Tray Collins, is the owner, a guide, and an Instructor at Kayak Fishing Louisiana. He is also a member of
Jackson Kayak’s Fishing Team, as well as a Pro Staff member of nationally known
brands such as Rat-L-Trap and Columbia Sportswear. He is also the director of online tournaments
with the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club.
He truly is a busy man in the Kayak Fishing community.
I was lucky enough to track him down for an interview. Here is Part 1 of our conversation (Here is Part 2):
Pat Kellner: When did you start fishing?
Tray Collins: In the 90’s, 1994 to be exact.
How/why did you
start? Was there one person or reason
that introduced you or really got you hooked on the sport?
TC: Like many,
my first fishing trip was when I was really young. It wasn’t until high school that I was
hooked. A friend took me on a charter
trip; we fished Catalina Island off the coast of California.
I’ve had the chance to fish with many very good anglers
over the years that were willing to share info that most others wouldn’t.
PK: How and why
did you get involved in kayak fishing?
TC: I was on my way to purchase a bay boat
and was caught by a red light at the intersection where our local paddlesports
store (Pack & Paddle) sits. After
visiting the store I called the guy with the bay boat and told him I wouldn’t
be coming. I became involved in kayak
fishing after realizing that a kayak can go just about anywhere. A boat has more range, but can’t get into
most places that I now fish.
PK: Awesome. First time I have heard about
a red light leading someone to kayak fishing.
I know you’re a saltwater guy. Have you always been a saltwater angler, did
you start somewhere else, and do you enjoy fishing for other species?
TC: I started as a saltwater fisherman,
fished a little freshwater while living in California. When I moved to
Louisiana I had 3 rivers within a 20 mile radius that I began fishing. I worked three days a week and fished four,
in that time I spent 10-12 hours on the water, in every weather condition
except lightning. I had this luxury for
five or six years, during this time I learned a lot that I’ve been able to
bring over into the saltwater world. I
enjoy fishing for different species and will switch it up after a number of
trips.
PK: Is
their one species of fish you enjoy catching over any other?
TC: I can’t
say that there’s a particular specie that’s a favorite. My goal this year is to catch a 10lb trout
for CCA’s Star tournament that starts soon, so the speckled trout will be
higher in order for a little while.
PK: Do you
guide? If so, how would someone contact
you for a guided trip?
TC: Yes, I guide inshore and coastal kayak
fishing trips here in Louisiana from Lake Charles to Cocodrie. These areas receive very little pressure
because kayak fishing is still fairly new and the powerboats can’t draft
shallow enough to access most of these areas. Inshore we generally target
redfish, speckled trout, and flounder.
Coastal trips are where the big fish roam, and an angler can catch many
different species. I can be contacted
through my website, KayakFishingLouisiana.com or by phone (337) 205-2018.
PK: Louisiana is an awesome destination for
so many different types of fishing. And,
I know you are from California. What
part of California are you from, and what brought you to Louisiana? Was it that great fishing, or did you get
more involved in fishing after arriving?
TC: I’m originally from Long Beach,
California. My move to Louisiana came after establishing a long distance
relationship with a friend’s cousin. The fishing was just a bonus.
PK: Did
you make any pit stops, and live (and fish) in any other areas before you
arrived where you are now?
TC: The only
place besides California and Louisiana that I’ve lived is New York. I lived upstate for a while and learned to
ice fish while there. Most of my east
coast fishing experience comes from fishing while on vacation.
PK: I know you
fish tournaments. What are some of you
best tournament finishes in kayak tournaments?
TC: I’ve only fished kayak tournaments for
a year. I’ve won two tournaments, placed
in the top-5 twice and in the top-10 once.
I also fished Kayak Wars last year with artificial lures and placed 15th
out of 109 anglers. I didn’t fish any
IFA tournaments last year, but will fish the Louisiana division this year.
PK: I also know you have competed from your
kayak against power boat guys in tournaments.
When did you start doing this?
TC: I started
fishing against powerboats in 2009.
PK: What kind
of reaction did you get at first from the power boat competitors?
TC: My first power boat tournament was a
local bass tournament. The tournament
director told me I couldn’t compete because I didn’t have a bass boat. I pointed out that there weren’t any rules
excluding kayaks, after the boaters joking about taking my money they allowed
me to fish. I placed third in the
tournament.
PK: How well have you faired in these
tournaments? Have you won any?
TC: I haven’t won any power boat
tournaments yet, but have a handful of top-5 finishes. I’ve only found a few that have allowed me to
drive to another location to launch.
When you are forced to launch from the same landing as the power boats
it becomes a lot tougher. Many times
there are not a lot of productive areas nearby.
The saltwater tournaments are the toughest because you have to factor in
weather and tides.
PK: How
do the logistics work? I guess what I am
asking is, how do you keep your fish, launch your kayak vs. the boats, etc.?
TC: Before the heat of summer I use a
floating live well which is mesh netting and a floating ring. Once the heat is
on, I stop looking for bass tournaments to fish. Bass are hard to keep alive even in a serious
kayak live well, I know because I’ve made many.
I look for two fish redfish tournaments (if alive) or tournaments where
the fish don’t have to be alive. I use
an insulated soft-sided bag for those tournaments. Speckled trout tournaments with a live
weigh-in are impossible out of a kayak.
When launching from the same
landing as power boats I opt to launch last and even then I’ll wait another 15
to 30 minutes and troll a Rat-L-Trap 30-40 yards behind me as I paddle to my
destination. If the landing is in a dead
end I’ll allow the waves from the last boat to settle and begin trolling a
Rat-L-Trap rigged with a trailer on the back end of the Rat-L-Trap. The motors from the power boats places oxygen
in the water and get the baitfish stirring around which causes the targeted
fish to become aggressive.
Fishing these
tournaments can be really dangerous because you’re like a motorcycle on the
highway without the high pitched motor! It’s really important to stay away from
blind spots like points and other structure that may hide you, and it’s best to
cross intersecting waterways out in the open water. A flag on a telescopic pole may help, but is
no guarantee. The last thing on their
mind is a kayak!
PK: Have
you been able to convert any other tournament anglers to the kayak? Have you seen anybody else fishing in power
boat tournaments from a kayak since you started?
TC: I know a few tournament guys who have
purchased kayaks, but they still fish primarily from their boats. I hear guys saying that they’re going to try
it, but have only seen one guy whom I fished within a team tournament on the
water.
PK: Would you say that fishing from a kayak
gives you an advantage, a disadvantage, or is neutral when fishing against
power boats?
TC: I would say all three. If the fish are shallow fishing from a kayak
is an advantage, neutral if the fish are in open water, and a disadvantage if
the weather is less than ideal.
PK: Even with the bass fishing I do, I
would agree with that answer.
In your eyes, what are some of
the advantages of fishing from a kayak, and what are some of the main
challenges you face?
TC: There are so many advantages of
fishing from a kayak. Here in Louisiana
we’re able to drift shallow oyster reefs remaining stealth with less of a
visible profile than a boat. These same reefs are fished by boat anglers by
wading, but we often out fish them because of our ability to cover so much
distance. Some of our reefs here are
really big and the fish can be stacked within a very small area of the reef, or
on a small area of scattered shell that the wade fishermen can’t reach.
We have another advantage fishing
the marsh. The entire Louisiana coast is
occupied by extensive salt marshes; within these marshes are channels that have
been cut by companies within the oil industry. The main channels are deep
enough for boats to travel in, but the best fishing is often far back into the
marsh where only a paddlecraft can reach.
The redfish and flounder push into really shallow water, sometimes less
than a foot! I live for days when the
redfish are tailing and busting through schools of bait, it’s just amazing to
witness them feeding.
The main challenges that I face in
a kayak are using the restroom, weather, and knowing when to go home.
My personal trips are often over 12
hours long. In that time I will have to
use the restroom, experience some rain, wind, or extreme temperatures and
through it all I just don’t want to call it a day! I just can’t get enough of kayak
fishing. I love to stay out and fish both
sides of a tide; it keeps you sharp because the tactics that you used with a
falling tide won’t usually work on a rising tide.
Other Interviews:
Other articles of inetrest:
No comments:
Post a Comment