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kayak fishing

FLW Tour Pro Eric Jackson Good for Kayak Fishing

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This past weekend I experienced the power of grassroots outreach spreading the word about kayaking and kayak fishing. While unloading my yak at Van Hollow on Beaver Lake I overheard FLW pro Eric Jackson in a conversation that peaked my interest.

A family with four kids in small kayaks were paddling around and having a big time in the water while a man and his wife in a big, expensive boat were pulling up to their trailer. “Where’d you get those kayaks?” asked the man in the boat of the family. For the next few minutes they talked about the kayaks, where they got them, the brand and the price. Then the boat angler said something that caught my attention – “You know, I’ve been thinking about getting me a good fishing kayak. There was an FLW pro here recently who is a world champion kayaker and now is a professional fisherman. I think his name was Jackson.” The man went on to talk about how he met Eric Jackson at the FLW show and since then he’s really been excited about the idea of fishing from a yak. Eric Jackson is of Jackson Kayaks, one of the most popular and well known kayak producers. This example really struck home to me the impact that people who are seen as professional fisherman can have on the awareness and legitimacy of our sport.

Eric Jackson
Eric Jackson’s profile FLW Angler Profile pic.

I’ve only talked to Eric Jackson a couple of times in person and he likely does not remember me, but I do recall from meeting him some of the aspects of his personality which make him a great ambassador for the sport. At the Beaver Lake FLW event this year I was going to fish in the pro-am on the Monday following the tournament. As we were waiting around for take-off I approached Jackson and told him I too was a kayak angler. We immediately began discussing kayaks, fishing and the sport and probably would still be talking if the tournament didn’t begin. After the event it so happened that I was in the weigh-in line right behind Jackson and his co-angler. Even though they had had a rough day with one keeper, he was all smiles and was displaying a very positive attitude. Previously I had wondered how other FLW pros felt about this kayak angler in their midst, but as the long wait unfolded and conversations took place around the water troughs it was clear he was one of the gang, liked and respected by the other anglers.

This is great for our sport of kayak fishing. To be honest, Jackson isn’t topping the leaderboard in the FLW events quite yet, but he’s improving, and has a good article on FLW.com about kayak vs tournament fishing. But the exposure he’s bringing to the sport, the more he talks about it with others and the more awareness he creates is all positive. Here’s to hoping we all have that spirit of outreach to share the sport we love with others.

News

Cheating in CPR Kayak Bass Fishing Tournaments

The kayak fishing tournament social media world was buzzing today about an announcement by KBF, KBS and other groups about an individual who was caught cheating in live and online tournaments. In short, this individual was caught using altered Hawg Troughs to

faketrough
This photo posted by KBS shows a real Hawg Trough compared to photos from the offender, who obscured his board and fish with his wrist.

make fish appear longer than they were in CPR (Catch, Photo, Release) photos, and, was using multiple altered Hawg Troughs to allow them to submit the same fish at different lengths. A couple of pretty good breakdowns were provided by Kayak Bass Series and by Chad Hoover in a long and transparent video. (NSFW – Language)

After the news broke today (Tuesday, April 19), social media platforms such as Facebook were buzzing with comments, declarations and anger from other kayak anglers. There is no secret that some people cheat, and anyone who didn’t think that was going on is naive. What made this revelation so noteworthy was the scale at which this individual had cheated – across several tournament formats and trails. He has been publicly humiliated and April 19 was likely the worst day of his life. And, he deserves it.

As for the issue of cheating…I believe Tournament Directors (TDs) have to be vigilant in guarding against cheating. TDs do a fantastic job and are generous with their time donated to running events for their anglers. In my opinion, TDs have a responsibility to ensure a close scrutiny on photos submitted for prize winning anglers. Spend a few extra minutes evaluating the winning photos to ensure nothing is going on. Competitors trust the officials to maintain the integrity of the sport. Once cheating or the rumor of cheating becomes associated with the sport, it will stunt the growth of tournaments and people’s confidence in the outcome of events. I’ll continue to compete because I enjoy it, but there are others who will walk away if they think cheating occurs. Now is the time to be extra careful and promote transparency.

Here are a few suggestions I would like to see to help discourage cheating and encourage transparency with CPR tournaments:

  • TDs should take a few moments with the photos of top finishers to ensure they look right. (some of pic examples from the cheater should have been easy to spot with a little more scrutiny of the fish)
  • The photos of winning fish limits and big bass should be posted publicly so they can be viewed. This happens now with online tourneys and could be helpful in local tourneys.
  • Reduce any stigma surrounding someone reporting something questionable or unusual. If people are not comfortable in reporting someone breaking the rules, then the cheaters prosper.
  • Adoption of globally used rules for measurements, pre and post tournament procedures and use of identifiers would help streamline the rules and make it easier to spot anomalies.

This individual wasn’t the first to cheat (we all likely know someone who was caught) and won’t be the last. The fact that this has sent shock-waves through the kayak fishing community speaks to the importance of integrity in the sport. Kudos to those who uncovered this scam and systematically assembled the evidence in a way that left no question of how the rules were being violated.

Community and camaraderie are some of the most valued attributes of the kayak fishing experience – a few cheaters won’t take that away from us.

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Spotlight: YUM Pulse, KBF National Championship, PFDs, RTT Recaps

This week read about a hot new swimbait, PFD selection, Razoryak Tournament Trail and KBF recaps:

PulseChristie
Christie’s spinnerbait setup with Pulse trailers.

Many Bassmaster Classic fans watched YUM sponsored angler Jason Christie take an early commanding lead on Grand Lake, only to lose out on the final day to a monster bag from Edwin Evers. For the first three days Christie was lighting it up, leading field with an ability to put fish in the boat. One of the secrets of the week was that Christie was using a brand-new prototype YUM Pulse swimbait as a trailer on his spinnerbaits. This new swimbait was a key in helping create the right disturbance in the murky water because of it’s ribbed design. Although Christie used it as a trailer, it is primarily designed for use rigged as a swimbait on a jig-head or hook. These swimbaits were not available prior to the Classic and are now hitting stores.

Chris Payne at Kayak Fishing Blog has a really good article about choosing a PFD (personal flotation device) for kayak fishing. He discusses the different types and uses and makes some recommendations. I use a MTI Solaris when fishing and like it because of the high placement of the padding on the back so it doesn’t interfere with my kayak seat. Wearing your PFD is very important and most tournament trails require it in the rules. Invest in a comfortable one, the better it feels, the more likely you are to keep it on!

The best Kayak Anglers in the country met at Kentucky Lake in March for the Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship. I had qualified but had to miss the event and it sounds like I missed out on an awesome time. For those interested, here’s a recap of the winners. Congratulations to all who qualified and competed.

The Arkansas based Razoryak Tournament Trail continues for 2016 with more great events. Arkansas Kayak Anglers held their Beaver Lake Road Runner and had 70 kayak fishermen hit the water on a blustery day. Dwain Batey took first place with 82.5″ followed by Benny Williams and Craig Wood. My small limit placed me at 15 for the event. Read the tournament recap here.  Western Arkansas Kayak Anglers held their second event of the season at Charleston Lake and the cold really turned the fish off. Cody Skelton took the top spot with 53.5″ and big bass with 19″.  Visit the RTT Angler of the Year standings to keep up with the points race for 2016.

 

razoryak tournament trail

AKA Beaver Lake and WAKA Charleston Lake Tournament Previews

Next up on the AKA and WAKA tournament series are Beaver Lake and Lake Charleston on Saturday, April 2nd. Both are the second event of the season for each circuit and will be important to anglers trying to move u in the AOY standings.

BeaverLake
Beaver Lake is the largest body of water in NW Arkansas, but not known as a “Big Bass” lake.

Last year’s spring tournament on Beaver Lake was later in the season and the lake was warmed up and fairly clear. This time around anglers will need to manage the conditions brought on by rotating warming and cooling trends and a body of water that is back down to normal levels but much of the lake is still dirty from the recent draw-down. Beaver Lake is a 28,000+ reservoir lake which can provide a good bite one day and no bites the next.

Fish are being caught on Beaver despite the spring roller coaster. Dock talk has been saying smallmouth have moved up from Rocky Branch down to Indian Creek and are being caught in good numbers. Mid-lake bass are being caught in the stained water in familiar areas of Prairie Creek, Esculapia and Monte Ne. On the river end where the water is darker, some anglers are having success. A good limit will be needed to win this event!

Registration for the RTT-NWA Beaver Lake event is Saturday, April 2, with registration beginning at 5:00 a.m. and captains meeting at 5:50 a.m. at Academy Sports in Fayetteville. From there anglers can drive and put in anywhere on Beaver Lake. It’s going to be a cold morning, so bundle up.

CharlestonLake
Charleston Lake should be primed for a big day.

Charleston Lake is the site of the second WAKA event of the season and there will be a giant bass caught at this small municipal lake. I’ve fished this body of water only once and can’t wait to get out there in the future. Just this year I’ve been hearing dock talk of multiple 9+ pound bass being pulled from the water.

It’s a very shallow lake with a few key contour features and a lot of vegetation in the form of buckbrush lining the banks. The ramp is near the only real hard structure on the lake, a short rip rap dam on the north side, with the rest of the lake spreading into four creek fed flat areas. During a break in the action you can catch a good view of Potato Hill. Wind can be a major factor on this lake, there just isn’t anything to provide relief. Registration for the WAKA – Charleston Lake event will begin at 5:15 with the captains meeting at 6:10.  If you catch a giant bass with a Bone Spook in its mouth, please retrieve that lure for me.

razoryak tournament trail

Spotlight: RTT Competition Recaps

Fishing has begun across the Razoryak Tournament Trail for 2016 and so far it’s been very competitive, with some familiar and some new names at the top of the standings for early events. BoldBluegill

In NW Arkansas, the Arkansas Kayak Anglers kicked off their season on Swepco Lake on an incredibly blustery day. Nathan Bohannon took 1st place and Jason Klingman walked away with big bass. I was one of several anglers who didn’t spend the full day on the water due to the wind and finished 16th out of 61 anglers. My catches came on Yum plastics. For more info, read the tournament recap here.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette was there to cover the Swepco Lake event and wrote up a great article about kayak fishing. This was great local coverage of the sport and our members they interviewed represented us well.

Western Arkansas Kayak Anglers held their kickoff event on my nemesis lake, Lake Fort Smith. It was a cold, dark and rainy day with a very tough bite – producing almost no limits. Lloyd Mize took 1st, Christa Hibbs 2nd, Benny Williams Sr. 3rd, and Brandon Ward took big bass. My love/hate relationship with Lake Fort Smith continues as I scratched out a 13th place finish out of 31 anglers, catching my fish on a Bandit squarebill.

Kayak Bass Anglers of Central Arkansas has had two events, with Jeff Otts winning the first event, and Terry Brown taking the second.  For Twin Lakes Kayak Anglers, Eli Powers took the top spot in their first event of the year. Visit the Razoryak Tournament Trail standings page for up to date rankings on all four trails.

 

razoryak tournament trail

Lake Fort Smith WAKA Preview

The first Western Arkansas Kayak Anglers tournament of 2016 will be held at a beautiful, but infamous body of water located south of the Bobby Hopper tunnel on I-49. Lake Fort Smith is a 1,400 acre fishery LakeFSMsurrounded by the scenic Boston Mountains and is one of the most beautiful lakes in Arkansas. This mountain lake can be quite clear, but like last spring, the lake is currently dirty and muddy – which some anglers will love and some will loathe.

Lake Fort Smith (which is not located in Fort Smith, Arkansas) is probably only infamous in my mind because of the two nightmarish tournaments I spent there last year. This lake is the site of my personal best both in fishing tackle broken off and rod and reel combos lost. Otherwise, it’s great.

The tournament is on Saturday, March 12, and will start from the boat ramp in the state park area.  Captain’s meeting is at 5:30 a.m. and will take off around 6:00 a.m., with scorecards due in the bucket by 2:00 p.m. Read more about it on the WAKA 2016 Opener at Lake Fort Smith Facebook page. Lake Fort Smith has the best ramp, parking and setup area of any of the tournaments I’ve been to – it’s really a nice place to hold an event.

The lake itself is fairly new creation, a combo of old Lake Fort Smith and Lake Shepherd Springs which re-opened in 2008. High winds out of the southwest or northeast can make it difficult, but the orientation of the lake can blunt some winds from the northwest or southeast. The most prominent attributes are the dam to the far southwest end and the main feeder creek far to the northeast. The ramp, park and the marina are situated in a large cove on the northern side of the lake. This lake has a lot of great scenes like waterfalls, small creeks, coves and bluffs. Do be wary crossing the lake in a kayak, there are boats that will motor through, so be sure to have your visibility flag deployed.

Last year’s two tournaments out there were held after the spawn period, so the lake should be totally different this time around. Dock talk says the water is already stained, with lots of rain on the way this week. The great thing about this lake is that if you want to fish bluffs, go ahead. Like a big flat or rip rap areas? Go ahead. And if you like standing and fallen timber, Lake Fort Smith has it. Basically, you can fish how you want to thanks to the variety of options.

Razoryak Tournament Trail events are a fun way to meet other kayak anglers, improve your fishing skills and to enjoy friendly competition. To participate in this WAKA event, no advance registration is required; you can show up with your entry fee, hawg trough and kayak on tournament day. Be sure to review all of the information on the 2016 WAKA Opener event page and check out the WAKA-RTT Schedule for info on future events.

kayak fishing

Five Catch Photo Release (CPR) Tournament Protips

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Almost any kayak fishing tournament involves the use of Catch, Photo, and Release (CPR) to record your fish for the event. Successfully executing this part of the tournament is almost as important as actually hooking the fish. For each kayak fishing tournament, read the rules prior to the event – there are differences which can be important. Here are five tips to help you get your fish properly photographed and counted:

  1. Using Proper Tools – Most tournaments require a hawg trough measuring device which has a concave design to hold your fish in place and a flat “bump board” on the left end. Be sure to use a Sharpie to draw a line along the area where the bump board joins the trough and to darken all of the measurement lines so they can be easily seen by the tournament director when reviewing the photos. Also, many will add a flotation device or some sort of leash to their hawg trough to avoid losing it on the water. As for taking the photo, you can usually use a digital camera with removable SD card or a mobile phone for the photos. If you use a mobile phone, you will have to hand over your phone password for judges to review the photos at turn in.  Note – Some tournaments now use apps such as iAngler Tournament or TourneyX which upload photos directly to the tournament director.  If this is the case, make sure your app is downloaded and tested before the tournament begins.
  2. Photo Basics – Although the rules can vary slightly, make sure you get down the basics. Almost all tournaments require the fish
    3.4 lb large mouth bass caught on a crankbait.
    Largemouth bass caught on a Bandit crankbait.

    to photographed on the hawg trough facing left with the nose all the way to the bump board, entire fish in the picture, eye uncovered and with the tournament identifier visible in the photo. The tournament identifier is something unique provided on tournament day to prove the picture was taken during the tournament period. This is often written on a hand or on some sort of card to be included in the photo.

  3. Rule Variations – After getting down the basics, know the specific rules of your event. Some allow the mouth to be open with the lip touching the board, while some require a closed mouth. Some events allow stringers, clips or other methods of securing a fish and others do not. In some cases you may pinch the fish tail while measuring and in some you cannot. Know the specifics of your event to avoid any deductions or disqualifications during turn-in.
  4. Avoid Deductions – As mentioned above, not producing a quality photo at turn-in can lead to a deduction. Deductions most often occur in some form related to the Rule Variations discussed above. Mouth is open when it should be closed.  Fish clip is used when it shouldn’t be. Can’t read the identifier or the measurement lines on the hawg trough.  Fish’s eye is covered or entire fish not in photo. You get the idea! My advice for avoiding deductions is to take more than one photo and then prior to turn-in go through and cull out the bad photos, leaving one of each fish that has all the right attributes.
  5. Practice – I cannot emphasize this enough! If you are new to kayak fishing tournaments or CPR events you will need to practice this before your first tournament. It sounds simple enough, but during the tournament your blood is pumping, the fish is fighting and bad things can happen. Every event has fish lost off the board that were never successfully photographed. Don’t let that be you!

I hope these tips help you successfully capture the fish you catch and will ensure they count toward your limit total. One of the great things about kayak bass fishing is how much focus there is in the health of the fish. With a CPR style event the fish are only out of the water for a short time and then are returned to the area where they are caught. Good luck!

Reviews

Fish Allure Scented Bait Tabs

Bass fishing is an obsession for many of us and we’re always looking for an edge when it comes to creating a bite. Scented products for bass fishing have been around for decades and are usually associated with soft plastic baits. But what about hard baits? Fish Allure is something I will be experimenting with this year and is a scented fish attracting product made for use on hard surfaces as an alternative to oils, sprays and gels.

The simplicity and cleanliness in using it is an immediate improvement over liquid or gel options – peel the small sticky tab and apply it to your hard bait lure body. No mess. Once the lure is in use, the water serves as the activator that disperses the amino acids embedded into the Fish Allure tab. The tabs come in multiple scent options.

How It Works

The peel and stick tabs are easy to apply (although I will say you want a clean, dry surface to start) to the lure and then stay on theFishAllure lure well while in use. They say each tab lasts for 60 minutes in the water; once the tab is used up, you can peel it off and replace. The origin of the concept originated from the same technology involved with transdermal drug delivery patches. To read more about the science behind Fish Allure, check out the case study (PDF) that outlines how it was created. The theory of a hard bait scented product as explained to me is the added scent can help entice a trailing fish to strike. I’m very interested in learning more about how this works with lures that stay in a given area for a longer period of time – walk the dog topwaters, poppers and jerk baits for example.

I recently had an opportunity to talk to a well-known professional angler and asked him specifically about the viability of scents on hard baits. His view was that yes it does work sometimes and at the very least helps ensure you are doing everything possible to elicit a strike.

I’m looking forward to spending more time on the water this spring and really giving Fish Allure a workout. Watch for future updates as I am able to field test it this season. Anything a fisherman can do to feel more confident in their presentation will help you catch more fish – and a scented tab certainly cannot hurt! If you want to give it a try, you can order Fish Allure from Tackle Warehouse and Amazon.

razoryak tournament trail

SWEPCO Lake RTT Tournament Preview

The first event of the 2016 Arkansas Kayak Anglers season is coming soon to SWEPCO Lake and expectations high for a large turnout for this tournament season kick-off. SWEPCO Lake (also known as Lake Flint Creek) is a 530-acre body of water located near Gentry, Arkansas, and is a popular fishery in the winter months thanks to the power plant which keeps the lake temperature higher than other Northwest Arkansas area lakes. This first stop on the RTT-NWA Razoryak Tournament Trail will be held on Sunday, March 6 – visit the RTT-NWA SWEPCO tournament page on Facebook for more information, including start time and entry fee. Last year’s tournament (2015) featured 72 human powered watercraft on a tough post-front bluebird sky day…but the top anglers still turned in some solid limits. Tim Hotchkin turned in 80” for the day to take 1st, with Kyle Fields and Josh Sherrill taking 2nd and 3rd. Will that be enough to win it in 2016? We will soon find out!

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Mike Iaconelli found some good bass on his recent trip to Swepco Lake.

SWEPCO has a good population of healthy Florida strain largemouth bass which thrive year-round thanks to the warm water of this power plant lake. During the winter months SWEPCO is a magnet for bass fishermen from all directions who bring their boats and kayaks to this little lake in hopes of some good fishing in the cold weather. Unfortunately, this also means that the fish are highly pressured and by the end of winter they have seen a thousand artificial lures from hundreds of fishermen. This year, water temps are down from their normal totals due to pauses in power generation and local dock talk is saying this has slowed the bite compared to last season.

Fishing SWEPCO for most anglers usually involves a few key areas of the lake, depending on which strategy you wish to employ. The Swepcomapsouthern end of the lake is lined by a long rip-rap covered dam. The northern end of the lake splits into two large arms, one to the northwest and one to the northeast where the power plant discharge is located – generally providing the warmest water area. From the south to the north end there are many small pockets and coves branching off of the main lake. Wind is almost always a factor on SWEPCO in the late winter and early spring. The lake runs at an angle that allows winds out of the south and southwest to scream up the lake on some days making it tough to hold a kayak position on points or to get back to the ramp by paddling after a long day of fishing.

Razoryak Tournament Trail events are a fun way to meet other kayak anglers, improve your fishing skills and to enjoy friendly competition on the water. To participate in the event, no advance registration is required; you can show up with your entry fee, hawg trough, camera and kayak on tournament day. Be sure to review all of the information on the NWA-RTT SWEPCO event page and check out the NWA-RTT Schedule for info on future events.

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Spotlight: Primary Tackle, Drop Shot Fishing, Canoe and Kayak Storage & Water Wolf

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Focus this week highlights a great source for some key tackle items, a drop shot fishing breakdown and a couple of other items of interest for kayak anglers:

Last spring while attending the FLW event at Beaver Lake I was exposed to Primary Tackle Co out of Bartlett, TN. This Memphis area tackle company has a variety of products available but seems to specialize in terminal tackle items and plastics. For me, it’s been a PrimaryTacklegreat money saver in tungsten weights, getting quality tungsten for a cheaper price than the big stores.

To give you an idea on price savings on these Vike tungsten weights, a pair of 3/4 oz is $7.99 on Tackle Warehouse and only $6.49 at Primary Tackle. A three pack of  1/4 oz worm weights are $5.19 on Tackle Warehouse and $3.99 at Primary Tackle. Tungsten 1/8 drop shot weights are $.50 less per three pack at Primary Tackle than at Tackle Warehouse. These prices illustrate pretty consistently the price savings you might see. Shipping is free with orders over $25!

We’re in February now and it’s always a good time to review some tips on canoe and kayak storage. Bending Branches put out this good article about preparing and storing your boats. Always appreciate the good content Bending Branches puts out to help paddlers get the most they can out of the sport!

Has anyone used a Water Wolf camera for underwater shooting? I’ve been reading about this product and am very intrigued by the idea of an underwater camera paired with kayak fishing. Hope to do more on Water Wolf in the future as I learn more about it.

This is a really good video put up by Jeff from Yakfisharkansas.com about drop shot fishing using Goldens Baits. I know Jeff and Tim and they are both great kayak anglers. Take some time to watch this video for some solid drop shot action: