BeastMan
04-30-2018, 09:41 AM
This weekend was the first MS Crooked Letter Kayak Challenge put on by the South MS Kayak Fishing Club. 70 entries and they said it was the biggest kayak tournament ever in MS. The club is roughly a year old and this was the first tournament so I can?t imagine what it will be like a few years down the road. Captains meeting and weigh-in were at the Chandelier Brewing Co in Gulfport. Cool place
https://s26.postimg.cc/4oyv8h8mh/F01_ACF7_B-4_DD8-4_D88-95_CF-702_AFCAE7_BAA.jpg
We launched in pitch black at 4:20 am and saw another competitor at the launch. First line in the water was 5am so the plan was to get to the first spot by 5 and hit it early for trout. First cast, bam, 14 inch speck. I think it?s about to be on and then nothing. Sun was coming up and I was in an area not really known for good fishing outside of the early technique I tried but I was .5 mile from an area I know real well and has produced in the past so I fished my way there and caught 6 more trout with 4 being tourney stringer worthy. I got to the bay at 7:40 am and was greeted by flat calm water and I?m thinking all I need is a good red and I?m in contention. Felt really good being that I had all day to find 1 fish.
https://s26.postimg.cc/u7r7lh515/3254_E2_BB-_C973-4_B07-9933-_E27_A9_D785936.jpg
Fished a long stretch of area I?ve caught a ton of redfish and black drum and nothing. Not a bite. I look at my watch and I can make it to the launch by 9:30, load up, and get to a new area by 10. Moved further north into a more marsh estuary that I?m really familiar with and have caught good reds in before. I?m back on the water by 10 and the water was dead. You could just see it. I started off planing to sight fish and after seeing 4 gar I switched to covering water and chunking a popping cork. Got my first bite at 12:30 and it was a 15 inch red. Next cast another 15 inch red. And that was it. My only 2 bites past 7:20ish am.
https://s26.postimg.cc/x1ucyvp6x/44433_BED-3_AEE-45_B5-9_C91-92180391_C8_B4.jpg
https://s26.postimg.cc/apwk5k2yh/450550_AD-5966-4_BBD-_B858-54104_A226752.jpg
So I ended up weighing my 4 trout. It ended up being good for a 7th place finish. Not bad considering I haven?t fished this year and I was competing against some real deal badass anglers. Ended up having a blast. I fished all day having the feeling I had a shot. My goal going in was weighing 4 fish and I did that. Went back and tracked my day on google Earth and I was pretty dang close to covering 8 miles by paddle.
https://s26.postimg.cc/ejuls84gp/82_F1_C60_D-_B99_B-487_D-813_D-_C55_CD458_C52_B.jpg
And check out the free swag. It was a $30 sign up and I think I got that back in stuff. I?ll definetly be back for the next one. If you?re in MS and in to kayak fishing, I?d recommend giving SMKFC a look.
https://s26.postimg.cc/kag6sf555/307_BE722-7530-430_D-901_C-_C2377_CDFE182.jpg
https://s26.postimg.cc/4oyv8h8mh/F01_ACF7_B-4_DD8-4_D88-95_CF-702_AFCAE7_BAA.jpg
We launched in pitch black at 4:20 am and saw another competitor at the launch. First line in the water was 5am so the plan was to get to the first spot by 5 and hit it early for trout. First cast, bam, 14 inch speck. I think it?s about to be on and then nothing. Sun was coming up and I was in an area not really known for good fishing outside of the early technique I tried but I was .5 mile from an area I know real well and has produced in the past so I fished my way there and caught 6 more trout with 4 being tourney stringer worthy. I got to the bay at 7:40 am and was greeted by flat calm water and I?m thinking all I need is a good red and I?m in contention. Felt really good being that I had all day to find 1 fish.
https://s26.postimg.cc/u7r7lh515/3254_E2_BB-_C973-4_B07-9933-_E27_A9_D785936.jpg
Fished a long stretch of area I?ve caught a ton of redfish and black drum and nothing. Not a bite. I look at my watch and I can make it to the launch by 9:30, load up, and get to a new area by 10. Moved further north into a more marsh estuary that I?m really familiar with and have caught good reds in before. I?m back on the water by 10 and the water was dead. You could just see it. I started off planing to sight fish and after seeing 4 gar I switched to covering water and chunking a popping cork. Got my first bite at 12:30 and it was a 15 inch red. Next cast another 15 inch red. And that was it. My only 2 bites past 7:20ish am.
https://s26.postimg.cc/x1ucyvp6x/44433_BED-3_AEE-45_B5-9_C91-92180391_C8_B4.jpg
https://s26.postimg.cc/apwk5k2yh/450550_AD-5966-4_BBD-_B858-54104_A226752.jpg
So I ended up weighing my 4 trout. It ended up being good for a 7th place finish. Not bad considering I haven?t fished this year and I was competing against some real deal badass anglers. Ended up having a blast. I fished all day having the feeling I had a shot. My goal going in was weighing 4 fish and I did that. Went back and tracked my day on google Earth and I was pretty dang close to covering 8 miles by paddle.
https://s26.postimg.cc/ejuls84gp/82_F1_C60_D-_B99_B-487_D-813_D-_C55_CD458_C52_B.jpg
And check out the free swag. It was a $30 sign up and I think I got that back in stuff. I?ll definetly be back for the next one. If you?re in MS and in to kayak fishing, I?d recommend giving SMKFC a look.
https://s26.postimg.cc/kag6sf555/307_BE722-7530-430_D-901_C-_C2377_CDFE182.jpg