One of the most recognized kayak anglers in the world, Jody Queen took home $10,000 at the 2021 DEE ZEE KBF THE TEN kayak fishing tournament held February 3-4, in Kissimmee, Florida.
THE TEN brings together the ten most elite kayak anglers in the sport for head-to-head competition.
It’s a “best of the best” invitational tournament with competitors selected from the prior year’s National Champion, Trail Series Champion, Angler of the Year and other top honors in Kayak Bass Fishing competition. “This was my fourth time qualifying for and competing in Kayak Bass Fishing’s THE TEN. Each time before I had something go wrong that kept me from performing at my fullest potential. This time, the 30 to 35 mph winds could have been that thing,” said Queen.
“The place where we launched was thick with big floating mats of water hyacinth. Those strong winds blew it all against that bank, packing in tight. My Ultralight 1103 pushed me out through it. Other anglers couldn’t get through it, but I put it at around 600 Watts and opened up a path to the channel. I was able to get out where others were not.”
At THE TEN, the winner is determined by adding the overall length of their 5 longest fish caught on each of two days. The angler photographs the fish on the measuring board and uploads the photo for judging. At the end of day one of competition, Queen was in 5th place, a full 12 inches behind the leader.
On day two, Queen posted no fish. As the final day wore on and competition drew to a close, Queen motored his way back into cellular signal range. He had no idea whether or not he was in the running.
“I was fishing without knowing the standings. I only had 4 fish until about 2:30 pm. My 5th fish was a small one,” Queen said. “I thought, ‘I got 5 fish, and I’m gonna go back to the area where I caught two big fish early in the week.’ I was working some hyacinth islands.”
Those same weedy waters which confounded some competitors yielded Queen’s winning fish, a 20.75-inch behemoth which catapulted him into the lead and secured the giant $10,000 check.
“Over the years that we have been involved in the sport, many of the top names in kayak fishing have joined Team Torqeedo,” said Steve Trkla, president of Torqeedo, Inc. “Jody Queen’s win in THE TEN once again proves how powerful a tool the Ultralight kayak motor can be in competition. It won’t catch the fish for you, but it will get you where the fish are.”
Queen uses an Ultralight 1103 electric kayak motor to power his Hobie Pro Angler 14 and has been a member of Team Torqeedo since 2018. Torqeedo is the market leader for electric mobility on the water. Founded in 2005 in Starnberg, the company develops and manufactures electric and hybrid drives from 0.5 to 100 kW for commercial applications and recreational use. Torqeedo products are characterised by an uncompromising high-tech focus, maximum efficiency and complete system integration. Torqeedo is part of the DEUTZ Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative drive systems.