month by month hot spots

For each month of the year, what are the kayak fishing hot spots?  I'd love to hear what you all have to say and compile into an article or calendar.

-Allen

Excellent idea. One of those "why didn't I think of that" ideas.

The month of January would have to be the delta for Dino's. Whether it be China Camp or the Oakland Airport. And that's my 2 cents worth

The North Coast in Mid Feb, weather permitting, or whenever the salmon season opens.  Since Shelter Cove on the Lost Coast is now an annual and growing NCKA event, that seems a good place to start.  I'll also mention the Mendocino area for salmon and the opening of abalone season in April, camping at Van Damme, diving for abalone, crabbing, rockfishing, cruising the Navarro River for crayfish (and catch and release steelhead) and Big River just for the awesome scenery when the ocean is too rough. My .02  -Matt

Allen....d'u fish out in the Puget Sound alot...???...

How do you find it.....you know........for flounder & groundfish?
Where's your favorite spot?

A friend over in Bremerton (not a fisherman) has taken me to places like Hood Canal, Discovery bay and Sequim......lots of very pretty water.

Judd

The month of January would have to be the delta for Dino's. Whether it be China Camp or the Oakland Airport. And that's my 2 cents worth

And I suppose Clear Lake with the Spider is the place to be in Feb.

-Allen

Allen....d'u fish out in the Puget Sound alot...???...

How do you find it.....you know........for flounder & groundfish?
Where's your favorite spot?

A friend over in Bremerton (not a fisherman) has taken me to places like Hood Canal, Discovery bay and Sequim......lots of very pretty water.

Judd

I fish the sound a fair amount, mostly salmon.  Not a lot of groundfish to be had here anymore.     There will always be flounder though.  The fishing gets better heading up to Disco Bay, Sequim, and points further west on the straight.

-Allen

I'll pipe in with Cape Mendocino in June.  Big Abalone, fat Dungeness, abundant Rockfish, and Lingzilla - I just need to start tapping into salmon and halibut out there and I'll be in heaven! 

Here's a pic of my buddy Wayne from 6/25/04 - guided by Abking!

AK, where are the hotspots in your neck of the woods for the other 11 months of the year.  BTW, I'm not looking for people's secret spots, just general areas and what you're targeting.

For instance ...  Sonoma coast in September, calm fogless days, good rockfish and lings.  Or Lake Mendo in October, stripers on a fall feeding frenzy.  June butts off the beaches of Santa Cruz and north.  Russian River steelies in Jan.  August at the Bean.  You get the picture.

-Allen

Allen - there are plenty of folks who'd have much to say about best months at the Klamath/Trinity system, but I don't have much experience there.  Other than hitting the ocean whenever it's nice and a season's open, I like to do the Eel River in the Fall - September and October being the best if you get the early rains like this year.  Same for the Smith, but, again, I don't have that much experience up there.  The lagoons have some Summer secrets - MBYakker/Chris discovered some of it and was cool to share a few tips with me, but I've not taken the time to figure those ones out either, or I'd have some AOTY points for a bass and a trout by now from Freshwater Lagoon!   

My best months are Summer for salmon, rockies, lingcod, and abalone.  I guess I'm just glad those things aren't limited to one good month.   

Eric

This is my .04 cents worth, so don't hold me to it.
December thru March is steelie time! If the river's blown, try for sturgeon.
April thru June is American shad and also prespawn bass at C.L. Don' forget to try springer salmon on the Klamath. The nearby hotspot is stripers on MENDO! Springtime rules!
Summertime is the right time for surf stripers and topwater largemouth.
Fall is salmon in the rivers as well as busting stripers.
I gotta go oil some reels...

Juan, it's interesting that you say shad.  We don't get many shad kayak fishing reports here.

Anyone else?  Where are you fishing each month of the year?

-Allen

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area and here's what I target:

Jan - Mar: Sturgeon in the bay, Trout in local lakes, LMB/SMB closer to spring.

April - June: Halibut, Stripers in the bay, Salmon in Monterey Bay (if they're close), Rockfish south around Big Sur.

June - Sept: Rockfish off San Mateo Coast & north, Halibut, Salmon (if close), Stripers.

Oct - Nov:  Some striper action around the bay, Lake Mendo.  Then hunting season kicks in for me!!!