Ultimate Kayak Fishing: Tournament Rule Change - Ultimate Kayak Fishing

I do not believe that the "Big Fish" category is promoting what we as kayak angles stand for. The divisions this year is "Open" and "Fly" because it's the right thing. We had the open division on year and most anglers where signed up in the C&R division or Fly division.

There will be no penalty keeping a fish for food but the measurement and length has to be done at time of catch, not back on land. tie breaker for 2 fish same size will go in the favor of angler who released fish.

If you have an opinion please voice it here.

Nils

I'm all in favor of the all catch & release tourney.

Possibly use the 2nd biggest fish for two anglers who tie with their biggest fish.

If we do 1st, 2nd, 3rd place awards, can an angler win more than one? (I think no, but its a good question).

I am all for it.

I have no problem with somebody keeping the legal limit. That being said, if this rule change enables a few more big girls to keep swimming...Giddy-up! No more big fish category.

2 catagories;

Fly kill or release

Open kill or release

Tie breaker to released fish.

How do you lay a tape across a bass and take a picture while sitting in a yak? I can't get a whole fish in the picture, the Hobie pedals limit how far forward you can get the fish.

Its easy.

Here are a few examples from last years striper shootout.



I all seriousness, that's just another good reason to have a fishing partner.

Then you can get pics like this:





At the end of the day its about having fun and we need to believe that each one of us is honest. If someone really wants to cheat, they can and will. This is why the really good prizes are withheld for the raffle.

Oh so the tape doe'nt really have to be across the fish as proof of measurement. ok Thanks

The Kayak Fishing Rodeo is on the honor system and the concept came from a personal incident that I think shows the spirit of the kayak fishing community.

The story goes like this:

My son fished from the kayak for 3 years, we would go out and spend hours on the water and he would catch his share of stripers. In that 3 year span he landed fish up to 27 3/4" but never the elusive keeper. On a Saturday morning we where on the water and the bite was slow. He hooked up with another almost keeper and this time the fish where so close to a keeper that he said "Can't we just stretch it, nobody will now?" My answer was that "of course we can, only you and I will know. You think you can live with that?" The answer was, let it go...

Next day he got his first keeper... 23lb striper and he kept it.

So that is the spirit of the tournament.

Nils

That's the way to do it-

Its not always easy. If the wind, current and or chop (waves) are up, focusing (pun intended) on taking a photo that actually has the fish and the ruler in it is hard and potentially dangerous. At jbay I had taken so much water on that I could not open my hatch where the camera was stored. luckily Craig and another fisherman were nearby. Even then, the way the wind and current was pushing us around and that it had been a long fight and we wanted to make a successfully release the pics did not really show the fish and ruler in a way to be considered evidence. Fortunately the judges felt we were telling the truth.