Official 2012 AOTY Thread

I was disappointed with a couple of pictures used to submit entries this year.  I don't think the rules need to spell out exactly how a picture needs to be taken - I just want people to use some common sense.  Check your lens before you shoot and make sure you can see both ends of the fish and some numbers in the picture.  If you're using a hawg trough, the nose of the fish goes against the end that represents zero; that angled piece at the end is there for a reason.   

If you notice questionable entries, please don't be shy about letting me know.  I must admit that it is difficult for me to police every entry as they come in.  And of course, as in prior years, competitors that place will have their entries reviewed before declaring official winners.

-Allen

  polepole,
 Thanks so much for all the work you put in getting this up and running.There are so many fish--and so little time.

  I am glad to be able to support this site in this small way.The return I/we get from NWKA is immeasurable.
  Good luck to us all in 2012....it's gonna be an awesome year.

I was disappointed with a couple of pictures used to submit entries this year.  I don't think the rules need to spell out exactly how a picture needs to be taken - I just want people to use some common sense.  Check your lens before you shoot and make sure you can see both ends of the fish and some numbers in the picture.  If you're using a hawg trough, the nose of the fish goes against the end that represents zero; that angled piece at the end is there for a reason.   

This year I released several of the fish I counted for AOTY and I'm not happy with the clarity of the measurements I was getting. What has worked well for you guys when trying to measure alive fish over 24" and still be able to release it unharmed? Especially with out using a Hawg trough b/c those are hard to pack on the plane.
Thanks Guys

Rule number 1....

1.   All fish entered must be caught by hook and line (i.e. hooked, fought, and landed) from a  human power kayak (i.e. no sail or motors), without aid from anyone else and using methods deemed legal according to the body of water from which they are caught. No mothershipping allowed, the kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.

So, with the two items highlighted above, does this eliminate row boats, canoes, paddle boards, kick tubes, etc... limiting this event to JUST kayaks? 

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

As far as me keeping my kayak under human powered control upon landing in the surf, that might get sketchy in the even of a Huli.     

Rule number 1....

1.   All fish entered must be caught by hook and line (i.e. hooked, fought, and landed) from a  human power kayak (i.e. no sail or motors), without aid from anyone else and using methods deemed legal according to the body of water from which they are caught. No mothershipping allowed, the kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.

So, with the two items highlighted above, does this eliminate row boats, canoes, paddle boards, kick tubes, etc... limiting this event to JUST kayaks? 

Correct.

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

Well, I'd like to think that no one will sail 10 miles up the coast, touch land, then paddle out to the reef to fish and think that is ok.  But if you sailed up the coast 20 miles, camped out there, paddled out to the reef to fish and back to camp, that should be ok.

How can I word this in the rules to make it clear?

-Allen

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

Well, I'd like to think that no one will sail 10 miles up the coast, touch land, then paddle out to the reef to fish and think that is ok.  But if you sailed up the coast 20 miles, camped out there, paddled out to the reef to fish and back to camp, that should be ok.

How can I word this in the rules to make it clear?

-Allen

How about "Don't be an asshat"

How about something along the lines of using only human power on the day the fish is caught, that will allow for multiple day trips and that trip everyone loves to take in Alaska.

You can't regulate everything all the time.  For most rules there'll be an acceptable exception. 

At some point, you just have to trust people to do the right thing.

-Spot-

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

Well, I'd like to think that no one will sail 10 miles up the coast, touch land, then paddle out to the reef to fish and think that is ok.  But if you sailed up the coast 20 miles, camped out there, paddled out to the reef to fish and back to camp, that should be ok.

How can I word this in the rules to make it clear?

-Allen

How about "Don't be an asshat"

Nope!  Perfectly legal.   

Rule number 1....

1.   All fish entered must be caught by hook and line (i.e. hooked, fought, and landed) from a  human power kayak (i.e. no sail or motors), without aid from anyone else and using methods deemed legal according to the body of water from which they are caught. No mothershipping allowed, the kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.

So, with the two items highlighted above, does this eliminate row boats, canoes, paddle boards, kick tubes, etc... limiting this event to JUST kayaks? 

Correct.

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

Well, I'd like to think that no one will sail 10 miles up the coast, touch land, then paddle out to the reef to fish and think that is ok.  But if you sailed up the coast 20 miles, camped out there, paddled out to the reef to fish and back to camp, that should be ok.

How can I word this in the rules to make it clear?

-Allen

I like keeping it "pure" no motherships, sail, etc. period.  To me a mother ship style trip in Alaska or a jet boat ride up a river, or where ever, where a boat drops you off at a distant location to fish for a few days or weeks is no different than a mother ship trip that takes you five miles off shore drops you off to fish for a few hours.  To me both give an unfair level of access. We all know a "fishing trip" is from when you initially leave home/port/land/vehicle till when you return. It might be a one, two or twelve day trip. Most consider the entire block of time a "trip" not each day being referred to as a separate freestanding occurrence/trip.  So if a guy sailed up the coast 5 miles then camped out for a night and launched off the beach and fished and then sailed home the next day, in my mind that's one "three day trip" where a sail was used to access the location so points would not count. Either way I'm not worried as I have faith that PDX fisher is going to kick all our asses

Rule number 1....

1.   All fish entered must be caught by hook and line (i.e. hooked, fought, and landed) from a  human power kayak (i.e. no sail or motors), without aid from anyone else and using methods deemed legal according to the body of water from which they are caught. No mothershipping allowed, the kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.

So, with the two items highlighted above, does this eliminate row boats, canoes, paddle boards, kick tubes, etc... limiting this event to JUST kayaks? 

Correct.

Also, with the no sail, or mother shipping allowed.  Kayak must be under human powered control from launch until landing.  No sailing to and/or from launch points, or anywhere in between, correct?   

Well, I'd like to think that no one will sail 10 miles up the coast, touch land, then paddle out to the reef to fish and think that is ok.  But if you sailed up the coast 20 miles, camped out there, paddled out to the reef to fish and back to camp, that should be ok.

How can I word this in the rules to make it clear?

-Allen

I like keeping it "pure" no motherships, sail, etc. period.  To me a mother ship style trip in Alaska or a jet boat ride up a river, or where ever, where a boat drops you off at a distant location to fish for a few days or weeks is no different than a mother ship trip that takes you five miles off shore drops you off to fish for a few hours.  To me both give an unfair level of access. We all know a "fishing trip" is from when you initially leave home/port/land/vehicle till when you return. It might be a one, two or twelve day trip. Most consider the entire block of time a "trip" not each day being referred to as a separate freestanding occurrence/trip.  So if a guy sailed up the coast 5 miles then camped out for a night and launched off the beach and fished and then sailed home the next day, in my mind that's one "three day trip" where a sail was used to access the location so points would not count. Either way I'm not worried as I have faith that PDX fisher is going to kick all our asses

That's a better way to put it than how I worded my question.  Thanks pelagic paddler. 

I like keeping it "pure" no motherships, sail, etc. period.  To me a mother ship style trip in Alaska or a jet boat ride up a river, or where ever, where a boat drops you off at a distant location to fish for a few days or weeks is no different than a mother ship trip that takes you five miles off shore drops you off to fish for a few hours.  To me both give an unfair level of access. We all know a "fishing trip" is from when you initially leave home/port/land/vehicle till when you return. It might be a one, two or twelve day trip. Most consider the entire block of time a "trip" not each day being referred to as a separate freestanding occurrence/trip.  So if a guy sailed up the coast 5 miles then camped out for a night and launched off the beach and fished and then sailed home the next day, in my mind that's one "three day trip" where a sail was used to access the location so points would not count. Either way I'm not worried as I have faith that PDX fisher is going to kick all our asses

I know what you're saying, but consider the following ...

What if I fly up to Seattle, hitch a ride with Zee, and kill it on the Puget Sound?  Is that any different than if I fly into a remote lodge and fish from there?  Is that then any different than boating into a remote lodge?  Is that then any different from boating into a remote camp site?

You can't regulate everything all the time.  For most rules there'll be an acceptable exception. 

At some point, you just have to trust people to do the right thing.

-Spot-

I used to trust people to do the right thing.  And for the most part they do.  But I also know that people like to find loopholes in the rules.  Never mind whether they exploit it or not.  People want to know the truth.

-Allen

and I CAN handle that Truth

Oh yeah!  Definitely in!  Gonna have to make a trip to WA or OR to have a realistic shot at it but that's okay, that's one of the things that make it fun I think.

Due to a variety of circumstances I think my fishing time i going to be cut in half during 2012 but I will have 100% more experience in kayak fishing these waters so I think that more than makes up for the lost time.

WOOHOO!!!!

Caution! Rookie question coming.
I've seen the the term "upgrade" used frequently. Does this mean we can replace an entry with another of the same species of presumably larger size?

What if I fly up to Seattle, hitch a ride with Zee, and kill it on the Puget Sound?  Is that any different than if I fly into a remote lodge and fish from there?  Is that then any different than boating into a remote lodge?  Is that then any different from boating into a remote camp site?

Yes it is different due to angler envy and "Damn, why didn't I think of that?".