Kayak Angler of the Year

We can do it polepole style, sit in the yak on shore then paddle out through the surf to land it  

Well if are going to do this then lets have an official vote and a ceremony/dinner.  I imagine a dinner and trophies or something of the sort.  If we really want to do it up special, it would be cool to do it at the Bodega Marine Lab at night.  We have in house catering.  I could check on what it would cost.  This could be an annual end of the fishing season bash.  Just my two cents.  But I think it is a toss up between Sean, Bill and Joel, with a landslide victory for Jelly in the Jr. category.  Which brings me to the next point.  What about female angler of the year?

Jim

Hey Jim I already want to do an end of the year deal for the big fish pool winners. I think it would to be sometime in January actually since my kid is scheduled for delivery around Dec. 21st.

In house catering, cool location I say you have the facilities handled!  

Uh oh!  Jelly is soon to have some competition from "Little Bill" in the junior class.   Congrats Bill on the upcoming addition to your family!!!

-Allen

Crabbing during the day, ceremony/dinner in the evening.  Sounds like fun!

Well if are going to do this then lets have an official vote and a ceremony/dinner.  I imagine a dinner and trophies or something of the sort.  If we really want to do it up special, it would be cool to do it at the Bodega Marine Lab at night.  We have in house catering.  I could check on what it would cost.  This could be an annual end of the fishing season bash.  Just my two cents.  But I think it is a toss up between Sean, Bill and Joel, with a landslide victory for Jelly in the Jr. category.  Which brings me to the next point.  What about female angler of the year?

Jim

Sounds good to me !!

Kiel

Malibu Pro2 Tandem
   " Wasabi "

As a Newb, What I have to say doesn't have much wt, but a Ceremony would be great! Where, When, and how many days will be great fodder for winter down time. Camping trip? I would hate to have to end the eve. ceremony by driving home. Having a couple days to really get together and know everyone would be Fantastic. Just my two cents!

As a Newb, What I have to say doesn't have much wt, !

...are you kidding me?  for "yakler of the year" your say probably has the MOST weight-- as most of these guys already know each other.  If you have a vote and anecdote for one of the nominees, that's really saying something for that nominee

Steelhead drift down the Russian then a nice Dinner with all of you sounds like a perfect day. We could have Mooch climb in one of the tanks and give us Newbies demonstrations on paddling techniques, self rescue and jigging with iron.

Hey Bill - Congratulations!

My B-day is on December 21st!

Congrats Bill!  Jelly will be sweating it now!

I appreciate all of the nice things everyone has said.  Personally for me, this has been a great year and an awfully fun year.  Met lots of great people (I am with you skyboy, do people get any mellower and cooler than Lonny?), fished alot of great venues from Humboldt with Abking all the way to Baja. Caught a lot of cool fish, saw friends catch some incredible fish. More than anything, I have gotten out on the water a TON this year, 74 days and counting, which has been beyond therapeutic.  Lots of stress went away and I lost 25 pounds in the process.  Caught everything on my hit-list but a Hali and YT.  Caught dodo, pargo, tuna, jack crevalle, skipjack, salmon, nice lings, great limits of rockies, stripers, abs and on and on.  I am a happy man, and I couldn't do it with out Leah having my back.  She rocks!!!

As to a formal AOY program, I really like what they did at BWE, a norcal version would be really cool.  Maybe for 2006?

Ceremony at Buck's Landing following a Sturgeon Bowl? I'd love to get away on a multi day trip but they're next to impossible for me  

Ceremony at Buck's Landing following a Sturgeon Bowl? I'd love to get away on a multi day trip but they're next to impossible for me  

Now there's an idea!!!  A nice location that is central to most of us.  And a challenging quarry that will test the best of us.

-Allen

Bill,

Congrats on the upcoming baby, but maybe we could hold out on any AOY ceremony until late Jan or early Feb as my wife is due on Jan 7th.  There'd be some serious WAF loss if I was out partying with fishing buddies the same week my wife is due.

I wonder how many anglers have Winter babies given that our decent (and legal) fishing season here is in the Summer and Fall?

Brian

Congrats Bill and Brian...

Our baby was also a winter baby... born in late January last year... right in the middle of sturgeon season.  In fact that "sturgeon bowl" trip to Buck's landing was I believe one of, if not the, last fishing trip I took before the bambino was born.  

There is definitely a pregnancey surcharge associated with WAF, which goes higher and higher as the due date approaches.  

I'm game for sturgeon bowl again...  late November is fun because there are still lots of stripers and rays around to keep you busy... but you have to buy lots of bait.  December - March is better for targeting sturgeon because alot of the bait stealers go away with the increased flow from the rivers / rainwater.  

My only legal sturgeon actually came in late November last year.