On Saturday, June 15, the Mo-Kan Kayak Series hosted its first bass tournament on Lake Jacomo. The tournament ran from 2:00-8:30pm, in conjunction with “Kayak Demo Days”, which ran from 12-4pm.
Thanks to Jackson Kayaks and Sportsman’s Outfitter and Marine (Belton, MO), non-competitors could still attend and test drive a kayak around the lake as part of the Kayak Demo Day portion of the event. Participants also enjoyed free lunch and drinks, along with one-on-one interaction with kayak experts. There was even a brand new Jackson Kayak raffled off, with all proceeds going to charity.
I was especially excited because I was fortunate enough to borrow a “Blue Sky Boatworks” kayak to fish in the tournament. Before the event, I had only ever fished from a small kayak floating down a creek. This was going to be a very new experience!
After a quick summary of the rules and guidelines, the kayak competitors headed for their boats for the 2pm launch. There were about 30 of us in total. Some launched from the south marina, and others traveled to the north marina to fish.
The cool thing about kayak tournaments like this one is that you measure and photograph every fish you catch, not just ones that would meet the minimum length limits set by state laws. Once the photo is taken, the fish is immediately released so there is no physical weigh-in at the end.
Right away, I had a feeling it would be a tough day. The sun was out and it was hot. Luckily for the competitors, there was a fairly substantial wind throughout the day to combat the heat. However, that presents other challenges for a kayaker. Kayaks can be blown around easily. Traveling through the water can also be difficult when pedaling or paddling against the wind.
I initially spent my time near Colbern Rd, where I caught two bass relatively quickly. The white bass were schooling in the southern most area of the lake as well, which was very fun to watch.
I landed a 3rd fish not long after, but it flopped off the boat before I could get it on the measuring board for a photo. That would definitely come back to haunt me as that fish may have propelled me into the top five.
While my first bass was caught on a swimbait, all my other fish were caught on a Ned rig with the Z-Man TRD in California Craw color. I landed 4 largemouth, 4 channel catfish, some bluegill, and a nice 22-inch walleye during the tournament.
It was tough to find a consistent pattern, but I would have to say fishing along the outside edges of weedlines in 10-15 feet seemed to be most productive for me and others. The water was 74 degrees and slightly stained.
Interestingly, there was an exact tie for first place at the end, each with a 5-fish bag totaling 71.25-inches. When this happens, the winner is chosen by who had the biggest fish. That ended up being Clayton Oriet, who landed an 18.75-inch largemouth.
Oriet walked away with nearly $1,000 in winnings, made up of a combination of cash and various prizes from finishing first and catching big fish of the tournament.
While not everyone took home cash, almost everyone took home something. I left with a $50 gift card to Lurenet.com. Anyone who competed was put into a raffle for various items provided by the tournament series sponsors. Jason Griffith does a great job of making sure everyone leaves a winner!
If you wish to learn more about the Mo-Kan Kayak Tournament Series or kayaks in general, be sure to visit Mo-Kan on the web or join them on Facebook.
