Category Archives: NSKA

NSKA

2023 All American Kayak Classic Recap / NSKA Runs Wild

This past weekend, 196 of the top club anglers from around the country descended on Truman Lake, nestled between Clinton and Warsaw, Missouri. This was not the first All American Kayak Classic on Truman, but it was the first held in the spring. We were not really sure what to expect going into it, had hoped fishing would be strong – the guess was we would see pre-spawn or various stages of spawn and anglers could find the stage they wanted to take advantage of.

Harry S. Truman Reservoir is a HUGE body of water, cover 55,600 acres and 958 miles of shoreline. By comparison, Beaver Lake is roughly half as large, with 31,700 acres and 435 miles of shoreline. So, fair to say there’s a lot of water available. As big as it is, oddly it seems to fish small as anglers congregated in many of the same areas – but overall gave you many options. One other notable thing about the lake if you haven’t been on it is that there are no private docks or other man-made cover present on the lake, outside of marinas. What it does have is pole timber…millions of trees, in some places so thick you can’t even get a kayak through very well.

In this tournament, anglers were competing individually, but also competing for a Club Championship by taking the top five scores from the teams to determine the overall best kayak fishing group. More on that later… There were a couple of other kayak events going on at Truman, but for this recap we’re focused on the All-American Kayak Classic.

Some of the NSKA Championship crew at Truman Lake: (left to right) James Haeberle, Ryan Paskiewicz, Kyle Long, Cole Sikes, Levi Schneider, Jordan Rozenblum, and Tyler Zengerle.

Individual Classic Tournament Results

Fishing for the 2023 Classic was very strong overall. The fish you caught were healthy and feisty, a lot of fun and had fight in ’em. A good number of fish were caught. The Fish Per Angler (FPA) was a robust 5.04 for the two day average, and was likely higher than that because the field thins out a bit on day two. For comparison, the 2020 AAKS Championship had a FPA of 2.20 (167 anglers, November, single day) and the FPA in 2021 was 3.12 (170 anglers, October, two day average). Safe to say, April is a WAAAY better time to fish on Truman than the fall based on this data point.

NSKA’s Cole Sikes (left) receives his championship trophy and took home $10,000 for first place. Get that 1099 ready!

NSKA’s Cole Sikes (AR) took the individual top slot with a 1st place total of 174.75″, followed by Chad Davison (MO) with 171.50″ and Jake Gellersen (IA) in 3rd with 171.25″ for the event. Ryan Wells (IA) took Big Bass for the event with a 21.00″ largemouth. Interestingly, really big fish were not a major component on Truman. In the two days, my count is only seven 20s caught out of 1,974 fish submitted. Shockingly low number, especially for the spawn timeframe. I mean that’s Dead-sea Beaver Lake situation.

Here were the top 10 anglers:

  1. Cole Sikes (AR) 174.75
  2. Chad Davison (MO) 171.50
  3. Jake Gellersen (IA) 171.25
  4. Matt Kern (CO) 168.50
  5. Joe Bailey (MO) 168.00
  6. Sammy B (NE) 165.50
  7. Joe Palmer (IL) 165.25
  8. John Denton (MO) 164.75
  9. Josh Swigart (NE) 164.50
  10. Kyle Christensen (NE) 164.00

NSKA – Club Champions

One of the really cool aspects of the All-American Kayak Classic is the competition between clubs for the Club Championship. Top five totals from each qualifying club are combined for a club total. Natural State Kayak Anglers took the trophy as Club Champions for 2023! Last time, NSKA fell just short to the Moyak group who won it in a close one. Moyak fishes Truman frequently and it is a familiar lake for many of them. Not going to lie, the NSKA team was focused on winning this 2023 title on Missouri water. Congrats to the guys who stepped up big-time! We’re going to hear from them below in the Angler Roundtable…

Angler Roundtable

Once again, we’re going to hear the secrets to unlocking Truman Lake from the anglers themselves. This is the Truman Lake Angler Roundtable – NSKA Top Five edition. Cole Sikes, Tyler Zengerle, Ryan Paskiewicz, Kyle Long and James Haeberle were the anglers who contributed the top five totals to the Club Championship. They spill the beans below on how it went down:

When going to a giant lake you haven’t fished much, how do you break it down to find the fishing location?

Cole – Typically, I like to try to pick one area of the lake and focus my entire time on trying to learn that area. If you’re able to pre-fish, it allows you to maximum your time on the water and less traveling from ramp to ramp. I feel like it’s more risky to bounce around to different parts of the lake when you’re not familiar with it.

Tyler – When pre-fishing, I chose two different areas where I thought fish would be this time of year. One spot, I chose the river since it was shallower and more places for fish to spawn, if they were. My second spot, I chose an area on the main lake close to coves and pockets in case the fish were still in their pre-spawn pattern.

Ryan – I do some map study based on what phase I think the fish will be in and then break down sections of the lake with the most potential based on that. I try to think of breaking down a section into its own lake. Truman is huge and you can get caught up in thinking so many areas would be good. So I just pick an area and try to figure out what the fish and doing and fish as many of those high percentage areas as possible.

Kyle – I try to find things that fit my strengths and that I like to fish. With that lake being so big, just from the map, I was able to eliminate 95% of it just because it didn’t fit my eye. Also finding multiple high percentage areas in that area that aren’t miles apart but are different as far as depth, cover, structure etc. is a big factor.

James – Map study is first when trying to break down a new lake. I want to find areas with a lot of diversity. Feeder creeks, bluff walls, main lake and secondary points, and spawing ares. I like to check each area to find what the active fish are relating to. Then I can find other spots like that on the lake to target.

What type of an area were you looking for to fish for the tournament and why?

Cole – Going into the tournament, my assumption was the fish would be in all phases of the spawn. Because of that I wanted to focus on ideal spawning areas so I was looking for shallow water with gravel and small rocks and with numerous pockets in the area. Also, from what little history I have on this lake I knew for the most part it’s dirty up the rivers and dingy by the dam so I wanted to focus on that dingy water which eliminated majority of the lake for me and allowed me to focus on a smaller area.

Tyler – I was really looking for areas that were somewhat similar to Beaver Lake, to be honest. Even with the abundance of standing timber, my main lake spot set up much better for my style of fishing.

Ryan – During prefishing I determined that the fish weren’t as far a long in the spawning phase as I thought they would be. With that information I looked for small mainlake pockets close to deep water that the females would be staging at. For example, I fished a bluff line on day one and moved from each small cut that fish could be close to moving up into.

Kyle – I like to move quickly and make lots of casts. There is so much standing timber in that lake and lots of areas make moving and making lots of casts difficult. I tried to find areas where I felt like I could move and cast without being hampered all day long. Also launching in the dark and fishing in the wind makes the vast areas with timber unappealing and potentially rough on your equipment Some is fine, choked out is not my thing.

James – I was assuming the fish would be in a pre-spawn pattern, giving the time of year and weather conditions. So I checked a bunch of stuff in the backs of creeks and spawning pockets and didn’t find anything. After finding some active fish on steep bluff walls and chunk rock banks, I found the fish were relating to ledges on the bluffs and steep banks that were about 5 to 10 feet deep. That is what I fished on day one. Day two was different. All the fish moved off that stuff and made their way to the secondary points and backs of pockets. I have never before seen this happen overnight.

What were the main techniques or baits that caught you most of your good fish?

Cole – On day one, I was using moving baits and was really struggling on catching fish. Around 10 am the sun popped out and there was zero wind so I started throwing a fluke on secondary points and weeded through tons of fish to finally landed a few above average fish but never could find a kicker but kept me in contention of winning the tournament. On day two, the wind was ripping so I started in wind-protected pockets with a fluke and caught some really nice quality. With the high winds, I was not able to work the fluke so I switched over to a spinnerbait and was able to catch fish on wind-blown points and pockets.

Tyler – In practice, I caught fish on literally everything. Day one, I fished a fluke and my trusty shakey head. Day two, conditions were different and rotated between the fluke, shakey head, and culled with a free rig the rest of the day.

Ryan – I caught most of my fish on day one with a free rigged creature bait. I like to fish a jig but I fought the rocks and getting hung up so much in pre-fishing that I needed a lighter presentation to avoid this. I used a 1/4oz cylinder drop shot weight that moves up and down the mainline giving some nice action and minimizes hang ups. Day two I caught fish on a fluke mostly but also added key fish with a RkCrawler, spinnerbait, and a donkey rig (double fluke rig). My two biggest fish came on the free rig on day one and the donkey rig on day two.

Kyle – Spinnerbait, fluke, squarebill. I should have taken time to drag a jig in some places where I knew fish were but weren’t eating moving baits but I didn’t do that and I think it cost me on day two.

James – 90% of my keepers for me were on a fluke. I caught a few on a Whopper Plopper, spinnerbait, and some on a squarebill.

What are the adjustments you made from day one to day two?

Cole – On day one, the fish were still positioned where they were while pre-fishing which was on the main-lake points. The main-lake was warmer than the back of the pockets to start the day so I believe that’s where they were. As the day went on the back of the pockets were warmer and fish started to move into those. On day two, I was fishing the same key stretches on the main-lake points and was struggling. So I slid into the back of a pocket and for the first time that week the pockets were warmer than the points first thing in the morning. I was able to catch three good fish in the very backs in super shallow water.

Tyler – After learning where the fish were NOT on day one, I focused fishing the stuff where the fish were for day two. Unfortunately, the fish weren’t really in those same areas, so I just covered more water and fished more thoroughly. The wind blew me around all day, so I couldn’t fish the weightless stuff efficiently, so I had to use heavier baits.

Ryan – I didn’t feel like I could replicate my day one in the same area, so I moved to an area I had fished in the previous Classic. It set up similar and felt confident there would be fishing in the area. The wind was also a factor on day two. The windy day helped my bite and allowed me to fish a spinnerbait a bit more.

Kyle – In pre-fishing it seemed every fish in the lake was on a main lake point. At some point from Wednesday afternoon to Friday morning a lot of those fish pushed back in my area. It took me a while to find them. On day two, I tried to make Friday afternoon’s bite work on Saturday morning regardless of a big water temp cool down in the backs. That’s where I should have slowed down and tried a jig in those areas. But instead I hopped from pocket to pocket to try and find them eating a fluke. Once the afternoon hit Saturday, they were back there eating the fluke again, but not in every pocket. It just took me too long to find them that day.

James – I actually stumbled on to the fish movement and the pattern for the day by accident. I went to a spot where I didn’t get a bite in practice or the first day of the tournament because I had a lot of company at my ramp and everyone was taking and asking how each other had done the day before. Knowing I would have eyes on me, I went to dead water where I could see my starting spot and wait for everyone to move on past so I could fish it without being noticed by everyone. Luckily for me, the fish moved, and I landed on them. I had my limit in 30 minutes. After that, I fished my good stuff without a bite for over an hour. That told me to go back to where I started and find more spots like that in the area.

What was the biggest key you unlocked on either day that made you feel like you were onto something?

Cole – As I eluded to in the previous question, I believe the biggest key for me was able to relocate the fish quickly on day two in the back of the pockets. It was the very first time of the entire four days I was on the lake that the water was warmer in the backs of pockets. Also, the area I fished the pockets were short so the fish didn’t have to travel far from the points to the back which helped me figure it out more quickly.

Tyler – I found that the best fish were on trees/stumps that were in 5-8 feet of water and were 18+ inches wide, so I targeted those mostly. The rocky banks that transitioned quickly to 5+ feet of water was also key in finding fish. When those two stars aligned, it was game on.

Ryan – I caught my big fish early on day one and that gave me the confidence to keep throwing what i was throwing and commit to it with confidence. Day two I had to share a small area with three guys (one being the 2nd place guy from day one), so I gave him first crack at the pocket and then was able to share it after. We communicated well and that was nice to see the sportsmanship side of this sport. They ate the fluke early and this was a confidence booster that carried my day.

Kyle – I’d say figuring out that a lot of fish had made the move back and also which type of pockets to target. Not all of them were good. It needed to have some timber, maybe 35-45° angle banks, and off the main lake. At least where I was at.

James – The biggest keys for me were two things. First was I was targeting bluffs and steep banks while most of the people at my launch were not. Second was I was getting bites on a fluke, and I didn’t see anyone else using one. I made sure to keep it hidden at the boat ramp, and I think it helped due to all the fishing pressure in my area.

Kudos to the Event and Organizers

I’d encourage everyone to try and participate in the All-American Kayak Classic if they can. It’s a very well run event, great organization and communication. Loved all the communication. Josh Boothe and others who run it do an outstanding job. Hope to qualify to get back again next year!

Spring Power Fishing for Bass – ARTICLE

2023 Beaver Lake North Recap – ARTICLE

NSKA

2023 NSKA Beaver Lake North Recap / Karma / AOY / Heavy Hitters

Spring has sprung in Northwest Arkansas and on Beaver Lake. After seven straight days of warm, consistent and sunny weather – the fishing should have been set up for success in the Capps Men’s Cuts Beaver Lake North event.

The boundary for the event went from the Hwy 12 bridge down lake to the dam. Water is high, about has high as it can be, and clear. Making it an interesting spawn season. The first event on Beaver this year was a return to a stingy lake, where breaking 85 was difficult. What would we see in round two?

Tourney Results

Overall, the fishing on the day was not great for an April tournament. The fish per angler ratio of 4.46 was a big drop-off from last year’s April event on Beaver Lake and Table Rock, which posted a 5.95 and a 5.45 FPA, respectively. A strong 86% caught at least one bass, but a middling 54% turned in a limit.

Jacob Webber took first place with 84.25″, while Levi Schneider took 2nd with 82.50″ and Jason Coleman third with 81.75″ on the day. Levi also won Big Bass with a 21.25″ monster for this fishery. A 21″ or bigger is pretty eye opening on the Dead Sea.

Levi’s foot may not make that bass look big, but it was a 21.25″ giant!

Your complete Top Ten for this event:

  1. Jacob Webber 84.25
  2. Levi Schneider 82.50
  3. Jason Coleman 81.75
  4. Tyler Zengerle 79.50
  5. James Haeberle 78.50
  6. Wayne Johnson 78.25
  7. Justin Malott 78.00
  8. Anthony Bertschy 77.50
  9. Ryan Paskiewicz 77.25
  10. Justin Brewer 77.25

Angler Roundtable

Pull up a camp chair and get around the fire for story time…the top anglers for this event, Jacob Webber, Levi Schnieder, and Jason Coleman are here to tell us the secret to tackling what was a fairly difficult spring day on Beaver Lake.

What part of Beaver did you choose and why?

Jacob – I decided to fish near Ventris. I’ve fished there the last few Beaver North tournaments and have gotten somewhat familiar with the area. There was one specific area that I thought would be good this time of year.

Levi – I chose to go to Indian Creek because I’ve had success there in the past. Plus I knew it held good Smallmouth and Largemouth so I figured more than one pattern could work.

Jason – I fished up around the Rambo area. I chose that spot because there’s several deep narrow arms with multiple spawning pockets in each. I’ve fished the area a lot and it’s well protected when the wind kicks up.

Any particular patterns or baits that worked for you on the day?

Jacob – The only thing I could really get bit on was a fluke. I started off throwing a buzzbait, but after throwing to a couple spots that looked too good to not have a fish I picked up the fluke. Caught one first cast and then another a few casts later. Each one was hooked deep in the roof of the mouth so  I stuck with the fluke most of the day. I caught all my Largemouth in the first hour in the back of the creek arm, but then it slowed down. I caught quite a few spotted bass in some pockets off the main creek arm throughout the day, but nothing that helped.

Levi – I just kept rotating between a white chatterbait, a PB&J finesse jig and a swing head – all equipped with a YUM Spine Craw trailer. Used the chatterbait to cover water up higher in the water column, jig to flip into cover and around docks, and the swing head to cover water on the bottom.

Jason – I threw a Neko rigged Strike King finesse worm all day. All my keepers were caught around deeper structure in the spawning pockets

What’s the story on your biggest fish from the tournament?

Jacob – I’m not sure if this was the biggest since they were all about the same size, but I had netted one and and set the net down with the fish still in it. I was moving some stuff around to clear some space to take a picture and I heard a flop followed by a splash. I looked up and the fish had jumped back in the water. Fortunately it was hooked good so I got to fight that one a couple times. 

Levi – I planned on fishing the very back of one particular cove but decided to scope out a cove I had some luck at before just to see what it looked like on livescope and didn’t see much so I moved on. Then with a few minutes until lines in I decided to start at the point of the cove I was closest to and within five minutes of lines in, the 21.25″ smoked my chatterbait and I didn’t have much issue getting her in since she was hooked well. That fish set the tone for the day.

Jason – My big fish came late in the morning. No crazy story just got lucky with a good fish. I’m happy with anything over 14″ on Beaver.

Do you have any superstitions you pay attention to in fishing or tournaments?

Jacob – I really don’t have any superstitions. 

Levi – I consider some pairs of clothing and hats to be “luckier” than others but I always realize how not true it is. I do believe catching a fish on your first cast is good luck especially since that happened to me on Pumpback last year. It’s also important to grab breakfast at Casey’s before every trip, or it is bad luck otherwise. And finally, I don’t really believe in the banana In the boat deal but I also don’t eat a lot of bananas so no worries there.

Jason – No superstitions… but I do believe in Karma…I was eating my sandwich Saturday and the Ziplock baggie blew out of my yak. It was blowing away fast and I really contemplated trying to run it down or let it go. I thought to myself that if I didn’t get I’d be cursed the rest of the day. My next cast after picking it up was a 16.25. Karma.

Funny Fishing Memes - **LIKE OUR PAGE** to see more Funny Fishing Memes! #fishing #fishinglife #fishingtime | Facebook
I turned in a 9.75″ bass. It is what it is.

Angler of the Year Race

Now that we’re three events in, things are getting a bit more clear in the AOY race. Some different names at the top of the list right now, can they hold on the rest of the year? Zengerle is sitting on top right now with Josh and Jacob close behind. Defending AOY champion Kyle stepped on the rake this week, but he’ll probably bounce back on Table Rock. Don’t sleep on Haeberle who has one of the best two scores combos on the list. It’s great to see how many good anglers we have, lots of fishing to go!

For the Classic Top 25, it’s a murky picture now and will be for several more events. After three events everyone who has fished them all will have to keep at least one score in their season total, because you can only drop two. Some of us (me included) need to get after it to make the cut!

Heavy Hitters

History would say that an angler who gets off to a hot start with three big fish in the first three events will go on to win the Heavy Hitters crown. This is good news for Josh Landreth, who is off and running with the lead so far. He is the only angler with two green-rated catches. One more 19+ in the next event and he may just lead the rest of the way. Lots of big fish opportunities left on the schedule though. I think we’ll know who the real contenders are after the next event – and I’ll start handicapping the race.

NSKA

2023 NSKA NWA Beaver Lake South Recap / AOY / Heavy Hitters

You can almost set the weather forecast by the NSKA NWA event calendar. Have a tournament coming up on a Saturday? It’s going to rain supernatural proportions on Thursday and Friday. This March tournament on south Beaver Lake, presented by Black Creek Electric, was no exception. With several inches of rain in the 48 hours before lines in. Combine this dirtied water with temps still in the very low 50s (if that in some spots) and it was a recipe for tough day on Beaver.

After several tournaments where our favorite stingy fishery has really shown out with big limits (89.25, 88.75, 84.25, 88, 88, 87, 86.25 89.25 for example in the past year), Beaver Lake humbled some folks on this post-front day in March.

This chart shows the precipitous rise in water level leading up tot he event, leading to unusually high water for March..

A low 3.95 fish per angler rate fell well below 5.95 from this tournament last year. Less than half the field (48%) turned in a limit, a fairly low number in recent history. Of the 48 registered anglers, 40 turned in at least one bass.

Josh Landreth took first place with 80.75″ on the day, followed by Sam McClish with 80.75″ (second on tie-breaker), with James Haeberle taking third with 76.50″.

“Big” Bass for this event was an 18″ monster, caught by Josh Landreth. This is the first event with no 20″ bass in the past 17 regular season NSKA NWA tournaments. (2022 Classic also had no 20s). On this day though, Josh caught a biggun’!

Big Bass?? Was on this day on the Dead Sea!

Complete Top Ten for Beaver Lake South:

  1. Josh Landreth 80.75
  2. Sam McClish 80.75
  3. James Haeberle 76.50
  4. Maurilio Gutierrez 74
  5. Tyler Zengerle 72.25
  6. Jimmy Chokbengboun 72.25
  7. Jacob Simmons 71.25
  8. Kyle Long 69.50
  9. Jason Adams 69.25
  10. Tony Sorluangsana 67.75

Angler Roundtable

Let’s all gather around the campfire to hear from the top anglers on the day. Josh Landreth, Sam McClish and James Haeberle share how they made it happen on a tough day at the Dead Sea.

What part of Beaver Lake did you fish and why?

Josh – I went to Natural Walk. I wanted to get away from the crowd and had decent success in a previous Beaver South tourney there in flooded conditions. I knew I wanted to go against the grain and take a chance in the muddy water, and felt like I knew the structure better there than other options.

Sam – I chose to go to Hickory Creek. The spinnerbait bite has been really solid for the last couple weeks. Plus I love dirty water.

James – I fished at Monte Ne. I know of a few spots the fish like to stage on before going back to spawn this time of year and hoping to find some cleaner water after the rain we had.

What were the baits used to catch your fish?

Josh – I caught several right off the bat on a chartreuse/white Strike King Spinnerbait with 1 big gold willow blade and 1 Colorado. Just fishing shallow near wood. Three of my keepers were on that bait. The key bait was the methiolate floating worm though. The two biggest fish I caught were on the floating worm. Casts had to be extremely tight to cover with both baits.

Sam – My first limit of fish came off a Booyah Covert spinnerbait with two Colorado blades. I started my day fishing shallow in and around all the flooded brush. I went an hour or so with out a bite so I knew I had to make a change. I switched to a Tru Faith custom bait coleslaw spinner bait with a big white willow blade and a small yellow Colorado blade. I also changed my strategy. I did a quick Google map check and found a big long point. I went to the original shore line (still only sitting in 12’ of water but about 70 yards off the bank) my very first cast slow rolling the blade across it i caught a 16″ bass and couldn’t believe it. I went on to catch 20+ fish on this one spot in about 45 minutes. At one point catching seven fish on seven consecutive casts. I upgraded every fish on this spot.

James – I was using a War Eagle 1/2 ounce double willow spinnerbait and slow rolling it around a flooded brush on channel swing points and pockets. After the spinnerbait bite was over, I moved out away from the bank and fished a chatterbait slowly along the bottom and finished off my limit with a 16″ bass.

Talk about how you caught your biggest bass on the day – what happened?

Josh – My big fish came at 8:24am to complete my limit that already had a 17″ and two over 15″. I tossed the floating worm out along the edge of some flooded bushes. Fished it like a fluke, basically. I saw the fish come out of the bushes and nail it! The floating worm bite is one of my favorites and it was a pretty awesome take! I thought the fish was probably 15-16″ when I saw it take the bait. I was fishing it on a medium action spinning rod with 8 lb mono. She took me for a ride for a few seconds and was lucky to keep her out of the bushes. I was surprised she was 18″. I knew that fish nearly guaranteed me a top 10 and gave me a chance to win. I never dreamed she would be the Big Bass though!

Sam – Eventually the bite died so kept moving and catching a ton more fish but nothing that would upgrade me until 2:00pm. Then, I decided to go back to the honey hole. As soon as I pulled up on the spot fish were pushing shad everywhere. I threw out a 3” Keitech and before I could even engage my reel a 16.5″ bass had it swallowed. That was my second 16.5″ on the day and by far the most meaningful fish of the day since it upgraded my length total to 80.75″ putting me in first place (for a very short time).

James – My biggest bass from the tournament was 17″ and came from pitching my spinnerbait up in the brush and bringing it out slow. I only had a few feet of line out when it hit, so I just boat flipped it so it wouldn’t have a chance to get me hung up in the brush.

What lure or technique have you historically caught more bass on than any other?

Josh – I’m not super patient and like to be on the move. I fish a spinnerbait a lot and love to fish top water in the summer. At heart, I’m a river smallmouth fisherman. You can’t beat the smallmouth whopper plopper bite!

Sam – I have a handful of “go to” or “favorite” baits. I love throwing a swim jig probably the most. Second would be a spinnerbait or jig. But my confidence bait that has caught me more fish in a crunch than anything year round is a small single swim bait, either a 2.8 Spark Shad or Keitech. It’s such a fun little bait that catches fish of all sizes.

James – I always have a few baits ready to go all year long. Some sort of crankbait, a spinnerbait, a weightless fluke, jig, and a Texas rig. Different times of the year and conditions call for a different approach to the day. But I will always enjoy and is probably my favorite way to catch them is a fluke.

Josh Landreth kicking tail and taking names on Beaver Lake South.

AOY and Heavy Hitters Races

There are a variety of new-ish names in the top ten for Angler of the Year after two events. A few anglers are off to a hot start, but in particular Josh Landreth is on fire, leading both Heavy Hitters and AOY at this point of the season. If you’ve tanked in the first two events like I have, this is it, need to make the rest of them count. Lots of season to go, but history shows you are better off being at the top of this list early than not.

Angler of the Year Top 25

Heavy Hitters Top 25

Back to Beaver Lake for the next event, get it on the calendar or sign up today!

NSKA

2023 Table Rock 1.0 NSKA NWA Tournament / Heavy Hitters -Recap

The first kayak fishing event of the year on Table Rock started with a bang with some big fish caught by some, and not many fish caught by several. In true NSKA NWA tradition, we had torrential rains just before the season opener, making anglers scramble to find good water or adjust to some blown-out, dirty situations.

PSA – If you like this content and enjoy it, please show your support by going to subscribe to me on YouTube. Just takes a few seconds! Thanks!

Big Bass on Table Rock by Josh Landreth – Source: TourneyX

This event was a good one for big fish, and had the most 20+ bass submitted for an opener (5) since 2020, which was at the very end of March. Josh Landreth took the Big Bass by tiebreaker with a 20.25 largemouth.

Overall, the field had a so-so day, with 182 fish caught by 52 anglers for a paltry Fish Per Angler (FPA) of 3.52, only slightly higher than last year’s opener on the Dead Sea which had a FPA of 2.99. Only 38% of the field turned in a limit and 75% boated at least one bass.

A Missourian took the top spot on the Missouri lake with Micah Funderburgh posting a strong 89.50″ on the day – good for a top 20 total in NSKA competition history. This is the third time Table Rock shows up on the top 20 tournament total list.

Kyle Long took second with 83.25″ and Josh King third with 83.00″ on the day. Great outings by these and the other top ten anglers.

The complete top 10:

  1. Micah Funderburgh 89.50
  2. Kyle Long 83.25
  3. Josh King 83
  4. Justin Arnold 82.50
  5. Billy Bowden 82.00
  6. Dwain Batey 81.75
  7. Josh Landreth 79.75
  8. Justin Brewer 77.75
  9. Tyler Zengerle 77.25
  10. Patrick Marbury 74.75

Angler Roundtable

The top finishers shared how they did it in the season opener. Let’s get around the table and learn from Micah Funderburgh, Kyle Long and Josh King!

In general, what part of the lake did you go to and why?

Micah – I chose to fish where the Kings met the White river so I could pick and choose water clarity since the Kings was muddy from the recent rains.

Kyle – I went to the Kings. I tried to talk myself out of it because I was scared of what it might look like after the rain but I knew I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t at least go look. It wasn’t clean by any means but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.

Josh – I put in at Holiday Island and fished the river. I wasn’t sure where to go this early in the year so I picked a ramp that was close and had a spot where Kentuckies usually hang out. Figured I could get a small limit if they were there and then hoped to find a couple bonus bigs in the area.

What were your go-to baits for catching your limit?

Micah – I caught almost all my fish on a Vision 110+1 jerkbait. Once I had a decent limit I fished a glide bait from noon to 3:00 and caught one kicker.

Kyle – Spinnerbait was the go-to. Wasn’t planning on that. 3/4oz with big Colorado blades, reeling it slow.

Josh – I caught all my fish on a 5/16 oz walleye jig with a Keitech swimbait trailer. All my keepers came from one spot on the lake.

What happened on your largest bass of the day?

Micah – I was mostly fishing ledges and I found a particular 50ft section of ledge that setup perfectly and I ended up catching 8-10 fish on it including my biggest fish.

Kyle – I had just caught a small spot and a 15.5” spot a few minutes before and when I set the hook on my big one, it actually jumped which is weird in cold water. I didn’t know how big it was until I got it up in the net. Pleasant surprise.

Josh – I actually ended up losing my “biggest” while trying to get my Ketch board and camera ready, but landed another one a couple hours later. Both fish came on the first cast at new spots.

What’s something new you’ve added to your boat or to your equipment this season?

Micah – As far as new stuff I’ve added to my boat this year pretty much everything is new. I started kayak fishing last summer so I’ve been adding new stuff since then.

Kyle – That Newport Vessels NK180 was a game changer for me. Pair that with a ZPRO 24v 50Ah lithium…I covered so much water and got where I wanted to go way faster than normal.

Josh – I guess the only thing new was my bait. I had it tied on for Walleye fishing, but had caught bass on it in the past so I decided to try it and it paid off.

Heavy Hitters Standings

The Home Run Champ version of the NSKA kayak series is the Heavy Hitters crown. This year is off to a big start for some anglers who pulled in some tanks in event one. History shows, you need to get off to a good start if you expect to win…you can’t play catch-up on Beaver Lake in summer.

Here are the initial top 20 standings:

1Josh Landreth20.25
2Dwain Batey20.25
3Kyle Long20
4Billy Bowden20
5Christopher Moyher20
6Jake Simmons18.75
7Jacob Webber18.5
8Jeriamy Vann18.5
9Josh King18
10Jamie Shumate17.5
11Patrick Marbury17.25
12Justin Brewer17
13Craig Wood17
14Jason Coleman16.5
15Tyler Zengerle16.25
16Tony Sorluangsana16.25
17Jason Adams16.25
18Jason Fields16.25
19Jordan Rozenblum15.5
20Ryan Paskiewicz15

Angler of the Year

Angler of the year is a long race, but the anglers at the top are off to a great start. If you aren’t in this list, don’t worry, you can drop some events. But, those in this top group currently have the advantage!

1Kyle Long99
2Josh King98
3Billy Bowden96
4Dwain Batey95
5Josh Landreth94
6Justin Brewer93
7Tyler Zengerle92
8Patrick Marbury91
9Jacob Webber90
10Jason Coleman89
11Devon Esry88
12Levi Schneider87
13Jake Simmons86
14Jordan Rozenblum85
15Bobby Hogan84
16Tony Sorluangsana83
17Sam McClish82
18Christopher Moyher81
19Terrill Standifer80
20Jason Adams79

Next up is Beaver Lake, see ya’ll on the Dead Sea!

Check out these recent articles…

Spring Bank and Creek Fishing Kit from Lurenet – Review
Bending Branches Angler Pro Fishing Kayak Paddle Review
NSKA

2022 NWA NSKA Classic Recap

The end of season Classic Championship wrapped up a good year of fishing for the top 25 anglers in NSKA NWA. With one day on Table Rock and a second day on Beaver Lake, it was a good test of versatility for the competitors.

Classic Championship Results

Fishing was not the easiest for the Classic, as expected for September in our part of the country. Putting together good limits consistently is the key to top finishes in the Classic and this year was a great example. Overall, the field caught 275 fish over two days, with a 5.5 fish per angler, putting it middle of the pack for tournaments this season.

2022 NWA NSKA Classic Champ – Justin Brewer.

Justin Brewer finished the back half of the season on fire and continued the hot streak by taking the Classic Championship with a day one total of 79″ and a day two total of 73″ for a grand total of 152″ for the event. Kyle Long took second with 150.50″ (75.75/74.75) and James Shumate took third place with 148.75″ (73.25/75.50) for the weekend. John Evans took Big Bass with a 19.50″ Largemouth.

John Evans’ Big Bass from Beaver Lake in the 2022 NSKA NWA Classic Championship.

Angler Roundtable

Our top finishers for the Classic Championship shared how they made it happen in the end of season event. Thank you to Justin Brewer, Kyle Long and James Shumate for their recaps!

Where did you go on day one and day two and why?

Justin – I went to Eagle Rock on day one. No real reason just fishing history and I’ve done decent in the past there and I always just want to decent day one in two day tournaments. Day two I went to the Horseshoe Bend area. Again that’s the only area I’ve had any experience on so I felt most confident there.

Kyle – Day one I went to three places. Houseman, which I didn’t even make a cast before I left because it just didn’t feel right. Eagle Rock, where I also didn’t catch one fish. Then Beaver Town lastly. Why? Because when I was driving from Houseman to Eagle Rock at 6:55am, I drove across the Beaver bridge. I saw Kincy’s truck was the only one there. After not doing well at Eagle Rock and with all the boat traffic there, I figured at least there isn’t much pressure at Beaver Town. Might as well go there. Maybe there’s some fish that haven’t been thrown at all morning. Plus I could access that cooler water from the backside if need be. Day two, I went to Blackburn. No specific reason. Just thought it might be less crowded than the launches on the west side of the lake.

James – Day one I went to Eagle Rock because I know the area. I threw a buzzbait , Whopper Plopper and shakey headed. I had all but given up I was setting in 22nd with 3 fish at 2:53 I caught my 4th and at 2:57 I caught my 5th and jumped to 9th. Day 2 I went to Horseshoe Bend first fish was a 19 inch thought it was going to be a good day but it wasn’t didn’t get my limit till around 1:40.

Both days seemed pretty even in limit sizes, which day was tougher for you and how did you overcome it?

Justin – Day two was definitely my tougher day and it showed. Luckily I had a good day one so there was some wiggle room. I figured it would be tougher for everyone so lower 70’s would put me in a good spot so I just fished hard until I got there.

Kyle – Day one for sure. I was on the verge of spinning out. I just had to keep my head down and keep making casts. Trying the whole time to not keep doing exactly the same thing. Looking for a little nuance here or there that might make the difference. Luckily I found one.

James – Both days where equally tough I only caught 11 fish all weekend but the wind Sunday was the worst.

What were a few of the key baits or techniques that worked for you?

Justin – Day one was a Booyah XCS Squarebill at a creek channel intersection where the bass were schooling on shad in the morning and then a Carolina rig with the Yum Spine Craw around trees on the channel drop in the afternoon. Day two was a War Eagle buzzbait and Heddon Spook all day. The bite quit at 9:30 but I stuck with it anyways.

Kyle – Spinnerbait and Shaky head. Almost exclusively both days. I did catch a couple on a buzzbait day 2.

James – Threw a Sexy Dog, shakey head and a KGB Chad Shad – it saved me caught my last 2 on it.

What was your most important bait for the duration of this season that made it successful for you?

Justin – I really can’t pinpoint one single bait because each tournament some other bait played the main roll but if I have to pick one, I won the most money on the Booyah XCS Squarebill which play big roles in both my third place finish at Broken Bow with Hobie BOS and then helping with the Classic with my biggest limit on Day 1. It also caught me a few fish here and there in other tournaments.

Kyle – I’d say all season long the MVP had to be the Accent River Special 1/2 ounce spinnerbait. The Slow Town Custom Lures custom 1/4 ounce shaky head and the Skirmish baits Pendragon 110 we’re also crucial.

James – I think throwing a shakey head this season helped me the most this season.

Season Awards

It was a solid season for NSKA NWA with some big bags and a lot of fish caught. The season awards were presented at the season-ending Classic banquet. Please take time to congratulate the recipients!

Final AOY Top 25

Individual Winners

2022 NSKA NWA Angler of the Year – Kyle Long.
2022 Heavy Hitters Champ – Ryan Paskiewicz
2022 NSKA NWA Rookie of the Year – Jordan Rozunblum
2022 NSKA NWA Ben Spangler Sportsman of the Year – Terrill Standifer

NSKA, Tournaments

NSKA NWA Shootout Recap / Classic Championship Preview

The field is set for the third annual NWA NSKA end of season Classic Championship. As is tradition, the top 25 anglers for the regular season in AOY points qualify for the end of season clash for the crown – but this year a new wrinkle is in play as we held a last-chance shootout to take a 26th spot.

Eleven NSKA anglers took to a section of Table Rock to see who could out-duel the others to earn a spot. It was a pretty, but tough day with blue-bird skies and light winds which made fishing a bit tough. Eight of the eleven turned in a limit, with a FPA of 5.18 which was pretty average for an August summer day.

Levi eventually culled this giant. Honestly maybe the smallest submitted bass I’ve seen in NSKA. (Pic NSFW – lol!)

Levi Schneider took the win and will fish with the Classic field this September. He had 78.50″ on the day, cruising to secure his spot. Tony Sorluangsana came in second with 72.50″ and Kevin Tadda came in third with 71.00″ on the day.

There was no Big Bass prize, but Anthony Bertschy had the biggest bass with a 18.00″ good-looking Largemouth.

Angler Roundtable

We spoke to Levi about his win and he shared how it happened:

What were your thoughts on what it would take to win?

Going into the Shootout I never really thought about what it would take to win I just had the idea that I wanted to put a good limit to where someone would have the really catch ’em to pass me because other than during the fall I know Table Rock well enough to find and catch fish (When it’s not continuously blowing 30-40mph!)

Any key baits that worked for you?

My go-to baits we’re a spook a Berkley Choppo and a football jig.

Talk about your key fish catch, what happened?

I really had two key fish catches cause I had that dinky 4.25” and I believe a 12” to cull – and within 30 minutes I caught a 16.50″ and a 17.50″ to cull those with the jig and was lucky enough to land both because they both wrapped me around all the submerged timber I was fishing.

Back to Beaver Lake…now that you’ve made it in what are your thoughts on the upcoming Classic?

Everyone knows my distaste for Beaver Lake and my main focus going into the Classic now is to just forgot about what’s happened to me there in the past. Just take it head-on as a brand new lake I’ve never fished before and try to break it down as I see it happening.

Classic Championship Preview

Going back to the history books for the NWA NSKA Classic Championship we can see what it has required to take the title. When you get 26 of the top anglers in the club on the water to battle it out, competition gets serious.

It will take a minimum of 150″ over two days to be in the hunt, and based on the last two years I think you target is 158″ to win.

Big Bass is pretty consistent in the 20-21″ range and I think we’ll see that again this year, but no bigger.

This year the field will be on Beaver Lake and on Table Rock – but nobody knows exactly where quite yet. The lakes are divided into zones and the zone locations will be drawn the Thursday night prior to the tournament – after pre-fishing ends. Should make it interesting for those who like to scout things out and gives an advantage to those who just show up and fish.

Because Table Rock is in play, those totals should beat out Beaver Lake. Key to the win will be who can get a good total on Beaver and hold on at the Rock. Every year the Classic has been held there has been a weak day and a strong day and I expect Beaver to be the weak day this time around. Be in the top few on that day and you have legitimate shot.

2023 NSKA NWA Classic Field

Levi is IN and he’ll join the regular season Top 25 AOY on the water. Don’t forget, the AOY race is not over…the Classic counts double, so there’s more to be wrapped up to find out who was the most consistent angler this season. Good luck, tight lines and be safe to all of the competitors. Congratulations on making it!

NSKA

2022 NSKA Beaver Lake RR Recap / AOY Top 25 / Heavy Hitters Winner / Rookie of the Year

Mother Nature took it easy on us for this year’s Crucible, our August event on Beaver Lake. Instead of close to 100 degrees, we only hit 89 during tournament hours – making what was a grind for many on Beaver a bit more bearable. Although the weather wasn’t that hot, there were some anglers at the top who were on fire on this Saturday.

The Dead Sea is threatening to lose its nickname the way it has been putting out bags this last year or two. Going into the event history would have said 82 inches would give you a good chance to win. Not on this day, no.

Tournament Results

There were 40 anglers in the Crucible, with only 24 (60%) turning in a limit and 90% turning in at least one fish. With 211 fish caught, it produced a respectable but not spectacular 5.28 Fish Per Angler on the day. But boy, were there some bigguns caught for Beaver Lake standards.

Justin Brewer dropped the hammer for the second tourney in a row, this time catching two 20+ bass, an uncommon feat (more on that later) for a total of 89.25″ for the win. Jordan Rozenblum also caught a 20+ in his 88.75″ total on the day for second place. Kyle Long won Big Bass with a 21.75″ giant which helped him take third place with 84.25″ on the day.

Kyle Long won Big Bass up in the clear water of north Beaver Lake.

In fact, there were FIVE 20s caught on Beaver in August. What a shocking development! Justin’s two 20’s in one event is an unusual feat; here are the only anglers who have done that since 2017:

  • Rob Barnica (2017)
  • Cole Sikes (2017, 2018)
  • Rance Richardson (2018) Four in one day!
  • Jon Wofford (2020)
  • Jason Kincy (2021)
  • Justin Brewer (2022)

When it comes to Big Bass winners, Kyle Long’s trophy for this event was his FIFTH Big Bass win for NSKA NWA. He has the most Big Bass trophies since 2017, and here are the only winners of multiple Big Bass awards during that time. Way to go Kyle!

  • Kyle Long 5
  • Cole Sikes 3
  • Dwain Batey 3
  • John Wofford 3
  • Chris Needham 3
  • Justin Brewer 2
  • Justin Phillips 2
  • Jason Kincy 2
  • Ryan Paskiewicz 2
  • Sam McClish 2

Heavy Hitters Champion

A 21.50 Ryan Paskiewicz bass from Table Rock Lake.

Speaking of giant bass, we have a Champion for 2022! Ryan Paskiewicz, as predicted early on, held off the competition to take the title for this season. Kyle made a run with his big catch at the Crucible, but Ryan’s early season work was too much to overcome. Congratulations Ryan! Here are your Top Ten Heavy Hitters for 2022:

Top 25 AOY After Regular Season

The Angler of the Year race is tight down the stretch and will be decided by the Classic, just the way it should be. Looks like it is between Dwain Batey and Kyle Long, and if they both stumble Justin Brewer could steal it with a big Classic finish. The rest of the top 10 is tight, so we’ll see who finishes 4 thru 10 in what order. My goal is to beat Ryan and Roy!

Our Rookie of the Year is Jordan Rozenblum, who finished strong with two top 10 events, including in the money in the season finale. Congratulations Jordan!

The rest of the Top 25 makes up the Classic field for 2022. The Classic is a great two-day event – congratulations to all who made it in. For those who fell short, you have one more chance in the Shootout to earn a spot. Sign up today to win a spot to fish the championship.

Choose from the top selling Bandit Walleye Deep, Heddon Super Spook Jr., Norman Deep Little N, and Norman DD22 lure blanks. Each bundle is complete with all the original and necessary components to complete your custom lure project.

Angler Roundtable

The top finishers from the Beaver Lake Road Runner shared their stories and how they got it done on the not-so-Dead Sea. Let’s hear it from Justin, Jordan and Kyle.

Where did you go and why?

Justin – I went out to the War Eagle arm. Based off the last two years I was able to get 1st and 2nd out of this area for this same tournament with only 76 and 78 inches so I assumed it would be the same in this one as well. I just came across some better a quality fish this year.

Jordan – I chose to go up the river because I had found a larger number of quality fish in pre-fishing there.

Kyle – I went to Indian Creek. I really like fishing that area but it can be super tough also. I’ve noticed that historically for myself, especially in the hot summer, I don’t fish well in a large section of mid lake so I like way north or way south. This time I chose clear water.

What were your key baits to catch the keepers?

Justin – I caught all my fish on a Booyah Boss Pop just fishing any and all cover I could find.

Jordan – The only two baits I caught anything on were a buzz bait and a jackhammer. All of the quality fish I caught came in three feet or less of water.

Kyle – Two different plopper style baits and a shaky head with a 7” roboworm. That was it for me.

What’s the key to fishing success in the heat of the summer?

Justin – It all depends on your strengths. I’m not an offshore guy so I like shallow water. But in the summer I try to find areas with the most shallow cover and shade. Fish live shallow too and you just have to cover water and keep your bait around those areas as much as possible. And you can find more shade for yourself shallow to help keep yourself cool.

Jordan – The key to summer time fishing for me is to get on them early and drink lots of water.

Kyle – Tough question. A few things come to mind… Try and make as many casts in high percentage areas as you can. That might be hitting as many points as possible in a certain depth, that might be shade hunting all day, might be hitting all the transitions you can, etc. Also keeping an open mind helps. Don’t be afraid to scrap a plan. I did that yesterday when the fish were telling me they didn’t want what I was offering. Maybe most important though is keeping a good mental state of mind. It’s gonna be tough. Work harder than everyone else. Embrace the grind.

When you get hungry during the day, what’s your go-to tournament snack?

Justin – I’m a superstitious guy and I base what I have on my boat for snacks on previous tournaments. So for last months I had brought two ham and cheese sandwiches and a PB&J. So that’s what a packed for this one as well seems like there could be something to it!

Jordan – Rice crispy treats. They are quick and good carbs while fishing.

Kyle – Tough to go wrong with jerky. Maybe a trail mix or a Cliff Bar or a pack of cheese and crackers but jerky is the winner for me.

NSKA

2022 NSKA Tenkiller Recap / AOY / Heavy Hitters

The first summer event of the year was the 2022 NSKA NWA Tenkiller event, presented by H2 Heat and Air as anglers made their way to Oklahoma for the sixth event of the season.

One thing everyone could agree on when it was over – it was a HOT day, and for many the fishing was as hot as the weather.

Tournament Results

The 48 anglers who took to the water were ready to take on some high water conditions, flooded ramps and a last minute deluge a few days before the event. That didn’t keep the field from catching the heck out of bass on this Saturday.

Overall it was a strong outing, with an amazing 41 of 44 (93%) turning in a limit, and a Fish Per Angler (FPA) of 7.5 which made it one of the stronger events of the year.

Vince Minnick took home the win with 89.50″ on the day, Roy Roberts finished 2nd with 89.00″ and Dwain Batey finished 3rd with 87.75″ for the event. The top ten was a set of strong totals with all over 80″ for the tournament.

Vince’s Big Bass for Tenkiller, a 20.75″ Smallmouth. – Source: TourneyX

Big Bass was also won by Vince Minnick with a 20.75″ Tenkiller Smallie – what a great catch!

The Top Ten:

  1. Vince Minnick
  2. Roy Roberts
  3. Dwain Batey
  4. Billy Bowden
  5. Jacob Webber
  6. Josh Landreth
  7. Jordan Rozenblum
  8. David Byrd
  9. Cody McCarter
  10. James Shumate

Angler Roundtables

Our top finishers – Vince, Roy and Dwain shared how it went down on Tenkiller:

Where did you go and why?

Vince – I chose to go down by the dam to hopefully get into some cleaner water since the area got hit with more rains during the week.

Roy – I went to snake creek. I haven’t been to Tenkiller in at least 5-6 years and hadn’t done well the time I did go. So I just picked a ramp that looked like it had a lot of options nearby.

Dwain – I went mid-lake because I didn’t pre-fish and I really have only ever been to two areas on Tenkiller before.

What were the techniques or baits that caught most of your fish?

Vince – After catching my 1st Smallmouth, it spit up a small crayfish which got me to change to a Strike King coffee tube in green pumpkin with purple fleck. Figured it out that the bigger fish were in the 11ft-14ft depth where there were some flooded bushes and rock. The fish were on the outside edge of these bushes.

Roy – I caught four fish on a spook early. After that I went a couple hours up shallow without any luck so I moved out to what I think was the old bank line, about 10-12 foot deep and started using my graph to stay on the edge of bushes or rocks. I found one pocket that was absolutely loaded with all types of fish and bait in that depth range. The only thing I could get bit on was a drop shot and for about two hours I could call my shot. I ran out of finesse worms and the heat was getting to me about noon so I tried a few different things but never could get back on anything.

Dwain – I caught fish on topwater and a swim jig.

What’s the story on your best fish of the day?

Vince – The boat traffic was getting bad back close to the area I put in but there was a main lake point that I had a fish hit topwater when I started the morning and I decided to go back and fish it. It was probably around the 3rd or 4th cast on this point that I got hung up on the rock on the bottom. While in the process of getting it in-hung the fish bit the tube. At first I thought I was hung up on something else as it was heavy and didn’t really move…then all of a sudden all I could do was just hang on. I thought I had a big drum hooked until it surfaced. This all happened at 1:30 and I had a couple of bass boats wanting to move in on me like they always do. I honestly was about to give up since it was hot and I hadn’t gotten a bite in over an hour. You have to keep telling your self to never give up…it could always be that next cast! I was very lucky.

Roy – My best fish was on the topwater early. It came out of bush and torpedoes my spook but didn’t hook up. A couple twitches later it came back for another swing. Rarely see one that big come back for a second look so I felt lucky!

Dwain – My biggest fish actually came out of cover to look at my topwater about two hours before I caught her, she didn’t commit but she was very wide across her back so I made a mark on the graph, and when I came back by I was lucky enough that she bit about 20 yards from where I had first seen her. My other big fish also ate topwater for me but this one literally ate my bait with no line out, right at the boat, I just let the rod flex while I fought the fish and managed to miraculously get the fish in somehow despite being short-lined so badly.

AOY Race Update

The Angler of the Year race is going to go down to the wire, as usual. Looking like nobody will have enough of a lead to relax going into the Classic event. The top anglers on the list are fairly steady at this point with some dark horses with three good scores in positions to make a late run if they knock it out of the park in the next two events. Right now Kyle, Dwain, Ryan, Terrill and Craig are a tier above everyone else in the AOY race – with Kyle and Dwain in the best position for now. Going to tighten up, hang on!

As for the top 25, there are a lot of anglers with a lot to fish for to make the Classic this year. There are literally a dozen or more anglers currently out of the top 25 who can make it in with two decent events to finish the season. Keep fishing and keep catching, you are not out of it!

Heavy Hitters

If you aren’t in the race by summer for Heavy Hitters, then you are not going to catch up generally. Bigger fish tend to come in the spring more often, so it’s hard to make headway late in the season – but not impossible. This always gets tight at the end of the year, and there definitely could be some surprises.

Right now I’m making the bold prediction that Ryan Paskiewicz is going to be the Heavy Hitters champ for 2022. We’ll see how it plays out!

Next event is the Road Runner, watch for a big preview article coming to outline the most productive waters based on tournament history.

Fishing Recap, NSKA

Table Rock 2.0 Recap / AOY Race / Heavy Hitters

1 Comment

If the weather is crazy and the water is high, must be spring in the Ozarks. Round two on Table Rock Lake was set up to be a slugfest as the fish were still spawning and water was up in the bushes. It was time for the ZPRO Lithium Batteries Table Rock West tournament.

Pre-fishing for this event I felt like I’d found a little something with a buzzbait and a swim jig, but due to a bout with Covid I was a late scratch and missed my first NSKA NWA tourney in three years. (I’m on the mend) Was still pretty fun watching the scoreboard light up on tournament day.

Tournament Recap

Because of bad weather moving through the area, the Saturday event was moved to Sunday, but the post-front conditions didn’t slow the anglers down. Of the 41 registered anglers, 40 submitted at least one fish, and, 36 of 41 turned in a limit with a strong FPA of 7.54. Incredible numbers for a fun tournament day!

Chris Needham’s Big Bass winner. – TourneyX

Chris Needham and Craig Wood tied with 88″ on the day, and although both had a 20″ fish, Chris won the tiebreaker with a 22″ giant to secure 1st place. Craig won 2nd, followed by Dwain Batey in 3rd with 87.75″ and then Tyler Zengerle was fourth with 87.00″ on the day. Needham’s 22″ beast took home the Finntek Big Bass pot.

Complete tournament results can be found on TourneyX.

Angler Roundtable

As usual, our top finishers sat down to share how their day went. Here’s the juice from Chris Needham, Craig Wood, Dwain Batey and Tyler Zengerle.

Where did you go and why?

Chris – I decided to fish the Kings as I’ve never fished there before. Had zero expectations so just went to have fun and maybe luck into some fish.

Craig – I went to Beaver Town area as I know the area and it has produced fish in the past.

Dwain – Kings River.

Tyler – I chose to go to the same launch I went to last year since I placed third in that one. I knew the area and seemed like it would set up well with the high water and debris.

How did you catch your big fish?

Chris – At about 10:30 I finally figured out the pattern and started wrecking them on a spinnerbait. About five minutes before I caught the 22″ I missed a 20″ while I was netting her so I knew I was doing the right thing. When I caught the big one she had the body of a 7 pounder but only weighed 3.13 lbs. Longest kayak fish to date for me.

Craig – Caught a 20.50″ on a Slowtown Custom Lures jig with a Zoom twin tail, combing the flooded brush.

Dwain – My fish were all on topwater, and they were pretty similar in size. I lost more good fish than I caught, and will have to do some thinking on what I can change in my game to eliminate the issue.

Tyler – My biggest fish was only 17.75” and I caught it using a Gambler Bacon Rind (creature bait) in a green pumpkin/purple swirl, Texas-rigged.

What is one price of advice you would give anglers for better tournament fishing?

Chris – I would say a positive attitude is key for me. When I missed that 20″ I was upset for a second but said a quick prayer just thanking God for the ability just to be able to fish which quickly changed my priorities and I remembered why I was out there. Put it behind me pretty quickly.

Craig – I pre-fish and try to find fish ahead of the tournament. Try to remember that the bite will be slow at times but at any moment it could pick up and be ready for that moment.

Dwain – Work on your mental game, you’ve got to be able to keep your mind right even when you’re struggling.

Tyler – Absolutely never give up. Just when it seems like you’ve done all you can do, things can flip on a dime. I used the leaderboard as a motivation to keep grinding. As I would get passed, I stayed positive and pushed myself to fish harder and make accurate casts to my targets. A positive mental attitude goes a heck of a long way.

Angler of the Year Race

Now that we have five events in, the race continues to shape up. A lot of anglers are still in it, and scores are tight at the top. If the Classic were today, this would be your top 25… But it’s not today, a lot will change with more events to come!

Heavy Hitters

Here is the current top 10 for Heavy Hitters. There will still be a lot of movement as competitors only have to retain their top five fish. Ryan looks like he’s got a solid lead with a small one to drop. Big fish are going to be harder and harder to catch now, I’d rather be in first than trying to play catch-up!

See everyone at Tenkiller next!

NSKA

2022 NSKA Table Rock 1.0 / Border Battle / AOY Race / Heavy Hitters Recap

2 Comments

Three tournament events totaling more than 170 kayak anglers descended on Table Rock on a blustery April Saturday in an expected big fish spawn smash-fest. Think again friend, as fishing often doesn’t work out the way the book says. NSKA’s Table Rock 1.0 presented by Las Fajitas (I’ve eaten more Mexican food here than anywhere in NWA, it’s great) joined the fray along with the Moyak and All-American trail events to enjoy sustained 15-20 mph winds with gusts up to 35-40 on the water.

Yeah, if the wind would stop blowing That would be great - Office Space Lumbergh HD - quickmeme

Tournament Results

Several anglers from NSKA entered the Moyak and All-American events to double or even triple dip. And boy, did that pay off for some as some south of the border anglers went up and had themselves a good time. For the NSKA event, there actually were quite a few fish caught with a 5.45 Fish Per Angler (FPA), compared to 2.99 on Beaver North, 1.72 on Pumpback, and 5.95 on Beaver South. Wait…did Beaver South just out FPA Table Rock? It’s time for an All-American event Beaver Lake!

Ryan’s Big Bass winner. Source: TourneyX

Ryan Paskiewicz took his second win of the year with a big bag of 90.75″ and also won Big Bass with a 21.5″ lunker on a big swimbait. Danny Dutton put up a big 87.75″ for second and Craig Wood caught 85.50″ for third place.

  1. Ryan Paskiewicz 90.75
  2. Danny Dutton 87.75
  3. Craig Wood 85.50
  4. Kyle Long 84.50
  5. James Haeberle 83.75
  6. Robert Murphy 82.75
  7. Chris Longshore 82.00
  8. Jason Ray 81.50
  9. Dwain Batey 81.00
  10. Chad Davidson (tie) Jason Kincy 80.75

Overall the field of 73 anglers did well, with 66% catching a limit and all but a few catching at least one keeper. Full standings are available on TourneyX.

embrace the meme - Texas Fishing Forum

NSKA vs Moyak Border Battle

How did the above numbers compare to the Moyak total field? The FPA for the Moyak field was 4.48 and only 51% of the field turned in a limit. With some Moyak anglers in the NSKA event and vice versa, their numbers cancel out for the most part. Three of the top seven and six of the top twenty spots were filled by NSKA anglers, which made up on only 17 or so of the 153 anglers.

Overall, Moyak squeaked out the Border Battle by 1.25. NSKA placed 1st, 5th and 7th while Moyak took 2nd, 3rd and 4th – and they won the battle: 260.25 to 259.00. Congratulations to MoYak, they have a lot of great anglers. Are we going to see Moyak in a rematch next year on Beaver Lake?

All in all, NSKA competitors acquitted themselves very well by comparison – great work! You should be proud and brought the hammer to the ‘Rock.

Recap of my 80.75″ on TR, including a specific pattern found.

Angler Roundtable

Time again for the traditional post-tournament roundtable, where the winners spill the beans. Ryan, Danny and Craig share how their day went. Listen and learn…

What part of Table Rock did you go to and why?

Ryan – I launched at Big Indian. I was able to pre-fish it and had a little success. I knew I had one good fish locked on a bed that I could catch and decided to start there. The wind made it much harder but I eventually landed my PB Meanmouth at 17.75”. It was clearer than I would have liked but it ended up perfect with the wind.

Danny – I went to Shell Knob area. I had no idea where to go and was not going to be able to pre fish. Andrew Newsome picked the area by researching Google Earth.

Craig – I went to Holiday Island area just because I enjoy the area and have done well over the years.

Did the intense winds affect you or how did you deal with them successfully?

Ryan – The wind definitely made it annoying at times. My XI3 has pinpoint gps and it makes it much easier to deal with wind like that.

Danny – The wind was brutal. I tried to fish with the wind when I could. I would also get into little pockets or behind docks to get a break. Caught all my fish in shallow water.

Craig – The wind did make it more frustrating but overall it may have helped me by pushing fish to the shore and cover so I could flip a jig easily.

Talk about your biggest fish catch, how did that happen?

Ryan – I have an infatuation with big swimbaits and have been trying to learn and gain confidence. I know they’ll eat them on the rock so I planned to at least throw it a little. I only had two fish at 9:30 am and was grinding mentally. I committed to throwing the glide for two points and a pocket to see if I could find a big bite and gain some momentum. I was about 5 casts in and I threw my glide up to the point coming out of the pocket. My glide got hammered. So thankful I was able to get her in the boat!

Danny – Biggest fish was early I threw a spinnerbait, parallel to the bank close to some brush. 18.25”.

Craig – Biggest catch was an 18″er that hit my jig on some shelf rock about 10am and it was a battle to get the pic and not get blown off my spot.

What is your preferred brand of line and why?

Ryan – I run a few different lines. PowerPro braid, Big game for mono and usually either Seagur Invizx/Abrazx or Sunline or sniper for Fluoro.

Danny – I use braided line with Seaguar flouro leader on my my spinning rods. I use Seaguar Invisx on my bait casters. Invisx seems to cast better for me and have had not anything break it.

Craig – I have switched from P-line tactical to P-line blue label this year just for testing purposes and have been impressed with it, very little abrasion and zero line breakage. Plus I think it’s slightly more supple than the Tactical.

AOY Race Update

We are halfway through the season and the AOY race is nowhere close to being decided. This is likely to go down to the wire, with lots of anglers still in it. In fact, if you drop each angler’s lowest score, there are seven anglers within 15 points of the leader. Lots of fishing to go. For the top 25 Classic berths, almost nobody is out of contention yet if they have a good final four events. So far this year we’ve had 78 different anglers enter events.

Heavy Hitters Race

The quest for the Heavy Hitters title is sort of like the AOY race. There are some leaders, but a lot of angers still in contention. There are four anglers less than five inches behind. Right now looks like Ryan’s to lose since he has an easy drop (16.25) but you can’t count out anyone within 7-8 inches.

Hope everyone gets in some fun fishing in the next month before we return to Table Rock.

Check out some content you may have missed: