Kayak angler takes home more than $2,500 in winnings

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla.  – Rene Lopez, of Port Aransas, Texas, measured a combined limit of 46.88 inches to win the first regular-season event for the 2018 Texas Division of the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour presented by Hobie Fishing on May 13 at Port Aransas, Texas.

Lopez adds this win to two previous victories on the IFA Kayak Tour. The seasoned kayak angler found plenty of bites but had to grind it out to find his winning fish.

“The reds were schooling but spooky,” said Lopez. “I caught a lot of small fish and got my big trout early. I hooked the 22 ¾-incher sometime mid-morning.”

Lopez concentrated his fishing around the Island Moorings area and the East Flats.

“I threw top-water baits in the morning and a gold spoon the rest of the day,” said Lopez. “Fishing slowed down after noon. My overall length was OK, but I was surprised to win.”

The angler won $1,000 and a Power-Pole Micro Anchor, valued at $700 for his first-place finish. He added $317 in Anglers Advantage cash while his 24.13-inch trout won the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Trout award.

Second-place finisher James Tesch, Jr., of Brazoria, Texas, measured a 25.75-inch redfish and a 19.75-inch trout to win a total of $1,175, including $233 in Anglers Advantage cash. The angler caught his redfish on Berkley Gulp! and a PENN reel, winning him the $100 Berkley Gulp! Big Redfish award and $300 in PENN products.

Local angler John Kay, of Port Aransas, Texas, measured a combined length of 44.25 inches to take third place and $500 in winnings. The angler fished with top-water baits and Berkley Gulp!.

The next stop for the IFA Kayak Tour is Houma, Louisiana, on August 5. Anglers who enter at least two events and compete in at least one event will be qualified for the 2018 IFA Kayak Tour Championship.

The fastest-growing kayak fishing tournament trail in the country, the IFA Kayak Fishing Tour Presented by Hobie Fishing events are catch-photograph-release tournaments, offering inshore kayak anglers from a multitude of states the opportunity to participate in competitive fishing tournaments with low entry fees and minimal travel requirements.

For more information or to become a member of the IFA, visit www.ifatours.com. To discover more about kayaking and Hobie Fishing go to www.hobiefishing.com.

IFA events are made possible through the sponsorship and continued support of these well-respected brands: Hobie Fishing, Ranger Boats, Cabela's, Mercury Marine, Berkley Gulp!, Berkley Gulp! Alive!, PENN Reels, Spiderwire, Minn Kota, Humminbird, Power-Pole, Valley Fashions,  T-H Marine, ATLAS, G-Juice, Navionics, Garmin and Powertex Group.

 

IFA Kayak Tour – Texas Division

Port Aransas, Texas (Top 10)

  1. Rene Lopez – 46.88 inches
  2. James Tesch, Jr. – 45.50 inches
  3. John Kay – 44.25 inches
  4. Rodney Adkins – 43.75 inches
  5. Fil Spencer – 43.00 inches
  6. Wayne Lobb – 42.50 inches
  7. Lindsey Day – 42.25 inches
  8. Robert Sanchez – 40.75 inches
  9. John Canion – 39.00 inches
  10. David Norris – 25.00 inches