El Cheapo Sheepshead Fishing Tournament by Arun Ramalingam

El Cheapo is the world’s largest sheepshead fishing Tournament. This year Kayaks were allowed to participate too. Kayaks were competing against the boats and there were special prizes for kayak division winner. I won the kayak division with my 8.8 pound sheepshead and placed 17th overall among 558 boats!!! I fished out of my NuCanoe 10. Here are some details for you to read if Interested. At first light, Caught about three 4 pounders back in the creeks. The wind started to pickup and left there to try some bridge pilings that I know I need to do only a short paddle with the wind blowing at 1000 miles/hr. Threw my anchor at the bottom of a piling and got it hooked (I have a quick release setup). Knocked some barnacles off with a machte and Started fishing with whole clams where the chum might endup in the current. Lost a couple of bites and hooked on this monster. With a quick tug of war, netted him. Left after that fish as I didn't want to battle the wind anymore... was really living on the edge there! Thanks to the very stable NuCanoe! Pictures: Rigging: For back water sheeps, I used 30 lb braid FG knotted to 30 lb flouro leader finished with a sureset Jig and (hmmm.. hmmmm bait . ) For deepwater bridge sheeps, my custom cut sheep rod (offshore jigging rod with the butt cut and finished with a nerf ball butt cap). Having a short butt makes it easier to manuver the fish in a yak. I use AVET MXL with 65 lb braid FG knot to 80 lb mono to a 3 way swivel that is then connected to 50 lb flouro leader snood knotted to a 6/0 daiichi bleeding bait circle hook (perfect for threading whole clams). I use a loop knot to the three way swiwel for bank sinkers so I can adjust the weight. Pictures are worth a thousand words. Arun R. _________________ Fishing isn’t a matter of life and death. It’s much more important!