Category Archives: NSKA

NSKA

NSKA / Hobie BOS Beaver Lake Preview

The biggest kayak event of the year on Beaver Lake is coming up this weekend with the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) and Hobie Bass Open Series (BOS) holding a full lake tournament on the Dead Sea. With the spawn approaching and a warming trend this week, word is going around consistently that the lake is turning it up to 11 lately and will put out some serious fish this weekend.

One of the many non-ramp public launches on Beaver Lake. This is a good one in April.
Guaranteed: Stripers will be caught and will fool someone into thinking they hooked a giant Largemouth.

This is traditionally the time of year where the FLW tour would be in town beating up Beaver Lake and using a shakey head in the last hour to try to catch a 12″ Spot to round out a limit. FLW no longer comes, so it’s fitting that the biggest kayak event of the year in NW Arkansas will be in April. Beaver Lake has been said to be a “spot” lake, instead of a pattern lake. Patterns can be difficult to carry over from one day to another, so find a good spot and figure out how to get bit.

NSKA and Hobie BOS

There will be two concurrent events going on at the same time. Anglers can either one or both events, but there are separate entry fees. For more details on the NSKA NWA Beaver Lake event, visit the event page on FB and register on the TourneyX page – entry is $30.  For information on the Hobie BOS event, visit their iTournament Angler page – entry is $100.

A 21″ Beaver Lake Largemouth Bass. There are some big bass to be had if you can find them.

 

Angler Roundtable Preview

Some of the top anglers in NSKA agreed to share their insights for the upcoming event on Beaver Lake. First-timers to Beaver can find some good nuggets in here to help on the Dead Sea. Thanks to Tyler Zengerle, Cole Sikes and Roy Roberts for sharing their expertise.

This is an April tournament on Beaver Lake, what do impact do you think the spawn will have on the tournament?

Tyler – I honestly don’t think the spawn will be a huge factor at this point in time. With the inconsistent water temperatures I think the fish are confused and are still in that pre-spawn transition, but are making their way up shallow. The fish I’ve caught recently haven’t shown significant signs of spawning. I think the spawn will be soon, but not until after Saturday.

Cole – This is a great time of year to fish Beaver, there should be fish in all stages of the spawn however I believe the bulk of fish are still pre-spawn or will be spawning. Keep your eyes peeled and you might be able to catch a kicker or two spawning!

Roy – There should be fish in all stages of the spawn. The weather has been inconsistent but we do have a full moon approaching. The stained and shallow river arms of the lake are going to be the farthest along in the spawn with warmer water temps. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some post spawn patterns coming into play there. Farther north you are more likely to come across fish that you can sight fish for or even catch on transition banks in a pre-spawn pattern. Figuring out your chosen area and what the fish are doing that day will be key. It is changing everyday.

2019 has been a tough one on Beaver Lake in the boat and kayak tournaments, is the lake turning on or will it be a grind? 

Tyler – The lake is turning on for sure. The last few times I went to Beaver, I’ve caught more than a limit, which is pretty unusual for the “Dead Sea”. I’m sure with the bipolar weather, some days are better than others, but fish are being caught in good quantities.

Cole – It’s definitely starting to turn on with the fish moving up to spawn. I expect majority of the field will catch a limit but it’s about finding those quality fish 15 inches and bigger.

Roy – Numbers wise there have been lots of fish caught lately. There have been some 20+ Lb. bags brought in to some bass boat tournaments. I think we will see a high percentage of anglers turn in a limit and should see several big fish. Getting quality 15”-18” fish will be important. I wouldn’t rule out a big stringer of Smallmouth coming from the clear water.

With this being a Hobie BOS satellite we’ll have some out of towners visiting Beaver Lake, any friendly advice?

Tyler – Beaver Lake is tough and it can really be a grind to get a limit. The good thing about Beaver is that it is different in all parts of the lake. Choose your strength whether it’s rock, timber, sand, or ledges, and fish that area with your confidence bait. Don’t leave fish to find fish because with this lake, you’ll never know when your next bite will be. With nice weather approaching, beware of the glitter-rockets. They are abundant!

Cole – Beaver lake is a very diverse fishery, you can pick areas that fit your style of fishing. Typically people break the lake up into three sections and they all fish different. If you fish by the dam expect to see crystal clear water and the ability to catch some big Smallmouth and spotted bass. Also, in my opinion some of the biggest Largemouth live down on that part of the lake as well. The mid section of the lake is also typically clear as well but in the back of some of the creek arms the water will have some stain. There is a high population of fish in this section of the lake and expect to start seeing fish on beds. Lastly, the upper end of the lake in the river arms will typically have the most stained water of the lake. This part of the lake will typically catch Largemouth and spotted bass.

Roy – Don’t bank on a pattern you found pre-fishing or on past trips. This lake always fishes different so pay attention to the conditions and make adjustments. Don’t be afraid to load up and make a move. That decision got me a win at our last Beaver tournament.

What do you see as the winning limit total and big bass?

Tyler –  I think there will be some decent limits caught and someone will find some big ones. I’m saying winner will be 88.75” and big bass will be 22″.

Cole – My guess would be around 86” for total and big bass of 21”. There will be quite a bit of pressure on the lake with nice weather bringing out the weekend fisherman and also a big bass boat tournament going on. If we had the lake to ourselves I would expect close to 90″ would win.

Roy – 21.75” for BB and 90.25” for the win. It will take 80+” to be in the top 10.

What’s your personal best out of a kayak on Beaver Lake?

Tyler – My Beaver Lake PB was from a tournament on April 15, 2017, almost exactly two years ago. It was 21.50”.

Cole – My personal best from a kayak is 19.5”. Hoping to break the 20” mark this tournament!

Roy – My PB in a kayak on Beaver is 18.5″. I hope I can set a new one Saturday!

 

NSKA

NSKA/RVKA Lake Fort Smith Recap – Dead Sea, Mountain Edition

Lake Fort Smith really is a beautiful place, lush mountains surrounding water with all types of rock and wood cover…if only the fish would cooperate. Once again Lake Fort Smith lived up to its reputation of being notoriously stingy to kayak anglers on tournament days. The pre-tournament predictions from anglers were so cute and optimistic, with some predicting more than 80” to win and saying that a lot of fish would be caught. Once again, the lake had the last laugh.

Anglers from NSKA and RVKA getting ready for launch at Lake Fort Smith.

History said it would be a tough day. Back in 2016, only 14% (10) of the field turned in a limit and 61% (45) submitted a keeper. In 2018 only 22% (14) turned in a limit and 77% (49) carded at least one keeper. For this year’s early-season visit to Lake Fort Smith, there were zero limits submitted and a paltry 55% (37) of anglers turned in a keeper. A group of 67 anglers caught a total of 68 fish.

Tournament Results

Cole Sikes took first place four keepers totaling 58.50”, with David Byrd second with 46.25” and John Evans third with 43.75”. Craig Wood caught a 22” tank to take the Big Bass prize.

 The top ten anglers were:

  1. Cole Sikes
  2. David Byrd
  3. John Evans
  4. Lloyd Mize
  5. Craig Wood
  6. Josh King
  7. Jacob Hudson
  8. Chris Jones
  9. Erik Sanchez
  10. Thor Rooks
The top anglers of the day from Lake Fort Smith.
Angler Recaps

Top finishers Cole Sikes, David Byrd and John Evans talk about how they did it and keys to kayak fishing:

How do you generally approach Lake Fort Smith, or, what were you thinking about before the tournament?

Cole – My game plan doesn’t change much from one body of water to another. I typically try and put the odds in my favor and fish high percentage spots. This may mean you’re spending more time bouncing around but you’re skipping water that is most likely dead.

 David – It was the first time I was ever on Lake Ft. Smith. So, I had planned on just fishing any points I came across. Mainly finesse fishing to put together a 5 fish limit.

 John – I try to find out what the lake conditions are like and revisit it on Google maps. Also will check the weather forecast to see how many layers I’ll need to wear to keep warm.

How did you catch your fish and what on?

Cole – I caught all my fish on a 1/2 ounce wobble-head jig paired with a small crawdad trailer. Every fish I caught was between 5 to 12 feet.

David – I caught  mine out in 10-12 foot of water. Used my Lowrance to locate brush on the bottom and dragged a KVD deep diving crank bait in a red craw pattern. It was my first time ever on Lake Ft. Smith. Only had 4 bites all day.

John – My go-to is a finesse rig, straight tail worms and craws.

What is the biggest challenge in kayak fishing tournaments?

Cole – The biggest challenge in fishing kayak tournaments is that it’s difficult to change game plans mid tournament. You’re typically committing to a plan prior to the tournament starting and once you’re out there it can be difficult to change. I fish bass boat tournaments as well and there has been times when I’ll be fishing dirty water in the river and if I’m struggling midday I may run up to clear water and really change things up. This can be done while kayak fishing tournaments however it takes more time to change locations.

David – The biggest challenge for kayak fishing is your limited to how much water you can cover if you make the wrong choice on starting locations.

John – For me it is the travel. Gauging the travel time and how early I’m leaving the house, having the truck packed with what I need…can’t forget the kitchen sink!

Does your strategy change at all when you know the bite is super tough?

Cole – Overall my strategy stays about the same, like I mentioned above, I like to hit high percentage spots but for this tournament I did scale my jig down from a normal football jig to a wobble-head which is a much smaller profile since I knew the bite would be tough.

David – The best strategy for a super tough bite is to slow down and watch those electronics. This helps you find the fish further off the bank that most people are not even fishing for. Most people are beating the banks and never look away from the shoreline.

John – I’m constantly changing up baits to see what will entice those tight lipped bass! That’s why the bottom of the kayak looks like a war zone of tried and failed baits.

Next Up

The next tournament for NWA NSKA is at Beaver Lake on April 20th.

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake South – Tournament Recap

Sixty-three kayak anglers took to the water among frigid temperatures in the first event of the 2019 season for the Natural State Kayak Anglers. The Dead Sea is a pretty tough body of water to fish out of a kayak, but when you’ve had a few days of freezing temperatures and dirty water conditions, it can set up for an exceptionally challenging day of fishing.

NSKA Beaver Lake South Results

Many were predicting a slugfest on Beaver Lake for the opener based on some of the big numbers from last year. Although water temps were relatively similar year over year, this year the weather had been quite a bit different in the lead up to the tournament and the water was much more stained. The warming trend preceding the tournament in 2018 helped a strong 41% to turn in a limit, while this year the hard cold front allowed only 21% to card five keepers. The difficult day is best illustrated by whopping 51% of the field catching one or zero keepers this year, compared to 30% in 2018.  So, who did overcome the tough conditions to find fish?

Chris Needham's 19.75" Largemouth took Big Bass in the NSKA Beaver Lake South tournament.
Chris Needham’s 19.75″ Largemouth took Big Bass in the NSKA Beaver Lake South tournament.

Roy Roberts took first place with 70″, followed by Declan McDonald with 68.75″ and Cody Skelton in third with 68.50″. Big Bass was won by Chris Needham with a 19.75″ Beaver Lake fatty. The top ten is below and full standings are available on TourneyX.

The top ten finishers:

  1.  Roy Roberts
  2.  Declan McDonald
  3.  Cody Skelton
  4.  Billy Bowden
  5.  Andrew Newsome
  6.  Carson McBride
  7.  Jonathan Brewer
  8.  Christa Hibbs
  9.  Jason Kincy
  10.  Jason Adams
Top Angler Recaps

The top three anglers share how they caught them and how it went down on Beaver Lake.

Roy Roberts, Declan McDonald and Cody Skelton take 1st, 2nd and 3rd for NSKA Beaver Lake South.

What part of Beaver Lake did you go to and why?

Roy – I chose to fish in the War Eagle arm. I didn’t get a chance to practice so I made my decision based on my knowledge of the area and hoping to be less pressured from the Team Trail tournament going on. Water temperatures were in the 44-45 degree range, with pretty stained water, maybe 1 foot visibility.

Declan – I went to Beaver Shores mostly because I have a lot of confidence in the spot, but I also like the chunk rock and docks.

Cody – I went to Horseshoe Bend only because I rode with Lloyd Mize because I have never been on Beaver Lake a day in my life. I was going to put in and head to the marina but when we got there the gate was closed, so we headed to the next ramp there.

How did the hard cold front affect your strategy or how did you expect the fish to react?

Roy – I knew with the weather patterns and water conditions it was going to be a grind to get bites. I am more comfortable fishing clear water, but that wasn’t an option with the boundaries. I had a plan to mix it up using winter patterns and looking for staging/transition areas that would be holding groups of fish. My confidence baits under these conditions were to use a deep diving jerkbait with long pauses, slow roll an A-Rig in deep water, or use a stop and go retrieve with a Wiggle Wart on rocky banks.

Declan – The cold front really didn’t change my strategy, I just knew I needed to slow it down a bit more. I had a feeling I wouldn’t get bit on a moving bait so I went into the day fishing on the bottom and got bites so I stuck to it.

Cody – Changing ramps and with all of the big boats running around changed what I was going to do. So I just started fishing and I looked across the lake and saw a bluff wall and with the front moving in and 42 degree water I figured that was a good place to head.

How did you catch your fish? Any specific baits or method?

Roy – I fished the techniques mentioned above along with mixing in a jig, shaky head, and Ned rig for most of the day. I caught my first bass at around 1:15 on the Ned rig on some shallow rocks. At first I was just glad to get the skunk out of the boat. I got 4 more bites and landed 3 of them in the next few minutes to put me at 4 fish. I was surprised how shallow these fish were and I suspect they just pulled up for a minute to feed. As I was measuring my 4th fish, a 16” Kentucky, a boat came through my area and the wake muddied the shoreline. This shut the bite off and I started seeing fish suspended in deeper water on my graph. I let the area settle down for about 30 minutes and wound up being able to catch two more keepers to finish my day.

Declan –  I caught my fish using a Ned rig, I love the Ned rig this time of year. I went pre-fishing last Sunday and only caught two. So going into tournament day I was a little bit nervous. My first fish came in between two docks and that outlined the rest of my day. In fact, three of my keepers came in that same spot. I was keeping my bait close to the bottom and slowly dragging it while giving it small pops.

Cody – When I got there I started throwing a drop shot knowing it was going to be a grind. I fished slower than I ever have in my life. I fished seven hours of the day on a three hundred yard stretch. Every fish I caught was on a Strike King KVD perfect plastic green pumpkin drop shot .

Not knowing the leaderboard status, how did you feel about your limit heading to weigh in?

Roy – I knew from the other anglers I had talked to on the water it was a really tough day. I figured limits would be hard to come by, but I was not expecting to be in the top 5 when the dust settled. I was excited to keep my limit streak in NSKA tournaments alive and to have a decent finish to start the AOY race. The scoreboard being off is a game changer. I didn’t realize how much it effected the way I fished and my effort towards the end of the day. I think I would do my best to ignore the leaderboard in the future even if it was turned on. I also would like to thank my wife for putting up with my fishing obsession!

Declan – With the shut off leader board I thought I would be lucky to be top ten. It was definitely less stressful. Although I think if I saw what place I was in I would have fished harder to get upgrades, but I definitely like it.

Cody – As far as the leader board being off I really liked not knowing because several times I wanted to stop and go to the truck, but not knowing keep me fishing hard until the last minute. With 68.50 inches going to weigh in I was just hoping for a top ten, never thinking it would be a third place finish.

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READ: 5 Tips for Pre-season Tourney Prep

READ: Kayak Fishing Measuring Board Showdown – Hawg Trough  vs Ketch Board vs Fish Stik

 

NSKA

2019 NSKA Tournament Schedule Announcement

The Natural State Kayak Anglers have released the upcoming kayak bass fishing tournament schedule for 2019 and it has some interesting changes from previous years which should make for an exciting season.

Here is a quick look at the scheduled events and some quick analysis from key NSKA anglers. This article covers the NSKA Northwest Arkansas schedule, watch for more coming on the Central Arkansas Schedule.

NSKA Tournament Dates and Locations

March 2,  Beaver Lake South – Cold water on the upper end of Beaver Lake will be an challenging start to the year, but past history shows there will be big fish caught along with good limits for some and zeros for many. #deadsea

March 16, Lake Fort Smith – Next stop is a joint tournament event with the River Valley Kayak Anglers on this mysterious mountain lake. Pulling a high limit here proves your mettle as an angler. Don’t miss the best shotgun start of the year.

Lake Fort Smith can be a riddle wrapped in a mystery. One thing is clear, the water will be milk chocolate in March.

April 20 , Beaver Lake – The full lake is in bounds at a time when the fish should be biting. Spawn will be on somewhere, and there should be lots of limits.

May 4,  Beaver Lake North – Smallmouth and Spot country for this one, but some will chase the largemouth for the win. In May this should not be the #deadsea on the bottom end and there should be a lot of fish caught.  Some good fishing to be had before the wake boats and party barges take over the lake for the summer.

June 29, Bella Vista Road Runner (Night) – A night event from 4 p.m. to midnight on the Bella Vista lakes. Should be an interesting and fun night on the water.

July 13, NWA Road Runner – Kayak anglers from NSKA terrorize the streets as they hit the road to their favorite honey hole. A road runner in July could be tough tough but the bass are always eating. Do you swing for the fences at a big fish lake or go for the guaranteed limit?

August 17, Beavertown – The traditional season-ending tournament comes a bit earlier. Clear water, bridges, trestles, river channels galore!

The bridge at Beavertown spans the White River entering Table Rock Lake.

September 14, NSKA Classic – Inaugural NSKA Classic will bring together the top 25 anglers from the season for a finale to crown a Classic champion. AOY to be crowned after the event. Location TBD.

October 5 & 6,  State Championship on Lake Ouachita – New venue for the State Championship. Plan to attend, the state event is a great turnout and this lake will be an awesome site.

Beautiful Lake Ouachita will host the State Championship in 2019.
Angler Schedule Previews

Defending NSKA Angler of the Year Cole Sikes, Tournament Director Jeff Malott, and 2018 Rookie of the Year Kyle Long shared their quick thoughts on the schedule and the upcoming schedule and new season.

Looking at the schedule, which event are you most interested in or excited for and why? 

Cole – I’m most interested in the Bella Vista Road Runner event. For me personally, I have never fished any of the lakes and excited about the opportunity to learn new bodies of water. From a tournament standpoint, I think it will be interesting seeing how each lake fishes differently with them being close in proximity to each other.

Jeff – Lake Ft Smith strangely enough. In four years I’ve carded a total of three fish there I believe, and while I hate the lake I invite the challenge of finally figuring something out.

Kyle – The first one.  March 2nd.  Beaver Lake South.  Once that first one happens I know that the season has begun and it’s time to get serious.  I had so much fun in 2018, it being my first year and all, that I can’t wait for 2019 to get going.  Also Bella Vista.  I’ve never been to any of those lakes so just fishing new water is always fun and exciting.

The event you expect the largest limit to come from is which one? And the smallest?

Cole – The largest limit will come during the Road Runner event at one of the small local lakes. The smallest limit will be either Beavertown or Lake Fort Smith.

Jeff – The largest limit will be from the NWA Road Runner most likely, the angler that picks right could bust 100. Smallest I will guess Beaver Town although I expect solid limits from every lake on the schedule.

Kyle – I’m going to say the smallest limit comes from Beaver Town.  With it being a month earlier than last year, I’d bet if someone gets 75” they’ll have a really good chance.  Largest limit…hard not to go with the NWA Road Runner.  Even though it’s almost in July, someone will know where to find some big ones.  I’m going to say it’ll take really high 80s at least to win that one…probably low 90s.

What’s the key to a successful AOY run for the year?

Cole – The key to a successful AOY run is to never give up and keep fishing. I had many late afternoon flurries and culls in the 2018 season where I almost loaded the boat up early but stuck it out and kept grinding.

Jeff – Consistency not only in how you finish but how you manage your schedule. Being able to prefish and make enough events to cull a bad finish or two is huge.

Kyle – When it’s tough, grinding out a limit, no matter how small it might be, could be the difference in a 12th place finish and a 24th place finish.  I looked back at last year’s first tournament and the difference between 15thth and 33rd was one 10” fish.  That’s 18 AOY points…exactly the points difference between our 2018 AOY and who finished 4th place.  One 10” fish could be enormous so grind when it’s tough.  Also, when they are biting, and everyone is catching them…you need to do your best and find a pattern and try to limit how much unproductive water you fish.  Don’t get lulled into just going down the bank.  Pick your spots and fish them out really well.  That said, you have to be able to adjust quickly if the pattern changes.

Best tip for new tournament anglers?

Cole – The best tip I can give a new tournament angler is learning to know when and how to ask your spouse for permission to go fishing. If you can’t fish you can’t win! Jokes aside, the best tip I can give is just to have fun and ask questions. The kayak community is very open and eager to help out new anglers.

Jeff – Show up and ask questions. This sport is full of people that enjoy helping and are very willing to share what they know.

Kyle – One, learn your boat and how you like it set up.  Get a routine established on how you load it, what you take, etc. so everything is always where you want it to be.  This comes with time on the water and everyone’s boats are set up differently.  Two, get used to the Hawg Trough and taking pictures of fish.  Practice on every fish you catch even when you are just out in a non-tournament setting.  It’ll save you some heartache.  Three, learn from the other guys when you’re just out having fun and don’t be hard-headed.  Learn new techniques every chance you get by watching other guy’s fish and listening to what they say when you are having conversations.  Lastly, you don’t need to spend $300 per setup to compete and have fun.  If you want to, go for it.  I got 7th in AOY last year and most of my stuff comes from Wal-Mart.  Practice, take good notes, listen and learn from other guys, pay attention to fish behavior based on different weather and water temps and really try to learn what fish are doing, why they are doing it, where they want to be, when and why they want to be there and what do you need to do to catch them.

READ: Bending Branches Navigator Paddle Review

 

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Town 2018 – Tournament Preview

The final event of 2018 is next up for the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) as anglers descend on the idyllic setting of Beaver, Arkansas. Beaver Town is the headwaters area where the White River below Beaver Dam runs into Table Rock Lake and will be a challenging backdrop for the season finale and wrap up to the angler of the year race.

Beaver Bridge at Beaver Arkansas is an iconic landmark in NW Arkansas. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
Beaver Bridge at Beaver Arkansas is an iconic landmark in NW Arkansas. – Kayakfishingfocus.com

Beaver Town Is a Slice of Fishing Heaven

So Beaver Town is one of the most beautiful places in Northwest Arkansas and a personal favorite place to fish. Featuring lots of greenery, rock and wood, this picturesque stretch of water is a great fishing spot in the Ozarks. There are a couple of key features there which really set up as landmarks for the area, an old railroad trestle and the yellow Beaver Bridge.  The rickety yellow bridge crosses over on your way to Holiday Island and eventually Eureka Springs.  The bridge itself was a key feature and backdrop to a movie called Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst, described as a “romantic tragicomedy.”  This movie is definitely not worth watching. I’m serious, do not watch it, it is terrible. The bridge is by far the best part of the movie. They should have made the movie five minutes long and called it Cool Looking Bridge in Arkansas.

Key Tournament Info

Overall the fishing area is in three key zones. You can launch at Holiday Island Marina and fish that region, or can launch at the Beaver Town campground area featuring the railroad trestle and the bridges, or after launch make your way up the river toward where Butler Creek comes in and further on up the White River. Remember if fishing Holiday Island area, this is near the Missouri border and a Missouri fishing license will be required to fish past the state line.

The launches at Holiday Island Marina and Beaver campground will be shotgun starts and there will be someone there to announce the start. You must take out at the same place you put in. There will be a captain’s meeting the night before at the campground and also a video meeting on Facebook for those who can’t make the in-person.

Make sure to register for the 2018 NSKA Beaver Town event on TourneyX.

Past History of Beaver Town Tournaments
An actual Beaver Town Spotted Bass. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
An actual Beaver Town Spotted Bass. – Kayakfishingfocus.com

I don’t have scorecards from past Beaver Town tournaments, so don’t have the usual statistics to pull from. In general however, Beavertown has not historically produced huge limits. This time of year fish are in transition, the water levels can be fluctuating and weather can be unpredictable. Of all tournaments this year, Beaver Town can be one of the most challenging to get a decent limit.

This year anglers will be helped out by the decision to let people launch from Beaver campground or down at the Holiday Island marina. This will spread people out and will give them more water to fish. There are some good fish there in this area if you can catch ’em, have seen several 20+ Largemouth caught, but you have to find them among a zillion 10.5″ Spots. Those little Spots are feisty bastards and won’t lay down on the board for nothing. Just when you have them and try to take the photo, they pop their mouth open and flip around like crazy. Bastards.

There is a bit of sizzle in the 2018 Angler of the Year race with several anglers having a legitimate shot at taking the title. These guys are going to be feeling a bit of the pressure as they hit the water, going to be a historically tight  race!

NSKA Beaver Town Angler Previews

NSKA anglers Taylor Frizzel and Tim Hotchkin helped me analyze the upcoming event.

As the season finale, what makes Beavertown a favorite among NSKA anglers?

Tim – When the tournament is at Beavertown there is normally a camp out so it’s more than just a tournament but also a get together and fun hangout. Someone normally has a TV set up and watching the game and the mood is almost like a tailgate party plus fishing.

Taylor – The area is a great place to fish but I think it’s a favorite because of the opportunity to camp and spend some time with fellow NSKA anglers.

Jason – Beaver Town is a cool place and allows everyone to be in close proximity. Many tournaments you may not see a lot of other anglers, but at Beaver Town you will get to interact and will also see each other frequently on the water.

The weather has been cool and we’re heading into fall, what affect will that have on the fishing?

Tim – I think the conditions will change the fishing a lot. Some people may be on the fish and then just a day difference cannot find them anywhere.

Taylor – I think with the temps dropping you will see the fishing get a little better. The bite can get real slow in the dog days of summer down there.

Jason – With rain and cooler weather coming in this weekend, someone who was on fish already better be concerned. It’s going to change on tournament day from what it was just a few days earlier. Those with no clue in pre-fishing may find ’em on the day of the event.

In a last tournament of the season does that change your strategy at all? Just go for broke?

Tim – I think some guys will go all out and just try and win a tournament. Angler of the Year is a close race and those guys will probably go out just trying to finish like they have all year.

Taylor – At this point in the season for me personally it’s just throw the kitchen sink at it and see if something sticks. If I can move up a few spots I’ll be happy with me season.

Jason – Anglers in the AOY race have to avoid falling flat and need to make sure they get a decent limit. A mediocre limit will result in good AOY points in this one.  Those out of the AOY race should just go fish and have fun, that’s going to yield the best result.

Winning overall length and big bass?

Tim – 81″ to win and 20.5″ for Big Bass.

Taylor – Winning length 78.75″ and Big Bass 20.50″

Jason – It will be around 75.5″ to win, with a Big Bass of only 19.75″

 

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake North – Tournament Recap

August in the big water on the Dead Sea can be tough enough, throw in high sunny skies with about 2,000 wake boats on a final summer weekend and you’ve got a tough day to catch ’em on Beaver Lake. A solid turnout of 68 anglers took on the deep blue in Northwest Arkansas and did pretty well overall in finding fish.

NSKA Beaver Lake North Tournament Results

A lot of discussion of pre-fishing revealed that things had been tough on the water.  Fish had been finicky in weeks prior to the tournament, but a cooler stretch of days may have helped turn them around a bit for tournament day. A strong 81% (55 anglers) turned in a keeper, while a respectable 29% (20 anglers) of the field were able to catch a limit. These are good numbers for Beaver Lake any time of year, but especially in the summer.

NSKA Beaver Lake North Big Bass caught by John Evans, 19.75″ in length.

Jeriamy Vann took first place with a 80.25″ limit of Largemouth, followed by Vince Minnick’s strong 78.25″ limit of Smallmouth.  Big Bass was won by John Evans with a 19.75″ Largemouth, followed by Jeriamy Vann with a 19.25″ and then Vince Minnick with a 19.25″ Smallmouth tank.

The top ten finishers were as follows:

  1.  Jeriamy Vann – 80.25″
  2.  Vince Minnick – 78.25″
  3.  John Evans – 75.50″
  4.  Tyler Zengerle – 74. 25″
  5.  Chad Warford – 73.75″
  6.  Jimmy Thomas – 73.50″
  7.  Declan McDonald – 73.00″
  8.  Carson McBride – 70.25″
  9.  Christa Hibbs – 68.75″
  10.  Tim Hotchkin – 67.75″
NSKA Beaver Lake North Angler Recaps

Top finishers Jeriamy Vann, Vince Minnick, John Evans and Tyler Zengerle reflect on the tournament and explain how they caught ’em in this roundtable recap.

How did you think about approaching the north end of Beaver, what was your overall plan?

Jeriamy – My plan was to go with the pattern that had worked for me in the Beaver Lake South tournament and to try and fish close to the Highway 12 Bridge.

John – I looked at Google maps for an entrance to coves that I could drive to. Living in Joplin, I usually don’t get a chance to pre-fish, so I looked at several areas until I found one that looked promising. My backup was Big Clifty where i fished the Beaver lake tournament, so in a nutshell I threw a dart and fished there.

Vince – My overall plan was to try and get away from the heavier boat traffic and I figured it would be lighter up closer to the dam. Earlier in the summer I accidentally found a spot that had some nice smallmouth, so I made the plan to go fish it and launch at Lost Bridge North.

Tyler – My overall plan for this tournament was to find a smallmouth bite and they were going to be up by the dam. I chose to fish Lost Bridge North because I’ve been camping at the Lost Bridge South Park for the last 5+ years, and I knew I would struggle catching fish out there with limited structure and tons of boat traffic. I pre-fished Lost Bridge North the Monday before and liked what I saw, so I stuck with it.

The bite was tough to find bigger fish, how did you catch your limit?

Jeriamy – Both my bigger fish came early in about 15′ to 20′ of water by just bumping the bottom. The other three keepers were a little more shallow.

John – I usually throw finesse baits, but have topwater and spin baits ready to entice any bites when it looks promising.

Vince – My spot had a deep trough between main lake points that were about 100 yds apart. After catching a fish off of each point early the fish moved into the deep water as the sun got higher. All of my fish came in 14’-23’ of water. My entire limit ended up being smallmouth with my largest being 19.25”. I caught my 19.25 and 16.25 on a drop shot with a 4lb test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader and a Strike King Dreamshot “Magic Color” drop shot bait in 23’ of water. I saw them on my finder and dropped down to them and fortunately they were hungry.

Tyler – I started the morning in the first big cove to the left of the ramp, and was amazed to find that I was the only one in that cove until late morning. My first fish was caught in a brush pile on a PB&J finesse jig, and it was a 15.25” largemouth. Moving down the bank there were more boulders and rocks, so I switched to a Trapper Tackle shakey head with a Gambler Lures Sweebo worm in watermelon red. Caught another 15.25” largemouth, plus my biggest 16.50” fish. I just needed two more bites and it was a struggle for a bit. I noticed some fish were still chasing minnows, so I put on a small Flicker Shad just to have a chance of catching my limit no matter how big. Instantly caught a 12” smallie and 11.50” spot, which completed my limit at 70.5”. I knew I needed at least 73.75” to pass whoever was in second at that time, so finally at the end of the day, I caught a 15.25” smallie to cull my smallest which put me at my final total of 74.25”. Only two of my keepers were smallies, and the other three were largemouth, which surprised me.

August fishing is really tough, what’s one tip you have for people fishing this time of year?

Jeriamy -I think the thing that helped me was focusing on fishing very slow and deliberately. The last two fish I caught, I threw my jig in pretty much the same spot three and four times in a row before getting a strike.

John – I work for the early morning bites, then as the sun rises I focus on the shaded areas.

Vince – My only tip for the summer is don’t be afraid to fish the clear water…you just have to use your finder to find fish in the deeper water and then try to be patient. Also don’t be afraid to go down in size of your fluorocarbon, you just can’t horse them in.

Tyler – The key to doing well in the hot summer is to find fish as early as possible. The later it gets, the harder it is to get a bite. Don’t be afraid to start shallow because there are always fish there and just throw what you’re confident in. You can fish deeper later in the day for bigger fish. All but one fish were caught in less than 8 ft of water.

What’s your favorite rod and reel combo?

Jeriamy – Right now my favorite combo is the one I used in the tournament. Abu Garcia Black Max baitcaster with an Abu Garcea Vengeance 7 foot rod.

John – I use a Pflueger President reel , with a Berkley eMotion rod. When all else fails I break out the Dynamite and a dip net! lol

Vince – My rod and reel used in this tournament that caught most of my fish was a new Lews Infinity 6’6” Med Action Spinning Rod, that will be coming out to retail in 2019. My Spinning Reel is a Pflueger Supreme size 25.

Tyler – Usually, my favorite combo is a 7’3” MH Stunner HD rod by Fitzgerald Fishing, paired with a Lew’s Speed Spool with 12lb Fluoro. For this tourney, my favorite was a 7’3” MH Stunner HD spinning rod paired with a Shimano Sahara with 10lb fluoro.

Check out the complete tournament results for NSKA Beaver Lake North on TourneyX.

 

 

NSKA

Arkansas Junior Anglers – Friends and Fishing

Special to kayakfishingfocus.com courtesy of Aaron McBride:

The Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA), the largest kayak bass fishing club in Arkansas, and the cornerstone of the Razoryak Tournament Trail, is proud to have several active Junior Angler members. These young men are not just tag-alongs with their fathers either, as each one of them are long-standing members who have had their turn taking the adult member’s money in a tournament or yakpot setting. These boys aren’t beating up on a bunch of weak sticks, NSKA features a lot of talented fishermen who have a lot of success on the national scene.

Jacob Hudson, Carson McBride, and Declan McDonald at the 2016 Arkansas State Championship.

Anyone involved in kayak fishing in the region likely knows exactly how serious these kids are on the water. I’m not sure of any other club nationwide that boasts this number of quality skilled youth anglers in their club – all posing a serious competitive threat. As these boys approach their Senior year of high school, I thought it would be fun to do a feature on this great group of anglers.

Making Friends
Declan and Carson at a tournament weigh-in as Junior Anglers.

One thing that really stands out is that most of these kids started kayak fishing at the same time, not knowing each other. Since that first tournament to kick off the 2015 season, these kids have fished nearly 100% of the NSKA events. Carson McBride and Declan McDonald, both 13 at the time, had big aspirations to not only prove their ability, but to beat the adults. Friends since the 4th grade, they were a little surprised to see some other kids trying kayak tourneys for the first time. Brayden Richardson showed up with his dad, Craig. Baron Meek was there with his uncle, Justin Wright.

Jacob Hudson was the first Junior Angler in the group and now competes as an adult.

All four of these kids were in the 8th grade! And we cannot forget the OG: Original Junior Angler Jacob Hudson. Jacob was a couple of years ahead of this new group, and had fished the previous season as the only youth. Jacob now competes in the adult category and has continued to do well as an angler.

Carson and Baron at a High School event.

From that day on, these five kids gravitated to each other at pre-tourney checks, weigh-ins, and on the water. They regularly schedule fishing trips outside of the tourneys. Carson and Baron even teamed up to fish the High School circuits in bass boats.

Jr. Angler Award
Carson receives his first Junior Angler award from Tournament Director Jeff Malott.

The creation of the Jr. Angler award at every tournament really pushed these boy’s competitiveness. I loved watching them show up at weigh-in wondering how each other did, and who was going to win. Through it all, they have enjoyed a great friendship and supported one another. If one does well, the rest are quick to congratulate him. It didn’t take long for the rest of the club to realize that these kids weren’t just there to compete for top Junior Angler.

Winning Ways

These four boys have all finished in the money several times. This season alone, two out of our five NSKA events in 2018 have been won by a Junior Angler. Baron beat a record field of 80+ anglers in our season opener at Beaver Lake South with a crankbait at Natural Walk. Brayden won the other Beaver Lake event, throwing his Neko rig near Beaver Shores. With the Beaver Lake North event approaching, I guarantee you that Carson and Declan are going to give it everything they have to try to outfish the field. These two did show out a little for the River Valley Kayak Anglers event on Ozark City Lake back in April, showing the Fort Smith circuit that the northwest Arkansas kids mean business. They finished 1st and 2nd respectively in this night tournament.

In 2018 the Junior Anglers have been winning adult events. Baron won Beaver Lake South, Brayden won Beaver Lake, and Carson took 1st at Ozark City Lake with Declan finishing 2nd.
Angler of the Year Race

Speaking of Declan and Carson, they both sit at 3rd and 4th place in the NSKA AOY (Angler of the Year) points. It’s anybody’s race to take as there are two events left and anglers get to drop their lowest two scores. A lot can happen when the final fish is caught and scores are tallied. Both of these Junior Anglers are major threats to steal the title from one of the adults.

Junior Angler of the Year Race

While Carson and Declan are eyeing the top AOY spot, another good race to watch is the NSKA Junior Angler of the year award. It’s shaping up to be a close call, just like last year. The first Junior AOY award was in 2015, and was awarded to Baron, who dominated all year. In 2016 the title went to Carson. Last year was a tight race, with Declan and Brayden battling it out for top Junior AOY. What nobody saw coming was Carson’s 2nd place finish in the season finale on Beaver Lake, shooting him up the standings and winning Junior AOY for the 2nd year in a row.

Natural State Kayak Anglers 2015 Junior AOY Baron Meek, 2016 and 2017 Junior AOY Carson McBride
National Recognition
Carson McBride receiving his scholarship at the 2018 Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship.

All four of the current Junior Anglers qualified for the 2018 Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship on Kentucky Lake. Baron had baseball obligations and could not attend, but Carson, Declan, and Brayden all went to Kentucky Lake to try their luck against 752 of the nation’s best. Only a handful of youth fished in the main event, but those that did were obviously just as capable as the adult competitors. KBF does a good job getting youth involved with their Young Guns event and other activities. However, the kids that qualified for the big show want everyone to know they mean business, and rightly so. Some of these kids were there last year and are well known to each other. They are all good sticks. In that event, Carson took top Youth honors with a very respectable 39th place finish overall, a sizable check, and a four-year fishing scholarship to Bethel University.

A Bright Future for the Junior Anglers
Brayden and Carson take a break from kayak fishing and hop in the bass boat.

Within the next year, these four boys will be aging out of the Junior Angler category. I believe all four will be turning 18 before or during the 2019 season. It’s been great fun watching them grow and develop their skills. The adults in this group took them under their wings and have been truly awesome with them. They have been so much fun to watch. Hopefully this group can attract another group of kids to take up the sport of competitive kayak bass fishing. We’ve had a few kids show up and fish an event or two, but never really stuck with it. The next up and comer is Channon Thomas, who has fished several events over the last couple of years with his father, Jason Thomas. Hopefully we will see a new influx of the next round of Junior Anglers. No matter what happens, it’s been fun watching these kids grow into fine young men.

NSKA

NSKA Draw 4 Recap – Hitting the Century Mark

In last week’s tournament preview article there was no indication in the predictions we would see the huge limits turned in by the top finishers. Almost sixty Natural State Kayak Anglers fanned out across five lakes on a hot Saturday in the Ozarks. The five lakes fished were Elmdale, Bob Kidd, Crystal, Lincoln and a late addition of Siloam City Lake due to the size of the field. On a hot summer day the fish weren’t supposed to cooperate, but the leaderboard provided historically big catch totals.

Rance Richardson displays his 21.25″ bass on Lincoln Lake. Rance had a one day total of 102.75″ – Kayakfishingfocus.com
Tournament Results

The last time the NSKA held a Draw 4 event, Lincoln was the skunk of the group of lakes with almost everyone drawing that lake having a terrible outing. The tournament in 2018 was radically different as Lincoln lake showed out for anglers who were fortunate enough to draw that lake.  Of the 58 total participants of the Draw 4 event, 50 (86%) submitted a fish, with 28 (46%) turning in a limit.

Rance Richardson won on Lincoln Lake with a NSKA record 102.75″ followed by Cole Sikes with 94.5″ and Carson McBride in 3rd with 86.25″ also on Lincoln Lake. The top 10 anglers looked like this:

  1.  Rance Richardson – 102.75″ (Lincoln)
  2.  Cole Sikes – 94.5″ (Lincoln)
  3.  Carson McBride – 86.25″ (Lincoln)
  4.  Jason Kincy – 84.25″ (Lincoln)
  5.  Jason Thomas – 78.5″ (Siloam City Lake)
  6. Chad Warford – 78.25″ (Bob Kidd)
  7.  Josh Sherrill- 76.5″ (Lincoln)
  8.  Jason Adams – 75.5″ (Elmdale)
  9.  Kyle Long – 75.5″ (Elmdale)
  10.  Tyler Zengerle – 75.25″ (Siloam City Lake)

Big Bass was a tie between Rance Richardson and Jason Kincy with 21.25″, however Rance Richardson won the tiebreaker to take the title for the day. View all of the NSKA Draw 4 Results on TourneyX. 

Lincoln Lake 21.25″ largemouth tied for first for Big Bass. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
Angler Recaps

The anglers in the money for the day provide a recap of how they got the fish to bite and how they assembled their limits.

1. Overall what approach worked for you in catching your fish?

Rance – I started the morning half way down the dam trying a Whopper Plopper, after a few casts and no luck I quickly moved to a squarebill and medium diving crank bait that I always have good luck on at Lincoln. I tried different plastics with no luck so I decided to stick with the crankbaits and cover a lot of water. Both gave me fish but the bigger ones came off the medium diving crankbait in water 5 feet or less.

Cole – My game plan for the day was to start out fishing shallow and then move out deeper once the sun came out. I started the day off really slow and only had two small dinks and a 15 incher at 10 a.m. I moved out deeper and that’s when I started catching the better quality fish. I was catching them in 10-15 feet of water on a SlowTown Custom jig.

Carson – My approach to this tournament was to try and get a limit early. Which I did, so I just kept fishing and hoped for better bites. All my fish came off of a jig in shallow water around shaded areas.

Jason – My initial plan to burn the banks early with a buzzbait didn’t pay off, and finally worked my way around to the back of the lake and caught some small ones on a Bandit 100 squarebill. I kept trying some of the soft plastics I had planned on but they didn’t yield any catches and when I’d go back to a squarebill I’d catch one. The last couple of hours things really slowed down so I switched to a jig around rocks and that netted me a couple of late culls.

2. All of the top anglers were on the same lake, did that change how you were fishing or mindset knowing others there were doing well?

Rance – I didn’t change the way I was fishing. Cole was making me nervous toward the end when I saw him catch a big one and the leader board was turned off so I didn’t know how close he was.

Cole – I knew Rance was on fire so I knew I needed big fish to even have a chance. I started fishing the deeper rock piles where the fish were not pressured and it paid off for me. I broke off on two other 20+ inch fish that would have made things interesting! It was a really awesome day watching the other guys catch big fish all around me!

Carson – It didn’t change my mindset at all I just kept on doing what I was doing because I knew it was working and I had a ton of confidence with it. I knew the fish were biting based off of what I had heard so I just kept grinding at it.

Jason – I’d had a very slow start and only filled in my limit at around 10:30. Compared to what I was seeing from Carson and Rance (even took a photo of Rance and his big one) I was discouraged and felt like I was out of it. When I finally caught a big one, that let me know maybe I could still make a run at a decent total.

3. Describe your biggest fish catch of the day.

Rance – Biggest one of the day was around 10 a.m. toward the back of the lake. It was very shallow in full sun light so I stuck with that pattern the rest of the day and it was working all around the lake.

Cole – I caught my biggest fish around noon in about 15 feet of water next to some of the big rocks offshore. I knew it was going to be a big fish the way she bit. I set the hook and I was almost certain it was an 8 pounder when I hooked into her because she was so heavy. It turned out to be a 21” fish but pretty sure it weighed at least 6.5 pounds.

Carson – My biggest fish catch of the day was an 18.25 incher and he slammed my jig as I was reeling it back in for another cast.

Jason – I was about to call it an early day, having a small limit and knowing these guys were smashing it, I was pretty pissed off at myself for losing three big fish already. Heading toward the ramp around 11:00 a.m., I had just told Cole I was about to load up and then hooked a 21.25″ fatty on a squarebill. No way I could leave then so I kept going and slowly grew my total. I had about 54″ when I caught the big one and finished with 84.25″ three hours later. Good lesson to never give up.

Other Lake Champs

One of the very cool things about the Draw 4 is the different water brought into play. I asked the top anglers on the other lakes how they caught fish on their lake.

Primarily how’d you catch most of your fish , and when you drew your given lake or got there, what was your overall strategy for the day?

Jason Thomas – Siloam City Lake – Everything I caught was on white Slowtown spinnerbait. And when we drew I was a little bummed to have a lake that I didn’t really know anything about. But after getting there I decided to run the bank quickly with a crankbait just to get to know the lake and maybe pick up a fish or two along the way. After a couple of hours and no fish I was beginning to get worried. Then the wind picked up a little and I decided to go to my spinnerbait. After about twenty minuntes that paid off and all my fish were caught in about a 100 yard strip of bank in about 3 to 5 feet of water.

Josh King – Crystal Lake – Bites were few and far between, but patience paid off by slow fishing a jig. Like most, I’d assume, the plan was to catch everything early on topwater. Then either pick the lake apart to cull or go find some air conditioning. Unfortunately after two hours of no topwater bites, I had to slow it down and grind it out.

Jason Adams – Elmdale (Tie) – Fish bit on three baits. The first on was on a carolina rig in the middle of the lake by the overhead lines. Carson put me on his go to lure and it worked for a 13.25 bass that fell pray to a green lizard. This was around 8 am so I was glad to get on the board. Tried to duplicate it and it didn’t work. I saw Kyle Long pick up one in the back and noticed he was throwing something black. The water was stained so it made perfect sense. So getting a jig made up in black and blue was the ticket to getting the next fish and filled a limit. I had a Skirmish square bill tied on the other rod and that helped me cull two fish that ended up being the largest fish in the livewell at the day. All of these fish came from the same lay down. Noticed if I backed off for about 15 minute it would replenish. The jig produced all day. Hitting the stand ups in shallow water and swimming it back to the boat really produced. Couldn’t believe how many fish there was in 6” to 1’ of water. Typically fish are deeper when its this hot.

Kyle Long – Elmdale (Tie) – I started by going straight across from the ramp and threw a buzzbait a little bit. Since I always have a Texas rig tied on I threw around the first lay down I came to and caught a 12.25″. Then caught an 11.5″ at the next one. Fished along some more and noticed lots of birds and then fish hitting topwater really shallow…inches of water. Threw a frog a little but nothing. Started throwing a Texas rig in the same areas and caught a 16.25″ then another 12.25″. Caught my fifth fish doing the same thing at 8:15 a.m.  Felt good to have a limit by then. By this time I had fished my way down to the shallow end. Kind of outsmarted myself at that point and went back to the deep end to drag a jig deep to try to get some big bites. Should have stayed put in hindsight. Didn’t boat a fish from 8:15-1:00. At around 11:00 a.m. I started targeting lay downs again but the bite had stopped. Threw a drop shot a while, cranked a while, nothing. Went back to fishing a Texas rig at laydowns and caught a 19.5″ at 1:00. I knew from the leaderboard I needed a little more and finally got another 13.75″ on a Wiggle Wart at around 2:20 p.m. Every fish but the last one came in 3 feet of water or less. All my scoreable fish but one came on a black and blue Beaver style bait on a Texas rig. I had only been on the lake once and I thought if I didn’t catch a few early on top I’d have to crank or dropshot deeper to grind out a limit. My strategy changed pretty quickly when the Texas rig bite was on. Of course I left that bite which was a mistake but that 19.5″ midday ended up being the kicker I needed to finish tops on the lake for the day.

Chad Warford – Lake Bob Kidd – I fished Bob Kidd earlier on in the season during the NSKA NWA Roadrunner in May. It was interesting to see how the fish responded then vs. this weekend. I concentrated on three main baits for Bob Kidd based on the current conditions and what I had learned from in May. The bite was a little tougher right out of the gate but by 6:45 a.m. , I had logged 3 fish using a Berkley drop shot green pumpkin minnow. The wind was calm until late into the morning which became my toughest time and didn’t get another bite until just after 11:00 a.m. As the wind picked up, I keyed in on areas that would likely hold fish during windy conditions and indeed, had my next two fish to round out my limit by 11:45 a.m. Now that my limit was secured, it was time to find the bigger fish. As the temperature rose, I adjusted my strategy and searched for the bigger fish deeper. Early on I caught all of my fish in water 4′-8′ deep. As the temperature rose, I began looking for them in 14′-20′. It took almost two hours to key in on a pattern that would allow me to cull a few of my smaller fish. I found an area that did have structure but also dropped off deep, relatively quickly. It wasn’t enough to just find deep water because I tried that all morning and into the early afternoon and it didn’t work. With the wind finally getting after it and the sun scorching the earth (and me), finding a steep drop off, with structure was the key to successful day on Bob Kidd. And of course, not giving up. The conditions were no doubt tough and it would have been easy to call it at noon with a five fish limit, but I tend to do my best when its a challenge and would encourage anyone faced with difficult situation not to give up. Just keep narrowing down your options!

 

NSKA

NSKA 2018 Draw Four – Tournament Preview

If the NWA Road Runner is the Kentucky Derby of the NSKA schedule, then the Draw Four is the World Series of Poker, where your draw may determine your fortunes. How a particular lake matches up with an angler’s skill set or experience on that water will play a big key in who takes home the money. Get ready to adapt, overcome and improvise on either Lake Elmdale, Lincoln Lake, Lake Bob Kidd, or Crystal Lake.

These four lakes are hotbeds for kayak fishing activity in the area and everyone has a favorite among these. Small lakes in the heat of summer will be a great challenge for NSKA competitors.

Lake Elmdale has been the site of many NWA yakpots. – Source: kayakfishingfocus.com
Draw 4 History

The last Draw 4 for NSKA was back in 2016, and consisted of the same four area lakes. In that event, 38 of the 50 anglers (76%) turned in a keeper and 15 of 50 (30%) submitted a limit.  The winning total was 72″ and Big Bass was 17.5″ in length.  This has not been a big limit total event.

The 2016 top 10 finishers, lake and total inches are below:

  1.  Jackie Wright, Crystal, 72″
  2.  Justin Phillips, Bob Kidd, 71.25
  3.  Vince Minnick, Bob Kidd, 66.25″
  4.  Jason Kincy, Crystal, 66″
  5.  Michael Sandlin, Elmdale, 64.75″
  6.  Benny Williams, Bob Kidd, 64.5″
  7.  John Evans, Crystal, 64.25″
  8.  Baron Meek, Crystal, 64.25″
  9.  Jeff Malott, Crystal, 64.25″
  10.  Jeff Her, Elmdale, 63.5″
Lake Previews

Lake Elmdale – This is a very popular lake for kayak anglers and is in an easy location, just off of I-540. Lots of anglers have fished yakpots on this lake and many will probably be rooting to draw this one based on familiarity. Overall, not a very deep lake, but different types of structure with both shallow flats and steep banks. This year there seems to be shallow moss flourishing which will be frustrating to some anglers.

Lincoln Lake – This is one of the legit big fish lakes in all of Arkansas. Those who fish this honey hole often have pulled out some massive bass. The challenge with this lake is getting a limit to go along with your lunker. Amazing rock formations and grass lines are the key features for this crescent shaped lake. If you pull five keepers on Lincoln, you have a very good chance to win the tournament.

The bluffs of Lincoln Lake are the signature feature of this crescent shaped lake. – Source: Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
The main dock by the ramp at Lake Bob Kidd. – Source: KUAF

Lake Bob Kidd – Not too far from Lincoln Lake sits Lake Bob Kidd, another lake known for having some good size bass. This lake has lost some of its normal lily pads and other vegetation but still is ringed by large grass beds along most of the banks. This is one of the very few (if only) small lakes in NW Arkansas with some standing timber, setting it apart from the rest. In 2016 Bob Kidd was a player in the rankings.

The airstrip is one of the things that makes Crystal Lake unique. Source: airport-data.com

Crystal Lake – Used to be known as a dink fest lake, but in past years has improved in quality. Limits will be plenty at Crystal, the fish are numerous and usually bite. This lake has two launch points, one being the main ramp on the west end, and the other is a gravel area on the far east shallow end. I call this the “panty” end of the lake, because one morning we found the largest pair of women’s underwear I’ve ever seen laying on the bank…so use this launch with caution. The dominant feature of this lake is an airstrip that runs parallel to a good portion of it’s length. The winner of the 2016 Draw 4 and many of the top 10 came from Crystal.

Angler Predictions

NSKA anglers Tim Hotchkin, Taylor Frizzell and Kyle Fields participated in a roundtable to share their insights and predictions.

Of the four lakes (Lincoln, Crystal, Bob Kidd and Elmdale) which one do you think is most likely to produce the winner and why?

Tim – I think Elmdale will pull off the W. There are a lot of fish in that lake and everyone seems to be able to catch them there. It will take someone finding 1-2 good ones there and then to round out a limit. The wild card is Lincoln if the bite is right. It will be incredibly hard to beat with it being a summer pattern, that could be a large if though.

Taylor – I think Lincoln will be the winning lake. It’s one of those small lakes that tends to give up a couple nice ones whether you know the lake or not. If the conditions are right it can produce winning number.

How does someone best prepare for a tournament when they don’t know where they are going until the night before?

Tim – I think it is just focusing on what you are good at. It’s tough to get a true pattern on 4 lakes not knowing which you will end up at. I plan to just go out with my normal set ups and adapt based on what I figure out through the day. If the day starts slow stay calm and try and figure out what the fish are doing. I have only fished one of the lakes this year so unless I get that one I will have no idea what to expect but my plan will be the same regardless what I draw.

Taylor – Preparing for this one was tough. Luckily there was enough time in advance to make some trips and check out the lakes. I might get the one I want, I might not but at least I’ve been on all of our options either way.

What is your prediction for winning length and Big Bass?

Tim – I think it will take 78.5″ to win. Big bass will be 20.25″ as each of these lakes hold quality fish and someone will find one.

Taylor – Winning length will be somewhere around 83.5″ total with a 22″ Big Bass.

Reminders

  • Captain’s meeting at the Grove in Lowell at 6:00 on Friday
  • Can be on the water at 5:15 a.m. and lines in at 5:30 a.m., lines out at 3:00 p.m.
  • Weigh-in on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. at the Grove in Lowell
  • Wear your PFD
  • Do not crowd others, or cut off other anglers. If you are worried you are too close, you are probably too close.

Sign up for the NSKA Draw 4 on Tourney X. 

 

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake – Tournament Recap

A hot June Saturday greeted the Natural State Kayak Anglers to Beaver Lake along with 90+ degree temps, a poly-flake blend boat tournament, wake boarders and tough fishing conditions on the Dead Sea. The NSKA event produced a big turnout of 63 anglers who scattered across the lake from Twin Bridges down to Beaver Dam.

Brayden Richardson took 1st place in the NSKA Beaver Lake event.

 

Although the lake was stingy, overall the fishing wasn’t among the toughest historically on the Dead Sea, with 23 of 63 (37%) turning in a limit, and a robust 84% (53 of 63) turning in a keeper.  These numbers may seem huge when NSKA returns to Beaver Lake in August.

Top Anglers

Junior angler Brayden Richardson took first place with 77″ on the day with 17″ being his big fish of the day.  Jeriamy Vann took second with 75.5″ followed by Declan McDonald and Roy Roberts with 74.75″ each. Big Bass was won by Toua Khang with a 20.25″ largemouth.

Toua Khang won Big Bass on Beaver lake with this 20.25″ largemouth bass.

 

The top 10 finishers were:
  1. Brayden Richardson
  2. Jeriamy Vann
  3. Declan McDonald
  4. Roy Roberts
  5. John Evans
  6. Jason Cowell
  7. Tyler Zengerle
  8. Lloyd Mize
  9. Clay Johnson
  10. Carson McBride
Angler Recaps

The top finishers of the event share where they went and how they got the fish to bite in this roundtable recap.

Where did you go on Beaver Lake and why did you choose that place?

Brayden – I fished the event at Beaver shores; originally I was going to head to Van Winkle, but with my dad not fishing the event I chose to go to the area I was most comfortable with and prefished some.

Jeriamy – Horseshoe Bend due to familiarity with the area.

Declan – I went to the north end of Beaver lake around Kirk Hollow after seeing the lake went down and the fish weren’t in the bushes I thought it would be my best chance to catch a limit.

Roy – I started the day near the dam at Lost Bridge Marina. I am the most comfortable fishing clear water so this has been my go to area on Beaver Lake. Later in the day I made a move to the mid-lake area.

In general how did you catch them, what techniques and anything noteworthy you did?

Brayden – Early morning treated me well with a 17″ on a Whopper Plopper. Soon after that I realized I left some of my key plastics In the truck and has to pedal back so I missed out on more topwater time. As soon as the sun came out I switched to my old reliable, a 4″ trick worm Neko rigged. I was fishing it right off the rock shelves from about 4 feet of water to 15 feet in the back of coves.

Jeriamy – I fish jigs…mostly. I got lucky.

Declan – I started the morning throwing a Whopper Plopper and a weightless fluke. After I worked a good section of bank and had no bites I picked up a Ned rig and worked a point and got a 18 incher so I fished the rest of the day with the Ned rig.

Roy – I caught 10 keepers on the day. The two baits that were producing for me were a Balsa Pro topwater and a 3/4 oz Jewel Football Jig in PBJ.

What is the key to fishing in the summer in your opinion?

Brayden – To me the key to summer fishing is fishing early in shallow water near deep water where they will head later in the day. All my fish came before 10:00 a.m. so the early bite was key.

Declan – I think the key to summer fishing is to get on the water early morning or late evening into night. For me the bite shuts off around 10:00 or 11:00 a.m.  A big thing for tournament fishing is to keep grinding it out through the day and keep a good mindset.

Roy – Summer is my least favorite time to fish. To me the fish are less predictable and harder to pattern. A couple tips I would suggest are always pay attention to shady areas and don’t be afraid to use big baits. I would much prefer to fish at night this time of year.

Anything else happen you want to mention or say?

Declan – After changing my mind two days before the tournament about where I was going to go I was nervous about it being the wrong move, but after catching a good fish I felt a lot better about it. Later around 8:00 or so the rod I was throwing my Ned rig on broke, it was hard not to be negative about it but I had to get another rod and keep fishing hard. A big key to tournament fishing is to not give up and keep fishing hard.

Roy – Last Saturday I got to practice and noticed several fish hanging out around a particular dock. I started at this dock and caught a double on the topwater right off the bat, a 14.25” and 15.5”. This really gave me a boost for the rest of the morning. I made a move up the lake and picked out a point with lots of wind and waves that I had never fished. This quickly paid off with a 15” and a 15.5” Smallmouth.

Next up for the Natural State Kayak Anglers is the Draw 4 event on July 14th, watch for more information coming soon.