I plan to be there. Sounds fun!

Here is a little secret to fishing that river . Yall find bass schooling in 6 inches of water. And im not being sarcastic.

Exactly my thoughts. Never in my 25 years on the Brazos have I ever had to change client itineraries due to of all things...a "tournament".

not fishing this by any means since I sold my kayak and have work...

...but as for scoring fish... I wouldn't score the example you posted a 19 at all, I'd close his mouth and score him 18 3/4". You guys don't have rules on closed mouth and flat tail fin, straight tail for C.P.R. weigh in?

I am looking extremely forward to this one ... not sure how many fish will be caught, but I anticipate that there will be a wealth of stories/tall tales that we will still be sharing years from now!

Thanks to Tom/Jason for thinking outside the box!

Shane I admit I hadn't thought about this from the perspective of a guide that fishes there... I see your point, but I think there's the possibility that this could be good for your guide business too... In the end we're talking about one day on 8 miles of public waterway here... Not sure what else to say about it, other than I think it'd be cool if some of the 'Brazos guys' fished it...

And Mulholland the 'mouth open, bottom lip touching, non-pinched tail' policy is the easiest way to get a quick pic of the fish so you can get them back in the water ASAP.. Bigger fish in particular don't always want to cooperate by closing their mouths... a few years ago we had the closed mouth rule and I watched a newbie during the tourney take about 28'pics and almost 3 minutes trying to get a pic of an 18 incher with mouth closed... I don't think he ever succeeded... This open mouth, natural tail lay is also the policy for the KATS series in Austin, which is the largest, longest running and most well-attended kayak bass tournament series in the nation. I figure if it works for them for almost 10 years it can work for us too...

Very well said Tom.

This trip sounds like a lot of fun, I will do my best to make this. I have never been to the Brazos. Can anyone share any insight on what to expect? I'm not looking for anyone's secrets, just some general knowledge of what to expect.

How long of a paddle is it?
Skinny water?
What preparations are necessary?
Will my sit in Kilroy do ok on this water?
Any rapids to be concerned with?

Again, not looking for anyone's fishing tips/secrets...I would just like to know a little more about the water, safety and what to expect.

Thanks guys!

I know you like to fly fish... you will like this river. Last weekend I caught some fish on white rabbit tail clousers. I'd bring a at least a 7 weight because the fish on this river are powerful. Your Kilroy will be fine. Make sure you bring a rope to tie to the front of your yak to make dragging it easier in the skinny spots. The depth varies and rapids aren't really a concern. Paddle is approximately 8 miles.

Can you fish this tourney tandem?

Appreciate the insight. I'll likely bring my 6wt and 8wt. Good call on the rope for dragging. Floating line not sink, right?

Exactly my point. 8 miles of public waterway that has had and continues to struggle with documented Golden Algae outbreaks and has received little to no TPWD stocking support in years.

A short notice venue or date change up for a guide trip is one thing but I would imagine for a tournament it is quite another matter. Out of respect for the tournament participants, you could have picked another venue and limit exposure in those two areas.

Turning loose a horde of competition driven tournament fishermen with a mandatory prolonged documentation and handling process during the hottest month of the year on a relatively small stretch of river that has little to no stocking support is not a good idea. Ecologically or otherwise.

Does this mean we are not allowed to wade fish? Only fishing seated in your kayak?


-One line in the water at a time, fishing only from kayak or canoe or SUP

Honestly... You could really benefit from having both out there... If you need to have one though I'd go with floating.

finaly something within driving distance to me, im in. i love that river