La Jolla Kayak Kelp Dive 5-21-06 - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Mickey & Mallory · 05-21-2006, 01:56 PM

Decided to do a little diving after 15+ days in a rod of looking for White Sea Bass for nada... Ken, I know I missed last Friday... :roll: But I was out a lot, and wanted to see what was going on underneath the water, near the kelps... Below some Zodiak divers were heading out as we set up...

I brought along my brother a Dive Master, and girlfriend a tropical water diver :P

I got into the water, dropped 15-20 near a kelp strand and tied off, water was instantly cold at 20 in the thermocline...BRRRR!!!

Mallory was having problems with her BC, so decided to stay with the kayaks. My brother and Headed down...

Vis 20-35 feet

Max Depth: 55 Ft

Dive time 35 mins (didn't want to leave Mallory for too long, she was being a good sport.) 8)

Fish: Male, and Female Sheepshead, Calico Bass, Sand Bass, Lobsters, big Sheep crab, Sea slugs, Garibaldi, sugar/johnny bass, Sea Stars

Kelp Report: Sparse, a few stringers spread out. Look sickly... The bottom was a moving kelp cemetary of leaves. Many roots spread out with out stalks, looked like giant ant hills. I was actually a little worried about finding a place to anchor.

Mallory with a

during the paddle in...

All in a all a good time, my brother was complaining a little about setting up he kayaks at first, but after the dive, he said there was a lot to see and worth it!

Can't wait until lobster season, screw the hoop nets... :twisted:

Mickey

FISHIONADO · 05-21-2006, 04:02 PM

Thanks for describing the kelp Chris, I've been curious what it looks like down there. The _only_ good thing about the dead kelp is not losing tackle, easy to break free. DaveH

Dupree · 05-21-2006, 04:43 PM

Thanks for the report & nice pic's.

So what's the deal? Why is the kelp in such bad shape?

Holy Mackerel · 05-21-2006, 05:44 PM

To add to this report, under my only other psuedonym...

When I dropped to tie off to the kelp, I got tangled in #15 lb test with a nickel rusty J-hook at the end of the line. The mono was everywhere all over me, and it sucked. Someone obviously couldn't pull it free... This was #15 test, if you can't pull that free you shouldn't be fishin! When I fish, I practically chop my fingers off trying to get my #40 free when I snag a yoyo, can't imagine why someone would give up, and cut their line... Well, when I was tangled up, that is what I thought.... Perhaps someone had a kink in their line. :roll: Although, this wasn't life theatening, glad I had my dive knife in the right place (on my BC). I was able to cut it away and put the excess in my kayak...

As far as the kelp dying off, not, sure some hypothesize it is cyclical, others say a parasite, while others say a miasma in the water. Hope it grows back...... Just isn't the same out there.

TL, (except when in the kelp :P )

Chris

nmbrinkman · 05-21-2006, 07:33 PM

@ squidco, the guys say that kelp can regrow at a rate of like a foot per day. I'll do a little research and maybe post a follow up...................
check out this website for more 411.... http://www.starthrower.org/research/...sc/kelp_mp.htm

ps. any la jolla underwater shots would be pretty smooth

amsurferoceanbeach · 05-21-2006, 10:54 PM

Ive talked to a lot of divers but they dont go out past the reserve.
Thanks for the report on the kelp and giving me some idea what Im
seeing on my finder. I need to shave and get a good mask. A jump
over the side could yeild a lot of clues. Thanks

Spinal Tap · 05-22-2006, 09:51 AM

dang, 20-35' vis? that's awesome. thanks.

Brad Wells · 05-22-2006, 06:38 PM

How did the tarpon paddle when loaded with dive gear? I haven't caught anything in a while, maybe its time to get a speargun.

Holy Mackerel · 05-22-2006, 08:50 PM

Unfortunately, I don't have the housing for my camera, but to really get into underwater photography, I would need a whole new set up. I bought the Pentax "waterproof" so if it got splashed I wouldnt have to worry about it... Below are some pics from another diver, the same day from the canyon. *Pictures re-posted without permission... :P

Nate for the above photos the diver wrote:

Quote:

Vis: 40....no really! 40ft

My brother and I agreed it was 25ft at least, then just opened up in places...

Brad & Americasurferob (ps get a framless mask) lets go dive, the Tarpon 160i paddles like a dream with dive gear, I had #32 lbs of weights too. The tankwell holds a BC, attached tank, and 1st/2nd stage perfectly, all you need to do is inflate it a little, and use the bungy cord that is attached, works better than I thought... Very easy to get in/out of the kayak. You need two guys to lift the BC wtih tank and weights, back in the TW after the dive, unless you pull your integrated weights off first. Shoot me a PM, I am willing to dive anytime.

Chris

dgax65 · 05-22-2006, 09:37 PM

I had to fly to Jacksonville, FL today and it gave me an opportunity to look at the kelp beds from the air. After takeoff we did a 270 that gave me a pretty good look at the kelp off of La Jolla and Pt. Loma. The Pt. Loma kelp looks pretty much unchanged from last year. It may not come quite as far North as in the past, but it still looks like very good coverage from the South end of the Point up to Sunset Cliffs. The kelp was either right up on the surface or the water was very clear; probably the latter. La Jolla is another story. The water looked very clean but I couldn't see any kelp whatsoever. I was surprised, because you can usually see some from the air. The one place that I did see quite a bit was a couple of miles off-shore. There was a very clearly defined current break that was running parallel to the shore. Inside was clear and blue. Outside was dirty and somewhat green with tons of kelp floating on the surface right at the edge. It looked like it had just been torn up and was moving with the current. For the rest of the flight I kept thinking that it would probably be very productive to paddle along that break trolling a couple of macks.

blackcloud9 · 05-22-2006, 10:38 PM

The information below is from a kelp bed expert at Scripps. Whew, I was beginning to suspect ... :shock: BIO-TERRORISM :shock: !! (I was happy to hear it's just those pesky hydroids, epiphytes, and bryozoans. Now .... to get one of those on the surface IRON!)

> Can you direct me to a link discussing the status of La Jolla's kelp
> bed right now? I kayak out there all the time, the kelp seems to be
> very unhealthy and mostly gone. Is that a parasite killing it? One
> floating piece I found hosted a colony of tiny (1 mm) worms.

"Giant kelp has many epiphytes, most of which are seasonal. There has been a hydroid infestation in La Jolla and part of Pt. Loma this spring that's heavier than usual. Bryozoans are another typical kelp fouling organism.

These fouling organisms colonize the kelp as larvae that drift in with the plankton and the adults are grazed on by fish. Part of the reason that the infestation may appear heavier is that Kelco no longer harvests kelp, and these kelp fronds would have been harvested before they got so thickly overgrown. Kelp fronds are continually growing from the bottom of the plant (kind of like new shoots) and they last only about 6-8 months maximum. So by fall most of these fronds will have been replaced by new fronds. The growing conditions have been very good for kelp lately due to the cool La Nina temperatures we have been experiencing so I wouldn't worry too much about this.

We should have good recruitment conditions this year too unless a red tide hits us for an extended period.

Ed"

Its really good to know that there is healthy kelp around still - Pt Loma for example.

05-22-2006, 10:49 PM

freediving is the way to go...bubbles scare the fish.
Nice pics by the way, normally it is not that clear when we dive.
Kelp is definately going thru some kind of phase, usually it is thick in la jolla and we need that for the white seabass. It can grow several feet per day, so it could change rapidly with the right conditions. Years ago, it would take miles to clear the south kelp at south coronado island, now there is none. I'm sure it will come back one of these years.

nmbrinkman · 05-24-2006, 09:54 AM

does anyone fish the kelp off pt loma from kayaks? Is there a suitable launch site?

dgax65 · 05-24-2006, 10:28 PM

I've fished the Pt. Loma kelp beds a number of times. I've launched from both Mission Bay and Shelter Island to get there. Plan on an all day adventure. I've fished both inside and outside of the kelp with some success; mostly bass. I also managed to get rolled a couple of times because I wasn't paying attention to the surf. You get some breakers forming up quite a ways out from the cliffs. :shock:

Grego · 05-25-2006, 09:21 PM

What is that picture of the brown thing? top of a clam or rock?

Spinal Tap · 05-25-2006, 10:08 PM

batray maybe?

Calcutta · 05-25-2006, 10:23 PM

looks like a mud marlin- the kelp of DP is almost gone compared to the last couple of years, but the new stuff is growing, thanks for the info!

Piranha · 05-26-2006, 06:31 PM

Grego, Looks like a mud marlin to me! :lol: 8) Piranha/Jerry

05-21-2006, 10:54 PM	#6
amsurferoceanbeach Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Ocean Beach San Diego Ca Posts: 110	Good eyes Ive talked to a lot of divers but they dont go out past the reserve. Thanks for the report on the kelp and giving me some idea what Im seeing on my finder. I need to shave and get a good mask. A jump over the side could yeild a lot of clues. Thanks

05-22-2006, 09:37 PM	#10
dgax65 Guerro Grande Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 629	I had to fly to Jacksonville, FL today and it gave me an opportunity to look at the kelp beds from the air. After takeoff we did a 270 that gave me a pretty good look at the kelp off of La Jolla and Pt. Loma. The Pt. Loma kelp looks pretty much unchanged from last year. It may not come quite as far North as in the past, but it still looks like very good coverage from the South end of the Point up to Sunset Cliffs. The kelp was either right up on the surface or the water was very clear; probably the latter. La Jolla is another story. The water looked very clean but I couldn't see any kelp whatsoever. I was surprised, because you can usually see some from the air. The one place that I did see quite a bit was a couple of miles off-shore. There was a very clearly defined current break that was running parallel to the shore. Inside was clear and blue. Outside was dirty and somewhat green with tons of kelp floating on the surface right at the edge. It looked like it had just been torn up and was moving with the current. For the rest of the flight I kept thinking that it would probably be very productive to paddle along that break trolling a couple of macks. __________________ Douglas Gaxiola Team No Fish- Amateur Staff

05-22-2006, 10:38 PM	#11
blackcloud9 Kayaker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Big Rock, WindanSea, La Jolla Posts: 413	I axed .... The information below is from a kelp bed expert at Scripps. Whew, I was beginning to suspect ... :shock: BIO-TERRORISM :shock: !! (I was happy to hear it's just those pesky hydroids, epiphytes, and bryozoans. Now .... to get one of those on the surface IRON!) > Can you direct me to a link discussing the status of La Jolla's kelp > bed right now? I kayak out there all the time, the kelp seems to be > very unhealthy and mostly gone. Is that a parasite killing it? One > floating piece I found hosted a colony of tiny (1 mm) worms. "Giant kelp has many epiphytes, most of which are seasonal. There has been a hydroid infestation in La Jolla and part of Pt. Loma this spring that's heavier than usual. Bryozoans are another typical kelp fouling organism. These fouling organisms colonize the kelp as larvae that drift in with the plankton and the adults are grazed on by fish. Part of the reason that the infestation may appear heavier is that Kelco no longer harvests kelp, and these kelp fronds would have been harvested before they got so thickly overgrown. Kelp fronds are continually growing from the bottom of the plant (kind of like new shoots) and they last only about 6-8 months maximum. So by fall most of these fronds will have been replaced by new fronds. The growing conditions have been very good for kelp lately due to the cool La Nina temperatures we have been experiencing so I wouldn't worry too much about this. We should have good recruitment conditions this year too unless a red tide hits us for an extended period. Ed" Its really good to know that there is healthy kelp around still - Pt Loma for example. __________________ Larry. Hobie Revolution 13. 25 years of kayak fishing La Jolla. https://larryl.com/photos

05-22-2006, 10:49 PM	#12
Huntersmoon Guest Posts: n/a	freediving freediving is the way to go...bubbles scare the fish. Nice pics by the way, normally it is not that clear when we dive. Kelp is definately going thru some kind of phase, usually it is thick in la jolla and we need that for the white seabass. It can grow several feet per day, so it could change rapidly with the right conditions. Years ago, it would take miles to clear the south kelp at south coronado island, now there is none. I'm sure it will come back one of these years.

05-24-2006, 10:28 PM	#14
dgax65 Guerro Grande Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 629	I've fished the Pt. Loma kelp beds a number of times. I've launched from both Mission Bay and Shelter Island to get there. Plan on an all day adventure. I've fished both inside and outside of the kelp with some success; mostly bass. I also managed to get rolled a couple of times because I wasn't paying attention to the surf. You get some breakers forming up quite a ways out from the cliffs. :shock: __________________ Douglas Gaxiola Team No Fish- Amateur Staff

05-21-2006, 01:56 PM	#1
Mickey & Mallory Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 5	La Jolla Kayak Kelp Dive 5-21-06 Decided to do a little diving after 15+ days in a rod of looking for White Sea Bass for nada... Ken, I know I missed last Friday... :roll: But I was out a lot, and wanted to see what was going on underneath the water, near the kelps... Below some Zodiak divers were heading out as we set up... I brought along my brother a Dive Master, and girlfriend a tropical water diver :P I got into the water, dropped 15-20 near a kelp strand and tied off, water was instantly cold at 20 in the thermocline...BRRRR!!! Mallory was having problems with her BC, so decided to stay with the kayaks. My brother and Headed down... Vis 20-35 feet Max Depth: 55 Ft Dive time 35 mins (didn't want to leave Mallory for too long, she was being a good sport.) 8) Fish: Male, and Female Sheepshead, Calico Bass, Sand Bass, Lobsters, big Sheep crab, Sea slugs, Garibaldi, sugar/johnny bass, Sea Stars Kelp Report: Sparse, a few stringers spread out. Look sickly... The bottom was a moving kelp cemetary of leaves. Many roots spread out with out stalks, looked like giant ant hills. I was actually a little worried about finding a place to anchor. Mallory with a during the paddle in... All in a all a good time, my brother was complaining a little about setting up he kayaks at first, but after the dive, he said there was a lot to see and worth it! Can't wait until lobster season, screw the hoop nets... :twisted: Mickey __________________

05-21-2006, 04:02 PM	#2
FISHIONADO Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 698	Thanks for describing the kelp Chris, I've been curious what it looks like down there. The _only_ good thing about the dead kelp is not losing tackle, easy to break free. DaveH

05-21-2006, 04:43 PM	#3
Dupree Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 78	Thanks for the report & nice pic's. So what's the deal? Why is the kelp in such bad shape? __________________ Rock me on the water ...

05-21-2006, 05:44 PM	#4
Holy Mackerel Señor member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 1,627	To add to this report, under my only other psuedonym... When I dropped to tie off to the kelp, I got tangled in #15 lb test with a nickel rusty J-hook at the end of the line. The mono was everywhere all over me, and it sucked. Someone obviously couldn't pull it free... This was #15 test, if you can't pull that free you shouldn't be fishin! When I fish, I practically chop my fingers off trying to get my #40 free when I snag a yoyo, can't imagine why someone would give up, and cut their line... Well, when I was tangled up, that is what I thought.... Perhaps someone had a kink in their line. :roll: Although, this wasn't life theatening, glad I had my dive knife in the right place (on my BC). I was able to cut it away and put the excess in my kayak... As far as the kelp dying off, not, sure some hypothesize it is cyclical, others say a parasite, while others say a miasma in the water. Hope it grows back...... Just isn't the same out there. TL, (except when in the kelp :P ) Chris

05-21-2006, 07:33 PM	#5
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	@ squidco, the guys say that kelp can regrow at a rate of like a foot per day. I'll do a little research and maybe post a follow up................... check out this website for more 411.... http://www.starthrower.org/research/...sc/kelp_mp.htm ps. any la jolla underwater shots would be pretty smooth

05-22-2006, 09:51 AM	#7
Spinal Tap Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 132	dang, 20-35' vis? that's awesome. thanks.

05-22-2006, 06:38 PM	#8
Brad Wells Junior Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: San Diego Posts: 27	How did the tarpon paddle when loaded with dive gear? I haven't caught anything in a while, maybe its time to get a speargun.

05-24-2006, 09:54 AM	#13
nmbrinkman Work Sucks! Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: San Diego Posts: 559	does anyone fish the kelp off pt loma from kayaks? Is there a suitable launch site?

05-25-2006, 09:21 PM	#15
Grego Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 445	What is that picture of the brown thing? top of a clam or rock?

05-25-2006, 10:08 PM	#16
Spinal Tap Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 132	batray maybe?

05-25-2006, 10:23 PM	#17
Calcutta Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: OC Posts: 14	looks like a mud marlin- the kelp of DP is almost gone compared to the last couple of years, but the new stuff is growing, thanks for the info!

05-26-2006, 06:31 PM	#18
Piranha Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Alhambra.CA Posts: 35	Bat ray? Grego, Looks like a mud marlin to me! :lol: 8) Piranha/Jerry __________________ Oh Lord, Thy sea is so great and my boat is so small!

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