BUZZBAIT
Elitist fish? PHOTO: DAVID MCCLEAF
[ TO U R NAM E NTS ]
Dead Bait E
BY BRIAN COPE
arly into its inaugural kayak fishing sea- son, pro-style redfish circuit operator
Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) ran head- on into controversy. Although natural baits such as shrimp or finfish are not allowed in its powerboat events, IFA officials initially decided on a different, more welcoming rule set for its kayak tournaments. Te distinction sparked dissension from those who didn’t want to compete in a junior circuit. Tey threatened—and some decided—to skip the six division, 18 event trail. Seasoned kayak anglers complained bait
would diminish competition. “Anyone can catch a bull in the pass with a chunk of mul- let,” Louisiana’s Brendan Bayard said, adding that it takes skill to catch fish on a lure. Other anglers were concerned about sponsorships. “I’ve got an artificial lure company sponsor-
BY THE NUMBERS BY CONOR MIHELL
Motorized Kayak Fishing
» Year of the first application for a U.S. patent for a “water jet propelled
kayak” with “an inboard power device that accelerates water and directs it out a steerable stern nozzle”: 1994
14 … KAYAK ANGLER FALL/WINTER 2010
ing me so I don’t feel right using live bait,” South Carolina’s James Ivy said. Tree tournaments into the season, the IFA
surprisingly reversed course, banning bait ef- fective immediately. Te IFA rulebook allows such changes, but IFA staffer Mike Lott said a mid-competition change of such magnitude was a first. “Anglers have told us that, as competitors in
a premier tournament series, they do not want to compete under rules different from any top- flight redfish, bass or other tournament just because they fish with non-motorized boats,” IFA Director of Marketing and Sponsor Rela- tions, Bart Schad, said in a release. South Carolina’s Richie Boykin was disap-
pointed. “I’ve never used artificials, wanted to fish a tournament trail, and this was a good fit,” Boykin said. Quoting Lott from the IFA’s
kayak forum, he added, “Big Mike said they were shooting to be an inclusive trail and not leave out guys like me. I guess now they’ve decided to be exclusive.” Exclusivity is what some kayak anglers
THREE IFA TOURNAMENTS IN, THE SPORT’S NEWEST MAJOR TOURNAMENT SERIES CHANGES THE GAME
want from the IFA. “Te whole point of the IFA is to be the elite. If you want to use live bait, then fish the charity tournaments,” Flor- ida’s Jeff Suber said. Anglers skilled with lures now have the
upper hand, and the complaints amongst veterans have been quelled. Bait anglers such as John Wessinger of North Carolina feel like they’ve been leſt holding the bag. “I’ve got a non-refundable house rental for the Surf City event, and weeks before it, they make this rule change? Tat’s unacceptable,” he said. Lott, who admits the IFA’s initial assump-
tions on the positives of natural bait did not work out as planned, says the majority of an- glers are now much happier. Te impact on IFA attendance remains to be seen. In the Florida East Division, attendance fell from 29 to 17 following the rule change. Texas, where the contest kicked off in all-artificials mode, drew 44 competitors, a series high at the time. Going forward, will the IFA hook more competitors with artificials than they alien- ated with the bait ban? Only time will tell.
» Cost in dollars of whitewater kayaker
Shaun Baker’s 45- horsepower jet-powered kayak, created in 2007: 10,000
» Number of hits for “kayak motor” search
on YouTube: 481
» Annual percentage loss of charge capacity in a typical rechargeable
lithium-manganese battery-powered electric motor: 4
» Full-throttle speed of a Torqeedo motor in miles per hour: 5.8
» Maximum range in miles of a fully charged Torqeedo Ultralight
motor on a fishing kayak: 15.6
» Full-throttle speed of the 1,600- horsepower XSR Superboat in
miles per hour: 102
»Top speed in miles per hour of Baker’s jet kayak: 35
» Weight in pounds of a Bassyaks Standard 30 motor and mount kit: 20
» Maximum thrust in pounds gener- ated by the Minn Kota Maximizer
trolling motor that comes standard on the Ocean Kayak Torque: 33
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