For a few years it has been a dream of mine to be present at the YakAttack tournament. Previous years unfortunately the tournament date conflicted with the J-Bay tournament. 2016 was different however! The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament was scheduled for the following weekend on Saturday May 21st. I was in and so was Ricky Wolbert! Planning started months in advance as the tournament was capped at 180 total registered anglers. For me this was a road trip being that the tournament is located in the area of Farmville Virginia, A 6.5 hour drive from my residence.

Washington DC from the outer beltwayMeeting up with Ricky on a sunny warm May afternoon at his pad in Philly we transferred my gear and my Jackson Cuda 14 to his SUV and kayak trailer. Three nights worth of camping and fishing an unknown area we had to be decisive on what to bring. Our gear and everything had just fit. We were on our way crossing our fingers that we we wouldn’t get stuck in the major waste of time we call Washington DC traffic. 20160519145055_IMG_6704Along the way in Virginia we stopped at Wawa for gas and a quick lunch break. It was nice to stop for a few minutes but little did we know the traffic on I95 was building ahead. Ricky calls it a “Rubbernecker” with a drawl!

Eventually arriving at Burkville the home of YakAttack LLC  not knowing what was around understanding we were deep in the country we settled eating at a strange “family restaurant” for dinner. I have to say I think it was the most bland food I have ever had in my entire life. Some research should have been done but it is the way it is. After chowing down it was the race to camp to set up before dark. The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - Twin Lakes State Park VAUpon our arrival the camp site was perched on a 30 degree slope. We knew there was inches of rain to fall the next night and were hoping the slope wouldn’t turn into a river. Pitched our tents in a way that we would be able to tarp both of them in preparation for the impending monsoon that was forecasted. Hung out with some of  the other Jersey anglers who also made the road trip. Enjoying a few beverages before getting into the sleeping bag. The night became cold and damp but sleeping wasn’t a problem.

The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - Briary Creek LakeFriday morning it was time to pre-fish. We awoke to a very cool and damp morning which was a chill to the bone. Taking it easy and in no hurry and we left camp around 8 am in search of coffee and some breakfast sandwiches. In the country gas stations seem to be the place for quick breakfast sandwiches and coffee. Ricky found a gas station that had some amazing coffee and decent breakfast food. From there it was onto fishing at Briery Creek Lake a nationally recognized lake for its record breaking  Largemouth Bass.

MVI_6730-1John Oast called in as he was on his way down from PA. He is a local to the area being born and raised nearby, He gave us some info on where to launch and I plugged the road into my GPS. 45 min later we were on a windy wooded dirt country road headed downhill to the lake. At the end we found a gate and no real access to the lake. It turned out the road number was the same on the other side of the lake!. So we circled halfway around the lake to the actual boat launch area. It was time to hit the water!

IMG_6751Briery Creek Lake is told to be one of the top Bass fishing destinations in the country. Loaded with timber or dead trees from when the Dam was built flooding the valley. Much of the timber resides just inches below the water line. Its easy to catch one of these in the kayak scupper and get stuck or have one hit the hull the wrong way and flip you right over. Caution was the #1 priority here. This timber is structure which holds a ton of bass. For me fishing freshwater is something that doesn’t happen often and it is always a learning experience. Fishing timber is one of those learning curves brought by this unique location. The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - Matt Trucks BassAttempting spinner baits and soft plastic worms not having any luck. Switched over to a crank bait in a shallow cove. The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - Jackson Kayak Cuda 14At a sharp drop off from inches of water to about 6 feet I found the bass hanging on beds. I landed two fish up to 17 inches which is a record for me from the kayak. The bite only lasted a few minutes. By the time Ricky came over it was pretty much over. He missed one as it shook itself off his lure. By this time The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - John 'Toast' OastJohn Oast had arrived and we met up with him. He gave us some pointers and he ended up with a dink before we called it a day. On the way back to camp in search of a tarp for the tents since heavy rain was in the forecast. We located a Lowes where I purchased a tarp which would be very much needed for the night to come.

The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament- Captains Meeting Foods 2016Back at camp we met up at the captains meeting. The ability to purchase raffle tickets was available for 3 different raffles. A general raffle which had pretty generous prizes such as an Orion cooler, an assortment of paddles, electronics, and just about any YakAttack product you could think of. Another raffle was for a nice fishing rod benefiting a local fellow (I forget his name) whom was a big part of the tournament and the sport. And the big raffle was for 4 different kayaks and a fishing SUP. The rules were discussed a prayer was said and it was time to feast. One rumor proven true is that the Yakattack tournament provided the best meals. Captains meeting dinner consisted of an excellent seafood soup, Rib eyes, T bones along with Ribs, hotdogs, and a ton of sides. The brownies were so good! They definitely eat well in the country and are generous to their guests!

 

The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - CampFollowing dinner we went to back to camp to settle in for the night. It began raining late in the evening. Awaking to the sound of buckets of water being dropped on the tarp over the tent it poured for 3 hours non stop. Amazingly the tarp kept the tents dry. Opting to sleep in anyway and wait out the weather.

The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament - RickyIMG_6748It was a damp cool and wet morning that eventually became an overcast day. Ricky and I left camp around 7:30 after the rain had ended. We attempted to find a gas station breakfast but didn’t have much luck. Ricky ate a questionable plastic wrapped breakfast sandwich as I opted to find something better.

Fishing wasn’t good. Couldn’t find the bass. Fished Briery Creek Lake for about 5 hours with really no luck. I threw just about every different color in my tackle box along with different lures such as spinner baits, crank, creature baits, baits and plastic worms. Nothing produced unfortunately. However I do feel the angler pressure from the previous day 4 inches of rain totaling out to a 1 foot rise in water level along with the cooling down of the water temps had a lot to do with the lack of fish caught there on tournament day. However it didn’t matter to Ricky and I. We were there to have fun which is what the YakAttack tournament is all about.

IMG_6778There’s no prizes for catching the biggest fish besides a fish print from Rob Choi and bragging rights. Typically the freshwater tournaments are money prizes. In this case the prizes were raffled out to everyone that was registered and all of the proceeds were to benefit charity’s such as Heroes on The Water and Project Healing Waters.

Back at the awards dinner the winners of the tournament were announced. Representatives of the respective charity’s spoke a little and raffles were read off in between. Dinner was then served as the raffles continued. Once again the food was excellent. It was a joy to be resent at the YakAttack tournament this year.IF you have never been do check it out next year! You will not be disappointed. Keep an eye out for future tournament announcements on the YakAttack Forums.

Thanks to John Hipsher, Luther, his family, and everyone else that worked so hard to make it such a successful event. The 8th Annual YakAttack Tournament was a great experience for us all.

My apologies this post should have been finished months ago.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwPsPYQvP9o&feature=youtu.be

Wrap Up: 9th Annual Point Pleasant Beach Elks Kayak Fluke Tournamentimg_8863-2

The 9th Annual Point Pleasant Beach Elks Kayak Fluke Tournament again was a success this year. With 50 registered anglers topping previous years numbers by about 15 anglers! It was a hot day in the 90’s but definitely late July fishing weather. Since Jersey Paddlers closing The Kayak Fishing Store agreed to sign on as the kayak division main sponsor. Without them and a few other sponsors such as Orion Coolers, Yak Gear, and Yak Attack it would not be possible to have prizes for those who entered and also benefit the selected charity. Heroes On The Water was the 2016 charity the tournament benefited.

See the results at www.KayakFlukinNJ.com!

Save the Date for the 10th Annual in 2017! Hope to see you on July 22nd 2017!!!

Gear Review: Boga Grip w/ YakAttack T-Reign

One of the most commonly used tools for landing fish of all types is the Boga Grip. Although typically not in a kayak anglers budget one should be. Granted the fish grips are budget friendly and they float. However I’m sure the fish grip user has lost and struggled with more fish that the boga grip user.boga

1-boga gripMade in the USA from high quality stainless steel the Boga Grip cannot be matched. The one handed operation is necessary while fishing from a single person platform such as a kayak. Wile securely holding the fish by its mouth the boga grip allows wiggling flopping and spinning causing less damage to the fish. Also featuring a scale that can weigh fish up to 60 lbs depending on the model.

2-boga measureThe boga grip is engaged by the angler pulling back with their fingers to open the clamp. When released the spring action closes the clamp and the weight of the fish actually holds the clamp shut with its weight and the fish is secured. The spinning and angle of the clamp is designed to allow the fish to flap and spin freely. Allowing this motion actually causes less damage to the fish. To release the fish simply pull back with your fingers and the fish is loose!

3-boga releaseThe Boga grip is a great aid for handling a fish to remove hooks and align on a measuring board. Once the fish is clamped in the odds of loosing the fish are pretty slim. On the kayak its a great idea to leash everything that does not float. In that kayak fishing world there is a slogan. “If you love it leash it.”

Personally too many leashes get in the way on a small platform such as a kayak. The YakAttack T-Reign Surface Mount Retractor is the solution for this. The package also includes a mounting solution for the boga grip. You can also use the GearTrac mounted Retractor solution along with the mounting clip (call to combine these items). The T-Reign is a retractor meaning its 36″ Kevlar chord leash will self stow inside the housing automatically. No winding or cranking. Its spring loaded. When you put your Boga Grip back in its mounting clip the leash will automatically retract! If you do not want to leash the Boga Grip a float can be easily attatched.

Boga Grip maintenance is minimal. Like all other gear a rinse with fresh water after use is recommended. Just keeps it clean less gritty for functioning smoothly and properly. You can use a light machine oil or silicone to lube it up for. A small amount on the trigger pin, prong pin and connecting rivets.

Boga On Big Rig

The Boga Grip is a winner for the kayak angler.

  • Made in the USA
  • Ease One Hand Operation
  • Built In Scale
  • Durable and corrosion Resistant
  • Ergonomically Comfortable
  • Foam Grip
  • Prevents Damage to Fish
  • Leash Tether or Float Addition
  • YakAttack T-Reign and mounting clip
Page 3 of 512345