Currents
PRO-F I L E
TODD WEST BATTLED FRUSTRATION AND FATIGUE TO LAND A WORLD-
RECORD SPOTTED BASS. PHOTO: COURTESY TODD WEST
KAYAK ANGLER TODD WEST FISHED LONG AND HARD TO SET AN IGFA WORLD RECORD
AS TOLD TO DREW HAERER
Todd West likes to set lofty goals. But when he decided to chase a world record out of his kayak, he had no idea the trials and tribulations he would face. The road to glory was long, but at the end he found the ultimate reward.
I still remember the first time I learned about the International Game Fish Association’s World Record program. I was just a kid paging through the IGFA record book and dreaming of one day seeing my name on those pages. As a kid I fished for bream in my grandfather’s farm pond, but when I got older I started flyfishing. That’s when I decided to pursue my dream of setting a world re- cord. I chose to target the two-pound tippet record for spotted bass since the fish live close to my home and are my favorite to catch. I spent months preparing before I even made my first cast. I
scoured over maps, called friends for advice, drove to different launches and tied miles of two-pound test leaders. I even tied my own flies—including one I designed specifically for big spots called “Simply Sassy”. I started with two dozen of these flies, I only have one left. I quickly learned that the hardest part was the mental aspect.
Because of the light tippet, I broke off dozens of fish, including two huge spotted bass I lost right at the kayak. I also went months without catching a fish over a pound. I thought I knew these fish, but the longer my world record attempt went on, the more I con- sidered giving up. The chase became an addiction that put strain on my family, but they never gave up on me.
30 PADDLING MAGAZINE
GOING FOR GOLD It finally came together in April on my home waters. After a
fishless morning, I was stressed out and just going through the motions. I refocused and made a roll cast to the bank. I barely stripped the fly before a huge fish inhaled it. As soon as I saw the fish flash, I knew it was the one. I eased the bass away from the cover as it pulled drag and swam
circles around my ’yak. After 15 minutes, I netted the fish in a state of panic. As soon as I put the bass on the scale, my accomplish- ment hit me. For three minutes I sat alone in the river and cried. Then, I pulled it together long enough to call my family, the local fisheries department, and the IGFA before I even paddled back to the launch. I was shaking as I drove to the local fisheries department of-
fice with the bass in an aerated cooler. When I arrived, the offi- cials weighed and certified the fish. I made nine calls to the IGFA to make sure we completed the huge pile of paperwork correctly. Then I released the bass alive. I had to wait two months while the IGFA reviewed every detail
of the catch. Finally I got the call—my three-pound, 14-ounce spotted bass bested the previous record by over a pound. Even now the reality is still setting in. I am so lucky to have amazing friends and family who helped make it happen. They are even more pa- tient than I am. Setting the record wasn’t about fame—it was about reaching my goal. Now, I am living the dream! For more information on the International Game Fish Association,
visit
www.igfa.org. This article first appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Kayak Angler.
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