Hey folks,

2018 AOTY has been launched and is now open for submissions.  Sin Coast has activated all accounts so far but had a few paid individuals who he was not able to tie to AOTY accounts.  If your handle is NOT on the leaderboard at http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list then please contact Sin Coast and he'll get you situated.


Happy fishin'!
-bmb

Hey folks,

Native Manta Ray 12XT just released - what a cool new boat at an excellent $899 price point!  Should be carried at several of our NorCal dealers.

Pedal Drives
Lightweight and Cartoppable:
Slayer LT 12 Propel - 12' long, very stable in flatwater, good hull speed.  Relatively light weight at around 70lbs without the seat and drive, eminently cartoppable.  It does sit fairly high out of the water though, meaning its not going to be the best boat for you in rougher conditions such as in the ocean.  I can stand and fish in this model easily.


Slayer 10 Propel - 10' long, 34" wide.  In my opinion, very stable.  It's a bit slower than the other models due to its wide bow entry, but the tradeoff being that its a small pocket rocket.  Stable all the way through the hull with the expanded tankwell.   But at approximately 60lbs carrying weight, you can't find a more capable boat in a super easy to carry size.


Manta Ray 12 Propel - 12'2" long, 33" wide in the middle.  Very good hull speed, probably one of the fastest prop driven kayaks on the market today.  Good stability, lower to the water.  It's a bit of a wet ride on the ocean but getting close to the waterline gives it stability in swell. I feel very comfortable in mine in any conditions.  Also right around 70lbs, so easily cartoppable.


A bit heavier, still cartoppable:
Slayer Propel 13 - 13' long, 89lbs. The original model of the modern propel series, the SP13 is still one of the most popular boats Native sells.  Its a great all-rounder, with good speed, very good stability.  It can handle any conditions that NorCal waters throw at ya.  Not the best turning kayak with its stock rudder, and can definitely use after market rudder modifications.  There's plenty of those out now.  In that sense, it's really not much different than needing a Hobie sailing rudder upgrade.


FX 13 Propel - 13' long, 79lbs.  Great Canoe/Kayak hybrid boat, very stable and very quick due to its hull design and bow entry.  You gain standing stability since your feet are below the waterline. Not an ocean/rough water boat since it is not self bailing, but if you want a great all rounder boat to fish in freshwater or do things like photography, you can't go wrong.


Bass Fishin' Line -
Titan 10.5 - The new pocket rocket at 37.5" wide with a nice strong bow entry and great stability, this boat will be the small water basser's dream. While it's still relatively heavy at 97lbs, it is powered by the Native Propel Drive and with new hull design that came with the Titan, it handles like a dream.  Can turn on a dime and get you almost anywhere you want to go.


Titan 12 - Just landed!  This boat was just released in February 2018. It's got a really nice, sharper bow entry, and a huge bow hatch for those who like to store a lot of equipment up front.  It will be the perfect in-betweener boat for those who don't want the huge weight of the Titan 13.5, but still want the stability, maneuverability and standability of the Titan series.  At 109lbs unladen, its a lot of boat, but actually a lot more reasonable and not much more weight than the 10.5 is.


Titan 13.5 - The beast. At 13.5' long and a bit over 150lbs, this boat is Native's top of the line bass boat, with tons of storage and stability options.  Its got good speed and good maneuverability.  Only problem? its heavier than snot.  Great for those who can trailer it or truckbed it, but its still a bit of a bear.  It had some early release issues but those are mostly hammered out.


The entire Titan Series has rod tip protectors attached to the hull, with rod butt stagers attached to the groove track.  This allows you to store fishing rods horizontally on the boats and protect those tips!  The Titan 13.5 has 4 rod protectors (2 on each side), while the Titan 12 and Titan 10.5 have two each. 

Starting in February 2018, the Titan series kayaks have a new seat pan, which allows you to adjust the seats to both a high and low position!

Non Pedal Drives
Slayer XC 12 - Comin' soon!  Should be out in March.  This is a shallow draft, wide and stable boat made for fishin' the rivers.  It has drag chain mounts, integrated rod tip protectors, a super clean deck.  This should be great for slower moving rivers like the American in summertime. 

Rendering Shown


Manta Ray Angler 12 XT - Just Dropped!  Should be available at some local dealers very soon!  This is a well designed, super affordable paddle craft at 12 1/2' long and 33" wide. This model has a newly designed high/low seating option.  It will be stable enough to fish standing up, and has a new electronics ready console. Strong hull shape with a sharp entry to cut through the water. 
Short teaser video up on Facebook at Native's page: https://www.facebook.com/nativewatercraft/



Manta Ray Angler 12 LT - Comin' Soon!  Was told it would be possibly ready in March but no promises.  Very similar to the MR Angler 12 XT, but with a thermoformed hull. This will be Native/Hurricane's first real kayak fishing designed thermoform.  Very simple design but easy to rig and will be easy to carry. I would guess it will come in a bit around 60lbs. 


Manta Ray Angler 12 - the original MR 12, this is a very affordable, bare bones model with a wheel in the keel for easy transport. Very efficient hull although a bit of a wet ride at times.  Will give you what you need, when you need it, but not much more.


Slayer Series (12, 12 Pro, 14.5 Pro) - very good all rounder models, and they are very well designed for saltwater fishing here.  A bit tough to find these models in local shops.


FX/Ultimate Series (FX 12,15 Tandem, Ultimate 12, Ultimate 14.5 Tandem) - All very good canoe/kayak hybrid boats, meaning they're great in skinny water, very stable and a little lighter weight when you consider all of their included options.


Versaboard - Have you ever heard of this? Probably not since they're tough to find.  But this is Native's SUP hybrid, and a very popular boat in the flats of Florida and the South.  Very stable, trim and good to fish from.  One of our guys catches huge redfish and speckled trout off his all year long. Really affordable and easy to transport with the wheel in the keel.


So what are things that people wonder about Natives?
Design - a lot of Native's newer models have the squared off stern.  Why is that?  Well it's really not any different than boat design, as a squared off stern provides extra stability and storage capacity without a significant trade off in speed.  That's because speed is primarily a factor of waterline length and hull efficiency.  Almost all kayaks get wider in the middle, but most get narrow towards the stern.  That does not actually help much with speed, but does result in less rear stability.  The trade off here of course is increased weight due to having more boat and more plastic.

Plastic - Native's models seem comparatively heavier than some other manufacturers.  Well, that's primarily due to their plastic quality and thickness.  They have very thick hulls, and the Titan series are foam infused to help stiffen up the hulls and prevent hull flex when standing. That results in a bit heavier boat but one that will last a lifetime.  You won't be able to throw a flashlight into the hull and turn one of their kayaks into a glowstick.

Rudders - why the integrated rudders?  Native has done extensive testing on its rudders and has found that hull design actually affects a kayak's ability to turn much more than the rudder in itself.  While flip-down rudders may be a little easier to deal with off the water, in itself they do not provide significantly better turning radius, and increase cost. 

Rudder Cables - You've probably heard a few horror stories of rudder cables snapping.  That's really no different than other wear items in other kayaks - if you are careful with your rudder cables (like I am), you won't likely have many issues.  Native is continuing to test rudder changes to improve its rudder cable reliability and will always stand behind its product through its extensive dealer network.

So, where can you get one?  As of today, Native models are carried at multiple stores throughout Northern California. In no particular order, they are:

Adventure Sports Kayak City - Sacramento
Headwaters Kayak - Lodi
California Canoe and Kayak - Sacramento (call before going to see what models are available)
California Canoe and Kayak - Oakland (call before going to see what models are available)
Clavey Paddlesports - Petaluma
Sierra Nevada Adventure Center (SNAC) - Sonora, Arnold and Murphys.  To receive first shipment April 1.  Call to see what models are available.
West Marine - Several West Marine stores carry the Native Slayer Propel 10 on display

In addition, Native's sister brand, Hurricane Kayaks, also has models at some* of the dealers listed above.  These kayaks are all super lightweight thermoformed models, with some more recent fishing advancements. However, most of them tend to be cherry, non angler models, which will allow you to modify them as you see fit.

If you have any questions about any Native models, please feel free to contact me via PM and I'll be happy to answer or direct you to someone who can.

Thanks all,
Ben
-bmb

Hey Everybody! 

I know the competition ran a bit under the radar last year, but we did have a pretty good Junior Angler of the Year competition going!  As some of you may recall, JAOTY is free for participants under the age of 18 years old, and kids are not restricted to fishing from a kayak, meaning that they can fish from shore, kayak, boat or even off the mighty whirlybird that seems so popular these days.  Generally speaking, AOTY Committee members approve all fish submitted by JAOTY anglers with the exception of undersized fish. 

Anyways, we had a very good competition, with 11 competitors submitting over 40 fish!  The final standings are below:

1st Place - Aiden S - With 770 points. Aiden had a total of 7 fish approved, including a pig 19.5", 156pt largemouth!
2nd Place - Jack F (jackjack) - With 691points, including a huge 197pt, 25.5" Brown Trout!  This was the largest brown caught all year by all AOTY competitors, including the adults! Nice job Jack!
3rd Place - Colton W (ColtonTheSinker) - 690 points, with a big fish of a 139.5pt, 15.5" Spotted Bass!
4th Place - Jake W (BassMasterJake) - 586 points, and maybe we should call him TroutMasterJake since he got a beautiful 18.25", 141 point rainbow trout from Lake Shasta!
5th Place - Emma M (A-Luring) - 454 points, with a big 11.75" crappie, probably from Rollins, the land of the 18" crappie!
6th Place - Lucas W (LucasDaFisher) - 344 points, with a nice assortment of Spotted Bass, Trout and Rockfish!
7th Place - Olivia Y (bmb jr) - 312 points, including a spotted bass and a crappie she caught on the same day with her dad!
8th Place - Jolie F ('Lil SuperVata) - 290 Points, with a Largemouth bass and a huge 14" crappie!
9th Place - Angelina P (minnie-mE) - 224 points, catching both a lingcod and a blue rockfish!
10th Place - Lauren K (Lil gill) - 116 points from 1 23.25" Halibut caught with her parents in Humboldt Bay!
11th Place - Lucas R (Baja Ninja) - 92 points from a 11.5" black rockfish!

Congrats to all the competitors, and great job to those who placed!  Places 1-3 for the Juniors will end up with some sort of prize, yet to be determined.  Don't forget to participate in 2018! Same great rules, same bat channel!

Hello Everybody,

We've been able to get an AOTY Subforum setup on NCKA.  So this will now be your primary place to get any and all information about AOTY.  You may also wish to communicate with the AOTY community through this forum, such as giving specific tips that may help your fellow competitors, if you choose to do so.

Here's what you need to know-
Q: What is AOTY?
A: NCKA Angler of the Year ("AOTY") is a year-long fishing competition that covers 21 different fish species.  Each species is given a point value per inch of the fish's length.  Your top 10 fish count towards your final score, where you are ranked against other AOTY Competitors.  The fee is currently $40 per year to participate.

Q: Where do the funds from AOTY go?
A: AOTY Funds are used in two ways: 
1. To pay for awards for its competitors and any ancillary fees that go with running the competition. 
2. The rest of the proceeds go into the Pay it Forward (PIF) Fund, a NCKA community fund, which has raised and donated over $100,000 since 2010 to NCKA members battling Cancer, serious illness or other tragedy. It is run by the A-Hulls, a group of NCKA members who decide (with input from the NCKA community) who the PIF recipient(s) will be.

Q: How do I get signed up?
A: First, you need to go to the AOTY website, http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com and set up an account.  In the top right corner, click the "Sign up" button.  After that, you can set up an account with your username and password for AOTY, which does not necessarily have to be the same as your NCKA username.  Afterwards, you need to pay for your annual fee.  Link for the AOTY/DOTY Entry is on the left side panel on NCKA under the "XXXX AOTY/DOTY Entry".  If you pay your dues, you are eligible to participate in BOTH AOTY and DOTY, although both competitions are run by separate committees.

Q: How do I submit a fish?
A: Once logged into the AOTY site, go under the dropdown for "My Fish".  At that point, click on "Add Fish".  Select the fish from the dropdown, enter its exact length, the date it was caught.  If fish was caught from a sail kayak, click "Caught on a Sail Kayak".  Please enter what body of water you caught the fish on - this is to assist the AOTY judges in determining legality of fish species for retention. This information is only visible to judges. Please upload at least ONE full length picture of the fish. Multiple images (Up to 3) may be submitted if you wish, and may assist the committee members when reviewing fish for approval.  If there are any notes you want to enter about the fish, please do so, such as specific waterway restrictions we should be aware of (i.e. if your specific waterway allows for retention of wild steelhead or does not have a minimum fish size limit).  You can also enter other notes that you feel will help the committee judge your fish or help other competitors, or just for your own edification.

Q: What if I have problems with submitting fish or logging in?
A: Contact a committee member directly through private message.  Generally, bmb and Sin Coast handle AOTY Registration issues. Questions about submitting fish can be directed to any committee member, or to all.

Q: How are fish approved?
A: Committee members review fish that are submitted through AOTY, and approve them based upon viewing the picture. Sometimes, certain submissions may be deemed to need to be voted on by the committee members due to discrepancies or questions raised by committee members.  These submissions are discussed by the committee, then voted on for approval.  If you have any questions or comments about fish approvals, feel free to contact a committee member directly.

Q: What are the Rules to AOTY?
A: All of the Rules for AOTY will be listed on the AOTY website. The most important rule is to be cordial to your other competitors.  You should not bash competitors or committee members on the forums or any other webpages associated with AOTY.  If you have a problem with anything regarding the competition, you should bring it up directly with one of the committee members.

Q: Are there any common issues competitors might face when submitting fish for approval?
A: Yes. Sometimes pictures are too large for the AOTY site to handle for submission and processing.  You might try to resize the picture.  In addition, certain issues with the picture may result in the rejection of the fish or downgrade of the fish.  Generally speaking, you should try to have a full length picture of the fish (entire fish must be visible), from a straight up angle, with focus on the rear half of the fish so that the committee can tell whether the fish's mouth is completely closed and where the fish's tail crosses the hash mark on your measuring device.  See Tips and Tricks here:  Tips & Tricks

Q: What other competitions does AOTY participate in?
A: The AOTY committee also runs the NCKA Junior Angler of the Year competition ("JAOTY").  For more information about how to participate in JAOTY, see this linked post: 2018 JAOTY Rules.  The committee also governs the "Sail" division of AOTY, which is for competitors who use sails on their kayaks.  There is currently a trophy for the Sail division that resides with the winner every year.

Q: Does AOTY have any other communication channels?
A: Yes, we also have a Facebook page for you social media mavens.  We plan to try to engage the community there as well. 
Our Facebook Page is: 
www.facebook.com/NCKAAOTY
Our Instagram Page is:
www.instagram.com/NCKAAOTY

Q: What can I do to help?
A:  Represent AOTY and spread the word about it through all your channels, tell people about how challenging it is and how interesting it is.  Let others know how to sign up, and how to get information about the competition through our Forum and Social Media channels. Tell prospective sponsors about the competition and how interesting it is.  If you're willing to volunteer as a committee member, please feel free to contact us, as we always have people rotating in and out of the committee at year end.

Remember, AOTY is a friendly, community-oriented fishing competition among members of NCKA.  If you choose to participate, you should try to represent the community and the competition in your best light.  Engaging in friendly banter with other competitors is fine - denigrating their catches or contributions is not. 

Have fun and best wishes,
-AOTY Committee

Archie Marx
AnnieAreYouOK
bmb
Cod Almighty
Midwest
Sin Coast
Clayman
RacinRob
Sailfish

Hi All,

Just wanted to give you a bit of data about 2017 AOTY, so you can get started on 2018 knowing some of the primary hangups competitors have:

54 competitors submitted fish
568 fish submitted
560 Verified (each one receiving a ticket for drawing towards a Wilderness Tarpon 120 + Dotards)
8 Rejected - Primarily for throat cut and under legal size limit
21 Mouth open reductions - 1.5" for mouth open
15 downgrades for length - primarily due to not being clearly visible on hash mark

A few fish I know were voluntarily deleted by competitors as they would have been rejected otherwise, if I recall, a couple were due to the retention rule, meaning fish could not be legally kept.

Summary -
1. Mark your Hawg Troughs.  We try our best to give people the benefit of the doubt, but if we can't clearly see the hash mark, we downgrade to the closest clearly visible hash mark. 
2. Glare is your enemy - put some contrast on the picture where the tail crosses the line. A shadow from an arm or something would work.  This is especially difficult on metal rulers or light colored rulers.
3. Angle of picture - this is a difficult one for us, as the angle that a picture is taken can affect how the fish looks. We do the best we can but try to be conservative on these when approving.  The best thing for you to do is to try and take a picture of the fish from straight up, with focus slightly towards the back half of the fish so we can see where the tail crosses the hash, but still being able to tell mouth is closed.  This is where multiple pictures can help us, from different reference points. 
4. Tail only shots don't count - we can't verify based upon tail only shots unfortunately, but can use them as a reference if the full length picture isn't entirely clear.  So there's no point in taking picture of a tail only while you're holding the tail down at a certain angle or something, as that would look different than the full length picture.
5. Please do your best to close those mouths so you don't get your fish reduced.  We understand some fish are especially difficult to close mouths, and have seen it empirically through the last year, so we may be softening on a couple of fish species as long as everyone makes an effort.
6. Make sure you have an adequate extension for larger fish!  There are a few options out there besides the Hawg Trough now for larger fish, and we accept those things.  One I bought recently was the Rapala 60" folding fish ruler - I haven't used it on any fish yet but it looks like it would be a small, foldable ruler that can be easily stored just about anywhere.  probably not great to use to measure while on the water due to its 60" size, but would be great on shore. $18 from Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Rapala-RMFR-Magnum-Folding-Ruler/dp/B001QJPQ12/


Happy fishing!
-bmb

Hi All,

Happy end of 2017 everyone.  Overall, us committee members think the year went very well from a competitor and submission basis.  We plan to keep the rules the same, with the exception that we're decreasing the mouth open deduction to 1" from its current 1.5".  When we introduced the mouth open deduction, our goal was to stop rejecting fish outright with mouths slightly open, as those competitors were not trying to "game" the system, just had little errors now and then, and were getting nitpicked to death on rejected fish.

Anyways, now the nitpicking has gone to the mouth open deduction .  Just kidding.  Most of the committee members aren't DOTY award winners like I am, so they want to get you as many points as possible. We still want to encourage you guys to measure your fish as accurately as possible, and try not to "game" the mouth open deduction.  That's why we're willing to drop the deduction to 1" this year, and my sincere hope is to someday get it down even lower or get rid of it altogether to make it an even friendlier competition.  So keep up your good work, and please make an effort to shut those jaws!

If you have any other recommendations, other than the most common one of "get rid of bmb", hurry the F up.  You've got like two days, and Rob and I will be gone chasing stupid trout so we really won't care anyways.

Sincerely,
bmb
DOTY 2017 winner

and the rest of the committee.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/YakAttack-GoPro-reg-Ready-PanFish-Camera-Pole/2202581.uts

about $25 cheaper than everywhere else.

comes with a mightymount and hardware - i ordered it a week or two ago and it arrived monday.