Hilljack Catfishing Kayak Tournament Rules

My hat goes off to Shane Smith of HillJack Catfishing, not only has he been serving our country overseas, somewhere between thinking of his wife and children and everything he had to get home to, he managed to put together another year of competitive catfishing and has included an entirely new kayak division. Now everyone who likes to fish from giant tupperware and has an itch for competition can take part. He has also acquired a giant sponsor The Outside World Outfitters out of Columbus Ga. The winner of the points division will be the winner of a Jackson Cuda 14. That's a big water boat more than capable of landing some huge cats.

                                        

2013 RULES (KAYAK DIVISION)

BY-LAWS AND TOURNAMENT RULES:

1. ENTRY FEE IS:                                      $25 per Kayak **(Paddle boats with the capacity to carry 2 fishermen will pay a $10 additional angler charge which will be applied to the total purse prize)

                                                                    - $5 will go Big Fish pot

                                                                    - $15 will be put towards total purse   

                                                                     - $5 of each entry will be withheld to cover MEGA purse and Admin fees                                          

2. Payouts are based on number of teams fishing. 

                                                                    1-20 boats we will pay the top 3 teams  

                                                                    We will add one paying place for every 5 boats after 20

                                                                    20-24 boats we will pay the top 4 teams

                                                                    25-29 boats will pay the top 5 teams 

                                                                    This will continue infinitely.  

                                                                    Big Fish payouts will remain the same.

3. **POINTS: Points will be awarded as follows.

                                                   a. 100 Point system will be used for all events. Points will be awarded in descending order based on order of finish.

                                                   EXAMPLE:  1st Place team will receive 100 points. 2nd Place team will receive 99 points. 3rd Place team   will receive 98 points. This will continue thru all teams that weigh in fish                                      during the tournament. Paying teams that do not weigh fish will receive equal points; 2 points less than the team with the lowest weight

                                                 c. Bonus points will be awarded for the following:

         - Finishing in the money: If 5 boats are being paid, then 1^st place will receive 5 bonus points and continue in descending order. 5^th place would receive 1 bonus point.

         - Big Fish at each event will receive 5 bonus points.

4. Points Champion will be determined after the final qualifying event. Mega is NOT included in the points race.

5. **Teams best 6 points events will count towards the championship, however, Teams that fish all 9 events will receive 10 bonus points.

6. MEGA: There are 3 ways to qualify for the Mega event

                                                   a. Finish in the top 10 in the points championship

                                                   b. Compete in 6 of the 9 Qualifying events

                                                  

** Points Champion will receive free entry into the Mega event.

** 2nd Place points will fish Mega by paying 1/2 entry fee.

** MEGA entry fee for Kayak Division will be $50.

7. Competitors must sign annual waiver/rules agreement upon joining the club. This agreement will remain valid thru all future events.

8. Competitors MUST assist in running/administering 2 events throughout the season to be eligible for Points Championship. Members who fail to assist will be deducted 20 points.

9. Teams will consist of 1 to 2 persons based on the capacity of the "Paddle Boat". (Keep in mind that a 2-person team will pay $35 to fish and must weigh their fish as 1 team). **2 TOTAL Rod limit will apply.  Team members will ensure that they are in compliance with state fishing and boating regulations, including the use of PFD’s.  Fishing and boating licenses are the responsibility for the team members.

10. Team members must be designated upon completing membership agreement. There will be no combining of points by members of separate fishing teams. Members can be substituted but points from other teams will not transfer.

11. ALL team members must be in one boat. Team members can only get on bank to weigh fish and take pictures of fish.** No fishing rods can be in the water while team member is on the bank.  No team member will be authorized to leave the boat to fish from the bank. BOATS MUST LAUNCH AT THE DESIGNATED SITE, no trailering will be authorized. Boats must load at the designated site as well.

12. Kayak teams will launch 15 minutes after boat teams have departed (safety precaution) and will have an additional 15 minutes to submit their "weigh in chip" to the weigh master.

13. No fishing will be permitted within 50 feet of another boat that is anchored (participants or otherwise). All fishing holes are first come first serve!

14. All competitor boats are subject to inspection prior to start of event and upon completion of event.

15. ALL RAMP FEES ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARTICIPANT.

16. Sign up for the event will begin 1 hour prior to the posted event start time. All persons participating in the event must complete registration and sign the release prior to the event starting. Start times can be adjusted to allow for registration or inclimate weather. REGISTRATION WILL END 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO TAKE OFF, UNLESS YOU HAVE CONTACTED ME BY PHONE

17. FISH MUST BE CAUGHT LEGALLY USING A ROD AND REEL! NO TROT LINES, JUG LINES, LIMB LINES, DROP LINES, OR OTHER ALTERNATE METHOD WILL BE USED.

18. Chumming is not authorized.

19. No fishing on the event body of water 12 hours prior to the event start time. Violators will be disqualified.

20. Any legal bait may be used.

21. **2 Rod Limit for Kayak (Paddle Boat) Teams (regardless of number of people in boat)

22. Kayak Weigh in:

                 a. Kayak teams will be issued a control item at the time of registration.

                 b. Kayak teams must present a camera memory card at registration; memory card must be BLANK. Any photos on card will    be deleted prior to tournament start. Card will be marked by tournament officials.

                 c. Kayak teams must present working digital scale at registration. Scale operation will be verified by tournament officials.

                 d. Kayak teams will submit 2 photos of up to two (2) fish at weigh in.

                                  - 1 photo must show control item and the entire fish being submitted

                                  - 1 photo must show control item/Digital Scale reading/at least half of the fish

23. **Each Team will be issued a “Weigh In Chip” upon registration. Teams Weigh in Chip must be turned into the designated weigh master (collection bowl) prior to the  official tournament end time. Failure to turn in Weigh Chip will result in disqualification.

24. All pictures of fish weighed in become the property of the tournament. No exceptions.

25. There will be no early weigh in.

26. In the event of a tie for weight (total weight), the team with the biggest fish will be declared the winner. If there is a tie for Big Fish, then the winner will be decided by a coin toss.

27. No alcohol will be consumed during the event or while conducting the weigh in.

28. The use of mobile communications devices such as cell phones or marine radios to communicate fishing information is not authorized.

29. Any protest must be made in writing to the tournament director within 30 minutes of the final weigh in. Protest must state which rule was broken and provide evidence of such. The tournament director’s ruling will be final.

30. HillJack Catfishing reserves the right to use all audio statements,  images or videos obtained during scheduled events for the promotion of the trail through any and all media outlets you deem necessary.

31.HillJack Catfishing reserves the right to modify these rules as necessary in order accommodate those with disabilities or special needs.

32. All contestants are required to follow high standards of sportsmanship, courtesy and conservation and to conduct themselves in a manner that will be a credit to themselves, the sport of fishing and the efforts of HillJack Catfishing to promote the sport. Any persons or team that Cheats, Disrespects other members of the event, or demonstrate excessive poor sportsmanship will be banned from future events and will forfeit all fees associated with the event.

Kayak Wars 2013

Fellas the 1st of February is almost upon us. Everything is prepped and the game plans have been made. I think this will be an on-going post throughout the year with updates and uploads of some of the larger fish that will be turned in via Kayak Wars.

Let me introduce the 2013 Squad. The Backwater Team has come together with Jeff Hall and Michael Anderson of YakDevils Fishing Team. The teams together will cover most of the state of GA and we plan to venture across the southeast region to fish tournaments and new waters for new species.

Jeff Hall


Jeff is the founder of YakDevils. He started the team and his blog to begin logging his kayak fishing expeditions. He had the plan of building a team for kayak wars on his mind from the beginning.


Michael Anderson


Michael is a close friend of Jeffs and they are fishing partners. These two guys hit the water together often and have some "honey holes" in their pocket to produce some large numbers each month.

Myself Clay Hewett


I am getting really pumped up for the season to begin. I didn't have a definite plan for fishing the Wars this year, that is until I talked with Jeff a few times. The points scale really makes this a tournament for the well rounded angler. I like the idea of chasing multiple species in a single day. Putting a monthly team cap on a specific species will make the teams chase more than there favorite fish.

James Whitten


James is a solid multi species fisherman, he likes his bass as much as the next, but has some secret catfishing methods sure to put some hawgs on the board.

Overall we have a solid fishing team and I think this will prove to be a great year for all 4 anglers. We will try new things and hit new waters. If nothing else we will certainly fish with new folks, make some new fishing buddies and have a good time.

A Chat With The River Pirate Randy Vining

After the decision to purchase a home in the great state of GA was recently made, I decided to put more effort into fishing areas of this fish rich state. I then started reading books on the rivers and lakes of GA. The next thought I had was to talk to some people that have more experience with the waterways. The first person that came to mind was "River Pirate" Randy Vining.

Randy is on the Ocean Kayak Pro Staff, he has lived in Middle Georgia all of his life. He is one of the most passionate fisherman I have ever spoken with. It was a great opportunity to speak with him and ask the questions that he gladly answered.





The questions started with how he got into kayak fishing.

Me: Randy, knowing that you fished a tournament trail in the southeast from a boat, why did you make the change from a bass boat to a kayak?

Randy: I wanted to get back to the fishing that I did with my grandfather. I couldn't get the Triton back into the spots I wanted to fish. Fishing from a bass boat became a job with all the upkeep and having to be there every weekend with no exceptions. I needed a way to get back on the rivers, I saw what some guys from California were doing on the SOT kayaks in the ocean and I knew that I could do that in the rivers here.

Me: You carry the name "River Pirate," why do you fish the rivers where you do, is it proximity or passion?

Randy: Certainly Passion, my grandfather took me to the rivers, "If there was a mud hole that had fish, we fished it." The change in the river keeps you constantly learning, its always changing. River fish eat like fish are supposed to, they cant just hang out, they see food come by and they have to make a decision to eat it very quickly otherwise it get away. The river also has a peacefulness that you can't find anywhere else.

Me: What does GA have to offer that other states do not?

Randy: There are 8 species of Black Bass, Georgia has a fish able population of 7 of them. We have the only fish able population of Shoal Bass, no other state has that. They require free flowing water that can be found on the Flint River. Small mouth Bass are stocked, the other species can be found in most all of the other lakes and rivers throughout the state.

Me: What would you say is the one most important piece of advice to give someone just starting out fishing from a kayak?

Randy: PADDLE EVERYTHING, paddle every kayak you can, I have 17 kayaks and I have paddled more kayaks that anyone I know. This is key to finding the right fit.

Me: What does it mean for you to be a member of the Flint River Keepers? How can others get involved?

Randy: I have a different take on the idea of sharing information about the rivers than you will find most people have. I want people to have a knowledge of the rivers, that is why I stated guiding. I wanted to give back, I wanted more people to see and enjoy the river, promote catch and release fishing, and to have more overall voices to help the river from being dammed. Anyone can become a member and pay a membership fee, the River Keepers in a non profit organization so the fund are key to keeping the organization going.


I want to say thanks to Randy for having this conversation with me. He is full of information and is willing to share it, you can find contact information for him and his guide service on his website georgiariverpirate.com or you can follow his personal blog @ georgiariverpirate.blogspot.com

I look forward to fishing with Randy soon and catching some of the fine GA Shoal Bass.

New Gear for the New Year

If there is any thing being a Sous Chef in hotels has taught me, its that you can accomplish anything with the proper planning, its about 80% prep and 20% execution. Luckily catching a plane out of Atlanta headed to Colorado to feed a 16,000 person yoga week is now an uncommon experience. So in my planning for the tournament season I have brought in the 13' with some purchases from Hook1, Bass Pro, and The Outside World Columbus. I personally like the idea of spending my hard earned loot with the "local man" so I will be using Hook1 for the links to products that I have ordered.

The rigging of a kayak is one of the most fun and personable parts of fishing from these plastic platforms. I should be sponsered by Kroger by now for all the milkcrates that have been "liberated" from the loading dock.

The main thing I wanted in a kayak that a bass boat offered was a depthfinder, I am confident in my finesse fishing, the shakey head in 20' over a ledge, rockpile, or brush is a proven method that I turn to that will produce a limit quickly. I recently saw the write up Evan Howard did on using a drybox as a mounting base and running the transducer through a scupper. This is the method I used with some slight differences. I have ordered a flushmouth scotty rod holder #244 for the purpose of mounting it in the footwell of the yak, with the transducer "gooped" inside the hull the flushmount will allow me to run the wire throught the hull to the depthfinder. While not in use I will be able to store the transducer wire inside the hull and the rod holder has a sealing cap. 
http://kayakfishinggear.com/scotty244lockingflushmountingbracket.aspx

I wanted to get away from the pvc pole and small lantern that I was using for an all round white lite, again Scotty has come through with a light that serves this purpose well. Its on a 20" pole which will get it above me in a seated position, so with a little luck I wont be on the business end of a propeller anytime soon. The HillJack Catfishing tournaments have a few nighttime events on the schedule, so visibility is going to be a top priority. Hook1 has this light for $10 to $15 bucks cheaper than other sites so its a good buy as well.  http://kayakfishinggear.com/scottysealightforpaddlingsafety.aspx

The next item I wanted to round out the gear for the yak was "fish grips." I have seen this used in many of the kayak fishing videos on the web and it seems really functional, I just have a hard time getting away from the net. I have used a net forever, I recently bought the frabill kayak net and it does really well, and stows easy. The problem I have run into is that I have used a net for bass and striper fishing from a boat. The frabill kayak net is a solid largemouth and spotted bass net, but the "bowl" isin't big enough for stripers. and with Kayak Wars and HillJack series coming up the nets limitations outweigh the positives. I think with a gar, catfish, and stripers on the list the fish grips seem to be a solid choice.
 http://kayakfishinggear.com/thefishgrip-madeintheusa-newcolorspinkandglowinthedark.aspx

Preparing for the 2013 Tournament Season

The new year is almost upon us, closing out the 2012 fishing year has been a lot of fun and has taken me to a new level of fishing. This will be the first year where tournaments do not include the loading of 30 fishing rods into lockers, hoarding up every lure I have ever purchased, and filling the outboard tank with a couple hundred bucks worth of fuel.

Preparing for a tournament season from a kayak is something totally new, that is why I am starting this task so far in advance. Looking forward to the schedules for the upcoming season, there are still a few tournament groups that are still working out the final details.
    
I plan to fish tournaments with a few groups this year, one being something I have never tried and that is a catfish tournament series held by HillJack Catfishing. This will be a totally new experience for myself as well as the first year they have offered a kayak division.  I have there schedule up on a previous post. Check it out, most tournaments are within an hour of the Columbus Ga. area and the kayak division is being sponsered by The Outside World in Columbus. www.hilljackcatfishing.com
 

 Southern Kayak Anglers has been known for putting on some of the best competitive kayak fishing in the country, the roster they boast are some top notch anglers. Its going to be fun to fish against and get to know these guys this season. Last year had some sweet locations backed up with a couple of online tournaments. A few locations they have posted for the 13 season are Stone Mtn., Chatuge, and Brush Creek. www.southernkayakanglers.com  www.facebook.com/southernkayakanglers

 
Another huge event this coming year will be the Kayak Bass Fishing Open. This event is going to be held on March 14 and 15th. The location is Santee Cooper near Monchs Corner South Carolina. Expected trunout is over 200 yaks, making this an event to be fished. They are putting up some sweet incentives to come and take part. The winner is qualified for the KBF Invitational where the 1st place is $50,000. Some awesome sponsors have also stepped up to bat for this one. www.kayakbassfishing.com

Kayak Wars will also be on the agenda this year. I think this will be an opportunity to grow as an all around angler, as the species for freshwater fish stretch beyond the bass. The immediate surrounding areas that I fish are full of opportunity to score well in this format. The 100% CPR tournament will include bass, catfish, gar, crappie and other freshwater game fish. The tournament last for the majority of the year and has team and individual rankings. www.kayakwars.com

Chasing the Night Bite

Kayak fishing after the sun goes down is some of the coolest fishing you can do. The "stealth mode" is amplified so many times over. You will have the opportunity to catch some large fish and see some of the waters you visit during the daylight hours in a totally new perspective.
This summer has presented ample opportunity to hit the waters during the night. Working a late shift at work, lack of free time in daylight hours, and the overall "itch" to feel the line peeling off the reel has made the night fishing a more common experience.

 

 

The first thing when planing on hitting the water after dark, please be safe. An all round white light is required and its totally necessary. It will have almost no effect on your fishing, but does help other boaters know you are there. You defiantly don't want to be hit by a passing boat. There are several companies that make these light for kayaks, they are battery powered so there is no need for hard wiring. http://kayakfishinggear.com/lightsandlighting.aspx

 

 

 

Some other items you will need that you would normally not pack on a daytime trip would be other forms of light. I have a headlampe that is made by energizer, I prefer this one because it has two settings red and white lights, the reason I choose this one is because you don't have to cycle through settings to turn the light on and off. I also pack a superbright compact flashlight, your sense of hearing will amplify when your vision is not as strong in the dark conditions, that being said you will hear other wildlife on the shore. Its nice to watch deer or be able to see beavers swim by.

 

Now on to the fishing techniques, I will fish the same areas that I fish in the daytime, because I am famalier with the area and know they usually hold fish. I will always have a texas rig with some sort of dark, usually black, worm. My choice as of lately has been a black and blue zoom paddle tail. A topwater bait is a good choice to have at night as well. You can't see the strike of a topwater lure, so the feeling through the rod and hearing the action is crazy exciting. My personal favorite is a black on black buzzbait called the cavitron, its a buzzbait that can be retrieved super slow and makes a squeaking noise that other lures don't.

 

 

 

Dock lights also hold fish really well. This can be a really sweet way to catch fish because when you set the hook you can acatually the silhouette of the bass turning to make a run. I like to use a 3/8 oz shakey head for this because it sinks slowly and most of the strikes will come on the fall. Find yourself a string of lights that come on everynight and you can have some solid fishing.

 

 

The fishing before and after dark have a lot in common, but are also extremly different. It can be the most serene and relaxing, but most exciting fishing all at the same time. It will definatly sharpen your sences and I think it has improved my ability for "feel" during the day.

 

Give it a shot. Post some photos on the Backwater Kayak Anglers Facebook Page.

 

 



HillJack Catfish Tournament Schedule 2013

I know the website says "Kayak Fishing for Trophy Bass," but hey who dosn't like catching some catfish everynow and then. This is the schedule for the HillJack Catfish Tournaments 2013. They have a newly added kayak division that will be CPR (Catch, Photo, Release) with digital scales and an identifier in the picture required. The Outside World in Columbus GA will be the main kayak sponser. The tournament layout is set up and looks like its going to be a ton of fun.