Coming together to give something back to the sport of kayaking

Today, two outstanding organizations came together to bring awareness and education to the sport of kayaking and kayak fishing.  Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club partnered up with Cabela's, the World's Foremost Outfitter to help introduce the public to the world of kayaks.
In an intimate setting, nestled upstairs in a private classroom of Cabela's, in Gonzales, La, around 30 people joined together to learn about different aspects of kayaking and kayak fishing in Louisiana. 
The classroom setting was led by Bayou Coast very own, Todd Lewis, also known as Yak a lou, a retired enforcement agent of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.  Todd started the presentation with the importance of safety and went on to cover different regulations set by the state, and recommendations to follow based on his own experiences and knowledge from years on the water, both in a kayak and during his enforcement days. 
Todd covered things such as flotation, proper clothing for summer and winter days,  safety gear such as lighting, whistles, flares, and first aid,  and he also disputed the myth of drowning while in waders.
From safety, the class was led in many different directions, from landing fish the proper way, the different types of fishing line and when to use them, categories of rods and reels, and then finally closed off the morning session with a little paddle talk.
After lunch we all arrived back to class to watch a few video clips of some big fish being landed from a kayak and then ventured in to knot tying.  Several within the group shared the most common knots used, from simple palomar knots to the improved Albright knot used to mesh braided line to fluorocarbon line.  Everyone in the class had two different colored, climbing style ropes to practice their knot tying, which came in handy to help distinguish between the knots used to tie braid to flouro.
From the classroom setting, we made our way to the Cabela's lake.  There we had different stations that slowly became hindered by the onslaught of rain.  Within the stations, the class was broken up into several groups and each group made their way through the stations learning different casting techniques, actions of certain lures, entry and exit into a kayak, and of course the class favorite, falling out of a kayak and practicing re-entry.
After an hour or so, the rain began to come down harder and the class slowly began to dissipate, some of us brought our rods and tackle to try our hand at a little bass fishing before we headed home.   Thankfully it wasn't a tournament, because Sherman Walker would have been taking home all of the money as he was quick to find the sweet spot of the lake.
Over all this was an excellent workshop for both the beginner and the intermediate kayaker, and for anyone that has any interest in getting involved in the fastest growing sport to hit the water.
A special thanks for Cabela's and Bayou Coast Kayak Fishing Club for putting this together and having a great group of leaders that were willing to give up their Saturday to introduce a classroom full of strangers to the world of kayaks.  A special thanks to Todd Lewis, Craig Brown, Sherman and Norman Walker, Daniel Biggs, Elliot 5" fishfinder Stevens, Josh Thompson, Jorge "Bigredbobber", knot tying guru Mike LaFluer, and especially Melanie Boone, of Cabela's, for orchestrating a well oiled workshop.  

Until next time,

Stay Safe & Catch1