Paddle Palooza 9
Saturday morning I was running down the back of Grand Isle in
my bay boat to pick up customers at Bridge Side Marina when on the bank near Wildlife and Fisheries I spotted several LED
lights before dawn. I knew immediately these had to be Paddle Palooza kayakers that had discovered the
kayak launch there. The conditions were perfect that morning and I was sure that these guys would find
their Cajun slams (slot red, trout & flounder) in the marsh behind Grand Isle. There is an artificial
oyster reef that runs along the edge of the marsh from LDWF at the end of Ludwig Lane a mile or so west – a perfect
spot in good conditions. In fact on March 31st you could see kayaks most everywhere you went.
Bright skies, temperatures in the 80’s and perfect conditions ensured a huge field of kayak anglers this year –
a record 202! On Saturday afternoon at 3pm the line to weigh in fish for Paddle Palooza stretched all the
way around Bobby Lynn’s Marina in Leeville. Anglers weighed in some monsters this year.
Several speckled trout came close to 6 pounds. I saw several Bull Reds in line to be weighed, but it was the slot reds
that anglers needed to win the prizes.
Ryan
Doty won the Cajun Slam featuring his speckled trout just shy of 6 lbs. Total weight for his slam was 10lbs
14 oz. Jeff Maher, a long time BCKFC member brought in the biggest slot red: 7lbs 4oz. John Bergeron’s
winning gator trout weighed in at 5lbs 14 oz. Steven Christmas had a doormat flounder at 2lbs 2oz to winner
the Flounder division. Allen Melder caught the Leopard Red with 8 Spots that won him a kayak too.
The complete list of winner is listed below.
Those that made the top of the leader board took home a new Kayak from the Backpacker and other sponsors (I
counted at least 4 that were given away). Even if you did not win a yak, there were a ton of great prizes
for the rest of the field from the tournament sponsors including rods and reels, all types of kayak and fishing gear.
Even if you did not
make the board, the food was worth the trip. Pastalia on Friday night was a hit – no leftovers for Saturday morning
this year. The guys that ran the fish fry did a restaurant quality job – plenty for everyone including
cajun fries, corn on the cob & dessert. The biggest hit was the BBQ Redfish on the half shell with
peppers and onions. I’m told the recipe is on their old version website: www.bckfc.org
Capt. Danny Wray
Paddle Palooza Results:
Cajun Slam:
1. Ryan Doty, 10lbs. 14oz.
2. Jared Leroy, 9lbs. 2oz.
3. Perry Watts, 8lbs. 14oz.
4. Jeff Gleason, 8lbs. 8oz.
5. Todd Lewis, 8lbs. 6oz.
6. Gairi Williamson, 8lbs. 6oz.
7.
Ron Glockner, 8lbs. 6oz.
8. Cody Wilson,
8lbs. 2oz.
9. Dennis Soignier, 7lbs. 10oz.
10.
Kurt Loop, 7lbs. 8oz.
Slot Redfish:
1. Jeff Maher 7 lbs, 4 oz
2. Louie Blanchard 7lbs, 4oz.
3. Jim Schott 7 lbs
4. Randy Fleming 7 lbs
5. Tyler Hall 6 lbs, 8 oz
Mule Trout:
1. John Bergeron 5lbs. 14oz
2. Chris Holmes 2lbs. 14 oz
3. Ronald Durst 2lbs. 12 oz
4. Tommy Eubanks 2lbs. 12 oz
5. Michael Ethridge 2lbs. 12 oz
Flounder:
1. Steven Christmas 2lbs. 2oz
2. Sherman Walker 1lbs. 14oz
3. Lance Burgos 1lbs. 12oz
4. Chuck Wallace 1lbs. 8oz
5. Brendan Bayard 1lbs. 4oz
Leopard Red (most spots): Allen Melder 8 spots
