Cod Fishing Saturday Morning Santa Cruz

Im new to the whole kayak fishing thing, but am looking to head out from the west harbor on saturday morning to see if i can catch some cod. can anyone suggest a good way i can do a basic setup on a malibu two, i was thinking about just bungie'ing a milk carton or two and maybe a bucket or something to hold my bait. also kind of curious on what method i should use for catching the cod, again any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

The milk crate thing would work just fine, as for the rigging the simple way to do this is to get yourselfs some shrimp flies and bait with strips of squid. I usally use the whole piece for the bigger cod. Make sure you do not have more than two hooks on the line.Have fun and good luck.

you can also try a basic diamond jig with a piece of squid on the hook, then jig it back and forth around the rocks. Live bait works best, but i haven't heard about any anchovies at the marina yet. You can also try for smelt out in the ocean and throw a live one down for a ling. Good luck!

If(and you didn't say) you're brand new to salt-water fishing, just keep it real simple at first.  I've seen guys who've fished for years go out with nothing but a pole and some bait in a kayak.   You should think about hiring a guide like SCAllen, he'll ramp up the learning curve.   
    30 lb test mono line will let you get out of some snags, especially if you go back against the drift and give it some tugs, a two hook rockfish rig with a 3 oz weight, good sturdy rod and  cheap but sturdy conventional level-wind saltwater reel like a Penn 209.  Bait up with squid, whole or big pieces, drop to the bottom, then up a couple of feet so that your hooks aren't dragging on the bottom.  You'll want a pair of needle nose pliers to get the hooks out, and at a garden glove on your off hand to keep from getting poked by fin spines.   Use something as a lanyard to tie your rod to the yak, a rope will work, because at first it seems everything is in the way and you're apt to bump it overboard.  Make sure you're fishing in a rocky area - a lot of SC is sand, the general rule is that if you see kelp, you're near a rocky bottom, the rockfish stray somewhat from it, but not much, and most are on or near the bottom. You will lose some tackle, that's just part of rockfishing.    If you manage to catch a big ling or halibut, don't put it in your lap until it's dead, which means you need a net (legally required), but a gaff is much better, and some go with lip grippers, but that takes some practice. 
   Watch the wind, if it starts to pick up, start to head in before it gets nasty.  You should study up on your regs about which rockfish you can keep and for some of them, minimum sizes.  When it doubt, throw them back.  Have fun, and hope to see you out there sometime.
   

Clemke,

Fuzzy Tom has some great advice. I'd agree that normally, SCALLEN would be  a great teacher for techniques in our area for local fish, but unfortunately he has a broken arm.

There is an abundance of kelp beds from the Lighthouse all the way to Natural Bridges.

The paddle from the Harbor to the Lighthouse is about 3 miles. The winds pick up starting in the early afternoon, so you get a bit of a ride in your favor heading back.

There is a reef that starts at the mile buoy out of the harbor that winds it's way north. But be careful this weekend, they are predicting a swell.

Be safe!!!

Rich

Allen could still out-fish me, broken arm or not. 

Thanks for all the advice, im not new to salt water fishing but i am a virgin kayak fisher. All the information is very helpful, i think the keep it simple idea is the best. I paddled out to the lighthouse the other weekend, so i think ill try the kelp beds out there. thanks again to everyone.

only one or two small fish out there if that.

best to go to monterey or carmel if you want to catch fish.