Next Adventure K.F. Newsletter

For those who are interested Next Adventure is launching a kayak fishing focused NEWSLETTER which, I assume, will highlight new products, events, tournaments, unique fishing opportunities and tactics, money saving promotions/discounts, etc.

As of now you have to sign up using your Goog account through Goog Docs. Hopefully there will be additional/easier ways to sign up in the future.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc_eNAC1sCw-fSOQwE_iYGN4QhLTv2u7OraNZVPiHnMWBSo3Q/viewform?usp=sf_link


(personal observation below)

From my recent time spent in the N.A. booth at the Sportsmen's Show this year it's very clear that they are looking to capitalize on the phenomenal growth of the bass fishing leagues/scene here in the PNW.

I'm not saying that those of us who bottom, salmon and trout fish are going the way of the dodo in their eyes, however if we enjoy their sponsorship and support it needs to be a give and receive relationship. If things like having a kayak for a raffle prize at ORC and the like are important to you then it's important for us to support their initiatives (like this newsletter). As someone who has published them in the past it is not easy or cheap from labor and time perspective. So sign up for the newsletter and let them know we still out here and be doin' what we do.

Thxs.

Just signed up!  Thanks for posting.  I would love to see more tournaments around our NW species such as salmon, sturgeon, bottomfish. 

I am a little worried as Seth has now left N.A. and the new paddle sports person is a bass fisherman that has not gone salmon or bottom fishing.  At least he had niot as of last years ORC.  Hopefully we can get N.A on board for growing the sport using local species. 

I think we are at a definite disadvantage for a few reasons.

For many of the new residents to the PNW bass fishing is what they know best from whence they came.

The learning curve to finding consistent success targeting native species here can be moderately steep in some instances, and while some folks enjoy the minor victories and the slow building of those skill sets, for others, their reward centers are more geared towards instant gratification.

The costs involved in purchasing the specific equipment needed (rods/reels, drysuit, coms, tackle, etc) can be daunting.

The investment in the time it takes to develop an accurate interpretation (along with an acceptable margin of error) of the various forecasts and how they may affect your day on the water can be a barrier for some, as well as the potential stiff penalties for miscalculation.

Gambling is fun. U.S. casinos made a record $53bn in profits in 2021. The bass leagues are an almost perfect hybrid of fishing and fantasy football, and as their ranks swell so do the payouts.

Bass are hearty lil' f$%ckers. They can tolerate drought conditions and extreme weather events that the native fish species cannot. They breed like rabbits, and predation isn't a factor when compared to say salmonids that have dozens of species that depend on them for at least a portion of their diet.

I think we are at a definite disadvantage for a few reasons.

For many of the new residents to the PNW bass fishing is what they know best from whence they came.

The learning curve to finding consistent success targeting native species here can be moderately steep in some instances, and while some folks enjoy the minor victories and the slow building of those skill sets, for others, their reward centers are more geared towards instant gratification.

The costs involved in purchasing the specific equipment needed (rods/reels, drysuit, coms, tackle, etc) can be daunting.

The investment in the time it takes to develop an accurate interpretation (along with an acceptable margin of error) of the various forecasts and how they may affect your day on the water can be a barrier for some, as well as the potential stiff penalties for miscalculation.

Gambling is fun. U.S. casinos made a record $53bn in profits in 2021. The bass leagues are an almost perfect hybrid of fishing and fantasy football, and as their ranks swell so do the payouts.

Bass are hearty lil' f$%ckers. They can tolerate drought conditions and extreme weather events that the native fish species cannot. They breed like rabbits, and predation isn't a factor when compared to say salmonids that have dozens of species that depend on them for at least a portion of their diet.

Super well said on all fronts. I'll add, there's a lot of comradery and friendship that can be built through Bass fishing clubs and tournament series, for many it's a great way to meet people while getting to fish and do what they love. Aside from ORC and AOTD tournaments there's not much organized in the way of tournaments and certainly no kayak fishing clubs (that I am aware of) for other species outside of the warm water stuff.

I’ll preface that I am a pretty mediocre bass fisher, but I don’t get the general dislike of it around the NW. sure you’re not gonna bring home a tasty meal but for a day of C&R fishing it’s pretty fun. It’s a gear junkie and tacticians dream figuring out the right lure combo for a particular spot.  It’s usually done during the warm months so nice to be out. And locations ar easily accessible.

I haven’t really been able to get good at salmon fishing since I am too impatient to put in the time and as much as I enjoy a fresh salmon meal, I don’t care to spend days trolling for nothing especially now that my fishing days are more limited due to family commitments.  Bass fishing is active casting and hunting and even as a crappy bass fisher I at least hook into a few fish every time. Not hard to see why it’s so popular in my opinion.

I think we are at a definite disadvantage for a few reasons.

For many of the new residents to the PNW bass fishing is what they know best from whence they came.

The learning curve to finding consistent success targeting native species here can be moderately steep in some instances, and while some folks enjoy the minor victories and the slow building of those skill sets, for others, their reward centers are more geared towards instant gratification.

The costs involved in purchasing the specific equipment needed (rods/reels, drysuit, coms, tackle, etc) can be daunting.

The investment in the time it takes to develop an accurate interpretation (along with an acceptable margin of error) of the various forecasts and how they may affect your day on the water can be a barrier for some, as well as the potential stiff penalties for miscalculation.

Gambling is fun. U.S. casinos made a record $53bn in profits in 2021. The bass leagues are an almost perfect hybrid of fishing and fantasy football, and as their ranks swell so do the payouts.

Bass are hearty lil' f$%ckers. They can tolerate drought conditions and extreme weather events that the native fish species cannot. They breed like rabbits, and predation isn't a factor when compared to say salmonids that have dozens of species that depend on them for at least a portion of their diet.

Super well said on all fronts. I'll add, there's a lot of comradery and friendship that can be built through Bass fishing clubs and tournament series, for many it's a great way to meet people while getting to fish and do what they love. Aside from ORC and AOTD tournaments there's not much organized in the way of tournaments and certainly no kayak fishing clubs (that I am aware of) for other species outside of the warm water stuff.

Firstly, I want to be 100% clear, my above post was not in any way shitting on kayak bass fishing or anyone who considers themselves an enthusiast of said genre. I've dabbled enough to know that to produce consistent results takes a lot of finesse and the ability to gauge light conditions and barometric pressure trends and numerous other factors that don't even cross my mind when I'm getting prepared for a salmon or bottom fishing trip.

I'm mainly just making the point that the paddle sports industry manufacturers and local retailers are going to follow the dollars. If those that prefer different kinds of fishing enjoy having the equipment/products they desire continue to evolve/innovate and be locally/readily available then we need to show support, shop local, maintain visibility, and generally be good partners/stewards of the sport.

NWKA (we are) the kayak fishing club! Get lonely? Organize a fish'n'chill or a MBF and post it up.

Other tourneys:
Chinook Showdown - 4/9
Trash Fish Roundup (pikeminnow)  8/13

"with friendship...and karate for everyone" - IASIP

I’ll preface that I am a pretty mediocre bass fisher, but I don’t get the general dislike of it around the NW. sure you’re not gonna bring home a tasty meal but for a day of C&R fishing it’s pretty fun. It’s a gear junkie and tacticians dream figuring out the right lure combo for a particular spot.  It’s usually done during the warm months so nice to be out. And locations ar easily accessible.

I haven’t really been able to get good at salmon fishing since I am too impatient to put in the time and as much as I enjoy a fresh salmon meal, I don’t care to spend days trolling for nothing especially now that my fishing days are more limited due to family commitments.  Bass fishing is active casting and hunting and even as a crappy bass fisher I at least hook into a few fish every time. Not hard to see why it’s so popular in my opinion.

In my younger days I used to snowboard a ton and one day I got stuck on a chair when the lift suddenly stopped. As the wind drove ice pellets into me for the next 45 min. or so I thought "man, everybody has a different threshold of shit they're willing to endure in the pursuit of their own fun." My threshold happens to be pretty high. I don't mind getting skunked, but hopefully I learn something or refine a process so my odds increase slightly next time out.

And to further illustrate how different we are...As much as I enjoy the company of all the homies I fish with, I'm in the game to stack the freezer. I don't really want to fish for what I won't eat. I'm also kind of KISS guy when it comes to gear. I don't enjoy maintenance, have room for storage, or want to pack along anymore than I need to get the job done that particular day.

There's another NWKA member (who will remain nameless) that I've had conversations with that we both decided that we would rather fish for Chinook for 49 days and get skunked every day if we got one on day 50 vs. fish for bass one day and catch 100 5lb'ers.

I like the grind, I like the solitude, I enjoy taking (calculated) risk for a reward and pitting myself against the elements to see if I can fool one of mother nature's finest creations to come home with me.

If you want to put a motor on your yak, I say cool. If you want to fish in a superfund site next to crackheads for toxic fish, I say cool. I don't begrudge anyone their fun as long as their fun doesn't involve tap dancing on my toes.

While native species fisheries are put under increasing strain and tighter regulations follow the opportunities are generally decreasing. While at the same time the popularity and opportunities for bass are trending upwards around these here parts.

Aside from ORC and AOTD tournaments there's not much organized in the way of tournaments....

A few more.

http://aoty.northwestkayakanglers.com/

https://kayakfishingnorthwest.com/schedule/  Not all AOTD.

https://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=23509.0 Yeah it's AOTD, but if you don't go to this one you're seriously missing out.



It doesn't necessarily need to be a kayak only tournament.  Organizing a yak group to mix it up in a power boat tournament could fast track camaraderie.

https://brewstersalmonderby.com/

http://www.ccawashington.org/derbies

https://nwfishingderbyseries.com/