Kayakers Flood Depoe Bay for Rockfish Tournament
Lauren and Christine Smith show off a pair of Cabazon caught during the July 12 Oregon Rockfish Classic kayak fishing tournament. (Photos by Larry Coonrod)
By Larry Coonrod
DEPOE BAY—The whale watching capital of the world became the kayak fishing capital of the world for a day as 115 anglers turned out for the seventh annual Oregon Rockfish Classic Saturday.
Kenneth Dickens of Portland bested some of the top professional kayak anglers in the country with a 19 pound 15-ounce lingcod. And the kicker? It was his first-time ocean kayak fishing.
Dickens bought a kayak five years ago to compete in the Oregon Rockfish Classic but did not enter until this year. He caught two lingcod jigging about half-a-mile offshore just north of the bell buoy. The first measured about 30-inches. The second was too big to store in the hatch.
“It was as long as my leg flopping in the boat,” he said. “I was just darn lucky.”
Dickens won a brand new Hobie $2,000 fishing kayak from tournament sponsor Next Adventure and an airline voucher to Amsterdam to join Team North America in the 2014 Hobie World Fishing Championships this fall.
“I’m definitely psyched. It’s a lot of swag for fishing, something I like to do anyway,” he said.
Event Draws Anglers From all Over U.S.
Less than a dozen anglers turned out for the inaugural contest held in Pacific City in 2008. Organizers moved the event to Depoe Bay in 2009 and it has continued to grow every year, attracting pro and amateur anglers from the Oregon, Washington, Alaska, California, Idaho and points east.
“We had Montana represented at this tournament,” said co-director Michael Rischer. “We had one come from Texas, one come from Louisiana and one come from Jacksonville, Florida.”
Proceeds from the tournament go to the Depoe Bay nonprofit Neighbors for Kids, which provides youth after-school and summer activities.
“We should be able to generate $3,000, maybe $4,000 to the organization this year thanks to the 115 participants,” Rischer said.
Participants found relatively calm sea conditions as they fished over nearshore reefs for black rockfish, lingcod and Cabazon.
“It was a little foggy when we went out this morning, but we had some really calm water and really calm wind,” Rischer said. “It was a good day here in Depoe Bay.”
Foot Powered Kayaks Have Advantage
Many of the participants came from the ranks of the Northwest Kayak Anglers (northwestkayakanglers.com). Those that sojourned into the open ocean with pedal-powered kayaks had the distinct advantage of not having to paddle to hold their position over prime fishing spots.
“It gives us the ability to have our hands free to fish,” Rischer said. “On these kinds of reefs with wind and current that we have here on the Oregon coast, it just makes it so much nicer to be able to slowly pedal to keep myself straight over those rocks so I’m not drifting.”
Dickens, the tournament winner, used a paddle kayak but plans to claim a foot-powered model from Next Adventure as his prize.
Range of Experience
The only West Coast qualifier for the world championship, the Oregon Rockfish Classic attracted professional anglers sponsored by major kayak and tackle companies. Along with the pros came a larger number of amateurs and beginners who benefited from the more experienced kayak anglers.
“There’s a lot of people brand new to kayak fishing,” Rischer said. “We try to bring them in under our wings and teach them how fortunate we are to have this wonderful fishery right here in our backyard.”
Lauren and Christine Smith of Salem started kayak fishing a year and a half ago. The fished together out of their tandem kayak Saturday. They caught their limit, with the biggest fish being a 9-pound Cabazon caught by Lauren.
“We really like being on the water,” Lauren said. “It’s quiet. You really feel like you are part of the ecosystem you are utilizing.”
Contact reporter Larry Coonrod by emailing editor@lincolncountydispatc.com
