New Kayak Fishing Tournaments Popping Up in Texas

shannon | November 13, 2011

I was just perusing the boards, and a few truly motivated individuals and organizations are trying to get some new (and old) kayak fishing tournaments off the ground in 2012. I guess they are feeling the positive vibe that’s reaching out through the fly fishing economy these days.

Here is one – The Cabela’s Redfish Series, and they are showing dates of March 24, April 21, May 19, June 23, July 21 and August 11 for Majek Owner’s Tournament.

The Lone Star Kayaker’s Series seems to be a grass roots affair, and one that deserves to be followed to see if it gets past the nebulous phase of internet discussion.

In my opinion, the more Texas kayak and fly fishing tournaments the better. Really, it’s not about the money or “winning,” but more about the camaraderie and good vibe that comes from meeting folks with the same interests.

The results from last week’s tournament on the Guadalupe are in:
1st ~~Annual~~ Texas Holdover Tournament Results (the journalist in me had to fix that)

Day 1
Count Species Length Girth Beats
1 Trout 23″ 13 1/2″ Maricopa to Rio Raft
1 Bass 6 1/4″ Rio Raft to Lazy L&L
2 Perch 6 1/2″ Rio Raft to Lazy L&L
1 Sucker 12″ Dam to Whitewater

Day 2
Count Species Length Girth Beats
2 Trout 17″ & 18″ 7″ Maricopa to Rio Raft
2 Bass 4 ” & 6″ Rio to Lazy L&L – Mar to Rio
3 Perch 4″ & 6″ Rio Raft to Lazy L&L
1 Sucker 21″ Dam to Whitewater

Notes: Fishing was consistently challenging with few fish sighted or caught. Redhorse Suckers were the most commonly sighted fish. A couple of anglers were observed harvesting 18” to 23” trout using cheese baits at Whitewater location. All trout caught during the tournament were in an isolated location between Whitewater and Rio Raft (away from campgrounds and public access). There were 8 anglers fishing the tournament with 4 guides also fishing part of the time.

I find the idea of a carp fly fishing tournament at Ray Roberts this year almost unavoidable – destiny. What does our Chicken Fried Nation think?