Imperial Beach Launch Site

contributed by Ed Whited

Silver Strand State park is half way down the Strand on state route 75. It has parking for 1,000 vehicles, RV camping, showers and toilets. Parking is $6.00. Drive up access to the beach is limited to the parking area; you could hike down the beach quite a ways to launch if you chose to. The beach and bottom is similar to Coronado Beach, wide soft sand, gently slopping sand bottom. One very nice feature is that there is bay access via a tunnel under State Route 75 with a very easy launch just north of the Coronado Cays. Another interesting day trip possibility is to park at Silver Strand park and hike down to the end of the park next to the old Naval Communications base and launch. This will put you in paddling distance to a sunken World War II submarine, the S37. For more information on this piece of history, please go to the following links.

http://www.cawreckdivers.org/Wrecks/S37.htm

http://www.hte.com/saintaug/sub.htm

Imperial Beach is not one of the more popular areas frequented by kayakers. There are a number of factors contributing to this low level of use. First, the area is as far south as you can get without leaving the US. Most people coming from the north (Everyone is north of IB unless you live in Mexico) will be attracted to the easy surf launch and natural beauty of La Jolla or protected waters of Mission bay and San Diego Bay.

Very few kayakers beach launch south of Mission bay. The rocky beaches and cliffs of Point Loma coupled with lack of access because of military installations and the National Park prevent easy access to Point Loma kelp beds. South of the San Diego bay entrance, NAS North Island, the Amphibious Base, Silver Strand State park and the old Naval Communications base hamper beach access.

Coronado has some limited beach access for kayakers. Limited parking, wide soft sand beaches, surf and large numbers of sunbathers prevent this from being a popular launch spot. The fishing is pretty much limited to halibut, queen fish, corbina and surf perch as it is a gradually sloping sand bottom for a very long distance from shore. One redeeming factor is the beach launch next to NAS North Island is a straight shot to the tip of Point Loma and the Zuniga jetty. However it is the approximately the same paddling distance as the Shelter Island launch.

In Imperial Beach, there are many places to launch. Beach access is almost unlimited, parking for a fee is abundant, free parking is readily available. I have only used the launch area at the foot of Palm Ave, next to the Ye Olde Plank Inn. This is just north of the Imperial Beach Fishing pier. The reason I chose this area to launch is it is next to a rock jetty. The entire area from North Island south to the border is relatively unprotected coastline. The prevailing waves are from the southwest. This creates one of the few northward running long shore currents on the west coast. Ever wonder why there is so much sand on the North Island and Coronado beaches? The lee of the jetty creates an area of smaller surf for easier launch and recovery. As I have said before, surf launches are not my strong point, so I use any advantage available.

The Imperial Beach area has the same gently sloping sand bottom as Coronado and the Silver Strand. So why go through the hassle of driving to the southwester tip of the United States to fish a barren sand wasteland? Well it is the closest point to the IB kelp beds. About a ¼ mile offshore the bottom changes from sand to cobblestones, creating a substrate where kelp can attach to. Kelp beds can be found north, west and south of the end of the pier.

There are areas south of the pier where a launch could be made, indeed it would be possible to launch next to the pier in the surfing area with life guard permission. The areas south of the pier have rock riprap to protect the homes form surf erosion. This makes it somewhat harder to get to the beach, but not impossible. The south end of Seacoast Drive will get you close to the southern kelp beds. Additionally it can be a jumping off place to paddle to the pipeline outfall just north of the Mexican border. A closer launch area would be Border Field state park, but that is only open sporadically and there is no security for anything left on shore or in your car. I would not recommend this area because of the lack of security.

There are three main things to look out for when considering a kayak fishing trip to the IB area.

  1. The IB area is known primarily as a surfing spot. The pier and recently the sand bar just north of the Tijuana River estuary are prime surfing areas. Surf may be your friend, but is not mine, pick your days to launch your kayak based on your surf abilities.
  2. The Tijuana River can and after rainstorms often does carry large amounts of raw sewage from cross border storm drainage outfalls. During the dry season, this sewage is captured and treated by the International Boundary Water Commission’s sewage treatment facility and sent out through the sewage outfall pipeline. However, during the rainy season, there are often large amounts of coliform bacteria in the water.
  3. No mater how clear and inviting it looks, do not paddle under the Imperial Beach Pier. The pier anglers often use light test, thin fishing line. This stuff is impossible to see from water level. Often the pier anglers will line up on the down wind rail and cannot be seen from water level. From personal experience, it is extremely easy to become entangled in their fishing lines. The pier tackle of choice are the micro Sabiki rigs with 5 or more needle sharp hooks. Beware!!!

Fishing Description

From Ed:

"I have fished the northern kelp bed and plan to try the west bed next on my next trip. The north kelp area starts in about 30 to 40 feet of water. The bottom slopes very gradually. Bait is extremely easy to make, Green Mackerel, Sardines, Lizardfish and Queenfish are abundant. Lizardfish can be extremely annoying attacking jigs and baits three times their size. I have caught some nice Sand Bass there, but not much else yet. The area certainly looks like it will hold some nice fish and I have done well on private and party boats in the past. In the summertime, the pier can be wide open with small Bonita, Queenfish, Sardines and Mackerel, so I believe the nearby kelp beds should hold Calico Bass, Barracuda, Bonita, Sand Bass, and Yellowtail. There have been some persistent but unsubstantiated (by me) rumors of quality White Sea Bass being caught in the area. "