Kayak Walkaround VIDEO

Preparing for a kayak tournament

Spring 2019

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ATTITUDE

(MENTAL PREPAREDNESS):

The first and most important component of tournament

fishing is having the right mindset with a positive attitude

and enjoyment of the competitive event. To have the right

attitude, Quizon believes it is best to stick to what you know.

“Be confident in your abilities to fish,” he added.

Staying away from the dock talk is a way Ensign

suggests maintaining mental preparedness.

“Do what you are most comfortable doing,” he said. “If

you fish outside your box of knowledge, you may get lucky,

but you will not stay consistent.”

EQUIP YOURSELF

Next up is having the right equipment to get the job done.

KAYAK

Ensign and Quizon both fish out of pedal kayaks for efficiency. They like the ability to propel the kayak while keeping their hands free to fish. This is just a personal preference and they both suggested choosing a kayak for comfort and within budget.

RODS

Quizon always has eight rods fully0rigged to maximize efficiency and eliminate any potential downtime caused by having to re-tie or switch lures.

Ensign likes to start with eight rods during pre-fish; but, narrow his choices down to three or four rods for competition. His stripped-down selections keep choices simple and organized to prevent fumbles during competition.

OTHER NECESSARY GEAR

• Coast Guard approved life jacket

• Hawg Trough fish measuring device

• Depth finder (highly recommended) – 7” Lowrance

unit is a great option

• Cell phone or digital camera (in a waterproof case

and on a leash)

• Stern light visible from 360 degrees

• Net with long handle

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