Windy Weekend, Part 3
The weekend began with these guys getting ready for a kayak fishing tournament. The weather Saturday morning was just not that inviting for any kind of fishing; much less the kind where at some point in your trip you have to paddle against 35 mph winds.
As I traveled down to the island for breakfast, I could see them parked in different spots, all pondering whether to brave the elements or not.
After breakfast, they began to appear like wading birds out in the marsh.
About mid morning, the guy with the homemade canoe told me he had enough of the wind, he hadn’t caught one fish, and he was calling it quits. I think he packed up and went home.
There was this young man from Alabama who fished all day long. Not even the winds could keep him from giving it his all. Sweet Magnolia can get a good look at kayak fishing from this photo. (Some models even have foot peddles like bikes so you don’t have to paddle all the time.)
By early afternoon, fishermen began to emerge from deep in the marsh, looking hopeful that their bag held a prize-winning fish.
These two even had the energy to race for the camera.
Back at Boudreaux’s Motel, the weigh was taking place. In the case of a tie with a certain specie and weight of fish, the first man who signed in and got in line would take the prize. And they had some pretty good cash prizes to offer.
You have to excuse me, but I was momentarily frightened and then very distracted by this guy’s feet. I mean, they really scared me. I’m sure ALL OF YOU have seen a pair of these, but little ol’ sheltered me? No way! When I told him his feet were scary, I think he was offended. After all, he paid $70 for those things. Wow!
So, there they were. About 75 people stood in line waiting to weigh and measure their catch, with more arriving by the minute.
I don’t know this guy, but he caught a nice flounder that must have taken some sort of prize.
And there, in the midst of all the chaos . . .
sat this bag. It just sat there. All alone. No one touched it. No one looked in it. I was bending to get a closer look when someone shouted, “NO! Don’t you DARE look in that bag!”
This guy must have been the Kingpin Kayaker, because all 109 of those people seemed to know that was his fish bag and that in it was contained the mysteries of how to win a kayak fishing tournament single handedly.
I mean, I was wondering if maybe I should bow down and kiss it or something. I watched as the owner of the bag stared at the weigh table as each ice chest or fish bag was emptied and weighed.
It was something like watching a game of poker. Though he watched with great intent, he never let his expression reveal if he had a better catch in his canvas fishing vault.
The weigh-in took so long, and the wind was ripping so cold through there, that I had to leave before the winners were announced.
I hate to leave you hanging like that, and I guess you were wondering what happened to the mystery man with the magic fishing bag, right?
Well, this was his catch. When he opened that bag and began to place his fish on the weigh table, you could hear the rumbles and whispers throughout the place. This guy clearly had a reputation that demanded respect.
It’s what they call a slam: One redfish, one speckled trout, and one flounder (except he had 5 flounder). And I’m not sure how all that works, but the total weight of his catch, plus one extra pound for having a slam, put him in SECOND PLACE.
He won a huge wad of cash (I don’t have his permission to say how much) and a $350 carbon whatever kayak paddle.
And can anyone guess who he was?
Here’s a hint: 
He’s somewhere in this photo!! HA!
And somewhere in this one. I’ll help you narrow it down. He’s not on the stairs!!!!
To be continued again
After seeing all those Flounder, I’m wondering if they got “Butterflied” and stuffed that night. Well, Did the bag belong to Danny Wray? I’m told He’s the “King” of Kayaking in Grand Isle.
What great pictures and now you got me wonderin’ who the bag belonged to.
Yea, those toes shoes are a bit of a hoot, aren’t they? 🙂
I LOVED this whole adventure you had, the pics are fantastic!!! Im honestly checking my schedule against the school calendar….Thanks for the picks of the kayakers, the rigging for their fishing equip was clever, not what I was thinking at all. Excuse me…I must go pull up Craigs List…havent checked there yet……don’t laugh, you started this….lol
~and Im with Stef, that bellow could only have come from DWray…You captured him well from your previous post.
Okay… Even I’ve never seen those shoes. Those things are scary! And I have to ask… did the people standing in line have their fish to weigh-in in Piggly-Wiggly bags?
There was a small group of them that came from who knows where? And both men and both women had their fish in bags and they entered in the “trash fish” division. Maybe they should have brought them in trash bags? LOL!
Come on y’all, those shoes aren’t scary. What’s scary is that someone would pay $70 for them! I’ve got a pair of New Balance (slightly used) I’ll let go for $50. I’ll even paint “Toes” on them. Any takers? LOL
Wasn’t me but I know who’s blue bag to stay away from on a warm day now.
Monday evening leave time for the bayou coast.
Weeeeee……
And who might that be, Blu?
The mystery fish bag belonged to none other than our own Choupiquer who comments here occasionally! Steffi – D-Wray might be king on the island, but Choup was at least the second-place king at this tourney. I even heard that he taught D-Wray most of what he knows about fishing those waters down there. And first place? Went to someone else that Choup took under his teaching wing. Choup is a talented fisherman, patient, and a very good teacher–and the reason I know is because he’s the one who taught me to kayak fish, and he was also in that article I wrote. He’s just more quiet and layed back than D-Wray. One BBWW weekend, he might give us a short class on kayak fishing. At least, that’s part of my future plans!
Them feet ARE SCARY!!!
i knew it and his real name just popped into my head.. while reading this story…congrats mark…..
love the stories C_D
BW says: For those of you don’t know, CD is short for Capt. Duber, my nickname on a popular local fishing forum.
Hey,
You didn’t have to mention I quit. At least I lasted until 10:30. Had I known the wind was going to be so bad, I would have brought my kayak. Oh well, there is always next year.
Kurt
Ope, now you fessed up! None of my readers knew who owned that beautiful hand-made canoe!!! I love a man who can admit when he’s been whooped by the elements — without shame! LOL! And yes, there is always next year, so either bring both or find you a good wind predictor!!!
And WOW! How many hand-made canoes/kayaks do you own? I browsed your site just now and I have one question–who’s the man with the stick standing in the launching of the Chamaunis photo?
Second question — how did you find this blog? You don’t seem like the “bloggy” kind! LOL!
I’ve built 3 canoes and 4 kayaks. The guy with the stick is actually holding a paddle. It is sideways in the photo. That’s Marc Pinsel. Maybe you have seen him on the island? As far as finding the blog, you told me about it while I was cooking the jambalaya.
Now I feel like a ditz times 2!
RenRed built a kayak once way back when. I think he used it a time or two on Toledo Bend – don’t know what happened to that thing.
I admire those fishermen braving the elements like that, and I want a pair of those “toe shoes”!
Heather – I wanted the toe shoes until I heard the price. Cool thing is they come in ALL COLORS!!!!!