This was my first Inshore Fishing Association (IFA) kayak tournament. This event proved to be a great opportunity to fish a new area, and meet old and new friends, just like the Boondoggles - except the anglers are a little more tight-lipped. During Saturday pre-fishing for Robert Vaughn (from Columbia) and me, it looked like we were in some fishy waters, but we struck out. We checked out the Turner River and the Lazaretto Creek. Both places we noticed bait activity and possible redfish escaping our lures, but no hookups to confirm our thoughts.

For many of us YakAnglers, this is the time of year when we begin to feed this kayak fishing addiction by attending boat shows, Googling anything related to the sport, and preparing for local and regional tournaments.  I wanted to take a moment to share the upcoming schedule for the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour.

After a great season of kayak fishing the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour will host its final regular season event in Ruskin, Florida.  You've seen many of the tournament recaps here on YakAngler and we are looking forward to seeing the tournmament results for this final event.  This is a great program that is helping to grow the sport of kayak fishing in a huge way and we are happy to be able to spread the word with other kayak anglers.

One of the largest and most publicized kayak fishing tournaments is in it's final home stretch of the 2011 season.  Many of us kayak anglers love reading stories about the winners of the IFA Kayak Fishing tournaments and we here at YakAngler love being one of the resources that you come to for that information.  The IFA kayak fishing regurlar season series will rap up October 15th in Orange Beach, Alabama. 

Roger Bump blasts the completion in the second event of the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour "Florida East Coast Division".  Fishing the St. Johns River, Bump targeted the deep channel and rock piles in the area.  Bump not only won the event but won the $100 Berkley GULP Big Redfish Award and PENN Reel Award for winning and fishing the event with a PENN Reel.  For all the details of the Titusville, Florida event check out the below press release.

Top water baits were the keys to Lee Smiths success at the IFA Kayak Fishing Event in Panama City Beach Florida.  Fishing his home waters around Niceville Florida, Smith managed to catch a Redfish and Speckled Trout measuring a combined 45 inches.  Smith thought he would come up short at the weigh in, thinking that 50 plus inches would be required to win the event.  For more details check out the following press release from the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour.

What's better than winning the IFA Kayak Fishing tournament in Charleston South Carolina?  Having your first name be Dolphin!  Yes Dolphin Hamilton of Charleston South Carolina was the best of the kayak anglers at the event.  Fishing the mud flats in the morning and structure in the afternoon, Hamilton caught a Redfish and Speckled Trout measuring a combined 44.25 inches.  For more details of the Charleston event check out the following official press release.

Kayak anglers from all over the south east rejoice… The IFA Kayak Fishing Tournament is coming to Panama City Beach Florida. On June 12 anglers will have the opportunity to fish against some of the toughest competition in the industry. Top prize for this tournament is a Hobie Pro-Angler valued at $2399, for more information please check out the following press release.

Norman Walker becomes the first kayak angler to win back to back IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Events. Fishing soft plastics around the Sunrise pump station in Venice, Louisiana; Walker caught the largest Redfish 32 inches of the tournament. Check out the below press release for full details.

Using his go to Spring fishing techniques, Mickey Collins catches both the longest Redfish and longest Trout to win the Rockport, Texas stop of the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour.  For more details of Mickey Collins win in Rockport and all the winning kayak anglers please see the official IFA Kayak Fishing Tour press release.