Plastic Navy Tournament Trail - West Coast's Biggest Ever Event (Pics!)

I was talking with Scwafish about Jelly's awesome weekend, and mentioned what I'd been up to on Saturday. He thought NCKA would love to hear about it.

Plastic Navy's Tournament Trail Presented by Western Outdoor News kicked off on Saturday. When the dust settled, the saltwater bass catch and release kayak tournament on Mission Bay was the biggest and most lucrative held on the west coast, missing the world attendence record by only 10 anglers.

220 fish-hungry kayakers showed up at Dana Landing in San Diego. The launch was a riot of color.

Fishing was good. Almost everyone caught spotted bay bass using typical largemouth techniques, but only 7 skilled anglers managed to weigh a full 5-bass limit of tournament sized (13-in minimum) bass.

Winner Ed Howerton took home a record $2,190 cash payout for his likewise record breaking performance: 13.4 lbs. His nephew Nick Meyer was second (11.2 lbs), good for $875, plus he landed the jackpot sand bass (3.6 lbs) for another $1,650 plus a $400 gift certificate from Global Fish Mounts. Longtime SD kayak basser Wil Bowen was 3rd (10.16 lbs), earning $435. 

There are 5 more events to go:

Newport Dunes - June 2nd 7am -2pm
La Jolla – July 14th 6am – 1pm
Dana Pt – Sept 15th 6am - 1pm
Newport Harbor – Oct 27th 7am – 2pm
San Diego Bay – Dec 8th 7am – 2pm

Every one is a stand-alone tournament, but this is also a points race for Lowrance Electronics Angler of the Year (big money, gaudy trophy) and Okuma Jackpot of the Year ($$$$). It's quite a scene. Come on down!

More info and lots of pictures are available at www.kayakfishnation.com, home of Plastic Navy. A report will run in the southern edition of Western Outdoor News this week.

220 fish-hungry kayakers showed up at Dana Landing in San Diego.

INSANE.  I can't believe its gotten that big.

Back in the 80’s when I first starting stalking bass in a kayak I use to fantasize about competing in a Bass tournament for kayak fishers, a real bass tournament with real sponsors as well as real media coverage. I’m talking about a tournament that would begin with  over a hundred kayaker’s on the water before sunup, waiting for the horn to blow to get things going. Then at the end of the day there would be a barbeque and get together, cash prizes for the biggest fish caught, in other words a real bass tournament. I also wanted a big emphasis to be put on catch and release. I wanted to see weigh boats on the water instead of the fish brought back to a weigh ins in plastic bags, and with the exception of a bunch of bass with sore lips, a fishery left just the way it was before the tournament.
On top of all that I wanted to be able to compete against conventional fishermen with a fly rod. I did say it was a fantasy.

Saturday 14, 2007,  Drew Clark and Paul Weintraub along with one hell of a crew made my fantasy a reality. Well done guys, you not only put together the biggest yak fishing  tournament ever, what you made happen Saturday was and will be kayak fishing history.
Thank you.

Catch and Release is the way to go, otherwise you guys could've decimated that place.

Congratulations on a AwesomeTourney!

san diego looks fun and WARM!

I was to go but work and family intervened. I am going to the June 2nd one along with Rickey and the rest of his Current Designs team. We have to show those SoCal kayakers that NCKA can hang with the best. I hope the new logo is ready I want to display it proudly (so hurry up and get it done--sharptoothed Ling and all  )

I am even hoping I can take a bit more vacation and hop on the SCI Mothership if enough of you cancel...

   Look straight into the light...you're feeling sea sick already  ...there's plenty of time to cancel...plenty of time to feel better  ...just cancel  ...it's easy, so easy...email scwafish now  ...go ahead, cancel, just do it ..email him right away and you'll feel better really

Wow,  Really Kool stuff, I really hope to get down there for one or two events, that water is unbelieveable.

I think we should sponsor " Jelly " as our ringer from NorCal....$$$$$$$....... ..........Danglin

WOOOOW 200+ like minded fish nuts.  Levi and I may do the July tourney at La Jolla.  I cant fit three more boats on my trailer if anyone would be interested.

JIm

WOOOOW 200+ like minded fish nuts.  Levi and I may do the July tourney at La Jolla.  I cant fit three more boats on my trailer if anyone would be interested.

That'd be a good one to travel to. Calico and sand bass are the targets, but you could also tango with Mr. YT if you're in it more to have a good time than compete. RE: the calicos, the kelp is coming back. The water will be warm and the checkers should be up on top. It'll be a blast. If you can't make it in July, come down a month a later for the event I consider the Superbowl of kayak fishing: La Jolla Kayak Fishing's Steve Moyer Memorial Tournament. There are ALWAYS lots of big fish weighed in, a stocked raffle, and a great vibe. 

The line up
You couldn’t have ask for a better day, no wind and the sun was shinning and the bass were biting. People started catching fishing right away. Mark Pierpoint’s voice (from the Wilderness Systems team) was the first I heard over the radio calling in for a fish to be weighed. The 225 yak fishers that showed up for the tournament were spread out over Mission Bay, and while they were the competition…they were a beautiful site and a visual statement too how far our sport has come.





Scott, Amy J , Rickey, Eric

 The first tournament for the Plastic Navy tournament trail was In Mission Bay. It  was also the first tournament for the Currents Designs Kayak Fishing Team. We’re all from Central California, with the exception of Daniel. this tournament was a first for me, and the rest of the guys and gal as a team.

Eric Kaai  hooked a few short bass and some macs , one of his bass was 3/4 to short.
I got a short sand bass and thought I’d figured out a pattern to fish when my finder went dead, after that so did the fishing. No fish for Amy J or Scott. I will admit to being just a little intimidated at first. At first I thought we were taking on saltwater veterans on their own turf, which we were for the most part, because the locals did kick butt. However when it got right down to the fishing, the bass fishing, a few hours
into the tournament I realized it was just that…bass fishing , plane and simple.
Next time we will be ready.

Catch and Release is the way to go, otherwise you guys could've decimated that place.

Congratulations on a AwesomeTourney!

Catch and Release is always  the way to go if your doing a tournament, and it was not
why we didn't weigh in.
We weren't quit ready this time. Next time...we're just time just going bass fishing.