kfc tournament trail magazine fall winter 2014
DESCRIPTION
Kayak Fishing ClassicS series year round up and Gift Guide featuring products from all of our sponsors. Johnson Outdoors World Fishing Open KFC National ChampionshipTRANSCRIPT
2014
Guide to Gifting
National Championship
Roundup & Photos
Johnson Outdoors
World Fishing Open
www.KayakFishingClassicS.com
Fall / Winter 2014
Photo by Casting Kayaks
Editors Letter
I always enjoy the gift of seeing old friends and making new ones
throughout our tournament series year. I have been blessed with
this now for 5 years as this series years winds down and the holi-
days settle in. For this I thank all of you deeply and wish you and
your families the true joy of this special time of year.
To all of our active military service members I wish you were all at
home with your loved ones and I thank you for keeping our country
safe. Let all of us say a special prayer for them all….
To all of our fantastic sponsors and hard working families, we
thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all that you do for so
many. We wish you joy and prosperity…
For me, being on the water in my kayak doing some fishing is a
blessing and I hope that all of you will spend time teaching our
sport to the youth in your community.
And lastly what I would like for Christmas is that all of you have a
peaceful and prosperous new year…blessed with many catches.
Our Sponsors and all of us here at the ClassicS wish all of you and
yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah.
Thank you for a great 2014 Series Year,
Captain Pat Horrigan
What I Really Want for Christmas
And a Few Other Things
5
Gift Guide 2014 What a year it’s been with all of the new gear we just had to try...Here’s
some great gift ideas that are sure to please your favorite angler
Each year at this time we try to make Christmas shopping a little easier for our friends
and their families. We know how difficult finding that special gift for your special angler
can be and we want to make it easy and fun for you to bring smiles to those faces. If you
are looking for a gift for under the tree or something that fits in the Christmas stocking
you are sure to find it here. Look for the Christmas Palm Tree or the Stocking in each
section to help you locate that perfect gift.
We thank you for supporting all of our great sponsors throughout the years of Christmas
Past and know you will enjoy your special shopping this Holliday Season. We wish you
and yours a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All...Ho Ho Ho
Our sport starts with the kayak of course and the
good elf’s at Johnson Outdoors have been very
busy this year...they love their work. In fact it is
their passion to bring you the very best family of kayaks in the world. We are very proud to
bring you the Old Town Predator and the Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game II. And new for
2014/2015 is the multi award winning Old Town Predator XL minn-kota...the competition
has just been schooled.
If you ever wondered how the elf’s make such awesome kayaks please visit Johnson Out-
doors and watch their videos and secret tour...just for you.
www.JohnsonOutdoors.com 6
Old Town Canoes & Kayaks have been at it for 125 years and just seem to keep getting
better. They have a tradition of quality craftsmanship that is well founded in every product
that they make.
This year Old Town Canoes schooled the competition by introducing the all new, award
winning Predator XL. The Predator XL won the ‘Best Boat’ and ‘Best in Show’ honors at
the ICAST Show Competition. That’s huge and the Predator XL reflects every bit of such
high praise indeed. If you are looking for a new kayak for that special angler or for your-
self as well, take a look at the all new, Best Boat & Best in Show Predator XL.
You can’t go wrong with Awesome...
7
www.PredatorKayak.com
Ocean Kayak makes a fantastic lineup of
fishing kayaks. Go offshore with the Prowler
or inshore/offshore with the standup and fish
or crash the waves Prowler Big Game II.
What ever your fishing pleasure the Prowler
family of Ocean Kayak will get you there.
Pro Staff member Fil Fishman Spencer can
tell you all about the fish catching, easy paddling, stable Prowler kayaks. He’s been in an
Ocean Kayak for long time for good reason. The features of the Prowler Big Game II are
nothing short of amazing and you really should take a look at just what the Elf’s have been
up to on this boat.
Put an Ocean Kayak under the tree this year and watch your Elf light up….
8 www.OceanKayak.com
Humminbird® Introduces New HELIX™ Fishfinder Family
Compact units pack a huge punch, offer anglers widescreen color display and pro features at an equally attractive
price point
Continuing with the trend of offering anglers more features at a compelling value, Humminbird® is proud to an-nounce the launch of HELIX™, a family of compact-format fishfinders that feature a best-in-class, widescreen color
display and powerful, professional-grade features.
For years, many anglers have been fishing in a box, limited to fish- and structure-viewing on a screen that doesn’t
fully capture the breadth of the underwater landscape – landscape being the operative word.
9 www.Humminbird.com
10
DOA 4” SHAD
The new DOA Swimbait answers our customers’ demand for a larger profile.
The heavy mass of plastic in the nose of the bait allows for good holding power
when using the DOA Jighead, and the broad tail provides a hard pulse in the
water as well as a natural flutter on the drop. The large belly opening and re-
cessed hook slot welcome worm or screwlock style to fit perfectly in the bait.
C.A.L. Paddle Tail Colors
NEW
Bait Buster Color!
www.DOAlures.com
The sun isn’t up yet but your angler still needs to be able to
see well and we have the best solution in the world for you.
Princeton Tec has several lighting solutions for your kayak an-
gler. They specialize in very high tech, low energy lights that
will brighten the night so he can see and be seen by others.
The Princeton Tec company offers multi light head gear with
multiple lights in one neat little and light weight system. Fully adjustable lighting technology
to adapt to any need from a broad beam, low brightness to up close intensity and far reaching
super bright spot light. All from one little waterproof box that only uses 3 AAA batteries. Hey
don’t worry, you won’t be buying batteries all the time like you do with other lights. The
amazing little lights yield over 200 hours of lighting form those little batteries. That’s impres-
sive and that’s why we chosen Princeton Tec.
Princeton Tec recently released the all new VIZZ light and it is awesome, it’s also waterproof.
Click the light and watch the impressive video that tells all about it. We know you’ll be im-
pressed and want your angler to have the best equipment possible...we do to and we are proud
to say that Princeton Tec has been
lighting the way for the Kayak Fish-
ing ClassicS for 4 years now and we
know how great they are.
13
www.PrincetonTec.com
Top anglers & guides like Eric Henson know that using the Plano Guide Series ‘Hydro Flo’
Tackle Bag will keep your gear high and dry. The ICAST award winning Guide Series tackle
bags will hold and secure all of your fishing tackle. There’s even a hard, zippered side pocket
for your favorite pair of Flying Fisherman Sunglasses. Put a Plano Hydro Flo tackle bag on
your list of goodies for your favorite angler today.
Plano Tackle Systems has a great solution for keeping your valuables dry and secure while
fishing. The Guide Series Waterproof Box will protect camera’s, cell phones, car keys, meds
and more. If it fits, it stays dry! We know you have a big investment
in your daily electronics and we want you to protect them from the
harsh conditions of saltwater tournament
fishing. Plano makes a great selection of
the Guide Series Boxes and there is one
that’s just right for you. Take a look at all
of the Plano Gear and if you bump
into Hank Parker, tell him we say
14 www.PlanoMolding.com
15
Here’s some fantastic stocking stuffers from Boomerang Tool Company that are sure
to please any angler. The Boomerang famous Snip tool is a must have and is one of
those ‘lost without it’ tools but not to worry, Boomerang Snip tool has a built in re-
tractor with split ring to keep your angler hooked up.
Boomerang Tool Company makes a great selection of fishing tools that are extremely
well made and are of high quality materials and design. Anglers in the Kayak Fishing
ClassicS tournament series love Boomerang tools and your angler will too!
Save some money this year and use our discount code to save yourself 20% off of any
tools by Boomerang Tool Company. Here’s the discount code to use on their website
below.
. 20% Discount Code: Kayak Fishing ClassicS
www.BoomerangTool.com
When it comes to fly fishing the smart choice is a Jim Teeny fly line. When it comes to
kayak fly fishing the easy choice is the Kayak Line now is
7,8 & 9 weights. Capt. Pat has been working with Jim
Teeny for years now and he designed this line with your
kayak fly angler in mind. Long, soft landing casts while
seated in a kayak are now a snap with the Kayak Line. ’Jim
did a great line making this line exactly how we needed it
to be. Kayak anglers can make one back cast and shoot 40
feet with no problem and little effort and if they are using
the TFO fly rods it’s even better.’
Make your shopping easy, visit Jim Teen today and get your kayak angler a new Kayak
Line and let Jim match it up with a new Temple Fork Outfitter fly rod and reel. Tell Jim
that Capt. Pat sent you...we put the special into gifting...HO Ho Ho
16
Teeny Fly Lines…
the fly lines that changed fly fishing forever
www.JimTeeny.com
When ultra light weight, precision paddling is important turn to Aqua-Bound Paddles. We
did and we’re more then glad that we did. The technology that goes into each Surge Carbon
paddle delivers stiff horsepower and low swing weight, virtually eliminating arm fatigue.
That’s critical to our tournament anglers who cast around 1,000 times each time they are on
the water. At only 25.5 oz the two piece adjustable Surge Carbon paddle helps keep arm en-
ergy in reserve for a busy day on the water. When it comes to critical centric equipment
chose Aqua-Bound Paddles. The First Choice in carbon technology.
17
Aqua-Bound…
Choice of Champions
www.AquaBound.com
If you need it, want it, dream it...Scotty has it. It’s that simple, just
take a look at their website and see for yourself. We have long
been a huge fan of Scotty Paddle Sports because their products
never fail or let us down. That’s saying a lot when you look at the
environment we fish in. Saltwater kayak tournament fishing is tough on gear and Scotty
knows it. That’s why they design and build everything to last and last.
Take a look at the image below and you will see some of the top quality gear that Scotty
makes for your kayak angler. You can shop on line or at a dealer near you and if you have a
question just ask the good anglers at Scotty 1-800-214-0141
18 www.ScottyPaddleSports.com
19
The EGO S2 Slider landing net is flat out
awesome and our anglers love it! The push
button extension handle and foam comfort
grip make it easy to land the big ones. Getting
that big ole fish from the net to the measuring
board is easy now with the EGO Grip Tool.
The secure spring loaded jaws of the grip
won’t harm your fish like or let him wiggle
off.
While you are visiting EGO check out their all
new Ti22 Titanium Pliers...yep there awesome
too! Get your angler a new EGO for that next
trip with EGO products...High quality, durable
fishing gear that every angler needs.
www.EgoS2Slider.com
20
It’s no secret that MirrOlure Lures catch fish and they’ve been making them for a
long time right here in Florida, home of some of the best fishing in the world.
That puts MirrOlure at the top of the food chain or at least first on the menu for
many fish species. Fish aren’t biting? Use a MirrOlure and hang on, it happens all
the time! The new SoftDine is perfect for finicky trout or hungry monster snook
alike. Visit your local dealer or MirrOlure today and Turn on the Bite!
www.MirrOlure.com
21
You wanted it and the our good friends at INTOVA are happy to give you the
world’s best action camera with Wifi & 160 degree true wide angle POV...and a
whole lot more. Introducing the new EDGE X: a new standard in high quality
Point of View (POV) models with unique features and top performance. Com-
pact and full featured, EDGE X offers 1080p High Definition video up to 60 frames per second with a 160 degree wide
angle lens. This design allows the maximum
view angle without the significant distortion
found in wider lens angles. Built in Wifi allows
the user to operate and see what is on the view-
finder remotely on a laptop, tablet, or smart
phone and also to enable wireless file trans-
fer. EDGE X supports Micro SD card up to 64
GB
Hooking that big catch happens fast and now you can capture all of
it with a quick touch of
your remote wrist strap.
We are proud to intro-
duce the kayak angling
world to the all new
Nova HD 1080p video
waterproof camera follows Intova’s long tradi-
tion of unique value and performance in Sports
Cameras. A waterproof remote control offers
new versatility for this rugged camera. The
camera also floats (very important for wa-
tersports) and has the longest battery life in
the industry.
Nova HD
EDGE X
www.INTOVA.net
Bending Branches Paddles are world fa-
mous and used by many, many tourna-
ment kayak anglers. The Angler Pro is
one of the best selling paddles in the
world for reasons like quality, durability,
light weight, high visibility and of
course price. This is one super tough,
rugged piece of gear that no angler
should be without.
Bending Branches is the most widely known name in paddles and fulfills any
paddling need for any condition. They work hard for you and have your best
paddling experience in mind. When you’re in heavy seas or have a long way to
go you will be glad that you have a Bending Branches paddle.
It’s time to put a new Bending Branches paddle under your tree this year and it’s
never been easier. Check out our goods friends there and take a look at all of
their amazing paddles.
22 www.BendingBranches.com
24
Mangrove Sungloves are the best made
sun protection hand ware on the market
today. They are available wherever TFO rods and reels are
sold. We have been using Mangrove Sungloves for years and
we just can’t seem to wear them out. We’ve never had a failure
or even a sunburn….imagine that!
Look for Mangrove Sungloves where Temple Fork Outfitters
gear is sold.
www.TFOrods.com
25
Some of the best fishing lures in the world come from our friends at Yo-Zuri Lures. Tourna-
ment tested tough and highly productive, innovative designs put fish in the boat and that’s
what every angler wants. The new 3DB Minnow, 3D Shrimp Glow and the 3DB Top Pencil
Lures are all amazing top producers. Priced to put a nice collection of Yo-Zuri Lures in your
anglers stocking or under the tree this year.
What’s the old saying? A photo
is worth a thousand words….
www.Yo-Zuri.com
Our good friends at Skwoosh know how im-
portant having a good day on the water is
and that your comfort is a must. Adjustable
full lumbar support and padded seat cushion
is just a part of what Skwoosh builds into
the very best clip-in kayak seats in the
world. Full back support stays and securing
side pads is also a part of being the best. Just to sweeten deal Skwoosh has a supper convenient
tackle tray on the back and a couple of rod holders. Make going fishing easy and comfortable,
put your favorite angler into a new Skwoosh Big Catch.
26 www.Skwoosh.com
Are you rigging a new kayak to put
under the tree or tricking out your
sweet old favorite? YAKGEAR has
what you need from screws to Power-Pole Micro
mounts and rails. Visit our good friends online or
call. Their elves are always there and ready to help
and shipping is only 99 Cents per item. And while
you are there, don’t forget to add KC Magic to your
list...every kayak angler needs this great product.
27 www.Yak-Gear.com
Ever angler likes marine art so we are pleased to bring you
one of the very best such artists around. Steve Whitlock
Game Fish Art is nothing short of amazing and is one of
our anglers favorites at every Awards Ceremony. Steve has
spent a lifetime perfecting his unique technique and bal-
ance of game fish art upon nautical charts. Not only is
Steve Whitlock highly skilled with a brush, he also brings
fish to life with pencil in photo-like quality. Highly skilled
to say the least. We wanted to round out our sponsor gear
with a selection of fine art that everyone is sure to enjoy.
Visit Steve today and select an original or one of his af-
fordable, limited prints.
28 www.SteveWhitlock.com
We hope that our shoppers guide will help you and give you some great gift giving choices
and ideas for your holidays this year.
We thank you in advance for supporting our many generous sponsors who make this won-
derful sport and the Kayak Fishing ClassicS possible.
We know that you and your friends enjoy the beautiful outdoors along the Coastal Gulf
States and ask the you continue to teach out respect and conservation for the beauty that
surrounds us all.
To all of you from all of us,
We Wish You a Very Merry Christmas
. & Happy Hanukkah
29
Carvings by John are some of the most unique carvings
that we have ever encountered anywhere.
Artist John Keller was commissioned by the Kayak Fish-
ing ClassicS to create a one of a kind trophy for our Invi-
tational National Championship in 2014 and this is what
he came up with...Wow! The winners loved it and there
will never be anymore like it carved again.
John creates many unique carvings and he will make one
just for your angler…we can’t think of a more unique
stocking stuffer. Visit Carvings by John of Facebook to
see all of his amazing hand carved works and become a new friend. Order your gifts now to
assure timely delivery for your special angler and while you are at it, get something just for
yourself….we know you’ve been good.
www.Facebook.com/pages/Carvings-By-John/584044455046191
31
Throwing Feathers Throwing Feathers…A fly fish-
ing boom?
With the sport of kayak fishing
growing and growing we have
seen some interesting patterns
emerge in 2014 but let’s back-
track a bit before we go for-
ward. With the downturn in the
world economy and high fuel
costs, we saw the boating indus-
try take an unprecedented
plunge into the deep. This af-
fected the tackle trades industry
as well, in fact it was hurting.
Another factor that hurt the
fishing gear business was the
fact that many youth prefer
electronic gaming over real life
adventures such as fishing.
At the ICAST 2014 show we
witnessed a kayak manufac-
turer, Old Town Predator XL,
not only take best boat award
but also take best of show in
this multi manufacturer equip-
ment representation of the
world’s best new fishing gear
that included everything from
hooks to some very advanced
electronics by Humminbird and
others. The point here is that in
such a world class show for a
kayak to take best of show is
beyond impressive and makes
the statement that kayak fishing
has arrived.
With that said it points to the
impact that the kayak anglers
are making on the tackle trades
industry worldwide and that my
friends is very good for every-
one. We have seen an increase
in sales of new kayaks that is
simply off of the charts and the
trades’ related gear is following.
Kayak anglers used to make
much of their needed gear for
their boats because there was
little offered from the retail sec-
tor. Now you can purchase just
about anything you need at
great prices with no end in
sight.
Along with this big uptick by
the kayak anglers is the renais-
sance brewing in fly fishing
from a kayak. I have long said
that fly fishing offers an addi-
tional stealth factor to kayak
fishing that you just don’t get
with conventional gear. I am
seeing more and more young
anglers in our series picking up
the fly rod and learning how to
throw some feathers. These
young guns are realizing what
we old studs have known for a
long time…fly fishing is cool…
very cool.
With stand up fishing kayaks,
special fly lines like the Kayak
Line offered by Jim Teeny, fan-
tastic reels that don’t break the
bank and fly rods that are crazy
insane good for just a few hun-
dred bucks, why not? Take a
look at the amazing selection of
highly productive inshore flies
By Capt. Pat Horrigan
such as those by Enrico Puglisi
at EP Flies. The amount of well
designed, well built, affordable
fly fishing gear that is offered
today is not by accident. The
manufactures get it now and are
making gear for kayak fly an-
glers alike and the payoff is go-
ing to be huge. Not just in dol-
lars, that’s a given. The real
payoff is in growing a part of
our sport that has been over-
looked by many. No longer is
fly fishing an elitist, snooty
sport. Hook up with a 42” red-
fish on an 8 weight rod and reel
and hang on, you’re going for a
ride with an ensuing battle that
is sure to spill your cup of tea.
With all of the new fly gear and
special kayaks being offered
designed around the kayak an-
glers needs, there must be
something to it…it’s cool…
very, very cool.
The Kayak Fishing ClassicS
will be holding a non-series
kayak fly fishing only tourna-
ment in 2015 that is open to
everyone with a kayak and fly
rod. The dates and location will
soon be announced with the re-
lease of the tournament series
schedule. You can follow the
ClassicS on Facebook & twitter
as well as on our website at
www.KayakFishingClassicS.co
m See you on the water &
Good Fishing.
www.KayakFishingClassicS.com
32
Start your collection of Steve Whitlock Game Fish Art today. Steve’s work is also available on shirt art at Denali
Performance Wear and in fine sports retailers worldwide. We are proud to support the arts and hope you do as well.
SteveWhitlock
33
I THOUGHT I could fish a little, and it
turns out I could fish…..a little. Make no
mistake; there is a learning curve to tour-
nament fishing – a learning curve that
many of your competitors are further
along. My learning curve meant that I had
to watch the winners, and listen to what
worked for them. It also meant that I
needed to use baits that I was not familiar
with. An example of this, I didn’t use
crank baits. In my mind they were expen-
sive when you lost one, and plastics were
weedless, and cheaper. I’d throw top water
plugs, but use a plug that ran deep – you
must be kidding. My attitude changed,
when the KATS winners were using crank
baits. Funny thing, after deciding to work
on this new skill, I caught my largest bass
ever on a craw colored deep diving plug –
too bad it was in practice. You can see this
fish on YouTube The competitive part of
me did not like the fact that I was so far
from being a top finisher. If you finish “in
the money” of a KATS event, you are an
accomplished bass fisherman, and a little
lucky. The last KATS event I fished, there
were almost 90 kayaks competing. Even
with my lukewarm performances, I felt
like I was learning, getting better, and
MOST importantly having fun. I finished
Two quick admissions: First, I’m proud to
be a Texan. Second, I have a competitive
streak.
I was born in Texas,
and have lived most
of my adult life in
the Lone Star State.
I love the state, and
love kayak fishing
in the Austin Area.
The competitive
streak is not one of
those “I MUST win
everything, ALL the
time!” It is more of
the “I enjoy win-
ning, and the feeling
that comes when
you enter a contest,
and your effort is
rewarded”, kind of
thing. You lose
(graciously), you
learn, and you com-
pete better the next
time.
Now I find myself
living in Orlando,
with my lovely wife, Jeannie. Thankfully,
Jeannie is a wonderful supporter of my
fishing, and a great partner to have. We are
blessed with early retirements, and Jeannie
has basically said, “fish all you want.”
Orlando is home to more than The Magic
Kingdom, and tourists. It is also home to
over 1500 named lakes, and is situated
where a short drive gets you to saltwater
fishing on either the East Coast, or the
Gulf Coast. There are almost TOO MANY
fishing choices! I felt like a (old) kid in a
candy shop.
And the fishing is WAY different than
what I knew. In Texas lakes, you fish
things like creek channels, tree stumps,
depth changes, and other structure. Most
lakes are impounded rivers, and many are
power plant lakes. I quickly found out,
many lakes in the Orlando area are mostly
shallow bowl shapes, with little of the
structure I was used to. That is not to say
the fish aren’t great – Texans love that
Florida Bass populate our lakes! It’s just
taking more adjustments to catch bass in
Florida than I anticipated. It takes more
than just throwing a worm into some
weeds.
Texas has a large Gulf Coast, and I did
have the good fortune of catching a few
redfish, trout, and flounder. My kayak
fishing on the coast was limited because of
the distance from Austin to the coast. As a
result, I felt more confident on fresh water.
The other BIG difference – Texas Gulf
waters lack the same clarity as the waters I
have fished in Florida. The Texas Gulf
Coast (for the most part) does not enjoy
blue or green water and the sand and bay
bottoms’ color is much less appealing.
Competitive kayak fishing, in Texas, is
mostly a freshwater event. There are sev-
eral groups that give you the chance to pay
your money, and see how good you are.
The Kayak Angler Series (KATS) is a
tournament series that began in the Austin/
Central Texas area. I decided to fish the
series in 2013. It enjoys a good reputation,
and is backed by a well known local kayak
shop. In fact, I had fished a few of these
events years earlier with partners on a
tandem. This time around I was going to
get serious, and compete!
This Ain’t Austin Anymore...
Can a Texan Catch Florida Fish? By Gary McLearen
34
just a few places short of
qualifying for the KATS Clas-
sic.
Orlando has no freshwater
kayak fishing series – which I
could find. In fact, the kayak
fishermen here seem to spend
the majority of their fishing
time on the shallow flats of
Mosquito Lagoon and Indian
River system. It took me a
while to understand why. All
these GREAT bass lakes and
you want to drive to the coast?
It took me just long enough to
catch a nice trout, and hook a
slot red to recall how much
stronger – and fun – catching
saltwater fish are! (Insert IR-
Trout.jpeg)
With no fresh water choices, I
began to look at saltwater
kayak fishing options. My
Internet research (Google is
SO handy) helped me iden-
tify, and narrow the field. The
mostly likely events were the Inshore Fish-
ing Association (IFA), Extreme Kayak
Fishing Tournament (EKFT), and the
Kayak Fishing ClassicS (KFC) by Tropic
Bay.
The EKFT is an event I haven’t done, but
plan to be a part of in June and August.
This series is held in Pompano Beach, and
is a Beyond the Breakers (BTB) event.
That means you are launching from the
beach, and fishing for Kings, Dolphin, and
even Sailfish. How cool is that? It will be
an adventure!
The IFA is a series that is run, in tandem
with a team – powerboat – redfish series.
Saturday is for the powerboats and Sunday
is for the kayaks. Kayak fishermen are
expected to catch, take a picture, and re-
lease their fish (CPR), “keeping” their
largest redfish and trout for a combined
measurement. The Punta Gorda event was
well run and fun. For me, I caught a slot
redfish fifteen minutes after launch, and
spent the rest of my day hunting for a trout
that I never caught. The Kayak Fishing
Classics is the series that I have been the
most involved with. One reason was the
varied locations that the events fished.
We fish Tampa/St. Pete, to Mosquito La-
goon, to Sarasota, to the Nature Coast, and
all the way up to Pensacola. There were
ten ClassicS events, a National Champion-
ship, and a season ending three-day John-
son Outdoors World Fishing Open in No-
vember. Read more about the JOWFO
later.
Another reason, for me to fish the KFC,
was the chance to fish a greater number of
events. I know from the KATS experience,
I would need to fish more to gain the ex-
perience needed to be in the Top Ten
(there are more than a few good anglers in
KFC!). That was my initial goal – to be in
the Top Ten, especially after I saw the
prize table, Wow!
I also found out the series will be awarding
12 kayaks this year from Old Town Ca-
noes & Kayaks, Ocean Kayak and KC
Kayaks at the Invitational Championship
and the 3 day JOWFO in October & No-
vember.
An additional bonus to my KFC participa-
tion (cue the BIG DEAL music), the
Kayak Fishing ClassicS will be donating
the proceeds from the JOWFO – through
the KFC- Live2Fish Foundation - to the St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital! What
a worthy cause.
After fishing a few KFC events I found out
a few things; First and foremost – It’s fun
to fish new areas of Florida. Fishing new
areas come with some challenges. Like,
can I trust the fishing maps (to some ex-
tent), can I plug into some local knowledge
from the fishing reports, local bait shops,
and local guides (if you are lucky), do I
REALLY want to – and is there time – pre
-fish an area?
The pre-fishing question is one that I have-
n’t decided yet. If you have the chance to
fish an area a couple of times, I’d say yes.
If you don’t have that kind of time, the
very least I do is scout the area and know
where my launch will be, and where the
weigh in is.
There are plenty of tournament strategies
we could talk about, but here are a few of
the basics I have learned. Keep in mind I
continue to learn and improve through
observation, reading, and practice.
Become familiar and comfort-able with your measuring device and taking your pictures. Sounds simple, but most would admit to having lost fish (or tokens) dur-ing this process.
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Have a plan. Then have another plan. And have maybe another plan. Tournament fishing is about adjusting to what works, and trying something different if you need to. This plan should include your fishing patterns, and areas you intend to fish.
Make a checklist, including the simple stuff like fishing license, water, something to snack on, bug spray, and your tackle needs. Keep it as simple as you can. Most Top Ten guys will do more with less. You need to be able to fish three water levels – top, subsurface, and near the bottom – and the lures to do that.
Check your equipment. This check might find something that needs to be fixed, or adjusted. For me it provides some confi-dence that things SHOULD work as intended.
Don’t be discouraged in your first few times. There are ALWAYS at least a handful of excellent anglers in every tour-nament, to make you feel like a beginner. If your first few times are like mine, you can expect to be freezing cold, break a rod, paddle into a re-stricted wildlife zone, or be run off by power plant secu-rity…..and maybe catch a fish or two.
The results of my KFC efforts have im-
proved. In the Weedon Island Classic (my
first ever saltwater event) a 13th place fin-
ish. The Mosquito Lagoon (pre-fished
these “home” waters) I earned a 10th place
finish (funny note: I incorrectly added my
score card, and shorted my total by 10” so
I missed the prize table) and Panama City
where I earned 4th place. It felt good to get
into the top 5. My new goal is to be there
consistently!
As I waited – 2 days from Ozello Classic –
I was refining my plan and process. That’s
the competitive streak. I was also looking
forward to flying that Texas flag on tour-
nament day. I did that throughout the se-
ries year and it helped me several times.
Editors Note: Gary finished a very respect-
able 6th place overall in the Kayak Fishing
ClassicS 2014 tournament series. Con-
gratulations and you are correct Gary, This
isn’t Austin…Welcome to the ClassicS.
This Ain’t Austin… continued.
36
Stand up paddle board fishing or “Sup”
Fishing for short has been attracting the
attention of anglers, boaters, yakers &
surfers. Although it has been around al-
most since the beginning of time, it is
gaining popularity as kayak fishing and
paddleboards alike have both become
extremely popular water sports over the
last 5-7 years. Board anglers are still a
pretty small community but its gaining
popularity quickly. Which only makes
sense because of all the advantages of
fishing off a board. Its simplicity - a board
& a paddle, its lightweight & easy to load
& unload, you can launch basically any-
where you can find water, its quiet when
stalking fish & you are getting a workout
while outdoors having fun & fishing! One
advantage over a kayak is the ability to
stay under 40lbs and be able stand & fish.
Suffering from a back injury a paddle
board was just what I needed to be able to
still get out on the water and not have to
drag a heavy kayak. The stability of my
boards is very similar to the kayaks I have
used in the past but weigh less. Stand up
paddle boarding isn’t for everyone but for
me it was an obvious choice
There are many designs out on the market
and I suggest actually testing them out on
the water before purchasing when avail-
able. Stability is your most important fea-
ture when looking for the right board to
fish off of. This will differ for each angler
based on their body mass and balancing
ability. The amount of gear and the tar-
geted species are also important when
making a decision. There are different
styles of boards used for different situa-
tions. Long narrow boards with V entry
style are mostly used for racing & long
distance flat water paddling. Shorter
boards with rounder noses are designed to
catch waves. There is also a hybrid dis-
placement board which combines the
surfing & flat-water style entry which
also happens to be first choice when
choosing a fishing board.
Simplicity is one reason board fishing is
so appealing. There are a few things
though that you don’t want to forget, that
being your safety equipment, including a
life jacket, whistle & 360 degree white
light. The law can get a little confus-
ing when fishing from a board but if
you follow the same rules as when
fishing from a kayak it’s better to be
safe than sorry. Another important
piece of gear is a stakeout pole. You
can reuse an old surf rod by stripping
the guides & cutting a bit off the top to
stiffen it up. If you can get one long
enough, it can double as a push pole.
Sometimes it’s more efficient & less
work to pole your board as you would
pole a flats boats when sight fishing.
Remember when choosing what you
will use, as your height needs to be
taken in consideration when standing
on a cooler which really gives you that
extra advantage when trying to spot
fish before they see you.
Durability & weight are the top two
factors when choosing a paddle. You
can purchase an adjustable paddle or
you can cut your paddle to be the cor-
rect height for you. The general rule of
thumb is 12-13” above your head. My
everyday paddle is one made by Axe Pad-
dles & weighs only 16oz. Full carbon
fiber and a narrow shaft doesn’t leave you
feeling fatigued at the end of the day.
Bote Boards has designed a lightweight
removable aluminum rod holder that fits
snugly into their boards. It also assists in
adding stability when standing high up on
your cooler. Yeti coolers have also de-
signed a rod holder that fits right on their
cooler.
Paddle board fishing is acceptable in
most kayak tournaments and I encourage
you to give it a try. I think you will be
pleasantly surprised at the stability, ma-
neuverability, & finesse of fishing off a
paddle board.
SUP By Linda Cavitt
2014 National Championship
Captains Meeting & Dinner
37
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2014 National Championship
Awards & Results
Pressure? Yes and
lots of it. The Kayak
Fishing ClassicS is
well known for their generous spon-
sors and the lavish invitational has
been coined as the ‘Kayak Christmas’.
Johnson Outdoors Old Town & Ocean
Kayak along with KC Kayaks com-
bined to award the top 6 winners with
world class kayaks. Old Town Preda-
tor 13’s and Predator MX, Ocean
Kayak Prowler Big Game II and the
Prowler II as well as the K12 hunting
model kayak by KC Kayaks. 7th
through 10th place received sponsor
gear prize packages that certainly
would not fit under any Christmas tree
that we’ve ever seen.
1st place was captured and controlled
early by Adam Calderon who
slammed the Classic with a 67.8” to-
tal. His catch measured 20.6” redfish,
25.2” snook and 22” trout caught on a
mix of gold spoons and paddle tail soft
plastics. Adam won the award winning
Old Town Predator 13, a Bending
Branches Angler Pro paddle, shirt &
hat, an EGO NETS retracting landing
net and a pair of Flying Fisherman
Sunglasses & hat. Just to top things
off, a special event specific hand
carved bone redfish tail by Carvings
by John. Not a bad day on the water
that put a big smile on Adams’ face.
Great job and Congratulations on your
victory Adam from Old Town and all
of our sponsors.
2nd place was earned by Patrick
Nespeca who used top water lures and
soft plastic paddletails, these guys are
secretive about their lures…I wonder
why? Patrick’s slam measured a total
of 64.2” with a 20.7” redfish, 21.1”
trout and 22.4” snook for his podium
finish where he did his happy dance.
Patrick won an Ocean Kayak Prowler
Big Game II. This is an awesome fish-
ing kayak for inshore and offshore
alike that is feature rich and solid for
sure. He too was all smiles! Congratu-
lations from Johnson Outdoors &
Ocean Kayak Patrick…well done.
3rd place was locked down by Andrew
Mixon with another Gulf Coast Slam
for a total of 60.8” of fish. Andrew
won the Old Town Predator MX with
a 22.2” redfish, 20.7” snook and a
17.8” trout using Unfair Lures. Mixon
is no stranger to victory as he has won
some major tournaments this year.
Mixon showed up at the photo weigh
in early, in fact he showed up first.
That is either a poor sign or a very
good one. As it turned out is was very
good for him. Congratulations Andrew
from Old Town and Johnson Outdoors
as well as from all of our sponsors and
from everyone here at the Kayak Fish-
ing ClassicS.
4th place was taken by Joshua Harris
with yet another slam! Joshua scored a
total of 54.2” for his podium finish
Anglers and Weather were Slamming
the ClassicS
The anglers and the weather were
slamming the ClassicS in the Kayak
Fishing ClassicS Invitational National
Championship held on October 4th in
Tampa Bay. The Captains Meeting &
Dinner kicked off the conclusion of
the 10 tournament saltwater series on
October 3rd at Whiskey Joe’s Bar &
Grill located at 7720 Courtney Camp-
bell Causeway. WJ’s served up a fan-
tastic buffet for the hungry contestants
after a day of pre-fishing. Capt. Pat
awarded Marty Duffany, general man-
ager of the water front eatery, a beauti-
ful framed work of art by Steve
Whitlock Game Fish Art to kick of the
meeting. Anglers were cautioned
about the potential weather conditions
at launch time….some did not listen.
Launch time was at 6:30 am in pleas-
ant conditions for the 5th annual invita-
tional but quickly turned ugly as a rain
laden front passed over. All but a few
anglers stayed against the leeward
mangrove lines and for those who did
not heed the captains words were
quickly introduced to a brief taste of
Mother Nature’s fury.
The front passed and revealed a beau-
tiful day of fishing however altered by
the weather. Contestants were fishing
for a Gulf Coast Slam; 1 redfish, 1
snook and 1 trout…harder than it
sounds and is quite an accomplish-
ment particularly under tournament
pressure.
40
2014 National Championship
Awards & Results
and a Prowler II by Ocean Kayak.
Nice job Joshua and congratulations
from Johnson Outdoors and Ocean
Kayak.
5th place with yet another slam was
hooked by Jose ‘Pepi’ Vidal with a
total of 53.8”. Pepi captured the po-
dium and a KC Kayaks K-12 kayak
with a 15.6” redfish, a 23.7” snook
and a 14.5” trout using Slayer soft
plastic lures. Pepi is also an avid duck
hunter and will put the K-12 to good
use. Congratulations Pepi from all of
us and KC Kayaks.
6th place was landed by Wade ‘The
Shizzle’ Hollowell with a total of
43.1”. He scored with a 26.1” snook
and a 17” trout using a Bank Flats
Creeper. Hollowell had a huge red get
away from him however he did man-
age to land the biggest fish in the tour-
nament with his 26.1” snook and the
Big Fish Award. Wade also won a KC
Kayaks K-12 so I am sure we will see
him in the duck marshes as he tries to
Shizzle our feathered friends. Great
job Wade and congratulations from
KC Kayaks.
7th Place Tom Baker 43”
8th Place Joe Henary 43”
9th Place William Lusk 39.7”
10th Place Olin Satterfield
The 7th place thru 10th place winners
each received sponsor gear prize pack-
ages valued from over $700.00 to over
$2,000.00 each.
We wish to thank all of you for a great
series year and congratulations to all
from all of our sponsors at the Kayak
Fishing ClassicS. We also like to once
again thank all of our fantastic spon-
sors who make this all possible. Please
visit all of our sponsors at
www.KayakFishingClassicS.com and
we’ll see you on the water…Good
Fishing!
National Champion Adam Calderon
Series Champion Robert Brown
Top 6 National Championship Classic Champions Adam Calderon
& Wade Hollowell standing , Patrick Nespeca left front, Andrew
Mixon, Pepi Vidal, Joshua Harris
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What would you put up with to catch a
Gulf Coast Slam? It’s harder than it
looks! Some of the very best inshore
kayak anglers converged upon Tampa
Bay for the Kayak Fishing ClassicS
Johnson Outdoors World Fishing Open
which was held on November 14th, 15th
& 16th. The 3 Day Slam Fest was all that
it should have been and then some…well
maybe.
The anglers were released to begin fish-
ing for at 7 am on Friday November 17th
to begin their 3 day journey to put to-
gether their best snook, redfish & trout
slam in not so perfect conditions but
that’s fishing. As if competing against
some of the best talent on the water was
not tough enough, Mother Nature de-
cided to throw in her 2 cents worth by
starting the day with bone chilling tem-
peratures and 10 knot winds and oh yes,
let’s not forget some rain here and there.
Some anglers came up from the south
where it was nice a sunny and toasty
warm to be greeted by some of Mother
Natures’ finest only to realize that they
were not properly dressed. Thank good-
ness for warm rain suites.
In spite of the cold front that began the 3
day event, anglers began reporting
catches of all 3 species however small in
size. Was this to be a sign of things to
come? Well in a word…yes. Almost
every angler reported encounters with
huge redfish and monster size snook in
the Tampa Bay waters and only one an-
gler reported spotting a gator trout as the
wind blew him right past the beast sun-
ning in a sandy pot hole. The big fish
were everywhere but had lock jaw to
further compound the frustrations of
many. Like I said, it’s harder than it
looks.
Day 2 began with chilly conditions and
the promise of a warmer, calmer day.
Champion Adam Calderon was just a
scale or two short with a 62.5” slam for
4th place and Olin Satterfield captured 5th
place with a total of 61.7” slam. Con-
gratulations to all of the anglers in this
our inaugural John Outdoors World
Fishing Open.
After the weigh in the top 3 winners se-
lected their kayak of choice…a tough
decision when you are staring at the very
best selling fishing kayaks in the world.
Next up was the raffle for the remaining
kayak. The friendly waitress at Whiskey
Joe’s selected the winning number and
the lucky winner was Eric Henson of
Casting Kayaks guide service out of
Sarasota, Fl.
It wasn’t over yet! Raffle tickets were
pulled from the hat as the anglers began
working their way through all of the
fantastic sponsor gear and everyone
there won a nice load of top quality gear
for a very worthy cause.
Congratulations to all from all of our
sponsors and from all of us at the Kayak
Fishing ClassicS. Please visit us online
to thank our sponsors for all that they do
for all of us, please click through and
begin your holiday shopping early to
save. Be sure to tell them that we sent
you for some nice discounts.
Thanks again and see you next year
The anglers were not disappointed.
With improved conditions the fishing
became better as the time ticked away.
Anglers could also night fish and sev-
eral did so in pursuit of the elusive rod
bending, monster snook. Day 3 began
with a beautiful sunrise and much
warmer conditions. The wind settled
down and the makings for a shoot out
on the water were perfect. At this
point most anglers had their 3 fish
slam in the books and were looking to
upgrade their score. Weigh in was
scheduled for to close at 1:30 pm Sun-
day so suddenly time was no one’s
friend…tick, tick, tick.
Adding to the pressure was what was
at stake for the winning top 3 anglers.
To begin with every angler wants to
win and is sure that he or she can or
they wouldn’t be there. Knowing that
the other guy is trying his best to undo
your best efforts by one upping you
gives you a feeling that a 30” redfish
is too small or a 26” trout is a dink.
They are all trying to win one of the
beautiful, highly prized kayaks pro-
vided by Ocean Kayak and Old Town
kayaks. Johnson Outdoors provided 4
kayaks for this event, 3 for the winners
and 1 for the ClassicS charity raffle to
benefit the St. Jude Children’s Re-
search Hospital through the ClassicS
Live2Fish foundation. Then there was
the raffle for all the fantastic sponsor
gear that further added to the excite-
ment. Weigh in at Whiskey Joe’s Bar
& Grill on Tampa Bay was going to be
a lot of fun for everyone and more so
for top 3 winners. Let’s take a look at
how all of this turned out.
Russell Jacobs scored a 64.1” slam to
capture 1st place. Logan Won-
gesprasert won 2nd place with a total of
63.2” slam and Robert Brown won 3rd
place with a 62.8” slam. National
2014 Johnson Outdoors
World Fishing Open
Follow us on Facebook
43
2014 Johnson Outdoors
World Fishing Open
44
Russell Jacobs, Logan Wongesprasert and Robert Brown took the top honors in the inaugural Johnson Outdoors World
Fishing Open and won an Old Town Predator 13, Predator MX and an Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game II to go along with
the bragging rights for a year. Congratulations Russell, Logan and Robert from Johnson Outdoors Watercraft
Eric Henson won the kayak raffle. The win-
ning ticket was drawn by Whiskey Joe’s.
This was the first raffle that Henson has ever
won and he can use the new Ocean Kayak.
The proceeds from the kayak raffle and the
sponsor gear raffle went to a St. Jude Chil-
dren’s Research Hospital. Congratulations
Eric and all of the winners of the sponsor
gear raffle. We greatly appreciate your sup-
port.
We wish to offer a special thank you to John-
son Outdoors Watercraft and all of our spon-
sors for their fantastic generosity and support
in this our first world open. See you next
year and good fishing.
45
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Host Sponsors Kahuna’s Bar & Grill
10515 Gandy Blvd.
St. Petersburg, Florida 33702
(727) 576-7800
Weedon Island Classic
Manatees Sports Bar & Grill
7423 Manatee Ave. West
Bradenton, Florida 34209
(941) 794-1400
Palma Sola Classic
Goodrich Seafood Restaurant
253 River Road
Oak Hill, Florida 32759
(386) 345-3397
Mosquito Lagoon Classic
The Buccaneer Beach Motel,
Bar & Grill
711 W. Beach Dr.
Panama City, Florida 32401
(850) 763-4622
Panama City Classic
49
Host Sponsors Pecks Old Port Cove
139 North Ozello Trail
Crystal River, Florida 34229
(352) 795-2806
Ozello Classic
Beanie’s Sports Bar & Grill
2002 US 41
Ruskin, Florida 33570
(813) 649-1700
Cockroach Bay Classic
Bob’s BoatHouse
5515 South Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 312-9111
City Island Classic
Sandy Hook Fish & Rib House
4875 Pine Island Rd. NW
Matlacha, Florida 33990
(239) 286-0113
Matlacha Classic
50
Host Sponsors Shrimp Landing
48 US 19
Inglis, Florida 34449
(352) 447-5201
Yankeetown Classic
Goodrich Seafood Restaurant
253 River Road
Oak Hill, Florida 32759
(386) 345-3397
Mosquito Lagoon Redfish Classic
Whiskey Joe’s Bar & Grill
7720 Courtney Campbell Causeway
Tampa, Florida 33608
(813) 281-0770
Hosted:
2014 National Championship October
Johnson Outdoors World Fishing Open Nov.
We wish to thank all of the friendly establishments who hosted the Kayak Fishing ClassicS Tournament Series in 2014.
All of us here, our sponsors and all of the contestants deeply appreciate all that you do in hosting our awards ceremonies.
We high recommend not only eating at these fine places, come on in and have some fun too...well you can’t help that.
Every eatery that hosted our events in 2014 not only have good food and outstanding service, they are fun places to be
where like minded people enjoy going to. Thanks Again from all of us to all of you who worked so hard..see you soon.
Our Fantastic Sponsors