Just moved here from So Cal, and am looking for a place to launch my kayak for some fishing.

I've read several posts here re the WSB in the harbor, and would like to give it a try. Where do I park? Where do I launch? Any tips appreciated.

Also....The kelp paddies between SB & Ventura look pretty promising. Anybody tried Summerland, Mussel Shoals, or Seacliff? Looks like ther are decent launch sites at all of those, but are there any fish? Any inof appreciated.

--Belmont.

As far as fishing the harbor, you can launch just about anywhere you want since you're in a kayak. You can cover more water faster than us float tubers. I usually launch my tube either at the base of the pier or by the bait barge (down toward SeaLanding) depending on the bite. Another spot that I would highly recommend for kayaks is campus point. There have been some good reports of WSB coming in from campus point. The surf is usually pretty rough out at the point and it's a bit of a kick from goleta beach so it's ideal for kayaks. Launch from Goleta Beach and paddle over there. There are also underwater pipes that hold rockfish, whitefish, bass, halibut... off the end of the Goleta Pier that is out of range for a float tuber. By all means check out those kelps. I haven't fished any but they no doubt hold fish. The oil island is another hot spot to try when the weather's right. El Capitan is up north and we were there a couple days ago. It's got a good amount of halibut, although all of ours were short. The typical routine for me at the harbor is I'll go down at about 5 or so, sometimes later, sometimes earlier, and fish fastrac minnows or 4 inch plastics on the flat that runs between the jetty by the bait barge and the pier, for halibut. If I find em, I'll stay in that area for a while, or whatever, maybe work the pier pilings, or kelp or whatever. Then just before the sun goes down, I better be at the bait barge for those WSB. The bite is weird. It'll be totally dead until they start to bite. You'll get absolutely nothing and then when they turn on, you'll hookup left and right. Every cast, for as long as they bite, and then they'll shut down again and you go home. The bite lasts anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour. Since the bite can be so brief, I usually throw the fastrac minnow as much as I can so that when I do get bit, I don't miss em. That's the last thing you wanna do, miss the fish when they do decide to bite (I did that last night...). Well, good luck. There are a couple other kayakers that regular this board, maybe you can hook up with some of them and you guys can all go slay the WSB. Later.
-Brian

Just had a thresher too big to bring home in my kayak (10 - 12') off Summerland on 7/3. The kelp there can be productive for Calicos and I have seen 2 buy launch a 14' aluminum boat from the undeveloped beach there. Also try Carpinteria reef - sandies. calico, halibut. I've heard the kelp near Rincom (oil) island is good too. Tight lines

wolfman

If you hit Solimar there's a man-made reef about a hundred yards outside the kelp that is usualy not marked by much if any kelp. As such it gets very little pressure. Lots of calicos and big sheepshead. Undoubtedly, WSB there as well.

Good luck,

Bill