Annual ‘Ride the Bull’ kayak fishing rodeo set at Grand Isle

“Ride the Bull,” the world’s largest kayak fishing tournament, will take place Friday and Saturday at Bridge Side Marina in Grand Isle.
“Last year’s tournament drew 488 kayak fishermen. This year over 600 kayaker anglers have already registered and we are expecting up to 700 kayakers to participate this Saturday,” said Capt. Danny Wray, who started the tournament along with his wife, Capt. Kristen Wray.
“This is a unique event as everyone fishes the same location — Caminada Pass, which is famous for its Bull Reds weighing in at 20 pounds or more,” he said.
Ride the Bull is a unique, catch and release fishing tournament where kayakers only fish for Bull Reds in Caminada Pass. Once a fish is caught, there are support vessels available to help transport the catch to Bridge Side Marina, where it is weighed and then released.
Participants can pre-register online at www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull or purchase tickets at Bridge Side Marina for $65 until Thursday. Tickets purchased at the event are $75. Twenty dollars of each entry fee goes into a cash pot to be divided on a percentage basis among the top 10 redfish weighed, a team prize of $500 and $100 each to the Lady and Junior with the heaviest redfish. Based on 500 entries, the pot is estimated at $10,000. Additionally, kayaks will be awarded to the top five redfish.
A Captains’ Dinner hosted by CCA Louisiana, Cajun Industries and Kleinpeter Dairy will take place at 7 p.m. Friday at Bridge Side Marina. The Calmwater Film Festival follows dinner. Enter your favorite fishing video on line at www.calmwatercharters.net for a chance to win one of five GOPRO Hero 3+ Black Cameras for the best videos.
Red Bull/Crescent Crown, Bridge Side Marina and Calmwater Charters are sponsoring the Tagged Redfish Competition during Ride the Bull. Anyone who catches a specially tagged RTB redfish during the tournament on Saturday wins $500. Special Tag numbers will be posted on the tournament’s facebook page at www.facebook.com/ridethebull.
A portion of the proceeds from the tournament benefit Heroes on the Water and Friends of Grand Isle fund for a new kayak launch on Grand Isle.
For more information regarding the Ride the Bull Tournament and the Calmwater Film Festival, visit www.calmwatercharters.net/ridethebull.