Road Trip: Half Moon Bay - Kayak Fishing Adventures on Big Water’s Edge

Deamon · 09-19-2011, 09:14 AM

Had some of my daughter's soccer games to watch in the Bay area and decided to bring the yak. I fished Half Moon Bay for two days...home of the famed Mavericks Surf. Luckily for me, the surf and wind were nowhere to be found. Unbelieveable conditions throughout each day. Checked in with Dave the Harbor Master and he pointed me in the right direction and said "have fun". All shallow reef stuff in 40-65' like a mile and a half outside the mouth of the harbor. The bass rod went bendo on lots of quantity and variety. There was a Sculpin-like creature that had horns...he was hoping I'd make a mistake. I counted (4) Lings and (4) Cabezon as the quality stuff...all released!

Iceman · 09-19-2011, 09:21 AM

staghorn sculpin? love shallow reef fishing!

blitzburgh · 09-19-2011, 09:34 AM

Looks like a blast. Awesome pics.

Zed · 09-19-2011, 09:54 AM

Cool pix! You scored on the conditions and cool fish.

Quote:

staghorn sculpin?

Bingo. A true sculpin (Family Cottidae), not to be confused with California sculpin (Family Scorpionidae). No worries about stings in true sculpin.

Just another example of f'd up common names.

Thanks for the report and pix!

mtnbykr2 · 09-19-2011, 10:29 AM

looks like great taco filling....nice array of species

blackcloud9 · 09-19-2011, 01:51 PM

Great post .. thanks for the shallow water rockfish report from Central Cal.

Love, love the China rockfish. Beautiful.

The SD waters in 110 - 140' have also been excellent while many people are
chasing the yella's. I'll be posting a report and pics soon.

yakrider · 09-19-2011, 03:03 PM

cool lookin' fishies!

Hunter (The 80's Man) · 09-19-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcloud9

SD waters in 110 - 140' have also been excellent while many people are
chasing the yella's. I'll be posting a report and pics soon.

I hear ya on that, caught a reel nice red on the edge of the reserve on a sabiki. I thought about targeting them for about a second. I got yellow fever bad

with no success as of yet.

Nice job on the rock fish up north looks like a fun place.

ChefT · 09-19-2011, 08:03 PM

FUN TIMES, NICE PICKS...

I love Nor Cal....

Amish Ed · 09-19-2011, 08:59 PM

I love the variety of fish you got. I'll get up there one of these days. Thanks for the report.

wiseguy · 09-20-2011, 08:51 AM

Sweet pictures! Love the cool looking fishes!

Ed · 09-20-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zed

Cool pix! You scored on the conditions and cool fish.

Bingo. A true sculpin (Family Cottidae), not to be confused with California sculpin (Family Scorpionidae). No worries about stings in true sculpin.

Just another example of f'd up common names.

Thanks for the report and pix!

Actually, I believe it is a buffalo Sculpin. You can see the row of enlarged scales along the lateral line in the above photo.

wade · 09-20-2011, 09:37 AM

Nice Trip Thanks for Sharing!!!!!!

Iceman · 09-20-2011, 10:22 AM

Ed knows his BUFFALO! I concur

Zed · 09-20-2011, 02:43 PM

BWAHA!

Hamachijohn · 09-20-2011, 02:50 PM

Nice trip and thx for sharing. Half Moon Bay is actually one of the less "fishy" areas in norcal- which means you had a very nice catching day!

Further south to Big Sur or north to Bean Hollow (or Sonoma Coast) has a better fishery, so catching in HMB is a treat.

btw, your LJ WSB have taken their seasonal temporary residence @ HMB. I'm 0 for 4 this year, including yesterday, but the Norcal brethren have been catching their share here and there.

thx again for sharing.

Jonathan

09-19-2011, 09:14 AM	#1
Deamon Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 1,972	Road Trip: Half Moon Bay Had some of my daughter's soccer games to watch in the Bay area and decided to bring the yak. I fished Half Moon Bay for two days...home of the famed Mavericks Surf. Luckily for me, the surf and wind were nowhere to be found. Unbelieveable conditions throughout each day. Checked in with Dave the Harbor Master and he pointed me in the right direction and said "have fun". All shallow reef stuff in 40-65' like a mile and a half outside the mouth of the harbor. The bass rod went bendo on lots of quantity and variety. There was a Sculpin-like creature that had horns...he was hoping I'd make a mistake. I counted (4) Lings and (4) Cabezon as the quality stuff...all released! Attached Images Last edited by Deamon; 09-19-2011 at 10:10 AM.

09-19-2011, 09:21 AM	#2
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	staghorn sculpin? love shallow reef fishing! __________________

09-19-2011, 09:34 AM	#3
blitzburgh Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Menifee Posts: 2,509	Looks like a blast. Awesome pics. __________________ ”The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.” ~Thomas Jefferson.........maybe

09-19-2011, 08:59 PM	#10
Amish Ed Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Grants Pass, OR Posts: 1,903	I love the variety of fish you got. I'll get up there one of these days. Thanks for the report. __________________ Amish Ed You can't catch it again if it's dead!

09-20-2011, 09:37 AM	#13
wade Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oceanside Posts: 1,214	Nice Trip Thanks for Sharing!!!!!! __________________

09-19-2011, 10:29 AM	#5
mtnbykr2 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: newbury park ca Posts: 2,323	looks like great taco filling....nice array of species

09-19-2011, 01:51 PM	#6
blackcloud9 Kayaker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Big Rock, WindanSea, La Jolla Posts: 413	Great post .. thanks for the shallow water rockfish report from Central Cal. Love, love the China rockfish. Beautiful. The SD waters in 110 - 140' have also been excellent while many people are chasing the yella's. I'll be posting a report and pics soon.

09-19-2011, 03:03 PM	#7
yakrider Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 611	cool lookin' fishies!

09-19-2011, 08:03 PM	#9
ChefT Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: SD Posts: 216	FUN TIMES, NICE PICKS... I love Nor Cal....

09-20-2011, 08:51 AM	#11
wiseguy Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Long Beach Posts: 427	Sweet pictures! Love the cool looking fishes!

09-20-2011, 10:22 AM	#14
Iceman Administrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: 1-2 miles off the point Posts: 6,943	Ed knows his BUFFALO! I concur __________________

09-20-2011, 02:43 PM	#15
Zed BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: W of 5 Posts: 1,265	BWAHA! __________________ Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Give a fish a man and he'll eat for a week.

09-20-2011, 02:50 PM	#16
Hamachijohn Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: San Francisco Posts: 74	Nice trip and thx for sharing. Half Moon Bay is actually one of the less "fishy" areas in norcal- which means you had a very nice catching day! Further south to Big Sur or north to Bean Hollow (or Sonoma Coast) has a better fishery, so catching in HMB is a treat. btw, your LJ WSB have taken their seasonal temporary residence @ HMB. I'm 0 for 4 this year, including yesterday, but the Norcal brethren have been catching their share here and there. thx again for sharing. Jonathan