Bolinas Lagoon

  Left my boat in Sausalito and took the Kayak up the coast to see if I could launch.  Walked out on Muir Beach, looked a bit sloppy and breezy there, and nowhere to really launch (although I have caught a lot of fish near there off boats!).  Continued up the coast to Bolinas Lagoon.  Looked off the beach on Brighton and looked almost doable (I have no experience in surf launches yet!) and so I decided to put in at near the mouth a the lagoon.   Stiff flow going out, had to double time it to make it up current and into the lagoon.  Dragged some lures for a short while no love.  Saw a few rays swimming around so I threw in a chunch of squid and didn't take long for the sleigh ride!  Would have loved to get more pics of that but I had my hands full.  I thought about shooting out the mouth of the lagoon as the surf was only 3 or 4 feet and it looked like you could find a way to get out in it, but didn't want to do that on a solo trip.  Locals say lots of halis caught there lately!  It would be a great place to accidentally hook a salmon or two and have to release it (pesky junk fish that they are!).  Beautiful few hours on the water, next time I will go out of Bodega Harbor and try Doran beach.

 

Doran Park Beach is an easy launch over near the harbor entrance jetty--given the typical NorthWest swell--much stiffer surf farther around and great kayak surfing there if you like that. I have kayaked there but never fished but it sure looks fishy to me. Out by the rock and beyond is sure to be good but undoubtedly sharky--lot's Sea Lions and Seals on Bodega Rock and you know that means Mr Graysuit is out there around the rock somewhere waiting for lunch to launch off the rocks. When the wind is off shore and you get near the Rock, the smell of those fur bags is incredible--yuck.

  No doubt, I have spent hundreds of hours fishing out of Bodega!  It has worked hard for its nickname "blowdega"!  I miss catching Salmon in the shallows there, all you had to do was find a bait school along the beach and a there would be rock fish, halibut or a salmon along shortly!  we launched from Monterey harbor last sunday and there are lots of fur bags on the jetty there, downwind was not pretty! 

Sounds like you got a nice sleigh ride and good time OTW.  Thank you for the report, video, and pictures.

Mud Marlins!!!  Yee Haw!!!

 it would be Kool to hook a Hali in that Bay, I've also heard of Halis in the Bodega harbor too...


 Thought you were driving down Baja right now?

  Baja bound circa Decemnber 10th!  Can't wait.  In the mean time just have to settle for our quaint little fishery we call home!

Nice solo run...water looked sweet.  Thx for vid and pics and report...some ocean breeze is good for the soul... and just the peace of mind of hearing only your paddle is refreshing...