Introduction

Hey folks, my name is Ed and I'm a kayak angler. I currently live in SoCal, but my family is looking to move to Grants Pass in Oct.

I have a Ride 135 and plan on fishing the harbors from Eureka into Oregon, rivers for smallmouth, and lakes for small and largemouth. I love saltwater bass fishing and plan to hit the harbors for rockfish and the like using the same techniques we use down here. But, I'm hoping to focus on smallmouth and drive less than I do now. Currently I'm 20min from the closest fishing, but it costs me $20 to launch. Or 25-35min for free fishing, or 1.5hrs for my favorite bay. This last option means that returning home I can easily end up with a 3hr drive due to traffic. Freshwater, while I do like it, is almost all pay to launch and fish down here. Hoping for better on that front in Oregon.

I suppose I'll learn to fish for Salmon too, but we'll see. I don't care to eat fish and I doubt I would keep anything freshwater. I do like fish tacos though, so maybe some rockfish or a butt will be kept. Anyways, that's it for now.

Hey Ed, welcome to NCKA

Welcome to NCKA Ed.   

Welcome!

If you haven't already done so, you should also subscribe to NCKA's sister site NWKA https://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/ that cover Oregon and further north. 

Welcome aboard Ed.

Welcome to NCKA Ed!

Thanks guys. Hopefully we'll get a chance to fish together sooner rather than later.

JP52, I think I'm still waiting admin approval at NWKA.

Forgot to mention in my intro that I try to be active in the closest HOW chapter down here. Anyone know if southern OR/NorCal has a chapter?

Welcome to NCKA Ed 

Rockfish tacos are dope you'll love em up in the North Coast.

Thanks Sailfish and tehpenguins! I'm sure tacos will be had. Probably get a smoker for the salmon too.

Anyone on here fish Crescent City's harbor? Wondering how fishable the place is and if there is a decent launch spot? Brookings?

I was in Crescent City last year Durring this last weekend for a tournament, at the end of the harbor there is a little beach on the left you can launch from it's very protected.

I'm going out there in 2 weeks, I didn't have an EPIC day last year, but I caught some very chunky Black Rockfish and a couple of nice lings.  I'll let you know in 2 weeks how I do again, if I can get some time in the salt.

just out of the harbor to the North if you have a FF you can find some good pinacles and the wash rocks/kelp beds are pretty nice as well.

I do hear a lot of the folks that live up there go up to Brookings though, I have yet to check that out.

below picture is like 18 feet of water around the kelp and wash rocks, and is where I caught both my lings for the tournament.

Nice! We fish boilers, or as you call them wash rocks, for calico bass. The 4.96 below was caught off a boiler while I played hide-and-seek with the surf. Helped me get 3rd in the tournament that day. They get to about 10lbs (thats a fish of a lifetime for most) and take 7-8yrs to get to 12", so most of us practice CPR. Same with our harbors with spotted bay bass. They also happen to be the least palatable of our 3 bass species. The saying is, "Slow to grow, so let them go." For spotties its a lot of weedless baits and fishing structure. I use 10lb line and lots of 3-5" swimbaits on underspins. If I can consistently find 12"+ rockfish in the harbors with bigger ones in the mix, I'll be happy as a clam.

So, we have the Mission Bay Classic and the Bay Bass Open down here that are big long running tournaments. The BBO only recently started allowing kayaks though. The Central Coast has the Slam Down. What do you guys have? I know there is a big one, but I can't remember where or when. I don't fish tournaments anymore; but I will volunteer to help and will fish if there's time.

Nice! We fish boilers, or as you call them wash rocks, for calico bass. The 4.96 below was caught off a boiler while I played hide-and-seek with the surf. Helped me get 3rd in the tournament that day. They get to about 10lbs (thats a fish of a lifetime for most) and take 7-8yrs to get to 12", so most of us practice CPR. Same with our harbors with spotted bay bass. They also happen to be the least palatable of our 3 bass species. The saying is, "Slow to grow, so let them go." For spotties its a lot of weedless baits and fishing structure. I use 10lb line and lots of 3-5" swimbaits on underspins. If I can consistently find 12"+ rockfish in the harbors with bigger ones in the mix, I'll be happy as a clam.

So, we have the Mission Bay Classic and the Bay Bass Open down here that are big long running tournaments. The BBO only recently started allowing kayaks though. The Central Coast has the Slam Down. What do you guys have? I know there is a big one, but I can't remember where or when. I don't fish tournaments anymore; but I will volunteer to help and will fish if there's time.

Looking at my records, the smallest Rockfish I caught ( I only got 3 ) was 12"  and I caught my still personal best Black RF at 17.5"

grab a dutch brothers coffee when you're up there too .

Just what I'm looking for, thanks.