Cabrillo at Night? - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

swank · 02-09-2012, 06:51 PM

Hoping someone can give me some ideas or point me in the right direction.

Planning on doing a night mission and hitting up the Long Beach breakwall (middle wall). I'm trying to find the closest / best launch spot possible. Cabrillo would be great, but it looks like it closes at 10pm? I probably wouldn't be getting to the water till 10.. Is there anyway around this? Can I park on the street somewhere and wheel my yak in, or is it considered trespassing after closing?

Any information is appreciated, I'm open to surf launching but I'd rather avoid the 4' waves if possible

p.s: I'm not after your bugs or butts so help me out

GregAndrew · 02-09-2012, 07:23 PM

Yep, you can park on the street outside the gates and wheel your yak to the water.

swank · 02-09-2012, 07:38 PM

Can I still use the launch ramp or is it easier to just launch off the shore? Never been there before

StinkyMatt · 02-09-2012, 07:50 PM

Don't have to go all the way to the launch ramp. When you enter the park just go straight to the water. (Not the open ocean launch on your right.) there is a beach right in front of you. It is protected, so there should be no issues with waves. Have good wheels as the haul back up the hill after hooping can be a little annoying with a flat tire.

It is a little bit of a paddle to the middle wall. hooped there once with a couple of friends and we got absolutely 0 shorts and 0 keepers.

If you change your preference you may try the opposite side of the Long Beach breakwall by the 72 street jetty. Easy short paddle, free, close parking and we actually pulled some bugs out of there. Good luck.

swank · 02-09-2012, 08:02 PM

Thanks Matt, just throwing some plastics for bass. Bites been pretty consistent on my buddies skiff but want to give the spot a try on the yak now (might need to pick up a drift chute if the wind keeps up). I'm just glad to hear I can launch at night with no problems lol, the free parking is the icing on the cake haha.

I might get around to hooping it sometime, but I haven't had any luck in the last two seasons (including this one) so I might just give it up for a while.

bellcon · 02-09-2012, 08:27 PM

Use EXTREME caution while in the harbor at night
it can be a very dangerous place
Light yourself up big time
watch the traffic zones or stay out of them

Crossing the main channel in the dark to get to the middle wall
is not something I would be comfortable recommending
if you are set on doing it, try and find some partners, and sprint into it then sprint out of it
spend as little time in the shipping channel as possible
it's not just the big cargo ships you have to think about
Plenty of other traffic, some of it moving pretty fast

If your going for bass, you can launch on the surf side and work your way down the wall for plenty of fun. pick a small day, which is most days
also there is plenty of kelp to play in

Good luck and be safe

swank · 02-09-2012, 08:49 PM

Thanks Bellcon,
Going with some buddies, boats should see us lit up from a couple miles away, I'm glad I got in on the Yak Attack group buy lol. Those huge cargo boats can be scarey, but the ones I always worry about are those tug boats (or w/e the ones with the tires hanging off the side are), they love to haul ass and leave a nasty wake.

Anyone have a surf report? I keep seeing high surf advisories, 6-8' swells and 15mph winds posted for this week but the webcams and weather sites are showing like 2-3mph winds (Noaa vs weather.com)

Fiskadoro · 02-09-2012, 09:11 PM

Be very careful when it comes to weather, more precisely wind. It's bad enough in the daytime but if the wind comes up hard at night you may have real trouble getting back in, and if you get blown into the channel in the dark... Honestly... you could get killed.

Visibility wise just plan on not being seen. People in lighted cabins in big boats just are not going to see you. It's your job to avoid boats not the other way around. Radar won't see you but it clearly marks the breakwater for the larger boats. Stay out of traffic areas, and hug the rocks as much as you can.

If I was going to do it I'd paddle to the breakwater stay close to it all the way down and then only cross the channel right at the entrance by the lighthouse. You want to paddle out only far enough into the opening to where you can see traffic both inside outside the harbor. Watch the boats and lights to figure who might be coming through. Be careful as it's hard to gauge speed and distance at night. Once your sure it's clear paddle directly across to the center wall but only when you have a long lull in traffic with large margin for error.

Once across hug the wall and paddle at least a hundred yards down before you start fishing. You will be safe at the center tight to the wall but at the ends of the wall you could be run over by a boat that's cutting the corner to close.

You might want to take a small folding grapple type anchor and rope. If the wind comes up and you can't make headway to get back just pull tight to the wall and anchor up and wait it out. Better to be cold and miserable tight to the rocks then getting blown out to sea or across the traffic lines in the dark.

I used to wallbang in skiffs. Trust me most large boats just don't see smallcraft out there at night. Big boats under power can not easily change course in the harbor. They are navigating by instruments not just by sight, and they can't slow down or quickly turn sharply to avoid you. The difference with a skiff is you have the speed to get out of their way, that means in a kayak you have to be just that much more careful.

I'm not saying it can't be done, Hell I've thought about doing it myself the deal is if you do it realize there is risk involved and think strategically to stay out of trouble.

One more thing. I don't know if you have a bunch of experience wall banging, but there are a lot of much safer places to do it then out there at the middle wall. I'd suggest you try some other more accessible areas first until you get used to it, then graduate to more advance areas like the middle wall when you know what's involved or what your up against.

Good luck, Jim

02-09-2012, 06:51 PM	#1
swank Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The I.E Posts: 92	Cabrillo at Night? Hoping someone can give me some ideas or point me in the right direction. Planning on doing a night mission and hitting up the Long Beach breakwall (middle wall). I'm trying to find the closest / best launch spot possible. Cabrillo would be great, but it looks like it closes at 10pm? I probably wouldn't be getting to the water till 10.. Is there anyway around this? Can I park on the street somewhere and wheel my yak in, or is it considered trespassing after closing? Any information is appreciated, I'm open to surf launching but I'd rather avoid the 4' waves if possible p.s: I'm not after your bugs or butts so help me out __________________ Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. ~Author Unknown

02-09-2012, 07:38 PM	#3
swank Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The I.E Posts: 92	Can I still use the launch ramp or is it easier to just launch off the shore? Never been there before __________________ Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. ~Author Unknown

02-09-2012, 08:02 PM	#5
swank Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The I.E Posts: 92	Thanks Matt, just throwing some plastics for bass. Bites been pretty consistent on my buddies skiff but want to give the spot a try on the yak now (might need to pick up a drift chute if the wind keeps up). I'm just glad to hear I can launch at night with no problems lol, the free parking is the icing on the cake haha. I might get around to hooping it sometime, but I haven't had any luck in the last two seasons (including this one) so I might just give it up for a while. __________________ Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. ~Author Unknown

02-09-2012, 08:27 PM	#6
bellcon Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: San Pedro Posts: 999	Use EXTREME caution while in the harbor at night it can be a very dangerous place Light yourself up big time watch the traffic zones or stay out of them Crossing the main channel in the dark to get to the middle wall is not something I would be comfortable recommending if you are set on doing it, try and find some partners, and sprint into it then sprint out of it spend as little time in the shipping channel as possible it's not just the big cargo ships you have to think about Plenty of other traffic, some of it moving pretty fast If your going for bass, you can launch on the surf side and work your way down the wall for plenty of fun. pick a small day, which is most days also there is plenty of kelp to play in Good luck and be safe __________________

02-09-2012, 08:49 PM	#7
swank Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: The I.E Posts: 92	Thanks Bellcon, Going with some buddies, boats should see us lit up from a couple miles away, I'm glad I got in on the Yak Attack group buy lol. Those huge cargo boats can be scarey, but the ones I always worry about are those tug boats (or w/e the ones with the tires hanging off the side are), they love to haul ass and leave a nasty wake. Anyone have a surf report? I keep seeing high surf advisories, 6-8' swells and 15mph winds posted for this week but the webcams and weather sites are showing like 2-3mph winds (Noaa vs weather.com) __________________ Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. ~Author Unknown

02-09-2012, 07:23 PM	#2
GregAndrew Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,384	Yep, you can park on the street outside the gates and wheel your yak to the water.

02-09-2012, 07:50 PM	#4
StinkyMatt Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Under a bridge Posts: 2,168	Don't have to go all the way to the launch ramp. When you enter the park just go straight to the water. (Not the open ocean launch on your right.) there is a beach right in front of you. It is protected, so there should be no issues with waves. Have good wheels as the haul back up the hill after hooping can be a little annoying with a flat tire. It is a little bit of a paddle to the middle wall. hooped there once with a couple of friends and we got absolutely 0 shorts and 0 keepers. If you change your preference you may try the opposite side of the Long Beach breakwall by the 72 street jetty. Easy short paddle, free, close parking and we actually pulled some bugs out of there. Good luck.

02-09-2012, 09:11 PM	#8
Fiskadoro ....... Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,509	Be very careful when it comes to weather, more precisely wind. It's bad enough in the daytime but if the wind comes up hard at night you may have real trouble getting back in, and if you get blown into the channel in the dark... Honestly... you could get killed. Visibility wise just plan on not being seen. People in lighted cabins in big boats just are not going to see you. It's your job to avoid boats not the other way around. Radar won't see you but it clearly marks the breakwater for the larger boats. Stay out of traffic areas, and hug the rocks as much as you can. If I was going to do it I'd paddle to the breakwater stay close to it all the way down and then only cross the channel right at the entrance by the lighthouse. You want to paddle out only far enough into the opening to where you can see traffic both inside outside the harbor. Watch the boats and lights to figure who might be coming through. Be careful as it's hard to gauge speed and distance at night. Once your sure it's clear paddle directly across to the center wall but only when you have a long lull in traffic with large margin for error. Once across hug the wall and paddle at least a hundred yards down before you start fishing. You will be safe at the center tight to the wall but at the ends of the wall you could be run over by a boat that's cutting the corner to close. You might want to take a small folding grapple type anchor and rope. If the wind comes up and you can't make headway to get back just pull tight to the wall and anchor up and wait it out. Better to be cold and miserable tight to the rocks then getting blown out to sea or across the traffic lines in the dark. I used to wallbang in skiffs. Trust me most large boats just don't see smallcraft out there at night. Big boats under power can not easily change course in the harbor. They are navigating by instruments not just by sight, and they can't slow down or quickly turn sharply to avoid you. The difference with a skiff is you have the speed to get out of their way, that means in a kayak you have to be just that much more careful. I'm not saying it can't be done, Hell I've thought about doing it myself the deal is if you do it realize there is risk involved and think strategically to stay out of trouble. One more thing. I don't know if you have a bunch of experience wall banging, but there are a lot of much safer places to do it then out there at the middle wall. I'd suggest you try some other more accessible areas first until you get used to it, then graduate to more advance areas like the middle wall when you know what's involved or what your up against. Good luck, Jim