Management Software
Most of the major tournaments use some sort of tourna-
ment management software and smartphone app to submit
photos and judge fish catches. Popular options include
iAngler Tournament, kayakfishingseries.com and Tourney X,
which is the choice of KBF, one of the top kayak trails in the
nation. Prior to the tournament, each angler registers on the
appropriate website so that photos can be uploaded during
competition using the app.
The judges then look for all the required information in the
photo and either accept or decline the fish for competition. They
check for a clear picture that verifies the length, use of a proper
identifier, location of the fish caught, evidence of it being caught
from a kayak, and a legal date and time stamp. The judges also
check for any deduction penalties, which are spelled out in the
rules for each tournament. For instance, some events allow the
fish’s mouth to be open; others have a set deduction for an
open mouth. Same for a pinched tail. The fish is then given a
final length measurement by the judge.
Judges also check for identifying marks on the fish to ensure
that the same fish has not been submitted more than once. To
make this easier, every fish must be measured in the same way.
The standard is to photograph the fish with the mouth pointing
to the left and dorsal fin up. This makes it easier to look for mark-
ings on the fish to verify that it has not been submitted more
than once.
Launch and Check-in
Normally there is not a designated launch ramp in a kayak
tournament. Instead, anglers are given boundaries in which
WINTER 2019 I FLWFISHING.COM
they are allowed to compete. The night before the tourna-
ment, a meeting is usually held that covers rules and specific
times for launch, first cast and end-of-day proceedings,
including the cutoff time for competition, a photo upload cut-
off time and a check-in time when anglers need to be back to
the tournament headquarters. This is also the location at
which anglers who might have had trouble uploading photos
can manually submit their catches for judging.
Making the System Work
The system has evolved a lot over the last few years thanks
to national and local clubs that have invested time into making
CPR tournaments a success. Like some sports where big money
is involved, there have been instances where cheaters have
been caught, but the fact that they were caught helps prove that
the system works.
The benefits of CPR far outweigh the negatives when it
comes to fish health and conservation, which is just one
more reason why, if you’re interested in giving kayak tourna-
ments a shot, you should consider signing up. There are
clubs all around the country that welcome new anglers. And
now that you know how the system works, you might find
new opportunities to make a few bucks and earn some tro-
phies on the water.
aboUt the aUthoR
matt ball is the 2016 kayak bass Fishing national champion and
one of the top-ranked kayak anglers in the country. he spends the
year traveling the tournament trail and serving as an ambassador
to the sport.
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