There were approximately 400 kayakers of all ages fishing this year. The bait shops had lines forming in the early hours of the morning, with anglers trying to get on the water first. Fishing began at safe light, and check-in ended at 4:00 pm. The weather was nice this year, except for the 15-20 mph wind. Many fishing reporters talked of white caps on the creeks, and how they'd hate to be a kayaker that day. However, many nice fish were caught, and the leader board posted some nice numbers.

The flounder bite seemed to be on fire for many. Anything less than 20" left you out of the top 10.Trout ranged from 20" to 26.5". Some big redfish were caught, too, with the top fish a solid 34".

There were 15 slams checked in for the day.

• Eddie Cabler of Jacksonville, FL checked in a slam of 62.8", and took home an Ocean Kayak “Trident Ultra 4.3” Kayak w/Ice Box Dry Storage.
• Kevin Fox of Rockledge, FL checked in a 34" redfish for first place in the redfish division, for which he took home a Freedom Hawk “Pathfinder”.
• Bart Swab of St. Augustine, FL checked in a 26.5" trout for first place in the trout division, and brought home a Jackson “Cuda”.
• Kevin Lairsey of Callahan, FL took first place in the flounder division, checking in a 22.1"fish and taking home a Native “Mariner 12.5 Propel”.

With over $80,000 in prizes and gifts, and almost $35,000 in funds raised, everyone was a winner this year.

---

 About the Author:  Brandon is a native of Jacksonville, FL and began kayak fishing in December of 2010. He had fished a little here and there, but didn't take it up seriously until this same time. With kayak in hand he began fishing the creeks of Jacksonville, and his addiction began.

• Length – 15’
• Width – 32” (at middle of kayak)
• Height – 15” (from bottom of kayak to top)
• Weight – 80 lbs. (list weight - didn’t feel that heavy to me)
• MSRP - $1299.00

Paddling

With the high free board and width, The Ranger 15 takes a wider and higher stroke from the seated position compared to my other Malibu kayaks. It’s a bit wetter from paddle drip and the higher angle of attack with the paddle. While it tracked well into all different wind directions, I think a rudder would help. I found it equal to my Stealth 14 for speed.

Poling

I found it very easy to stand up from the seated position, and the stability was good. With a tunnel hull your feet are stuck in one position, which I didn’t like. I’m more used to my Stealth 14, so I guess it would take some getting used to. When standing, the bow is pushed down and the stern is forced up a little out of the water. This causes the kayak to “weathervane” into the wind, making it a handful to keep on a straight course. I found that deploying my anchor (in the folded up position) would help keep the stern from swinging around into the wind.

Cockpit

The seat attaches to a plastic seat tray, which in turn is connect to adjustable side rails. This tray is bolted into position and requires the proper wrench to make adjustments on the fly. In front of the seat is a support bar, which at first glance you would think would be in the way. This was not the case. In fact, the bar helps with standing, and also gives you a place to rest a fishing rod At first I thought this bar should be located behind the seat, and a smaller one located up front towards the bow. This still might be a good idea, giving the hull more stability.

The area behind the seat is rather large, but plenty big for a milk crate or cooler. The problem is, there is no way to secure anything in place. The area that serves as a rear tank well area is to far aft in the single version, but is reachable in the tandem configuration.

With no paddle holders installed, I had to stow my paddle and push pole down inside the kayak. The side pads are installed a bit too far aft, but would be good if the seat was moved back a few inches.

There were approximately 400 kayakers of all ages fishing this year. The bait shops had lines forming in the early hours of the morning, with anglers trying to get on the water first. Fishing began at safe light, and check-in ended at 4:00 pm. The weather was nice this year, except for the 15-20 mph wind. Many fishing reporters talked of white caps on the creeks, and how they'd hate to be a kayaker that day. However, many nice fish were caught, and the leader board posted some nice numbers.

The flounder bite seemed to be on fire for many. Anything less than 20" left you out of the top 10.Trout ranged from 20" to 26.5". Some big redfish were caught, too, with the top fish a solid 34".

There were 15 slams checked in for the day.

• Eddie Cabler of Jacksonville, FL checked in a slam of 62.8", and took home an Ocean Kayak “Trident Ultra 4.3” Kayak w/Ice Box Dry Storage.
• Kevin Fox of Rockledge, FL checked in a 34" redfish for first place in the redfish division, for which he took home a Freedom Hawk “Pathfinder”.
• Bart Swab of St. Augustine, FL checked in a 26.5" trout for first place in the trout division, and brought home a Jackson “Cuda”.
• Kevin Lairsey of Callahan, FL took first place in the flounder division, checking in a 22.1"fish and taking home a Native “Mariner 12.5 Propel”.

With over $80,000 in prizes and gifts, and almost $35,000 in funds raised, everyone was a winner this year.

---

 About the Author:  Brandon is a native of Jacksonville, FL and began kayak fishing in December of 2010. He had fished a little here and there, but didn't take it up seriously until this same time. With kayak in hand he began fishing the creeks of Jacksonville, and his addiction began.

The angler’s meeting was held at Lansdowne Street Pub in Bonita Springs, FL. Old and new friends met and talked fishing while rules were reviewed. The format allowed fishing from the end of the meeting (around 7:15 pm), till the next day at 3 pm. The excitement grew until the cannon was fired, signaling the beginning of the tournament, and most of the anglers took off to their vehicles to begin a long night of snook hunting. The few that stayed behind enjoyed cold beverages in the outdoor patio of Lansdowne Street and talked about strategies for the next day.

Saturday morning broke to mixed clouds and a nice breeze from the east. At Lansdowne Street, the anglers started coming in around 1 pm to check in their catches. They were treated to live music from the Michael King Band (yes, they performed “Fish On”) and great food from our hosts. During the check in it became clear that the redfish were being shy, with half of the anglers missing reds from their aggregate. Almost all anglers scored snook from 17” to 32.5”. The largest redfish caught was a nice fat bull at 30”. At the end of the day there had to be winners, so the scores were tabulated.

Top Female Angler - Kasie Thornton 37.5”
Top Junior Angler – Dakota Wright 22”
5th Place – Andrew Wright 45”
4th Place – Joey Nicotra 45.5”
3rd Place – Doug Shallmoser 49” (Doug just swept the IFA West Coast Div)
2nd Place – Andrew Reschke 49”
1st Place – Preston Haytac – 55.5”

After the awards and prizes were given out, the raffle began. The club raised $300 for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fallen Heroes Fund. Sponsors donating prizes included YakAttack, YakDaddy, Hook1, MirrOlure, Deep South Rods, Estero River Outfitters, and many more. Congratulations to the winners all of the anglers who made this event a success!

---

About the Author: Bob Bramblet is an avid tournament angler, competing in local, regional and national events. He is the President of the Southwest Florida Kayak Angler’s Association at www.swfkaa.com, and Captain of the Blue Line Fishing Team at www.bluelinefishingteam.com. Bob also writes kayak fishing articles and reviews for several online resources and kayak fishing magazines. He can usually be found fishing his home waters of Estero Bay or Pine Island Sound, where he has been fishing for over 20 years.

The angler’s meeting was held at Lansdowne Street Pub in Bonita Springs, FL. Old and new friends met and talked fishing while rules were reviewed. The format allowed fishing from the end of the meeting (around 7:15 pm), till the next day at 3 pm. The excitement grew until the cannon was fired, signaling the beginning of the tournament, and most of the anglers took off to their vehicles to begin a long night of snook hunting. The few that stayed behind enjoyed cold beverages in the outdoor patio of Lansdowne Street and talked about strategies for the next day.

Saturday morning broke to mixed clouds and a nice breeze from the east. At Lansdowne Street, the anglers started coming in around 1 pm to check in their catches. They were treated to live music from the Michael King Band (yes, they performed “Fish On”) and great food from our hosts. During the check in it became clear that the redfish were being shy, with half of the anglers missing reds from their aggregate. Almost all anglers scored snook from 17” to 32.5”. The largest redfish caught was a nice fat bull at 30”. At the end of the day there had to be winners, so the scores were tabulated.

Top Female Angler - Kasie Thornton 37.5”
Top Junior Angler – Dakota Wright 22”
5th Place – Andrew Wright 45”
4th Place – Joey Nicotra 45.5”
3rd Place – Doug Shallmoser 49” (Doug just swept the IFA West Coast Div)
2nd Place – Andrew Reschke 49”
1st Place – Preston Haytac – 55.5”

After the awards and prizes were given out, the raffle began. The club raised $300 for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fallen Heroes Fund. Sponsors donating prizes included YakAttack, YakDaddy, Hook1, MirrOlure, Deep South Rods, Estero River Outfitters, and many more. Congratulations to the winners all of the anglers who made this event a success!

---

About the Author: Bob Bramblet is an avid tournament angler, competing in local, regional and national events. He is the President of the Southwest Florida Kayak Angler’s Association at www.swfkaa.com, and Captain of the Blue Line Fishing Team at www.bluelinefishingteam.com. Bob also writes kayak fishing articles and reviews for several online resources and kayak fishing magazines. He can usually be found fishing his home waters of Estero Bay or Pine Island Sound, where he has been fishing for over 20 years.

The angler’s meeting was held at Lansdowne Street Pub in Bonita Springs, FL. Old and new friends met and talked fishing while rules were reviewed. The format allowed fishing from the end of the meeting (around 7:15 pm), till the next day at 3 pm. The excitement grew until the cannon was fired, signaling the beginning of the tournament, and most of the anglers took off to their vehicles to begin a long night of snook hunting. The few that stayed behind enjoyed cold beverages in the outdoor patio of Lansdowne Street and talked about strategies for the next day.

Saturday morning broke to mixed clouds and a nice breeze from the east. At Lansdowne Street, the anglers started coming in around 1 pm to check in their catches. They were treated to live music from the Michael King Band (yes, they performed “Fish On”) and great food from our hosts. During the check in it became clear that the redfish were being shy, with half of the anglers missing reds from their aggregate. Almost all anglers scored snook from 17” to 32.5”. The largest redfish caught was a nice fat bull at 30”. At the end of the day there had to be winners, so the scores were tabulated.

Top Female Angler - Kasie Thornton 37.5”
Top Junior Angler – Dakota Wright 22”
5th Place – Andrew Wright 45”
4th Place – Joey Nicotra 45.5”
3rd Place – Doug Shallmoser 49” (Doug just swept the IFA West Coast Div)
2nd Place – Andrew Reschke 49”
1st Place – Preston Haytac – 55.5”

After the awards and prizes were given out, the raffle began. The club raised $300 for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fallen Heroes Fund. Sponsors donating prizes included YakAttack, YakDaddy, Hook1, MirrOlure, Deep South Rods, Estero River Outfitters, and many more. Congratulations to the winners all of the anglers who made this event a success!

---

About the Author:  Bob Bramblet is an avid tournament angler, competing in local, regional and national events. He is the President of the Southwest Florida Kayak Angler’s Association at www.swfkaa.com, and Captain of the Blue Line Fishing Team at www.bluelinefishingteam.com. Bob also writes kayak fishing articles and reviews for several online resources and kayak fishing magazines. He can usually be found fishing his home waters of Estero Bay or Pine Island Sound, where he has been fishing for over 20 years.

The angler’s meeting was held at Lansdowne Street Pub in Bonita Springs, FL. Old and new friends met and talked fishing while rules were reviewed. The format allowed fishing from the end of the meeting (around 7:15 pm), till the next day at 3 pm. The excitement grew until the cannon was fired, signaling the beginning of the tournament, and most of the anglers took off to their vehicles to begin a long night of snook hunting. The few that stayed behind enjoyed cold beverages in the outdoor patio of Lansdowne Street and talked about strategies for the next day.

Saturday morning broke to mixed clouds and a nice breeze from the east. At Lansdowne Street, the anglers started coming in around 1 pm to check in their catches. They were treated to live music from the Michael King Band (yes, they performed “Fish On”) and great food from our hosts. During the check in it became clear that the redfish were being shy, with half of the anglers missing reds from their aggregate. Almost all anglers scored snook from 17” to 32.5”. The largest redfish caught was a nice fat bull at 30”. At the end of the day there had to be winners, so the scores were tabulated.

Top Female Angler - Kasie Thornton 37.5”
Top Junior Angler – Dakota Wright 22”
5th Place – Andrew Wright 45”
4th Place – Joey Nicotra 45.5”
3rd Place – Doug Shallmoser 49” (Doug just swept the IFA West Coast Div)
2nd Place – Andrew Reschke 49”
1st Place – Preston Haytac – 55.5”

After the awards and prizes were given out, the raffle began. The club raised $300 for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fallen Heroes Fund. Sponsors donating prizes included YakAttack, YakDaddy, Hook1, MirrOlure, Deep South Rods, Estero River Outfitters, and many more. Congratulations to the winners all of the anglers who made this event a success!

---

About the Author: Bob Bramblet is an avid tournament angler, competing in local, regional and national events. He is the President of the Southwest Florida Kayak Angler’s Association at www.swfkaa.com, and Captain of the Blue Line Fishing Team at www.bluelinefishingteam.com. Bob also writes kayak fishing articles and reviews for several online resources and kayak fishing magazines. He can usually be found fishing his home waters of Estero Bay or Pine Island Sound, where he has been fishing for over 20 years.

The greatest thing about the CPR Mount is its versatility and ease of use. The CPR Mount fits into any flush-mount rod holder or Scotty mount. This is perfect if you want to switch the mount from one kayak to another. Assuming that your kayak came with a flush-mount rod holder, no other installs are required. The CPR Mount utilizes a patent-pending “Expansion Locking System”. You simply drop it into any flush-mount rod holder, turn the knob on the base of the mount and BAM - you’re done! Turning the knob expands the base, creating a snug fit that secures your mount to the  kayak.

The other mounting option is using a Scotty mount, which requires installing a Scotty base. There are several types to choose from, and once the base is installed on your kayak you have the option of many products that also use Scotty mount bases.

The CPR Mount gives you the option of mounting your camera utilizing the flex arm or directly to the solid base. Using the flex arm gives you the ability to take video or photos from a wide variety of angles and heights, making this one of the most versatile camera mounts on the market.  

Pros:

In my opinion, the CPR Mount’s versatility is its strongest feature. I really love the ability to move it from one kayak to another by simply dropping it into a flush mount rod holder. It seems to be a quality made product that will last for years.

Cons:

The biggest issue I found is that the flex arm is flexible. Okay, that seems a bit redundant, but my point is that the flexibility in the flex arm can be seen when bumping rocks or taking on rapids. There were also a couple of times where I hit the camera with my paddle and knocked the camera out of position.  

I really enjoyed using this product, and would recommend it if you are looking for versatility in your camera mounting options. The CPR Mount retails for $95.99, with $4.00 of that price being donated to your choice of one of four charities. For more information on the CPR Mount, please visit: http://www.greenfishmovement.com/

There were approximately 400 kayakers of all ages fishing this year. The bait shops had lines forming in the early hours of the morning, with anglers trying to get on the water first. Fishing began at safe light, and check-in ended at 4:00 pm. The weather was nice this year, except for the 15-20 mph wind. Many fishing reporters talked of white caps on the creeks, and how they'd hate to be a kayaker that day. However, many nice fish were caught, and the leader board posted some nice numbers.

The flounder bite seemed to be on fire for many. Anything less than 20" left you out of the top 10.Trout ranged from 20" to 26.5". Some big redfish were caught, too, with the top fish a solid 34".

There were 15 slams checked in for the day. Eddie Cabler of Jacksonville, FL checked in a slam of 62.8", and took home an Ocean Kayak “Trident Ultra 4.3” Kayak w/Ice Box Dry Storage. Kevin Fox of Rockledge, FL checked in a 34" redfish for first place in the redfish division, for which he took home a Freedom Hawk “Pathfinder”. Bart Swab of St. Augustine, FL checked in a 26.5" trout for first place in the trout division, and brought home a Jackson “Cuda”. Kevin Lairsey of Callahan, FL took first place in the flounder division, checking in a 22.1"fish and taking home a Native “Mariner 12.5 Propel”.

With over $80,000 in prizes and gifts, and almost $35,000 in funds raised, everyone was a winner this year.

---

 About the Author:  Brandon is a native of Jacksonville, FL and began kayak fishing in December of 2010. He had fished a little here and there, but didn't take it up seriously until this same time. With kayak in hand he began fishing the creeks of Jacksonville, and his addiction began.