Lauritzen Yacht Harbor - Antioch Bridge

It was 42 degrees at 1:30 this afternoon when Amanda and I launched from Lauritzen Yacht Harbor. High tide was predicted for 2:15 at 4 ft. The wind was blowing gently from the east at less than 5 knots and produced small ripples on the San Joaquin river. After launching we headed out of the harbor towards the Antioch bridge. Along the way we saw another paddler speedily making his way across the river. The bridge towered over us as we passed under it on this cold gloomy day. We floated for a few minutes and took some pictures before we paddled back under it and towards Big Break.

About a half a mile from Lauritzen's, to the south, there is an opening to a marsh which begged to be explored. It reminded me somewhat of the Dow Wetlands but with more open space, almost like a lake. There were lots of mud ducks and other waterfowl in this area and the water was smooth like glass. We paddled at a leisurely pace looking for other signs of wildlife when we came upon some duck decoys. From a distance they sure look real and there were actually quite a few live ones floating next to them. After an hour or so we decided to call it a day and head back to the harbor. It was a mellow adventure and it felt good to be out on the water.

 Lauritzen's is a really nice place to launch from on a calm day and it's located
on the San Joaquin river just east of the Antioch bridge. The harbor itself has a double launch ramp with docks, restrooms and ample parking. There is a launch fee of $6 per kayak which you pay in the office and then they'll give you a code so you can use their restrooms. The people here are very friendly and happy to answer questions.




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Bethany Reservoir

What a beautiful December day! The kids and I met our friends today at Bethany Reservoir to test out the new boats in my fleet and to do a little fishing. All the boats got a thumbs up and everyone enjoyed a great day on the water! Bethany Reservoir is located south of Byron and north of Tracy and is filled with water pumped from the southern region of the delta. It's actually part of the California Aqueduct. According to Wikipedia, "the aqueduct begins at the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta at the Banks Pumping Plant, which pumps from the Clifton Court Forebay. Water is pumped by the Banks Pumping Plant to the Bethany Reservoir. The reservoir serves as a forebay for the South Bay Aqueduct via the South Bay Pumping Plant." If you were to paddle all around the lake following the shoreline, you would paddle a little over four miles.

We arrived around 11:00 a.m. and found the reservoir all to ourselves. We saw one fisherman who was leaving as we were unloading the boats. There is a self pay station and it say's it's $5 but there were no envelopes to be found. There is a nice launch ramp with a pretty high dock to put your boats in. There are shaded picnic tables and a pit toilet available. There are also a couple of small piers you can fish from. I figure it must get windy in this area due to the reservoir being surrounded by windmills but today there wasn't a stitch of wind.

Three of us decided to try out the Liquid Logic Mist 12's to start the day. We found the Mist to be comfortable, stable and quite quick. Gabe took out the Redfish 12 and he spent almost four hours on it! He's over 6 ft and he felt the boat was very comfortable especially roomy for his long legs. He also said it was fast and felt very stable. After lunch, Mary and I took out the Liquid Logic Deuce Coupe. It was exceptionally comfortable with the thick padded seats, very stable and all the cup holders are very convenient. It's also a very dry ride which will make it great for the tours I'm offering. All these boats are available to rent at Delta Kayak Adventures! I also have a Redfish 10 available for smaller paddlers.

Unfortunately neither Gabe or I caught any fish today but we'll give it another try soon! Overall, Bethany Reservoir is a wonderful place to paddle and I look forward to returning. If you have never kayaked before, it would make a great place to try it for the first time. It's a decent size lake to get a good workout, surrounded by gentle rising hills and an awesome view of the Sierra's on a clear, crisp day like today!

Port-O-Sac Stripers

A beautiful sunset to end  an absolutely gorgeous day of paddling! I participated in my first kayak fishing tournament put on by FreshKats. It was held at the the Port of Sacramento and we launched from the Barge Canal Access where it's free to park and launch. Registration began at 7:30 with the official start time at 9:00 a.m.. It ended at 3:00 and it looked as though a few people caught some good fish. I'll update this post when I find out who won today's tournament and the results for the complete series. There were quite a few participants. I don't have an official count yet but there were at least 30 vehicles in the parking lot loaded with kayaks. This was the last event in this years series but I'm told there will be six events next year.

Unfortunately I got skunked today, not even a nibble, but I enjoyed the day with friends and it felt great to be on the water. My friend Tim caught a baby striper but other than that he got skunked too. I did have an assist on the way back to the launch at the end of the day. Nick from Roseville caught a nice striper just east of the bridge. He forgot his net so I loaned him mine so he could land it. He did a great job and brought in a beautiful fish!

I'm looking forward to next years events where maybe I can do a little better!

If your interested in fishing from a kayak be sure and check my website and contact me as I have fishing kayaks available to rent and I'm also leading tours. I see a fishing tour in the future!

Waiting out these storms

While waiting for these storms to pass I've been busy picking up new boats for my new business and working on getting the word out. I'm currently having a sale on gift certificates which would make a great gift for Christmas! Visit deltakayakadventures.com and then call to place your order. Be sure and like our Facebook page so you can get the latest updates. I've scheduled a couple of tours for December including one at Big Break and another at Discovery Bay. I'll also have kayaks available for rent at Sandy Beach on December 30th for a discounted price of $10 per hour for a single and $15 per hour for a double. Hope you can join us!

If you like fishing and enjoy fishing from a kayak or would like to try it out, be sure and attend the 2012 Port-O-Sac Stripers Kayak Fishing Tournament in West Sacramento on December 9th. For more info click here. This event is hosted by Freshwater Kayak Angler Tournament Series also know as FreshKats. This is the last event for this years series but if you've thought about fishing from a kayak it would be a great place to meet others who have been doing it for awhile.