Lake Dardanelle in August. It’s hot, it’s sticky, and the fishing can often feel like grinding on the Dead Sea. On August 15, 2026, with clear skies and air temperatures punishing the field at a blistering 102 degrees, 34 anglers proved there are still massive river bags to be caught. The 7th stop in the NSKA NWA Eco Fishing Shop Trail—the 2026 NSKA NWA GiffGlidez Dardanelle—was held in conjunction with the Arkansas B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Anglers and tested everyone’s endurance and technical adaptability in the brutal late-summer heat.
Before we dive into the leaderboard, let’s give Lake Dardanelle its due. Built back in the 1960s as a crucial 34,000-acre reservoir for the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System, it has evolved into one of the premier bass fishing destinations in the country. Dardanelle has hosted numerous major B.A.S.S. events over the decades and even boasts the first state-park fishing tournament weigh-in pavilion in the United States. It’s a true lowland river fishery, loaded with miles of riprap, lily pads, and backwater sloughs that constantly challenge anglers to adapt to changing water levels and current generation. And, it honestly has one of the cooler backdrop visuals – Nuke One.
The Leaderboard
By the Numbers:
- Fish Per Angler: 3.76
- Total Anglers: 34
- Caught At Least One Fish: 100%
- Limited (5 Bass): 56%
Garrett Morgan simply lapped the field, bringing in an incredible 95.00″ bag to take home $467. Shane Moore crossed the border from Oklahoma to steal some cash, finishing second, while Levi Schneider maintained his absolute death grip on the AOY race with a solid third-place finish. Big fish were a bit scarce, but there were some good totals overall.
- Garrett Morgan – 95.00″
- Shane Moore – 88.00″
- Levi Schneider – 86.50″
- Josh Landreth – 84.25″
- Tyler Zengerle – 80.50″
- Justin Wright – 78.25″
- Seth Jones – 76.50″
- Jared Ferguson – 76.00″
- Chris Jones – 75.75″
- Wayne Hall – 73.00″
Big Bass / Heavy Hitters
Shane Moore landed the Advanced Automotive Big Bass award with an absolute 21.0″ giant! In addition to the trophy and $102 cash, he hauled in a custom GiffGlidez Custom Swimbait.
Angler Roundtable
We caught up with the top performers—Garrett Morgan (1st), Levi Schneider (3rd), and Josh Landreth (4th)—to get the dock talk on how they broke down Dardanelle.
- Question 1: What area did you fish and why did you choose it?
- Garrett Morgan (1st): Main river grass, less pressure, usually a good average on your bag. It’s hard to win big bass there but you can get a solid limit. The system is still a river, I try not to approach it like a lake. Hitting pinch points even on big water can be productive as that’s where current will be when they generate.
- Levi Schneider (3rd): I went to Illinois bayou because it had a lot of options that better suited my style of fishing.
- Josh Landreth (4th): I went up a creek that looked like nothing could possibly be alive in it, let alone bass. I knew I wanted to be up a creek somewhere, ’cause it’s just what I like to do. It was not my first option pre-fishing, but located decent quality. I thought I could possibly squeeze high 70’s from this spot, but misjudged how big the winning bags would be. Felt like I maxed my day. Check out the YouTube video coming soon!
- Question 2: What were some of the key baits or techniques you had success with?
- Garrett Morgan (1st): 3/8oz Chatterbait, I normally throw a 1/2oz but the grass was just below the surface so went with a 3/8 to keep it cleaner.
- Levi Schneider (3rd): I caught fish in the morning on a Coike full cast off of isolated wood. In the afternoon I had a loaded shell bed that I rotated between a golden shiner spoon and a jig.
- Josh Landreth (4th): Whopper Plopper and following up on short strikes with a wacky rig early. Black Zoom Trick Worm on shady wood late morning. Chatterbait bite late for two nice culls.
- Question 3: Tell me about catching your biggest bass.
- Garrett Morgan (1st): My biggest fish grabbed my Chatterbait when I reeled it into a large clump of grass and jerked it out aggressively. I thought I was hung up briefly until I saw the swirl in the water near the grass. Getting fish in was all about trying to keep them from diving into the grass. Overall I only lost two which is a very high percentage for me with that style of fishing.
- Levi Schneider (3rd): My biggest fish catch was in the morning on an urchin off a laydown. Initially the fish had swiped at my Coike but didn’t get hooked so I pitched further up and had a couple other fish following it which enticed the 19” to fully commit to biting.
- Josh Landreth (4th): I never found a kicker. Just super solid bag. I probably had 75+ inches of culled fish. My biggest fish was around 12:30 on about my third Chatterbait cast. It was inconsequential to the standings, but helped me feel really good about my final bag.
- Question 4: What is your favorite rod and reel combo?
- Garrett Morgan (1st): 7’2″ MH Duckett Wheeler Select, Lew’s 9:1. I can always reel slower if needed.
- Levi Schneider (3rd): Without a doubt my flutter spoon setup. It’s still a 7’6″ medium-heavy cranking rod but I now utilize a Curado MGL and the casting control of it is quite nice. Also the reel is spooled up with 17lb XPS Fluorocarbon.
- Josh Landreth (4th): You know I don’t get much into equipment. I am particular about my topwater rod though, ’cause I use it so much. It’s a TFO Professional 7’0” MH. I won one as a door prize from the NSKA Classic banquet years ago. It’s just the perfect action to keep them pinned for me. I’ve broken about 5 of them (including the tip Saturday). I just keep reordering the same one and keep a Lew’s Speed Spool on it.
AOY & Heavy Hitter Race Update
Taking a look at the Angler of the Year standings, Levi Schneider continues to build a massive cushion. With 585 points, he’s got a 26-point lead over John Hall (559) and Justin Malott (558), who are separated by just a single point for second place. Kyle Long (556) and Tyler Zengerle (553) round out the incredibly tight top 5. The cutline for the Classic is going to be an absolute tussle as we head into the final stretch for qualifying. You can’t win the Classic Championship if you aren’t in it!
AOY Standings – Top 25 (Best 6 + Classic)
| Rank | Angler | Points |
| 1 | Levi Schneider | 585 |
| 2 | John Hall | 559 |
| 3 | Justin Malott | 558 |
| 4 | Kyle Long | 556 |
| 5 | Tyler Zengerle | 553 |
| 6 | Josh Landreth | 545 |
| 7 | Seth Jones | 544 |
| 8 | Dwain Batey | 542 |
| 9 | Jason Adams | 541 |
| 10 | James Haeberle | 536 |
| 11 | Jason Kincy | 519 |
| 12 | Fanny Phomsopha | 502 |
| 13 | John Evans | 500 |
| 14 | Terrill Standifer | 498 |
| 15 | Tony Sorluangsana | 497 |
| 16 | Maurillio Guitierez | 494 |
| 17 | Justin Wright | 470 |
| 18 | Jobie Phompraphanh (R) | 468 |
| 19 | Jim Hall | 465 |
| 20 | Mandie Adams | 462 |
| 21 | Danny Dutton | 462 |
| 22 | Kase Ingram | 459 |
| 23 | Jamie Shumate | 452 |
| 24 | Justin Smith (R) | 446 |
| 25 | Chris Jones | 437 |
In the Heavy Hitters race, Levi is again setting the pace with 95.25 inches. He’s trailed by Dwain Batey (92.25″) and Justin Malott (91.50″). It takes a giant to move the needle in this category now, it’s possible, but Levi may run away with the HH crown.
| Rank | Angler | Total Inches |
| 1 | Levi Schneider | 95.25″ |
| 2 | Dwain Batey | 92.25″ |
| 3 | Justin Malott | 91.50″ |
| 4 | Jason Adams | 90.00″ |
| 5 | Kyle Long | 89.00″ |
| 6 | Jason Kincy | 88.75″ |
| 7 | James Haeberle | 88.75″ |
| 8 | Fanny Phomsopha | 88.50″ |
| 9 | Terrill Standifer | 88.25″ |
| 10 | Josh Landreth | 88.25″ |
Wrap Up and Next Up
A massive thank you to everyone who made this grinder of an event happen. Thank you to Eco Fishing Shop for the trail sponsorship, the Arkansas B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Anglers for partnering on the Dardanelle stop, and GiffGlidez Custom Swimbaits and Advanced Automotive for the side pot cash and gear.
We now look ahead to the next challenge: The Crucible on Beaver Lake – always one of my favorite events of the year. You don’t win this one by accident, it takes a heck of a fishing exhibition to dominate the Dead Sea in August. It’s going to be a true test of patience, electronics, and finding the right bite. Oh yeah, it’s on Labor Day weekend so a few hundred of our boater and jet ski friends will be there for moral support. Get registered and check out the details for the 2026 NSKA NWA Lewis Automotive Group Beaver Lake Crucible right here: TourneyX Leaderboard. See you on the water.