GS11 - Big Thank You to the Community. Much Love. Reports start on pg. 38

so here is a question...lol....if i dont get a sponsor....if i dont have a fishing partner....and i wanna come camp and hangout...bring my wife and kids...is that a problem....im very familar with the cove been going there or 20 years..or so ever sinice i was a teenager... i dive for abs there....i would fish and dive on my own...but would like to camp with everyone...

hope im not causing anyone any grief...

thanks, aaron

The way I understand it is if you don't have a NCKA sponsor, you can't participate in the fishing competition. Correct me if I'm wrong, Eric.

Not trying to compete...i mean i would like too...but thats not what im asking...just wanna be there with my family...

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Correct Howard,
No sponsorship means you are not in the official event.
BUT,
Everyone is welcome to hang out or fish during the same time, just bring some good juju and be in control of yourself and your group.

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Aaron - You're all set - I received a message from your sponsor this evening.  You would have gotten a bunch of other offers along with that one.  The sponsorship system has worked out so well because just knowing that there is some expectation of accountability for behavior, there have not been any problems for years.  I shouldn't give up the goods like that, but I'm proud that our group has been really mellow and respectful as a priority.

Thank you, bro, for wanting to come to the event.  Even if someone can't get a sponsor and they want to come to the event, they are totally welcome.  That would be strange though, because all you need in order to get a sponsor is some openness, willingness to express your need, and some experience on the salt on a kayak.  It flows from there.

Welcome to Gimme Shelter. 

Hey potential sponsors -

My brother (delo50) and I are looking for a sponsor in order to attend GS11 this year. We started kayak fishing a couple years ago, and attended TRW last year (you know, the one with house-sized rollers all day long). We have all safety and immersion gear, lots of fishing experience and have boat-fished Shelter Cover 40+ times over the past decade. I'm 33 and he's 29, from Chico, and are both easy going - just looking to have a good time at the Cove with like-minded friends. Thanks for your consideration and please let me know if you have any questions that may help us get a sponsorship.

Greg (G-Force)

Ill sponsor you guys if you help us out by washing dishes for the fishtacoshack on Saturday night. It only takes like half hour and I will throw in a cool tacoshack hat and all the fish tacos you can eat

kayakjack - you've got a deal! Thanks - really appreciate the sponsorship. If you wouldn't mind PM'ing LoletaEric and letting him know you're sponsoring us (G-Force, Delo50) that would be awesome! I'll reach out ahead of the tournament to check in and get dishwashing logistics

Hey potential sponsors -

My brother (delo50) and I are looking for a sponsor in order to attend GS11 this year. We started kayak fishing a couple years ago, and attended TRW last year (you know, the one with house-sized rollers all day long). We have all safety and immersion gear, lots of fishing experience and have boat-fished Shelter Cover 40+ times over the past decade. I'm 33 and he's 29, from Chico, and are both easy going - just looking to have a good time at the Cove with like-minded friends. Thanks for your consideration and please let me know if you have any questions that may help us get a sponsorship.

Greg (G-Force)

Ill sponsor you guys if you help us out by washing dishes for the fishtacoshack on Saturday night. It only takes like half hour and I will throw in a cool tacoshack hat and all the fish tacos you can eat

kayakjack - you've got a deal! Thanks - really appreciate the sponsorship. If you wouldn't mind PM'ing LoletaEric and letting him know you're sponsoring us (G-Force, Delo50) that would be awesome! I'll reach out ahead of the tournament to check in and get dishwashing logistics

Nice work, Jack!  No PM needed. 

On Gimme Shelter...  Here's a post I put up in the GS5 thread.

December 28, 2010:

"...early this century, a group of hearty, fun-loving, tough, individualistic yet uniquely fraternal kayakfisherman created what would become a tradition along Northern California's Lost Coast.  They called it Gimme Shelter, a name with many meanings including, of course, the obvious - 'get me to Shelter Cove for some of the west coast's best fishing!' - but also it came to mean 'I want in on a gathering that, through camaraderie, competition, sportsmanship, adventure, and, just pure passion for life and the outdoors, can provide shelter to any of us in our hectic lives.'  The spirit of this gathering was created by the founders.  It was Abking, Swellrider, MBYakker, Sailfish, Sin Coast and sackyak.  It was an NCKA hookup with a focus on salmon in early March of 2007.  No fish were caught that weekend, but the group bonded on the water in tough conditions, and the adventures continued along shore and in the camp.  The next year around the same time a thread popped up for Gimme Shelter II - it was planned as a great hookup like so many other NCKA events and chills, but, even after much hype and a mini-epic lead-up thread of its own, it was cancelled due to hurricane-like weather.  A few dozen people were disappointed, but enthusiasm for the event's future was not altered.  The next year, 2009, the GS3 thread came alive - a few years of shortened rockfish seasons had led to a new phenomenon - people were so anxious to start the new rockfish and lingcod season with a bang after a long winter of deprivation that the idea of meeting along one of California's most remote and productive coastlines became an obsession!  The thread took on a life of its own and it was apparent that the Gimme Shelter series had formed.  That year we were lucky enough to have great conditions and we had an informal tournament, but, honestly, it was much more than just a fishing competition. There was talk of putting 10 or 20 bucks into an MBF - that's 'Money Between Friends' - type of competition, and, tournee or not, people were glad to be there.  Having received some generous prize donations, the call was made to make it a free tournee.  Anyone who competed could bring either their fish or a good photo of it to the potluck at The Tides Inn - because we'd filled that fine, ocean-front establishment - and enter it for a chance at a prize.  Overall length of longest fish was the determining factor for the prizes that year, and we had some wonderful surprises.  With no salmon season, the anticipated winning fish would be a lingcod, but some special things happened that year.  First, on pre-fish day, Friday, Domenic caught a beautiful Pacific Halibut!!!  39" and 25 pounds, and a PACIFIC HALIBUT!!!  Everyone was stoked, and it made anticipation of the next day's tournee that much better.  Tournee time came - we had around 55 competitors I think.  There were so many nice fish caught, and the numbers were ridiculous!  I'd say the 50-something of us caught and/or released a thousand or more fish that weekend!!!  The tournee title went to Jedmo with a 56" Wolf Eel - that was a shock and so cool.  34 and 32 inch lings made up the balance of the top three, and I think all the other fish that placed were lingcod, with quite a few over 30" caught for the weekend.  The tournament and potluck that followed were everything that we know that great NCKA events are, and the rest of the weekend, with ab diving, spearfishing, beach discovery, checking out the Lost Coast and surrounding 4000' ridge, was awesome - so many happy people having such a great time!  It had to be followed up, there was no option!  Early in 2010 the GS4 thread started up.  This year would be different  - there was pre-registration, t-shirts, a $1000 yak for a grand prize, other prizes!  This had become a bonafide tournament!  Another bonus of GS4 was that we had a salmon season!!     We had high hopes of many salmon being caught, but only a couple shakers were caught during tournee time, and a beautiful 14 pounder was caught by Bird during Friday's pre-fish.  We had 85 paid competitors and went with AOTD format - that's Angler Of The Day, and it uses AOTY rules for the most part.  Big Jim won the new OK Trident Fishing yak, and so many people were in awe of how that all went down - Jim's demeanor was nothing short of ideal in terms of humility and grace, and the prevailing feeling was that he deserved it more than anyone!  The tournee, potluck, prizes, winner(!), diving, gatherings, uni, family time, and all the rest of what was GS4 were totally awesome.  When the dust settled and all the "Sledgers" had cleared out, NCKA had put its mark on not just Shelter Cove, but really we had created a dream. 

Now it's time for GS5.  It's time to live the dream again."

****************************************************************************

GS11 is coming together - the tradition continues. 

Since GS4 I've handed out between 30 and 40 ten inch abs as trophies.  I'd come to realize that many of these beautiful shells were rotting on my fence, so over the years I've been cleaning up the ones that are still solid and giving them away.  I'm glad to have others take possession of what are icons from my past, and new tens that I find usually go in the GS mix as well.



Along with the ceramic ab tags I have built funky little mini-troughs as trophies too.  They're fun to make and fun to hand out.  Fun is a central theme of GS.



I think it was GS5 that brought about the oldgrowth redwood Trophy Troughs.  Jim Meier/Rockfish brought in a beautiful lingcod that he was calling 38" (maybe it was 37.5", but you know how fish stories go...  ).  I put it on a Hawg Trough with the Hawg Trough Extension, and I thought I was so right in correcting him - this ling's not as long as you're claiming!  He was firm.  I was incredulous...  Then I realized my HT Extension was reamed out and stretched, effectively stealing a half inch from every large fish measured!!  Oh damn!  I knew right then and there that I needed to build some big troughs...  The Trophy Trough was born as a concept, and now I've built maybe 15 or so of them.  Several of those have been handed out as prizes for the AOTD, a few have been raffled off, and I retain a few for measuring GS fish and other catches during the year.

Here are this year's twin forties - one for AOTD, one for the raffle:



So, this is how GS works.  It's not about winning a kayak or prize money - BTDT.  It's about a community gathering where families are encouraged to participate, kids are given opportunities to discover the sport, friends are able to get together and strengthen their bonds, new relationships are forged, the beauty of nature and the fish is celebrated, and the true meaning of camaraderie plays out all around us.

If this looks and sounds good to you, I look forward to seeing you at the Cove. 

What a great recap!!!

This will be my 8th GS in a row since my first time in 2010 when I somehow managed to win. 

Every year has been different, but ALWAYS an amazing experience.

Fired up to get back  there and see everyone and see what this year brings!!!

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I'm Ready. Squidbillys Rule

Yo

I'm Ready. Squidbillys Rule

Is polygamus al coming with you? Its nice you can make it. I havent seen you in years.

Looking forward to fishing with you too Darius. Polygamist Al won't be coming back ever. He got a new girlfriend and now he doesn't fish, camp, hunt or hike any more. All he does is old man stuff like golf and farmers markets. He has been effectively neutered. 

Sounds like he should change his name to Monogamist Al.

I'm glad you're coming, Ed. 

It's official! I will finally fish in the GS! Watch out regulars, beginner's luck is in full effect! See you all otw!

Yesterday at the Cove - the salmon weren't biting, but just being on the water again was a tonic for my soul!

Mmmm, soul tonic... (in my homer simpson voice)