Noyo Harbor Kayak Fishing Tournament (Pacific Coast Outdoors)

Crash, I'm not arguing against tournaments in general. I'm as competitive as the next guy, and I kill and eat plenty of fish. (I do have a personal slot-limit on Lings though, just released a 15-pounder, and often also return the biggest rockfish.) What I am arguing is that we should be thinking about ways to do this that recognize the increasing pressure on the fishery and the effects that pressure is already having. We don't have to keep doing things they way they were done in 1900.

The nearshore ecosystem here is unbelievably productive. Nevertheless we can't pretend that we don't have any effect on fish populations, and we need to be thinking about how to change the mind-set so future generations can still catch big Lings. We have already seen a decline in the population and size of Lingcod. Is it worth any effort to try to reverse that trend?

Surely we can come up with a tournament format that will foster the same kind of friendly competition and camaraderie, without encouraging destructive practices like taking the largest fish out of the ecosystem. Why is it obnoxious to suggest that NCKA could lead the way in developing better practices?

yah, seems sketch, though maybe someone just trying to make some good happen.

I'm missing something. What "good" happens when people are offered significant amounts of cash to catch and keep the largest fish?

I thought we went fishing because we enjoyed the whole experience. Who needs a financial incentive to get out on the water and drop a line?

That's fine if tournaments aren't your jam, but a lot of us do enjoy the tournament atmosphere.  I'd say that the good that comes out of ocean fishing tournaments are lifelong friendships and a place/reason/excuse to gather around good food, good friends and great times.

Of course there are multiple formats for fishing tournaments, but kill tournaments are still very popular and there is no shame in holding or participating in them.  They aren't illegal, hell they aren't even regulated and don't require a permit in salt water.

This idea that NCKA is some sort of beacon of catch and release ethical fishing is pretty obnoxious.  It's the ocean.  We catch fish, keep fish, and eat fish.  We like to hang out with our friends who do the same thing.  We follow all the rules and regulations and call out people who don't.  But we don't impose on others some sanctimonious crap about the resource and try to guilt trip folks into some unwritten set of approved conduct.  If you don't like the tournament format, don't go.  Or do.  I don't care.  There have been many dozens of tournaments announced here over the years and attended by many of the folks on this site.  Some of them are kill tournaments.  Some of them are spear fishing tournaments.  We kill fish, we eat fish, and we hang out and talk about killing and eating fish over a campfire and a cold beer.  It's a lot of fun.

If you think tournaments are chaotic at Albion, just imagine how chaotic it will be on the dead end Harbor Drive at weigh in time (2 pm) with all the other weekend traffic from vacationers and fire & heat refugees.

No kidding. Traffic down there has been crazy and parking is a nightmare on weekends. It's great to see the harbor thriving again though.

Always love a reason to fish a new area but agree that the lack of info is a big concern. Why would they not promote the Tourny anywhere but just a single post on IG. Even the "sponsor" haven't promoted it.  Just seems odd.

Always love a reason to fish a new area but agree that the lack of info is a big concern. Why would they not promote the Tourny anywhere but just a single post on IG. Even the "sponsor" haven't promoted it.  Just seems odd.

I've worked motorcycle-related events where the sponsor would donate a prize and permit use of their logo, but wouldn't agree to actually spend time or money marketing the event.  They'd put a stack of the event flyers on their retail counter and that's about it.  I was weary about this one at first, too, but after some research, it seems the host runs his embroidery business out of his garage and is hosting a tournament with more of a grassroots feel than a big marketing campaign.  In other words, small time effort for small time tourney.  The other sponsors are mostly small local businesses, so you can imagine the host just tapping into his local network of folks to get sponsorships -- informal as they may be.

Reached out on their IG post and got a quick reply...

Thanks for the update, It's kind of a good thing they didn't do much promoting considering the logistics of Noyo Harbor. I don't think that location is capable of hosting a tournament as large scale as the Albion Open. This could be a fun event to participate in, at least, to make a fun trip a little more interesting. I'd have a hard time focusing on just lings, cabezon and rockfish when the salmon bite is wide open.

How would one target a cab? Those little bottom feeding sculpin dont seem to take my jig/fly setup as I havent caught one in like 3 years. Seems like a snaggy mission to try to target one or just get lucky I guess.

Small swim bait jighead?

How would one target a cab? Those little bottom feeding sculpin dont seem to take my jig/fly setup as I havent caught one in like 3 years. Seems like a snaggy mission to try to target one or just get lucky I guess.

Small swim bait jighead?

Wish I knew a more sure-fire way to target Cabs too, they're one of my favorites.  I feel like I've caught most of mine in rocky areas <50', on a small white split-tail scampi tipped with squid.  Have had much better luck in the rocky shallows with a speargun...there seem to be a lot of them in <20' .

For cabs, 20' - 50' sometimes even shallower, I've had good luck using big grubs with pig tails or just big hammer swimbaits, bouncing off of rocks. tipping the hook with chovies or squid helps too

... I havent caught one in like 3 years.

Ditto that.

How would one target a cab? Those little bottom feeding sculpin dont seem to take my jig/fly setup as I havent caught one in like 3 years. Seems like a snaggy mission to try to target one or just get lucky I guess.

Small swim bait jighead?

Squid or octopus, or imitators, iron jigs, big hammers, etc. all work.  It's your presentation.  Cabbies hang out on rocktops and ledges, quietly blending in them ambushing prey that is right in front of their noses.  you've got to cover ground and work the tops of rocks and ledges or you aren't going to catch many.

How would one target a cab? Those little bottom feeding sculpin dont seem to take my jig/fly setup as I havent caught one in like 3 years. Seems like a snaggy mission to try to target one or just get lucky I guess.

Small swim bait jighead?

Squid or octopus, or imitators, iron jigs, big hammers, etc. all work.  It's your presentation.  Cabbies hang out on rocktops and ledges, quietly blending in them ambushing prey that is right in front of their noses.  you've got to cover ground and work the tops of rocks and ledges or you aren't going to catch many.

This.  When I'm targeting lings, I'm trying to bounce in between the rocks to get them to see it from their crevices.  With cabbies, I basically stay on top of the rocks, dropping the swimbait or jig onto the tops of the rocks instead of in between.