this is the full report:
i got to the launch site early for a change. i figured with over 120
kayakers trying to get some good parking in front of a fairly small
beach, id better get there at least an hour early. tourney started at
0800 and i was there at 0630. there were already about 50 others
there with their kayaks by the water.
the night before i had checked my electronics to see if they were still
in working order. didnt wanna find out on the water that i had no
sonar. well Murphy was not on my side. i found out that my sonar was
shot. but fortunately my friend matt had a portable sonar that i could
use. he, on the other hand borrowed a kayak from a friend of mine that
already had a sonar. matt kim beat me by two spots on the board.
hahaha. but i digress.
so i load everything up. now we just wait for tourney to start. we have
a meeting to discuss the boundaries and safety issues. and a flier is
passed out identifying two creatures that could really hurt us (several
contestants were from out of town)... the california scorpionfish
(sculpin) and the mantis shrimp. keep this in mind for later in the
story. but as they talked about it i scoffed. "ive never gotten bit by
no rattlesnake before" i says. remember what i said about murphy?
my other friend brett comes up to me and tells me that there are two
people he just found out were entering the tourney that we should be
afraid of.... VERY AFRAID. ed howerton and dennis burlason. both also
members of the San Diego Anglers and known to win almost every fishing
event, if not be contenders. neither have EVER FISHED FROM A KAYAK EVER
EVER EVER. did i say ever?
kayaks are in the water and we wait for the horn at 0800. my game plan
was to head for the submerged jetty about TWO AND A HALF MILES AWAY
FROM THE LAUNCH SITE. horn sounds and we're off. needless to say my
arms were spaghetti by the time i got there.
first fish was a bonito that i caught off a fish boil. not the right
kind so i quickly released and went on. wasnt even catching a cold for
the first hour or so of fishing. then matt calls over and tells me what
was working for him. i switched up and caught my biggest bass at
2.58lbs.
the bite quickly picked up after that, but none were in that weight
range. caught six more weighable bass, but only weighed five. lost one
over the side as i pulled the hook. but i dont think i woulda been able
to cull a fish with it anyway. threw back about 5 or 6 dinks and two
sculpin.
one of the sculpin was just being a d**do though. i get him to the
surface, and just as i was about to lift him up to lip him, he darts
toward my left leg (which was dangling in the water at the time) and
sticks me with two spines.... OWWWWCCCHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!
the good thing was i was wearing paddle pants, which are waterproof
canvas and lined with plastic on the inside. i believe the two layers
helped keep most of the venom out of my wound, but its still HURT! that
damn murphy.
so anyway the wind picks up around 1130 and the fishing dies off. i
start heading back to the launch. it took me a half hour to get out
there. i had drifted out another half mile from where i started. i
figured it would take me an hour to get back in the tired state i was
in. that it did. got back around the launch site around 1230 and fished
for another half hour for nada. went back in an hour early and just
waited for the others. tourney ended at 1400.
well as my friend brett predicted the winner was ed howerton. as i
predicted, the winning weight was around 20lbs... 18.28lbs!!! and more
than 7lbs over the second place!!! thats $1001 for him. oh but
lets not forget the big fish jackpot, in which he won another $440 for
a 4.96lb bass!
my day wasnt a total loss though. i finished 19th out of over 130
anglers (there were several late comers that joined at the launch). not
too bad. my five fish stringer was 8.2lbs. an accomplishment in itself
considering the caliber of many of the anglers. PLUS i won a brand new
shimano calcutta 400S in the raffle! score!!!
oh yah one more thing. this is the third kayak fishing classic. and
this is the third time that a kayak was given away in a raffle... TO AN
ANGLER THAT HAD TO BORROW A KAYAK FOR THE TOURNEY. talk about some good
kharma. its just awsome to see someone that doesnt even own a kayak,
borrow one from one of the other guys gracious enuff to lend a spare,
and watch them win a kayak of their own. just awesome.
sorry about the long read guys. but i promised a full report. hope u
enjoyed it. and i hope u consider kayakfishing sometime in your future.
click the link for the full spreadsheet of anglers and bass weights:
SCORE SHEET
[/img]
Forever!)
[/img]
Linear Mode
