Hey everyone i'm new to the board, I'm about to buy a kayak and i'm gonna start fishing Goleta beach pretty often with that. I've been fishing here off the coast for about 10-11 yrs but not so much the past few years. I was wondering where are some good places to fish off of Goleta beach, and when i get my kayak if anyone wants to go out?

Let me know,
Cody

Young Til I Die

Cody, I just fished Haskells last night for the first time. I paddled out to the first kelp beds and got blown around so I made it a short trip. A little too windy. I too have bought a small kayak and have been fishing off of it. It was my 4th time out in it. I live in Carp but work in Goleta and I bring my boat once in a while, so let me know when you are thinking of going.

-Jake

Attachment #1, (.- file)

hi Cody,

Welcome to the site :) Here's some basic spots at Goleta beach starting from campus point:

- Outside the point there are some rocks and kelp - ok for calico bass
- Just inside the point is a well defined kelp bed - good for calico bass or white sea bass
- Starting just past that kelp bed you'll start to find halibut. Fish for the halibut close to shore, within 200 yards. You can get halibut anywhere along the beach and it isn't hard to cover water in a kayak drifting and casting.
- Close to the pier is a line of kelp that grows on the pipe (treated sewer outfall). The pipe is a good place for just about anything, bass, rockfish, halibut, ling cod, etc. It runs way out to sea and from a kayak it would be a good idea to fish the deeper sections.
- Past the pier is the mouth of the slough. I don't fish there much but it can be a good place for halibut and seabass. There's a nice kelp growing out there now too that could be worth a try.

As a rule of thumb with the halibut, if you find one - stick around. The halibut always run in little schools. It's very common to fish down the beach and get nothing for a few hundred yards, then suddenly catch 3 in a row.

The thing about goleta beach fishing is that it's often good but seldom great. You're probably never going to go out and catch a dozen big calico bass, or a 5 fish limit of halibut. But if you get a feel for it it's not uncommon to get 1 or 2 legal halibut per trip, and the occasional seabass or calico bass. Have fun out there.

I'm a newbie yak fisherman as well and I'm actually taking my first trip out there this coming Saturday and most likely Sunday. I'll be in a gray inflatable kayak if anyone wants to meet up.

Thanks for all the information so far. I cant wait to get out and give it a try. What swimbaits would you reccomend for that area?

Young Til I Die