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Topics - Clayman

Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
1
AOTY / Congrats to 2017's Angler of the Year: MattSwayze!
« on: January 01, 2018, 06:30:16 PM »
Congrats to Matt for his dominant 1st place win in 2017's Angler of the Year!  Matt stormed into first place early on and never let up.  Some interesting stats for Matt's AOTY win:

- The addition of the Flatfish/non-halibut category this year set up the potential for three flatfish entries.  Not only did Matt submit fish for each species, but he dominated all three flatfish categories with biggest Pacific halibut, biggest flounder, and tied for biggest CA halibut.

- It's a young category, but Matt's 22.25" starry flounder has set the bar in the Flatfish division.  That'll be a tough one to beat!

- Matt's 41.5" lingcod is second-biggest ling in AOTY history.  Considering that lingcod are one of the most-entered fish in AOTY, that's a helluva feat!

- Matt did not have a black bass in his Top 10 species.  This is the first time in AOTY history where the top finisher did not have a black bass in their Top 10.

I didn't fish with Matt as much this year since I moved north, but we connected on a handful of memorable trips.  He even took a break from the AOTY hunt and fished with me in Oregon a few times.  I've included a few shots from those adventures.


And congrats to all those who placed!  Matt, Ryan, and Rob pulled a Humboldt Sweep of 1st through 3rd!  Big props to these three Men of the North!

2
General Talk / China Rapids - Sacramento River intel
« on: June 27, 2017, 11:59:39 AM »
A friend with a Hobie is asking me about China Rapids, and whether it'd be wise to float it with a Hobie.  I've never floated through there myself, only been told it's deep and fast.  Anyone here have experience floating that section?

3
General Talk / THANK YOU NCKA!! And an Oregon update
« on: April 17, 2017, 07:00:21 PM »
MattSwayze mailed this to me a few days ago, and all I can say is: YOU GUYS ROCK!!  What an awesome Fish Whistle!  It’s surprisingly loud too, haha.  Just what I needed to call in those deep-water Pacific halibut this summer.  Thanks so much to all of you.  NCKA is a special group, truly one-of-a-kind, and despite me now living in another state, I’m proud to continue calling myself a member of the NCKA tribe.
 

Many of you may have seen my Oregon updates posted on Facebook, but I figured I’d share them here for the non-FB crowd.  I moved here in early February.  Found a small house for rent in a place called Yachats (pronounced Ya-Hots), with the beach only a 2-minute walk from my front door.  My first foray into Oregon fishing took place at my new “home beach”, which I found to be a killer redtail perch spot.  These fish are finicky as all hell about the tides, but when I time it right (typically the last hour of the incoming), I’ve caught some nice slabs.  One evening after work I was surprised by a spotted ratfish, something I’d never seen in person and the only surf-caught ratfish I’ve heard of around here.




It wasn’t until mid-February when I’d gotten my home stuff squared away enough to sample the local rivers for winter-run steelhead.  I soon found out why so many anglers can become addicted to chasing steelhead: bashing through ferns and moss-covered trees in the rain along a remote stretch of river, covering every potential nook-and-cranny that looks like it could hold a fish, hoping you don’t farm that ONE bite, and summarily getting your ass handed to you by a 10+ pound bullet fresh out of the salt.  You go one day, and you want to go again, and again, and again.  I spent pretty much every weekend from mid-February through the end of March chasing steelhead on one of three small coastal rivers within 15 miles of my house.  Word from the locals was that this was a very tough year for steelhead, so I considered my 10-for-12 score to be quite an accomplishment for a newbie to these streams.







Steelhead season ended on most of the coastal rivers on March 31.  I’m biding my time for the coastal systems north of me to start receiving spring-run Chinook.  But we had a weather window for an ocean foray yesterday.  The kind folks at NWKA helped me with intel, and I ended up having a great day pulling on bottomfish out of Depoe Bay.  The black rockfish were super aggressive and abundant, as I marked dozens of massive schools on the local reef.  Great size to the blacks too.  When I dropped big baits for lings, I was rewarded with steady lingcod and cabezon action.  The lings were in the 20 to 30 inch range, cabs were in the low 20-inch range.  After taking a limit of 30 inch lings, I poked around for flatfish for about an hour and caught a few sole.  All of this, and I’d barely explored the northern portion of the local reef!  I look forward to putting more time into Depoe, which should be easy, as it’s only a 45 minute drive.







As to the future season: like I mentioned before, spring-run Chinook salmon will be showing up in numbers in the Tillamook Bay rivers in May, with a peak in June.  Nestucca springers will follow right behind the Tillamook systems.  One of my bucket list fish is a bright spring-run Chinook, so I plan on putting in some time to nab one.  Pacific halibut season will open June 1, and I’ve already been scouting potential surf launch spots adjacent to suitable Pac halibut habitat.  Sea-run cutthroat will start showing up in the estuaries around July, another bucket-list fish of mine that can exceed 20 inches and are rumored to be one of the tastiest fish that swims.  Then as fall approaches, fall Chinook and coho will start running on virtually all the local rivers where I’ll be trolling for them in the bays, particularly Alsea and Siuslaw.  When the fish push up the rivers, I’ll bust out this little gem that just arrived in the mail.  At 31 pounds, portaging will be a cake-walk and I will have access to river sections that drift boats cannot reach.

Needless to say, I’ll have my hands full with fishing opportunities up here and I’m very excited to see how the year develops.  Hope you guys have a great summer season this year!  Fish On!

4
Kayaks / Inflatable kayaks for river fishing
« on: March 24, 2017, 10:04:44 AM »
Hi all - My old "river kayak" was an OK Scrambler, but I sold that before I moved to Oregon and my current armada of boats are not the best for small rivers (Hobie Revo 13 and OK Trident 15).  Now that I'm surrounded by fishy rivers on the Oregon coast, I'm looking into buying an inflatable kayak to help access river sections that are inaccessible by foot.  I mostly want the inflatable for easy portaging and potentially some solo floats (the type where I'd drop my mountain bike off at the take-out).

Anyone have suggestions for an inflatable river kayak?  There are way more options out there than I originally thought and I've only paddled an inflatable once, many years ago.

5
AOTY / Rules for AOTY 2017 are here!
« on: December 20, 2016, 06:33:40 PM »
Alright everyone, see below for 2017's Angler of the Year rules!  Upon first glance, it looks as if we're heaping more rules into the competition.  This is not the case.  We did our best to streamline and clarify all existing rules, which is what accounts for the increased text vs the 2016 rules (big thanks go to bmb for doing the heavy lifting!).  I've done my best to highlight the significant changes from the 2016 rules in bold.  But it's each participant's responsibility to read and understand these rules, so don't rely entirely on the "bolded" stuff.  Of course, the AOTY Committee will gladly answer any and all questions regarding these rules and encourages participants to post their questions to this thread.

We wish the best of luck to our current 2016 competitors as they wrap up their year, and look forward to the beginning of the 2017 AOTY season!

Chris/Clayman
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2017 Angler of the Year Rules

1. AOTY runs from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. Fish caught prior to payment of entry fees are ineligible.

2. The pool covers the following twenty-one categories: Lingcod, Rockfish, Cabezon, Greenling, California Halibut, Pacific Halibut, Flatfish, White Seabass, Surf Perch, Salmon, Sturgeon, Striped Bass, Steelhead, Trout, Brown Trout, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass and Spotted Bass, Lake Trout, Kokanee, Catfish, and Panfish.

3. Waterway Rule - All fish entered must be caught within the northern and eastern California borders (the entire waters of Lake Tahoe and Topaz Lake are allowed) and north of the southern borders of the following counties: Monterey, Kings, Tulare and Inyo. Fish caught from waterways with restricted access to the public, such as members-only or private waterways or aquaculture operations are not allowed. Fish caught from waters where anglers have to pay on a per fish basis, such as trout farms, are not allowed.

4. Watercraft Rule - Eligible watercraft for the competition include kayaks, kayak/canoe hybrids, and Standup Paddle Boards (SUPs).  The watercraft must be under human powered control from launch until landing, and no mothershipping is allowed.  Sails will be allowed in the Sail division but no motors may be used or attached to the watercraft while fishing.

5. Take Rule - All fish entered must be caught by hook and line (i.e. hooked, fought, and landed) from an eligible watercraft without aid from anyone else and using methods deemed legal by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

6. Retention Rule - Only fish that you can legally keep and eat (per CA DFW regulations) are eligible.  Any fish that has the appearance of possibly being not qualified for entry (such as the appearance of an adipose fin from a non-native retention body of water) will be disqualified. Competitors should include comments with AOTY submission if there may be any questions regarding the fish's legality.

7. Photograph Rule - Photographic evidence of fish size (total length, except for Sturgeon which shall be measured according to fork length as per CDFW regulations) against a measuring device must be provided. Photographs must be clear, with measurements easily read. Only pictures that show the ENTIRE fish will be used in judging submissions. Missing portions of the head or tail in the photograph will result in a disqualification of the submission.  “Tail only” shots may be used to clarify full length pictures, but will not be used as the sole factor in determining length.  Committee recommends competitors take pictures of fish from “straight up” with fish's belly facing towards the competitor, as this assists the committee in determining the accurate length of the fish and determine whether the mouth is closed.

8. Posing Rule -All fish should be posed in a manner that allows the committee to easily determine the length, mouth open/closed status and legality. All fish must be measured on their side, with the exception of sturgeon, catfish, and cabezon which may be measured with their belly facing down. Submissions should show the mouth of the fish completely closed. If the mouth is not completely closed, the committee will deduct 1.5 inches from the measured length (unless the mouth cannot be completely closed due to a natural deformity or kype/hookjaw). Participants should make a good faith effort to close the fish’s mouth and egregious “mouth-open” submissions will be rejected at the discretion of the committee. Fish may NOT be gutted, have their throat cut or ripped through, or manipulated in any way prior to photographs being taken. Cutting of gills is permitted. Tails may be pressed together or tilted.  You are not allowed to stretch, pinch or pull the lips to gain extra length. No lip grippers, game clips or stringers can be in the mouth when photograph is taken.   Continued violations of the posing rule may result in the disqualification of the competitor.

9. Measurement Rule - All submissions should include accurate, full length measurements of the fish, and be measured on a hawg trough, measuring board or similar measuring device. All entries must be rounded down to the nearest hash mark that can be visibly seen, using quarter inch increments.  For any submissions where an extender or similar device is used, the competitor must submit photographic evidence verifying the length of the extension. The committee strongly recommends competitors use a sharpie on measuring devices that have hash marks which are not clearly marked. All submissions will be subject to committee approval before appearing as official entries. There may be a few days lag between the time you post a submission and the time it appears on the AOTY site.

10. The biggest fish from each angler's top ten species will be used towards the angler's total points.

11. The “Trout” category includes fish generally referred to by the following common names: brook trout, cutthroat trout, rainbow trout, golden trout, and dolly varden.

12. The “Panfish” category includes fish generally referred to by the following common names: crappie, members of the Lepomis genus (bluegill, red ear, pumpkinseed, etc), Sacramento perch, and yellow perch.

13. The “Flatfish” category includes all non-halibut flatfish species, including all species of flounder, sole, turbot, sanddabs and tonguefish.

14. Entries must be posted within 2 weeks of being caught and photographed. No "hoarding" of entries.

15. Participant complaints should be submitted to the committee (bmb, Cen Coast, Clayman, RacinRob and/or Sailfish). No bashing of other competitors on the NCKA forums will be tolerated. Such posts will be deleted by the Admins/Mods, and a warning will be issued. A second violation of this rule will result in a disqualification of the offender from participating in AOTY.


Scoring Scale

Lingcod = 5 pts/in
Rockfish = 8 pts/in
Cabezon = 8 pts/in
Greenling = 11 pts/in
California Halibut = 5 pts/in
Pacific Halibut = 4.25 pts/in
Flatfish = 9 pts/in (new species addition)
White Seabass = 4 pts/in
Surf Perch = 12 pts/in
Salmon = 5 pts/in
Sturgeon = 3.75 pts/in (fork length measurement)
Striped Bass = 5.25 pts/in (reduction of .25pts/inch)
Steelhead = 6 pts/in
Trout = 7.75 pts/in
Brown Trout = 7.75 pts/in
Largemouth Bass = 8 pts/in
Smallmouth Bass & Spotted Bass = 9 pts/in
Lake Trout (Mackinaw) = 6 pts/in
Kokanee = 11 pts/in (increase of 1 pt/inch)
Catfish = 5.5 pts/in
Panfish = 12 pts/in

6
Fish Talk / The Blob is Back
« on: October 31, 2016, 04:23:35 PM »
Hot off the press: the "Giant Warmwater Blob" experts thought was fading away, is back.

https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/community/2016/10/31/the-blob-is-back-what-warm-ocean-mass-means-for-weather-wildlife

The meteorologist/climatologist in the interview paints a more encouraging picture for the future compared to what's occurred the last few years, in terms of precipitation and snow elevations for NorCal.  But the devastating effects the Blob has had on marine life could very well continue into 2017, and maybe even beyond.

7
Fishing Tournaments and Events / AOTY 2017: Add Flatfish?
« on: October 27, 2016, 07:50:32 PM »
First off: THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed to our various AOTY Species Addition threads and polls!

The AOTY committee is having a spirited discussion on adding a "flatfish" category to 2017's AOTY.  The category would include all the non-halibut flatfish species, such as flounders, soles, turbots, and sand dabs.  This category was actually part of AOTY in years past, but was generally unpopular with few entries.  The proposed 2017 groundfish regulations will see a significant change in this fishery, including a year-round, all-depth, no-limit fishery for both petrale sole and starry flounder.  The regulations will essentially open up a brand new fishery for petrale sole that was never available to CA anglers due to their depth preferences (typically beyond the RCG depth restrictions), and starry flounder will now be available for anglers when rockfish season is closed.  These flatfish are available all along the NorCal coast, are great for the table (okay, maybe not arrowtooth flounder  :smt001), and are a "different" fishery for those who enjoy the extra "nudge" that AOTY may provide to target a new fishery.  Please note that we are not proposing to remove any of the current AOTY species in this poll.

Also note that this poll does not include a freshwater fish addition.  The species list as it stands (8 freshwater, 8 saltwater, and 4 anadromous) looks good on paper.  But in reality, two of the eight saltwater species (white seabass and Pacific halibut) are seldom entered into AOTY.  Meanwhile, all eight freshwater species are regularly entered.  If you would like a freshwater addition, feel free to post it to this thread and the committee can discuss it.

Thanks in advance for your vote!

8
Fishing Tournaments and Events / AOTY 2017: New Species Suggestions
« on: October 16, 2016, 07:34:18 PM »
The direction of the "drop greenling" thread motivates me to start a new thread on new species folks would like to see added to AOTY 2017.  The current species list includes 8 freshwater, 8 saltwater, and 4 anadromous.  If we add species, we'd like to keep the ratio between fresh and salt species intact as it kinda levels the playing field among coastal and inland participants.  That means if we add one saltwater species, we want to compliment it with a freshwater species.

Some suggestions from both the AOTY Comittee and the NCKA community so far include flatfish (flounder, sole, sand dabs), vermillion rockfish, and carp.

What two species (fresh and salt) would you like to see added for the 2017 edition of Angler of the Year?

9
Gearing Up and Rigging Up / drysuit recommendations
« on: May 26, 2016, 08:51:07 AM »
After the wet+chilly affair at GSX last weekend, I think I'm finally going to buy a drysuit.  Given that I've never ventured into the drysuit world, I'm wondering if folks here have specific brands or models they prefer.  Any recommendations would be much appreciated!

10
The coastal guys here have more to say about this than I do, but I've been amazed at the lack of kelp along the Humboldt coast these last couple years.  Sounds like we need to bonk some purple urchins!

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/5487602-181/collapse-of-kelp-forest-imperils?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5713428504d3015dea256c9c&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook&artslide=0

11
AOTY / AOTY black bass submissions
« on: February 22, 2016, 09:13:45 AM »
Now that I’m part of the AOTY committee, I feel compelled to speak up on this issue because the AOTY entries reflect the integrity of the AOTY competition as a whole and I want the competition to be reflected in a positive light for those looking in.  In addition, bringing this issue up now should help to resolve two concerns: 1) the proper handling and care of fish caught and released, and 2) to eliminate the potential for controversy among competitors.

The issue at hand has to do with proper catch and release of black bass.  Black bass (and their sunfish relatives) feed differently than many other families of fish.  We all know that bass and sunfish have very small teeth that hardly look conducive to holding onto prey items.  While trout and catfish will often “grab” prey and have teeth that help to keep the prey in their mouth, black bass will use a “suction” action with their mouths to inhale prey.  The mouth will behave like a vacuum, sucking in their prey.  That’s what you feel when you feel that “tick” in the line when a bass bites a bait or plastic worm.  Therefore, the mouth parts of a bass need to be fully functional to maximize feeding efficiency.  If the “vacuum” effect of the mouth is lost, the fish has a much more difficult time feeding.  For a visual representation of this behavior, search “largemouth bass feeding” on YouTube.

When we lip a bass or manipulate their jaws, there is a risk of severely damaging cartilage in their jaws.  Over the past couple years, there have been some AOTY entries that have anglers pinching or manipulating bass’ mouths in order to meet the “closed mouth” rule.  I’ll be perfectly honest: when I see fingers jammed into a bass’ lips to clamp them shut, I look at that as a bass that may suffer a slow, agonizing death through starvation.  Is it a 100% death sentence?  No, because fish have a knack for coping with defects and getting along.  But if damage occurs, then that bass is going to have a much tougher time surviving.

“It’s my fish and I can do what I want with it.” This is true.  But when you submit that fish to AOTY, that photo reflects AOTY in the eyes of anyone looking in.  The NCKA community takes pride in recognizing proper CnR technique with all sorts of fish, and is often quick to address instances where CnR was not practiced properly.  This post is my attempt at nipping this issue in the bud before it potentially catches on with other anglers who may think “well if that person can do it, then I can do it too.”

“The fish wouldn’t close his mouth so I had to pinch it closed.” Sometimes a bass will come up “stiff” with mouth agape and body stiff as a board.  If I have a bass do that and I want to get an AOTY measurement on it, I’ll place the bass in my net in the water and wait.  Usually it’ll take less than 30 seconds for the fish to relax.  Then I place him on the board, push his mouth up against the end of the board, take the photo, and release.  The fish won’t stay “stiff” forever.  Just give it time and it’ll relax.

“The fish won’t relax and there’s no way I can get this AOTY photo without pinching its lips shut.” If this is the case, then please consider this: that fish you’re submitting is reflecting on EVERYONE who participates or is associated with AOTY.  It paints us in a poor light in the eyes of other anglers and gives the impression that we don’t know about proper CnR.  Not to mention, the fish will most likely be rejected by the Committee.

Here’s an example of how to get a proper measurement on a bass.  Just push the fish’s mouth up against the board.  The majority of AOTY submissions of black bass utilize this technique.

http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catch/image/3676/largemouth_3.jpg

With all of that being said, I ask that folks submitting AOTY photos of black bass PLEASE refrain from pinching the fish’s mouth shut with your fingers.  We will be enforcing the “no pulling/stretching of the lips” rule from here on out.  This isn’t a “new” rule (see AOTY Rule #2), but it wasn’t fully enforced in years past.  Here are a couple examples of entries that would be disqualified.

http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catch/image/3644/spot17.jpg
http://aoty.norcalkayakanglers.com/catch/image3/3667/IMG_3417.jpg

We want AOTY to look good in the eyes of other anglers who may be interested in participating, and sponsors who may be interested in prize donations.  If we can do the best we can in showing we are not only anglers, but also conservationists who take pride in looking out for our NorCal fisheries resources and preserving big bass for future anglers to enjoy, then we can only reap benefits going into the future.

Thanks for reading.

12
AOTY / AOTY Awards lost & found
« on: February 09, 2016, 06:04:02 PM »
Hey guys, I'm looking for the owner of this cooler.  It was left on one of the picnic tables the morning after the AOTY Awards.  Any takers?

13
Fish Talk / Article on domoic acid, crabs, effects on fish, etc.
« on: January 05, 2016, 04:58:11 PM »
Great article on domoic acid, crabs, fish, and why there was such an enormous algae bloom on the west coast this year:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151217151655.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fplants_animals%2Ffisheries+%28Fisheries+News+--+ScienceDaily%29

Some of the more notable quotes:

- The levels of toxin detected this year in the filets of salmon, rockfish, and ling cod were well below the regulatory limits, Kudela said. But once the toxin gets into the muscle tissue, it will stay in the fish and in the food web much longer than if it is just in the intestinal track.

- The prolonged bloom probably also allowed a lot of toxin to build up in sediments on the seafloor, which would explain why Dungeness crabs are still showing high levels of toxin. Previous studies by Kudela's team showed that sediments on the seafloor can hold a reservoir of toxin that lasts for months after the algal bloom goes away. "The crabs are feeding on the seafloor, and all the things they would typically eat can hold the toxin for months," he said. "It could be another month or longer before the toxin in crabs drops below the regulatory limit everywhere in California.

- Now the big question is what the impact of El Niño will be in 2016, because El Niño also brings warm water conditions that can favor toxic algae blooms. Most of the warm water along the California coast in 2015 was from the warm blob, although El Niño probably began contributing to it later in the summer. Historically, El Niño periods have been associated with larger than normal blooms of Pseudo-nitzschia, Kudela said.

"The predictions are for this El Niño to be as strong as the one in 1997-98, when the warm water lasted through 1998. So we could be looking at a big bloom again next year," he said.

14
Fishing Tournaments and Events / 2016 AOTY rule changes?
« on: January 04, 2016, 11:11:16 AM »
Unlike last year, an “AOTY Suggestions” thread has not been posted on the public boards with regards to proposed rule changes for 2016’s AOTY competition.  I’m not competing this year, but seeing that fish are already being submitted for 2016, are there any significant rule changes for this year compared to 2015 that participants should be aware of before they go on an AOTY blitz in early January?  Is the closed-mouth rule still in effect?  Same species list and point values?  Etc.  Thanks.

Good luck and Best Fishes to all participants in 2016!

15
Fish Talk / Potential world record spotted bass from NorCal
« on: November 30, 2015, 06:26:21 AM »
They're calling it "Lake X" in the article, but anyone who's been there will recognize that shoreline immediately.  Can't say I'm surprised, that lake grows some monster spots!

http://www.scout.com/outdoors/wired2fish/story/1617754-potential-world-record-spotted-bass-caught

Pretty funny note: I ran into Paul at a tackle shop in Lakeport just a few days before he caught this fish.  He was lamenting about all the pressure on Clear Lake jeopardizing his guide business.  Looks like he made the right call to ditch CL for a bit!

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