TAKEOFF
KAYAK FISHING
HOW KAYAK TOURNAMENTS WORK
A
THE BASIC PROCESS FOR A CPR KAYAK DERBY ENSURES A FAIR OUTCOME
s the popularity of kayak tournaments has increased, so,
too, have the payouts. In spring 2018, Texas angler
Dwayne Taff cashed a check for $100,000 for winning the
2018 Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) National Championship.
When I talk to anglers who aren’t familiar with kayak fishing
and tell them about the payouts and participation numbers,
conversation generally transitions to how we compete fairly
without having a live weigh-in or a livewell.
Kayak tournaments utilize the “catch, photo and release” sys-
tem, or CPR, which came on the scene about a decade ago and
has evolved into what is a very accurate and fair way to conduct
a tournament. Essentially, fish are landed, photographed on a
measuring board (according to specific parameters) and
released. The photos are then uploaded for verification with
tournament staff so the fish can be applied to the day’s catch.
There are a few items needed in order to get an accurate pic-
ture of your catch and to get credit for it in a tournament.
Measuring Board
In CPR tournaments, fish are judged by length. The fish, with its
mouth fully closed, must touch the front of the bump board.
Measurements on the board are divided into 1/4-inch increments.
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By Matt Ball
ILLUStRatIon by RachaeL IDzeRDa
To score, the tail must touch the mark. If it falls in between two
marks on the board, the length is rounded down to the closest
1/4-inch mark. Most tournaments total up the five best fish, but
specifics vary by organizer.
Anglers use the same standardized board, which has been
approved for the tournament in which they are competing. Most
tournaments require anglers to supply their own approved board,
which might be inspected by the tournament director at any time.
Identifier
To verify that a fish entered in a tournament was caught that
day and not last week, kayak anglers use a unique identifier that
is given out on tournament day. The identifier might be a card or
wristband, or a three- to five-digit code written on the back of
the angler’s hand or on a card. It must be visible in each photo
for the fish to count.
Camera
Fish caught in the tournament get photographed with a cell
phone. The camera needs to display a time/date stamp, as well
as location tags, in order for the judges to verify that the fish was
caught in legal waters during the competition times.
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