If you're not familiar with AOTY, it's an activity that can and very likely will propel your game to higher levels faster than almost anything else you can do in the sport. Proceeds go to great causes. The competition helps members to make new friends and have lots of fun, and it's gotta be one of the best ways to expand your fishing experience in terms of species and locations as well as techniques.
Guided trip is another great way...
It's $40 to join AOTY. I'm running a special - NCKA/AOTY Special - book a May or June trip with me at Shelter Cove or Trinidad, and take $40 off of the price, per person, but you have to join AOTY or be signed up currently.
One guy with all of his own gear, all day = $280 at the Cove - $240 on this Special.
Two guys with all of their own gear, all day = $400 - $320 on this Special.
Totally outfitted, one guy = $350 - $310 on this Special.
Two totally outfitted = $600 - $520 on this Special.
Knock another $20/person off for Trinidad.
Outfitted or with your own gear, I always provide tackle and bait. Guaranteed catch at Shelter Cove*, and many of the largest AOTY entries over the years for rockfish, lingcod, greenling, cabezon, salmon and halibut have come from the Cove. I didn't even turn in a 16" RTP last year that would've easily been biggest of the comp for the year.
My Cove best:
Salmon - 41"/38 pounds Pac halibut - 41-42"/30-35 pounds Cal halibut - 36"/17 pounds Greenling - 18.5" Rockfish to 23-24" Lingcod to high 30's inches Perch - plenty of 15-16 inchers Thresher - to 100 pounds
My clients' Cove best:
Salmon - 40"/30 pounds Pac hali - not yet, maybe you! Cal hali - plenty over 30" Greenling - not 18.5"! Rockfish - 23" Lingcod - several to 15 pounds last year Perch - who's keeping track?... Thresher - 3 clients have hit the meat-bonanza with me
Salmon doesn't open until June 29, and I'm booked that day and June 30, so this Special effectively covers non-salmon season at the Cove - now until June 28th. I have quite a few open dates. Let's do it.
Even if you don't want a guided trip, sign up for AOTY - do it.
*If you get seasick, I'll set you up on the beach and go back out to build a stringer for you. You WILL take home fish - often a cooler full.
Sailfish:
This year I donated the $40 entry fee to support this site.
rockfish:
This is sad, but this year I feel like
"what is fishing?"
ThreemoneyJ:
Very cool Eric :smt001
Doing AOTY has really opened up the sport for me and allowed me to learn the habits of different species and travel to different parts of the state to chase those species. It has been a lot of fun and a lot of learning along the way. I highly encourage people to try it out. On top of that Eric is a great guide and all around person as well. I learned a ton about salmon fishing on a trip with him.
Corey:
"If you're not familiar with AOTY, it's an activity that can and very likely will propel your game to higher levels faster than almost anything else you can do in the sport. Proceeds go to great causes. The competition helps members to make new friends and have lots of fun, and it's gotta be one of the best ways to expand your fishing experience in terms of species and locations as well as techniques."
100% true. I've had a ton of fun with it and just recently started fishing with some of the other 'competitors' that i've met because of it. We're already helping put each other on fish and locations - well beyond what you'll get in the members report section.
The site is also a great archive for me to track my own fishing days and dates, locations, personal bests, etc.