Russell Johnson knows a lot about kayaks.
The Whitsett native now living in Monessen fishes from one competitively, and last year, he finished 16th out of 521 anglers in the individual standings of the national River Bassin' Tournament Trail.
He also was the 2015 Angler of the Year for the Western Pennsylvania chapter of Kayak Anglers.
Of course, Johnson fishes for fun, too.
He spent about 140 days on the water last year and landed more than 1,000 fish.
But don't ask him exactly what your kayak should look like.
“I can't say there's a perfect kayak. If you want to buy one, the best thing to do is go out and sit in one and see how it feels,” he said.
Would-be kayak anglers are going to have a unique opportunity to do just that. A multi-state Battle at the Border fishing tournament for anglers from Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia is coming this summer to Pymatuning Lake.
It is set for June 4, with check-in at 5 a.m. and launch at 6. Participants can camp at the park's Jamestown campground before and after, fish and take part in a post-event awards ceremony on Linesville Beach.
The tournament is only open to Kayak Anglers, Kayak Fishing Ohio and Mountain State Kayak Anglers members.
As part of the event, three kayak dealers are going to exhibit fishing kayaks and kayak gear, said Chad Foster, a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission education and outreach specialist and tournament kayak angler. Those demo days are open to everyone.
Kayaks are versatile, Johnson said.
“You can fish for anything out of these. I'm not only talking about bass, but also panfish, even muskies,” he said. “And you can get to places bigger boats can never go.”
The key is getting one that fits well, is comfortable and is capable of doing what you want it to do, he said. And the best way to determine that is to take them on the water.
“You've got to get it to fit your needs,” Johnson said.
In the meantime, anyone interested in learning more about competitive kayak angling can check out the Kayak Anglers website at kayak-anglers.com. The group has six tournaments scheduled for the year, and the first is May 14 on Presque Isle Bay in Erie.
Others are planned for Lake Wilhelm on June 25, the Kiski River at Leechburg on Aug. 27, the Upper Allegheny River on Sept. 10 and Lake Arthur on Sept. 24.
Bob Frye is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at bfrye@tribweb.com or via @bobfryeoutdoors.
