How do you keep the waves from slaming your kayak up against the crappiewall ?
Roger

I think the answer your going to eventually get is to point the bow or stern into the waves/wind. haven't heard of a crappie wall though

The crappiewall is famouse for it's redfish at Calaveras Lake. The wall is an intake for cooling water in generating electricty & you can only get there by boat. Waves from wind or passing boats will beat a tied up boat to pieces. Kayakers paddle out there all the time & I was wondering how they protect their yaks.

Me and some buddies paddled out there once. It was calm in the morning but as the day wore on the wind and waves kicked up big time!!! Our boats were getting slamed so we drug them up the stairs on the left side of the wall. Worked great until a game warden told us we were essentially trespassing and that we needed to get them off of there.

Our boats took a beating, it was a life or death paddle back (one guy had to get picked up by a power boat) but we all made it back.

Others may disagree, but I will never do that again. It is just too dangerous out there to be in a small boat like a kayak. Have you launched from a straight drop off into 3' waves slaming a wall? One mis-step and it could be a complete disaster. You can't really climb back on the wall once in the water and a self rescue in that turbulent water would be REALLY tough if not impossible!! Only advice I can give...join a buddy out there in a big power boat!!

I've always just paddled to the little rock islands at either end and pulled my boat on and fished from the wall itself.

I figured this had to be the situation out there at the crappiewall. Years ago, I took my Skeeter out to the crappiewall a few times, but even with bumpers, your boat still gets beat up. I decided it wasn't worth it.
Roger

I've fished that lake from almost when it first opened, but Uncle Sam had a different idea and I didn't get on the lake until the early 70's but anyway, I have only fished that wall less than five times since then and believe me, it can get ugly if the wind picks up or there is a lot of boat traffic.

For me it's not worth it, and you can catch fish on other parts of the lake and not have to deal with the hassle.

As for kayaking, listen to what urban fisher had to say, and take heed. And fishing there out of a kayak is just too risky should it get rough.

I crappie fish against hard structure all the time. When I am in a situation where I can't hold station just peddling ( which is very rare) I use a split pool noodle threaded onto my anchor trolley. This makes a horizontal bumper that cost $1 and works great. the contact with the concrete is still irritating, but at least very quite and non-destructive.

tight lines, Phill

Here is why you don't want to fish the crappie wall at Calaveras in the wind, and pool noodles won't do you much good! LOL!

Conditions are a little extreme in the video but you get the idea!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baacpD7uGss

OK, Maybe they'll make 4foot thick noodles someday ! That is a real beating. But the reds sure look good !

WOW! The "Cali Surf" was really rockin that day. If you watch the video when the first fish hits (the one he misses that mangles the big bluegill) you can see a rocky outcropping in the background. That is where I access the crappie wall in my yak. Just pull it on shore there and fish from the wall. I've never caught any flack from the GW for doing so. But just like any boating situation you wanna check weather reports, wind advisories etc. If conditions are outside of your abilities don't go. Honestly, if I were to be caught in any boat in water like that I would almost rather be in my yak than a motor boat. If your 18 ft center console capsizes you have no chance of getting it flipped back upright and hoppin' back on! You DEFINITELY don't wanna get too close to that wall in any weather though.

PS - They really need to rename the "crappie" wall in a lake that no longer has any crappie.

Wouldn't it be great, and this is just dreaming, but how hard would it be for a five foot wide walkway to be built right on top of that wall running the full length with railings and have old tires lining the outside wall so the boats wouldn't get beat so bad.

Shouldn't be too difficult to find ways for funding for a project like that, and maybe even ask for donations at the gate.

Then when they have the official ribbon cutting dedication ceremony they can officially proclaim the wall...."REDFISH WALL!"

Jimbo..I'm afraid that it will never happen. CPS still considers everyone "trespassing" on the wall. Remember a couple of years ago, a young lady from CPS ran everyone off the wall for trespassing. I think you will find that CPS is just "tolerating"
us.
Roger

I was wondering why you don't launch from the other side of the Crappie wall, but after looking at google maps, I see why. I guess the other side of the crappie wall is a water access for the power plant.

The situation does look pretty bad, but why can't you wait for the north wind so you'll be a little more protected. I know, here in Texas, north wind is rare.

I heard of Texas having lakes with red fish in them, but didn't know where. Does the Texas regulation on red fish apply to the fresh water species as well?

Lake Fairfield has them, but there was a large fish kill there last year or 2. I do not know how well they rebounded. I do not know about the regulations. I would think they are the same, but that usually won't fly with the GW. Best to know before you go. IMO.