AOTY 2016 - New Ways To Win!

(NOTE: More info on the prize pool coming soon!)

If you go to the AOTY main page (http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/) and hover or click on “Side Challenges” you will see a number of new entries. Clicking on those will take you to the leaderboard for that side challenge. At the top of each side challenge page, there is some information about what the rules are.

Your registered fish count towards both the ATOY Main Event as well as the side challenges - you don't need to do anything different, it all happens automatically. If you end up with a prize in the AOTY Main Event, you aren’t eligible for a side challenge prize as well (details on what how many places in AOTY Main Event will get prizes are to be decided after we have the majority of the prizes locked down).

But most of all you will have the title, the signature line, the glory and honor of knowing you bested your fellow NWKAers in an area of fishing expertise!

Clear as mud? Great! Post questions below and we’ll figure it out together.

I will update information on prizes below once I have definite confirmation. In many cases I have confirmation of support but not exact details yet. If we get sponsors later in the year which contribute significantly then some of the prizes may change for the better.

Salmon Slam
Hey salmon addicts, you listening? This is your best 3 fish of Coho, Chinook, Steelhead, Chum, Pink, and Sockeye salmon.
Prizes: Custom salmon rod by NEMRods, more TBD

Saltwater Slam
I hope we see some heavy hitters on this one! Your best 4 saltwater fish of Lingcod, Rockfish, Halibut, Cabezon, Greenling, Surf Perch, Flounder.
Prizes: Lucid Grip, custom bottomfish jigs by Yaktastic, more TBD

Freshwater Slam
Our inland brothers and sisters have a reason to get out of bed. Your best 4 freshwater species - too many to list. Check out the leaderboard: http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/freshwater_slam
Prizes: custom spinners by Yaktastic, more TBD

On The Fly
Fly fishermen want to play too! We added the “on the fly” checkbox to your fish entry this year to enable this side-challenge. Applies to all AOTY fish species. (Note: please check out new AOTY rule #13 to ensure you get your points. Also, it should be obvious, but you must be fly fishing from your kayak, not just using your kayak to get to a fly fishing spot.)
Prizes: 3 vouchers for any fly line (up to $90 value each) from Stillwater Fly Shop, more TBD

Tiny Fish
It’s not the size of the fish, it’s the motion of the ocean. Your 10 worst fish.
Prizes: TBD, but it will be proportionately small ;-)

Random Drawings
A couple of times this year I’m going to draw a name of a registered participant out of hat and just send them something. When? I’m not telling! That’s how you know it’s random. The “hat” may be an online random number generator, but the prize will be real!

Other Notes on New Ways To Win
If you haven’t looked at the rules in a while take a few minutes and read through them. There are a few changes that we hope will open up the competition a little wider.

http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/

One of those changes is that we allow sail power this year. All other craft restrictions still apply, but you may power your kayak with a sail and still be inside the AOTY rules. (See AOTY rule #12.)

Another rule change is that yellow perch is now its own category, separate from panfish. This gives anglers another opportunity to get 10 qualifying species and points on the board. (See AOTY rule #8.)

Great format, I like this.