Pacific Beach Question - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

fryguy · 06-08-2009, 12:02 PM

I recently lost my truck and cannot transport my kayak to LJ, but I do have wheels for it, so I was thinking about just walking it down to tourmaline and paddling out through the surf.

I can see the southern bit of la jolla kelp beds from the beach and was planning on paddling out to fish there.

Does anyone have any feedback on fishing these areas, or in the random kelp patches off of Pacific Beach?

Thanks in advance

Billy V · 06-08-2009, 12:07 PM

I sometimes fish the kelp south of LJ and north of Crystal Pier on my Porta-Bote.

Its as good as any kelp in the area, but is a long way to paddle from LJ.

I launch at Dana Landing and motor around.
----------------------
If you can find a safe ocean launch site go for it.

CurtyL · 06-08-2009, 01:19 PM

Oh hell yes, it's an easy paddle from Tourmels. I tink it's actually it's own kelp bed - off Bird Rock. It's a great place to pothole cacls, cuda on the outside, ling low around the edges. Never seen or heard about and YT but I imagine they could be there. I never fished macs there though. If you come inside the kelp and slow troll the bottom or bounce jigs between there and Crysal Pier that is good hali territory. I've picked up bunches of sandies there too in the summer. Not many folks fish it from yaks so you'll usually have the place to yourself. Haven't fished it yet this year but the kelp looks thicker than past years. I might hit it this weekend if LJ continues to be slow.

dsafety · 06-08-2009, 03:31 PM

Remember that Tourmaline is a "surfing beach". That usually means that the waves are bigger there. Big waves and kayaks... not a great combination.

Bob

Dan · 06-08-2009, 03:45 PM

it's not unheard of to catch yellows or Cbass off of the south end of La Jolla kelp. Often there's a south kelp bite on schoolies early in the season.

fryguy · 06-08-2009, 05:20 PM

great.

big thanks to all of you for the info.

I'm gonna try my chances this weekend, and hopefully I'll have some good news to report.

thanks again

THE DARKHORSE · 06-09-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsafety

Remember that Tourmaline is a "surfing beach". That usually means that the waves are bigger there. Big waves and kayaks... not a great combination.

Bob

Years ago when launching from Tourmaline, a "new local" surfer was a little pissed off that I was getting ready to launch. The surf was ankle high with ten guys checking it at greylight, he walks up with his coffee and says:"Obviously you're not from around here...this isn't a kayak fishing spot". I got a couple of inches from his ear and whispered "it's not really a surf spot either"

.

Before any old-school loggers get pissed I like Tourmaline too, great place with plenty of history, where else can you meet chicks in the water and surf with Skip Frye?

-scallywag- · 06-09-2009, 06:17 PM

hahaha....its funny to hear tourmo called a "surf spot", although i've got good waves at pumphouse, oldmans, the point and larrmo's, most of my life was spent drinking beer in the parking lot??? anyway me and some friends regularly launch from tourmo without a problem, even when there is surf, its pretty mushy...and the "locals" are pretty use to kayaks by now....there's even a small group of kayak surfers who now frequent tourmo....

in the summer it is good for bass and hali's inside, fished there last week and things seem to be picking up (cali's, lings and sandies), my favorite is LJ to tourmo, troll macks outpast the NWcorner then you can drift with the current/wind to PB, fish the PB art reefs then land...the paddle to the NW corner from tourmo (in the morning-no wind-) takes about an hr at a moderate pace, but its almost impossible in the afternoon (headwind+current).

PM me if you wanna fish with us...I may even know you if you hang out around there???

CurtyL · 06-10-2009, 10:08 AM

ha Dark that is a funny story. Every wave at Tourmels is a close out except maybe those few on the inside, right off the cliffs near the point. seems like the city said "lets take the one spot with the crappiest wave and make it a surf park". 5-6 yeas ago I used to live in the apts up on the corner of LJ Blvd. and always yakked it out from there. The locals were always nice and curious about what was going on out there at the kelp. It's also a great spot to whale watch from. Some days it's one foot and you have to pick your way through about 50 surfers...but they're not doing much surfing there anyway as you indicated. It's as productive as the PL kelp and way easier to get to.

THE DARKHORSE · 06-10-2009, 11:49 AM

Put your finger in the water, if there's salt in the water then there's Yellowtail in the water

. If you're targeting Calico Bass, fish for Bass, but don't say I didn't warn you. The same tips and tricks that work for Yellowtail off La Jolla work here too. Not to mention this area is a land-mine of random kelp stringers...I wouldn't fish anything less than 50 lb spectra with a flourocarbon leader.

That's the fabled "surf park" in the background. Fifty guys out on this day made it look like Lower Trestles, but I never saw one solid turn

.

06-08-2009, 12:02 PM	#1
fryguy Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: san diego Posts: 33	Pacific Beach Question I recently lost my truck and cannot transport my kayak to LJ, but I do have wheels for it, so I was thinking about just walking it down to tourmaline and paddling out through the surf. I can see the southern bit of la jolla kelp beds from the beach and was planning on paddling out to fish there. Does anyone have any feedback on fishing these areas, or in the random kelp patches off of Pacific Beach? Thanks in advance

06-09-2009, 06:17 PM	#8
-scallywag- Banned Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: on the road... Posts: 598	hahaha....its funny to hear tourmo called a "surf spot", although i've got good waves at pumphouse, oldmans, the point and larrmo's, most of my life was spent drinking beer in the parking lot??? anyway me and some friends regularly launch from tourmo without a problem, even when there is surf, its pretty mushy...and the "locals" are pretty use to kayaks by now....there's even a small group of kayak surfers who now frequent tourmo.... in the summer it is good for bass and hali's inside, fished there last week and things seem to be picking up (cali's, lings and sandies), my favorite is LJ to tourmo, troll macks outpast the NWcorner then you can drift with the current/wind to PB, fish the PB art reefs then land...the paddle to the NW corner from tourmo (in the morning-no wind-) takes about an hr at a moderate pace, but its almost impossible in the afternoon (headwind+current). PM me if you wanna fish with us...I may even know you if you hang out around there??? Last edited by -scallywag-; 06-09-2009 at 06:29 PM.

06-10-2009, 11:49 AM	#10
THE DARKHORSE Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Seven minutes from the launch! Posts: 987	Put your finger in the water... Put your finger in the water, if there's salt in the water then there's Yellowtail in the water . If you're targeting Calico Bass, fish for Bass, but don't say I didn't warn you. The same tips and tricks that work for Yellowtail off La Jolla work here too. Not to mention this area is a land-mine of random kelp stringers...I wouldn't fish anything less than 50 lb spectra with a flourocarbon leader. That's the fabled "surf park" in the background. Fifty guys out on this day made it look like Lower Trestles, but I never saw one solid turn . __________________

06-08-2009, 12:07 PM	#2
Billy V Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bay Ho Posts: 1,382	I sometimes fish the kelp south of LJ and north of Crystal Pier on my Porta-Bote. Its as good as any kelp in the area, but is a long way to paddle from LJ. I launch at Dana Landing and motor around. ---------------------- If you can find a safe ocean launch site go for it.

06-08-2009, 01:19 PM	#3
CurtyL Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: wherever the college girlz r Posts: 127	Oh hell yes, it's an easy paddle from Tourmels. I tink it's actually it's own kelp bed - off Bird Rock. It's a great place to pothole cacls, cuda on the outside, ling low around the edges. Never seen or heard about and YT but I imagine they could be there. I never fished macs there though. If you come inside the kelp and slow troll the bottom or bounce jigs between there and Crysal Pier that is good hali territory. I've picked up bunches of sandies there too in the summer. Not many folks fish it from yaks so you'll usually have the place to yourself. Haven't fished it yet this year but the kelp looks thicker than past years. I might hit it this weekend if LJ continues to be slow.

06-08-2009, 03:31 PM	#4
dsafety Olivenhain Bob Join Date: May 2008 Location: Olivenhain, CA Posts: 1,121	Remember that Tourmaline is a "surfing beach". That usually means that the waves are bigger there. Big waves and kayaks... not a great combination. Bob

06-08-2009, 03:45 PM	#5
Dan Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,053	it's not unheard of to catch yellows or Cbass off of the south end of La Jolla kelp. Often there's a south kelp bite on schoolies early in the season.

06-08-2009, 05:20 PM	#6
fryguy Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: san diego Posts: 33	great. big thanks to all of you for the info. I'm gonna try my chances this weekend, and hopefully I'll have some good news to report. thanks again

06-10-2009, 10:08 AM	#9
CurtyL Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: wherever the college girlz r Posts: 127	ha Dark that is a funny story. Every wave at Tourmels is a close out except maybe those few on the inside, right off the cliffs near the point. seems like the city said "lets take the one spot with the crappiest wave and make it a surf park". 5-6 yeas ago I used to live in the apts up on the corner of LJ Blvd. and always yakked it out from there. The locals were always nice and curious about what was going on out there at the kelp. It's also a great spot to whale watch from. Some days it's one foot and you have to pick your way through about 50 surfers...but they're not doing much surfing there anyway as you indicated. It's as productive as the PL kelp and way easier to get to.