salmon fishing info / tips needed

The word is that the grey whales got away.  They were able to make it to the shallows and escape the killer whales.  There was a lot of blood in the water, so I don't know if the baby ultimately survived.

-Allen

yeah, you can't see the car from the beach, it is over a big sand dune. The parking lot is fairly remote and not
real visible from anywhere. There's a lot of farmworker locals nearby, it's not the average yuppie beach.
humping the kayak over the sand dune would kind of suck. This is also true of the lots
south of the harbour.

those orca photos are pretty stunning. They are gnarly. I heard they will hold the grey whale upside down
and drown it. then just eat the tongue.

I spoke with a ranger about zmudowski.  It is definately launchable.  The problem with this area seems to be with crime; lots of car break-ins.  Don't leave valuables in your car.

Kevin

that's also good to know  - thanks Kevin! god forbid someone breaks into my truck and takes off with my Saturday Night Fever CD Soundtrack

hey mooch, i'll have to give that thanks to BILL! since he knew the details and whereabouts exactly of that place!

now we know of a new place to get in the water!

i'll see if i can find out about parking on the sand there or just on the street. either way it looks like a decent place since it outs you right at the opening of the harbor and there is a really protected area to launch on the side.

lets have some fun!

That's a good spot to launch, the inside of the south breakwater.  Some of the PB's park down at that end of the road, and you get a few lost tourists.  Don't leave valuables in vehicle, maybe it was just the trash that got me thinking that way.    Never seen anyone drive down to the water, there are lots of  marine scientist types in that area who might try to figure out why you shouldn't, but I can't recall if it is signed a no-no.   There are some sort of squirting creatures under the sand, looks like one of those fountains when you walk down there. 
    Because there are few landmarks on the shore except the fog-making stacks, it's real easy to get out and away pretty far without realizing it on a calm day, then the wind comes up and you're paddling further and harder than you expected and the wind waves can get uncomfortably big in the hour or so it takes you to get in.  If I had a clunker bike I might be tempted to launch and then park at the surf access south of the bridge and ride back and lock the bike in the weeds somewhere in those warehouses there.

I've launched from that spot.  Its sweet when you drive by the line of boats parked outside the ramp waiting and you just drive around and drop in.  I'm pretty sure I remember there being rocks blocking entry to the inner harbor so you can't just drive in.  At low tide it can be a long portage. 

nope

I wanna see too.

I second on the break ins.  Last time i was there i launched on the flat next to the ramp ad when We got back sombodys car had just been stolen.

Either last spring or the one before I was tagging along behind a grey(?) and up popped the orcas and started going at it

definitely raised more goosebumps for me than a gw


Marine biologist coworker told me the orcas only want the tongue so they rip it out and leave the rest

I get nervous see "regular" whales so close.  If I saw an Orca, I'd probably pass out.

What I don't understand is why would an Orca expend so much energy bringing down a big whale and not eat more of the kill? 

Early in the season last year I went salmon fishing out of SC harbor in a friends PB. Saw 9 orcas working a baby whale. Birds circling everywhere, but none diving into the water. it seemed to me the larger orcas were teaching the younger ones how to hunt. No blood in the water. The looked like they were trying to drown the baby (grey?). Just kept laying on top of it forcing it under. I could only imagine the stress level of that thing.
We were in a 21 ft Triumph fishing boat and I still didn't want to get TOO close.

Don't know if this video is real, but don't play with an Orca.
http://www.clipaday.com/2006/03/killer_whale_smashes_kayak.html

Mike - that's definitely a fake 

sorta figured that when his buddies don't react.