The Official Simply Fishing Tournament Report updated w/raffle results pg 5

First I must say thanks to all the sponsors and donors

Please do let them know how you feel about their support of our community.

http://bendingbranches.com

http://www.wheeleez.com

http://www.liquidimageco.com/collections/ego/products/model-727-the-ego-1

http://www.americanlegacyfishing.com/g-loomis-gl2-jig-and-worm-casting-rod-gl2-633c-jwr.html

www.PacificSportsman.com

http://www.b2squid.com

http://ahiusa.com

www.swimbait.com

http://www.egofishinggear.com/fishing-tools/

http://www.flambeauoutdoors.com/en

Please post up your photos and share your tournament experiences in this thread.

Thanks to all who supported and attended. Please check back in the coming hours and days for tournament results.

ruben

I can't wait to hear about this one!  I wants to go bad and represent with my SCSS homies, but itwasnt in the cards for me.  I'm sure it was a great time!  Let us have it fellas....

Ray was on the ocean for the first time in a kayak. Ray had never caught a lingcod before either. He wanted to know if it's like that all the time.  He wont stop calling now. Just kidding Ray! It was so fun today out there. Ruben thanks so much for bringing us all together for a day of paddling and just plain fishing. Highlights of the day were

 Scott/ Great Bass 2 winning while paddling his Hobie AI. That is a paddling machine and Scott is just the best!

 Raynman paddling and staying with this crazy guy who wanted to go 2 miles west. Then to watch Ray have numerous firsts on the kayak. Ray is hooked on the big blue. Bet on it.

  Fishing with Baitman. Finally. Plus he schooled me in my own backyard. Dirty bastard.

  Whenever I'm around Raydon.................. period. That infectious little sucker will keep you smiling. His energy is boundless.


The ocean today was one of the best days I have ever seen in my life. The water was glass. The swell was smooth and bosomy( is that a word?) Thank you Mama Earth! It was the first time in almost 40 years of going to the Sonoma coast that I launched at Timber Cove. What a little jewel. I retract every criticism I've ever made about the place. It's small, tread lightly.

One more thing Ruben............................. Can we do it again tomorrow?

 

Actually Ray won a paddle too. Just like this one. Same color and all. hahah

Thanks to Craig I had a wonderful time. Its the first time I have had a valet on the water. He had to retie my knots, Let me follow him around, watch me lose my lip gripper and all three of my lures then let me go back in his truck and lose one of his. I should have just given him the paddle from the raffle...well maybe not but a tip would have been in order.
All of you NCKA brothers are the BEST! I was intimidated about today and all of you made it so much fun. I learned so much today and look forward to getting back on the coast to put my lesson to work very soon...... Yeah VERY SOON.
Ruben , what a wonderful job.  I am sure everyone is very grateful for all you did, I sure am.
Man what a spectacular special day!

it was a great day otw the fish were going crazy lots of fun thank you again Ruben for putting on this event you can count on me for the next one for sure one of the funnest days fishing this year this is a great event

Congrats Scott! As well as all who got out and enjoyed such a beautiful day on the Sonoma Coast.

Today was beautiful. Beautiful is good.

WTG Scott!!!!

Epic day, so many big fish landed. Thanks Ruben and all the sponsors for their support. Really fun fishing tourney. Full report tomorrow.

Awesomeness  everywhere up there.      Here's a few more pics.     

 Ruben Rocks.

Congrats Scott.
Looked like perfect wx.

Congratulations Scott!!! and all other prize winners.
Right on Ruben! You did an excellent job on this tourney and glad the weather held up.
Thank you sponsors.

I was thinking about you guys all day.  Glad you had a flat ocean and a great time.   

Thanks Ruben and all of the sponsors especially Brenda for her gracious hospitality. I have only fished for rockfish a couple times this year spending most of my time targeting salmon. When Ruben posted the Simply Fishing Tournament I thought that it was such a cool idea and would be a lot of fun. I always wondered what it would be like to compete without our secret lures, scents/bait or secret places or electronics. I fish the central coast with some old school guys who don’t use sonar and they always out fish me. Karen wasn’t busy so we decided to make it a family trip and booked a room at the Timber Cove Inn. Ruben had arranged a nice discount for a hotel which would have been out of my price range.

We loaded up the Forrester and headed up to Doran for some crabbing on Friday. Ran into Kiel and Dennis who were pulling after an overnight soak. I dropped 4 Promar 102’s from 29-34 FOW on the outside of the high density crab pot zone. Kiel called me in and gifted me 5 dungies. Thanks buddy !!! I pulled my first set after a 2 hour soak and only caught one legal dungie. Re-baited and moved my pots into 18-20 FOW for a second 2 hour soak. Came in and hung out with Dennis and steamed 3 crabs for lunch. By noon it was blowing 10-15 kt and it was hilarious eating our crab salad huddled behind a makeshift wind barricade. Pulled my second set for nada. A disappointing day of crabbing but a great time anyway. Dennis gave me some steamers and we headed north. Thanks Spike and good to see you!!! Stopped at the Spud Point Crab Company and picked up some chowder to go and headed up to Timber Cove. Checked in at the Timber Cove Inn and had a light dinner. The food was excellent as was the accommodations and watched the sunset on the ocean from our room. There was a nice outdoor fireplace and we hung out there with Molly and talked to a local diver. I have only fished Timber Cove 3 times and he gave me some tips.

Got up at 5 AM and rigged my kayak. I brought the Adventure because of the high wind forecast at Doran on Friday and it paddles pretty well. Probably the best paddling Hobie. I thought a lot about what rod and reel to bring since you could only bring one. I considered bringing a line counter reel but decided to go with my Avet SX 2 speed and Calstar GFX ML rig. This is my go to yellowtail rig and can manhandle even an Alaska size ling. Rolled my yak down from the Inn to the launch. Checked in and got my 3 lures and launched at 6:45. Spectacular conditions, warm, little swell and wind. So much nicer than Doran the day before. I had the most confidence and experience with the Big Hammer swim bait so fished it first. Started out right in front of the Inn and hooked a 25” ling which I kept. I usually don’t keep lings because Karen doesn’t like them but the 24-28” lings are better eating and I was making cioppino on Sunday. Thought about re-tying my leader but dropped my Big Hammer down and got hit on the bottom. This fish put up a good fight and got it to the surface. Looked to be a 30-32” ling but when I leaned over to boga grip him he made a run to the bottom and a violent head shake broke my 30# Flouroclear leader. Lesson learned, cut and re-tie after every fish and snag in a 3 lure tournament. Fished the Ahi Jig in the same area hoping to catch the ling with my Big Hammer but no luck. I have used the Ahi Jig yo-yo fishing for yellowtail but not for rock fishing because the treble hook gets snagged easily and is too strong to break it off a snag. I switched to the B2 mini squid but had never fished one before so called out on the VHF for any tips. Didn’t think I would get any tips in the middle of a tournament but Craig told me to slow troll it just off the bottom. Thanks Craig, you are a class act. I slow trolled just outside the inner kelp line and caught a blue, gopher, china and copper. Blue rockfish are Karen’s favorite so I was pretty stoked. Got snagged and lost the mini squid and I was down to the Ahi Jig. Figured it wouldn’t last long on the shallow water kelp so headed out to deeper water. Found a twin pinnacle with small kelp patties about 200 yards offshore near Stillwater Cove. I tied a new leader and sharpened the hooks and dropped the jig down on my hail Mary attempt at a big ling. On the drop I felt a bump and immediately stopped the drop and jigged it upward and wham, massive takedown and zzzzzzzzz…FISH ON!!! Horsed him up to the surface and whoa, it’s a big one and then he made a run back down. Let him run a little then slammed the drag into full before he could rock me on the bottom. Put the reel into low gear and winched him back up. Used a net to land him and clipped him gently through the lip. I wanted to release him so kept him in the water and slowly paddled in. Had to pull him on board a couple of times when the seals started chasing me but made it to shore and he was in good shape. Unfortunately, it was quite a while before the weigh in and he got beat up in the surf. I tried to resuscitate him and he was alive but didn’t look like he was going to make it so I gave him to Naoki. Magnificent fish a little over 14 pounds and my personal best ling cod from a kayak. Considering the quality of anglers that competed including Sonoma’s finest it was a really sweet win. Even without the win it was really fun. The most fun I have had at a tournament. Cooked the chili dogs and headed home. Karen, Molly and I had a great time. Life is good.

Scott

Awesome job Ruben!!!  and thanks for the sponsors for their supports!!! Congrats Scott!



Kiel