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Yak Talk

First Kayak Fishing Tournament

My fellow members of the APND Club de Pesca Puerto de Mazarron were fascinated when I took delivery of my fishing kayaks and many were eager to try this relatively new form of fishing. At the yearly committee meeting back in January it was decided that a practice tournament would be held for members of the club in preparation for a proper kayak fishing competition to be held in October if permissions are granted. On May 1^st eighteen eager fishermen gathered to embark on a new adventure in Mediterranean sea fishing off the Playa de Rihuette in the tranquil seaside town of Puerto de Mazarron, Region de Murcia. The Malibu kayaks were supplied and equipped by my own company Gary Smith Fishing S.L. and it was explained to those taking part the necessary safety precautions and the best methods to use for catching fish. Three parties of six would launch and fish for one hour to sample this unique form of fishing sport. Many chose to use spinning rods as they are short enough to use comfortably on board the kayaks and fish with ease. The favoured terminal rig was similar to the one used in surfcasting competitions, a two or three hook paternoster, using size eight hooks. The excited discussions beforehand of which bait would be best varied between the popular Correano worm, Prawn and Tuna chunks.

The Mediterranean was calm as the first kayaks were launched from the beach and the fishermen headed out five hundred metres to begin the new challenge in the Bay of Mazarron. It did not take long for the experienced surfcasting fishermen to adapt to their new working environment and within minutes fish were being landed aboard the kayaks. It was a unique site to see over the bay as the kayaks sat on the water with the tranquil early morning horizon as the backdrop. The first session ended and the fishermen paddled back to shore, all with broad grins on their faces. They all agreed this had been an enjoyable experience as the next batch fastened their life jackets and set out to sea. This was a fun event but as always things turn serious when sportsmen at the top of their field are put together. Four time APND surfcasting champion Luigi Mateos was to go out for the last session alongside myself. Luigi, with his legendary knowledge of the area, headed for the thick weed beds. I went out to find deeper water with rocks. As usual with any fishing the hour passed too quickly. I had moved position four times, Luigi only twice. This had maybe been my downfall. He had concentrated on catching the smaller Raspallon and Vaca where as I had targeted larger Pargo and Salpa. Luigi had used Prawn and I had used Tuna chunks. In the end he won the fun challenge and I finished second with Julian Pulido third. It had been a fantastic morning of fishing sport and a sizeable crowd had gathered on this holiday Tuesday to watch the proceedings. Everyone present agreed this was great fun and a proper competition would be a great addition to the sporting calendar

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