By Paul LebowitzMarch 24, 2006 Lightning flickered in the distance, and the low growl of far-off thunder disturbed the pre-dawn peace. A steady rain was falling on the gathering crowd of wet kayak anglers. A voice out of the darkness wryly dismissed the weather, “Kayak fishing is a water sport, you know.” The levity lifted some of the gloom. Although there wasn’t much wind, it didn’t look good for the March 11 third annual Kayak Sportfishing Tournament in Dana Point. That’s when tournament organizer Jason Morton walked up and shared some glad news. The rangers at Doheny State Beach had consulted the weather radar and decreed that the show could go on. As predicted, the storm cell moved off and the skies brightened. When the tournament’s 6:30 a.m. start time rolled around the beach was filled with fishing kayaks and eager anglers. 190 kayak anglers to be exact. About 100 were out for the biggest single fish they could find. The rest were competing in the catch and release bass division for the heaviest five fish stringer. Morton was moved by the strong attendance despite the harsh forecasts that had threatened 20 knot winds and several inches of rain. “We’d had horizontal rain the day before. The sponsor and angler turnout was great. Everyone had been hearing about Antarctica coming to California,” said a relieved Morton. As expected, the unstable weather put the normally plentiful and aggressive Dana Point halibut off the bite. A couple of skilled kayak anglers still managed to dredge up flatfish. Jimmy ‘Kiyo’ Sato’s 8-pound 14-ounce halibut was good enough for big fish division honors. His victory earned Sato a fully outfitted Hobie Adventure Fish kayak complete with a custom internal KayaTank bait tank from Angler’s Yak Shack. The fish ate a live smelt Sato brought south with him from Long Beach. Mark Flicker weighed in a 6.2-pound halibut to take second. Third place fell to Kent Myers, who brought in a nice 5-pound sheephead. Conditions were somewhat better for the catch and release bass division competitors. Robby Mott took first place with a 5-fish weight of 14.87 pounds. |
Big Bait, Big Bass – Kayak Sportfishing Tournament bass division winner Robby Mott fished smelt color MC Slugs for a stringer full of slugs. His five fish total was nearly 15 pounds. PHOTO COURTESY BILL GARBER
Stormy Flatty - Stormy weather notwithstanding, ‘Kiyo’ Sato proved Orange County halibut have a taste for Long Beach smelt. Sato’s 8-pound plus fish earned him first place in the big fish division at the third annual Kayak Sportfishing Tournament held at Dana Point. PHOTO COURTESY JIM SALAZAR |
| He fished off Salt Creek several miles north of the launch site, a gutsy move on a day with such turbulent weather. Mott said all of his fish came on a smelt color MC Slug. For his efforts, Mott took home a fully outfitted Ocean Kayak Prowler 15 Angler Edition kayak. Dave Easton finished second with 12.81 pounds. Tom Buckalew was third (12.25 pounds).
Morton was satisfied with the catches. “There were a lot of bass caught, and a couple of halibut. Only 10 or 11 fish were weighed in the big fish division, but not because people didn’t catch fish. It shows how conscious kayak anglers are of the importance of conservation. Very few fish were killed.” The division victors weren’t the only winners. The raffle featured fishing kayaks from Cobra Kayaks, Wilderness Systems, and Advanced Elements, as well as valuable prizes from a long list of sponsors. “I’m overwhelmed by our sponsors’ acceptance and acknowledgement of the sport. It reinforces the legitimacy of kayak fishing,” said Morton, who then added the tournament wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of sponsors and volunteers. Go to www.kayaksportfishing.com for additional information and standings. |