Total newb to ocean kayak fishing

Hello everyone,
I am very glad I found this community of awesome people while trying to figure out the steps to getting out on the ocean on a kayak. The only ocean fishing experience I have is from a trip up north back in 2012 with a coworker on a party boat where I got the biggest salmon for the day(for the boat). This experience really left a permanent mark on my list of must dos. Recently I've been doing some lake/river fishing with my now 10 yr old son and decided to invest in an inflatable fishing kayak and the reason is obviously for ease of transport and storage . The research pointed me to the direction of dropstitch technology and more reliable materials compared to just a few years ago. Anyway, I chose the Aquaglide blackfoot 160 which is a two person vessel and have the capacity for 800 lbs and extremely stable. I've taken it out on a couple paddling outings to test the "waters" and the boat is a pleasure to move around on, except for the headwind we had to navigate coming back in from elkhorn slough at Moss Landing. Then I discovered they make trolling motors for kayaks and curious what other people's input is about that, also feel free to roast me about the inflatable aspect. Like I said, I am super new to the whole world of kayak fishing. I should mention that I have some limited experince surfing and kitesurfing and I can build anything pretty much so problem solving is in my DNA.

Welcome!  Beautiful salmon!

I recommend getting on a hard-shelled boat to fish offshore - I think you'll find that it's the way.

Best of luck.   

Welcome to NCKA Coldwater.   

Welcome to the madness 

If I was going to get an inflatable that’s the brand I’d get. Clayman has one.  I think it’s far better to get a hobie and then pick up an inflatable if that fills a particular niche for your style of fishing.  But inflatables will work if that’s the only option.

Motors are a funny subject around here. Many are against them to some degree, and some abhor them. 

Welcome aboard!

Welcome aboard CW 

Welcome, CW. The wind at Elkhorn Slough can be fierce!

I don’t have a motor, but if you want to consistently target salmon in and around the Monterey Bay, it’s something worth considering. I’d recommend focusing on rockfish and lingcod to start, as there are plenty of great places near Santa Cruz for those species. Hope to see you on the water.

I am chuckling reading your post because my early path was exactly the same with yours, got hooked on a salmon fishing from the cattle boat and decided to try it out on my own on an inflatable, starting at a local lake.  Figured out really quickly that risk of deflation due to hook is real.  Switch to a solid stable plastic kayak.  Then over time, I felt the need, the need for speed.  So, you can go through evolution stages, or go straight to the end and save some money.
As far as motor goes, I am a proponent of using whatever tools you can to get home.  Motor is a significant tool, but it is also double-edged sword.  Be sure to be able to get home in case the motor is not working (i.e. able to paddle, pedal, or sail as alternative).  In other word, dont go out 10 miles if you cant make it home because your motor is dead.

But no matter what boats/yaks you have, the end goal is the same, get home.  Keep in mind yaks are slow, so be sure to time everything properly and always be on the safe side.  Dont fuck it up, be sure to get home, fishing is just a bonus.

... Dont fuck it up, be sure to get home, fishing is just a bonus.

Sound advice.