Ozark City lake hosted the RVKA night bass fishing tournament in late April under a full moon. The lake did pretty well in giving up some good numbers to the 22 anglers on hand.
Carson McBride took first place with 82.5″, with Declan McDonald taking second place with 77.5″ and Chris Jones finishing third with 71.25″ overall. Big Bass was won by Chris Jones for a 23″ monster caught after dark.
Ozark City Lake winners Carson McBride and Declan Mcdonald used the ned rig to catch their bass. – Courtesy Aaron McBride.
The top 10 anglers were:
Carson McBride
Declan McDonald
Chris Jones
Toby Bogart
Trey Rogers
Josh Childress
Gavin Collins
Jason Kincy
Lloyd Mize
Brandon Crippen
23″ Big Bass caught by Chris Jones.
Angler Recaps
The top three finishers from the Ozark City Lake event, Carson McBride, Declan McDonald and Chris Jones, shared some of their insights on the tournament and how to successfully compete in these type of events.
How did you catch your fish and what were the key baits?
Carson – I caught my fish in 5 feet or less of water bouncing a Ned rig off of the bottom.
Declan – I caught all my fish on the bottom on ned rigs, just popping it off the bottom just covering the same spots multiple times.
Chris – I threw a popper for first four fish before dark, then caught 2 on a chatterbait after dark.
What was your strategy for the night tournament, how was it different than a regular tourney that starts in the morning?
Carson – My strategy for the night tourney was to start out finesse since it was three in the afternoon with bluebird skies and not much wind. This is instead of throwing a topwater or moving bait in the morning like I would in any other tournament.
Declan – My strategy was to find fish fast and catch a early limit then upgrade later. I knew the blue bird skies and mid-day conditions would be tough so I thought the fishing would improve later toward dark so I just tried to capitalize on the fish I could find.
Chris – My strategy was get around the whole lake and try to locate the biggest baitfish action for a topwater bite and see if it carried into the night.
What is your advice for someone new in preparing for tournaments?
Carson – My advice for someone preparing for tourneys is to throw what your most confident with and stick to that when fishing gets tough.
Declan – My advice would be to just stay confident and throw what you have confidence in if your going to a new lake Google maps is always a great resource.
Chris – Watch the weather and ask questions about the lake and Google search for past tourney results and information.
What’s one specific tip you would give for finding fish on a lake?
Carson – One specific tip I would give for finding fish on a lake is to cover water with what your most confident with.
Chris – Look for bait fish.
Declan – A specific tip would be to pay attention to water temp and weather conditions.
Congratulations to all who came out and fished the event!
I just finished up my second late winter and early spring fishing season using my Stormr STRYKR Jacketon the worst weather days. It has kept me warm and functioning on the water in extreme conditions. Most recently this year in a KBF tournament on Lake Bull Shoals it protected me in windy and snowy weather with water temps in the 20s. Hours on the water were made much more comfortable with this piece of equipment.
The Stormr STRYKR jacket was great protection against the wind and snow on Bull Shoals. – kayakfishingfocus.com
When kayak fishing in freezing and windy conditions I wanted to have a jacket that was warm, stopped the wind but wasn’t too bulky to wear and move freely while in the kayak seat. The waterproof and windproof Stormr STRYKR jacket is an impenetrable shield against the elements.
Stormr STRYKR Jacket Specs
What makes the Stormr STRYKR jacket so effective in protecting against foul weather are the materials and construction. The water and windproof neoprene exterior is an excellent outer shell, while the fleece lined interior is comfortable and holds in body heat. This is the warmest thing I’ve ever owned – hands down. Many other elements contribute to the warmth and comfort:
Two-way Adjustable Hood
Fleece-Lined Interior
Non-Corrosive Splash Proof Zipper
Full-Length Interior Storm Flap
Glued, Blind-Stitched and Thermal Taped Seams
Internal Neoprene Cuffs
Abrasion Resistant Material for High-Use Areas
Adjustable Velcro Cuffs
Adjustable Waistband with Two Interior Cord Locks
Practical Usage and Functionality
As already stated, the jacket isn’t bulky or heavy, both a major benefit for a winter coat for the kayak angler. Aside from keeping me warm and protected, the jacket comes with many extras that were well thought out and make it easy to manage my gear. Some of my favorite features include all of the convenient pockets that allow me to safely store my phone, keys, and anything else I want to keep on me with easy access. Worried about wearing a jacket if going into the water? The Stormr STRYKR jacket has 5 lbs of positive buoyancy which, along with your PFD, will help keep you afloat if you capsize. Some of the other key convenience and safety features:
Interior Cell Phone Pocket
Two Chest Gear Pockets
Two Fleece-Lined, Waterproof Exterior Pockets with PU Coated Non-Corrosive Zippers
Two Interior Mesh Gear Pockets
Adjustable Waistband with Two Interior Cord Locks
Two D-Rings for accessories or kill switch tethers
3M Reflective graphics for high visibility
Available in Smoke, Orange or Black and White edition
The Bottom Line
The Stormr STRYKR jacket is a top of the line foul weather solution for kayak fishing. It’s not cheap, but is a piece of equipment that will protect you for years on the water. The only negative I have on this jacket is I wish there was a way to remove the hood for days where I don’t need my head covered but want the warm jacket on my body. The hood will lie back and I don’t have to wear it, so not a big deal but it would be better if I could detach it.
Staying warm and protected in a jacket that also allows you to be nimble in your kayak is worth the investment. Before the next winter season comes, check out the Stormr STRYKR jacketfor ultimate foul weather protection. I don’t use them, but Stormr also offers STRYKR bibs as well that would cover you head to toe.
The NSKA tournament on Lake Fort Smith for 2018 is in the books, resulting in a strong turnout on a cloudy day in the Boston Mountains. Warmer weather combined with fish moving shallow made for a day where the lake gave up a decent number of fish to the 64 anglers who took to the water.
Tournament Results
A historically stingy Lake Fort Smith was a little better this time around with 49 (77%) of anglers carding a keeper. Limits were still pretty tough to come by with only 14 (22%) of anglers turning in five keepers. Christa Hibbs won her second NSKA Lake Fort Smith tournament in a row with 81.5″, while Cole Sikes took 2nd with 73.5″ and Declan McDonald finishing 3rd with 71.5″ total. Big Bass was won by Josue Rodriguez with a 20″ Largemouth.
The top ten anglers were:
Christa Hibbs
Cole Sikes
Declan McDonald
Shane Oakes
John Evans
Craig Wood
Ryan Paskiewicz
Toby Bogart
Dwain Batey
Roy Roberts
NSKA Fort Smith Big Bass caught by Josue Rodriguez – 20″
Angler Recaps
Top finishers Christa Hibbs, Cole Sikes, Declan McDonald and Shane Oakes share what worked for them and how they got results on the tricky Lake Fort Smith:
In general what part of the lake did you fish?
Christa – I fished mainly the upper part of the lake the majority of the day.
Cole – I primarily fished Shepherd Springs but did dabble in the mid-lake area.
Declan – I started my day on the north end of the lake I wasn’t getting bit there so I moved to the south end towards the dam and fish there the rest of the day.
Shane – I fished the upper end creek and creek channel. I selected this area because it best suits my style of fishing, which is some current along with a channel that has various types of structure and depth. With the water temperature around 56-57 degrees I figured some bigger fish could possibly be hanging out on structure along the mouth of the creek.
What were the main baits that worked for you?
Christa – The baits that worked for me were a topwater early in the morning and a small crankbait throughout the rest of the day.
Cole – All but one of my fish came on a jig by our sponsor Slowtown Custom Lures. My one other fish came on a red squarebill.
Declan – I threw a ned rig most of the day just popping it off the bottom hoping to get it in front of fish so they would bite.
Shane – I used some typical pre-spawn/spawn baits in that they were big bodied dark colored baits that big females do not want near their beds. Unfortunately, I mostly came across small males.
Any particular approach or strategy you wanted to employ to try to win?
Christa – My main approach was to find where the fish were holding and adjust to them. I wasn’t able to pre-fish prior to the tournament to try and search. Once I found some I noticed they were full of eggs and found a 100 yard stretch of bank that I picked through for a few hours to pull my keeper fish out of.
Cole – My main approach to the tournament was to try and capitalize early. The lake is decent in size but I knew the banks would get pressured quickly so catching as many as you could early would help. Also, I focused on the west side of Sheppard Springs because it had less blown up debris from the recent heavy rains.
Declan – My main strategy was to go out and throw my confidence baits and I knew the muddy water would only hurt, so I just tried to stay confident and cover the same spot 2 or 3 times.
Shane – As all of those who were at the final weigh-in now know, and much to the displeasure of one competitor in particular, my approach was to launch from a [very] public access point in the upper end of the creek in order to get a jump on the competition. With almost 60 competitors on this body of water I felt getting a limit as early as possible was going to be the key. From there I could focus on culling. For the most part this worked out, except that I was culling 12 inch fish with 12.5 and 12.75 inch fish and simply couldn’t find the bigger ones.
What do you think the key was to your overall success?
Christa – The key to my overall success was being able to adjust to the fish throughout the day. My topwater bite died once the wind picked up. Next I picked up the small squarebill and they were wanting it ripped through the wood and rock with a pause. My biggest fish reacted best with a fast retrieve and with the bait deflecting off of the rock and wood.
Cole – My key for overall success was to “fish slow, fast”. When I know they are shallow and tight to cover, I try to make as many cast by the cover and only move jig a few times before making my next cast. Typically the fish will hit my jig within the first couple of seconds. Also, I finished out my limit around 1:30 with 66” and knew I would need a kicker to have a chance to win. Most of the anglers were working their way back to the ramp so I took advantage of that and headed the opposite direction to less pressured water. I found some good spawning pockets earlier in the day and fished those for a kicker. I flipped my jig into a tight-narrow opening of the log jam and hooked into the 19 inch kicker. She took me under the logs and I had to keep my line tight and work my kayak back to get to her. Luckily for me she stayed pegged and I was able scoop her in the net. Little did I know I needed two more kickers to catch up to Christa! Congratulations Christa Hibbs!
Declan – I think the key to my success was my confidence, going into this tournament I knew from previous events that it was going to be a finesse bite and I felt that I could catch a limit.
Shane – With as tough as this lake has been on all of us over the last several years I wouldn’t say any of us had an edge, except maybe one lady angler. I simply like this lake and have a lot of confidence when we come here because of the many memories made as kid, fishing it with my best friend when it was known as Lake Shepherd Springs.
I remember fishing Lake Fort Smith for the first time in April of 2015 and it was a beautiful mountain lake with extremely clear water and I caught about 10 keepers that afternoon. No idea whatever happened to that lake I visited on that day – every time I’ve been there since has been a nightmare in comparison. High water, flooding, debris, chocolate milk and scattered fish have been the norm since that first misleading visit.
Some of the worst weather tournaments I’ve fished in have been at this venue. All of that said, when the NSKA tournament committee was planning the schedule for this year, I lobbied to get us back to Lake Fort Smith and am glad it was put on the agenda by the powers that be. It’s a great central location and is a test of fishing mettle.
I have a love/hate relationship with Snake Fort Smith. Everything above the water line is amazing at this lake. The mountains are a great view, waterfalls and forested creek run-ins are incredibly scenic, and the ramp and parking area are great. Under the water, the fish can be hard to find and I think this is one of the snakiest lakes I’ve been on. (looking at you Lincoln Lake…) I’ve been fooled by White Bass more on this lake than anywhere else. They seem very aggressive here and will make more than one angler curse on Saturday.
Tournament Stuff
So, if you plan to take on the challenge, sign up for the NSKA Lake Ft. Smith event on TourneyX. Captains meeting will be at 6:00 a.m. and lines out is at 3:00 p.m. Weather is looking like rain based on the current forecast. One thing to be excited about is the shotgun start from the ramp, that’s always fun and a bit of chaos.
Previous events have been pretty tough on anglers. The RVKA tournament earlier this year was a grinder, with only nine of 38 anglers turning in a keeper, and no anglers turning a limit.
In 2016, 74 anglers took on Lake Fort Smith with 45 (61%) turning in a keeper, and only 10 (14%) turning in a limit. Big Bass was only 17″ which is tiny for 74 anglers.
Angler’s Preview & Predictions
Arkansas kayak anglers Tim Hotchkin and Brandon Ward agreed to help me out with the pre-tournament roundtable discussion where we take a look at what might happen.
Lots of rain recently has the lake up and muddy, how do you think this will affect the tournament this Saturday?
Tim – I think it will throw people off of their game. I have the feeling for many anglers it will be a long grind to land a limit. It will require people to adapt to the conditions and the person who can put a pattern together will have a great chance to win.
Brandon – I’ve never been able to fish Lake Fort Smith without it being muddy. The guys that fish the river often shouldn’t have a problem with it. It may be a little tough for some clear water guys though. With the temps this week leading up to the tournament the big fish will be moving on up. I doubt the small front on Saturday will have much effect on them this time around. They’ve been wanting to spawn for a few weeks now and I think rain or shine this is the week/weekend to be on the water in our area.
Jason – Honestly I think it will just scatter the fish and make them harder to catch, rising water will keep some on the old bank and will make some move up.
For a lot of anglers, this will be their first tourney on Lake Fort Smith, do you have any advice for them to tackle this unusual lake?
Tim – The lake is essentially two lakes combined into one. One side will get shallow and have flats. The other stays deeper and had more submerged trees. It has water for everyone to fish their strengths and I have watched anglers do well on each end.
Brandon – Don’t get down on yourself early. I’ve fished and finished well in all three tournament’s I’ve had on this lake. There’s been a few where I didn’t have a fish before noon. Over the last three years I’ve seen a lot of folks get off the water early due to doing poorly in the first few hours.
Jason – The lake is bigger than you would think looking on a map. Lots of room to spread out if you venture away from the ramp. There are hidden little waterfalls that show up during rain that could be a key, you just have to find them.
What’s something about the lake that many people may not know? Or what’s something to be aware of?
Tim – My best tournament ended up consisting of me weighing in almost a entire limit of Smallmouth. Finesse anglers have fared well in tournaments at this lake even in previous years with muddy high water as well.
Brandon – Lake Fort Smith is a very deep lake but there are a few key places (North and South) that will serve as good spawning ground. There’s a ton of standing timber if you like fishing those areas as well. Only thing I would be aware of is the motor boats. The lake is a lot bigger than it looks when you take off across the middle of it. Just be aware and stay visible to those guys that are zooming around.
Jason – There are two big creeks that run into the north east end of the lake, the most dominant features to create any current or new water. The southwest end has a buoy barrier that keeps you from the dam.
Predicted winning length and big bass?
Tim – I think it will take 78″ inches to win and I think someone will find a fish at 20″ to win Big Bass.
Brandon – I predict 76″ and Big Bass 21.25″
Jason – Based on history, I’m looking at 75.5″ to win and a big bass of 19.25″
When I signed up to enter the Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) Trail event to be held on Bull Shoals in April, I had visions of clear water, 60 degree water and bass beginning the spawn in my head. Boy was I wrong about that. What 53 anglers encountered on the beautiful Arkansas lake was a blast of winter that may not have bothered the fish, but it froze the butts off a lot of anglers.
It was my first trip to fish this lake and I had heard a lot of great things. Upon arrival I saw that the rumors were correct, it was a beautiful fishery with clear water and lots of rock and some shoreline cover in the form of flooded bushes almost everywhere you went. The communities of Bull Shoals and Lakeview did a fantastic job of hosting the event and really rolled out the red carpet for us. Quick shout out to Gaston’s White River Resort which was a great place to stay, definitely want to get back there and do some trout fishing on the White River.
Tough Day of Fishing – Dominant Performances
Overall the results showed a difficult day, partly due to the weather I would assume. A major cold front moved in overnight and brought with it sleet, snow and 27 degree temps at lines in. Temps didn’t get above freezing until almost noon. It seems that Smallmouth and Spotted bass were key for a lot of the anglers who did well.
Of the 53 anglers who entered, only 12 (23%) turned in a limit of five bass, and only 30 (57%) turned in at least one keeper. This is on a lake that is recognized as being crammed with bass and usually is a pretty easy touch.
This 20.50″ Largemouth bass caught by Brian Hillman was the biggest fish turned in for the 2018 KBF Trail on Bull Shoals.
The top finishers were Jason Adams (Ark.) with 89.25″, Josue Rodriguez (Okla.) with 79.5″ and Garrett Morgan (Ark.) with 79″ overall. This was a very large margin for the winner, making it not close for first place. You can see the full 2018 Bull Shoals results here. Read below for some insight and video of Jason’s winning day.
Here is a recap of the top 10 finishers:
Jason Adams (Ark.)
Josue Rodriguez (Okla.)
Garrett Morgan (Ark.)
Ben Spangler (Ark.)
Roy Roberts (Ark.)
Hans Bentz (Mo.)
Cody Milton (Ark.)
Brad Case (Ms.)
Brian Hillman (Mo.)
Dorman Hughey (Mo.)
Angler Recaps
The top three finishers participated in a roundtable to share some thoughts on how they did it. Jason Adams, Josue Rodriguez and Garrett Morgan answered my questions about the event.
Where did you go and why did you choose that part of the lake?
Jason – I wanted to go to the furthest area that was in bounds but still in Arkansas. I was looking for dirty water and found it in the mouths of the creeks.
Josue – I went to look at several spots before the tournament and just fished from the bank trying to figure out some type of pattern. We decided on the east side of the lake, close to the check in.
Garrett – I went to Coon Creek and fished secondary points as I knew fish have been making there way to the backs of creeks as the spawn is approaching. I knew the cold front would push them out a bit but didn’t feel they would travel too far away. So, midway back toward the lake seemed like a good way to spend my time on deeper points of flats near deep water once the sun came out.
Main baits that worked for you?
Jason – I used a Ned rig on a Solid Tackle jig head and a senko cut in half. The big bites later in the day were on a Skirmish one-knocker square bill in chartreuse.
Josue – Drop shot and an A-rig.
Garrett – My two baits I caught fish on were an A-rig and a wiggle wart.
Any particular approach or strategy you wanted to employ to try to win?
Jason – To try and get a limit at my first location was my primary strategy. Then move to another location to fish with a crank bait to try and catch larger fish to upgrade. I wanted to crank and cover water.
Josue – When I started to fish I was having problems right off the bat with my micro guides, they were freezing over. So fishing slow was difficult for me because the line kept getting stuck. I caught my first fish on a drop shot, it was only 9.5 inches and I was just happy to catch a fish at the time. Then I picked up an A-rig and fished a pocket and caught two fish back to back…after that i went looking for similar pockets. I had three fish at the time and that’s when it kinda went south for me. I was really cold and wanted to get out and walk around a bit. I couldn’t feel my legs so when I stood up in my kayak I fell in the water. Lucky for me only my legs got wet but I was still freezing at this point. I was ready to call it quits and I couldn’t fish because of how cold I was. I started to paddle back to the truck. On the way back I saw a good looking cove and I wasn’t very far from it so I decided to fish it really quick. I’m glad I did because I caught my last two fish and cull my smallest one.
Garrett – It was a roller coaster day of highs and lows and highs! My rods, reels and feet were locking up from the cold. I managed to catch a nice Smallmouth in the same area an hour later and lift my spirits a bit. A few hours and spots later my feet were so numb I couldn’t feel them. I headed to the opposite side of the creek channel from where I had caught my first fish, rolled up on a flat reached for the wiggle wart and caught another Smallmouth! A few minutes later I managed my only Largemouth on the A-rig. By this time it’s 11:30 and I’ve got three fish and feeling much better. I tried my spots again and noticed other folks headed in, I turn my phone on, check the time and see it’s about 2:30 and decided to head back toward my first spot one more time on the way in. I fish it about ten minutes and then head in with three fish for the day. As I approach the gravel ramp I see a nice breeze catching the front of the first drop out in front of it, which I noticed on my graph when I headed out that morning and never fished. At 2:43 I cast out in front of the gravel ramp area and hook up with a Smallmouth. I quickly grab my phone to take a pic, only to realize it has 1% because it’s been searching for signal and I never turned it off after the last time I checked the time. On low battery mode it had enough to snap a quick pic. I cast out at 2:46 and three revolutions of the reel later I’m hooked up with a another Smallmouth. I boat-flipped it in my lap, threw it on measuring board, prayed my phone would take a photo, and it did! Released the fish in the water and with the help of fellow competitors was loaded in less than 6 minutes.
Anything else interesting that happened or you wanted to mention? Thoughts on Bull Shoals?
Jason – When the sun finally came out and the fish moved up on shallow road beds – I happened to be in the right place when it happened. I quit fishing at 2:00 but knew I could keep upgrading if I had kept going, I’d caught around 30 fish at my second location and culled 7 times.
Josue – Overall I really like the lake. First time fishing it and I see that it has a lot of potential living up to the hype.
Garrett – This game is 10% skill and 90% mental in my opinion. I’d say I was tested harder mentally than any other tournament. I may have cursed a few times, but I was able to reset and never believed I couldn’t get back in contention as long as there was time left to fish. Adjusting little things like the color of my swimbaits at 2:00 pm when the sun popped out and I only have three fish, is not giving up! You got to believe it can still happen on any cast! I was glad it did on my last one!
Final Thoughts
I definitely hope that KBF comes back to Bull Shoals next year, it was a great lake and venue and the town really seemed to care that the tournament was in town. I was asked several times over a couple of days about the tournament by locals and they were genuinely interested.
The event was well-run and really turned out to be cold, but a fun experience on the water overall.
The first Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) Trail event of the year in Arkansas will take place on Bull Shoals, a 45,000 acre reservoir on the White River in Arkansas.
The 2018 KBF Trail – Bull Shoalswill take place on Saturday, April 7. Anglers will be able to use any ramp in the lake to launch and chase their limit of winning bass. Participants should register for the event using TourneyX by Friday, April 6.
Tournament Schedule and Meeting Information
The captains meeting and check in will be at Beacon Point Restaurantlocated at 3553 AR-178 in Lakeview, AR 72642.
Friday April 6
* 4:00 p.m.: Prefishing ends
* 6:00 p.m.: Event ID Code Released
* 6:00 p.m.: Captains Meeting at Tournament HQ
* 6:00 p.m.: Registration Deadline Saturday April 7
* 5:00 a.m.: Earliest Launch; registration deadline
* 6:15 a.m.: Start-of-competition; first cast/lines in water
* 3:30 p.m.: End-of-competition; lines out
* 4:00 p.m.: Photo upload deadline (Shows on TourneyX as “end of competition” time)
* 4:00 p.m.: Check in to Tournament HQ. (Late or Failure to check in will result in disqualification.)
Event sponsors include:
*Bull Shoals Lake & White River Chamber of Commerce
*Ozark Mountain Trading Company
*Beacon Point Restaurant
*Enterprise Printing
Gerber Gear, NuCanoe, Torqeedo, Yeti, NRS, Nines Optics, Lowrance, Power Pole, YakAttack, APR, BooneDOX* Title sponsors – please tag in when posting in social media at this event
Bull Shoals Dam at the south end of the lake.
Bull Shoals Tournament Analysis
Jason Adams, event tournament director, previews the tournament and what anglers may expect on Bull Shoals.
What do you expect from Bull Shoals, lots of fish? Big fish? Will it be primarily largemouth or a mix of largemouth, spotted bass and smallmouth?
I believe catching a five fish limit will be the most important aspect and could come from a limit of Smallmouth. These are the first fish to move up for spawning as temperatures start to rise. We saw that at the National Championship this year where a limit each day was key to placing high. One thing to note was the minimum length at that event was 12″, however, for the Trail and Challenge events, the minimum length is back to 8″. This should really be encouraging to anglers who fished the NC and went home skunked.
Is there anything that makes bull shoals unique?
Bull Shoals is a deep and clear highlands reservoir impoundment located in on the border of Arkansas and Missouri. It is centrally located in the United States and has hosted numerous elite bass tournaments. This will be the first time a major kayak tournament has been held on this lake and the locals are ecstatic about the idea. We partnered with the Bull Shoals Lake White River Chamber of Commerce late last year and have had an some great dialogue on the future of Kayak Bass Fishing in this area.
What should anglers coming in from outside of the area know about the Bull Shoals region?
People coming into this area will be welcomed by banners provided by the local Chamber as they drive into this world famous fishing destination. The place will be packed with bass boat and kayak anglers, as well as fly fisherman. This place is nostalgic and knows how to keep you dreaming of coming back. Ozark Mountain Trading Company is the closest kayak shop, located in Cotter just a few blocks from the White River. Area native Brad Eubanks is the store manager and has been known to put people on fish. He said mum is the word, but I bet you can charm him into sharing a few local secrets.
What’s the guaranteed prize for first? Is there a big bass element?
Payout is to 10% of the field with $1,000 minimum to first place. There is no Big Bass side pot collected on TourneyX.
The 2018 KBF National Championship is in the books as 752 kayak anglers took on Kentucky Lake. The fishing was tough for many and good for some – and for almost everyone it was a grind.
Conditions were very challenging with temperature fluctuations of more than fifty degrees and water level changes of more than 12 feet within one week. The numbers show that it was a tough event for many. On day one only 12.5% (94) turned in a limit, while a full 33% (248) did not turn in any keepers. On day two, many anglers who were out of the money due to a poor day one performance headed home, and this impacted the numbers. Day two only 10% (75) of registered anglers turned in a limit, while 49% (370) turned in no fish.
My story is related to those who didn’t turn in any keepers. I struggled in pre-fishing and never could figure anything out. On tournament day I took a chance and tried some water that I hadn’t been on yet and although I caught some bass, I just couldn’t find any keepers to turn in. Out of the race for prize money, I took the chance to head home and not fish on day two. I just never could adjust to what was going on and didn’t get a place I felt comfortable on day one. It was a disappointing outing for me but we’ll move on to the next event for 2018.
The old trestle near Cane Creek on Kentucky Lake. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
KBF National Championship Obersvations
Overall the 2018 KBF National Championship seemed to go over successfully, even with the huge number of anglers. The water definitely seemed crowded in some areas, and the event center at the fairgrounds could barely hold all of the anglers. There were some improvements I appreciated from the previous year and you could tell they were working to make things run more smoothly. There were only a few suggestions I’d like to put out to the KBF powers that be:
Consider a different time of year and/or a different body of water. Kentucky Lake this early in the year is just too volatile and is an off-shore fishing lake prior to the spawn. Fish can be caught, but the unpredictability of the TVA in drawing water and Kentucky weather in March is a wildcard.
During the rules meeting, the importance of checking in at the captains meeting was not covered sufficiently, nor a method provided for anglers to check in if they were not attending the meeting. This held us up for a long time on Friday night as KBF tried to track down anglers.
The vendors and such in the different building was a good change and the food trucks were a good addition.
A couple dozen members from the Arkansas and Oklahoma area competed in the KBF National Championship, with varying levels of success. Carson McBride was the top-ranked Arkansas angler, finishing 39th and also was the top junior angler. Fellow Arkansans Cody Milton (59th) and Robert Murphy (89th) finished in the top 100 anglers.
KBF National Championship Angler Roundtable
Local kayak anglers Faron Davidson, Dwain Batey, Robert Murphy and Carson McBride share their experiences at the National Championship in the Q&A roundtable below.
Going into the tournament what was your strategy in finding water to fish? Where did you wind up fishing and why?
Faron – I relied on Google and Navionics to locate a few areas I wanted to check out. I arrived on Thursday morning and drove around and looked at the potential spots I had identified and after giving the first couple a thumbs down because the water was so low I moved on to the the 3rd spot, Johnathon Creek, I made a couple of cast from the bank and caught 2 fish and called it good. There were no kayaks at the ramp so I chose this spot to fish as it had fish and not much pressure.
Carson – My strategy going into this tournament was to go fish everything I could…ledges, points, flats, pea gravel, chunk rock and throw everything I can to find what they are eating and then adjust to it and dial them in. I ended up fishing in Panther Bay after a place named Sugar Bay wasn’t very good to me. I caught a few at Sugar and knew what kind of banks they were on and Sugar didn’t have enough of it so on day one I went in blind to Panther Bay. From seeing it on the maps I saw it had good looking structure. I ended up with a limit there on day one and had confidence I could do it again on day two.
Robert – I wanted to fish south hoping for warmer water in creeks, mainly on Barkley. Finding nothing but lots of white bass I had to go north. That, and Barkley moves so fast even with my motor it was sketchy. Day one I picked a spot I knew had fish but not much size and close to a couple other spots if I wanted to move. Rocks was my point of attack. They seemed to be hiding in them staying warm. Flicker shads and ned rigs is what I used to catch them.
Dwain – I did some research on Google Earth and Navionics app, and then we drove around and looked at a few ramps the day we arrived at the lake. I wound up fishing Cane Creek, and it was mostly because it had a lot of rip rap, and I felt that cranking a squarebill would be my best option. It’s what I have the most confidence in and I had no idea about the zebra mussels being in the lake going in.
All of you were in contention after day one, what was your approach going into day two? Anything change?
Faron – I ended day 1 in 75th place, the last paying spot. The area I fished on day was fished very hard and I wasn’t sure I could get a limit on day 2. I moved to a new spot I had not even layer eyes on, it looked very promising once I got there.
Carson – My approach going into day two was to just get a limit. I had lots of confidence in my Ned rig and was hoping for five. And, I was planning on hitting the same places I did day one and to cover more water throughout the day.
Robert – On day two, I wanted bigger fish and decided to start out at a spot mid-lake that I knew had lots of pressure and lots of rocks. When I saw no fish on my graph after trolling around the rocks before the first cast I realized I made a big mistake. Had to make a hard choice then to leave 30 minutes after first cast and miss the morning bite to head back north over an hour away.
Dwain – I had to adapt for the strong winds that were beating my best area on day two. I fished there early, before the wind made it almost impossible to do so, but the bite was later in the day so that was a wash. I was forced to fish the other side and so was everyone else, so fishing pressure made it difficult. When I finally found the fish on day two it was too late, and I lost the first one, and caught the second one, but then I was out of fishing time for the day.
What surprised you about the lake or the tournament, if anything?
Faron – I was very surprised when I showed up and the lake was dropped back to winter pool after the recent flooding.
Carson – what surprised me about the lake was how it was tough for everyone that fished just about. It also surprised me for how clear it was since it was just flooded not too long ago.
Robert – I was surprised how low the water was and how they kept draining it. It kept me from fishing my old spots.
Dwain – If anything, it was the Zebra Mussels, and hearing that some of the leaders were fishing topwater baits, and describing a level of fish activity that just wasn’t present where I chose to fish.
If you could do it over again, what would you change about your strategy or approach for the KBF National Championship?
Carson – If I could do it over again I would just cover more water trying to get more bites.
Faron – If I could do it over again I would have went back to my day 1 spot and finesse fished for a limit.
Robert – If I could change anything. Not going there would be it.
Dwain – I would get there a few days earlier and check out a lot more of the lake. It’s a huge lake and I’ve only seen a fraction of it. I would also probably have fished pea gravel and chunk rock banks close to deeper water, rather than rip rap.
Do you have a suggestion for KBF on how to improve the event or make it better or anything?
Faron – I feel like the event went pretty well considering the size, a couple of late starts had us waiting around more than I would have liked too though. An idea I did have was that the badges they gave us should have a unique QR code that we could use to check in with that would allow only anglers present to be drawn for prizes. I feel like it would speed things up.
Carson – I think that KBF could improve on timing to make things go faster.
Robert – I did like how KBF gave us extra time to check in but I wish the cut-off time to submit fish could be extended for people with bad service or just from the app. Crashing with so many people on TourneyX at the same time.
Dwain – The timing could be improved on the events so they start on time, but I’m sure they already know that one. I think they could get a more professional looking stage to make a better look for video, and maybe improve the production with a few changes in the way the top anglers were announced. Perhaps model it more after FLW or B.A.S.S. Events, but with obvious changes since we don’t have our fish to show on stage. Overall it was great, and although I’ve qualified every year since I started kayak fishing, this was the first time I got to actually enter the National Championship and it was awesome. I heard several people talking about how much better it was conducted than the year before, so I think they know where they want to take it and will continue to go in that direction every year.
In the world of kayak bass fishing, catch-photo-release (CPR) tournaments are the standard practice in evaluating results, with anglers using a measuring boards to determine fish length. The Hawg Trough had been the standard go-to measuring board for CPR tournaments, but is being challenged by a couple of new contenders, the YakGear Fish Stik and the Ketch Board & Kradle combo.
The Ketch Board & Kradle combo is made in the U.S.A. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
The new Ketch Board & Kradle combo is the most high-end CPR board option on the market, priced at $49.99 from the KBF website for the KBF specialty green version or from the Ketch Products website for other color options such as red, blue and black.
Ketch Board & Kradle Impressions
When the new Ketch Board & Kradle combo was featured at the The Ten KBF event in early 2018 I was very skeptical and saw it as a more expensive Hawg Trough. The versions used in The Ten tournament were really cool looking, but the black color did not appear to work well for judging and seeing the fish. Since then, they have listened to the anglers and tournament directors and have some new options available.
Specifications of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo:
Board and Kradle measures 4.5″ wide x 26″ long with a 4.5″ x 3.75″ bump wall
Milled aluminum construction
Weight is approximately 3 lbs (48 ounces)
QR code identifier to prevent cheating
Tether holes on each end
At this point, the Ketch Board & Kradle combo has been approved for use in KBF events and is still being evaluated by many other tournament circuits for use.
One thing that will be interesting to see is if the use of this board is eventually required by a tournament circuit because of the unique QR code which can tie a board to a particular angler. Not really sure how that would work, but appears to be a future requirement possibly.
I was able to get my hands on one of these boards at the KBF National Championship and have a few initial thoughts.
Negatives of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo
First of all, it is much heavier than I expected after reading that it was made of aluminum. It weighs approximately 3 lbs compared to a Hawg Trough weight of 10 ounces. To me, this is by far the largest drawback to this board. My kayak and gear is heavy enough without adding this to the mix. It’s also going to sink like a stone if dropped in the water, requiring you to tether the board, which creates one more thing in the yak to get tangled or twisted up in.
The price is also much higher than a standard Hawg Trough, more than double in most instances. This will keep a lot of anglers away, unless they are forced to adopt this board by their trail. Finally, although the KBF version in green looks great, I still wish the red and blue options were not so dark and had better contrast to clearly show the fish tail, although the white lines help a lot.
The Ketch Board & Cradle combo in red. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
Positives of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo
There are a lot of positives that come with this new board that are improvements over the Hawg Trough. First of all is the fact that it appears to be nearly indestructible. That 23″ monster you put on the board isn’t going to crack it and you won’t accidentally snap off the bump wall when putting it in your truck. This is the trade-off for the weight, it’s very well constructed.
Secondly, the lines are nicely done in white which is extremely visible. In the current version they have done a really smart thing as result of feedback from The Ten event. The lines go all the way to the edges, with the measurement number in the middle. This allows the fish tail to hit lines on the ends instead of numbers.
The Hawg Trough is 31″ long, whereas the Ketch Board is only 26″ long which will be easier to maneuver and will fit into the hull of many fishing kayak models. It’s to early to tell how the QR code feature will come into play down the road, but this is definitely a board that cannot be tampered with. Anything that discourages cheating is a good thing in my book.
Finally, it just feels good and has real quality feel to it. For the angler who isn’t as cost-conscious, the experience of using this board definitely feels higher end than a traditional Hawg Trough.
The Bottom Line
There are a couple of things I really don’t prefer, such as the overall weight and the color schemes. (I’d honestly just prefer a white one or a yellow) Outside of those two, there are a lot of positives for the Ketch Board & Kradle combo. The quality of construction, shorter length and the ability to hold up against a big fish are all positive factors that make the board a good product.
Although I am perfectly fine using a Hawg Trough, these positive characteristics will likely make this board the main one for my boat in tournaments which allow it. I’m not advocating for trails to adopt the board for use, each tournament series needs to make their own determination. I would fully expect at some point that certain events will require a board like this with anti-cheating measures such as the QR code. My expectation (speculation) is that KBF will require its use at some point in the future for certain events.
If you have some extra cash and want the high end board, I think it’s worth the purchase. If you have a Hawg Trough and are happy with it, stick with that for now. It’s always a positive for anglers to have choices.
The River Valley Kayak Anglers (RVKA) held their second event of the season and anglers dispersed across the region to their preferred waters to try and catch their best limit. A road runner is always interesting because there is a lot of strategy which can come into play in selecting your body of water and everyone can choose the style of fishing they prefer.
It was a very good turnout for their second event, with 33 anglers competing for the cash and AOY points. The top finishers were Scott Acord with 89.75″, Christa Hibbs with 87.5″ and Chris Nemeth with 85″. You can read more from these anglers below about how they did it and what worked for them.
Here are the top ten anglers:
I drove down to Fort Smith for the tournament, and based off of a recommendation from a friend, I chose a lake I’d never fished before. Didn’t work out great for me as I didn’t hook up with any bass and moved locations to Lee Creek around mid-morning. Although I didn’t fare very well overall for the day, I did catch a 21.75″ largemouth which took big bass. This was only because a 23″ caught by another angler was DQ’d because of issues with the photo. Practice your photos! This is a part of the tournament execution.
RVKA Road Runner Big Bass – Kayakfishingfocus.com
How They Caught Them
Our top finishers give the lowdown on how they did it and their thoughts on the fledgling RVKA:
Scott Acord – I went to Clear Creek Park. This time of year is when the backwaters off the Arkansas River start turning on. There was a bass boat tournament going on there, but I knew of some water that they couldn’t get to because it gets to shallow before it drops off again. The females are staging to move up and I caught them an a crank bait on sandy points in about five feet of water. I am so glad to have the group people we have taking on the challenge of running the RVKA and just by the turnouts we’ve had so far I would say they are doing a great job and making it fun for everyone. Looking forward to the rest of the season and watching the group grow!
Christa Hibbs – I chose Muldrow City Lake. The main bait that worked best for me was a jig. With the cold morning on tournament day, it changed things up for me some. I had to stay mentally focused and patient while waiting for things to start clicking. The new RVKA group is off to a great start this season. As one of the tournament directors, I am very happy to be making new friends with fellow anglers and enjoying this sport of fishing that we all love so much. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and the continued growth and sportsmanship.
Chris Nemeth – I went to Jack Nolan lake in Greenwood, Arkansas, and used a 1/4 ounce War Eagle spinnerbait. I chose Jack Nolan lake because I had a good stringer there the previous weekend and the water temp was 65 degrees. The morning of the tournament, water temperature was 57 so I had to change tactics. I caught all my fish running the spinner bait through the grass in about 2 feet of water. I am very excited to be a part of the RVKA we have a great group and we are all here because we love fishing and we are competitive. We have had some great turnouts so far and I hope we can keep it up. I look forward to the future of this group and how much we can grow. We have some great sponsors backing us as well and are very appreciative of that.
It’s always great to find a small tackle company who makes some product which is perfect for your bass fishing needs and has products that just flat out work. PJ’s Tackle Company is a local company which produces lures and colors that are designed to be effective in the clear water applications found in places like the Ozarks. Fishing some of these clear water lakes and streams requires the right look and colors to be effective.
PJ’s Tackle Company grub heads and finesse jigs ready to catch some bass. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
My dad first introduced me to PJ’s Tackle Company (formerly known as PJ’s Finesse Baits for those who’ve known about them for a while) by recommending their weedless jigheads which work great on a grub bounced along the bottom. These jigheads just fit the grubs I like to use perfectly and I really like the unique weed guard which is very flexible and doesn’t impede a hookup.
PJ’s Tackle Company Lures
Their jigs are fantastic looking, with the colors that you need to look natural in clear water reservoirs like Beaver Lake, Table Rock, Bull Shoals and others. Can’t wait to get the Green Orange/Crawfish version on a rocky bank with a natural color craw trailer. In addition to the grub heads and finesse jigs, they also make football jigs.
Fora different style of fishing PJ’s makes a line of Maribou Jigs designed to work on small streams and rivers to catch fish of all types. These lures put off a subtle realistic movement in the water that entice the bite.
The bottom jig head shown is a PJ’s Tackle Company grub / worm head I use sometimes to rig a YUM Warning Shot or Kill Shot. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
PJ’s Tackle Company Story
This company also has an interesting background and mission. Lures are hand-tied by women in small villages in Central and South America in a program to bring work and a faith-based mission to those areas. From their website:
“We have two passions that are the foundation of the mission and vision of our business: to create high quality fishing lures that catch fish and to help women living in poverty in remote rural villages by providing employment opportunities.”
If you fish in really clear water situations and want to support a Northwest Arkansas based company, give PJ’s Tackle Company a look. They have a great mission, story and products.
