Fishing tournaments (sometimes called rodeos) are ingrained in Louisiana’s outdoor history. Home to both the oldest freshwater and saltwater tournaments, competition amongst anglers adds additional sport, fosters skills and makes for better fishermen. While generally a leisurely sport, with prizes and bragging rights on the line, adding tournament parameters has anglers strategizing against not only the fish, but also each other. Tournaments came naturally to kayak fishing, but many of these events have found unique ways to up both the competition and the fun.
Some kayak anglers shy away from tournaments, as some of the high-prize events attract highly skilled anglers, often have higher entry fees and are extremely competitive. While there is a growing following for these events, they also often require travel and overnight stays and attract anglers that have a lot of extra free time.
Weigh-in formats
Formats for kayak tournaments range from typical catch, kill and enter events to those utilizing CPR (catch, photo, release) and in some cases, actual live weigh-ins. Live-weigh tournaments are a bit more difficult for kayaks due to lack of space for sufficient live wells or other means to keep fish alive and healthy until weigh-in time. However, there are a few live-weigh bass and redfish tournaments that are held.
Tournaments utilizing CPR require anglers to photograph their catch on an approved measuring board, often mandating some unique token or identifier be placed in the photo to help ensure that the fish was caught during the particular event. Instead of a live or dead fish, anglers bring their phone or camera’s memory card to the “weigh-in” for review and entry of their catch. Using the CPR method, winners are determined by length rather than weight as in typical kill or live-weigh tournaments.
Other CPR events utilize digital apps such as TourneyX, where phone photos are uploaded directly to the app. Results are remotely judged and tabulated. The apps can also determine angler location to make sure they are fishing within the tournament boundaries. Using this digital format allows some tournaments to provide contestants and spectators with access and review standings in near real-time.
Some clubs and organizations have also added unique formats to kayak tournaments. While many typical fishing tournaments simply set species, number of fish, and sometimes size parameters on fish to be entered, some kayak tournaments add additional conditions that change the whole dynamic of the event.
Below are some of the unique kayak fishing tournaments held in Louisiana:
Minimalist Challenge: Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club
The parameters of this event may change slightly from year to year (size and species of fish to be entered), but the general premise stays the same. All anglers entering the tournament receive a small selection of artificial lures on the morning of the tournament. Each angler gets a small baggie of the exact same lures and they are the only lures allowed to be possessed and fished during the tournament. The lure packet often contains a small variety of soft plastics, a few jig heads, perhaps a topwater or other hard lure and maybe even a wild-card accessory like a popping cork or lure clips. There are no choices of colors or sizes and all anglers must fish with only the provided lures.
Now, no one in their right mind would leave home with less than 10 lures for a day’s fishing, much less for a tournament. The strategy game becomes key as losing a lure could be catastrophic, especially if it is the one that happens to be producing that day. Some anglers have even been known to MacGyver their topwater lure into use as a cork on years when no cork was included. To also add additional challenge, the event often takes place in January or February where brutal cold and slow fishing days add additional intensity.
Kids Pole Challenge: Southeast Louisiana Kayak Fishing Club
This unique event is less about competition and more about fun. With minimal cash and trophy prizes, this one is about the extra challenge of fighting and landing speckled trout and redfish on tiny, beginner fishing rods. Each contestant receives a kid’s spincast fishing combo included in the entry fee. This is the only rod anglers can have on the kayak during the tournament and the only modification that can be made is to change the line. Many anglers up their odds by replacing the stock line with a higher test, better quality line.
Anglers can use their choice of lures, live or dead bait, but all fish must be caught on the provided kiddie pole. It sounds great in theory, until you find yourself with a big redfish on the end of a 4-foot rod, light line, and a Cracker Jack drag making horrible noises like you’ve never heard before. The amount of babying and self-encouragement to hopefully get that fish to the net is quite entertaining.
Marsh Madness Top Bag: Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club
Similar in format to the Minimalist Challenge, this one adds a unique wrinkle. Instead of all participants receiving the same lures, this tackle exchange event sees anglers fish with only the lures contained in a bag that they randomly draw the morning of the tournament. A typical bag consists of eight soft plastic lures (anglers provide their own eight jig head hooks), a wild-card lure included in the bag and an additional wild-card lure chosen after getting their bag. The bags are submitted by the participating anglers and there is even the chance that you could draw your own bag. For that reason, anglers are encouraged to select lures for their bag that they prefer to use. Also, the bags are marked with the name of the supplying angler, as there is a prize for the person submitting the bag that was used by the winning angler. Contestants are further limited to one cork, leader material and a couple other specific items.
Join the fun!
These are only a few examples of the unique fishing tournaments that were dreamed up to add a little spice and change of pace for kayak anglers. There are many others with different rules and formats to get you out of your comfort zone and add additional challenges over a typical fishing tournament. Whether it is a high-dollar tournament series or a fun get-together event, fishing kayak tournaments helps to hone your fishing skills and provide a fun change of pace.
