I could really use your kelp...I mean help.

Hey guys,  I was contacted by a media company that is looking to film the harvest of kelp or fishing in kelp in Oregon waters. They are looking to film their professor in action either from a kayak or small, non touristy boat. Here's an excerpt from that email.
"We are looking to film kelp fishing (either harvesting kelp, or people fished amongst kelp) with a Professor at the University of Oregan by boat or kayak on the Oregon coast during April.  We would love to see wild and uninhabited coastline if possible (which from the sound of it won’t be hard to find).  This is to explain the Kelp Highway Theory which suggests that the first people who came to America followed the coastline and the rivers to colonise the country."

It sounds like they want to film the professor on a kayak from a near by boat. This company is based out of London and it doesn't sound like anyone involved has much experience with the ocean.
I offered to help them if I could, so I thought I'd post their questions here to see if anyone has any advice.

I usually don't like to fish in the kelp.  It's snaggy and my mirage drive always gets tangled up!

The straight of Juan DE Fuca would be a lot easier to film in for inexperienced folks.

At Pacific city last year I tried in it an didn't catch much but a greenling.my t13 slid right over the top but it was hard to paddle.

My experience with kelp fishing is to sit right on top of the kelp near the edge with one kelp arm laid up and over my left foot as an anchor.  I would cast out in to the kelp free area and let my swim bait sink for 3-5 seconds. Then slowly retrieve with some "Walk the dog" technique thrown in.  Rockfish would usually hit somewhere within 10 feet of the kelp as my swim bait got closer to me. 

The other option better done on low wind/current days is to sit just out side the kelp bed about 25 yards.  Rig up a Gulp Alive 7" Jerk Shad weedless and with a 1/2 oz bullet weight in front of the bait.   I'd pitch this right at the kelp, in the kelp or over the kelp and let it drop.  Then retrieve like I was bass fishing.  With the bait rigged weedless, it just slides through, over and around the kelp without issue.  Just think bass fishing, and your set.

Occasionally an interested Ling will travel up to attack a moving lure, or a fighting Rockfish. 

I agree with Lee. The coastline near Victoria on the Juan de Fuca side, particularly near Race Rocks would be a spectacular area and it's loaded with kelp beds. Great fishing for both salmon and halibut. Trolling along he beds during King season is as exciting as it gets.

Jigging in kelp can be really productive for large lings and cabbies.  don't bother if the current is strong though.

My experience with kelp fishing is to sit right on top of the kelp near the edge with one kelp arm laid up and over my left foot as an anchor.  I would cast out in to the kelp free area and let my swim bait sink for 3-5 seconds. Then slowly retrieve with some "Walk the dog" technique thrown in.  Rockfish would usually hit somewhere within 10 feet of the kelp as my swim bait got closer to me. 

The other option better done on low wind/current days is to sit just out side the kelp bed about 25 yards.  Rig up a Gulp Alive 7" Jerk Shad weedless and with a 1/2 oz bullet weight in front of the bait.   I'd pitch this right at the kelp, in the kelp or over the kelp and let it drop.  Then retrieve like I was bass fishing.  With the bait rigged weedless, it just slides through, over and around the kelp without issue.  Just think bass fishing, and your set.

Those are great tips that I plan to try on my next trip...thanks for sharing that! I love the "bass fishing technique" and wonder why it has never occured to me.

I've had no problems fishing the kelp at Pacific City (but I haven't taken the mirage-drive out there yet), in fact depending on the day sometimes I go sit on it immediately. I've had good luck with rockfish suspending below the canopy of kelp forest. My largest black rockfish (21" and a little) was taken mid-column below the kelp canopy, and it was a double with an 18" on the same line. I don't snag much with light gear and when I do a little back-paddling and persistence and the kelp usually gives up the hook(s). A lighter rod and soft touch will tell you when you're bouncing off the trunk of a kelp rather than a bite, so don't set the hook on the kelp!

I've also had good luck in the middle of the kelp for small-to-medium sized cabezon, but my wife is the kelp master - all but her largest cabezon have come from the kelp beds.

But back to the subject: I don't know anything about harvesting kelp but my guess is you could probably help film them safely. I'd be wary of going out with anyone that didn't know what they were doing, and maybe the suggestions for doing it in more protected waters is a good one. I'm not 100% clear from your description on what they want to accomplish, either. Are they just gathering footage? Do they need underwater footage? etc. I would suggest that a zodiac following the subject (who would be in a kayak or whatever) would be a better choice in general for filming than a kayak, but a kayak should be doable.

Thanks for the fishing tips, fellas. I guess what they really want more than anything is a safe spot to find kelp. I see PC as a good place to start. Do you guys recommend any other spots that would have an abundance of kelp?

Thanks for the fishing tips, fellas. I guess what they really want more than anything is a safe spot to find kelp. I see PC as a good place to start. Do you guys recommend any other spots that would have an abundance of kelp?

Just my experience: There is a consistent kelp bed on the east side of the rock at PC, and another one on the north side that seems to vary in density over the season. I'm guessing they're about 30-40ft. off the bottom (no ff for me). On a calm day the east side one can be very quiet because the rock is taking the incoming swell. The north side one is usually moving due to the swell being pushed around the rock.

Depoe bay has a big one.

In the north sound, there's a 'very safe' option in Bowman Bay inside Deception Pass State park.  Kelp beds less than 500 yds from ramp and its very wind/current friendly.  For 'abundance', that depends.   If you hit it at low slack, there's certainly enough to fill camera field of view and foul up your M-drive.  View across NW Passage is nice on clear day with snow-capped Olympics in background (recent sample below from my crappy camera).   It's not my local; maybe others have actual shot of the surface kelp?

(Sadly, seems the area outside the bay is utterly devoid of Blackmouths dumb enough to take my bait.  The hunt continues!)

The straight of Juan DE Fuca would be a lot easier to film in for inexperienced folks.

Yes, my friends and I catch a lot of fish (rock, ling, cab, greenling and sometimes salmon) in or along kelp in the Straight very close to shore. Many times less than 200 yards from the shore. Sounds like they're down in Oregon.

The same film company contacted Kayak Academy, and they passed them along to me.

They want to film a kayak fishing derby on the PNW coast...IN APRIL. I told them the next ocean kayak derby will be late June or even later in the year, April is usually blown out. They also wanted a boat to film groups of 5 or more kayaks fishing together. Anyone want to donate days of free boat time, must be large enough for a entire film crew? I didn't think so. I'll take them serious when they start offering a budget, so far that's not apparent in the conversation.