Fishing is not a new concept for Jackson Roumbanis. His dad (Bass Pro Tour angler Fred Roumbanis) had him fishing in diapers, and he was taught by some of the world’s best bass anglers. However, until September, Jackson was a stranger to fishing out of a kayak, let alone fishing out of a kayak in his first ever pro-level tournament.
The 15-year-old high school sophomore shocked everyone when he won the Hobie Bass Open Series event on Lake Dardanelle (Sept. 17-18) in a tiebreaker over veteran Francis Tran. Just two days after making his first cast from a kayak, Jackson became the youngest-ever winner in the Hobie Bass Open Series.
In two days, I went from bass boat to kayak
A kid who grows up around Jordan Lee, Kevin VanDam, Mark Daniels, Jr., and Ott DeFoe is bound to know a little about bass fishing. And Jackson Roumbanis knows bass fishing well.
His youth circuit in Arkansas has seen him win two AOYs and ten tournaments.
His versatility is there, and he will be scary (good) one day. He is already frightening.” Fred said.
A friend of Jackson’s in the kayak fishing community had convinced him to compete in the September Hobie Open and offered him a boat to use, unbeknownst to Fred, who was fishing Mille Lacs for Bally Bet Stage Seven at the time. Jackson informed his mom, Julie, the Tuesday before the start of the weekend tournament that he needed to pick up a kayak, and he splashed it on Thursday morning. He was competing on Lake Dardanelle by Saturday morning.
The spots that Jackson chose to fish had to be confident, mostly because Fred would have to pick him up in the morning and he would not be able to load and unload in different spots around Lake Dardanelle.
Despite the difficulties, the first full day on the water was a success.
“It was different,” Jackson replied. On the first day, I tried fishing from a bass boat with the same techniques, but it was a lot harder. In those spots, I had to learn new techniques and adapt to new things. Even though I knew I would not get a bite for hours on end, I forced myself to be confident.
Jackson’s patience is his greatest strength as an angler, according to Fred.
Fred explained, “He knows how to wait fish out when you can’t turn a key on a boat and go anywhere. All he had was a paddle, an anchor, and four rods.”
In addition to obstacles to overcome, novices could also make mistakes when competing in a kayak.
A quarter of the way through the second day, Jackson ran out of worms.
The body can also be affected by fishing for seven hours a day from a kayak for the first time.
“I was so exhausted, and my legs were jelly,” Jackson admits.
Despite being unable to attend the full competition days, Fred paid close attention to where Jackson chose to fish both days of the tournament… until he felt he was making him nervous.
Fred said, “I raced home to turn on the scoreboard and was like, ‘Whoa, he’s really catching them!’.”
It’s down to the tiebreaker
After two days of fishing where he racked up 165 inches of bass on Dardanelle, Jackson stood nervously in the post-event meeting as tournament officials called out the results and places. A check was the first time he had done well at a large-scale tournament, and he was thrilled.
When he heard his name called during the top five, and then during the top three, he wasn’t expecting it.
“My face lit up even more,” Jackson admits. “Not only was I getting a check, but I was also getting a trophy and the opportunity to compete even more.”
As a result, Jackson’s cumulative two-day total of 165 inches was matched by Francis Tran, so a tiebreaker – the longest/biggest fish – would determine the winner of the event. Jackson’s biggest bass measured 18.5 inches, while Tran’s was 18.0 inches. Jackson won by a half-inch.
Everyone in the building was shocked when they heard that a 15-year-old was in the top five, and they were all very supportive and shocked that (Jackson) was able to do this.
After the tournament, the Roumbanis family hosted a barbecue for local kayak-fishing enthusiasts and were impressed with Jackson’s performance.
“People were going around chatting about how many they had caught, and the number was somewhere around seven to nine,” Fred said. “Then they would ask Jackson, and he caught 27 fish throughout the tournament.”
The Championship Event is just around the corner
After winning the Dardanelle Hobie Open, Jackson immediately qualified to fish the Hobie Tournament of Champions on Caddo Lake in Louisiana, starting Nov. 11. Meanwhile, Fred will be fishing with Dustin Connell and Cole Floyd in the third General Tire Team Series qualifier.
Fred plans to drive all night to be there for Jackson when he gets off the boat.
Fred said, “I hope we can both win!”.
During the weeks leading up to the Caddo Lake tournament, Jackson plans to spend more time in his kayak so he can become more familiar with it and improve his natural skills.
“I have a lot of confidence starting out, but I don’t want to be overconfident,” Jackson said. “With the little experience I have, I am looking forward to fishing against these top pros.”
Jackson will be fishing in a body of water neither he nor Fred have ever fished, but Fred is confident that Jackson will figure it out and have fun.
In a tournament or not, Jackson just has fun, and he does well,” Fred said. “There’s no doubt Jackson will be on the Bass Pro Tour with me one day.”
Sources: Mlf
