Kayak Connection Derby Results

Eventually, the entry list made it to 30 people for today's derby.

It was great to see all the familiar faces some of whom are proven contenders.

I'm talking about Alex/Alien, Eugene EG2 Tsuji, and 2-time SC winner Dylan (LNU), who is finally old enough to drive, so his mom didn't have to bring him to the harbor this time....

The Dark horse contestants included Mike Baxter from "The Let's Go Fishing Radio Show," and newbie Chris Loomis who has a knack for catching SC halibut.  A couple of the local hotshot young guys from the harbor also entered today, making the game even more interesting.

At 7am, it was a brief talk by Mark Pastick from Kayak Connection, a few last minute gibes, bravados, and challenges, then the fleet took off for the mouth of the harbor and beyond.

Fishing has been slowing down, as Fall develops.  Today sadly it was slower than usual.

We didn't see many fish caught, and those in the bag at noon were mostly small rockfish.

With one exception: 

Our own Fuzzy Tom put his penchant for trolling and his long-range paddling ability to good use today.  Trailing  his generic type diving lure ("I buy the cheapest one I can" later ID'd as a walleye runner), Tom managed to scratch up a 24" ling cod that took the whole Derby, and won himself a brand-new Ocean Kayak Trident 13!  (boat in the pics below is and 11, just for show.  tom's 13 coming this week to KC)
 
A bit of a scare when the DFG fish measuring lady on the dock measured Tom's fish out at 23 3/4 (DOH!!!)  Tom, being ever judicious, asked her to check her scale.  Turns out her measuring stick wasn't firmly butted to the nose of the trough, and Tom got the 1/4 inch needed for the fish to retain legality.  (Acutally a little more, I looked at it.)

I weighed it, too.  Came out to 4.8# and that was that. 

Nathan Tsuji weighed in a small yellow at under one pound to qualify for the Youth Division Prize.  Tsuji Dynasty developing, here.

Later we shot the breeze and ate delicious dogs from the circus cart.

Thanks again to Mark and The Kayak Connection for hosting the Derby, and Ocean Kayaks for once again providing the BIG PRIZE!!!

Oh yeah, the Dark Horses got skunked.  Chris actually caught a halibut, undersized.  Baxter got a ling, undersized.  Fishing was tough, but fun was had.  Fuzzy Tom wears the Crown till next year.  All Hail Fuzzy Tom!!

Allen

Congrats Fuzzy Tom!

Nice fish and a good looking new kayak too.

Al

Congrats fuzzy tom!
Now you have another project for the winter, rigging the new boat.

But scallen, where's the love? Does a guy have to paddle an ocean yak to get a nod?

I had a pretty productive day out there, came home with 3 blacks each over 2 lbs., 2 small olives and a nice fat red. 6 fish on a very slow day for most out there. No prize, but some great eating.

stoggie

WTG Tom, when ever its slow, you always manage to hook fish trolling those lures. Congrats, aka-KIMO

Hey Stoggie:

No slight intended man!!  I was just so burnt yesterday afternoon from 20-hr work on the day before, my goal was to just get SOMETHING up.

BTW, your biggest RF should have been 2d place, but you never weighed in...?? So that's why you were not on my leaderboard list.  I think Mark was looking for you apres hot dogs.  If you didn't collect 2d prize, get in touch with Mark at KC to collect!

I do not know what that prize is, he never told me.  (He is kind of a last-minute type of guy.)

So, not just a "nod" to Stoggie but rather the bowing "WE ARE NOT WORTHY" full dress accolades!

Stoggie got a pretty full stringer when most were totally skunked!!

Allen

  Thank you to Mark and Kayak Connection (always friendly people there), Allen (hard enough to stand around while everyone else is fishing, let alone after 20 hours (!) work the day before.   
    You know you're down to your last argument when you start questioning the F&G Checker's ruler! I'd measured that ling at 25" with a sewing tape while it was hanging from lip grippers. (Anyone know where I can get one of those fish measuring troughs I've seen in your posts?) About then I hear Allen on the radio reminding us to get back for the weigh-in, and I asked if I should throw that dink back, but I only got static, or maybe groans, in reply; so, recalling E2G's winning rockie, I swallowed my pride and bopped the ling.
     Even after I left the harbor mouth I couldn't decide whether to go east or west, but I felt a little puff of wind from the NW and went a little out from the Lighthouse, then way out, then almost back to the rocks, getting only a kelp greenling and some snags on the lure I was trolling.  So I headed up along the kelp past Mitchell's, then at the point that used to be the natural bridge, I had to head out to avoid the kelp(much more this year) and in the direction of a couple of PB's out in 60 fow.  Then I caught a fat blue or black, the winning ling and an even smaller one in a matter of 10 mins.  I would have liked to have stayed longer, but I didn't know how long it would take me to get back.  By the time I rounded the lighthouse, the wind was pushing me about 2mph, and chopping it up some, and most of the yaks were in.
      My GPS said I traveled 9.1 st. miles, but on the chart it's 3 to NB from the harbor.
   I was having a great time out there even before I caught anything, because it was such a pretty morning, nice sunrise, warmer than it has been, watching the surfers all the way up West Cliff, surf pounding into the caves, dolphins, and more.  And seeing some fishing friends I haven't seen for a while put a happy smile on my kiss.

[For what it's worth (maybe so you too can argue with the F&G rulers!) here's the rig details:
I bought a bunch of Fisherman's Series Walleye Runners (the long ones- 4 3/4" (?) -floating divers- for about 2 bucks apiece some time back, and when I get bored (quickly) drifting stuff I've been trolling them about 2 mph on a 3 way behind an 8-12 oz ball or a piece of rebar. I keep the weight within a foot of the lure, and bounce the bottom.  I mostly get big olives, so the rig must be lifting up,but I've gotten flatties and lings often enough.   It's perfect for yak-fishing, because besides being able to tour the area, if you keep the drag real loose, clicker on, and stop in your tracks when you hit a snag, back up on top of it or backward, you lose fewer rigs than when drifting, and you get to practice your turning skills.  I don't think that would work too well for 3 guys in a power boat!  I looked for the Cabela's deal a couple of weeks ago - in the Bargain Cave- but didn't see those, and bought some large minnow divers for the same price, but I haven't tested them much.  Both kinds have some balls inside that rattle and maybe those help attract the fish.]
    Thanks again to all involved!
   
 

Great report and congrats to Tom, Stoggie, all competitors, and the young acrobat - I think I figured out (E2G's name!)     Nice work, young Tsuji/"2G"!   

Tom, congrats on the win on the troll! very cool, 

congrats to nathan too and also to the stogg for a nice stringer.

John

Well deserved Tom! Congratulations!!!!

Glad to see Tom win, he works a lot harder than I do to find fish! 

Great report and congrats to Tom, Stoggie, all competitors, and the young acrobat - I think I figured out (E2G's name!)     Nice work, young Tsuji/"2G"!   

Exactly like the name is pronounced!

Fishing was slow and Nathan was kind of embarrassed with his puny fish but I reminded him his grandfather likes the small fish whole, so was OK with keeping it.  the good news is that he got his first ling, a serious underling but still a first.

Had A great time on the water with the boys!!... Stoogie,Alshobbie,MonsterGuppy, just to name A few. Fishing suckd for me but A hudge congrats to FuzzyTom.WTG..

Well I was one of the recipients of the skunk award  That was by far the worst day of fishing I've had this year. It was great to see some familiar faces and meet some new peeps. I hearty congrats to Tom!!! Way to scratch out a winner on such a lousy day of fishing. It was a fun day on the water regardless of how many fish were caught. Can't wait for next year.

-FF

Hi Yakers:

         I had a good time but, I missed out on the Dogs.
Good thing I have Kipper Snacks as a part of my Skunk kit.
        I didn't have much face time becasue I was at the opposite side
of the Harbor.
        BamIV shoud be the place to be for some quality face time.
                                                                           Sea-ya
                                                                           Ernie

Funny, the local tackle shop posts a daily report suggesting that PBs are getting limits, or at least half limits of quality rockfish in 60 fow regularly off of natural Bridges or the lighthouse. I can't scare up any when I get out there...and thirty kayak fishermen, some of them pretty accomplished, focused fishermen with a beautiful new boat on the line can't find the fish.

I think I smell a rat!

We'll see what next year holds

Tis I Paddling in on the red yak with Alien.  Good times man! see you and meet more of you @ BAM IV
Jeff E (Iroelikethat)javascript:void(0);