Kayak Angler Tournament Network
of frigid San Francisco Bay—while fretting about coming ocean clo- sures. Poor Sacramento River sys- tem salmon returns forecast trou- ble; by press time, the 2008 salmon season may have hit the rocks. Meanwhile, there’s more tough
medicine ahead, as the California government moves ahead with an ambitious and controversial effort to protect approximately 20 per- cent of the state’s coastal waters in a vast system of marine reserves. However, conservation-minded, California kayak anglers worry their limited ocean launch sites will be cut off by regulators. Saltwater still accounts for the
vast majority of California kayak fishing action. Te scene is slowly changing. Northerners are discov- ering the thrill of steelheading by kayak; their cousins throughout the state are catching the bass bug and trolling up trout. Kayak tour- nament powerhouse Plastic Navy has caught on. Teir first freshwa- ter tourney was set for the ides of March. Look out, Caesar! Spring’s best bets: halibut on the
THE KAYAK ANGLER TOURNAMENT NETWORK is a special advertising section designed to provide kayak fishing tournaments international exposure in Kayak Angler magazine and on kayakangleronline. com. If you’d like Kayak Angler to sponsor your kayak fishing tournament and have your event listed in the Tournament Network, email us as
tournamentnetwork@kayakanglermag.com.
beaches; calico bass in the kelp; ghost-like white seabass in the south-
ern kelps; inland stripers up north. PAUL LEBOWITZ COVERS KAYAK FISHING FOR KAYAKFISHING-
ZONE.COM AND THE WESTERN REGIONAL SPORTFISHING PRESS. LEBOWITZ IS THE INAUGURAL PRESIDENT OF THE KAYAK FISH- ING ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA.
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Northwest
Tis time of the year the lower Columbia River and its tributaries offer a variety of fishing opportuni- ties. Te guys in Oregon decided they needed to get in on the stur- geon action from their kayaks. Aſter a few weeks of research and planning they hit the “Toyota Hole” on the Willamette River, near Port- land. Te result was a steady pick of sturgeon, although none made the slot limit. However, these are the first reported kayak-caught stur- geon in the region. Te options in the Northwest for
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great kayak fishing start to expand as we head into spring. Te Little White Salmon River is expecting a record return and anglers will be hit- ting the salmon at Drano Lake at the river’s mouth. Expect a crowd, but the fishing should be worth it. Te walleye population in the lower Co- lumbia River below Te Dalles Dam is staging in the deeper holes near the shallow spawning shoals up un- til the time they spawn around May. Tere are some world record–sized walleye in the Columbia with fish up to 24 pounds caught each year.
In the Puget Sound region, May
1st is the traditional opening of the six-week lingcod season. Deception Pass offers a scenic location to target large lingcod, but the current there can run up at six or more knots at full tide. Halibut migrate into the Strait of Juan de Fuca during the spring. Kayak anglers target them from both sides of the U.S.–Canada border at places like Dungeness Spit and Kydaka Point on the Washing- ton side, or Sombrio Beach on the Vancouver Island side. Further to the north in the Queen
Charlotte Islands, Pacific halibut fol- low the annual herring spawn into the shallows in March and April. Te fishing can be outstanding with take-home averages in the 40- to 50-pound range and many smaller “chicken butts” being released. Later on in May and June, the migrating runs of Chinook salmon start push-
ing through in waves. ALLEN SANSANO OPERATES
NORTHWESTKAYAKANGLERS.COM AND IS A MEMBER OF THE OCEAN KAYAK PRO STAFF.
Great Lakes
Lake St. Clair is not considered to be one of the Great Lakes, however it is part of the Lake Erie basin and is home to some great spring pike fishing. A group from the Michigan Kayak Fishing (MKF) club meet March 29 and 30 for camping and fishing on Harsens Island, Lake St. Clair. Lake St. Clair is shallow, with certain sections of the lake heavy with weed growth, thus prime habitat for bass, walleye, and perch and touted by In-Fisherman Televi- sion as “virtually the hottest muskie fishing in the world.” Te group ferries across to Har-
sens Island from Algonac, Mich., on the car ferry, then loads up and paddles to the outer islands. Tey typically fish the middle channel for pike, muskie and walleye. Te river current here is not too bad, usually 1 to 2 mph. Tis is the best time of year to fish this area as pow- erboat traffic is minimal and only a few commercial fishing boats are on the water. Currently there are no kayak
fishing tournaments in Michigan but MKF is feverishly working to get at least one established for 2008. We have many powerboat tourna- ments in Michigan for just about every species of fish in the Great Lakes. So, rather than starting from scratch, we have approached the Huron Valley Sportfishing Club about offering a kayak division in their existing tournaments. If a
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