TEXAS OUTDOOR NATION – KAYAKS: THE FUTURE OF BASS FISHING? – March 2019

WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT bass tournaments, images of high performance bass boats come to mind, as they speed across a lake to get to that remote hot spot. Those high performance boats need a huge amount of money for basic boat repair just to survive in a competitive environment.

However, a new breed of bass tournament anglers have arrived, and they are scaling things down a bit in the boat department. Instead of bass boats with 250-horsepower motors, they are fishing from kayaks.

Bass kayak tournaments are popping up virtually everywhere bass dwell, but one organization has taken things to a new level. It is Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF). KBF’s highly organized structure open for anyone willing to take a chance, presents a different side of professional bass fishing opportunities.

KBF Trail Series

The Kayak Bass Fishing Trail has kayak tournaments all over the country.
(Photo: Kayak bass Fishing.com)

Forty-one meet-up tournaments across America are hosted by KBF Partner clubs, circuits, and organizations. With $75 entry fees, opportunities to collect KBF Angler of the Year points, and KBF National Championship qualifying slots, plus a 10 percent of field payout with a minimum $1,000 to first place, this is a regional favorite among KBF Members.

Opens

Across the US, KBF Members and guests will have a choice of five large-scale, open-registration tournaments. These tournaments offer $150 entry fees, opportunities for KBF Members to collect KBF Angler of the Year points, and KBF National Championship qualifying slots, plus a 10 percent of field payout.

Member Only Events

KBF’s The TEN, Bienville Bassin, KBF Young Guns, KBF Collegiate Team Challenge Series, and other meet-up tournaments where KBF Membership is required are presented each year.

Novices and veterans, both, find plenty to enjoy in these get-togethers. Camaraderie within the kayak fishing community, even more than competition, is

what brings us together time and time again. KBF’s Angler of the Year year-long race is fiercely contested. The winner not only claims hot-stick status, but a prize package valued at between $10,000-$20,000.

National Championship

The granddaddy of all kayak fishing competition, offers the top prize money ($100,000 minimum for first place in 2018), the deepest pay-out (projected to pay 87 places this year) and the most KBF and Sponsor bonuses.

This brings kayak bass fishermen from all over North America to compete for the grand prize. Last year’s champion was Texan Dwayne Taff.

This year’s championship will take place March 28-30, 2019 in not just a single lake but an entire system of river and lakes centered around Shreveport/Bossier City, Louisiana. Eligible water will include the following five lakes and the Red River within a 25-mile radius of the Event HQ: Caddo Lake (in both Texas and Louisiana, including area outside of the 25-mile radius); Black Cypress Bayou; Cross Lake; Lake Bistineau; and Wallace Lake.

—story by TF&G STAFF REPORT

 

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