Kelp died out?

[ivanwang811]

Originally Posted by ProfessorLongArms

Did you happen to note the tide or the current at the time? Everywhere I’ve beenIn the Los Angeles area over the past six months has been crazy thick with kelp


Could have just been submerged and laying down

Surprisingly enough it was low tide at the time. I peddled from 30-70 feet and covered a decent area. Low tide should’ve revealed any kelp that would normally be underwater too

[FISH11]

I've been saying this about La Jolla for the last several years. I believe that's the biggest reason the fishing hasn't been what it used to be 3 years ago and before. Little to no kelp, mean no habitat for bait fish, etc.

[FullFlavorPike]

Kelp in LJ has gotten better; but still hasn't recovered from the devastation of el nino and super warm water.

[Tomol]

There’s no kelp south of Dana until you get to San Mateo Rocks south of the Pier, and that’s thin.

There’s a little kelp off Strands and Salt Creek. Pretty slim pickings’ on gamefish. Plenty of calico, sand bass & small sheepshead off Creek.

[Southwest Kayak Fishing]

Originally Posted by Tomol

There’s no kelp south of Dana until you get to San Mateo Rocks south of the Pier, and that’s thin.

There’s a little kelp off Strands and Salt Creek. Pretty slim pickings’ on gamefish. Plenty of calico, sand bass & small sheepshead off Creek.

We were there a few weeks ago with the out going tide. There’s a good patch of kelp just past the boiler rock and out a bit and there are small patches off salt creek.

There are are a variety of fish off the beach. I picked up plenty of juvenile WSB, all sorts of bass and a few short Butts. I missed a good opportunity to pick up either a shark or good WSB. It eventually bit through my line.

I may head north out of the harbor and try again tomorrow.

[Tigermidge]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1021082738.htm

The kelp will not be coming back any time soon.
Mark F.

[Salty]

I've been able to find the kelp pretty easily in like 40-50' of water off of the beach at Strands/Creek. There's definitely a lot less than in years past. I remember seeing that thick band of kelp out there from the cliffs when I'd go surfing. That was before all those crazy mansions were built there though. It's still there, just a lot less of it. What is there isn't as thick and strong, so when there are stronger currents, it gets pulled sideways and stays below the surface. I know I've been out on the same spot where there was kelp a week before and couldn't see it on the surface. Looking hard enough I could see it underwater bending at like a 45 degree angle in the current. It's there, just requires a little more searching sometimes!

[Tomol]

Originally Posted by Tigermidge

https://www.sciencedaily.com/release...1021082738.htm

The kelp will not be coming back any time soon.
Mark F.

I'm not sure how well that article applies. There's probably some relevance, but I'm sure there's more going on than we know. The article was about bull kelp, primarily in northern California. Ours is Giant Kelp.

There are local beds like San Onofre, most of the artificial reef, and San Mateo Point (and others) that are almost completely devoid of any hint of kelp. No urchins either. Conversely, PV is loaded with kelp, as was the back of Catalina the last time I was there.

Over winter and spring a nice patch sprang up a quarter mile up the line from the boilers off Dana. It even produced a few seabass, but over the last two months it's almost disappeared.

It's all very confusing and frustrating.