Competitive kayak fishing takes root

Last winter I wrote about a surge in the number of kayak anglers fishing on lakes Mead and Mohave. Kayaks are not only an excellent source of exercise but also are a stealthy approach to fishing. While fishing at Willow Beach early last spring, a friend of mine caught two stripers that went beyond the 25-pound mark. The fish both hit a trout-imitating swimbait he was trolling behind his kayak.

With the increased popularity of kayak fishing, the Inshore Fishing Association has decided to take kayak fishing to the competitive level and recently announced the creation of the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour. Joining the IFA as the tour's presenting sponsor is Hobie Fishing, a division of the Hobie Cat Company.

The tour's inaugural season gets under way in February and will consist of 19 one-day, catch-photo-and-release tournaments -- three events in each of six regions followed by a championship. Currently those regions are designated as Florida East Coast, Florida West Coast, Atlantic, Gulf Coast, Louisiana and Texas. So for those of you paddlers who want to get in on the action, you will have to travel at least as far as Texas. These events will be held in conjunction with established events on the IFA Redfish Tour.

While most tournaments focus on one fish species such as bass, Kayak Tour events will feature a multiple-species approach with anglers targeting redfish, trout and flounder. There even will be an aggregate/slam division. In addition to cash prizes, Hobie will present four of its fishing boats at each competition. The slam division winner will receive a Hobie Mirage Pro Angler, winner of the Best of Show award at the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades.

"This new tournament and 2010 Tour allow us to show our appreciation for all the saltwater kayak anglers and the exciting fishing they enjoy," said Doug Skidmore, president of Hobie Cat Company. "Our goal is to reward the dedication of these anglers and to encourage others to join in on the kayak fishing experience."

Ultimately, Hobie Fishing is counting on the tour to bring growth to the company, but other kayak manufacturers are sure to experience a boost in sales as the tour picks up in popularity. It wasn't too long ago that most articles written about kayak fishing focused on ocean-based destinations. That no longer is true, and my guess is that one day soon we will see kayak fishing tournaments on places like lakes Mead, Mohave, Havasu or Powell.

Popular destinations for kayak anglers at Lake Mead are the coves along Northshore Drive, where they have been able to get their vehicles fairly close to the shore to launch their kayaks. After receiving an e-mail from an angler concerned that he might be losing access to places like Crawdad Cove and Boxcar Cove because of road closures, I contacted Andy Munoz at the National Park Service. Munoz assured me the primary access roads still would take anglers to the shoreline and that only unauthorized spur roads were being eliminated.

Munoz said these spur roads can create a safety issue when people are injured, become lost or if their vehicles break down and they can't give adequate directions to rescue personnel.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His "In the Outdoors" column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at dougnielsen@att.net.