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Tag Archives: Cuda 12

Slamboree

August 5, 2013
Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Saltwater, Tournaments
1 Comment

While the stinkpot (motorboat to the non-kayak fisher) crowd was having their fun in Grand Isle at the annual Tarpon Rodeo, I participated in the LA 1 Slamboree tournament up the road in Leeville. Named in honor of the highway we love to kayak fish, the event is put on by the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club and sponsored by Lafayette JK dealer Pack & Paddle. The event featured slam, leopard red, and heavy red categories, with the leopard red winner receiving a brand new Cuda 12. Also available to kayak anglers was a speckled trout calcutta for a small additional cost.

The weather for the event was pretty typical kayak fishing tournament weather, steady winds and rain showers. I launched at an area I knew would be protected from the West wind. It was actually an area that I had never fished, but the marsh down here is pretty much all the same. I began the day throwing topwater looking for any resident trout, the only action I saw was from this guy:

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Switched it up to Gulp! under a cork and ended up catching some throwback trout. Soon enough I was hearing redfish crashing bait in the marsh and that proved to be the end of my trout fishing. I spent the rest of the day chasing reds, figuring the law of averages would catch up with me and one would either have lots of spots, or be extreme upper slot.

It was a strategy that never paid off, but I had a lot of fun catching slot reds and black drum. I did catch one big red that went over slot, not quite the tournament fish I was looking for, but it proved to be a great fight.

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The biggest red I had to weigh only went 24.5″ and was a little over 5 lbs. None of my reds had more than 2 spots. No tournament winnings this go round, but it was nice to see a lot of my friends on the leaderboard:

Speckled trout calcutta – Brendan Bayard

Heavy red winner  – Tommy Eubanks

Leopard Red winner – Gairi Williamson

Slam winners

1. Steve Neece – 11.7 lbs

2. Wayne Lobb – 9.13 lbs

3. Steve Lessard – 8.55 lbs

4. Ryan Alleman – 8.3 lbs

5. Toby Armand – 8.21 lbs

Congrats guys! Big thanks to Pack & Paddle and LKFC for putting on a great event. I look forward to fishing more events thrown by these guys.

New boats from Jackson Kayak

August 15, 2012
Kayak Fishing, Kayaking, Video
1 Comment

Now is the time of year that all the big outdoor companies are releasing their new products to look for in 2013, Jackson Kayak included. Shows like iCAST, OR, and IFTD are the epicenters of this activity and for those that won’t be in attendance all we can do is wait for the info to trickle down. Fortunately JK has put out a video to satisfy our appetites which highlights their new boats and a few are sure to interest kayak fishermen. Check it out:

If they weren’t already, the folks at JK are up to their eyeballs in kayak fishing. With a new SIK and a new SUP specifically catered to fishermen, plus the arrival of the Cuda 12, they have shown that they are taking the kayak fishing contingent serious. Flying under the radar is the Cruise, which is basically a bare bones Cuda for less, a real sleeper in my opinion. Be sure to check out the JK website for more information on all the new boats, especially this page: http://jacksonkayak.com/newin2013/

I can already tell that a Cuda 12 is in store for me. 11-13′ boats are right up my alley, especially if I can stand in them, there is no better size for river and marsh fishing, which just happens to be what I like to do.

UPDATE: Isaac Miller has done an outstanding job of previewing the 2013 kayak fishing lineup from Jackson, much better than I could have, check it out here: http://yakfish.isaac-online.com/jackson-kayaks-2013-preview/