Big Sur campout Sept 25-27

Darius you are too cool. Thanks. Craig. Its good to see someone who is happy and not miserable.

Darius you are too cool. Thanks. Craig. Its good to see someone who is happy and not miserable.

I am just following your footstep of coolness you inspired me since the day you hand me my first hali setup at paradise, believed it or not I still have it I am truly blessed meeting you guys (NCKA) otherwise I would have been really miserable!

Yea Darius I apologised for the personal attack.  It was completely wrong and immature. 

Guys,
 I like Big Sur a lot as well...but you have to already know that a group fishing within a mile or two of one of its few access points is but a fraction of the coast which is about 95% inaccessible.
You drive mile after mile gazing forlornly at the long coastal stretches you will never fish because you will never get to launch anywhere near them.
Drop down at Parkington cove? I think not.
 Andrew Molera? Gone! [ for us anyway]
Wanna rappel down the cliffs at Lucia, Gorda, ragged Pt, San Martin? Esalen ad infinitum. How bout those cool 25 spots w/ no name and no way in hell to get to the water? Wanna portage your yaks over the boulders at Vila Creek? [ Whooops. my own secret is out!....Nah...no it aint. If you can do that...go for it! You deserve it!]
Most of these areas are going to be semi-virgin for a long time to come.
So Mill Creek become the new Half moon Bay? No...not even this most accessible spot gets that kind of impact as the power boats folks are not in it.
 Don't buy into the hype that the new eco-political elite has been pushing.
Kayak folks take token numbers of fish when seasons and weather permits. In Big Sur this goes triple.
 Pat...I would love to be there and bank some fillets while the season lasts.
 If anyone ever laid our catches side by side next to a days work for commercial rockfisher you would not be so proud as to think you take so many fish.
If ever you climb down and dive the wild areas you will see what our kayaks never see....wonderful populations of fish the city folks discount cuz they have never seen it.
The first kilometer of Mill Creek and Lime Kiln take so much of the heat on themselves....they free up the other 70 miles or so of coast to trivial impact.
Relax people.
 You are not all nearly so much of a threat you imagine!
Steve
 

Ok... My personal attacks were immature too... I definitely went below the belt when it was uncalled for... My asshole side came out for a second, which it does every once in awhile, especially over secret fishing spots... I guess its the young skate punk that still needs to grow up a bit more... The localism thing comes from living in Santa Cruz and having to share your already way to overcrowded surf spots for so long...When you have lived around the ocean for so long, and have seen the different ways people approach it, especially the typical fishermen, you tend to get defensive of your spots... Santa Cruz is one spot where mass fishing pressure doesn't really phase me, aside from at my seabass spot (the fish are harder to catch there and to do good you have to either be a good fishermen or have luck on your side).... Believe it or not, I got chewed on by some members of my local fishing club for mentioning any details about my seabass spot on this page...  Big Sur is a whole nother ballpark... Its an area that survived the MPA process, and will probably maintain its integrity over the years, as long as it doesn't get too blown up... And taking responsibility for it getting discovered on this page, I've also gotten pretty protective of it...   Kayak fishermen in general seem to be way more conservation minded then your typicals from other areas, especially the younger generations...  its good to see...  Maybe I've been a bit to judgemental of some of the folks on this board... Maybe there aren't as many folks that are gonna come down and blow the spot up... Maybe this discussion will help reemphasize just what a special fishery it is, and how we need to keep it from getting any more popular than it is... And, there are definitely better ways to get your point across then wishing a gnarly southswell and blowout on such a nice group of guys... interesting enough, I have learned more about the ethics belonging to this club in the course of this dialogue then I had previously known... and,  one can never expect another person to abide by what your definition of right and wrong may be...   Looks like Brian G came through and edited them out of existence as well... Good enough for me..

Darius- I don't know you but I appreciate your perspective on the whole thing... its totally positive and refreshing compared with my jaded pirates approach to it all... For those of you who new Stephen Blackwell, he was a good friend and co conspirator on some of the early days cliff bombing trips to Big Sur.. He loved Big Sur, and was really tapped into that whole region in a special way... The last time we ran into each other was climbing the upper Garrapata trail 5 or 6 years ago... He passed on a few months later from a cancer that the doctors couldn;t control. Anyhow, this would be a good opportunity to hold a memorial service for the old jade pirate. We shared a lot of the same perspectives on the area, and he wouldn't be so into a tournament down there, but would be totally stoked on a bunch of homies getting together for fishing and comraderie in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

Darius- I don't know you but I appreciate your perspective on the whole thing... its totally positive and refreshing compared with my jaded pirates approach to it all... For those of you who new Stephen Blackwell, he was a good friend and co conspirator on some of the early days cliff bombing trips to Big Sur.. He loved Big Sur, and was really tapped into that whole region in a special way... The last time we ran into each other was climbing the upper Garrapata trail 5 or 6 years ago... He passed on a few months later from a cancer that the doctors couldn;t control. Anyhow, this would be a good opportunity to hold a memorial service for the old jade pirate. We shared a lot of the same perspectives on the area, and he wouldn't be so into a tournament down there, but would be totally stoked on a bunch of homies getting together for fishing and comraderie in one of the most beautiful places on earth!

That is beautiful. The brotherhood we share far outweighs any of lifes trivialities. When I go past all the cliffs from Jenner to Reef I feel the same way. What a strech of coastline. Beautiful, rugged and  almost as pristine as Sur.

Bajareefer that was excellent.  Brendan once again I'm sorry, and thanks for keeping it cool. 
Andy

Darius, Now I see why you posted up your request to make hookups for NCKA members only. I was wondering where that desire came from. jim

now we are all HUGS&KISSES               
WTMakeUp and Band Together!!  
We all need to respect EVERY body of water as such. BigSur, to me, is PRESTINE and SACRED. Our forefathers would want us to keep it that way. We don't need to "blow it up" and or remove any "large breeders" from there. Given the chance to enjoy it, we should all harvest super-selectivly(not that we don't already) Be sure to receive your "Descender" and use it for them bloaters and all should be happy.
    You know the smaller ones taste better anyway!!
 

Hey guys ive been in Idaho for A few days and just caught up on this thread. All I can say is WOW!! Why cant we all get along? I personaly think we should talk about this in Big S over some beers! I will be there and will back you up with anything I have to Sin! I will call you tonite...Andy...P.S This is truly gonna be an epic hookup!!!!

I am out, have the kids that weekend, and there will be too much month at the end of the money.  Have to stay local.

I am out--wife is booked the weekend for work so I can only make some day trips.

As for the kerfluffle in the previous several pages, I'd like to remind us all of a few things:

1) we can promote conservation best by example and dialog--most fishers will do the right thing if they understand and yelling and disrespect do not promote understanding.

2) all fisheries are fragile and most are pressured--it is how we deal with that pressure that matters. Elitism and exclusion will not work long term but cooperation and unification just might--people appreciate and value what they know far more than what they don't.

3) I have yet to see an NCKAer disrespecting the fish, the environment, or fellow NCKAers in a serious way until this thread and it is a sad day for me. I disagree a lot in the forums, but I respect you all and it is sad to see elitism creeping in. I hope it's been put away for good.

4) No local owns the public land--everyone has a right to it. And I have seen plenty of locals in fisheries flaunt the law because they thought they were above it in their own kingdom. And locals are the often the sources of the development and pollution that threaten fisheries and claim they need jobs and that's why it happens--not always--just putting things in perspective.A lot of local fisheries were saved by non-locals. Mickfish, for instance, is right now asking for outside help at Albion. And us non-locals will be pleased to lend a hand when we can.

5) A lot of us are veterans--Vietnam Era for me--And I don't like people telling me they own public land just because they live closer to it, think they are better men than me, and know better than me how to respect nature. That's not what I served for nor what this nation stands for. And is not the NCKA way. If some of you cannot hang with that, then there are other fishing sites you might be happier frequentlng and you'll find better company.

Heck after reading some of the comments, I was ready to write a check to The Packard Foundation earmarked to turn the whole dang Big Sur Coast into one big MLPA zone--then it would be protected for sure from everyone. Serves all us right. I still just might.

4) No local owns the public land--everyone has a right to it. And I have seen plenty of locals in fisheries flaunt the law because they thought they were above in in their own kingdom. and locals are the often the sources of the development and pollution that threaten fisheries and claim they need jobs and that's why it happens--not always--just putting things in perspective.A lot of local fisheries were saved by non-locals. Mickfish, for instance, is right now asking for outside help at Albion. And us non-locals will be pleased to lend a hand when we can.

100% agree

I am out--wife is booked the weekend for work so I can only make some day trips.

As for the kerfluffle in the previous several pages, I'd like to remind us all of a few things:

1) we can promote conservation best by example and dialog--most fishers will do the right thing if they understand and yelling and disrespect do not promote understanding.

2) all fisheries are fragile and most are pressured--it is how we deal with that pressure that matters. Elitism and exclusion will not work long term but cooperation and unification just might--people appreciate and value what they know far more than what they don't.

3) I have yet to see an NCKAer disrespecting the fish, the environment, or fellow NCKAers in a serious way until this thread and it is a sad day for me. I disagree a lot in the forums, but I respect you all and it is sad to see elitism creeping in. I hope it's been put away for good.

4) No local owns the public land--everyone has a right to it. And I have seen plenty of locals in fisheries flaunt the law because they thought they were above it in their own kingdom. And locals are the often the sources of the development and pollution that threaten fisheries and claim they need jobs and that's why it happens--not always--just putting things in perspective.A lot of local fisheries were saved by non-locals. Mickfish, for instance, is right now asking for outside help at Albion. And us non-locals will be pleased to lend a hand when we can.

5) A lot of us are veterans--Vietnam Era for me--And I don't like people telling me they own public land just because they live closer to it, think they are better men than me, and know better than me how to respect nature. That's not what I served for nor what this nation stands for. And is not the NCKA way. If some of you cannot hang with that, then there are other fishing sites you might be happier frequentlng and you'll find better company.

Heck after reading some of the comments, I was ready to write a check to The Packard Foundation earmarked to turn the whole dang Big Sur Coast into one big MLPA zone--then it would be protected for sure from everyone. Serves all us right. I still just might.

+1.............Except that last bit about sending Julie your cash. But I know good ole sarcasm when I see it. Very well said indeed. jim