By Paul LebowitzELK, CALIFORNIA - I’m standing at the edge of a tall cliff overlooking Elk Cove and Greenwood State Beach. Beside me is my host Sean White, one of the central characters in the rugged northern California kayak fishing scene. Far below, waves surge against a half mile crescent of salt and pepper sand and gravel. Looking westward, we take in a view of proud sea stacks, jagged boulder gardens and slate gray ocean. The scenery is magnificent. The natural beauty registers somewhere in the backs of our minds. But as we stand gazing out to sea it’s the promise of fish that has us fascinated. All that grand reef structure out there, and not a single boat in sight. This is the sort of place that is tailor-made for kayak fishing. Most of the anglers who trek to this corner of coastal northern California come nowhere close. Instead they make a beeline for Albion or one of the other handful of small boat harbors, all many miles away. At Elk, even intrepid car-toppers are discouraged by the half-mile long trail that falls steeply to the beach. No, this is pretty much a kayaker’s exclusive fishing hole, and at that, one that has to be earned. If the trip down to the beach is a doozey, just think about that slog back to the top of the cliff. It’s breathtaking in purely physical sense. White says he had to “put his kayak brain on” and break old habits from his powerboat days before he figured it out. The more difficult the access, the bigger the lingcod – and Elk rates high on the scale. “They grow large here,” White says simply. It explains why he chose this spot for the annual Elk Rockfish Fiesta, an insanely popular kayak fishing tournament. John Mason won the 2007 edition with a 16.5-pound lingcod. That was an off-year – “16 pounds is a runt,” White interjects – a 22-pound monster topped the inaugural 2005 tournament. Actually, there’s a lot more to Elk than nice size fish. The little town has owned a spot on the ocean-going kayaker’s mental map for quite some time, decades in fact. The coastline here is something special, riddled with tall arches and dozens of caves with fanciful names such as Dragon House. Those who pause to listen can hear the beast within roar. Experienced sea kayakers come here from miles around, but so too do novices. They hitch a ride in sleek fiberglass tandem touring kayaks piloted by Force 10 Ocean Kayak Tours. Force 10 has been exploring this ocean fantasyland since 1981. Paddlers experienced enough to fish here will be hard pressed to resist the siren song of this watery playground. As beautiful as it is today, it might be difficult to imagine Elk’s industrial past. The name of the great arched sea stack just north of the beach holds an unmistakable clue. “What looks like a pristine natural rock was once nothing more than a foundation,” White says of Wharf Rock. Back at the turn of the century, a great pier jutted some half a mile into the sea. In fact, a few of the old pier’s weathered bones still somehow cling to the wind and wave chewed rock. At the time the pier stood its ground, Elk was home to an intense logging industry. Traces of the lagoon where the logs were marshaled are still visible at the back of the cove. The scars and much of the once bustling town and reputed smugglers’ den have disappeared into the fog of the past. What remains is a quaint collection of inns, antique and craft shops, and one very good deli inside the hamlet’s descriptively named Elk Store. But enough of the history lesson. Let’s throw a portage cart under the kayak, trudge down the hill, cross a shallow gully, and struggle across the thick sand to the water’s edge and go fishing. On the Water at Elk The beach is a typical shore break where the waves break right at the water’s edge. Fortunately its crescent shape and the rocks that loom just offshore and at either end of the cove provide a host of options. When one end of the beach is breaking head high, the other might be step-over small. From the cove, most anglers turn right and fish their way northwest up the coast. That’s smart; most of the time when the wind comes up, it’ll blow back toward the landing site. The area up here is also somewhat sheltered by the many fingers of Cuffey’s Point and often remains fishable longer into the day. Heading south, the water is much more exposed and open to the weather. The trip home is upwind and upswell. It’s best avoided on all but the most preternaturally calm days. As for the fishing, Elk has more on offer than unusually large lingcod. There are rockfish of many stripes and shades including the prized reds and coppers. Just find a likely hard bottom area which shouldn’t be difficult. Anglers fishing blind have plenty of visual cues such as boiler rocks, sea stacks and thick kelp beds. Those lucky enough to own fishfinders can be more discerning and focus their efforts on isolated rocks that don’t quite make it to the surface. White calls them “random stealth pinnacles.” Don’t overlook the shallows. During the 2007 Fiesta, I watched one kayaker after another connect with respectable 8 to 12-pound lings in 10 to 20 feet of water. Here’s another tip, especially useful for kayakers who are at the mercy of the wind. Spool up with a braided line such as Spectra. It falls faster through the water and enjoys a second significant benefit. This no-stretch stuff is extremely sensitive. Remember though to use something light enough to break free of the rocks or tie on a short sacrificial monofilament leader. White says all the typical lures are effective here. That includes swimbaits and jigs in the basic color palette: green, blue, orange, brown, red, white and chrome. Notably, all but one of the tournament-winning lingcod fell for large swimbaits. The other ate an orange Tady iron. White himself is a big fan of the Megabait Live Jig in black and chrome. To reduce the chance of snagging the bottom, rarely fun from a kayak cockpit, opt for single Siwash hook models over treble hooks. Whatever their favorite baits, many northern California kayak anglers are enamored of the inexpensive yet durable and sensitive Shimano Trevala series of rods designed for jigging with braided line. Matched with a tough levelwind reel it’s a deadly weapon for kayak style shallow water rockfish. There’s another Elk treasure worth mention. There are red abalone here – good ones for those who know where to dive. “If you look on the abalone stamp card you’ll see it’s hardly a secret spot. Just like the fishing, the remote access can reward the hardy,” White says. In 2008 the season is expected to run from April to June and August through November. Abalone harvest rules are complicated; be sure to check the 2008 California Ocean Sportfish Regulations booklet before hunting the tasty marine snails. The sun is sinking behind Gunderson Rock’s rounded dome. It’s time to head for the barn. Paddle back to the beach, look for a break between the waves, and then stumble out of that ‘yak and stretch your legs. It’s a long hard climb back up to the top. Then again, if fishing Elk were easy it wouldn’t be nearly so special.
PADDLING the misty coastline of Cuffey’s Cove.
KAYAKERS bump over bull kelp to reach a rocky pocket. |
SEAN WHITE NAVIGATES the soaring arch at Wharf Rock. It is just one of dozens of caves and windows in the area. For kayakers, they are an attraction in their own right.
IT MAY NOT LOOK TOUGH but that trail down to Greenwood State Beach is one steep half mile. With a portage this demanding, a kayak cart is a necessity.
BILL PENNINGTON LAUGHS as he checks out a China rockfish with a cannibalistic streak. It bit a swimbait of the same color.
JOE PECCHARICH WITH a solid Elk lingcod. They come jumbo sized here.
ADAM COCA DISCOVERS a lingcod in little more than fifteen feet of water. |
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