PV by way of Redondo? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

ProfessorLongArms · 12-12-2018, 05:08 PM

A couple of mos back, I had a freediving/spearfishing class that took us to Flat rock point and explored a handful of kelpy coves down toward the Dominator wreck.

The instructor used a little scout out of King's harbor, hence the range.

I really like this area if for nothing more than exploration and paddling...
Plus it's half the drive to any other spot I frequent.

Redondo seems like a bit of a haul down there.

Is there any beach access this side of the peninsula worth trying?

In my googling, I see the Redondo jetty and RAT beach, but can't really tell what the access is like, or the shore break for that matter.

Amish Ed · 12-12-2018, 06:20 PM

You could surf launch at Cabrillo and paddle north. No clue how far it is, but at least you have the wind at your back coming back. As I'm sure you know, that area is notorious for it's wind.

Saba Slayer · 12-12-2018, 07:43 PM

Short answer...Nope...!

Long answer...I've lived on the Peninsula for about 20 years now and have only beach launched about a half a dozen times. My OK Trident 11 was probably the best trail kayak for this area and the surf launches.
Any access to the shore from Redondo Beach/King Harbor to Cabrillo is a long haul on a dirt road or trail to get to the water...the road from the parking lot near the beach swim club and Haggertys down to the beach is probably the shortest route....but the bad part is the uphill climb at the end of the day.

Amish Ed...From Cabrillo to Flat Rock by kayak is a very long multi mile trip and I don't know anyone that has done it...one of Jason's old, one way "Paddle and Fish" trips launched near Abalone Cove down a long trail with two guys on each boat to get em down, and it started with a very challenging surf launch and when they pulled out at RAT Beach they had a bunch of yard sales down on the beach...I think everyone took home a lot of sand from that landing...

Beach launching anywhere from King Harbor to RAT beach is a long haul across the sand and another hill to climb back up to the parking lots.
Both these areas are popular surfing spots for a good reason...needless to say I don't see a lot of surf launches by fishing kayaks on that street of beach.

To get to "Flat Rock" and "The Cove" you must travel down a long rutted dirt road...this popular surfing area can be a good launch on flat days and impossible on others. Suffice it to say it's not kayak friendly...and it's about a 1/2mi long road.
There are a few other "trails" on the peninsula but these are the closest to the Cove at Flat Rock.
Good Luck...bring a very light kayak with minimal equipment and a great set of wheels... or enjoy the 4 mile peddle to the peninsula from King Harbor.
Access to PV and the deeper parts of the Redondo Canyon is one of the reasons I own an 18' CC Skiff...

Tomol · 12-13-2018, 08:20 AM

What Saba_Slayer said.

I seem to remember it's 14 miles from Cabrillo ramp to the Dominator. From King Harbor to Dominator is about 4.5 miles.

I did a beach launch out of RAT Beach for the first time last Spring looking for wsb. It was a lot of work hauling the yak back up the hill, but I intend to do it again next year. You have to pick a small surf day. I didn't, and it made for an interesting landing.

Iceman · 12-13-2018, 09:06 AM

Quote:

but the bad part is the uphill climb at the end of the day.

.........I almost puked at the top

ProfessorLongArms · 12-13-2018, 09:28 AM

You guys are awesome and then some. I’d say you just saved me a shitty day or few

I’ll stick to shore dives down there.

diedroid · 12-13-2018, 11:54 AM

I have seen a few people taking inflatable kayaks down the Honeymoon Cove to fish the kelp bed.

I once saw someone climbing up the trail at Christmas Tree Cove with ~8ft kayak over his head. His buddies carried his fishing rods.

With a small kayak or inflatable, it's doable.

hiramehunter · 12-13-2018, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iceman

.........I almost puked at the top

same here! And i was pulling up a mini-x

jorluivil · 12-14-2018, 05:20 AM

We've done the trip from Redondo to flat rock, its a long haul but it is doable. I don't recall the exact distance but I believe it was about 4 miles so it was more than an hour just to get where we wanted to be.

GTboosted · 12-19-2018, 09:54 AM

I've gone to PV from king harbor in my Pro Angler almost every time I am out there.

I'm out of shape but at an easy pace it takes about an hour.

goldenglory18 · 12-20-2018, 07:34 AM

I want to fish Bluff Cove, so, SO bad but have yet to figure out how to comfortably get down there...

Google

hiramehunter · 12-20-2018, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldenglory18

I want to fish Bluff Cove, so, SO bad but have yet to figure out how to comfortably get down there...

Getting down there is the easy part! coming back up is problem! Especially after fishing all day. Plus the launch is not easy. The transition from path to water is very rocky, especially if the tide is low.

on a side note, with all of these new powered skateboards, hoverboards, and peddle assist mountain bikes, we need a powered kayak cart to help us get up these trails!

ProfessorLongArms · 12-20-2018, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hiramehunter

Getting down there is the easy part! coming back up is problem! Especially after fishing all day. Plus the launch is not easy. The transition from path to water is very rocky, especially if the tide is low.

on a side note, with all of these new powered skateboards, hoverboards, and peddle assist mountain bikes, we need a powered kayak cart to help us get up these trails!

I have thought about that more than once. A little power assist cart on the front would be pretty slick.

Yeah-I did a shore dive for lobster on the south side of flat rock last week and got a really clear picture of just how much of a descent there is to get down to the water... 50-100 yard shore break doesn’t do any favors either

Simmonsdlwa · 07-05-2020, 07:15 PM

Just wanted some ‘non specific’ insight on fishing from Redondo in general. I’ve been trying to fish the Hermosa area with the same WSB fever that lots of others have. I made the paddle to Bluff Cove. That looks very fishy. And I’ve had good success Calico bass fishing and bottom fishing.

But I never really see any kayakers pick apart the break wall. Why? I saw a spear fisherman with a Yellowtail the other day and I know its been a few quiet years since that bite was on out of King Harbor. Is it the traffic or the surf fisherman? Just curious.

jkim0130 · 07-05-2020, 08:47 PM

You may want to check out White Point Beach. I launched from there about 8-10 years ago and it's a rocky area. You need 2 people to carry the kayak to the water. Parking was free when I launched from there. PM me if you need someone to explore the area.

socal.beach.bum · 07-05-2020, 09:37 PM

There’s actually a Beach launch point not too far from my place, that is less than a miles paddle to Flat Rock. I’d share, but apparently there are people on here who will PM me angry messages when I “share”. The trek down to the water is about 200 yards on a paved road, not tough but not super easy either. So Just do a little Internet sleuthing and you’ll Find it.

Saba Slayer · 07-06-2020, 07:43 AM

Find the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club and Malaga Cove School...
There’s a road down to the beach from the parking lot...easy down but you should have help coming back up...not a road for a heavy Hobie...good luck !

Saba Slayer · 07-06-2020, 07:48 AM

Map view...

ProfessorLongArms · 07-10-2020, 02:23 PM

Thanks for digging this one up, y'all.
I actually finally got around to trying RAT beach for a quick dive down at Flat rock point.

I hate 1) the hike down from the north entry (you have to basically hands and knees climb in your wetsuit with your gun, fins, and weight belt on) and 2) the long swim from the easy flat trail down in bluff cove.

I was hoping it'd make more sense to wheel a kayak down the hill. I'd say it works if it's just one trip with very light gear. I took my scupper pro down there. I was also pretty stunned by how that break is the worst of both worlds. It's loooooong and even on a small day, pretty punchy.

Plus the final 1/4 of the road going down isn't really road. Coming back up, even with wheels on a small, light kayak.... Barely worth it, considering you still have a decent paddle to get to the point.

In retrospect, I think I'll be sticking with the climb or making friends with a boat, or maybe saving up for a little scout to take out of King's.

12-12-2018, 05:08 PM	#1
ProfessorLongArms Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 401	PV by way of Redondo? A couple of mos back, I had a freediving/spearfishing class that took us to Flat rock point and explored a handful of kelpy coves down toward the Dominator wreck. The instructor used a little scout out of King's harbor, hence the range. I really like this area if for nothing more than exploration and paddling... Plus it's half the drive to any other spot I frequent. Redondo seems like a bit of a haul down there. Is there any beach access this side of the peninsula worth trying? In my googling, I see the Redondo jetty and RAT beach, but can't really tell what the access is like, or the shore break for that matter.

12-12-2018, 06:20 PM	#2
Amish Ed Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grants Pass, OR Posts: 1,906	You could surf launch at Cabrillo and paddle north. No clue how far it is, but at least you have the wind at your back coming back. As I'm sure you know, that area is notorious for it's wind. __________________ Amish Ed You can't catch it again if it's dead!

12-12-2018, 07:43 PM	#3
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	Nope... Short answer...Nope...! Long answer...I've lived on the Peninsula for about 20 years now and have only beach launched about a half a dozen times. My OK Trident 11 was probably the best trail kayak for this area and the surf launches. Any access to the shore from Redondo Beach/King Harbor to Cabrillo is a long haul on a dirt road or trail to get to the water...the road from the parking lot near the beach swim club and Haggertys down to the beach is probably the shortest route....but the bad part is the uphill climb at the end of the day. Amish Ed...From Cabrillo to Flat Rock by kayak is a very long multi mile trip and I don't know anyone that has done it...one of Jason's old, one way "Paddle and Fish" trips launched near Abalone Cove down a long trail with two guys on each boat to get em down, and it started with a very challenging surf launch and when they pulled out at RAT Beach they had a bunch of yard sales down on the beach...I think everyone took home a lot of sand from that landing... Beach launching anywhere from King Harbor to RAT beach is a long haul across the sand and another hill to climb back up to the parking lots. Both these areas are popular surfing spots for a good reason...needless to say I don't see a lot of surf launches by fishing kayaks on that street of beach. To get to "Flat Rock" and "The Cove" you must travel down a long rutted dirt road...this popular surfing area can be a good launch on flat days and impossible on others. Suffice it to say it's not kayak friendly...and it's about a 1/2mi long road. There are a few other "trails" on the peninsula but these are the closest to the Cove at Flat Rock. Good Luck...bring a very light kayak with minimal equipment and a great set of wheels... or enjoy the 4 mile peddle to the peninsula from King Harbor. Access to PV and the deeper parts of the Redondo Canyon is one of the reasons I own an 18' CC Skiff... __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer Last edited by Saba Slayer; 12-12-2018 at 07:59 PM.

12-13-2018, 11:54 AM	#7
diedroid Junior Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: OC Posts: 26	I have seen a few people taking inflatable kayaks down the Honeymoon Cove to fish the kelp bed. I once saw someone climbing up the trail at Christmas Tree Cove with ~8ft kayak over his head. His buddies carried his fishing rods. With a small kayak or inflatable, it's doable. __________________ 2018 Native Warercraft Manta Ray Propel Last edited by diedroid; 12-13-2018 at 12:12 PM.

12-14-2018, 05:20 AM	#9
jorluivil Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 6,856	We've done the trip from Redondo to flat rock, its a long haul but it is doable. I don't recall the exact distance but I believe it was about 4 miles so it was more than an hour just to get where we wanted to be. __________________ www.facebook.com/Teamsewer

12-13-2018, 08:20 AM	#4
Tomol Member Join Date: Mar 2018 Posts: 34	What Saba_Slayer said. I seem to remember it's 14 miles from Cabrillo ramp to the Dominator. From King Harbor to Dominator is about 4.5 miles. I did a beach launch out of RAT Beach for the first time last Spring looking for wsb. It was a lot of work hauling the yak back up the hill, but I intend to do it again next year. You have to pick a small surf day. I didn't, and it made for an interesting landing.

12-13-2018, 09:28 AM	#6
ProfessorLongArms Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 401	You guys are awesome and then some. I’d say you just saved me a shitty day or few I’ll stick to shore dives down there.

12-19-2018, 09:54 AM	#10
GTboosted Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Lake Balboa, The Valley Posts: 425	I've gone to PV from king harbor in my Pro Angler almost every time I am out there. I'm out of shape but at an easy pace it takes about an hour. __________________ -Beto

12-20-2018, 07:34 AM	#11
goldenglory18 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Seattle Area Posts: 861	I want to fish Bluff Cove, so, SO bad but have yet to figure out how to comfortably get down there... Google

07-05-2020, 07:15 PM	#14
Simmonsdlwa Junior Join Date: Feb 2020 Posts: 6	Bringing this back up Just wanted some ‘non specific’ insight on fishing from Redondo in general. I’ve been trying to fish the Hermosa area with the same WSB fever that lots of others have. I made the paddle to Bluff Cove. That looks very fishy. And I’ve had good success Calico bass fishing and bottom fishing. But I never really see any kayakers pick apart the break wall. Why? I saw a spear fisherman with a Yellowtail the other day and I know its been a few quiet years since that bite was on out of King Harbor. Is it the traffic or the surf fisherman? Just curious.

07-05-2020, 08:47 PM	#15
jkim0130 Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Irvine Posts: 34	You may want to check out White Point Beach. I launched from there about 8-10 years ago and it's a rocky area. You need 2 people to carry the kayak to the water. Parking was free when I launched from there. PM me if you need someone to explore the area.

07-05-2020, 09:37 PM	#16
socal.beach.bum Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Palos Verde, CA Posts: 636	There’s actually a Beach launch point not too far from my place, that is less than a miles paddle to Flat Rock. I’d share, but apparently there are people on here who will PM me angry messages when I “share”. The trek down to the water is about 200 yards on a paved road, not tough but not super easy either. So Just do a little Internet sleuthing and you’ll Find it.

07-06-2020, 07:43 AM	#17
Saba Slayer Senior Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Palos Verdes Posts: 1,857	Palos Verdes Find the Palos Verdes Beach and Athletic Club and Malaga Cove School... There’s a road down to the beach from the parking lot...easy down but you should have help coming back up...not a road for a heavy Hobie...good luck ! __________________ Jim / Saba Slayer

07-10-2020, 02:23 PM	#19
ProfessorLongArms Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 401	Thanks for digging this one up, y'all. I actually finally got around to trying RAT beach for a quick dive down at Flat rock point. I hate 1) the hike down from the north entry (you have to basically hands and knees climb in your wetsuit with your gun, fins, and weight belt on) and 2) the long swim from the easy flat trail down in bluff cove. I was hoping it'd make more sense to wheel a kayak down the hill. I'd say it works if it's just one trip with very light gear. I took my scupper pro down there. I was also pretty stunned by how that break is the worst of both worlds. It's loooooong and even on a small day, pretty punchy. Plus the final 1/4 of the road going down isn't really road. Coming back up, even with wheels on a small, light kayak.... Barely worth it, considering you still have a decent paddle to get to the point. In retrospect, I think I'll be sticking with the climb or making friends with a boat, or maybe saving up for a little scout to take out of King's.