Caminada Pass tourney pits kayak anglers against bull reds
Throngs of kayak anglers will again descend on Grand Isle on Aug. 16-17 for the fourth annual Ride the Bull Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament.
Unlike any other tournament, the event boasts a live weigh-in of bull redfish caught in Caminada Pass.
The event is the brainchild of Grand Isle residents Captains Danny and Kristen Wray as a way to showcase Grand Isle as a premiere kayak-fishing destination and kayak-friendly community.
The tournament has grown into a kayak fishing festival, drawing nearly 300 participants last year.
And the Wrays are expecting even more anglers this year.
“This year’s theme is ‘Bring a Friend,’ so we hope to break the 400 (kayak) mark in 2013,” Danny Wray said.
The event is unique in that it is a live-weigh, bull redfish-only tournament. Several “chase” boats mill around through the hundreds of kayakers anchored up in the confined tournament boundaries of Caminada Pass;.
When a big red is landed, the chase boat takes the fish and puts it into an onboard tank. After the angler’s entry number and the time of the catch is recorded, the fish is taken to Bridge Side Marina where CCA volunteers weigh, measure and tag it before releasing it alive back into the pass.
It’s a perfect mix of fishing, fun and conservation.
More than 60 bull reds were caught and released during last year’s tournament, which had to be shortened by several hours due to dangerous weather.
When all was said and done, it took a redfish that weighed more than 24 pounds just to make it into the top 10. In addition to the scores of bull reds caught, many black drum, sharks, jack crevalle and a handful of giant stingrays also were landed.
Although only redfish can be entered into the rodeo, the extraneous species made for some great kayak-fishing action.
Slidell’s Mark Page was crowned the 2012 Champion Bull Rider for landing a beast that weighed in at 32.28 pounds.
This year’s event will again feature a captains’ meeting, dinner and film festival on Friday night at Bridge Side Marina. You can enter your best fishing video via the Calmwater Charters Web site between now and the film fest.
If your video is chosen as one of the top 10, it will be shown at the Film Festival at 8 p.m. on August 16. The overall winner will be chosen by the audience and will win a new GoPro camera.
The tournament is as much about luck as it is skill and fun. Even novice kayakers can fish and do well in the tournament. Most participants will be bottom-fishing with live or cut bait.
When a redfish hits, it will be time to “Ride the Bull.”
With the expected high number of entrants this year, anyone planning borrow or rent a kayak should make arrangements now; it’s anticipated that the entire rental kayak fleet from New Orleans south will be sold out for the tournament.
While prizes are still rolling in, already up for grabs are a Hobie Outback kayak, a Kajun Custom kayak, GoPro cameras, Costa sunglasses and many other quality fishing-related prizes.
Tournament sponsors include Hobie Kayaks, The Backpacker, CCA, Costa, Cajun Industries, Louisiana Sportsman, GoPro and Kajun Custom Kayaks.
Preregistration is by Aug. 1 and is recommended to guarantee your meal tickets and tournament T-shirt.
Entry fee is $50 until Aug. 14, moving to $60 thereafter.
For more details and to sign up, go to http://www.calmwatercharters.net/# and click on the Ride the Bull tab.
