*** 2016 ORC Tournament Format ****

I don't believe we've ever had a case of someone cheating at ORC by stuffing the gut with fish or weights.   Lings and Cabs with full guts happen all the time.  However, given the recent events in the kayak bass fishing world with Andrew Sheperd's shortened Hawg Troughs, it's good to be thinking ahead of the curve.

I like the idea of gutting the fish before weigh in.

I consciously bled my fish last year (like always) because I like it better that way. 

I like the idea of keeping the guts in as an added bonus if your fish was extra hungry.

  I did like the heaviest fish category or heaviest of each species.  I am new to tournaments and fairly new to ocean fishing.  These scoring types may bring more new people each year.  However, I do like the partial slam.  Strategy becomes a bigger part of it and it rewards more experienced people.  But this may lead to the same winner year after year which may be a put off to some.

But this may lead to the same winner year after year which may be a put off to some.

You might be surprised to see the list of previous year's ORC winners under the heaviest fish format.

We've had two repeat winners in the 8 year history of the ORC.  If you discount the first two ORC's which weren't at Depoe Bay, than 4 out 6 ORC's at Depoe Bay have been won by the same two guys using the single heaviest fish format.

So, the better a fisherman you are, the more you can afford to turn a fish loose and hope to land a bigger one ? Sounds like that guy SHOULD win a fishing tournament.

Don't like seeing the same guys win all the time ? Simple. Go catch a bigger fish than them.



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We haven't posted all of the rules yet, but we will probably be going with a gutted weight on this.  There is a cleaning station right in the parking lot of the harbor so that shouldn't be an issue.  I imagine it going something like this... people who feel the need to get their photograph with an intact fish can do so, they can even get a weight taken with fish intact, but when it comes time to enter an official weight they'll have to gut the fish first.     This does two things... it allows people who worry about meat quality to gut their fish early on and not worry about loosing too much weight relative to the competition and it also prevents someone from stuffing their catch with a few 16 oz weights or small rockfish.

We'll be posting all of the safety and tournament procedure rules soon.

I prefer to bleed my fish & don't like cheaters, so I like this rule. I'd also like to see a no immersion gear disqualification & channel boundary rules enforced. I don't know about anyone else, but I find it very annoying to see the yahoo's damage our reputation. 

I voted option 4, but wouldn't mind seeing a runoff of the top 2 choices. I think it would add to the drama & give me a chance to maybe change my mind. 

Paul,

Part of the sign out process in the morning will be a full safety check for required gear and participants will have to sign out in the morning and sign back in in the afternoon.  Failure to do so is a disqualification.

We haven't worked out how to enforce the boundaries, but it will have to involve witnesses.

Paul,

Part of the sign out process in the morning will be a full safety check for required gear and participants will have to sign out in the morning and sign back in in the afternoon.  Failure to do so is a disqualification.

We haven't worked out how to enforce the boundaries, but it will have to involve witnesses.

I'll have my GoPro. Usually don't spend much time near the channel boundaries, but if I see something untoward on my way out or back in, I'll be sure to immortalize it on video.

We've had two repeat winners in the 8 year history of the ORC.  If you discount the first two ORC's which weren't at Depoe Bay, than 4 out 6 ORC's at Depoe Bay have been won by the same two guys using the single heaviest fish format.

This does two things... it allows people who worry about meat quality to gut their fish early on and not worry about loosing too much weight relative to the competition and it also prevents someone from stuffing their catch with a few 16 oz weights or small rockfish.

I like the elimination of potential cheating, and the enhancement of meat quality.  Though I did think it was really damn cool that a keeper size Dungeness crab was found in the stomach of the winning cabezon several years ago.  It probably added 1.5lbs to the fish's weight, though I don't that mattered in the end as second place wasn't even that close.  I have no doubt whatsoever that the crab was legitimately in the cabezon's stomach before it got hooked.

So, the better a fisherman you are, the more you can afford to turn a fish loose and hope to land a bigger one ? Sounds like that guy SHOULD win a fishing tournament.

Don't like seeing the same guys win all the time ? Simple. Go catch a bigger fish than them.



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Good point.  I am just happy to get out there and learn a thing or two at my first few tournaments and hopefully meet people to fish with in the future. 

So, the better a fisherman you are, the more you can afford to turn a fish loose and hope to land a bigger one ? Sounds like that guy SHOULD win a fishing tournament.

Don't like seeing the same guys win all the time ? Simple. Go catch a bigger fish than them.

I don't disagree in general, but it depends on the point of the tourney. Is the point to be as competitive as possible? Is the point to attract people to the sport? Is the point to just meet up and have a good time?

I'm not advocating for any particular "point" I'm just pointing out some possible points. 

So, the better a fisherman you are, the more you can afford to turn a fish loose and hope to land a bigger one ? Sounds like that guy SHOULD win a fishing tournament.

Don't like seeing the same guys win all the time ? Simple. Go catch a bigger fish than them.

I don't disagree in general, but it depends on the point of the tourney. Is the point to be as competitive as possible? Is the point to attract people to the sport? Is the point to just meet up and have a good time?

I'm not advocating for any particular "point" I'm just pointing out some possible points. 

Seems like there should be some amount of skill necessary, and it also seems like a rockfish should be a required component of a "Rockfish Classic", but I'd participate either way.  I like depoe bay and the nwka crowd is chill.  Add ninkasi and fried fish and i'm in even if we determine winners by lottery.

Except the single heaviest fish is a lottery of sorts in that it is the format that takes the least amount of skill.  Which is fine, unless you are determining a qualifier to the Hobie Worlds.  Lottery is not a great way to hand out that prize.  Since we don't have to worry about that this year, whatever I'm in.

So, the better a fisherman you are, the more you can afford to turn a fish loose and hope to land a bigger one ? Sounds like that guy SHOULD win a fishing tournament.

Don't like seeing the same guys win all the time ? Simple. Go catch a bigger fish than them.



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Good point.  I am just happy to get out there and learn a thing or two at my first few tournaments and hopefully meet people to fish with in the future.

Just remember this one important fact
IT'S FOR H.O.W./NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS
at least as far as I'm concerned even if I walk away with a few new lures or scents and skunk on the yak the money is to help a VERY worthy cause.