After a Covid-19 induced ban on tournaments on Beaver Lake by the Corp, NSKA anglers were finally able to hit the water for a day-long fishing expedition on the Dead Sea. Some of the recent tournaments on Beaver lulled anglers into a comfort zone and the predictions for this tournament had big totals and big bass in mind. Not so fast…this is post-spawn Beaver Lake.
Tournament Results
It was a mixed story for the 60 anglers entered into the event, with a lot of fish caught, but size was hard to find. A very good 92% of anglers turned in at least one keeper, with 75% turning in a limit. Ryan Paskiewicz took first place with 79.5″, Craig Wood second with 78.5″ and Tyler Zengerle took a leisurely route to third with 78.25″ on the day. Ryan Paskiewicz also won “Big” Bass with a 19.25″ largemouth, followed by Tyler Zengerle’s 18.75″ 2nd place Big Bass.
The top ten finishers were as follows:
- Ryan Paskiewicz
- Craig Wood
- Tyler Zengerle
- Chris Needham
- Jeriamy Vann
- Billy Bowden
- John Wofford
- Jason Kincy
- Chad Warford
- Devon Esry
Angler Recap Roundtable
Top three finishers took a few minutes to share how it went down on Saturday.
What section of Beaver did you go to and why?
Ryan – I fished the south end of Beaver. I prefer dirtier water and have more experience and confidence on the south end. I hadn’t actually been to the area I fished but it set up to my strengths so I gave it a go.
Craig – I like the stained water of the War Eagle arm and it is an area i know fairly well. I targeted pockets of wood and brush on the main lake and avoided coves.
Tyler – I chose to go mid-lake, below Highway 12. I am very familiar with the area I chose to fish, as I have fished there a numerous amount of times. I always prefer the water color and the types of structure that surround that area. As a shallow water angler, it allows me to fish my strengths and fish with confidence.
What were the main type of baits you used (category is fine) to catch most of your fish?
Ryan – I caught my fish on four different baits. I found a few keepers early on topwater. When that dried up a bit I began throwing a Slowtown jig and a 12” Ol’ Monster worm. My big fish came on a jig. Late in the day I did some cranking deeper and caught a few but couldn’t upgrade. I caught 20+ fish on the day and was fortunate to find a kicker. I did lose one off the board that i thought was going to haunt me. It would have given me two more inches. Thankfully it didn’t!
Craig – I had a shaky head, Whopper Plopper, crankbait and a swim jig tied on. The swim jig by Slowtown Custom Lures did all the work, I caught over twenty bass during the tournament.
Tyler – My main baits were pretty simple. I used a jig made by Slow Town Custom Lures in green pumpkin. I also Texas-rigged a Burner Worm (speed worm) and Bacon Rind (creature bait), both made by Gambler Lures.
How many rods do you carry for a tournament and how many are spinning vs baitcaster?
Ryan – Too many! I brought 12 on this trip. I hate retying. I used 5 of them on this trip. I carry 3-4 spinning setups and 8-9 casting.
Craig – I carry four Trinity Fishing custom rods that I build, and my heavy action rod is my jig rod.
Tyler – I carry 11 rods. 8 of those are baitcasting and 3 spinning.
What’s one thing you have in your kayak on tourney day that people might not think to take or have handy?
Ryan – Super glue and an extra measuring device. I also carry a spare charging battery for my phone.
Craig – I don’t really carry anything special on tournament day except for a exceptional lunch – usually a Dagwood sandwich cut in six pieces so I can munch on it while moving spots.
Tyler – I’m just going to say…I’m always thankful to have Dude Wipes with me and it stinks when I don’t. Besides that, I always have a socket set for my drive, and an extra measuring device (Fish Stik) just in case I lose my Ketch overboard.
Heavy Hitters Update
Beaver Lake was stingy when it came to big fish which made it difficult for anyone to really make a big move this week. Time is running out to put some big fish on the board. I was lucky to extend my lead for the moment a bit with a decent 18″ addition to put me at 93.5″. Michael Burgess (87.75″), Cole Sikes (86.75″) and Justin Phillips (86.5″) are still in the hunt but they need to haul in some tanks coming up to take over the lead. It appears that with Ryan’s “Big” Bass from this week he’s creeping into contention but needs two or three more big fish. Or, maybe someone else will smash’em in the next events to come out of nowhere for the lead – anything can happen!
AOY Update
The Angler of the Year race took an interesting turn this week as the top contenders all came up a bit short in earning any meaningful AOY points. In fact, most of the leaders missed a huge opportunity to gain on the field, but since the top four in the rankings all had a difficult day, there wasn’t much movement at the top. Some other anglers really helped their chances to have a shot to get into the mix, especially
Watch for my AOY Breakdown later this week where we will break down some hidden data, handicap the field vs upcoming schedule, and I’ll make a prediction for the AOY winner this season.
Here are the top 25 if the Classic were held today. Green indicates a “good” points total, yellow “fair” and pink “poor” and needs replaced by a better score. Dwain Batey and Jason Coleman are the only anglers with all Green and Yellow for each event thus far.
