Name: Tim Perkins
Accomplishments: 2011 Riverbassin National Champion (Richmond ,Va. )
2013 KBF National Championship Top 5 (Santee Cooper, S.C.)
2014 Riverbassin National AOY Runner-up (Wetumpka ,Al.)
2015 Riverbassin National AOY Runner-up (Silver Pt , TN)
2015 Riverbassin National Team of the Year (Silver Pt , TN)
2015 KBF National Championship Top10 (Kentucky Lake , Ky)
2014-15 Named Winningest Angler in Riverbassin History
Affiliations: Wilderness Systems Kayaks Pro staff, Premier League Lures, Columbia Sportswear, AT Paddles, Owner Hooks
Target Fish: Black Bass specifically Trophy Alabama Bass (spots) & Trophy Redeye
Locations: Alabama, Georgia & parts of Florida … Targeting drainage’s that drain into the Gulf of Mexico.
Best Boat: Wilderness Systems Commander 120
Why: The Commander 120 is a versatile boat. The Commander is a light (60-pounds) and easy to tote. The Commander also has a large weight capacity (400 pounds) to haul your gear. Its pontoon type bottom design with a keen nose allows you to be super stable as well as draft in super shallow water . The Commander is the ultimate tool for me to get to the back country where I’m chasing those legendary fighters .
Accessories: Great PFD a must, Deck material like Conseal to keep down noise, A kayak lanyard to drag or pull your kayak with and good pair of sun glasses
Stand up tips: Wilderness Systems make a lot of great kayaks that may be used to stand and fish. Like the ATAK series, which is a sit on top with a Commander hull. If I were looking for a kayak to have the ability to stand and fish, I would look for the pontoon style or the TRI hull design to insure the most stability. The Commander offers a super stable platform. I’m a pretty big fellow at six-foot, 200+ pounds and in the over 50 year-old group. The Commander is the easiest kayak I’ve ever stood in. The hull design has your feet standing down in the groves of the pontoon design bottom. The sides or the gunnels are about 13-inches from the floor letting the side of your lower leg rest comfortable on the side pads (that comes standard on the Commander) to support your legs as you stand .
Sight Fishing tips: I have a slightly different slant on standing and sight fishing. I’m looking for fish holding targets such as rock, wood or grass. Standing offers me the ability to make very precise cast to my visual targets as well as giving me the ability to skip a bait in shady areas under over hanging limbs. Standing also gives me the advantage needed for a better fighting position for those legendary trophy Alabama bass (spotted bass).
Story: I was fishing in the Riverbassin National Championship in 2011. I was on the New River in Va. I had been catching some trophy-sized smallmouth. It was right at daybreak on a fall morning. I was standing, using a Spitfire buzz bait. I can remember seeing this huge silhouette moving toward my bait. My heart was pounding out of my chest. I just knew this was a smallie of record proportion, on the largest tournament of my life ! A dream come true. Then the much anticipated explosion! Out of the water she came every bit of three-foot off my right beside my Commander. I took a second to register but my record smallie was not a smallie at all, it was the fish of a thousand cast, a 48-inch Muskie. Then the challenge was to get my bait back. After I released the musky, it took a little while to get focused on the tournament. By the way, I was able to bring home the National Title.
