Scouts gearing up for kayak fishing classic

The Southwest Florida Boy Scout Council will hold its 3rd Annual Kayak Fishing Classic on Saturday, May. There will be great prizes in both the adult and youth divisions and trophies for the first three places in both adult and youth divisions. Registration is open to adults and youth, however, to qualify as a youth angler, the participant must be 16 or younger on May 12. Last year more than 85 anglers entered the tournament. Entry forms can be downloaded at www.kayakfishingclassic.com. They are also available at the Boy Scout Service Center. Complete rules for the tournament are also available on the Web site.

A mandatory Captain's Meeting for all registered anglers will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 16 at the Southwest Florida Council Conference Center, 1801 Boy Scout Drive, Fort Myers, FL33907. Anglers will then launch from any location at first safe light on Saturday, May 17. Lines must be out of the water by 4:00 p.m., and angler scorecards and camera memory cards returned to the Lovers Key location north of the boat ramp by 5 p.m. All memory card photos will be loaded onto the tournament score keeper's computer, and the scorecards verified from the photos. Dinner and the awarding of prizes will begin no later than 5:30 p.m. at the site near Lovers Key State Park, on the east side of Estero Boulevard, just north of the public boat ramp, 8700 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach.

For those that would like to participate but don't have their own kayak, two local kayak shops are making fully rigged fishing kayaks available for rent, and these boats can be picked up at the captain's meeting, May 16. Full details are on the tournament website.

The International Game Fish Association will be presenting one hour seminars several times during the day on Saturday May 17 at the Lovers Key location. These clinics will be geared toward the beginning angler, ages 6 to 16. There will be no cost for these clinics. Some of the topics covered in the seminars will include: introduction to IGFA, their purposes and goals; discussion of fishing equipment, including the various types of rods and reels, lines and tackle; the proper use of basic equipment; basic knot tying; fishing ethics including proper catch and release techniques and correct fish handling methods, how to measure a fish, and how to properly remove a hook with injuring the fish. Finally, fishing safety and Florida fishing regulations will be discussed. Go to www.kayakfishingclassic.com to view the clinic times and registration information.

For additional information contact: Bill Stewart at 239 936-4041, ext. 13 or Billstewart@ kayakfishingclassic.com or Brad Walden at 239 936-8072, ext 110 or bwalden@ bsamail.org.