You know their names from the leaderboard. The guys who always seem to pull it off, no matter where they fish or what they target. How do they do it? From tackle choice to sitting on a fish, these pros give advice on how to get your name on the trophy.
Angler: Eric Henson
Leaderboard: Nine top-10 finishes in Kayak Fishing Classics, IFA, Kayak Bass Series and online events
Sponsor Shoutout: Casting Kayaks guide service (castingkayaks.com), Johnson Outdoors, Costa del Mar, Yak-Gear, Bending Branches
Target Species: Snook, redfish, trout, tarpon
Winning Drive
I look for a tournament with an honest staff who don’t bend the rules for anyone.
Key To Tournament Success
Understand all aspects of fishing such as moon phases, tides, habitat, food sources, weather and seasons to know when, where and how the fish will bite.
Pro Prefishing Tactics
I arrive a few days early to scope out the area and conditions. I pick up a Top Shot chart of the area that includes a detailed navigation chart marked with the best fishing locations.
Top Tourney Gear
High-quality sunglasses. Having the right eyewear and being able to see into the water is the difference between night and day. I use Costa Del Mar’s 580P lenses for the ultimate in protection and glare reduction. My clients always say, “I have polarized sunglasses, why can’t I see the fish?” Not all shades are created the same.
Fish Sticks
Yak-Gear Mud Stick anchor stick! When I see a fish, I drop the stick to stop on a dime. Get too close or run over the fish and it’s gone.
Advice For Tourney Rookies
Read the rules. Tournaments print the rules for a reason. I’ve seen too many anglers suffer when they didn’t know the rules—including myself.
Victory Lap
At a Kayak Bass Series tournament in Ashton, Florida, a cold front dropped the temp into the 30s and I woke up with the flu. I put on my big- boy pants and paddled out unable to feel my fingers and toes. I hit every corner of a shallow lake without a bite before I decided to paddle to the springhead where I figured the water would be warmer.
It was already one o’clock and weigh-in closed at 2:30. My parents called to ask if they should meet me at the weigh-in. I told them I had nothing to weigh. On the way back to the launch, I made a cast at a steep bank. Boom! Fish on. Decent bass. Next cast. Another nice bass. Third cast and I had my limit.
I made one more cast to upgrade, and hooked a fourth fish that spit the hook at the boat. I went from nothing to a top-10 finish in three casts in the last minutes of the day. I always tell people, never give up.
This article was first published in the Summer/Fall 2015 issue of Kayak Angler. Subscribe to Kayak Angler Magazine’s print and digital editions, or browse the archives.
