| North Coast Kayak Fishing |
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by Jim Hooper 
Del Norte County is on the cusp of a new and enjoyable phenomenon! Select fishermen in the area are venturing into a new local fishing area that is very old. More and more people are fishing from a kayak in the North Coast region.
Fishing from a kayak allows a person to successfully fish formerly local non-fishable waters. Just beyond where a person can cast from the onshore rocks, but just inside of where motorized boats dare not go, is where it's at. So near but yet so far. Virtually non-fished waters await a person fishing from a kayak.
The local Crescent City area is fortunate to have many places to launch a kayak from and be fishing within five minutes. The third turnout south of Washington Boulevard on Pebble Beach consistently has the smallest surf coming ashore and allows one to access and fish the sea stacks just south of Castle Rock. Garth's Cove Beach, by the airport, is protected from north winds and swell which allow a fisherman to fish the waters south of where much of the rock was quarried at Pt. St. George for the harbor jetty. You can also access the rocks in front of the steps south of Pacific Avenue, but the hard part is dragging your kayak back up the stairs. Access to the south side of Preston Island is a short drag across the rocks but the water is generally very well protected from the north swell. The beach access at 6th Street is a place where it is generally an easy launch across a sandy beach. Wherever there is a kelp bed it tends to dampen the swell, but it makes it harder to fish around. These inside waters are rarely fished but are rich in rock fish. The wind and/or swell direction ultimately dictates where to fish from.
The sport is becoming more and more popular as people discover the benefits of fishing from a kayak. In Southern California it is very popular. In fact, kayak fishing has its own magazine devoted to the sport as well as online kayaking forums.
Besides being able to access water that is rarely if ever fished, you don't need a trailer for your boat or need to launch from a boat ramp and there are minimal maintenance issues. It's good to see that more local people are starting to fish the area from a kayak. After having fished locally from a kayak for fifteen years I can highly recommend it.
As with any endeavor that takes place in or around water, kayak fishing should not be taken lightly. There are many factors that can make a trip enjoyable or uncomfortable and, worse yet, dangerous. A person should be totally comfortable with their kayak. Always wear a lifejacket and be familiar with the local tides and weather forecast. You do not really need to go far offshore but need to be aware of any wind coming up. One should never venture out if it looks the least bit questionable. It's always worse when you're actually on the water.
Use the 'buddy system' or at the very least tell someone where you'll be fishing and what time you're coming in. Having some type of signal device or waterproof phone is good insurance. I've heard of a kayaker losing their balance flipping their kayak and ending up in the water while fighting a fish. Some gear was lost and a little pride was damaged, but no real harm was done, and luckily, the fish was landed. Whether you use a sit-a-board kayak or a sit-in kayak, it's not worth catching a few fish to endanger your life or put someone else's life in danger.
One needs to be very careful so that you're fishing on the side of a rock or on the shore side instead of being on the ocean side and take the chance of being swept into a rock by a large swell. Also, it's better to fish with too light of a line than too heavy of line. Breaking off stuck gear is harder than what it seems it should be when you're in a light kayak, especially when you're close to a wash rock.
I have found the most successful method for fishing this inside water is not the usual method of bouncing jigs on rocky bottom areas but rather to cast next to wash rocks and rocks exposed at low tides with lures that you might use to catch other game fish. Using jigs does work, but I have been most successful casting and retrieving at varying depths until you find the level that the fish are at.
As ocean fishermen know, rock fish do not always hang around rocks and they're not always at the same rocks all the time. At times they're found in open water areas away from rocks. Sometimes it takes some 'prospecting' to find the fish. A small depth finder / fish finder allows a fisherman to fish smarter and not fish blind.
Besides fishing, being in a small boat allows a kayaker to get up closer to the local marine life, but while one can get close there needs to be a respect for the marine life as we are invading their habitat. Every time birds fly away or the marine mammals are scared off the rocks they expend valuable energy that they must replace and thus shouldn't be approached too closely. When fishing around Castle Rock a kayaker should maintain the proper distance away from the Castle Rock National Wildlife Refuge.
At times a fisherman can get so caught up in the anticipation of getting on the water that they easily overlook important items. I've heard of a kayaker having a 'paddle malfunction' and realized after putting their kayak in the water that they had left their paddle at home. But, that's not as bad as the guy that was putting his kayak in the water to go fishing and discovered that he'd left his fishing pole on his front porch at his house. We live in a beautiful area that merits being explored by any means available. A kayak allows us explore, fish, get exercise, and enjoy our local piece of heaven. Try it; your 'Fun Meter' will be off the scale. You will feel powerful, but yet at peace paddling our local waters. |
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| Fishing Regulations |
The Fish & Game regulations are spectacular this year!
- The limit is increased to two hatchery trout or steelhead per day, 4 in possession
- The annual limit for wild Chinook salmon is set at 5
- Salmon anglers will be required to have a North Coast Salmon Report Card on the Smith
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| Steelhead Fishing | |
The biggest Steelhead swim in the wild and scenic Smith River among the biggest trees in the world. Many visitors of Del Norte County come just for the scenery but anglers come for the Steelhead.
The Smith River is home to the current California State Record for Steelhead at over 27 pounds and 20 pounders are taken annually. Prime steelhead flows on the Smith river are between 12 and 9 feet. Fish are caught in higher flows by those plucking and even in the low and clear waters below 8.5 feet but prime fishing is always found with a dropping river in the 9 to 12 foot range.
Come Explore Del Norte fishing. No one can predict the best day or conditions but put in a few days in and you will be rewarded. |
| Salmon Fishing |
Come explore Del Norte, where the biggest salmon are swimming in the shadows of the biggest redwood trees in the world. The wild and scenic Smith River is an absolute jewel but treasure is not just the spectacular scenery or the sparkling clear waters, the treasure is the salmon run that begins to show in the river by mid October through early January. The salmon are typically between 18 to 25 pounds, yet ever year 40- and 50-pound fish have been caught. The California State's second largest king salmon - 68 pounds - was caught on the Smith River.
The mighty Klamath River is more than 200 miles long and while salmon fishing is considered smaller than on the Smith, the numbers can approach the hundreds of thousands. The average size is between 12 and 15 pounds. The excellent Klamath River fishing, breath-taking beauty and serenity, are incomparable in nature and once experienced will be in you heart the rest of your life.
Your chance at a treasure salmon is in the spectacular Del Norte County. |
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