The list of exhibitors is coming along nicely, so I wanted to update you all with that info.  We'll continue to round up more, but also are shifting gears into finalizing the seminar lineup.  If you're new to kayak fishing, or just want to brush up on some skills, don't miss the seminars! Stay tuned for more information.

Date: April 26, 2014.  10AM-5PM.  This is the Saturday of the weekend of the Berryessa Salmon Slam.
Location:  Sites 13-22 at Lupine Shore / Steele Canyon.  Same location as the Berryessa Salmon Slam.
Price: FREE!

Expect to see product and demos from the following manufacturers and retailers.  Those in bold are direct supporters of this event.  More to come, as this list is getting updated daily.



           

DATE CHANGE - Saturday 6/28/14
Please note the date has been changed from Sunday, June 29th to Saturday the 28th. There are a few good reasons for this... The campground checkout is noon for cabins and 1pm for camp sites. This means that you will most likely have to pack up your site the morning of and find a new place to park or possibly risk getting hit with another days fee. Now if you have your wife and kids, like I will, I can see this becoming a possible stressful and no fun situation. That is not what this event is about. This event is about having fun and relaxing, no stress.

It's still very early but I do know that this decision might affect a few of you. For that, I am truly sorry and I will do what ever I can to help you out. But for the majority I think this is the right choice and I hope to see you in the conga line around the pool on Saturday night. 

Please PM if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks and I hope you will support this decision.

Host: Mike Lavoie/Wingshooter, Jim Meier/Rockfish and James Pratt/Rider

When: CHANGED from  Sunday to Saturday, June 28th 2014

Where: Clear Lake, Edgewater Resort - www.edgewaterresort.net.  Please visit the campiing thread for more information.

Who: We have a adult class with some really great angler prizes. We also have a special FREE youth class.

Registration: $25 For early registered - June 2nd, 2014, $30 for day of the event registration.

Please remember that all proceeds will go to HOW (Hero's on the Water) NorCal. Thanks for your support!

- Mike, James and Jim

Campsites 23-28 are strictly for RV
Campsites 29-48 are RV or Tent
Campsites 49-60 are Tent Only
Campsites 61-77 RV or Tent
Campsites 78-84 are Tent Only

It's time!  Tomorrow is exactly 3 months / 90 days before registration closes, so don't forget to get your registration and gear order in the mail.  I've attached the rules and schedule, application and qualification sheet, and registration and gear order form to this post.  Please review the information and feel free to ask questions here or send me a PM.  Watch out though, if you don't follow the thread you may miss something.     Hint:  keep track of what page you were up to date with...  I'll change the headline, keep an updated roster on the current page, and try to keep adding relevant content as well as prize, season, campground, inn, weather, road and other information.

Changes this year:

- Going back to the old photo catch and release protocol - video was too demanding and hard to deal with at check-in.
- Only devoting prizes and trophies to the top places in the tourney, and the rest of the prize pool will be part of a silent, cash auction to raise money for PIF and HOW on the spot.
- Making the Third Annual Gimme Shelter Gyotaku Extravaganza shirts pre-order, and making it possible for pre-order of a discounted shirt that you sponsor to be available for a kid at the event.
- All gear has gone up $2
- Assembling a group Hike and Dive for Monday's mid morning minus tide along the Lost Coast - The First Annual Gimme Shelter Hike and Dive.
- Printing t-shirts for the Hike and Dive that are available pre-order.
- Launch operator has changed and there is some level of turmoil due to it and the politics around it.  More on that later...
- I will consider capping the number of participants around 250.

Stuff that hasn't changed much:

- GS is all about NCKA - you can't go unless you're a member, and you can't sign up unless you've been before or you're 'sponsored' by someone who has.  (wives and other close family not required to be members in order to register)
- Friday evening safety meeting and check-in at the launch from 5 to 6PM.  Group photo, gear to be handed out, always a great place to see old friends and connect with new ones.
- Excellent pre-fishing dates with the opener on Thursday this year.
- The Tides Inn and others in town are likely already getting full for the weekend - get on it!
- Campground should be the same as other years - we'll get that confirmed and post it here.  What ends up happening is they tell people to just show up - you can either rent your own spot for what seems like an arm and a leg for a little patch of grass, picnic table and fire ring, or you can pay $20/night/person and stay in the large group area they provide.  If you have questions about the campground scene some reading of old GS posts may help you immensely (that's not a curse, I promise!    - there are LOTS of pages to go through...)
GS4 - http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=22208.0
GS5 - http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=28025.0
GS6 - http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=35334.0
GS7 - http://www.norcalkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=43460.0
- Pacific Halibut season should be open, but possible big changes are coming for 2015...
- Fingers crossed that salmon season will be open and that it'll be another strong projection for the year.
- Abalone season in full swing with fantastic minus tides this year!
- Trophies for the tournament to follow with tradition:  ten inch abs, funky little ceramics, big redwood Trophy Troughs made for the fish of your dreams.
- Gear art following with traditional black t and utilizing orange this year.  Blue hoodies with orange ink will pop.
- Pro Staff opportunities available...     Help at check-in = free Pro Staff Hoodie AND free registration, but it requires stopping fishing in time to devote at least 2.5 full hours on the troughs.  Thank you, Volunteers!  The Pro Staff is full (unless you bring something pretty damn sweet!   )

There's so much to say about GS, and I could probably drain several brews and finish this thread around 3AM, crying, smiling and leaving my heart on the keyboard, but I'll save some of that for the coming months of anticipation.  I'll say this for now:  Gimme Shelter is for my wife and kids and myself a time in our lives that we look forward to each year and all year, and we put more into it than any vacation or fun event we've ever been part of or even known about.  The energy of the group combined with the magic of Shelter Cove has the potential to easily soothe your soul into a possibly precarious position:  that of being so satisfied and pleased and full of brotherhood that you may proclaim

Kayak Fishing Magazine honors Joel's Life and Legacy.

http://www.kayakfishingmagazine.net/articles/102-current-issue-featured-articles-on-kayak-fishing/1831-mooch-lives.html



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