Golden Gate Ft Baker Oct 29

Sounds like we had much better weather on Saturday Gary.  A bunch of just regular kayakers went out the gate, round Pt Bonita and up the coast under warm Sky's and light winds.  What a difference a day makes when talking about the weather around  the bridge.  Id like to mention the watering hole at the other end of the beach form where you launched.  It has to have the best view of the bridge anywhere.  It was closed to the public until recently but is now open to all.  It's kind of a funky place with regular prices and big soft chairs and big windows.  We often stop for a brew after a paddle.
I think they want customers to justify keeping the place as is rather than being gobbled up by the park plans for the redevelopment of the area.  Hope it stays just the way it is forever.
Don

For some reason I have a hard time getting more than one photo to post

Sure the fishing was slow but I thnk every one caught at least one.  It sounds like the Hobie guys really hit it late.  I believe that there are fish in those rocks that hide from the current and are ready to ambush any tasty bite that goes by.  We were proably hurt more by the wind and fast drift than anything else.  With all the fihsing pressure in the bay, I would never expect it to be Carmel or Big Sur but it was really fun challenging paddeling and reasonable catching.  It think it can be both much better and much worse there depending on conditions.  Time the tide to minimize current hope for light wind (more likely in the winter) and salmon and know your ability and go for it with a great bunch of NCKA's.

Party boats from berkeley and emeryville fish the bejesus out of that strech.  Last time I was there one of them, goldeneye II or something I think, was there with live chovies.  Saw them gaff a few truely dinky lings.  Sad sad...

Hey.  Posted (I thought) a big ol’ post last night, but somehow it got lost in cyberspace!  Hate it when that happens Good to see you’ all on Sunday.  .  Even if it was from a big steel boat.  Was on the Red and White Harbor Princess.  Was the most kayak fishermen I’ve seen at the GGB ever.  Would have gotten closer to you guys and waved or something, but had a “trainee” in the wheelhouse and couldn’t deviate much from prescribed route.

Sorry about the wind.  That happens sometimes.  Got a change in the weather pattern abruptly – as is often the case.  The overall experience for all would have been a whole lot different for several days prior to Sunday.

The entrance to the Bay is an amazing and wild place.  Directly beneath the middle of the bridge it’s 300’ deep – the deepest place in the Bay by far.  It’s a V shaped canyon dropping off from the North tower and rising to the South Tower where it shallows up on a shelf between the S. tower and Fort Point.  Only 25 feet deep or so over there – which is why occasionally you get big surf – and surfers.  All the water coming from the entire Delta system flows out that one gap on the ebb --- and of course the reverse on the flood.  Also the wind (and fog) pour through there – typically it’s calm in the morning and picks up to Kite boarding winds in the PM.

Fort Baker is a good put in spot, but also Crissy field which someone mentioned (Mooch?).  Lots of free parking right on the beach.  Have seen a number of kayak fishing guys (Halibut) in the area. Short paddle to Fort Point and around the bend to the SF side.  Gotta watch the timing however.  Looks real fishy all the way to Mile Rock on the South side.

Randall.  Nothing wrong with playing it safe if conditions are at all iffy.  Having said that, there are kayak groups going out all the time through that area out of Sea Kayak in Sausalito..  but they watch the timing carefully and go through levels of training.

Here's a couple links that might be of interest.  The first is a computer generated "fly over" of the bottom of the Bay.  Having run boats in this area for many years it was endlessly fascinating for me to see this and I played it over and over.  Explains lots of the weird currents etc that you wouldn't pick up from charts.  Starts out above SF "flying" towards and over Alcatraz.  Then heads towards S. end of Angel Island.  Around East of AI then North through Racoon straights by Tiburon, Belvedere and then back out to the GGB. That big hole at the end is the canyon mentioned earlier.  Promethean, you might be able to figure out where those seven gills hang out.

http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2006/01/outreach.html

Here's another.  The real deal.  A sailboat was sailing in to SF Bay under the GGB.  Capsized and was caught by a photographer.  He was there on one of the gnarly surf days at Fort Point doing a photo shoot and captured the whold thing on film. Classic.  Like I say, gotta watch the conditions!  http://photos.sfsurvey.com/

Hope to see you out there when I get my rig a little better! 

From a Coastside report today...could have used some of this in Sunday!

Here's to the red and white fleet! Those are great pics/topography, Definatly want to target a salmon run there, those are way informative, I can picture the patterns...hopefully. And I always knew that was a badass little boat the CG had tucked away over there. I was looking for the gun mount on it.

 I wish I had high speed internet. If I let it down load over night it might be ready in the morn. It sounds to cool (flyby). I wish I would have thought to grab someones radio to holler to you scupperguy. were you training your replacement. Great trip, you'll make it soon. How long till your last day?  Randall

These maps are good too.  You can see the rocky shelf off yellow cliffs.
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/2004/c1259/c1259_map_supp.pdf

Too cool. Can they get a real-time shot of all the fish? Give it another year.

my pic

I don't care where we fish as long as it is with the NCKA guys
I will fish in hell if that is where everyone is going

  I'm in!

Nice pics everyone!  Looks like a great time!

Mary

Thanks Scupperguy!  that was a cool-ass plane ride around and through the gate.now I can visulize why? when I used to paddle/kick in the Ocean Beach Surf and go nowhere fast.Thats alot of water gushing out and down the coast!