upgrade.

Thank you everyone for all of the spots! I've bookmarked a bunch. We ended up doing Cullinan Ranch. No fish, but the kayak felt very sturdy and tracked well.