AOTY Rules Quesion: Assisted or Un-Assisted?

Though I recall it being a no-no to have someone else assist you in your catch, but I do not see it listed anywhere in the rules.  I've tried searching the various AOTY rule question posts and have seen the question come up time and time again without some definitive answer.  I'm fine with it either way, just want to have clarification on what is what. 

It has always been that you have to catch the fish un-assisted.  I agree that the rules could be clearer and we'll update them to explicitly spell them out.

-Allen

Sturgeon included? And by assisted I mean in the measuring aspect.

Sturgeon included? And by assisted I mean in the measuring aspect.

Once you have secured the fish it is "caught".  If you need help measuring at that point, then you can do whatever you want, right?

-Allen

If someone publicly says they had help landing a fish, should it be DQed?

Yup!

As I had the ling in my net, it became tangled/wrapped up and only fit about 1/2 way in.  Dominic ( I think) placed his under my net and fish in the water between us, I then gilled the fish with my left hand and lifted my net and fish into the yak.

If this makes you uncomfortable, sorry.
Based on the rules as posted, which have been that way for several years, as well as teh spirit of this competition (I believe) I entered this fish.

I will remove this fish.
I will post a larger LingCod

when the rules don't favor you, whine.  just wait until I enter a DFG legal 34" yuba steelie 

As I had the ling in my net, it became tangled/wrapped up and only fit about 1/2 way in.  Dominic ( I think) placed his under my net and fish in the water between us, I then gilled the fish with my left hand and lifted my net and fish into the yak.

If this makes you uncomfortable, sorry.
Based on the rules as posted, which have been that way for several years, as well as teh spirit of this competition (I believe) I entered this fish.

I will remove this fish.
I will post a larger LingCod

when the rules don't favor you, whine.  just wait until I enter a DFG legal 34" yuba steelie 



Sounds like you need a bigger net before you open your mouth to talk anymore smack. Remember 'If the ling won't fit.....we must convict'

Way to man up and not whine RF I think it's a dumb rule unless it was Black and white from the start. We have all had assistance one way or another that's what it is all about sharing and having fun not Whining. If you hook a 34" Steelie on the Yuba I would love to slide the net under it 

OK, so I am really confused about this topic...
I remember this topic came up when bmb caught the sturgeon, but I thought his problem was he didn't measure the fish good enough...
If this assisting thing is not clearly written in the official AOTY rules yet and we as a NCKA brotherhood, help each other out especially when we are fishing on the open water (buddy system?), then there shouldn't be a problem.   As I mentioned on bmb's sturgeon drama post, the past great fishermen of NCKA got assisted to get the fish safely (for both fish & fisherman) to put on AOTY.
Besides, I don't think I would say to the person (especially my friends on NCKA) who is trying to help me on the water, "Hey, can you please not help me because my fish needs to be on the AOTY..."  When I went sturgeon fishing, I remember seeing a bunch of people unhooked their anchor to follow after the person who hooked-up.   Are you going to tell them "Please don't follow me because I am on AOTY"...?
If people are gonna start complaining about me fishing on a tandem is illegal because we share the net (who takes two nets on a two person boat to fish?); I'm gonna tell Ash, who is nice enough to fish and spend time with me, "No you have to go on your own or you have to stay on shore because I might catch an AOTY fish"...
And If people start complaining about someone catching a fish w/ someone else's bait or someone shows others where the fish are...? and people start calling that an assist then are we going to keep changing the rules again?
Are we suppose to tell our fishing buddies, "You can just follow me and be a witness for me but please don't help in anyway..."?
I thought AOTY is suppose to be a friendly competition (not macho-man's competition), why are we try to make it less friendly...
The rules are printed (even if the moderator forgot or not) all ready & people signed up with the rules, so can we just discuss this type of stuff for next year's ATOY & just enjoy the friendly competition?

Yep!

Way to man up and not whine RF I think it's a dumb rule unless it was Black and white from the start. We have all had assistance one way or another that's what it is all about sharing and having fun not Whining. If you hook a 34" Steelie on the Yuba I would love to slide the net under it 

Asking to clarify what help means is NOT WHINING. If you cant get your fish in the kayak by yourself you shouldnt be in a tournament at all. Even sturgeon. If your net isnt big enough to do the job thats your problem, not mine. Yes it should be real clear in the rules. Its pretty much common sense to me that you are on your own when it comes to landing the fish.  I dont think anyone said pull the fish down. I did ask for a clarification as to what Rockfish meant when he said Domenic helped him. If Domenic helped him net it , it shouldnt count. Period. If he didnt assist and his net never touched the fish then its a good fish. Post it back up. Right away. Thats all I asked for Mike. Truth. Nothing less. AOTY has become real serious now. Maybe some dont like it that way. Dont play it then. I have spent a ton of time and money chasing AOTY the last 3 years. Thats my problem I know. Some people called the wild steelhead thing whining too. Its called following the rules. Not whining.


Terry managed to land a monster Pacific halibut at GS5. Unassisted. No problem.

Just musing out loud here.

The gist of AOTY rules are that you must catch a fish from a kayak.  The various grey zones arise from the definition of:

1) catch
2) fish
3) kayak

Note that we don't generally list all the exceptions to the definition of catch, fish, and kayak (although it is clear we need to be as precise as possible moving forward).  But when asked to clarify, we are compelled to do so.  Which side do we take?  We take the side of what we believe to be the generally accepted definition of catch, fish, and kayak.  In this case, it is believed that more people would accept the definition of catch that involves unassisted.  Some of you may disagree, but we believe a whole lot more of you would agree.

Note that it doesn't say you can't hand your rod to another person while you take a piss, then resume fighting the fish and then enter it in AOTY.  Does anyone really believe you can?  Real kayak anglers can fight a fish with one hand while doing their business with the other!!!

Note that there are a lot of other exceptions that we haven't even touched upon.  Nowhere does it state you can't use a motor powered kayak or a sail powered kayak, but I bet the majority of you think they are not allowed (They are not!).

I'd like to ask that you be reasonable when thinking about exceptions.  If need be, we'll list them going forward.  But the argument that it wasn't explicitly listed in the AOTY rules is getting old.

-Allen

So, if another persons net touched the fish, it's not edible, even though I was the one to hook, fight, net, and gill the fish.  That is total bull shit.  In rough seas with hypothermia I am supposed to tell a friendly stranger to bug off??? While having a fish of a lifetime on the line.??  Again, BS

I think that what is needed are a few beers between obvious adversaries.  I was not expecting this level of intensity, push back,even someone calling my fishing partners to find the spots and ask them if they think if I actually caught the fish.  Next time grow a sack and ask me in person if you have problems with my fish or methods.  I play on the level, by the rules and legal...do you?

9168028749

The fish will stay off in protest of this stupidity, small mindedness and clique mentality.  I will still win.


To those with clear heads and an understanding of the spirit of this competition, thanks.  But I am slightly more emotional, I really get hacked off at behavior more fitting of 8 Year olds who aren't winning,  I don't even have patience for that with kids.

Cheers.
It will soon be 9:30...like march 20, only 05:10:00 later...and I'll be home from baby-sitting...so I'll be I a slightly better mood, but less inclined type

Jim


Provisional post only, on an iPad...errors likely

So, if another persons net touched the fish, it's not edible, even though I was the one to hook, fight, net, and gill the fish.  That is total bull shit.  In rough seas with hypothermia I am supposed to tell a friendly stranger to bug off??? While having a fish of a lifetime on the line.??  Again, BS

I think that what is needed are a few beers between obvious adversaries.  I was not expecting this level of intensity, push back,even someone calling my fishing partners to find the spots and ask them if they think if I actually caught the fish.  Next time grow a sack and ask me in person if you have problems with my fish or methods.  I play on the level, by the rules and legal...do you?

9168028749

The fish will stay off in protest of this stupidity, small mindedness and clique mentality.  I will still win.


To those with clear heads and an understanding of the spirit of this competition, thanks.  But I am slightly more emotional, I really get hacked off at behavior more fitting of 8 Year olds who aren't winning,  I don't even have patience for that with kids.

Cheers.
It will soon be 9:30...like march 20, only 05:10:00 later...and I'll be home from baby-sitting...so I'll be I a slightly better mood, but less inclined type

Jim


Provisional post only, on an iPad...errors likely

Utter classic post of the year so far. Put your ****ing lingcod back up already and make sure the beer is cold when I see you ****ers at ARW! Naoaki you are right my brother! lol