Targeting bull redfish key to victory, angler says
Brendan Bayard won the 2013 Overall Angler of the Year Award for the Inshore Fishing Association Kayak Tour presented by Hobie Fishing.
Bayard, of Baton Rouge, received paid entry fees for one division in 2014 and $1,000 for his accomplishment, according to a press release.
He clinched the title in Houma with his second-place finish at the IFA Kayak Tour Championship last month.
“It’s kind of the ultimate testament to consistency,” Bayard said in the release. “That’s what really made it a special award for me. It’s a tough battle for it every year. Luckily, this year I was really on my game for bull reds.”
WIth four years on the IFA Kayak Tour under his belt, Bayard attributes his consistency to his trout fishing.
“I would consider myself a trout person, first and foremost,” he said. “I feel that I can compete with most people with my consistency catching speckled trout. I have been doing that for so long. That has usually helped make the difference.”
This year, he concentrated his efforts on catching bull reds to increase his chances of placing higher on the leader board.
“Lately it’s been bull red shootouts,” Bayard said. “You almost have to land a mid-30s redfish and even into the 40s sometimes. We’ve been focusing on learning how to catch these bull reds. Two out of three tournaments we have been on big fish and that’s really helped us.”
The fastest-growing kayak fishing tournament trail in the country, the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing are catch-photograph-release tournaments, offering inshore kayak anglers from a multitude of states the opportunity to participate in competitive fishing tournaments with low entry fees and minimal travel requirements.
For more information or to become a member of the IFA, visit www.ifatours.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com.
