Santa Cruz Muni Wharf

I was in Santa Cruz yesterday and noticed a large kelp bed just to the north of the wharf. I asked a local guy about launching the boat next to the wharf and fishing that bed  and he said it was ok to launch yaks and that he sees several fish being taken out of the bed. Has anyone ever fished it? It is between the Surf Museum and the wharf.

That is the area surfers call "Indicators"  just inside of "steamer's lane"  I see people fishing it occassionally, but I haven't personally.  Seems like it would be fairly shallow and fishable only on small swell days.

MolBasser

There was a surf competition going on yesterday. Everything was pretty much flat but still fun to watch. I had left around 10am. Another fisherman said that if you go about 1/4 mile straight out from there that there is another reef with large lings on it.

Yes, there is a pinacle off of the lighthouse point.  I have a map that shows it.

MolBasser

I could be mistaken but that sounds like the area I fished a few years ago during the Kayak Connection derby. Theres a ton of kelp beds there I been wanting to get back everysince then. The fishing ws great. I hooked a huge Ling Cod, then lost him. Mooch is this the place?

Yes, there is a pinacle off of the lighthouse point.  I have a map that shows it.

MolBasser

Where can I buy some coastal maps. I guess nautical maps.

I could be mistaken but that sounds like the area I fished a few years ago during the Kayak Connection derby. Theres a ton of kelp beds there I been wanting to get back everysince then. The fishing was great. I hooked a huge Ling Cod, then lost him. Mooch is this the place?

I am brand new into this sport...do you think that this would be a safe place for a newbie to fish? Perhaps we could meet up and go together sometime.

If the swell is low, this is a fine place to go.  If the swell is up, not so much.

For newbies,  in the santa cruz area, there are other places (like capitola kelp) that are a better starting place.

I got my maps at west marine I think.  I can go find the map and post up the gps coordinates of that pinnicle if you like.

MolBasser

It sounds like a good place to fish but I have a question/comment regarding launching in that area.  I was in the Kayak Connection the other day and noticed a map of the harbor they have posted that shows a "no launch area" on the beach just outside the harbor where the hobies are parked.  When I asked about it the clerk told me that that area is the property of the harbor district and that they make the rules for that area but he added that all of the Santa Cruz State beaches except for a few designated areas such as north of the Capitola Pier are considered to be "swimming beaches" and launching is not permitted.  We discussed this a little and he indicated that it was different in Monterey county but was fairly sure about Santa Cruz.  Does anyone have insight into this?

This is news to me.  I always thought it was fine to launch at cowels.

I know people launch at beaches further up the west side, particularly at natural bridges and the sewer pipe (i forget the name).

MolBasser

Sad but true.   I have a bit of negative history in regards to that particular Santa Cruz regulation.  The beach by the harbor and  the boardwalk, and Cowell's is  "technically" a no-launch area.  In wintertime or early am, you can get away with it.  Rule of thumb is if a lifegurd is on duty, don't try it.  Problem in summer is  if you lauch before the lifeguard comes on duty, then where are you going to land?

The law is skewed,. but it exists.

Maybe we can work to get that one changed.

Allen

It sounds like a good place to fish but I have a question/comment regarding launching in that area.  I was in the Kayak Connection the other day and noticed a map of the harbor they have posted that shows a "no launch area" on the beach just outside the harbor where the hobies are parked.  When I asked about it the clerk told me that that area is the property of the harbor district and that they make the rules for that area but he added that all of the Santa Cruz State beaches except for a few designated areas such as north of the Capitola Pier are considered to be "swimming beaches" and launching is not permitted.  We discussed this a little and he indicated that it was different in Monterey county but was fairly sure about Santa Cruz.  Does anyone have insight into this?

I asked the guy who rents the yaks out off the pier and he said that it was cool to go from the beach although there is a sign posted saying no boat launching. I think it is going to depend on who is on duty at the time you try to launch.

.....and who is on duty when you need to land.

Sad but true.   I have a bit of negative history in regards to that particular Santa Cruz regulation.  The beach by the harbor and  the boardwalk, and Cowell's is  "technically" a no-launch area.  In wintertime or early am, you can get away with it.  Rule of thumb is if a lifegurd is on duty, don't try it.  Problem in summer is  if you lauch before the lifeguard comes on duty, then where are you going to land?

The law is skewed,. but it exists.

Maybe we can work to get that one changed.

Allen

If you launch on the boardwalk side of the pier, right next to the pier, the lifeguards won't bother you. On the Cowell's side of the pier, they will allow you to launch way up on the west end of the beach. It's so far to haul a kayak, it's easier to launch on the boardwalk side. Other than hauling the yak down the small set of stairs, it's an easy short distance to the water. Waves are usually small there, too.

It's understandable that they won't allow launching around swimmers. If the boat gets turned sideways during the launch, it can knock over a few swimmers easily. With fishing equipment in the equation, there can be serious injuries. Landing can also be a problem. Little kids will rush up to the boat as you are landing, so even a small wave can bowl them over. When landing at Capitola, the beach is so small it is sometimes necessary to call out to the moms to hang onto their kids to avoid this happening.

Has anyone tried launching from Natural Bridges? I have seen some other kelp beds near there as well.