Ready to cast away: Inches count in the 10th annual Elephant Butte Lake Kayak Fishing Tournament

For a time, there was a popular misconception among some New Mexicans regarding the functionality of kayaks.

When Russ Trager arrived from Southern California and opened Zia Kayak Outfitters in Elephant Butte in 2011, it was the only shop of its kind in the Land of Enchantment. It was around that same time that Trager’s wife went to launch her kayak from Marina Del Sur in the dead of winter, which prompted a warning from a concerned onlooker.

“Some lady came running out of the marina warning her, ‘The water’s cold, be careful,’ ” Trager recalled. “The mindset of people back then was that a kayak was like what the Eskimos had, and it would flip over if you sneezed. The kind of kayaks that we function with — sit-on-top fishing kayaks — they’re wider, very stable, and you can stand up and cast. They’re definitely boats, not something that’s gonna flip over easily.”

Ready to cast away: Inches count for the 10th annual Elephant Butte Lake Kayak Fishing Tournament

Perceptions have changed considerably since then. On Saturday, May 18, Zia Kayak Outfitters will host the 10th annual Elephant Butte Lake Kayak Fishing Tournament. From approximately 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., between 80 and 90 vessels will be on the water, with the goal of catching the largest collection of fish possible.

“People that enjoy fishing and then, to be able to compete with their enjoyment, it adds up to be fun,” Trager said. “And they’re on their kayak … You might have a few people on a (larger) boat, but in a kayak … you’re in full control of the direction it’s going, the speed it’s going, where you’re going to launch.

“You’re able to go places that boats can’t go. A kayak can get into a very, very shallow cove where nice, big, fat largemouth bass are hiding. People in kayaks can catch fish that the boaters can’t.”

Largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and white bass are the fish of record for the tournament. Walleye were once included in that group but were eventually eliminated in the spirit of competition.

“As the years went by, we found that there were some people that were greater skilled than others in catching walleye. And walleye being long, that created automatic winners of the tournament,” Trager said.

Winners are determined by the combined measurement of their five top catches. The tournament utilizes a catch-photo-release format in which participants photograph the fish on their smartphones and enter the results to iAngler. Those in the contest typically use something called a Ketch Board to measure the fish.

“It’s quite easy,” Trager said. “You put the board across your lap … you take the fish and you lay it across the board, and you put your left hand on it. And your right hand is holding your cell phone, which you’re raising up higher, so you’re able to take the picture, (and) the fish calms right down.”

There aren’t formal records of the largest fish caught in the tournament, but Trager says 26 to 27 inches qualifies as a “big fish.” The winner of the tournament receives a Hobie Lynx Kayak, one of the top brands on the market, while second place gets $1,000 and third earns $750. There are cash prizes handed out all the way to 10th place.

Trager recalls that the 2023 tournament was not exactly conducive for kayak fishing.

“The lake was low. There was tons of ice and snow in Colorado and when the spring thaw came, we got tons of water,” he said. “But there wasn’t a base of water here waiting for the runoff, and when all this melted ice and snow came into the lake, the temperature of the water was low. The fish all went to the bottom and it was a horrible year for fishing.”

It figures to be an entirely different situation this time around, however.

“This year, we have a really good base. We have probably twice as much water that we have had as a starting point in several years,” Trager said.

“The temperature of the water right now is in the high 60s. There might be some coves in the low 70s. It’s beautiful. The fishing right now is wonderful.”