Kayak fishing with kids at new Brighton

Hey everyone, I'm thinking of taking my 9 yr old out of NB fishing for rockies this weekend.   Of course we will have the safety aspects redundantly covered.  I take that super seriously paddling solo, much less with my boy on board.  Does anyone have any good tips or advice to maximize the experience for him and/or how to avoid a super negative experience?

For kids action matters, more than the taste worthiness of the catch. If i were u i wd do rockfishing first in the reefs.  As aback up in case rockies aint pan out, switch to catching kingfish/croakers.  Small leadhed tipt w squid.  Croax r evrywher in Cap.  Toggle between rockfish n loading up on croakers to sustain interest. Also there’s possibility of sharks thresher, spiny dogtooth, GWS lol

Second on the croaker-as-a-backup idea.  When the rockfish aren't biting for my son and I at HMB, I'll drop a sabiki by the green can to catch croakers.

Also, bring something for motion sickness, a snack (PB&J), and something to drink.  The snack and drink are a good break if the fishing is slow.

Good luck!

At times, there are tons of mackerel and other baitfish in that area, and those are a lot of fun (and easy to catch) on a sabiki. But, I'd be very careful with the sabiki, as those hooks are nasty, and nothing will ruin your day faster than getting one of them stuck in a finger (don't ask me how I know). So, you probably want to cut the sabikis down to no more than 2 hooks.

And, getting dumped in the surf would be sure to ruin everyone's day, so you might want to make sure that conditions are flat as can be. Wind could make it unpleasant too.

Alternatives would be to launch at the Capitola Wharf (probably better chance of some quality fish there) or the SC harbor (there is some kelp pretty close to the harbor entrance).

At times, there are tons of mackerel and other baitfish in that area, and those are a lot of fun (and easy to catch) on a sabiki. But, I'd be very careful with the sabiki, as those hooks are nasty, and nothing will ruin your day faster than getting one of them stuck in a finger (don't ask me how I know). So, you probably want to cut the sabikis down to no more than 2 hooks.

^THIS!
I'd go cut down sabiki and target sardines or mackerel. If possible bring a small cooler or a sack of ice on the yak and get a dozen or so of either fish on ice. Take 'em back to camp and grill them up for a waterman-style "live off the water" lunch experience. Set a table on the bottom of an overturned kayak. Your son will think you are Tarzan!

for other stuff, Loveboat has the alternative go-to covered.

I second the 2 hook rule for sabiki when taking kids, keeps the hooked kid ration down and helps keep tangles manageable. I also pinch the barbs down. Also second the action vs fish quality thoughts. Kids under 10 or so would have more fun catching anchovies constantly than waiting for a possible big fish.

I remember fishing mid-west farm ponds for bullheads and sunfish with grandfather when I was about 10, if i hadn't gotten a bite or fish in about 15 minutes, i'd be off catching frogs and lizards.

I remember fishing mid-west farm ponds for bullheads and sunfish with grandfather when I was about 10, if i hadn't gotten a bite or fish in about 15 minutes, i'd be off catching frogs and lizards.

Brings back memories of fishing Iowa farm ponds a long, long time ago...