Big Sur campout Sept 25-27

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.

IMAO  Sorry I just cant resists...

hey i talked to kayote and he said he was going so im in +1 my fiance will be joining me this time i am excited i cant wait to fish with everyone again i wiil try to talk randall aka bigfoot into coming as well we will be in friday morning leave sunday morning thanks.

Alls said and good... and I agree with about 95% of whats been said... The course of this discussion has shifted some of my perspectives and you won't hear me giving anyone a hard time again about crews meeting up in Big Sur after this.  one thing though I beg to differ with Surfing Marmot... I totally hear you on your antilocalism sentiment.... I was like you for years... but having lived here for so long now I totally get it... People with a respect for nature are welcome at our beaches, and locals from my localized zones would agree with me on this... However, we keep our beaches clean, and every summer throngs of tourists come pouring in from all over the state, places like Bakersfield, Modesto, Sacramento, San Jose, Fresno, Salinas, etc etc. and leave their garbage all over the place! From June-the beginning of Sept, all of our beaches look like shit every Monday morning... baby diapers, beer bottles, broken beach toys, nasty bathrooms... you name it... its the out of towner that comes here for a party and leave their garbage..  You see it all over California-people from out of town coming in and messing with the natural environment that the locals have worked hard to preserve... I've also been involved with a number of beach cleanups and volunteer efforts with local crews and groups like the surfrider foundation.  And, you know what, no one except the locals comes out to clean up the garbage that all the out of towners leave... For example, the morning of July 5th is a local beach cleanup day... no one from over the hill ever comes to it... So not only do our beaches get trashed by the out of towners, but we're stuck putting in our time to clean up their mess... damn straight it leads to a sense of entitlement and ownership... especially when you pay a bit more to live in a nice place, and support your local community businesses, minimize your environmental impact by living an off grid lifestyle so your air is 5x cleaner than it is in San Jose, etc. etc... So, yes, public land by law, but intrinsically it belongs to the locals, and that extends a tad bit beyond the people who live here... it extends to those that value our environment and care enough to clean up after themselves and others. I do agree that pretty much all NCKAers don;t fall into that category of out of towners that trash the beach.. most of the folks on this page seem to a be a lot more conscious than the typical folks that come to Santa Cruz to fish and party, but I hope you hear my case in point...
As far as fishing goes, I worked DFG fish counts for a few years, and you know who was consistently taking over limits of tiny rockfish... people from over the hill in San Jose and the Central Valley... They would come here and pillage our local marine resources... The constitution guarantees us the right to fish, and the local government has set standards meant to result in a sustained natural resource base, however, certain "groupings" of folks consistently step over the line... As a result, most of us that live here and respect our ocean have developed a lot of negative feelings towards the out of towners... I'm not an asshole to them myself, unless they seem like a total moron, but I know a lot of people that are, and I don't blame them... I never saw any of the local fishermen coming in with over limits.. often they would keep just a few rockfish, or their one halibut for the day... you spend enough time in an area you develop a relationship with the land, and a certain respect for the space emerges.. That can happen for people that live here, and for people from out of town...  At the same time negative feelings are developed towards the people that come and mess it all up, especially if they never have to deal with the results of a depleted fishery more than once a year, or a dirty beach. Se la vie!...
I support the current restricted fish regs, and MPA's... Its called looking into the future, beyond the scope of our lifetimes and our opportunities to put a hook in a fishes mouth and yank it out of the water... Someday my wife and I will have kids and I want them to have a healthier local fishery to catch a couple of fish a week out of then I have had... We have already seen a dramatic increase in rockfish pops in the past ten years since the rockfish seasons got changed. Same with the halibut and seabass fishery. The more conservation we apply now, the healthier our oceans will be for years to come...
Eco-political elite... naw... just environmentally sensible.. It comes from spending a lot of time outside, being a fisherman and the time it allows for philosophy, and because I am lucky enough to live in an environment and area of California that is 98% environmentally healthier than the rest of the developed world, and United States... its healthy in that way because the locals took the time to establish local governments and standards to protect our local resources to the best degree possible.

Peace and brotherhood extended to all!
NCKA guys are pretty cool as a rule...
 
 
 

From June-the beginning of Sept, all of our beaches look like shit every Monday morning... baby diapers, beer bottles, broken beach toys, nasty bathrooms... you name it... its the out of towner that comes here for a party and leave their garbage..  You see it all over California-people from out of town coming in and messing with the natural environment that the locals have worked hard to preserve

I get the anger and concern--I really do. And I know it's real. But we are not talking about just any out of towner invasion. This is the NCK brotherhood who share your values and coming in an organized event. Ask Sean (SBD) how rowdy and out of control the Bendo events were--all the pillaging and wanton trash throwing and trashing of the fishery. None. Nada, Zip. Zilch. Non. Neine. Nyet....that's enough I think you get the picture. And that's why you got a strong reaction from me. NCKA is a different organization and you should be glad it is and we'll embrace you as a member still even with your bad behavior of late--I think everyone is entilted to make mistakes ( I certainly have more than my share) so let's go forward with the spirit of the NCKA and let this drop as a lesson for all of us. Deal?

Sounds good... Hopefully everyone can forgive me for voicing my opinions so strongly!...

Hopefully everyone can forgive me for voicing my opinions so strongly!

I cannot speak for everyone but knowing this community I think they will. I appreciate your passion and energy, let's just direct that a little more accurately. Don't lose it--our community needs it. Let's just make sure of our target before we flip that safety off and squeeze the trigger. It pretty hard to pull the bullet back afterwards.

There have been NCKAers in the past that have been disrespectful... I guided over 150 trips during my time as a fishing guide and most of the guys were cool, but there were a few that left tons of garbage and beer bottles down in my secret cove (that I later went back to pick up at the end of the day, being 22 and feeling  I was to young to call anyone on their stuff) and really enjoyed killing for the sake of killing, leaving 50 floaters in a day and not taking home a single fish. And then there was all the fishing garbage that I'd come upon time and time again... And then then there were those that would pillage over limits-all in Big Sur... hence my rants.. but I'm done with it all...
I'm gonna drop my gun on this one and let the sleeping dog lie... Good fortune and good fishing to all!

BTW, I stand pretty humbled after all this conversating...

BTW, I stand pretty humbled after all this conversating...

I stand in awe humbled by the great waters, mountains, and forests abundant with life we have been entrusted to enjoy and to care for and it hurts me to see them despoiled by some people acting out of ignorance and selfishness. let work together and see we what can do. Welcome aboard. But I am not giving you my Bud Light 

ii feel ya brendan!
just dont make fun of fat people anymore, i got the xfactor so i shouldnt sink it pls the days of me sitting in my PB waiting for that sturgeon pump munching on beef jerky/pork rinds & sunflowerseeds washed down with some cold ones are alot less now , now im paddling away burning calories with energy bars in my tacklebox instead of dingdongs so im movin in the right direction , dont give us husky people complexes! your words are inspiring at the same time making me feel guilty about being from the bay area but after reading the true things u say ill kick it up a notch when it comes to cleaning up beaches that i visit ,ide start right here in suisun bay bt this place is FUBAR! ide need a dump trunk and a possible crane lift to cover a couple yards of shoreline! i guess its safe to say i got my work cut out for me! thanks.
ANdy G

Guys,
Most of this coast is already a de-facto MLPA due to the simple fact of inaccessibility.
Localized, intensive impact must no doubt occur to a degree a 1/2 mile North and South of the few launching spots but they are still just a few spots...spots on a big map.
If ones world view of the Big Sur coast is confined to what has happened around these three or four basic launching areas, it is more of a concern I grant....but thats still a pretty small piece of the big unseen picture on a long coastline.
Our small band of bros indeed have limited impact on a living, vibrant coastline.
Misplacing blame for problems can understandably occur. Especially with reference to the live rockfish trade and commercial boats.
Steve

Let it die fellas. I remember a day surfing what me and my bro thought was "our" spot and here comes some stranger. Let the silent treatment, mean scowl, and wave hogging begin. "There will be No Shoulder Hopping!" "No Waves for you Kook!" "Let the Paddle Battle Begin." Self-righteous ugly thoughts. You start out having this treatment applied to you, and if your not careful some of it sinks in, and you might start down the same path. Hopefully, you grow up and leave the self destructive immaturity behind. No matter where you live Hawaii, Baja, Reunion, Indo, Easter Island, etc, you have more of a connection to that stranger paddling out..... than you have to the water you're floating on. Fuller's Reef ain't any different from ***** reef. Hmmm. Slight keyboard malfunction there.  jim

P.S. But if you do witness someone disrespecting..... It Is Your Duty To Step Up.

oh, by the way

Coastal Clean Up Day is Sept 19th.

I should be at HMB fishing the tourney, but ill do a psot pick up, the wife and daughter will be out there too picking up trash.

http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd.html

So last year we took the dogs, and went out for Coastal Clean Up Day, I choose New Brighton cause that beach gets HAMMERED with trash after a summer weekend, lots of broken glass ( my poor pup got his paw sliced up from a broken beer bottle)... Anyway, last year while picking up trash I scored a nice fishing knife and a $100 bill!! Thats right, a Ben Franklin baby!!!

Not to stir the pot...but all of this ranting and raving just makes me want to fish Big Sur even more now! 

Not to stir the pot...but all of this ranting and raving just makes me want to fish Big Sur even more now! 

Sometimes the more people are told not to do something, it creates in a few people a  greater desire to do it.