Kayak tournament fishing is one of the latest crazes in the fishing industry. Today I'd like to give you all a little insight to what all the fuss is about and give you some information regarding tournaments in the local area.
First off, if you're unsure if tournament fishing is for you, I think that entering a kayak tournament is a good wat to test the waters. Kayaks come in a variety of price ranges, but you can easily get a decent used kayak for a few hundred bucks and be eligible to enter a local derby. Secondly, try not to be too nervous about how you'll be perceived by the kayak community. The local clubs have a solid mix of both novice and experienced anglers willing to help each other out. We all have the love of fishing in common and everyone is always super welcoming to the newcomers.
Another thing about kayak tournaments is that they're affordable to enter. The two local kayak clubs in Colorado each charge a $50 entry fee per tournament. In my opinion these tournaments are priced just right. It's enough money to make the payouts worth it, and it's cheap enough not to put you into the poor house! As a side note there are membership fees that you have to pay up front, but I'll get to that in a minute.
Let's take a look at the two local kayak clubs and give you some information about what they have in store for 2022. The Colorado Kayak Fishing Club (CKFC) holds two different tournament series: Multi-Species and Bass. Each series requires a $20 membership fee and, like I mentioned earlier, each tournament costs $50 to enter. The CKFC has a lot of great sponsors and there is a TON of giveaways at the end of each tournament so there's a good chance that you won't leave empty handed by the end of the day. Speaking of sponsors, Waterline Sports in Loveland, CO is donating a brand new Hobie PA14 360 to the club this year! Every entry into a tournament also counts as an entry into a raffle that will take place at the end of the season in October. With that grand prize, I'm considering signing up for tournaments that I won't even be able to make it to! For more information on CKFC visit their website here. Also see below for the schedule of CKFC tournaments this season.
Bass Series
- John Martin – May 21
- Pueblo – June 11
- Trinidad – July 10
- Horsetooth – August 27
- Boyd – September 10
Multi-Species Series
- John Martin – May 22
- Pueblo – June 12
- Spinney – June 25
- Trinidad – July 9
- 11 Mile – September 24
The other local kayak club is the Colorado Kayak Bassmasters (CKB) and they are just starting off their second season this year. CKB is associated with BASS so their rules coincide with the kayak tournaments put on by BASS. This also means that there are some upfront fees required to get started with this club. First off, you must be a member of BASS which is currently running a one-year membership offer of only $15 to get signed up. Along with that membership comes some goodies for first timers, a subscription to Bassmaster magazine, and some other incentives as well.
Getting back to CKB, there is a $20 membership fee and a $30 fee that goes to BASS Nation which basically allows the club to host tournaments in association with BASS. The tournaments themselves just like CKFC cost $50 to enter with the exception of the state qualifier tournament which is a $100 entry fee. This is the state championship where the winner earns a spot in the Kayak Bass Nation Series Championship which is held in conjunction with the Bassmaster Classic! For more information on CKB check out the club's page here.
Also see below for the schedule of CKB tournaments this season.
- Horsetooth – May 14
- Trinidad – June 18
- Swanson Lake (NE) – July 16
- Red Willow (NE) – August 6
- Pueblo (Championship) – September 24
