What do you get when you mix in a beautiful southern California day, youngsters eager to catch a fish (any fish), and a hard-working group of local and more distant volunteers? The answer in this case was the 2011 UPSAC-IGFA Oceanside Pier Young Anglers Tournament held August 6, 2011.
Getting ready
It starts
Sign here!
The sign-up tables
Sponsored by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC), NOAA, and the Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle, the event was declared a rousing success by all.
Loaner rods
Getting the “Goody Bags” ready
Free loaner rods and reels, free bait, free lunches (more than 300 served), and help from more than 25 volunteers greeted the 109 young anglers and their parents.
Heading out!
UPSAC President Ken Jones giving tournament instructions
Ed and Pam Gonsalves, co-sponsors from the Oceanside Pier Bait shop
You might as well be comfortable when you are fishing
UPSAC’s Hashem Nahid offers assistance to a young angler
Hook up?
The Bait Shop stayed busy
UPSAC’s Eugene Kim and Hashem Nahid
NOAA’s Marty Golden
NOAA’s Marty Golden and UPSAC’s Ken Jones talking to the mayor of Oceanside — “Wow, isn’t this a great event?”
The IGFA’s Mike Farrior and members of the Oceanside Senior Anglers Club
Although the fishing was a little slow, the anglers, many who were fishing for the first time, managed to pull in a nice variety of SoCal species that included halibut, kelp bass, barred surfperch, walleye surfperch, spotfin croaker, yellowfin croaker, white croaker, queenfish, sargo, jacksmelt, mackerel, and a baby bat ray.
A spotfin croaker
A nice catch of spotfin croaker
The capture of the fish yielded ten age-group winners.The winners were: 6-year-old Carlos Cruz, 7-year-old Emily Dipitro, 8-year-old Kathryn Oh, 9-year-old Riley Bryant, 10-year-old Angel Flores, 11-year-old Elvis Rivera, 12-year-old Claire Christy, 13-year-old Mikey Pugh, 14-year-old Edward Dizon, and 15-year-old David Hernandez (who was the grand champion in 2010). The Grand Champion this year was Mikey Pugh. Each of the winners received a new rod and reel, an autographed copy of Pier Fishing in California, and a beautiful IGFA certificate. The grand champion also had his name engraved on a perpetual trophy that stays at the pier.
Waiting for the results and the raffle
IGFA’s Mike Farrior and a young lady with a yellowfin croaker
It looks like a queenfish
Two yellowfin croaker
Ken Jones announcing the winners
6-Year-Old Winner Carlos Cruz
8-Year-Old Winner Kathryn Oh
9-Year-Old Winner Riley Bryant
10-Year-Old Winner Angel Flores
11-Year-Old Winner Elvis Rivera
12-Year-Old Winner Claire Christy
13-Year-Old Winner Mikey Pugh
14-Year-Old Winner Edward Dizon
15-Year-Old Winner David Hernandez
13-Year-Old Winner and Grand Champion Mikey Pugh with IGFA’s Mike Farrior
Next up was the raffle!
Waiting for the tickets to be drawn
A winner
Twenty youngsters won free raffle prizes and all of the participants received “goody bags” filled with a plethora of gifts.
Pam Gonsalves handing out “Goody Bags”
The main coordinators were Ed and Pam Gonsalves of the Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle shop and Ken Jones, President of UPSAC. They were ably assisted by IGFA’s Mike Farrior and Gary Graham, UPSAC Board members Eugene Kim and Hashim Nahid, Marty Golden from NOAA, and a large group of volunteers including the judges from the Oceanside Senior Anglers Club – Lee Wood, Dan Ontiveros, Manuel Ontiveros, Hal Reeser, Ray Wilkerson, Fred Kazzmerek, Jim Swartz. Joining the crowd was the Mayor of Oceanside Jim Woods and Councilman Jack Fuller. Filming the event for KCOT TV was Video-Photographer Bill Stromberg.
Local helpers included Betty Sanchez, Konnie Newland, Joy Koepke, Willie Stevens, Don Dotson, Mountain Man Mark Lewis, Chris Monsale, Larry Snell, Wayne Kogow, Ted Gillespie, Chris Rivas, and Johnny Aggrange.
Among the groups and businesses donating prizes were Oceanside Pier Bait and Tackle, Anglers Bait and Tackle, Arcadia Tackle, Charles Belñavis T-Shirts, Danielson Mfg., Helgren’s Sportfishing, IGFA, J&M Bait Distributors, NOAA, Pacific Coast Bait and Tackle, Pat’s Bait and Tackle, Pierfishing.com, Promar, and Ruby’s Restaurant.
Some of the wonderful people who helped put on the tournament
