Neah Bay Kayak Fishing Derby, July 30 [Reports]

No time right now to post a full report, so I'll start with a picture, and post a full report later.  Feel free to post your reports here.

-Allen

Hey nice ugly looking fish there Pole! 

sorry I couldn't make it out to the derby.  probably next year...I'm sure you guys had a great time!

VP

All,

I just wanted to say "Hat's off!" to Polepole for pulling this one together for all of us.     Sure, a bunch of us might have thrown in together and decided to go fishing on a given weekend but how many of us could have made such prizes appear?  Our group might have been small by the standards of some, but it was far and away the biggest thing that's happened to kayak fishing so far in our part of the world.  And I'm sure it'll be bigger next year too.

That's Curlew Kevin's mug above (the one on the right side), modelling his FIRST annual derby winning ling cod for you.  I myself didn't win a dad-gummed thing but what a gas it was just to have the chance to go out and try for prizes like a new freakin' Big Game kayak!  And what a fine strain these kayak anglers seem to be... not a dud in the bunch!  Great group of guys out there, thanks to each of you who came out and made a little bit of history together.  But again, thanks Mr. Polepole for making this one a reallity and just maybe the first in a long string.   

Fishin-T

All,

I just wanted to say "Hat's off!" to Polepole for pulling this one together for all of us.     Sure, a bunch of us might have thrown in together and decided to go fishing on a given weekend but how many of us could have made such prizes appear?  Our group might have been small by the standards of some, but it was far and away the biggest thing that's happened to kayak fishing so far in our part of the world.  And I'm sure it'll be bigger next year too.

That's Curlew Kevin's mug above (the one on the right side), modelling his FIRST annual derby winning ling cod for you.  I myself didn't win a dad-gummed thing but what a gas it was just to have the chance to go out and try for prizes like a new freakin' Big Game kayak!  And what a fine strain these kayak anglers seem to be... not a dud in the bunch!  Great group of guys out there, thanks to each of you who came out and made a little bit of history together.  But again, thanks Mr. Polepole for making this one a reallity and just maybe the first in a long string.   

Fishin-T

Well said "T", great job Allen and what a great group of fells'a it was. Great spot too.

Cheers,
Snag

OK Guys, I'm starting the report.  Here goes ...

My Neah Bay weekend officially started around 1PM on Friday when Pete (pjrflyguy) and his son Peter stopped by to pick up a Prowler Big Game for young Peter to use.  Ted joined us and we all left for the Edmond's Ferry.  Around 6PM Ted and I pull into Snow Creek.  Pete had stopped off in Port Angeles for a bit.  Matt (floatin cowboys) was already there and had his tent set up.  After helping us unpack Matt was anxious to hit the water so he geared up while set up our camp.  We joined him on the water shortly.  The fishing didn't turn on so much.  I caught a 3# black (released).  We didn't stay on the water too long and headed in for dinner.  Pete and Peter had arrived and were setting up camp.  Dinner, then a few drinks around the fire and late in the nigh Charles (charliefl66)show up.  We thought some others were going to show up even later so had a few beers waiting for them.  About 1AM we got tired of waiting and hit the sack.

The next day we got up somewhat early and hit the water.  The plan was to check out the water off Seal and Sail rock.  The current was on the outgo and we drifted west.  Pete hit a black on the fly rod.  Shortly after Ted caught a small quillback which he insisted on keeping as it was his first.

I got a nice copper a little after that and a bit later we (Ted, Charles, Pete, and I) were pretty far west so headed into the kelp to pick our way back towards Snow Creek.  I managed a couple underlings at the kelp edge.  One of them looked like it was going to be bigger as I saw a big form coming up from the bottom.  About 15 feet below the boat the form split into 2 underlings.  D'oh!

We continued our way back then hooked around Seal/Sail rocks.  I wanted to o check out the 60 foot hump  We found it alright.  But the current was ripping over it and created quite the rip with eddies and whirlpools to boot.  It was pretty much impossible to fish it, but I enjoyed paddling in it.  We headed back to camp for breakfast and beer.   

The guys from Curlew/Republic (Jim, Kevin, and Justin) had shown up and were eager to get out on the water.  Matt headed back out too.  Steven showed up and headed out soon after as well.  A little bit later Charles, Ted, and I joined them.  This time we headed east to check out that area as we had already checked out the front and the west.  In the first few minutes Ted hooked up a black, then me, then Charles.  I hooked a nice bait sized greenling and stuck it on a hook.  About this time Matt comes drifting up and he calls for a measuring device.  I take a look at his ling and thought is was short.  As I pulled up it looked a bit longer so I whipped out a tape measure and it hit 24.5", the first keeper ling of the trip.  As I was taking pictures, it shook out of Matt's hand and set itself free back into the water.  I did get one picture of it though.

We were drifting way west.  I kept paddling back up current, but a lot of the guys were way gone.  At one point I got a nice takedown on the greenling and as the ling neared the surface I saw a keeper size ling with it in it's mouth.  However, one head shake and the greenling came off the hook and the ling sank back down with it's prize still in it's mouth.   Ted came back up current and we work the water a bit paddling up a current a few times.  At one point I came across Steven who was hooked up to something big.  But I'll let him tell that story.  Called it an evening shortly after as Ted and I worked out way back.

When we got back Tom (Fishin-T), Jason, Sean (snag-a-bit), and Jim had shown up.  It was time to get down to business and drink beer and have dinner.  Charles cleaned all the fish we had.  I cut up some potatoes, and Tom battered up the fish.  And we FRIED FRIED FRIED!.  mmm mmm good.

Here's a shot of camp with Charles holding up his black from the evening.

Off to bed early as we were tired and had a big day ahead of us.  At 5:15 I woke up to the sound of rain and no one else stirring.  I suppose it's time to get up.  I started making some coffee and soon others were starting to stir.  It wasn't a big group start as we were slow in getting ready.  Here's a few guys getting ready to launch.

Ted and I I headed out in the a few minutes later and picked my way through the kelp to the east a bit.  The plan was to ride the current from there to the west across the 60 foot hump.  I though about going deeped but ran across some nice structure at 60 feet and stopped to check them out.  I was a little to the east of the east side boys.  The sun was starting to come out and here's what it looked like out there.

The drift was taking us east still so I started paddling towards the 60 foot hump.  Came across Keven and Justin.  Here's Justing.

I kept working my way up current and a bit later Kevin joins me. We chatted for a bit.  Now Kevin seems to have been on fire this weekend.  At least in terms of catching fish colored red.  The evening before he had hooked a couple Tiger Rockfish.  I had told him if he caught anything red/orange to let it go, thinking that that was the safe thing to do.  I really though that Canary Rockfish would be the only red/orange fish caught.  In fact, I had caught one the previous morning.  This morning he had caught a couple canaries as well.  He proceeds to pull up a deep red fish.  I thought is was a vermillion, but to tell you the truth I thought they were rare around here and I forgot the "rules" of identifying one.  I was 95% sure it was a vermillion and if I was in CA I wouldn't have hesitated to string it up.  It ended up swimming off.  Better safe than sorry.   So a bit later, here's Kevin hooking up again.

This time Kevin says it's a bigger fish.  It took him at least 10 minuted to bring it up.  I looked down and saw a BIG ling with a LITTLE ling sticking out of it's mouth.  It wasn't hooked, just holding on.  Now Kevin didn't have a new so he looks to me as I had a big one.  But I told him that I couldn't net it as that would DQ it.  So he borrowed my net and slipped the ling into it.  Yeehaw!  Bonked it and strung it up.  Here's the fish begin pulled out of the water.

Well, I knew immediately that the ling was going to be the derby winner barring some stroke of luck.   I tell you Kevin was on fire with the fish.  His secret was tipping his jigs with shrimp.  He offered me a couple pieces after he landed the ling and I sent a jig down only to hook up immediately with a nice copper.

Shortly after, more yaks floated up to us.

And a bit later Tom and Sean show up.  Here's Sean holdin up a nice cab.  And what's Tom doing here?

It was almost 10 and I decided to head in to set up for the weighin and to meet DORN, the USCGA rep who I arranged to show up and give a safety check to the guys as they came in.  Here's a few more shots of various people landing.