Saturday, April 18th, 2015: 4th Annual Nature Coast Challenge Kayak Fishing Tournament in Yankeetown, Florida.

Last year, in April of 2014, six of the Nature Coast Lady Anglers were adventurous enough to throw our hats in  the ring and play a part in this laid-back style kayak fishing tournament.  After all, it was practically in our own back yard.  We represented the NCLA well back then with Delores bringing in a photo of a 30 inch redfish only to be topped by Martha Ann with a redfish photo measuring over 33 inches.  She ended up bringing home the trophy for the longest redfish with a cash pay-out that went along with it.  Additionally her raffle ticket number got called out early giving her the luxury of picking from a multitude of great prizes that had been donated by several highly respected businesses.  It was a day to remember without a doubt.  So when the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club sent out a letter to the past participants that the 2015, 4th Annual Nature Coast Challenge date had been set, we certainly didn't waste much time in spreading the word to other NCLA members and getting registered. 
  Nature Coast Challenge Kayak Fishing Tournament  

We managed to corral nine NCLA members plus several spouses, boyfriends, best friends, and solos:
Delores & her husband, Ty  -  returning from last year
Martha Ann & her husband Wayne  -  returning from last year
Lucie & her husband, Paul  -  returning from last year
Theresa & her friend Yvonne  -  first time tournament rookies
Daniella & her boyfriend, John - first time tournament rookies
Alice  -  returning from last year
Dot - first time tournament rookie
Sherry - first time tournament rookie  -  but her husband, Ron, was there for support
Judy - flying solo but competed in this tournament year before last

By 7:00 p.m. we had all gathered at the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club building for the Captain's Meeting that officially starts the event.  

As soon as we walked in, we were greeted by Donna Norton, the Tournament Director, and we each received our Name Tags.  Underneath our names were small silver star stickers which represented how many years we've attended this party.  This wasn't our first rodeo.

Donna told us as we arrived that since so many members of the NCLA and their significant others had registered for the tournament she thought we'd like to sit together so she made arrangements for a few long tables to be put together and reserved especially for the NCLA group.  That made the evening even more enjoyable.  We sat ourselves down and made ourselves comfortable.

And everyone knows that you can't give a woman a bag of goodies and expect her to set it down and ignore it for the time being!  That's just ridiculous!  Goody Bag = "Open Immediately and rummage through the contents thereof".   Which, naturally, we did.  And here's what we found:

One of the smallest items in the bag just happened to be the most important thing of all - the indispensable tournament token.  It's the one thing that you'd better make sure you have before walking out the door that evening.  Without this, you cannot turn in any fish photos.  The first opportunity we have, we poke a small hole in it, take about a yard of mono fishing line and tie it directly to our measuring device so that if it blows away with a sudden gust of wind it will not go farther than arm's reach to retrieve it.  It is a valuable piece of paper. 

Something else in the Captain's Bag that you just can't have enough of....Carabiner Clips.  They are one of those things that you usually have too many of but never have one when you need it.  This, along with one of the raffle prizes (an ultra-light waterproof portable spread) was donated by a company called RestoPresto.  Check out their website here.

Everybody knows the biting midges (aka: no-see-ums) are bad in Ozello, and they're worse in Crystal River, but as you move up the coast to Yankeetown, they can be down-right unbearable!  Some folks are used to it and take it with a grain of salt, some folks...not so much.  Some of the tournament newbies were happy to see these in their bags.  One sample with Deet, one sample without.  Either way, it brought a bit of comfort to those who needed it.

Also included was a $10 gift certificate from DICK'S which doesn't help much with all the money you just spent there getting ready for the tournament but will help a bit with the cost of replacing all the stuff that blew off or got knocked off your kayak and sank to the bottom while you were out there fishing that day.  

Several of these innovative headlamps were donated as raffle prizes and you know how it goes when someone wins something new and interesting, it gets passed around and inspected by several others close by.  And that's just what happened.  Luckily, though, this small info card was in each of the Captain's Bags for those who were more interested in the product beyond a quick look-see.  Check out there website here  www.HeadToBoat.com

This is a product that has been donated and put in Captain's Bags for the last few years and it certainly never goes to waste.  They are sample packs of 303 Aerospace Protectant.  It's a more advanced formula of the old standard Armour All type protectant.  You can find out more info about this product on their website here.

The 2015 Florida Recreational Fishing Regulations book will be found in just about any Captain's Bag.  It is the "bible" of fishing, if you will and it is to be taken seriously.  This was the resource we were to refer to when a question came up about a fish that may or may not qualify for the "Mixed-Bag" category.  If it could be found in this book, it counted.

Another interesting booklet in the bag was the 2015 Product Catalog for Fisherman Eyewear.  Pretty interesting information about polarized sunglasses in general.  Might make a great topic of discussion at one of the NCLA meetings.  

Everyone looks forward to the seeing what the official event t-shirt looks like.  From the base color of the shirt, fabric, and size to the logo placement...it's usually a mystery until it's handed to you and it always seems like the next 5-10 minutes are spent talking about all of the above listed features.  We've seen the NCC event shirt in white, grey and now tan and it's always looked great in all of those base colors.  Can't wait to see what color it comes in for 2016.

Members of the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions club get together each year for this event and host an amazing spead of pot-luck dinner items.  Fried fish and hush puppies are the main dish and side items include an array of dishes.  All delicious!  But this year they added something new:  Tony's Clam Chowder direct from Cedar Key, Florida.  It was a nice addition to their already awesome line-up of food.

We were amazed that the buffet style smorgasbord was enough to feed 50 registered competitors but it was.  Not a sole left the building hungry....that's for sure! 

By 8:00 p.m.  most of the folks there had finished up with the small chit-chat among those they were sitting next to and across from during dinner and tables had been cleared for the most part.  It was time for the official rules and regulations to be announced and discussed.   Several of the tournament organizers stepped into the spotlight one at a time to review everything from rules to safety to launch sites to sponsor announcements.  By the time the meeting was over, everyone should have had their questions answered.  It was time now to make final preparations for Saturday's tournament.

After an attempt at a good-night's-sleep, Saturday morning was a hustle & bustle of kayak anglers jockying for their position in line at the bait shop, parking lot, gate entrance, and launch site.  It is a "first come /first serve"   If you're later you literally have to eat their dust!

Danniella and her boyfriend, John, had it goin' on.....rockin' matching shirts with redfish tails on the back.  We called them "Team DJ".    Pretty awsome !!

Tokens are given to represent a fishing tournament.  These tokens are usually given out at the Captain's Meeting the night before the tournament starts, and the NCC tokens were no different.  There are two rules that involve this token.  1...You must take a picture of the token with your fish measuring device before you take any pictures of any caught & measured fish.  This picture is the "starting point" at which the judges review measured fish photos.  Any fish photographed before this picture was taken will not count toward the tournament points.  Only measured fish photos taken after this picture will be reviewed and counted.  This makes it easier for the judges to find qualifying photos right way (any photo on the camera chip that follows this one)  Rule #2...Any measured fish that is photographed after the token photo must have the token in plain view in the photo.   This is supposed to eliminate cheaters.   Photos taken that didn't include the token would not be allowed.  So, after reaching the launch site, unloading and transporting gear, locking up valuables but before actually getting on the water, we had to remember to take our first picture of the day.....out token on our measuring device.

Launch locations varied as well as times out.  Not all of the NCLA crew put in at the same spot.  Some were on the water at the crack of dawn or safe light, others didn't get water bound until close to 9:30 a.m.  Regardless of when and where, it was a beautiful start to the day.  It was 77 degrees, low tide and we had the most of the day to fish the incoming tide.

Launching at low tide leaves a lot of exposed oyster bar, and some not-so-exposed.  There were a few of us who ran aground accidentally.  So you have two options:  A) get out of your yak and push yourself back into higher water or B) take it as a sign that you need to get out and fish all around while standing.  

By 10:00 a.m.  we could feel a solid breeze in the air.  It wasn't an annoying type of breeze, more of one that we welcomed but hoped that it wouldn't get much stronger.  We weren't setting any major world records with the fish we were catching, mind you,  but we didn't want the weather to force us in before we were ready to go.  Most of the girls brought in a few average sized redfish, a few small trout, jacks, and ladyfish.....and more than their fair share of catfish!  We were holding our own for the most part.

By 12:00 noon, the wind had picked up a considerably.  We knew we would have to stay alert to the increased winds over the next couple of hours.  Sometimes when you're out there fishing, your mind is focused on just that...fishing.  The weather can be in a state of changing for the worse and it happens so slowly that you tent to ignore the small warning signs until it's a little too late and it becomes a struggle to get yourself back to the ramp.  This had the potential to be one of those days and it certainly didn't go without it's frustrations.  We had folks that lost equipment overboard, ran aground on oyster bars, broke rods, misplaced needed supplies, etc.  

We were all off the water and back at the Lions Club turning in camera chips and sharing highlights of the day over a few beers.  There had been plenty of food left over from the night before including Tony's Clam Chowder and so that had been brought back out for the starving anglers who were afraid to put their rods down long enough to eat a bite.  You can't catch fish if you don't have bait in the water.  It's a simple fact and one that we're willing to sacrifice a meal for sometimes.

Although we didn't catch any trophy worthy fish that day we did walk away with some cool raffle prizes, some of which were donated by the companies mentioned above.    And as in the years prior, we had so much fun fishing in this tournament which, like I mentioned before, is just one big "fishing party".  And if it's one thing the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club know how to do, it's put on a kick-ass fishing party.

Many thanks goes out to Donna Norton and the rest of the Inglis/Yankeetown Lions Club crew for hosting such a fun and relaxing event.  We want to express our appreciation for all the hard work and endless tiring hours you have to put in to make something like this a success.  You do an outstanding job and we just wouldn't want it any other way!   You all ROCK and we'll see you next year!