2013 ORC OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Changing fishing style really screws people that aren't heading down the day before.  I doubt the majority of those coming have ever even caught a steelhead.

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Lee, are you suggesting we don't bother with a back up plan and just raffle the prizes in the event of weather restrictions at Depoe Bay?

Changing fishing style really screws people that aren't heading down the day before.  I doubt the majority of those coming have ever even caught a steelhead.

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My thoughts exactly.

A raffle sounds nice but earning a prize with a fish to brag about is a lot cooler than paying $40 for a raffle ticket. Let's just hope for good weather and if it comes down to it fish the small window as hard as possible.
Or merge the ORC and SBAOTD...what's another 3 hour drive for all you non locals? 

Changing fishing style really screws people that aren't heading down the day before.  I doubt the majority of those coming have ever even caught a steelhead.

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It is the Oregon Rockfish Classic, not the Oregon Steelhead Classic.  I don't like the idea of making it just a raffle.  But I've never hooked, much less landed a steelhead (yes, I've tried, though not yet from a yak).  I might bring some gear to try that out on a pre-fishing day if the ocean is blown out, but making it a steelhead tourny turns it from something that anyone can legitamately hope to win (I lucked out with that 11lb7oz ling last year, and I do mean luck, not skill), to something that maybe 10 out of 100 guys/gals will even land one.  Steelhead ain't called the "fish of 1000 casts" for nothing.

Are there bottom fish worth targeting in Siletz Bay, or Newport Bay, or some other protected area that could be fishable if the open water is blown out? 

Given that the current weather predictions are not exactly giving warm fuzzies, is there some objective criteria that would lead us to call the open ocean unfishable?  Probably would be a good idea to establish something like that, with a time by which the call must be made.

No, I'm saying targeting steelhead is a bad backup plan.  Changing from easy to catch bottomfish to river fishing for steelhead gives a huge advantage to those with steelhead experience.  Trout, as lame as it sounds, would be a better idea.  Devils Lake?

I'd ask what the conditions limit are for holding the tournament as planned, but realize there are too many factors.

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It really all depends on wether or not the coast guard has restriction to launch or not. The coast guard in Depoe bay make an early run every morning around 4:30am to check swells, wind  and wind waves. They decide at that point to open up for everyone or just coast guard approved vessels over 18 feet. If its nasty the coast guard will close the launch to vessels under 18 which is when they turn the flashing lights on.

It really all depends on wether or not the coast guard has restriction to launch or not. The coast guard in Depoe bay make an early run every morning around 4:30am to check swells, wind  and wind waves. They decide at that point to open up for everyone or just coast guard approved vessels over 18 feet. If its nasty the coast guard will close the launch to vessels under 18 which is when they turn the flashing lights on.

Clearly that would moot the ORC as planned.  But are there conditions that would not result in the flashing light that would still be too dangerous to send tupperware fishermen into?

Sumpnz: I doubt it, they are pretty quick to throw up small craft advisories.

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The event organizers will make any necessary calls regarding the tournament as well.

With the event getting as large as it is, it is nearly impossible to plan for a backup other than starting the kegs early.  We'd likely have to get permits for an alternate spot, and that probably is not going to happen.

I'd just plan for a raffle if the weather forces a cancellation.

-Allen

Well, let's just hope the weather is good enough to fish.  It would suck to go all that way for just a raffle.  Especially since I can only recall winning once at a raffle.

I think an air guitar/lip syncing/rap battle would be more fun than a raffle. With enough beer that could me a lot more interesting than fishing. 

I think an air guitar/lip syncing/rap battle would be more fun than a raffle. With enough beer that could me a lot more interesting than fishing. 

  Careful now----I can do a mean Willie Nelson,,

The way I see it is the weather is out of anyone's control. So why worry about it. Plus, the main reason I'm attending ORC is to hang out with the awesome people on NWKA. The fishing:/prizes are just a sweet bonus at this point.

I think an air guitar/lip syncing/rap battle would be more fun than a raffle. With enough beer that could me a lot more interesting than fishing. 

  Careful now----I can do a mean Willie Nelson,,

How about some Charlie Daniels?   

The way I see it is the weather is out of anyone's control. So why worry about it. Plus, the main reason I'm attending ORC is to hang out with the awesome people on NWKA. The fishing:/prizes are just a sweet bonus at this point.

+1

So it's in the hands of the Coast Guard and we won't know til 4:30am tourney morning?

I caught a 12 lb cabbie out of Trinidad yesterday warming up my gear and I run insanely good at raffles an door prizes so I'll hope for a green light to fish but whatever happens, happens.