By Paul Lebowitz

July 6, 2007

Anglers cashing in big on fun saltwater bass contests

With two record setting kayak fishing tournaments down and four to go, the Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News has handed out more than $20,000 in cash and prizes. Best of all, every competitor in the saltwater bass catch and release kayak fishing series has shared in the loot – cutting edge fishing kayaks from Hobie, Cobra, and Perception, kayak-worthy rods and reels from Quantum and Okuma, sharp electronics from Lowrance, tackle from Berkley and Rapala, and much more.

Fresh faces such as that of overall Trail points leader Nick Meyer and float-tubing Newport winner Pat Sullivan dominated the first two contests  In the meantime, many of the ‘regular suspects’ of the kayak fishing tournament scene uncharacteristically struggled.

The traditional good-natured spirit of kayak nation – these are contests among friends both old and new – has soothed some of the sting. The impressive array of give-aways hasn’t hurt either – plus there’s still plenty of time to make a mark. Two-time defending Trail champion Dave Easton is a good example of those who are working hard without seeing a reward on the scorecard.

“I haven’t performed up to expectations, but I’ve taken home products worth more than my entry fees” said Easton while reciting a list of free line, lures, and other swag that salted goody bags or was awarded to raffle winners at the first two events. More is in store at the four remaining events.

Standing at 39th in the points race for the Trail championship - Lowrance Angler of the Year - Easton is at best a dark horse for the overall title and the $2,500 check and bragging rights that accrue to the winner. Still, with two big water calico venues coming up – La Jolla on July 14 and Dana Pt. on Sept 15 – Wilderness Systems pro staffer and consistent calico ace Easton may yet make some noise in the Trail. Each event is also a stand-alone tournament featuring the most lucrative payouts in western kayak fishing history.

History. The 2007 Trail debut at Mission Bay on April 14 shattered all prior marks for a Pacific Coast kayak fishing event when 220 anglers descended on Dana Landing. At the end of the day Eddie Howerton outpaced the large field. His 13.4-lb 5-fish tournament limit – an incredible tally for a Mission Bay tournament where spotted bay bass dominate – was good for $2,190 in prize money, yet another record.

Howerton’s newphew Nick Meyer wasn’t far behind in second place, but the young gun took more jingle to the bank: $875 plus $2,050 in cash and prizes for landing the Global Fish Mounts jackpot, a 3.6-lb sand bass. Long-time kayak caster William Bowen was third with 10.16 lbs, a mark that would win most Mission Bay contests. Bowen pocketed $435.

Conditions weren’t as forgiving at Newport Bay on June 2.

Nearly 170 self-propelled anglers faced tough fishing. When it was over a float-tuber nabbed top honors with an 11.5-lb limit. ‘Rubber Navy’ anglers take heed; Plastic Navy events are open to kayaks, canoes, and the so-called ‘shark donuts.” Pat Sullivan’s tube might have been slower than anything else in the field, but he went home $1,251 richer. Saltwater tournament regular and sometime ‘yakker Dennis Burlason was second with 10.7 lbs, good for $525. Team Okuma kayak angler Robert Yakemonis ably defended his home turf with a 3rd place bag limit weighing more than 9.5 lbs. The effort was good for $400. Brandon O’Connor garnered the Global Fish Mounts Jackpot and $1,330 for his 3.1-lb sand bass.

 The prize money handed out at the first two tour stops amounts to more than a bakery-full of dough.

“We’ve given away more money than any kayak tournament series,” said Plastic Navy Tournament Director Drew Clark.

Clark is thrilled by the attention his Western Outdoor News backed contests are garnering from the tackle industry. 

“Our sponsorships are stronger than we’ve ever seen. Manufacturers are taking the sport seriously. We’re seeing more equipment designed for specifically for kayak anglers,” said Clark, who went on to laud Quantum’s introduction of their Kayak Series rods at the tournaments. Clark also singled out Quantum’s low profile baitcasters designed to stand up to the rigors of saltwater, the PTs line-up, calling this style of bass reel “the bread and butter of the Plastic Navy arsenal.” Clark said they were the hit of the extensive Newport raffle.

Trail sponsor Okuma is also rolling out hot products. The company is on the verge of introducing a revolutionary series of kayak rods – the unsinkable Baidarkas. That’s right, they float. Everything else about these sticks screams kayak fishing. Look elsewhere in this issue for a preview.

Okuma Marketing Director Ric Hawthorne said the company is scrambling to bring a few fresh from the factory Baidarkas to the next Trail stop, set for July 14 at La Jolla.

The Trail raffles – every entrant gets a ticket – have been flush with quality gear. In addition to the aforementioned rods and reels from Quantum and Okuma, highlights included state of the art fishing kayaks such as the Hobie Revolution Fish, new Perception Search 15, and Cobra Marauder XF. Upcoming tournaments will feature Wilderness Systems Tarpon fishing kayaks.

Next up are a pair of big water contests with the potential to shake up the leaderboard. Calico Chaos at the La Jolla kelp paddles its way down south on July 14. Dana Point follows on Sept 15. Both are adding stand-alone big fish divisions to the catch and release Trail contests. The action loops back to Newport Bay for a Halloween haunt (Oct 27) before racing to the finish with big bags of sand bass at San Diego Bay (Dec 8).  To sign up or for expanded standings, visit PlasticNavy.com.

BASS TRAIL HITS IT BIG – The Plastic Navy Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News is off to a great start. After just two record-setting contests, Plastic Navy has awarded kayak bass catchers placement and raffle prizes valued more than $20,000. PHOTO COURTESY PLASTIC NAVY

SPLASH DANCE – Eddie Howerton celebrated his Mission Bay tournament win with a ‘victory leap.’ His 13.4-lb 5-fish tournament limit – an incredible tally for a Mission Bay tournament where spotted bay bass dominate – was good for $2,190 in prize money.

ROLLING IN THE DOUGH – Mission Bay Global Fish Mounts jackpot winner Nick Meyer with his winnings. After two events, Meyer leads the race for Lowrance Electronics Angler of the Year.

KAYAKS EVERYWHERE – The Tournament Trail is drawing record numbers of anglers. 220 fished Mission Bay; nearly 170 tackled Newport. The numbers demonstrate the growing strength of the sport.

FLOAT TUBER TAKES THE WIN – Pat Sullivan beat out a horde of kayakers to capture the Newport flag. His winning 11.5-lb tournament bag was good for $1,251. PHOTO COURTESY PLASTIC NAVY

ATTENDENCE RECORDS SHATTERED – Plastic Navy’s Mission Bay Trail event attracted 220 kayak anglers, a west coast record and only ten shy of the world mark. The attendance surge generated record payouts for a kayak fishing tournament.

ROCKIN’ RAFFLES – The Trail raffles – every entrant gets a ticket – have been flush with quality gear. In addition to rods and reels from Quantum and Okuma, highlights included state of the art fishing kayaks such as the Hobie Revolution Fish, new Perception Search 15, and Cobra Marauder XF. Upcoming tournaments will feature Wilderness Systems Tarpon fishing kayaks. Here Kevin Stafford (center) receives a beautiful Hobie Mirage Revolution Fish kayak from by Ron Lane (left) of Fastlane Sailing and Kayaking, the Mission Bay tournament host while Dan Mangus (right) of Hobie extends his congratulations.