Kayak fishing in January? Better be hardcore to fish with us! Due to Polar Vortex(extreme cold front), entrants were allowed to vote to reschedule or modify the format to allow bank fishing, huge boundaries and multiple launches instead of our normal shotgun launch. Baits were still limited to those provided by club, though difficult to enforce with angles spread out over many, many miles.
I did not pre-fish Friday because I knew conditions would be radically different Saturday, but did arrive in time to dine and hang with some of the most accomplished kayak anglers in this part of North America. After dinner, we high tailed it back to the Luxurious Galliano Inn, Minimalist Central, for bait distribution, since we were not doing the shotgun launch. I had a hand in procuring the secret bait selection so really enjoyed handing them out, seeing entrants and witnessing reactions as they looked over the baits. Once done, I brought baits back to my room where stragglers could collect and started rigging with my bunkie Jonathan Aucoin. One angler showed up having difficulty registering last minute so we helped him successfully register, number 70. I closed my eyes around 930 but had a hard time getting to sleep, very restless night. Our neighbors were noisy and Jonathan was sawing logs all night.
Saturday
I woke before the alarm and turned on the Café Bustello, thanks Frank Lee! Got my gear loaded early, emptied my digestive system and started handing out baits to early arrivals in my room, avoiding freezing temperatures and 20+ mph winds while I could. I handed off the baits to Al Chee and rolled south.
I’m driving over the toll bridge planning to launch and going over everything I need to put in The Ghost and realize my PFD isn’t in the truck, lovely. I called Butch Ridgedell and sure enough, he had a spare and was near my planned launch location at an excellent community hole. Once Butch hooked me up, I decided to hang and cast a few times. At 630, about 6 anglers started casting and 2 launched. It was bitterly cold and the wind was howling. I walked down to the bank, normally covered by water, and started slow jigging, then with no success, threw out the Four Horsemen/Boom Boom combo with about 4′ of leader, a technique that had previously worked in this location, nada. We were all pretty close and I tangled lines with another angler a couple times, who was kind enough to return my bait. I probably stayed 40 minutes but with no hits, rolled. I rolled to my planned launch location and there were about 10 kayaks in the water and at least 10 fishing from the shoreline. Having fished this spot for over 30 years, I knew where to fish and no one was standing there, so I climbed down the rocks to the shore with a couple rods and started casting. I’ve been using the Knockin Tails baits for quite a while successfully, so it was my go to, comfort bait, rigged with the heavier Tail Chaser jighead. About 15 casts in, I got the bump and hooked up. I didn’t follow the most important rule of bank fishing, get the fish away from the water, and the trout spit the hook at the shoreline. I stepped towards the clearly legal fish just as it flopped into the water and had to stop myself from stepping in after it. I probably yelled, but was at the same time, confident that if I caught one, I’d catch another, so started casting again. A few minutes later I hooked up again and was able to get it in my hand. So now I’m the old fat guy climbing up the rocks, fish in hand, to my measuring board, dicey, and was able to successfully photograph and register my catch. One down, I’m already past the skunk! I gather the other 3 rods, measuring board and my cofee cup and climb back down the rocks, real dicey, and set up to catch em all! About that time I see Breck Hotard about 150 yards away, landing a fish and registering it. Lovely. He beat me to my spot last year and there he is. A few dozen casts later, I snagged the bottom. Fabulous! KC hill was pedaling by, grabbed my line and attempted to dislodge it from the opposite direction but was unable, so I told him just to break it. Doomed! I successfully tied an FG knot with my last jighead and put on the H&H purple/chartreuse cockaho. I fished another hour or so with everything I had rigged and hooked a couple but couldn’t land. I did catch one with the Four Horsemen setup but it was a little short. Gathered my stuff and climbed back up the rocks, rolled over to watch the group who had launched and didn’t see anyone catching. I knew the fish wouldn’t start biting again until the water warmed up a little so drove to Elmer’s stopping regularly to survey the water and watch others. I stopped in 6 locations and cast while driving north and was sitting at Topwater, water too low to launch, considering taking a knap, when Benjamin Day called and said they were turning on at my initial launch location. Shortly after, I was rolling back over the toll bridge, with haste!
I pulled up to the launch to see at least 10 kayaks in the water and numerous people fishing from the bank around noon. I launched without my ice chest(s) and anchored near the closest point in deep water and started jigging with the red Tail Caser paddletail, started catching fish immediately. Lots of rat reds and small trout but managed to register 2 more trout including one over 15″. Heart Faust anchored next to me and started catching as well. Breck was anchored not far away and catching regularly. Heart mentioned he’d cut her off earlier so I said let’s go anchor next to him and dog him out, so we did. I immediately began exchanging pleasantries and Heart joined in. It didn’t seem like a tournament because we were all lined up joking and having fun, but at the same time catching fish! I quickly caught and registered the remainder of my trout and kept trying for legal reds. Heart caught an oversized drum, then I finally caught a legal red! Breck upgraded his trout, then I hooked up on a bigger red! I was so excited! Heart caught a huge gar, not what she wanted! Then my first red was DQ’d because my hand was touching the gill plate. Lovely! I’d released the red because I didn’t bring my ice chest! I kept at it and lost a big fish, before catching an 11 1/4″ flounder, only to be DQ’d because the tournament slot was 11″. Oh well. I was elated to have what I did so loaded up and rolled north to the awards ceremony.
There were probably 30 people at the awards ceremony. I greeted while working my way to Richoux’s Pizza. Man, that hot pizza was on spot after freezing my butt off all day. I was having a blast and people started getting fish DQ’d and it all went downhill from there. Awards were rescheduled till Sunday and everyone rolled out. Jonathan decided to go home after a tough day so I cleaned up and met the other stragglers for dinner. We had a nice evening then I went back to the room and passed out before 830.
Sunday
Turned on the coffee pot at 5, gathered my stuff and rolled back to the scene of the crime. The wind was still raging, temperature a few degrees warmer than Saturday, but the water was much dirtier and even lower. Oh well, I was already there. Pedaled a couple hundred yards and anchored within 20 feet from where I was the day before, around 7. Using the same baits, I started jigging and caught a trout about 715. Then some rats, then a 19 inch slot red. It was on! Caught a total of 9 slot reds and one more legal trout before 10. Loaded up and headed home, unloaded, showered and napped before a board meeting and awards.
I wasn’t invited to join the awards ceremony so I didn’t think I’d be in the money, but my goal all along was to qualify for the BCKFC Championship. When Sean started going through the top 20, I was very excited as he went through the placement and I wound up 7th! Helping the final angler register had made the count 70, which paid 7, and I got $100 and qualified in one fell swoop! Awesome! Once everything was announced, I figured out that 5 of the top ten anglers were anchored up at the same spot! Hilarious!
Congratulations to our winners and those who qualified for the championship! Thanks to all the officers for figuring out how, not if we could have Minamalist! Thanks to our sponsors for providing a great set of baits. Thanks to our anglers for entering and being understanding with all the tournament drama. Please remember in the future to read the rules very carefully and reach out to the board for clarification to make your tournament successful! Also, if you’re a sandbagger, you might want to start registering your fish as you catch, to avoid losing the opportunity to re-take pics and catch replacement fish.
Trout Challenge is approaching quickly and will also be in Lovely Lower Lafourche. It’s your next chance to shine, and whip my butt! I hope I’ll see you there! I can’t wait!😉
