IKBF Season Kickoff Open: Swan Falls Dam (Snake River) – April 10, 2021

Tournament Winners

We had 18 anglers show at our first live event for 2021. The bite was tough and the weather was in question but good times were had by all. Luckily the weather was great for the most part. Our team captains were all experienced kayak tournament anglers, and their teammates were new, or relatively new to the sport. It was awesome seeing everyone on the water, working together, sharing stories. That’s what it is all about. These events really help to build our community and increase our numbers. Thanks to everyone who participated!

We made some final adjustments to the scores after yesterday, and they did affect the final outcome due to some late submissions. This is in part why we have the Open to introduce new anglers to the tournament and rules, along with allowing all to knock the winter rust off.

HERE ARE THE TOP THREE TEAMS:

Jeremy Miller and Alexander Ames – $225 ($112.50 each)
Jack Eames and Kelly Klein – $93.75 ($46.87 each)
Dan Zimmerschied and Anthony Ward – $56.25 ($28.12 each)

Big Bass

Ethan Mason caught the biggest fish of the day, a 19.5 inch brute of a smallmouth, but Ethan didn’t buy into the Big Bass Buy-In after catching small fish during pre-fishing. Dan Zimmerschied had the next biggest fish, an 18.75 inch smallmouth and Dan bought in, so Dan gets the win!

Dan Zimmerschied – 18.75 inches – $142.50

First Place – Jeremy Miller and Alexander Ames

See final standings and catches on TourneyX >

Tournament Details

Schedule:

Friday, April 2, 2021

Registration Ends: 11:59 pm
Late registration is limited and subject to an additional $10 late registration fee

Friday, April 9, 2021

Prefishing Ends: 4:00 pm
Identifier Code Released: 10:00 pm

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Due to wind forecast, times have been adjusted!

Check-In and Measuring Board Inspection: ~~6:30–7:00 am~~ 6-6:30 am
Anglers MUST check-in within this window. Failure to check-in on-time will result in disqualification. We recommend all anglers unload their gear before and during check-in. Kayaks and gear may be stored on the bank, or near the launch. Be sure to leave room for other people to use the ramp!
Captain’s Meeting and Team Assignments: ~~7:00 am~~ 6:30 am
Launch: ~~7:15 am~~ 6:50 am approximately (Shotgun Start)
Sunrise: 7:11 am
Lines In: ~~7:15 am~~ at launch
Standings Offline: ~~12:15 pm~~ 11:15 am
Lines Out: ~~1:15 pm~~ 12:15 pm
Upload Deadline: ~~1:45 pm~~ 12:45 pm
Cellular service may not be available on the water. It is the competitor’s responsibility to find service and upload their fish before the deadline.
Weigh-In, Gear Drawing and Awards Ceremony: ~~2:15 pm~~ 1:15 pm
Competitors must be present or in line at weigh-in location by this time. Competitors who are not present or in line by this time will be disqualified. Must be present to participate in Gear Drawing.

Check-In Location:

Swan Falls Picnic Area
Swan Falls Reservoir Boat Launch
Murphy, ID 83650
https://goo.gl/maps/whvjLjEzGvhc4psh8

Weigh-In Location:

Bernie Fisher Park
201 W Main St
Kuna, ID 83634
https://goo.gl/maps/28ogUrsERUJQ6VrB9

Focus on Fun

The Season Kickoff Open promises to be a blast. Come on out to fish and meet other kayak anglers (experienced and newbie alike are welcome).

Kayak Bass Fishing Tournament

This bass fishing tournament is focused on fun and teamwork. If you’ve been thinking about getting involved in competitive kayak fishing, the Season Kickoff Open is a great place to start. We will randomly pair one less-experienced tournament angler with one more-experienced tournament angler, to compete as a two-person team for the tournament. We will be fishing for largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. We scoresfish by length, using the smartphone app TourneyX. We practice CPR (catch, photo, release) to tabulate our scores. We will have measuring boards for sale or rent if you need one. There’s a four fish limit, which means the longest four catches between you and your teammate are combined to tabulate your score. Each angler’s best two fish are counted, which means you both need to catch two fish for the best chance of winning! We also have an optional Big Bass Buy-In, which means the person who catches the largest bass of the day gets the pot (minus PayPal fees).

Nearly 100% payout to the top three teams (minus PayPal and TourneyX fees) split 50/50 between teammates.

Special Rules:

This is an open tournament, so no KFNW membership is required.
No AOY points will be calculated.
Electric motors are allowed (within the KFNW Rules Standard).
This is a team tournament. The Tournament Director will assign teammates at random, pairing more-experienced tournament anglers with less experienced tournament anglers. Anglers will fish as a team, and scores will be calculated on the best team score (two longest fish per angler, four fish total). If one of the two teammates does not catch two fish, culled fish from the other teammate can not be counted.
There will be a shotgun start for this tournament, with no delay for competitors with electric motors.

Safety Notes:

An overhead 360° light is required in low light conditions. A high-visibility flag, vest-type PFD, and sound signaling device (whistle) are required on the water at all times. Failure to utilize any of this safety equipment may result in disqualification.
Social distancing of 6+ feet should be maintained at all times. Keep your distance on and off the water.
Weigh-In Procedures may change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Masks should be worn when anglers are gathered.
If you are displaying any of the known symptoms of COVID-19, including without limitation, fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and/or diarrhea, stay home. If at any time before or during the Event you begin to experience any such symptoms, or learn that you have come into contact with anyone who either has COVID-19 or is displaying such symptoms, you must immediately alert an Event official and withdraw from the Event.
KFNW has a no refund policy on entry fees, but we will make an exception and issue refunds for competitors who experience symptoms of, or are diagnosed with COVID-19 before the event has been completed. Competitors must notify their Tournament Director. KFNW will not issue refunds unless they are notified sufficiently before lines out.

Launch Locations:

Swan Falls Reservoir Boat Launch (improved)

Eligible Water Boundaries:

Main water body
Connected creeks, rivers, sloughs and tributaries accessible via kayak from the main body of water are in-bounds up to 1 mile from the main main body (conditions permitting for safety and accessibility)
Disconnected sloughs and ponds are out-of-bounds.
Portaging is not permitted
Only public waters are allowed

Tournament Director:

Chris Bordes
email: idaho@kayakfishingnorthwest.com
phone: ‭(925) 216-2663‬