They call them sleigh rides, because the fish are so big and powerful, they can tow a man in a kayak. Lehighton native Jon Venarchick recently won the Extreme Kayak Battle in the Bahamas, by successfully landing three fish (a 20-pound black fin tuna, and a 10-pound and six-pound ceno mackerel) over the two-day fishing tournament.

None of it is easy. The participants launch from shore in kayaks - Venarchick uses a 14-foot Hobie model called the Pro Angler. They paddle out to about five miles from shore. After that workout, and after battling the fish, they have to paddle back the starting point, hauling the fish in special bags so they can be weighed.The Extreme Kayak Battle in the Bahamas that Venarchick won was at Grand Bahama Island, with the 150 anglers launching from Port Lucaya. The anglers left shore at 7 a.m. and returned by 3 p.m. Venarchick also won the Sailfish Smackdown earlier in 2017."The surf can be very heavy offshore and it's a lot of work getting in and out," he said. "We fished for two days and could keep up to five fish, with the win based on the total weight of the fish, and only certain species of fish are eligible to be counted."Eligible fish species are: Dolphin, Wahoo, Kingfish, Black Fin Tuna, Yellow Fin Tuna, African Pompano, Cobia, Mutton Snapper, Gag Grouper, Black Grouper, Warsaw Grouper, Snowy Grouper, Yellow Fin Grouper, Red Grouper, Nassau Grouper and all Mackerel. The anglers can keep the fish but the majority of them donate the fish to the locals.In the Bahamas, Venarchick fished at a depth ranging from 80 to 2,000 feet. In his adopted home state of Florida, he fishes at 80 to 600 feet. He is sponsored by Adrenalin jigging rods and Jimy jigs."You send the lure to the bottom and jig up, fast," he explained. "It's vertical jigging."Venarchick's path to the sport started with his family's hobbies, as he grew up in Lehighton."I've been an avid fisherman my whole life," he said. "I remember my family going to Maryland and Delaware, going to oceans, lakes and rivers, to fish; ever since I can remember it was all fish, hunt, camp."Jon is the son of Mike and Kathy Venarchick, Lehighton. He played baseball for Lehighton High School and also for Kings College, where he still holds the team record for all-time career hits (227) and the most hits in a single season. He batted .447 during his senior year, and held a 3.54

G.P.A. He graduated in 2009 with a B.A. in Biology, and continued his academics at Drexel, where he got his doctorate in physical therapy. He moved to Naples, Florida in 2013."I loved the climate and the ability to fish year-round, and spend more time outside," he said. "One day I happened to see a magazine article about extreme kayak fishing and thought, this is what I want to do."Venarchick has been competing in off-shore fishing tournaments for about three years, and also guides anglers (South Florida Kayak Guides) He's found that extreme kayak fishing is everything its organizers promised it would be, "the most compelling and exiting experience possible.""It's amazing to be out there and bump into a ten-foot shark," he said. "But even more amazing to catch a seven or eight-foot sailfish."For more information, visit

www.extremekayakfishing.org.