By Paul Lebowitz

Do you have a secret spot? I do, and I’m not telling where. Find your own; it’s not difficult. All you need to claim your personal secret spot is a kayak, some imagination, and a spirit of adventure.

I won’t visit my secret spot any old day. I wait until I need a change of pace. To be honest, I don’t always have the time or energy it takes to get there. In mid-summer, when my home beach is packed with humanity and my preferred fishing grounds have too much in common with a mall parking lot the day after Thanksgiving, a secret spot is salvation from speeding boats, big wakes, and spooked fish.

Don’t settle for a crowd. It’s a big ocean, and even if a kayak’s limited range keeps us within a couple miles of the coast there are plenty of spots to fish. Unlike power boaters who are tied to a finite number of launch ramps, the sheer number of places a kayaker can get on the water is limited only by one’s audacity, skill and imagination.

The ideal secret spot takes advantage of a kayak’s sneaky stealth. Focus on the places a typical power boater avoids, such as boiler rocks, the corridor of open water between the shoreline and the kelp, or deep inside the “weeds.” You could find an untapped source of halibut and big calico bass.

How to Find Your Own Secret Spot
Just as in our national parks, where the easiest places to reach are often loved nearly to death but the difficult to get to backcountry is untrammeled, the currency of solitude is sweat. Distance from the easiest to reach launches and difficult access filter out the masses. Continuing the analogy, you won’t find a beginning rock climber scaling Yosemite’s El Capitan. No, in order to enjoy a lofty perch above the hordes that crowd Yosemite Valley, a climber needs an arsenal of skills, and so it is with kayak fishing. Want to get to that unpressured water? Better build up your all-around paddle skills.

The easiest to improve is range. Shoot, you can just plain buy this one by getting a longer, slimmer kayak. It will take less effort to paddle so you’ll have the energy to go farther.

There will be trade-offs, such as less stability (but still plenty), and the ride might be wetter because you’ll probably be sitting lower in the water. So what? Wear a wetsuit or paddle pants.

A CALICO and a deserted kelp bed. Team Cobra angler John Pawlak demonstrates that it is possible to claim your own slice of water, even on Labor Day.

CLIFFSIDE KAYAK - The sweetest secret spots are worth a bit of sweat. A half mile hike, a tall stairwell, or a steep slope will discourage all but the most adventurous.

Another easy way to gain range is to pick up a paddle skills book or take a basic strokes class and learn an efficient forward paddle stroke. Get a quality paddle too, and then go out and cover the miles until you build up the endurance to go all day. Yes, I know most kayak fishermen are anglers first and paddling is a distant second priority. Look at these investments as tools to get to more fish.    

The next step is more difficult, and takes fortitude and surf sense. A skilled kayaker can get through surprisingly large waves. Learn to deal with breakers that loom overhead and you’ll liberate yourself from the calmest, most popular surf launches. The first requirement is to develop a feeling for the rhythm of the waves. With good surf sense, you’ll anticipate the lulls in the action, periods between larger sets of waves when a kayaker can make a dash to sea. Of course you have to get back to shore too. Landing is more difficult to learn than launching because sit-on-top fishing kayaks aren’t made to shred waves like surfboards. The key is to come in on the back of a breaking wave, squirting through the impact zone before the following swell can crush you.  

I’m leaving it up to you to learn the techniques necessary to safely negotiate big surf. Don’t risk it before you’re ready, especially at beaches with dangerous rocks or violent surf. Experienced watermen may be able to develop good kayak surf skills through trial and error, gradually tackling larger and more difficult conditions. The rest of us would benefit more from taking a surf skills class such as the one offered by Jim Sammons of La Jolla Kayak Fishing. One more thing; if you value your fishing gear, stow it below decks when you challenge these tougher launches.

Once you’ve armed yourself with increased range and solid surf skills, the world is your kayak fishing oyster. Well, there is one more ingredient needed to claim the sweetest secret spots: sweat. If you thought I meant sweating while on the water you were mistaken. Nope, the sweat comes into play when it is time to get the kayak from the road to the water, and vice versa. A rutted trail, a flight of stairs, or a short but steep slope scares away all but the most committed.

Come on! Get a buddy and carry those ‘yaks to the water. Most of them aren’t that heavy. Leave all but the essentials at home, and even consider scaling down to a 12-foot model. That quarter mile hike from the truck to the shore won’t be so tough if you have a kayak cart or set of wheels. Even that 20 foot drop is manageable if you come equipped with a rope to lower and raise the boat. But don’t go tackling sheer cliffs or unstable slopes. There are plenty of other secret launches that don’t require serious risks. Use your best judgement and take responsibility for your own safety.