Carolina Yakfish

We just received a beautiful 7′ Medium action spinning rod – a gift from Brett Hinson at Carolina Custom Rods. He did an incredible wrap job, complete with American flags and eagles.  The rod is built on an RX8, XSB843-TC blank, with custom foam core carbon fiber grips and SS316 TiC guides.  Light and sensitive, it’s an awesome multi-purpose rod.  Karry Batson, from Batson Enterprises, donated the components to build the rod.

Chad Hoover, from kayakbassfishing.com, has given us a voucher for a new reel from American Legacy Fishing Company. The winner of the raffle will get the voucher (valued at $175) and the rod, and he or she can choose the reel to complete the combo.

We will begin selling raffle tickets at the first tournament on March 26th.

1 ticket = $5
5 tickets = $20

The winner of the raffle will announced at our 3rd tournament (Beaverdam) on July 9th (winner doesn’t need to be present). Email bob@carolinayakfish.com if you’d like to buy some raffle tickets.  All money raised in the raffle will go to Heroes on the Water.

**Chad also told me that if the winner of the raffle also owns a 2011 KBF BASSpass, then they will also receive a $100 gift certificate to Hook 1!



Here is our 2011 tournament series schedule.

March 26 – Holt Reservior (Butner)

May 7 – Fort Fisher (Federal Point)

July 9 – Falls Lake (Beaverdam)

August 27 – Cape Fear River (Hwy 42)

Oct 29 – Jordan Lake (Ebenezer)

More details HERE.

2010 was a great first year for the Carolina Yakfish Tournament Series.  41 participants traveled from all over the state of North Carolina to compete in five catch/photo/release (CPR), cash prize tournaments.  We had a lot of fun this year making new friends through the great sport of kayak fishing.  Like many first time endeavors, there were a few errors made in scoring at the tournaments that were later corrected.  We apologize for the mistakes and we’ll strive to limit them next year and beyond.   We would like to sincerely thank each and every participant, without whom the series would not have been such a success.

Fortunately, we were able to raise some money for a very worthy cause, Heroes on the Water.  A total of $1701 was donated by 8 different companies and individuals, and that money will go to support the Cape Fear (NC) Chapter of Heroes on the Water. Donors included Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Contour Site Development, North Durham Barber Shop, Dr. Steve Walsh, Bob Dainton, Joey Sullivan, Tommy Sullivan, and Mike Hanner.   We would like to thank all the donors for agreeing to support this great cause.

Once again, we’d like to congratulate all the tournament winners.  Some guys caught some monster bass this year!  We’d also like to send out a big congratulations to the 2010 Carolina Yakfish Angler of the Year – Joey Sullivan.  His 4th place finish at Jordan Lake helped him squeak past Drew Haerer to take home the title.

Carolina Yakfish 2011 is already in the works and we’re hoping it will be bigger and better than the first season.  We may revisit a few lakes and we’ll also look to fish some new waters.  We may also seek a sponsor next year to award a kayak to the Angler of the Year.  Stay tuned for news on that front and we look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Beaverdam (3/27/10)
Drew Haerer – 49″
Bob Dainton – 40.25″
Gary Ribet – 36.25″

Cape Fear River (5/8/10)
Joey Sullivan – 52.5″
Drew Gregory – 39.5″
Drew Haerer – 28.5″

Lake Mackintosh (7/10/10)
Philip Ruckart – 72.25″
Joey Sullivan – 57″
Scott Inge – 56″

Shearon Harris Reservoir (9/11/10)
Scott Inge – 51″
Bob Dainton 21.5″
Drew Haerer – 19.5″

Jordan Lake (10/30/10)
Philip Ruckart – 62″
Tommy Sullivan – 44
Don Parks – 39.25″

Final Angler of the Year Final Standings
Joey Sullivan – 124
Drew Haerer – 122
Philip Ruckart – 118
Scott Inge – 114
Bob Dainton – 112

1.  Philip Ruckart – 3 LMB – 62″  (22.75″ LMB won big bass pot)

2.  Tommy Sullivan – 3 LMB – 44″

3.  Don Parks – 3 LMB – 39.25″

4.  Joey Sullivan – 3 LMB – 37.25″

5.  Scott Inge – 3 LMB – 35.5″

6.  Bob Dainton – 2 LMB – 27.5″

7.  Bo Anders – 1 LMB – 16″

8.  Drew Haerer – 1 LMB – 15.5″

9.  Joey Benevenia – 1 LMB – 13.5″

9.  Mike Hanner – 1 LMB – 13.5″

11.  Kaleb Dutil – 1 LMB – 12.5″

12.  Brad Crater  – 1 LMB – 11.5

13.  Trey Wright – 1 LMB – 11.25″

14.  Cody Perkins – 0 LMB

14.  Joe Angelcyk – 0 LMB

14.  Dalton Bradford   – 0 LMB

14.  Brian Roy – 0 LMB

14.  Jon Tilly – 0 LMB

14.  John Dixon – 0 LMB

14.  Erick Bell – 0 LMB

14.  Tim Stewart – 0 LMB

14.  Dennis LaJeunesse – 0 LMB

——————–

Philip’s winning bag (22.75″, 20.25″, 19″)

Tommy’s 2nd place bag (16.5″, 14.75″, 12.75″)

Don’s 3rd place bag (15″, 13.5″, 10.75″)

Joey’s 4th place bag (15.75″, 14″, 7.5″ and his 17″ DQed for no ID)

1.  Scott Inge – 3 LMB – 51″  (20.25″ LMB won big bass pot)

2.  Bob Dainton – 2 LMB – 21.5″

3.  Drew Haerer – 2 LMB – 19.5″

4.  Brad Crater – 1 LMB – 18″

5.  Joey Sullivan – 1 LMB – 17″

6.  Brian Roy – 1 LMB – 12.5″

7.  Steve Hurst – 1 LMB – 12″

8.  Nathan Raycroft – 1 LMB – 10.75″

9.  Mike Hanner – 0 LMB

9.  Joey Benevenia – 0 LMB

9.  Dennis LaJeunesse – 0 LMB

9.  Don Parks  – 0 LMB

9.  Clint Barden – 0 LMB

9.  Tyler Inge – 0 LMB

9.  Joe Angelcyk – 0 LMB

9.  Matt Smith – 0 LMB

9.  Philip Ruckart – 0 LMB

9.  Trey Wright – 0 LMB

9.  Ryan Sadler – 0 LMB

———-

Scott’s winning bag (20.25″, 17″, 13.75″)

Bob’s second place bag (11″, 10.5″)

Drew’s third place bag (10.75″, 8.75″) – The third photo verifies the length of the second fish, as it didn’t even hit 10″ on his ruler.

1.  Philip Ruckart – 4 LMB – 72.25″

2.  Joey Sullivan – 4 LMB – 57″

3.  Scott Inge – 4 LMB – 56″ (19″ LMB won big bass pot)

4.  Drew Haerer – 4 LMB – 53.5″

5.  Tim Stewart – 4 LMB – 47.5″

6.  Joe Benevenia – 3 LMB – 34.5″

7.  Steve Hurst – 3 LMB – 34″

8.  Danny Morales – 1 LMB – 17.75″

9.  Mike Hanner – 0 LMB

9.  Brian Roy – 0 LMB

9.  Bob Dainton  – 0 LMB

———-

Philip’s winning bag (20.5″, 19.75″, 17.5″, 14.5″)

Joey Sullivan’s bag (16.25″, 14.5″, 13.75″, 12.5″)

Scott Inge’s bag (19″, 15″, 12″, 10″)*

* after 0.5″ deduction for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th photos

1.  Joey Sullivan – 3 LMB – 52.5″ (18.5″ LMB won big fish pot)

2.  Drew Gregory – 3 LMB – 39.5″

3.  Drew Haerer – 2 LMB – 28.5″

4.  Andrew Knight – 1 LMB – 18.25″

5.  Bob Dainton – 1 LMB – 17″

6.  Joe Angelcyk – 1 LMB – 13.5″

7.  Clint Barden – 1 LMB – 12.5″

8.  Brian Roy – 1 LMB – 11.75″

9.  Scott Inge – 1 LMB – 10.75″

10.  Alex Marchi – 1 LMB – 10″

11.  David Casey – 1 LMB – 9.25″

12.  Danny Morales – 1 LMB – 9″

13.  Don Parks – 0 LMB

13.  Gary Ribet – 0 LMB

13.  Steve Hurst – 0 LMB

13.  Mike Hanner – 0 LMB

13.  Bob Summers – 0 LMB

——————–

Joey Sullivan’s winning bag (18.5″, 17.75″, 16.25″)

Drew Gregory’s 2nd place bag (13.75″, 13.25″, 12.5″)

24 anglers woke up to a cold, windy Saturday morning and made the trek from all across the state to Beaverdam (on Falls Lake) to fish the first event of the 2010 Carolina Yakfish Tournament Series.  We at Carolina Yakfish had been eagerly awaiting the day for some time and it was evident that others had too.

At the 9 AM launch, yaks were headed in every direction and in a serious hurry.  Some anglers found success early, such as Gary Ribet, who landed 4 fish by about 10:30 AM.  Others struggled to get a bite all day in the mid- to post-cold front conditions.  Word was circulating across the lake that it was a tough day for most.  Although the wind never stopped, the sun made for pleasant temperatures and a nice day on the water.  By mid-afternoon things were warming up in more than one way, as the two biggest bass were landed then and the bite picked up for others.  When Nathan Raycroft landed his brute of a bass, an audible scream was heard by many across the lake, inducing a mix of laughter and curiosity amongst other anglers.

In the end, many areas produced fish for anglers with the most popular lures seeming to be crankbaits and spinnerbaits fished in 2 to 8 feet of water.  4 anglers caught limits and 10 measured at least 1 fish.  3^rd place went to Gary Ribet (Rougemont, NC) with a total of 36.25”.  Second place went to Bob Dainton (Pittsboro, NC) with a total length of 40.25”.  1^st place went to Drew Haerer with a total length of 49”.  Drew also won the Big Bass Pot with a 21.25” fish that weighed in the 6-7 lb class.

It was a great day on the lake with a great group of people.  In the end, $120 was donated to Heroes on the Water who were proudly represented by Kaleb Dutil.  This was $30 (6 anglers) short of our goal, so please come out and tell your friends about our upcoming events.

The next event will be held on May 8^th on the Cape Fear River (HWY 42 Access).  We hope to see you there.  Tight lines!

———-

1.  Drew Haerer – 3 LMB- 49″  (21.25″ LMB won big fish pot)

2.  Bob Dainton – 3 LMB – 40.25″

3.  Gary Ribet – 3 LMB – 36.25″

4.  Steve Hurst – 3 LMB – 35.25″

5.  Joey Sullivan – 2 LMB – 24.5″

6.  Clint Barden – 2 LMB – 23.5″

7.  Nathan Raycroft – 1 LMB – 20.25″

8.  Daniel Morales – 2 LMB – 20″ (after 2″ deduction)

9.  Wes Webster – 1 LMB – 14.5″

10.  Bob Summers – 1 LMB – 10″

11.  Don Parks – 0 LMB

11.  Scott Inge – 0 LMB

11.  Tyler Inge – 0 LMB

11.  Jake Earley – 0 LMB

11.  Joe Angelcyk – 0 LMB

11.  Erick Bell – 0 LMB

11.  Ashton Bell – 0 LMB

11.  Grayson Bell – 0 LMB

11.  Kaleb Dutil – 0 LMB

11.  Joel Elliott – 0 LMB

11.  Matt Smith – 0 LMB

11.  Brian Roy – 0 LMB

11.  Gary Parrott – 0 LMB

11.  Mike Hanner – 0 LMB

———-

Winning bag (photos by Drew)

2nd place bag (photos by Bob)

Nathan Raycroft’s sow (left photo by Nathan, right ‘artwork’ by Kaleb)

Hey yakkers, good news to report. Inspire Pharmaceuticals has agreed to donate $5 to Heroes on the Water for every angler that attends one of our tournaments this year. Each person can be counted more than once also so every tournament that you attend is eligible. The donation will be capped at $750 but that assumes 30 anglers per event for all 5 events. So everyone be sure to come out so we can reach this goal! We’re very excited to receive this commitment because we wanted to figure out a way to benefit a charity like the other tournaments and still have sizable cash prizes for each event to attract more people. Everyone mark your calendars!

Follow us on