The KBF Ten Event for the 2016 Field (January 26-28th)

My first tournament of the year was the KBF Ten event at Bienville Plantation. Nine other of the top KBF anglers in 2016 and myself would set out to fish for two days for a 1st place payout of $10,000. Like everyone else, the excitement kept me up nights before the big days arrived. Our first day there, we were able to paddle/pedal around the two lake options we had to fish: Lake Thomas and Lake Purvis. Nearly all of us came to a similar conclusion; there were lots of 6-8 lb fish in Lake Thomas, but the clear water would not make catching them easy. So day one of the tournament, most of us started on Lake Purvis. I focused mostly on shallow water (< 4 ft) with visible spawning nests, throwing a KVD 1.5 square-bill in a natural shad color and a 4” black/blue Berkley Craw Fatty on Abu Garcia Veracity/Revo SX combos.  I caught a lot of bass, but only a couple solid 20 inchers. I finished day one in 5th with 91.5”, over 10 inches out of 1st. I knew the cold front that had just moved in shouldn’t make the fishing any easier on day two, but I knew based on the numbers I caught on day one, catching a limit on day two doing the same thing should be achievable. The day two morning started off much better than the first. By 7:45, I had a limit and broke 90” with a 21.5” kicker. All fish came on the 1.5 square-bill and I decided to keep throwing it until the last minute. I managed to upgrade a few more times and lost another 20+” kicker. I finished the day with 97”, for a two day total of 188.5” which put me in 4th place. My hat goes off to Cory Dreyer and Ron Champion for two stellar days of fishing, each finishing with 195”. Everyone walked away with big fish stories and at least one “the one that got away” story, and Jay Wallen, Cory, and Ron became the first KBF members to break into the “Century Club” with a five fish daily limit of 100” or more. This was one of the most fun events I’ve ever fished. I was blessed to meet and share the water with nine other guys who share a similar love for competitive fishing and were at the top of their game all during 2016. The accommodations at Bienville Plantation were second to none. There was a hot breakfast every morning, a boxed lunch, and delicious meals at dinner followed by dessert. The log cabins situated among the tall pines were beautiful and spacious. I highly recommended booking a trip at the plantation to enjoy the highly productive fisheries they have created. Chad, Joe, and the rest of the KBF crew did an amazing job at making this event one that every competitive kayak angler will be striving to get to in years to come. Thanks to all the KBF and other anglers’ sponsors (Picasso Lures, Livingston Lures, Tourney-Tag, Cal Coast Fishing, Yeti and Bending Branches) who stepped up to offer great prizes and swag, as well as my own (Hobie, Aftco, Seadek, Pure Fishing, and Orchid Island Bikes and Kayaks) for help providing the equipment to keep me successful and confident on the water. http://orchidislandbikesandkayaks.com/ http://www.hobiefishing.com/ https://aftco.com/ http://www.seadek.com/ https://store.purefishing.com/ http://bienville.com/ http://www.kayakbassfishing.com/