With the soul of an explorer, Drew Gregory embarks on kayak treks free from the limitations that tie most anglers to used water. To go beyond big public boat ramps. To sidestep fossil fuels altogether. Unbound by the intrusions of 1-ton bass rigs, Gregory designs and fishes from ‘sneak boats,’ stealthy kayaks light enough to slide silently through the woods toward otherwise impossible-to-reach bass zones. Matching his minimalist approach at the recent Bassmaster Kayak Series tourney at Grand Lake, Oklahoma, the cutting-edge kayak angler toted just a small bag of tackle and a few Ziplocs of his favorite ElaZtech® softbaits. By the end of Saturday, April 16, the renowned Kent, Ohio pro was clutching a fat check and a 1st place trophy—the fruits of 91.5-inches of portly, prespawn largemouth bass; 8-inches more than 2nd place angler Daniel Maffei. It was Gregory’s first win on the Bassmaster Kayak Series. Yet the victory merely punctuated what has already been a prosperous kayak fishing career, highlighted by an Angler of the Year title and national tournament win the Hobie BOS circuit, plus a gold medal in the Pan American Kayak Championships. Employing a stealth-like approach with a pair of Z-Man lures, Gregory paddled his silent 10-foot Crescent Ultralite kayak way up into a sneaky, remote spawning pocket just off the main lake—a spot he found via meticulous map study. “Though I’d never fished the lake before, my intention was absolutely to come in here, figure it out and win,” said Gregory, whose current goals include a Bassmaster Kayak Angler of the Year title. |