Future Pro Tour with Kayaks

You are all paid members of NCKA..   

Count team "Deadly Dou" in for sure!! 
brian1976 and andy1976

I don't think of you guys being deadly poo poo.
How about  deadly DUO 

DOH!


thanks

Brian

You are all paid members of NCKA..  

and that's the way it's going to roll, so $90 reg fee being a NCKAer....

and you don't have to attend all 4 events to go to the final event in November, points go off of your top 5 fish...

Here is the e-mail response to me about $10 club fee and attending all events....

all they would have to come up with is the $90 entry fee.
 
No...for this year, they do not have to fish all four events to qualify for the FPT Classic and the special Belly Boat/Kayak prize. We will count only the points that were accumulated from each event - no matter how many they fish, and take the top five point getters.

The entry fees and livewell issues seem to be the main downers for kayakers to compete in these bass tournaments.

Here's another link to making a "follow-me-bag" livewell:
http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/followmebag/

For kayakers, I think someone should come up with a more hydro-dyamic design like a partially submerged mini-kayak perforated with lots of holes for waterflow.  It would be somewhat like a big bait tube but easier to tow.

I really don't think the livewell is as big an issue as you may think when on our SOT kayaks.  How many of you stand up occasionally on your WS Tarpons, OK Prowlers, Hobie Outbacks, Native Ultimates, etc...?  A cooler full of water and fish in the tankwell doesn't affect the balance of the kayak even half as much as standing up on it will.

I've used a 48 quart livewell-rigged ice chest on my Outback and Cobra FnD for several Bass-n-Tubes seasons and have not yet noticed any concern-inducing effects.  Yes, the kayak rides a bit lower in the water, but not much more than if I put my kid back there (and he moves around a lot more than the fish!).  Yes, the additional weight and displacement will slow your ride a bit, that's to be expected.  

My point is, it works.  I invite any of you to bring your yak and meet me anywhere on the Delta.  My livewell will fit in most SOT tankwells and you can see that it will be fine on your rig.  

Also, in the interest of getting some good yakkin bass nuts into competition, I'll build livewells for you guys.  I'm assembling the parts and prices and will figure out a reasonable package to take the pain out of that part.

Here are a few links of value with regard to livewells:

http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/Tournament-Livewell/

http://bass-n-tubes.com/gallery2/v/rigging/Livewell-Rigging/album41/

As for the Entry Fees...Yes, they seem a bit steep if you've never payed more than a couple dollars to compete.  However, if you've ever fished an amateur tourney series, it's par for the course.  And FPT is of pretty good caliber on this level of competition.  Also, if you can't get past this price tag, there are other tournament series in town.  Just keep in mind that FPT offers a lot of prestige and good prize opportunities.  IGFA and Hobie got together with a kayak division and it is good publicity, a win-win-win situation.  Hooking up with FPT like this could prove to be a very good thing.  

If you have questions about the livewell set-up post here.  If you want to meet and try mine on for size, pm me.

I won't make the Berryessa show with FPT and I'm not sure about Folsom.  But I will definitely be at Clear Lake and on the Delta!

Thanks for reading.  Let's kick some bassboater but!  

-Aaron Swerkes

Aaron.... I totally agree.  The livewell issue shouldn't be a show stopper, nor should be the $90 entry fee... if you want to play and win like the big boys.  If they changed the rules or lowered the fees for us kayakers, then they we wouldn't be eligible for the same prizes and glory.

I just had a nice conversation with Vince Harris, the Future Pro Tour's President/Director.  We both see this as NorCal's first good opportunity for kayak fishermen to move up the major league of bass fishing tournaments.  Vince would also love to see an NCKA'er kick some bass boater butt.  The publicity would be excellent for the FPT and would be great for the sport of kayak fishing.  Vince promised major TV coverage and press if a kayaker wins.  Comcast Sports Net is already contracted to air at least 4 shows to cover pre-fishing events and the actual tournament.

Don... Thanks for contacting with Vince, making the connection, and starting this post.

Now, let's go out there on behalf of NCKA and kayak fishermen all over and show them how what we can do on paddle or pedal power.  We don't need no stinkin' motors!

chuck you sound pretty fired up :fistpump:

good luck to anyone who chooses to join!  i don't have the competitive fire that it takes so i won't be doing these.

Why not bypass the live wells and just radio in for a weight boat?


1) Float tuber or Kayaker radios in to weigh,measure and photo the fish (while on the water = way better than the podium shots)
2) The fish is then released right away (and won't have to spend the entire day in a livewell)
3) At the end of the tournament, the judges go through the entries and the winner is decided.

*just the way we did it at the last BAM and the Coyote Point Shark Derby*

If we get together 25 yak-bassers for our own MBF tourney @ $90/person, I hope 1st Place gets more than 500 bucks...

I think this was discussed before in another thread, but to be respected at these tourneys kayakers/belly boaters would need to show that they are competing on an even level with the big boys, otherwise its like playing in the kiddie pool, needing a big boat to help.  

After all, part of the supposed "skill" of bass tournaments is culling fish properly so that only your 5 biggest remain at the end of the day.  If it wasn't for that then there wouldn't be $100+ culling systems for sale out there.

If the bass n tube guys can handle live weigh ins, then I don't see any reason that anyone who wants to compete for big time money and prizes shouldn't be able to handle that too.

I'm interested.  

Hey Aaron - thanks for the info on the livewells. What about getting together at the AOTY awards ceremony in San Leandro 3/13 - might be group of interested folks to check out the set-up?  If not, maybe a hook-up to fish somewhere.

I'm still having a hard time thinking about keeping up to 5 bass alive in a 48-qt cooler for many hours, but hey if it works!  I still like the idea of a small floating tow yak/livewell.  Might be the final temptation luring me over to the dark side and getting one of those pedal contraptions.    

Thanks for getting this going Don.

After all, part of the supposed "skill" of bass tournaments is culling fish properly so that only your 5 biggest remain at the end of the day

instead of culling, why not take photos? At the of the day, pick your 5 biggest. Think of how much better it would be for the fish itself - the less you can "handle the fish" the better it would be. AND, the less chance of you taking out a spawner away from it's bed.

Man..I wonder how much kayaks would cost if they started winning these things consitantly?  I fear that the initial amusement of a kayakers victory will be short lived (from a marketing perspective).  

((Looking into my crystal ball))

Future prediction:
$8000 for a fully rigged fishing kayak  by 2015.
(then again a can of Coke will cost about $3.00)
  
Brian

instead of culling, why not take photos? At the of the day, pick your 5 biggest. Think of how much better it would be for the fish itself - the less you can "handle the fish" the better it would be. AND, the less chance of you taking out a spawner away from it's bed.

i agree with you completely there mooch, i'm not a weight based guy at all.

But that's the way the bass tourneys go and they have always been that way.  anyone who wants to participate in the future pro tourneys though should be following the same format as the other guys.

small events like yakhopper's can choose the rules they want (length based) so people can c&r on the spot.  but those also usually don't cost $90 a head.

It would be nice if they had a scaled down point system for Photo-fish like they do for dead fish..Better yet Kayakers can pick up some good digital camera endorsements if they went with photo-fish only.  Maybey issue the  competitors a color/design coordinated date/event stamp that must be included in each photo?   You know like a when the kidnapper in the movie takes a picture of his hostage with a newspaper to prove he/she was alive at that time?

Brian