Paddling Anchor Bay

 I recently returned from a trip up the coast where I was treated to some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. Anchor Bay is located about 5 miles north of Gualala.

We arrived at Anchor Bay Campground Wednesday afternoon and the weather was unbelievably beautiful. The seas were calm and barely a breeze blew. We stayed in the Crows Nest which is a little cabin on a cliff overlooking the bay. I couldn't wait to get on the water and start exploring but not having much experience on the ocean kept me onshore until some friends arrived who had paddled and dived this area for many years.

The following morning brought the same conditions as the previous day and my friend and I launched from "chicken cove" which is a couple hundred yards north of the beach in front of the campground. Many brave souls attempt to launch directly in front of the campground which provides great entertainment for campers because few succeed and most launches end in spectacular fails. It's actually quite humorous to see how fast the word spreads through camp that someone is preparing to launch. It doesn't matter if people are eating breakfast or dinner, everyone grabs their plates and heads to the beach for a show. What's really cool is that when people fail there's always someone there to help gather lost items that weren't lashed down.

"Chicken Cove" provides a safe launch with gentle swells lapping the shore and no serious breakers. We launched around 10 a.m. with low tide predicted at 10:20. Tim brought his fishing gear and let me borrow a couple of jigs to try my hand at ocean fishing. We paddled a little over a half mile out towards Fish Rock and Tim dropped his line on the edge of a bed of kelp. Within 30 seconds he had a fish on the line. He pulled in a nice blacksmith also know as a "blackie". I continued to watch Tim catch two more "blackie" until I finally decided it was time for me to give it a try. I dropped my line outside of another bed of kelp but I had issues getting my line to the bottom because I didn't have enough weight. After fixing that issue I tried again but no bites for me. Tim wasn't having any luck either so we moved to another location to no avail. I ended up snagging my line and had to cut it loose. I really didn't have the proper rod and reel for saltwater fishing but it was fun to try. I paddled around the area for awhile longer while he continued fishing. It was great being on the water on such a beautiful day!

Tuolomne River - Turlock Lake State Rec. Area to Waterford

My daughter and I had the privilege to participate in a boatable flow study with the Tuolomne River Trust this past Saturday. According to HDR Engineering, "The primary goal of the study is to determine if the Don Pedro Hydroelectric Project’s minimum flows result in boatable flows for non-motorized, recreational river boating in portions of the lower Tuolumne River where put-ins and take-outs are available." Tuolomne River Trust is well known for their "Paddle to the Sea" events they host each year in late spring. I'm hoping to get a team together for next years event!

We arrived at 9 a.m. at the Turlock Lake Rec Area campground where we met Peter from the Tuolomne River Trust. He made arrangements for us to shuttle our truck to the take out and bring us back to the put in. On the way back to the put in, Peter gave us a little background and history regarding the Tuolomne River and flows. Don Pedro Dam is up for relicensing and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is looking at flows below the dam. They basically want to know how often your kayak or canoe hit bottom.

After a brief orientation and loading gear, we launched at 11:00 a.m. with the flow at 200 cfs. We had two canoes, a raft with Carlos as guide and three kayaks, including mine and Amandas'. The first hour or so we paddled lazily down the river taking in the beautiful scenery. When we reached our first "rapid", really just riffles, we spotted the couple in the tandem standing on a little island warning us of overhanging trees. They flipped their kayak and were kind enough to stick around and warn us. The raft, a canoe and Amanda and I made it through with no problem but the last canoe hit the overhang and flipped. The water was only a few inches deep and the couple in the canoe were back in their boat quickly.

The first half of the trip, approximately 5 miles, there were a couple of times my kayak hit the bottom and I had to scoot it off the rocks. Only once did I need to get out and pull it off. Around 1:00 we stopped and ate lunch on a rocky beach and then we were on our way for the next 5 miles. The last half was just as wonderful as the first! Again I needed to scoot my boat off the bottom a couple of times and drag it once. We arrived at Riverwalk Park in Waterford at 5:00 so it took us 6 hours to paddle 10 miles. Keep in mind we had lunch, a few stops and paddled at a lazy pace. At a more brisk pace you should be able to complete this run in about three hours with flows of at least 200 cfs.

This is a great stretch of river to paddle and explore. We stayed river right the majority of the trip. If you decide to check this out on your own always keep an eye out downriver to look for obstacles as the river is always changing. Beware of a possible hazard close to Waterford. When you see a big red barn stay close to river right as there is a spillway that when its dumping can create a whirlpool that you want to avoid.

This was a great trip and I look forward to going back in the fall when flows are a little higher. To check real time flows you can click here.

Gone Fishing...

I've been on the water quite a bit lately enjoying every minute. I recently paddled some lakes up north including Bullards Bar and Collins Lake which are both great lakes to visit and spend the day. I didn't have much luck fishing although I did catch a crappie at Lake Mildred. It was actually the biggest crappie I ever caught! My daughter caught her first rainbow trout on Collins Lake and I was extremely proud and happy for her and the fish was quite tasty.

This past week I've been back on the Delta, leading tours in Discovery Bay and Bethel Island. I had my best fishing day yet on Dutch Slough with my hubby. He caught two nice smallmouth bass and I caught two baby bass and a baby striper. Today I was out on Sherman Lake paddling against the wind and doing a little fishing with no results to report.

I have my eyes on a couple spots I'd like to explore in the near future. I'll keep you posted.......

Tours, Tours and more Tours

Thankfully, I have been busy the past month guiding tours so I haven't updated my blog.  I have been blessed to meet and paddle with many people who tried kayaking for the first time. I thought I would share some photos of some of the tours from Bethel Island and Discovery Bay from the past month. If you would like to join me on a guided tour be sure and check my calendar! If there is a location you would like to explore but don't see scheduled on the calendar you can contact me here. Don't forget to like my facebook page and join Delta Kayak Adventures Meetup for the latest news and specials!

Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay

Franks Tract

Intro to Kayaking Class Discovery Bay

Bethel Island tour

Dow Wetlands otter

Fishing Dow Wetlands

Discovery Bay Tour

"Lets Go Fishing" Discovery Bay

"Lets Go Fishing" Discovery Bay

Kayak Fishing Antioch

Jackson Coosa all rigged up! This boat available for demo!

I finally had the chance today to get out and do a little fishing. My friend Mary and I, launched from the Antioch Marina boat ramp around 10:30 this morning. There is no charge for launching here unless you have a trailer. Low tide was predicted at 1:07 p.m. and winds were under 10 m.p.h.. Though the winds were light, there were quite a bit of steep wind waves moving to the south east. We had the current with us but the wind against us as we paddled towards the Dow Wetlands Preserve. Once we arrived at the preserve, the waters were calm with a gentle breeze to help keep us cool.

Mary enjoying the day

Someone suggested using frozen shad for bait to fish for stripers so we picked some up at Hook Line and Sinker in Oakley. We also used a couple of red and yellow jigs and a red and yellow dart lure. The first hour we tied ourselves to some tule to keep us from drifting and used the shad with no success. We decided to break for lunch and then headed southwest, deeper into the preserve to see what we could find. As we paddled we were greeted by a river otter who swam in circles next to my boat checking us out. For a minute I thought he might jump in my boat! We both decided to switch to red and yellow lures. I tossed my line in the water and started paddling and quickly it was fish on! I reeled the fish in and it turned out to be a Sacramento Pike measuring a little over 10 inches. I took a picture and quickly released him. I put my line back in the water and almost immediately had another fish on! This time I could tell it was bigger than the last one. Mary helped me bring the fish in and it ended up being another Sacramento Pike but this one had to be close to 20 inches! I took another picture and put him back to catch another day.

One of three river otters spotted today!

Unfortunately, Mary didn't catch anything today but we both had a great time fishing! We left the preserve a little after 1:00.  The wind had picked up some and the wind waves were quite large. It was slack tide and we didn't get much help home with the current but the wind helped push us home.

If you like fishing from a kayak or would like to give it a try or even demo a fishing kayak, I have a fishing tour scheduled for July 6th which is a free fishing day in California which means you don't need a fishing license. Go to my Meetup or Facebook page to sign up! Be sure and call to reserve a boat!

First fish on

Fish number 2

Paddling Santa Cruz Beach Borardwalk

Monday I had the opportunity to do a little paddling in front of Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. While the kids were playing around the Boardwalk, my friend and I took advantage of the great sea conditions and paddled between the Wharf and Walton Lighthouse. I have not done a lot of ocean paddling and this was my friends first time on the ocean.

Prior to our trip, I scoured the internet looking for any information I could find about paddling in the area. I didn't have much luck other than finding outfitters that rented kayaks in the area.  We arrived at the park around 11:00 a.m. and parked in the river lot which is adjacent to the San Lorenzo River. I asked the parking attendant about launching my kayak there and he told me to launch from under the railroad trestle. It turns out that there is actually a great spot to put in if you want to paddle the San Lorenzo River. I found out the hard way that it is not  the best spot if you want to paddle on the ocean as it requires a portage through some deep sand. Nevertheless, I paddled from that spot through a shallow pool like area to the beach in front of the boardwalk. We found out later that kayakers are not allowed to launch or land from that section of beach.

If you want to paddle in front of the Boardwalk, you need to launch or land between lifeguard tower 1 and 2 which is near the wharf. I believe the best place to park is next to Cowell's Beach where there is a little roundabout with limited parking but you can unload and then search for parking. Plan on spending a minimum of $9 for 4 hours to park close to the beach. Wharf parking is $21 all day in the summer.

My friend made it through the surf on her first try. I didn't do as well. My timing was off and was tossed off my boat back to the beach and I lost my favorite hat in the process. I didn't waste any time and jumped back on immediately and paddled like crazy to get through the breaking surf. I barely made it but once I was through, the sea was calm and so beautiful! We paddled leisurely through kelp beds towards Walton Lighthouse taking in the scenery as we went along. There were harbor seals barking in the background and the distant sound of surf crashing on the beach. It's an incredible feeling being on the ocean. It makes me feel so tiny and insignificant. You can feel its power, even on a calm day like this, underneath your boat.

We gazed at sailboats in the distance and one that sailed by us only a few yards away. We turned around and headed towards the wharf and I spotted a dolphin not far from us. I brought the sighting to my friends attention and almost instantly two more appeared! How beautiful they were! Swimming and diving maybe 10 yards from us! Seeing the dolphins were the highlight of our day and made my painful surf landing well worth it.

While the lifeguards patched up my sand rash, from my rough landing, one of them informed me that in the summer the swells come from the south and that they will pound the beach for several minutes and then it will be calm for several minutes. It would be a good idea to try landing when it's calm. The key is to be patient and watch the swells. I have quite a bit to learn but I'm looking forward to it!

If you have info on paddling this area or others nearby, feel free to post in the comments section.

Seaward Halo SR 130 and Compass 140 tx Paddle from Tiki Lagun

Delta Kayak Adventures took delivery of the new Seaward Halo 130 and Compass 140 this weekend. I was anxious to get them out on the water and I had originally planned to launch from Antioch Marina but when I arrived at noon today the wind was howling with gusts reaching 25 plus mph. Waves were breaking in every direction and the docks were swaying and rocking continually. My son and I decided to head inland a bit and ended up at Tiki Lagun near Stockton.

The wind was still blowing at least 20 mph but we were determined to paddle these new boats. I will be returning to Tiki Lagun to do a more thorough review of this launch spot as it was quite nice and they do not charge to launch kayaks.

I was very impressed with my first look at these two boats. These boats are absolutely gorgeous to look at with beautiful lines and first rate craftsmanship. My son, Sam, paddled the Compass and gives it a thumbs up. Both kayaks come with 5 way adjustable seating which makes them extremely comfortable to paddle as you can make many adjustments to fit you perfectly. The Compass comes standard with a rudder which came in handy today with the amount of wind we were paddling in. With the Halo you have a choice of a rudder or not. I chose to go rudderless and found the boat very easy to control in the wind. Overall, I believe I've made a great choice to add these to my fleet and look forward to adding more models in the future!

If you would like to demo either of these boats give me a call to set up a time and place. You are sure to fall in love with these boats! Be sure to contact me if you're interested in purchasing a Seaward. I can order any  model you choose!