Low swell tomorrow

I'm heading out to crab in the ocean tomorrow given how low the swell is.  It's about 4 feet at 15 seconds apart so it's not bad at all.  We went out crabbing in open ocean last week and did really well.  We limited out 3 people with 1 pull on 3 pots.

2019 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship

Despite a short 3 to 4 weeks notice of having to reschedule the 2^nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship date and place, 71 competitors showed up to participate at Ona Beach State Park. One angler even came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and drove over 2 days just to fish in the tournament! Several anglers came from Washington and many people drove several hours to participate so these events are becoming more popular every year. It’s awesome to see that type of passion for this type of fishing!

Although, we had 84 people last year, there was much more time to plan in 2018 and the event was held during summer vacation so it was expected we would have a drop in numbers this year due to the circumstances of having to reschedule the tournament. We believe we would have had over 100 competitors at Cape Lookout had we been able to hold the tournament then.

One of the nice things to see is the continued diversity of the people that come to the tournaments including beginners who have never caught a surf perch. This is very enheartening to see as it shows just how much surf fishing appeals to all types of people and ages. This is the most minors we have had register so it’s really nice to see parents bringing their kids out to learn this wholesome sport.

Even if we might not agree on many topics, have varying opinions and have different lifestyles, the one thing we all have in common is our love for Oregon Surf Fishing! It’s a great bond and brings a lot of people together who wouldn’t normally visit with each other so it helps promote a community spirit.

We had people come from all over the area despite the short notice of the tournament date and place. One angler, Roland Fero, came from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to compete!  

Once people registered, they drove to various beaches as only about 1/3 of the competitors stayed at Ona Beach. The interesting thing is that the July’2019 Ona Beach tournament winner, Sam Mlonie, caught 15 lbs of fish staying at Ona Beach. One competitor drove to Tierra del Mar, which is ~1 ½ hrs away but unfortunately, traffic caught up to them and they missed the weigh-in deadline. The risk of driving to another beach is that traffic can cause you to miss the deadline, especially on a Saturday.

The weather was rainy, windy and chilly in the morning and competitors had to survive a few downpours. The swells were tough to deal with at 6 to 8 ft and it forced anglers further up the beach for safety reasons. There was also a large swing in the tide today. So, with the weather, tide swing and large swells, fishing conditions were not optimal and it tested the competitors’ abilities to adjust their approaches to catch fish.  The tough conditions were also reflected in the smaller size of the catches compared to past results at Ona Beach.

There were 19 weigh-ins which was 25% of the competitors who were able to get fish. To have enough skill to get a weigh-in is an accomplishment by itself and anyone should be proud to beat out that many anglers! A full weigh-in list is at the end of this article.

The 2019 Championship winner was Danh Vu who caught 7 lbs of fish, which beat out the 2^nd place winner, Jane Smith, by 1 lbs.  Danh used sand crabs on a Carolina rig, a 3ft 25lb mono leader and a 10.6 ft heavy action rod. He fished at Moolack Beach to claim the title of 2019 Oregon Surf Fishing Champion. Danh has consistently been successful in these tournaments as he placed 6^th in last year’s Championship at Gearheart and won the 2018 Warm-up at Ona Beach. It’s clear he’s a very knowledgeable surf perch angler despite surf fishing for only 3 years.

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Danh reinforced his claim as the 2019 Oregon Surf Fishing Champion by also catching the biggest fish at 2.07 lbs! He is the first person to win both 1^st place and Biggest Fish which might be hard to duplicate going forward as the tournaments get bigger in size. Due to the one prize per person rule, the Biggest Fish cash award was given to Jay Lyon, who also fished at Moolack Beach. He used sand crabs, a Hi/Lo rig, 12lb mono leader on a 10ft medium action rod. Jay’s fish weighed in at 1.xxx lbs.

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Here are this year’s Championship Tournament winners:

Two of the more interesting observations are that all the winners were using sand crabs for bait and all fished at another beach. Seal Rock and Ona Beach didn’t produce as they have in the past tournaments and the July’2019 tournament winner used Gulp sandworms vs sand crabs.

Congratulations to this year’s Champion, Danh Vu, who was able to outfish 71 competitors to win top prize and catch the biggest fish. That’s definitely not an easy feat and is certainly deserving of the title of 2019 Oregon Surf Fishing Champion. Danh has become a consistent winner and it’s clear he knows how to catch Perch in different conditions and in different locations.

One angler, Thanh Nguyen, being a true sportsman released several small perch which might have cost him a winner’s spot but it was more important to Thanh to do the ‘right thing’ of releasing small fish vs going after a prize. What a respectful attitude as a steward of the Oregon coast beaches!

And to just to show others that you don’t need a lot of experience to win in these tournaments, Wendell Bush, the 3^rd place finisher, had only surf fished one other time before the Championship and was still able to beat out 71 competitors to win part of the prize money. What an awesome accomplishment for his 2^nd time surf fishing ever! He was so new to perch fishing, he wasn’t sure what type of gear/rig he was using as someone set him up at the tournament!

So, all you who are new to surf perch fishing, take it from Wendall, you don’t have to know alot to be successful and it’s much easier if you have someone show you how to do it the right way. So, ask alot of questions and seek advice.

Thanks to the weather turning sunny and warm with clear skies, the raffle was a huge success. With the many generous prizes that were donated, over 35 prizes including the cash awards  were given away which means that 1 out of every 2 people walked away with something!

Thanks go out to Preston who fished in the tournament and drew the winning raffle tickets for us.

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The winners of the Day with PK raffle were Anh Vu and Zak Nordstrom so keep watching for their YouTube videos which will posted once they have their “Day with PK”.

The winner of the brand new Santiam Rod/Reel combo was a young man who was VERY excited to win. It was nice to see him win as he will treasure the combo since its unlikely he would have been able to afford such an awesome setup using his own money. It was easy to see that no one will take better care of the Santiam rod/reel combo than he will.

Here are a few pictures of the lucky winners and look how big their smiles are!

The social event after the raffle is still one of the best parts of the tournament as it gives us all a chance to get to know each other as people and it helps spread such good will amongst all the people who show up. I was able to see many of my subscribers for the first time which I always love to do and it’s nice to see the returning competitors who continue to come to the tournaments on a regular basis.

Our thanks go out to all the people who showed up despite the short notice as the tournament is not successful without the competitors who decide to fish! Thank-you all for making this a priority and coming to fish at the Championship as without all of you, there is no tournament! For those of you who came to Cape Lookout, we apologize you missed out on the Championship, hope you can forgive us and that you will come to one of the tournaments next year.

We’d like to give a BIG shout-out to all this year’s raffle prize donors as there so many great prizes that we were able to give out due to their generosity. Without their generous donations, we wouldn’t have been able to give out over 35 prizes for 71 people.

DONORS:

> Santiam Rods:  Jay -  Custom Fishing Rod and Reel, Tackle Boxes, Fillet knives

> Oregon Surf Perch Club: Marie and David Cozine / Tackle Box & Assorted Perch Gear & Merchandise

> Teal Crab: Anthony and Eugene - Crack n’Crab Cleaners.  www.tealcrab.com

> Custom Tackle Works: Rick (owner) – Hellgrammite Plastic baits

> Projectorstreetshop.com (Project Oregon): Instagram: @project.or  - Canteens

> Wild Mike’s Swag Bags: Chris Kudo (also provided Oregon State certified scale for the official weigh-ins) 

Thanks so much for your generosity and it was much appreciated by the tournament hosts and participants!

Next year’s tournament dates and locations have already been chosen so start making your plans and reservations early.  The tournaments will get better each year and we are working on making them more fun for everyone!

2020 Championship Warm-Up Tournament

Saturday - July 18th, 2020
Location: Ona Beach State Park

2020 Oregon Surf Fishing Championship Tournament

Saturday - August 15th, 2020     Start Time:  8am      End Time:  1pm

Location: Ona Beach State Park

In the meantime, keep watching my Youtube Channel and my website, EVERYLIST.COM, for updates on what I’m doing as well as updates on next year’s tournaments.

TIGHT LINES, EVERYONE!!

Going to Oregon Tomorrow

Got the Championship on the 28th, so I'm heading up there a little early to see if I can get some fishing or crabbing in.  No doubt I will, but weather will be the main deciding factor. 

I have a few trips already planned, one trout fishing and one crabbing.  Of course, I got a lot more trips planned but those 2 initially are 100% certain. 

Man, I just love and miss Oregon a lot.  I especially miss the surf fishing there.  I can't wait to move back, and when I do, it'll be into a house right on the coast.

Be careful when eating crab along the Oregon coast

Here is a health warning from the Oregon Dept. of Fish & Wildlife.  There is always health warning for every food we eat, it seems.  More importantly, I think it is the amount and frequency of consumption that matters most.

I know many people comment on my crabbing videos about eating the "butter" part of the crab.  And the warning below is why I don't eat it.  I did try the butter part before out of curiosity, but I didn't taste all that good to me. 

So, if you do like consuming the innards, just remember it does build up in your system over time.

Weather update for the 9/28 Championship

Way too far to be accurate, but here is the prediction.....  if that stays true, we are in for a good tournament. 

Tournament Checklist

Below is a list of what you need to focus on when coming to the tournament.

• Have your fishing license with you at all times in case a police officer checks
• Be aware and follow all Oregon fishing regulations 
• Check the swell reports the day before the tournament (https://magicseaweed.com/Newport-Surf-Report/318/)
• Pay the $25 entry fee
• Be aware of start and end time (once the tourney ends, be sure to be at the weigh-in station before the deadline or your catch will be disqualified)
• Always clean up any mess you make - bring a plastic bag to put your own garbage in
• If you clean fish afterwards, you must put the carcasses in a bag and take it home with you

Also, note that at all of these tournaments, you are welcome to go fish at other nearby beaches.  If you do, be sure to give yourself some driving time to make it back to the weigh-in station by the deadline.  Remember, summertime traffic on HWY 101 can be pretty busy during the summer.

Please respect everyone and obey all laws so we can all continue to enjoy these tournaments - which are made possible by the Oregon Parks and Recreation.

Catfish Photos

A gallery of our catfishing trip to Clear Lake.

Updated Prize List for the 9/28 Tournament

The above list shows what prizes we have for the upcoming tournament on 9/28.  This isn't complete as we expect to have more people donate during the day of the tourney.  

Where to Go Crabbing in Oregon

People always ask me where to go crabbing in Oregon.  It's not hard to figure out,  dungeness crab are all over the Oregon coast.  Any and all bays in Oregon have them.  Here is a good link:  https://myodfw.com/articles/where-crab-oregon.

The location is actually irrelevant, and I know this since I've crabbed in Oregon since 1998.  The all more important factor is season.  During October, you can catch crab in any bay in Oregon because that's peak season.  It greatly dies down in mid December, and won't get good again until September.  Sometimes my videos are old, and you go crabbing in that same location only to be skunked because you went in the spring time - which is the dead of the crabbing season.

Just follow the map in the link above, and go during the fall, and you'll limit out each time.

Special 100-member Raffle for the Ultimate Surf Fishing Combo

At the 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship at Ona Beach on September 28, 2019, I will raffle off my ultimate surf fishing combo to one lucky winner -- IF we get 100 contestants.

This is the best surf fishing combo for the Oregon coast.  Total price is around $150 and it will go to one lucky winner, assuming we get 100 attendees.  If we don't, then I will move the prize to next year.  And I'm pretty certain (200%)  that we will get to at least 100 attendees next summer.  So tell your friends and other people to come to the Championship, and you could be the lucky winner of this awesome combo!

Future Tournament Location

Starting with the 9/28 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship, all future tournaments (both the warm-up tournament and the Championship) will be held at Ona Beach.

In past years, I've held the tournaments at various beaches, with no fixed location. As we get bigger, I wanted to pick a "home" for these tournaments in order for it to be more predictable. People can expect it to be at the same location every year, and therefore it will be easier to plan for vacations and rent camping spots.

Here is a map of Ona Beach, if you don't already know it. See map.

Once we have a designated place for the Championship, it can become an annual event for families to plan their vacation around, while at the same time the Newport Chamber of Commerce can put it on their annual summer event calendar - which will attract more people to both tournaments.

The tournaments will also be announced well ahead of time so people can start to make plans for next summer. Once people know well ahead of time when and where the tournaments will be at, I think we will see an increase in attendance - which equates to bigger and better prizes.

Also, to help cover the cost of acquiring a permit and event insurance, the entry fee will be $25 per angler, while kids under 18 are free as long as they have their parents or a legal guardian present.

I know a small percentage of you like to drive to other nearby beaches to fish, and that is fine too. Just be sure to make it back to the weigh-in station by the deadline.

If you have any questions, my email is: pk1998@gmail.com.

Catfish at Clear Lake, CA

Took the family out to Clear Lake, CA and we caught some big catfish.  The best time to catch them is early morning before sunrise.  We had a great time, and planning to go back there in my boat this weekend.  If we do, I'm going to try to target crappies as well.

The locals tell me that catfishing is good year round, and that any bait will work. 

I used raw shrimp baited on a Carolina rig, and we fished off the bottom.  I've caught them from the bank and from a boat, and from all different locations.  It seems that it doesn't matter where you go, you can easily catch catfish at Clear Lake.  However, night time seems to be the optimal time as that's when they bite the most.

50K subscribers! Great milestone

Thank you to all of my subscribers!  I appreciate the support you've given me!  Couldn't have done it without you guys!

2020 Surf Fishing Tournament (warm up) 🐡 🐡

** Please check back often for updates **

Date: Saturday - July 18, 2020
Location: Ona Beach (see map)
Fee: $25 (under 18 free - you need one or both parents or a legal guardian present)
Registration: TBD
Start time: 9 AM
End time: 2 PM (your catch will be disqualified if you are not back at the weigh-in station by 2 pm)
High tide: 12:30 PM @ 6.27 ft
Send questions to: pk1998@gmail.com

Prize Pool
1) 1st place
2) 2nd place
3) 3rd place
4) Biggest fish
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For the 2019 tournament, the first place winner took home $400. The prize pool will go beyond the 3rd place prize depending on if we have a lot of turnout. Because we don't know how many people will turn out, the final prize pool will be adjusted on tournament day.

Plus there will be some random drawings as well. Note that you can only win ONE prize. It's possible that you can be in the top 3 and happen to catch the biggest fish. In this case you can claim one prize but not both. You will still get the Biggest Fish title, just not the prize. This is done to allow others a chance to win a prize.

**************** RULES ****************
1. All Oregon fishing rules must be followed by all participants (It is your responsibility to know these regulations)
2. 15 surf perch maximum per angler, and all snagged fish must be released per state law
3. To give others a chance of winning a prize, only one prize per participant
4. Do NOT share your catch with other anglers (if you are caught sharing your catch with another angler, you will be disqualified from the current and all future tournaments)
5. Minors are allowed but you must bring one or both of your parents, or a legal guardian
6. You must register first before you can start fishing
7. You must be at the weigh station by the designated end time (if you arrive after this time, your catch will be disqualified)

Notes: It's best to arrive at least one hour before check-in time so you can get geared up. Be sure to check the weather and swell reports a few days before the tournament. The weather on the Oregon coast can be unpredictable so always be prepared. 

Disclaimer: By entering the Oregon Surf Fishing Championship, you agree to let me use your name and photograph in tournament advertising and promotional materials.

Canceled 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship

I am so sorry for having to cancel the 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship tournament due to not having the proper paperwork filled out. I had checked with the ODFW but did not check with the Oregon State Parks Dept to ensure we could hold the tournament.

I know many people drove long distances today to be part of the Championship and that many people were disappointed today that they weren’t able to be in today’s tournament. I know many of you had to schedule time off work, changed your schedules to participate and I can’t tell you how sorry I am that we had to cancel the tournament.

When I first started organizing these tournaments in 2016, we had 15 to 20 people participate and I was told by an Oregon State Park’s employee that permits weren’t required. What I didn’t realize that with the tournaments growing to close to 100 people, it would require permits and insurance.

So, I apologize again for having my subscribers pay for my learning mistakes. I feel very badly for not meeting my commitment to all of you. I’m still learning on how to do things the right way as I really never expected things to grow this big so fast. I promise I will do better in the future.

However, the silver lining was that I got to meet a lot of great people, we had a small social at the end where we raffled off a few hats, many anglers got fish including some big ones and most of all, the community spirit of surf fishing was clear to see with so many people staying to fish.



It’s an awesome sight to see so many people lined to surf fish at the same time and wabt to be part of that experience! It doesn’t happen very often and it might be a bit crowded but it’s also a unique opportunity to be part of that kind of experience and feel part of something bigger than just surf fishing.

We didn’t get a lot of photos today but here’s a few we did get.




There were some big perch caught today and several people did quite well. Many caught silver perch so action was decent. Almost everyone was getting bites and not many saw zero action so at least the bite was decent for those that stayed and fished.
I want to thank all of you who came today and I’m sorry you weren’t able to be part of the tournament. I’ve been so looking forward to this year’s Championship as soon as last year’s ended and had high hopes for a great event.



I am going to try and reschedule the tournament for the end of September/early October but I have to ensure I fully investigate all state and local regulations before doing that. I will do an update in a week or so on YouTube and Everylist.com so check there for any updates.

I hope that those of you who stayed to fish caught a few for dinner and those that left were not too disappointed.

If you haven't heard, the Championship has been rescheduled to September 28, 2019 at Ona Beach.  Click here to read more.

In the meantime, TIGHT LINES EVERYONE !

Clear Lake Catfish

What a great day to spend Labor Day weekend with the family fishing.  Caught 10 total, and lost 2 good fish.  One was about 15# that got away.

This is my 4th time catching catfish in Clear Lake, and I have to admit I love this lake!  I haven't gotten skunked yet and there are some really big catfish in here.  I hope to add catfish to my regular videos on my channel.

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Here is my previous trip to Clear Lake to catch catfish.  The bite was amazing, and I had a lot of fun with my son.   The locals tell me you can catch catfish year round at Clear Lake.

Rescheduled 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship

The 2nd Annual Oregon Surf Fishing Championship will be held on September 28, 2019 at Ona Beach.  See the map of Ona Beach here.  I will arrive about 7 AM and start registering people.  Once you register, you can start fishing.