Salmon Fishing @ Moss Landing

Looking for some tips on salmon fishing from Moss Landing, Santa Cruz or Monterey.

Been watching and tracking fishing reports since opening day and great improvements on fishing depths. Now up at 20~60 ft from 200'~300' before. However, they are still far out at 10~15 mi., west of the Soquel Canyon although the bite seems to be ON. Boats from HMB are catching them as well. I think pretty soon it will be wide open.

Will definitely hook up with someone who will go.

To the experienced and those with the intel:

1. How close do they need to be before we can attempt to go for it?
2. What weather condition is acceptable?
3. Any preference in tides?

Thanks.

Danny

I might be wrong but I think depth is more important that how far out, got to be at least 60' or so for the most part Im told, but it is fishing and they have a mind of their own...

   How fast can you paddle for an hour steady in calm wind and no current, leaving some reserve energy for emergencies?  4 mph? 
    How many hours are you willing to shave off your fishing time to paddle out and back and still get in by noon, about the latest you'd want to be getting back on most days?
    How long does the wind take to go from almost nothing to way too much for safety?  The answer to that will vary a lot day to day, but maybe an hour might be average.
    What kind of current will you be facing within 1-2 miles of getting back into the jaws?  If it's mid-ebb (going down, and therefore the current is going out of the jaws) on a minus tide day, your mph over the bottom can easily be cut in half, and if the wind is building from the NW, as is normal, the wind and water will be working against each other, creating some big waves near shore and especially in the jaws. It can work the other way too, with wind and current going in the same direction into the jaws and then you've got a free ride.
    What are your escape options if you can't get back into the jaws?  Slim and none.
    Speaking only for myself, but 3-4 miles out from the jaws is all I feel reasonably safe doing, but I've been as far out at as 6 miles on perfectly calm days(the kind where a big high is sitting over us and the weather stays the same for a couple of days - warm with light and offshore winds- we don't get many of those in the spring and early summer).
    The salmon have recently been caught up to 35-50 fow, good for a kayak.  All the reports still have them way out at Soquel Hole, about twice my range.  I'm wondering if any PB has tried closer inside, or do they all just go to the hole because they can and nobody knows if there are fish in closer?
   
   
   

No fuzz at all with what you said Fuzzy Tom. All pointers are taken in. I like your approach with the stats. All makes logical sense.
Thanks also for your inputs bluekayak and guitarzan.

Post a hookup anytime you guys are going for it.

Danny

Fuzzy Tom,

Been digesting ur intel and you're dead-on on your estimate as far as paddling distances. Really appreciate all your stats for salmon fishing. 36'48N/121'52W max from ML or 36'52N/122'00W max from SC.
Starting at 6 and allowing 3 hrs for paddling to and fro will leave us ~3 hrs of fishing and as you said, on a good calm day, offshore winds and right tide.
Not getting a lot of these conditions in spring and early summer will be tough and may lead to taking some calculated risks if the salmon do come in close (as the bait comes closer) to our paddling distance.

Anytime you get a GREEN signal, PM me or post a hookup and I will be your wingman. Or if you want to be on a search mission
 

   I'm wondering if any PB has tried closer inside, or do they all just go to the hole because they can and nobody knows if there are fish in closer?

to find intel for our ncka family, hopefully end up with fish as well.

Danny

No fuzz at all with what you said Fuzzy Tom. All pointers are taken in. I like your approach with the stats. All makes logical sense.
Thanks also for your inputs bluekayak and guitarzan.

Post a hookup anytime you guys are going for it.

Danny

Im relatively new at this yaking thing, maybe 5 or 6 yrs, and salmon has been off limits for most of that, but bluekayak has been nailing salmon long distance from a yak since 71, many moons, but yer welcome anyways, good luck!

yea i agree, unless your super tuff and an ex coastguard diver, i wouldnt wanna head out any farther then 3miles for salmon in the ocean right now. its just too risky with all this funny weather we've been gettin this year. i would just try to be patient and wait till they come closer! Like you said, the bait WILL come closer sometime and probably in mid summer! Im sure there will be salmon close behind! Plus, salmon season is open till september right? there bound to be stacking up in front of the golden gate later in the year and thats when im gonna give them a shot! probably out of linda del mar! until then be safe bro and give us rockfish and hali reports..fw

Part of the problem with analyzing fish reports is that once someone posts up numbers then that becomes the magnet for guys heading out the next day and nobody bothers to look anywhere else.  Fish move and fish get run over while guys are headed out to, "the spot," I'd be willing to bet that their are pockets of fish workin the edge of the canyon right out front of Moss. Look for the signs.

agarcia,

Part of the problem with analyzing fish reports is that once someone posts up numbers then that becomes the magnet for guys heading out the next day and nobody bothers to look anywhere else.  Fish move and fish get run over while guys are headed out to, "the spot," I'd be willing to bet that their are pockets of fish workin the edge of the canyon right out front of Moss. Look for the signs.

I agree with what you're saying. Looking at the Bayside Marine reports, boaters seem to go to the same numbers since opening day.
I am keeping an open mind. Just want to set the baseline. I also consider it important to know all the stats to consider so I can have a good baseline plan.

Right now, considering the next RF or hali trip.

Thank y'all for the inputs.

danny

A wise man once said, "Don't read reports---make reports"
 

I usually just wait until they start to catch them on the Pacifica pier. Once the pier guys start catching them, then I know they are in my range from the Pacifica beaches. For the moss area I would keep an eye on how the Capitola rental boats are doing. Those boats are not alowed to go more then 3 miles out, so they stay in our range, so when they start bringing in the salmon you will know the fish are in paddeling distance. In my experiance speed is not as much an issue when you are paddling a kayak as the rig you are trolling. I have had the same result paddling as fast as I can as barley moving.  My brother and I had perfected a rig that was easy to use on a kayak and we hammered them a few years ago when the season was open.  I'll be up there testing the waters on the 12th, then atleast if I dont get into the salmon I can change and fish rockfish.

Smart tips Taylor31.
Easy enough to follow.
Thanks.
Also, I would be interested in your setup/rig if it's not a bother. Must have been fun nailing them back then. I wont be able to join you on the 12th as we will be driving to Hillsboro, Oregon for my grand daughter's 8th birthday but hopefully hook up the next time you go.

Danny

Smart tips Taylor31.
Easy enough to follow.
Thanks.
Also, I would be interested in your setup/rig if it's not a bother. Must have been fun nailing them back then. I wont be able to join you on the 12th as we will be driving to Hillsboro, Oregon for my grand daughter's 8th birthday but hopefully hook up the next time you go.

Danny

We did pretty well, but we had a few years that there were so many salmon it was hard not to catch them. I'll tell you my rig in a pm, since it took us a while to figure it out and I don't want to blow it up.