Free loaner rods and reels, free terminal tackle, free bait, free hot dog lunches, raffle prizes, and a winner in each age group helped generate excitement. In response, 45 youngsters along with roughly 60 adults turned out to enjoy the short-sleeve weather and fishing which, although a little slow, did produce a variety of fish—striped seaperch, cabezon, kelp greenling, rock greenling and one ugly buffalo sculpin.

The Trinidad Memorial Light House

The Trinidad Pier

Setting up

Cutting bait

Trinidad Rancheria Booth

The kids and families were ready

What would be the catch?

Douglas and David Shigematsu.

Looks like they’re ready!

All ages were present!

First fish of the day, a striped seaperch caught by David Shigematsu

Nothing like spending a little time in the great outdoors!

Ready for action!

What’s the best spot?

Fish slayer!

Avalon, owned by Ed Roberts, was the unofficial mascot for the derby!

The second fish of the day was another striped seaperch caught by David Shigematsu

Sit back and wait for the fish to bite!

They look like fishermen!

He was ready!

How about a rock crab?

Anglers at the railing

A young “Lady Angler”

They look HAPPY!

A small kelp greenling

What a grin!

What a smile!

Young Angler!

Trinidad Pier

The biggest fish was this striped seaperch caught by Desirae Ferguson

Wardens from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

A happy family!

Pier Fishing In California member Jose and his family

Ken Jones (me) and Jose; he had once sent me a question on PFIC asking how to fish rocks and practiced on the rocks at the Trindad Pier.

Another rock crab

A rock greenling caught by Malachi Costa

Fishing!

A buffalo sculpin caught by Nate Ferguson

Robert Gardner, Vice President of UPSAC, traveled up to the tournament from the Bay Area, served as a judge, and got a little fishing in himself.

Each age group winner received a trophy from United Pier and Shore Anglers of California, a beautiful certificate from the International Game Fish Association, and an autographed copy of Pier Fishing In California by Ken Jones (and pierfishing.com).

The under age 6 category winner was Leo Dixon of Trinidad

The age 6 category winner was Malachi Costa of Trinidad

The age 7 category winner was Anyia Benemann of Trinidad (not pictured)

The age 8 category winner was Lucy Bertrand of Arcata

The age 9 category winner was Kalgin Drake of Eureka

The age 10 category winner was Evan Unmack of McKinleyville

The age 11 category winner was David Shigematsu of Davis

The age 12 category winner was Seth Noel of Hidsville

The age 13 category winner was Desirae Ferguson of McKinleyville

The age 14 category winner was Kodiak Drake of Eureka

The age 15 category winner was Lilly Thiesfeld of McKinleyville

The Grand Champion was determined by total points. The winner was David Shigematsu. Here is is with Ed Roberts and a nice rod and reel from Pacific Outfitters.

Next up was the raffle with EVERY entrant winning at least one gift. Gift items were bought from a donation by the Humboldt Salt Water Anglers Club supplemented by a few gifts from United Pier and Shore Anglers of California.

A separate raffle was held by “Bass Man Dan” for a custom-wrapped fishing rod with all proceeds going to UPSAC for next year’s event.

Ed Roberts and the rod to be raffled!

And the winner was… Kodiak Drake

“Bass Man Dan” decided to offer a second rod for the raffle and we soon had another winner.

Ken Jones (me) and David Shigematsu, the Grand Champion.

A big thank you is due to all who contributed gifts and helped out at the tournament.

Donating money, food and gifts for the meals, insurance and prizes were a variety of different groups and businesses—Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, Humboldt Area Saltwater Anglers (HASA), Pacific Outfitters, United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC), Ken Jones—Pier Fishing in California (pierfishing.com), and Ed Roberts. A custom built rod made by Dan Troxel of “Bass Man Dan’s Custom Fishing Rods” was raffled off with proceeds going to help pay next year’s costs.

Organizers were Ed Roberts of the California Fish and Wildlife Department, Ken Jones, President of United Pier and Shore Anglers of California (UPSAC) and owner of pierfishing.com, and Grant Roden of the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria.

Helping out at the event were a number of different people. Several came from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife—Dustin Hixon, Carly Stanton, Kevin Butler, and Russell Janak. Robert Gardner, Vice President of UPSAC traveled north from the Bay Area. Local residents providing assistance included Nate Ferguson, Dan Troxel, Ed Roberts and Grant Roden.

“Good By” to Trinidad for another year. Looking down from the “Trinidad Memorial Light House” with the pier just barely poking out around “Little Head Rock” (which sits next to the pier).  

Trinidad Memorial Light House

Rock greenling taken in Trinidad by Hans Jones Jr. in 2013

Species: Hexagrammos lagocephalus (Pallas, 1810); from the Greek words hex (six), gramma (line), lagos (hare) and cephelos  (head, referring to the large pair of cirri on the head, attached to the edge of the eye).

Alternate Names: Commonly called seatrout but also red greenling, red seatrout, red rock trout, kelp cod and fringed greenling. The 19th century Portuguese fishermen of Monterey called these boregat.

Identification: Five lateral lines on the side, and one pair of cirri on the head. Their coloring is reddish-brown with darker mottling; they often have large, bright red spots and blotches. The inside of the mouth is blue.

Rock greenling taken from the Trinidad Pier 2015

Size: To 24 inches; most caught off piers are less than 15 inches.

Range: From Point Conception to the Commander-Aleutian chain and northern Bering Sea, Alaska. Also the Kurile Islands, Russia to the Yellow Sea, Japan. Rarely encountered south of San Francisco.

Habitat: Usually found in inter-tidal and shallow-water rocky areas. Both juveniles and adults consume a wide variety of bethnic species; favorites include crabs, shrimp, snails, chiton, abalones, octopi, fish eggs, algae, and fish. A territorial species similar to kelp greenlng.

Rock greenling taken at the Trinidad Pier Kids Derby in 2016

Piers: Rock greenling are commonly taken from piers north of San Francisco, piers located near rocky areas. Best bets: Point Arena Pier, Trinidad Pier (No. 1 in the state), and Citizens Dock (Crescent City).

Shoreline: A common catch for rocky shore anglers in northern California

Boats: Primarily an inshore fish so an uncommon catch for boaters. However, those boaters fishing in fairly shallow waters from San Francisco north catch a few.

Bait and Tackle: High/low leaders using size 6 hooks and baited with small pieces of shrimp, fresh mussels, pile worms or tube worms are the best set-up. Like kelp greenling, rock greenling will often tap the bait first and then return for a solid hit so be prepared.

Food Value: Greenling are mild-flavored fish suitable for most forms of cooking but they are especially suitable for frying. Most pier caught fish are fairly small so the fillets may not offer much meat.

Rock greenling froim the Trinidad Pier

Comments: About 50% of rock greenling are sexually mature at 3-4 years in age and 11.4-13.8 inches in length. Both kelp greenling and rock greenling make excellent bait for lingcod.  Also—some books use Hexagrammos superciliosus as the scientific name for this fish. I’m thinking we need a greenling with the name Hexagrammos supercalifragilisticexpialidocious; wonder if it would have some sort of a Mary Poppins look to it?

Although most rock greenling are red, as seen above, a few have the bluish-green coloring seen below on a fish caught at the Eureka Jetty (and most fish of this color seem to be caught to the north)

A rock greenling taken in Oregon by sd fisherman in 2007