The 2025 Moments by Mandie Photography Classic Championship and Eco Fishing Shop Trail finale on Beaver Lake delivered a championship weekend full of surprise twists and some great performances, perfectly capping off a great season by a talented group of bass anglers. The fickle nature of Beaver Lake, despite beautiful weather, proved to be the defining trend of the weekend, resulting in a dramatic leaderboard “flip” on Day 2 as the Dead Sea had one last laugh for 2025.

Classic Championship Results: The Day 1 Jinx

The most significant trend of the Classic was the massive shift in performance between the two days of competition. Consistently in a two day tournament this time of year can be challenging, and the top finishers were the ones who could keep it together.

• Only one angler from the Day 1 Top 5—Levi Schneider—managed to put together a quality Day 2 bag and finish in the money.
• Day 1 leaders like Josh Landreth (1st after Day 1 with 86.25″) and Nate Higgins (2nd after Day 1 with 84.25″) and Jason Kincy (3rd with 83.75″) and Richard Souvannaraj (4th with 83.75″) tumbled out of the final cash spots after day two, finishing 7th, 8th, 17th, and 18th, respectively.
• The ultimate top finishers (Schneider, Zengerle, and Hall) all found a way to significantly improve or maintain their standing on a tougher Day 2, demonstrating their consistency and performance under pressure.
• For the event overall, an extremely strong 7.29 Fish Per Hour ratio showed that the best anglers in NSKA were ripping a lot of lips overall, even with some of the various individual struggles.

The Top Finishers: Schneider’s Dominance

The top prizes were ultimately claimed by those who mastered the Day 2 conditions.

Rank	Angler	Day 1 Total	Day 2 Total	Grand Total	Payout	Notes
1st	Levi Schneider	83.50″	89.25″	172.75″	$1,000	Only Day 1 Top 5 angler to maintain a quality bag; also won Day 2 Big Bass (20.0″).
2nd	Tyler Zengerle	76.50″	85.00″	161.50″	$500	Surged from 10th on Day 1 with the second-best Day 2 performance.
3rd	John Hall	81.25″	80.00″	161.25″	$300	The most consistent performance (81.25″ and 80.0″), vaulting him to 2nd in the final AOY race.

Levi Schneider capped a truly dominating season by taking the Classic title with an incredible 172.75″ two-day total. He was the only angler from the Day 1 Top 5 to figure out the Day 2 bite, landing a monster 89.25″ bag. This performance also included the Day 2 Big Bass, a 20-inch giant, earning him an additional $150.

The 2023 Angler of the Year, Tyler Zengerle, made an awesome surge, climbing all the way from 10th on Day 1 to claim 2nd place with a strong 85.0″ Day 2 bag and a total of 161.5″. Rounding out the podium was John Hall, whose consistent performance (81.25″ and 80.0″) secured a 3rd place finish with 161.25″ and a $300 prize, finishing the year 2nd in the AOY standings.

The Rest of the Recap: Cashers, Big Fish, and Year-End Honors

The Other Check Cashers:

Jim Hall finished just off the podium in 4th place with a consistent 155.0″ total (76.5″ and 78.5″), earning him $200 for his best finish of the season. Kyle Long was the final angler to cash a check in 5th place, using a late Day 1 cull to get to 75.5″, which he parlayed into a solid 78.25″ on Day 2 for a total of $100.

Rank	Angler	Grand Total	Payout
4th	Jim Hall	155.0″	$200
5th	Kyle Long	153.75″	$100

Big Bass and Top 10

The overall Big Bass for the event went to Jason Kincy, who landed a 20.5-inch Largemouth on his third cast of Day 1, earning a prize of $250. The remainder of the Top 10 saw:

• 6th: Seth Jones (152.5″)
• 7th: Josh Landreth (151.5″)
• 8th: Nate Higgins (149.75″)
• 9th: Dwain Batey (149.5″)
• 10th: Kase Ingram (144.5″)

Year-End Awards

The banquet also recognized anglers for their season-long accomplishments, which included:

• Team Champs: Levi Schneider, Dwain Batey, Bobby Hogan, Adam Cawthon, and Taylor West split a $1,500 team prize.
• Biggest Bass of the Year: Austin Nims with a 22.0-inch giant.
• Metal Central Heavy Hitters Champion: Levi Schneider, whose 5-fish total of 99.5″ set an NSKA competition record and earned him $385.
• Strike King Rookie of the Year: Kase Ingram was honored with a $200 prize and trophy after a tight race with Austin Nims.
• Ketch Products Inc. Angler of the Year (AOY): Levi Schneider sealed his phenomenal year with the ultimate title. His 2025 season included three victories, a 2nd, a 3rd, a 5th, and a 6th place finish—a total of seven top-6 finishes, an epic level of consistency.

The final, and perhaps most meaningful, award of the night went to Mandie Adams, who was recognized as the 2025 Sportsperson of the Year. This honor, voted on by her peers, acknowledges the angler who best embodies the ideals of sportsmanship, dedication, and support within the club.

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Angler Roundtable – Classic Championship Edition

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

Levi – I went to Indian Creek both days because all of my areas I caught them at in the Crucible were still producing during pre-fishing and I never found anything better elsewhere.

Tyler – I chose to go to Indian Creek both days because that is the part of the lake I have the most confidence in this time of year. With the water being so clear, I can usually fish to my strengths – finesse style.

John – I went to the back of Big Clifty both days. I actually went there during the Crucible as well, but started toward the mouth of Clifty and only caught 65″. By the end of the day though, I had made it to the very back of it and had a flurry of bites, and while it didn’t amount to much during the Crucible, I had a feeling it had the potential to set up really good during the Classic a few weeks later as we got further into the fall transition. I practiced in one other spot after the Crucible but only had about 65″ there as well, so I decided to go back to Clifty and my gut feeling about its potential paid off.

Overall, what were some of the baits or techniques you used to catch your limits?

Levi – Day 1 was a mix of a Dice Bait, small jighead minnow, and my flutter spoon using both the crappie and shad Strike Force scents. Day 2 was all Whopper Plopper and flutter spoon both applied with the Shad Strike force scent.

Tyler – I tried a few baits like a wake bait, Whopper Plopper, and a fluke, but couldn’t get those to work. I did most of my damage on a shakey head and a micro football jig, with the bigger fish off the jig.

John – On day 1 I went straight to the back of Clifty and started throwing a small buzzbait. I ended up catching fish on it until 11:00. I hit a lull for a couple hours and started throwing a medium diving crankbait down some bluffy banks halfway up the creek arm and caught an 18″ Smallmouth that moved me up into 7th. On day two I tried to duplicate the buzzbait bite, but only caught two or three on it in the first couple hours of the day, so I bailed on that and went back to the crankbait and started catching them again.

How did day one and day two differ, what adjustments did you have to make?

Levi – Day 1 the fish were acting super skittish so I knew finesse was gonna be the deal until the sun got high enough to start spooning them. Day 2 I just had the idea of trying different starting areas until I could go swing on them hard in my big fish area. I wasn’t ever worried about anything changing after day 1 and in fact knew the lack of cloud cover would most likely only make my bite stronger.

Tyler – The biggest difference was I had to start heading back to the ramp around 1pm on day 1 to attend a wedding. Really shortened my day by a couple hours. After day 1, I also figured out a lot of the fish were not on the main lake banks and were mostly towards the middle to backs of coves. Knowing that, I decided to abandon starting at the main lake and head straight towards the cove where I caught most of my fish day 1.

John – There was a strong buzzbait bite on day one and I really felt like I could duplicate it or even expand my area with it on day two, but they just didn’t seem to be as aggressive, so I pivoted and started throwing the crankbait. I’m not sure what changed between day 1 and 2, but I was super thankful that I had found the crankbait bite at the end of day 1 so that I could quickly change to that and still feel confident in what I was throwing.

What were you thinking after day one? What was on your mind overnight?

Levi – After day one all I was thinking about was to remember to wear my bibs and a hoodie so I didn’t freeze my butt off in the morning and just burn all of my best areas to the ground. The only thing I was thinking about overnight was where to start on day two which I ultimately decided to just feel it out in the morning. That decision led to my best topwater bites of the year with the Whopper Plopper.

Tyler – I knew I needed a limit of 85”+ in order to have a shot at a trophy. There were too many good limits day 1 that I couldn’t afford a mediocre limit. I didn’t stress myself out though. I just told myself I’m going to do the same thing I did day 1, just better.

John – After day 1 I was feeling pretty good, but wasn’t sure if I could get another 80-inch bag in the same area. I didn’t have any other areas that I felt confident in though, so I just went back at it on day 2 and made adjustments quickly.

Other than in the Classic, what fish catch was the most important or consequential of the year for you?

Levi – My most critical fish was actually a lost fish. I had three solid fish in the Tenkiller event and had already lost two others. I finally got a big Smallie to bite in the last hour and got it all the way to the kayak before it made one final dig and came off. That fish was the one that flipped a switch in me to really go all in on the rest of the year.

Tyler – The most important fish for me was an 18” Largemouth I caught at 1pm on a point at the Crucible. That was my last cull of the tournament, and I think I only caught 1-2 fish after that. Without that, I do not think I would’ve made the top 10. I’m also convinced that I caught that same fish during the Classic which was a couple weeks after the Crucible, because I caught an 18” largemouth on that same point, making almost the exact same cast and was also caught close to 1pm.

John – I can’t think of a specific fish that was “most important”. I didn’t catch any monsters this year, but consistently caught quality 15-17″ fish in most of our tournaments, which are the ones you have to have in order to be competitive against this group of guys and gals. This was my third year fishing with NSKA, and it was a good one. Looking forward to next year!

Angler of the Year

As you know, Levi Schneider won the Angler of the Year in a year-long awesome performance. Here is the top 25 AOY rankings.

See you all next season with the Natural State Kayak Anglers!

NSKA returned to Missouri for the second time in 2025 for the Cherokee Casino Table Rock West event and had some pretty interesting conditions. Table Rock was as high as I’ve ever fished it for a tournament, and there were some pop-up thunderstorms and heavy rain showers rolling through some random areas. With so much water up in the bushes, trees, and cover, anglers had many options on how they wanted to try and catch fish.

Overall, the fishing was pretty good in this event with an average FPA of 6.8, which is a really good number of fish caught and submitted. Levi Schneider took first place with a hefty 92.75″, with Tyler Cokley taking second with 88.50″, and Christa Hibbs in third with 86.75″ on the day. Levi also won Big Bass with a 20″ largemouth bass – which contributed not only to this win, but his concurrent win in the All-American Table Rock event that same day!

Bobby Hogan won the Trash Fish prize with a 32″+ catfish, and Jason Kincy won the ‘Dead Middle’ prize for finishing in the middle of the standings.

Angler Roundtable

Top finishers Levi Schneider, Tyler Cokley, and Christa Hibbs shared their day on the water that won them a trophy!

What part of TR did you go to and why?

Levi – I went to the kings river because it had the most consistent bite of bigger largemouth compared to every other section the the lake I pre-fished .

Tyler – Baxter area, I’m familiar with the area and I know it fishes good when the water is up in the trees this time of year.

Christa – I launched at Campbell Point. I chose this spot because it has some good channel swing banks and off shore spots.

What overall techniques caught most of your fish?

Levi – I caught every single one of my fish on a white flutter spoon and a glide bait.

Tyler – My biggest fish and one other that was apart of my limit was on a 6” Magdraft skipping it up in the trees. The rest of my fish all came on a 10” worm.

Christa – I caught all my fish on a jig head minnow.

Some rain and storm rolled through, did it impact your day and how?

Levi – Not hardly at all. I just threw my rain jacket on (didn’t even bother with the bibs) and kept fishing while a group of people cheered me on from the dock I was fishing at the time. Once the rain quit I took it off and continued on my way.

Tyler – Nope. Put the rain gear on quickly and kept moving along.

Christa – When the weather was starting to move in, I decided to go scan docks. This allowed me to be closer to shallow banks, in the event I needed to get off the water. I ended up finding some cull fish around those docks. Overall it had a positive impact on my day.

How do you stay hydrated in hot weather? Any tips? What do you drink?

Levi – I always bring 3 Gatorades with me every fishing trip and then especially this time of year I try to drink enough water everyday.

Tyler – I always drink an LMNT hydration pack in the mornings of hot tournaments, then just keep water handy through out the day.

Christa – A few days before a summer tourney, I will start increasing my hydration level. On tourney day I start the day with a sugar free Liquid I.V. and water. Throughout the day I will drink Powerade and water. I pack fruit and some form of protein to have while on the water to help fuel me through the day.

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Angler of the Year

The AOY race is really taking shape. Levi Schneider is in the lead and has a good cushion. It isn’t over if someone else gets hot, but he definitely is in a good position. A few tournaments are left as well as the Classic, which counts double. The top 25 make the Classic Championship and we can see below who is in as of today. Beware though, as anglers replace low finishes and zeroes, this will shake up a lot down the stretch!

Heavy Hitters

Just like the AOY race, Levi has a good lead in Heavy Hitters. However, this can change if an angler catches some bigs in the last event. Seems like this year is a down year for big bass overall in the tournaments. Anglers to watch to make a move include Josh Landreth, Jake Wilkie, and Tony Sorluangsana. They all have some decent fish that they can add to for a bigger total.

August is a prime month for bass fishing, offering anglers a unique challenge as the summer heat pushes bass into specific patterns. Understanding these patterns and adjusting your strategy can make all the difference in landing those trophy bass, or at least not going home skunked.

1. Early Morning and Late Evening Bites

During August, bass tend to avoid the midday heat, becoming most active during the cooler parts of the day. Target the early morning and late evening hours when the water is cooler, and the bass are more likely to be feeding aggressively. Look for shallow areas with plenty of cover like weed beds, lily pads, or fallen trees.

2. Focus on Deeper Water During the Day

As the sun climbs higher, bass retreat to deeper, cooler waters. Utilize deep-diving crankbaits, Texas-rigged worms, or jigs to reach these bass. Drop-offs, ledges, and submerged structures are key areas to focus on when the sun is high. Most of the time bass anglers are not fishing deep enough in the summer. A great place to start on a highland reservoir is 15-20 feet deep and adjust from there.

3. Choose the Right Bait

In August, natural baits that mimic the bass’s local forage are most effective. Soft plastic worms, crawfish imitations, and shad-like crankbaits are excellent choices. Don’t be afraid to experiment with colors; sometimes a slight change can make a big difference. Generally, bass will chase baits early and late, but during the day they want a slower presentation.

4. Stay Patient and Persistent

August can be tough, with bass sometimes seeming elusive. Patience is key—stay focused, keep moving, and try different spots and techniques. The reward of landing a big summer bass makes the effort worthwhile. Maintain appropriate expectations while bass fishing in August. It’s going to be tougher than in spring, but you can do it!

5. Consider Night Fishing

If you’re up for a new challenge, consider night fishing for bass. As the temperature drops, bass become more active, and night fishing can yield some of the biggest catches of the season. Use dark-colored baits that create a silhouette against the moonlight for the best results. Plastic worms and jigs are my go-to for night bass fishing.

Final Thoughts

Bass fishing in August is all about adapting to the conditions, and not giving up if the bite is tough. By targeting the right times of day, focusing on deeper water, and choosing the right baits, you can increase your chances of success. Embrace the summer heat and get out on the water—the bass are waiting!

This weekend is the NWA NSKA Road Runner, historically an event that brings in some big limits and big fish. As usual we’re doing a Road Runner preview because it is a very unique event and covers many bodies of water.

There may be something surprising in the numbers though when you look back at the past four years and which lakes have produced the biggest winning limits. We took a look at some data and examined the top 15 limits in the past four seasons. Which lake produces the most big winner winner chicken dinner limits?

The Top 15

Below is a chart showing the top 15 one-day five fish limit totals from 2018-2022. It also shows the Lake, Event, Angler and what month it took place. What do we see in this chart?

First of all, there are a few surprises in here to me. Extremely fickle Lincoln Lake has burned angler after angler on road runner day, but in 2018 Rance Richardson caught a massive 102.75″ limit on that date. The next largest one day limit of the past three years was on a lake that was not publicly identified – so no help there… Beyond that, it’s not surprising to see Siloam Springs make some appearances, but the shocking development is that Beaver Lake is on this list THREE times! Yes, the Dead Sea, Beaver Lake has produced three of the biggest winning bags in the last three years. Same for Table Rock lake which has surpassed the 88″ mark multiple times.

Some Historical Context

A few additional pieces of history for context around this subject. As I did some research, Road Runners is the one event type where the limit totals have not skyrocketed in the past couple of years. Most other events are taking bigger and bigger limits to win, but Road Runners have actually had huge totals consistently each of the past four seasons. Speaking of Siloam City Lake…it has been pretty amazing. It has accounted for the winning total in five of the past six pure road runners. Don’t get too excited though – unless your name is Dwain Batey this may not help you much – that lake is a tough nut to crack. And this can’t hold up again, right? Table Rock has been a smash fest every time since NSKA began going there in 2021 and may be the safest bet for a decent bag and the right bite can win it. Elmdale and Lincoln are tantalizing options that have the fish that can win but have been very inconsistent.

What does it all mean?

This tells us a few things:

1. If you want to win, there are certain lakes not on this list you better be wary of.
2. Several lakes can give you a shot to win – Siloam City Lake, Beaver Lake, Lincoln and Table Rock are all in bounds and have produced giant limits at least once. (as has Lake X, but shhh)
3. It’s going to take 91+ to win. The last five pure Road Runners in NWA have been won with at least 91.5″ and four at 93″ or more.
4. Finally, no individual angler dominates this top 15 list. A few have multiple listings, but nobody has more than three. It’s anybody’s ballgame – don’t think otherwise!

Have Fun, Go Fishing

Everyone have a good time this weekend. As much as I hate road runners, it is a chance to spend the day fishing where you want to and fishing how you want to. That’s a great day. Have fun, be safe and swing for the fences!

When the winter storm hit I spent some time shopping for tackle online. Two weeks later when the box arrived, I had completely forgotten what I ordered! So, thought it might be fun to open it up on camera and talk about whatever pre-spawn baits were in the box. Check it out!

• 2025 NWA NSKA Classic Championship Recap / AOY / End of Season Awards
• 2025 NSKA Beaver Lake Crucible / AOY Race / Heavy Hitters
• 2025 NWA NSKA Roadrunner Recap / AOY / HH
• 2025 Eucha + Spavinaw NSKA Recap / AOY / Heavy Hitters
• NSKA NWA Table Rock 2.0 Recap / AOY / Heavy Hitters

Welcome to the 2020 NSKA Heavy Hitter Side Pot – a season-long big bass showdown combining your best five bass from the NSKA NWA tournament season.

How to join the Roster of Competitors and WIN $$

1. Enter the Heavy Hitter competition by sending your entry of $10 to commissioner Roy Roberts. The sooner you enter, the sooner you can start counting your big fish. Visit the Heavy Hitters PayPal pool site to register and pay your entry. Sign up at any point, but the deadline to sign up is Friday, March 27, if you want a fish from Saturday’s Siloam Springs Road Runner to count toward your total.
2. Your name goes on the Roster of competitors below. Results and rankings will be kept and displayed on Kayakfishingfocus.com all season long.
3. Compete in NSKA NWA regular season AOY events and catch big bass. your biggest fish from each regular season event can count toward your limit. There are seven eligible events and you take the best fish from five of them to create your largest limit.
4. Winner takes all the $$, the glory and the title of NSKA NWA Heavy Hitter Champion.

2020 Heavy Hitters

Roy Roberts

Cole Sikes

Devon Esry

Jason Kincy

Kyle Long

Tyler Zengerle

Joe Baird

David Roberds

Andrew Newsome

Alex Girenko

Kevin Tadda

Mike Fohner

Jon Wofford

Ryan Paskiewicz

Jason Adams

Jeriamy Vann

Christa Hibbs

Bo Sarratt

Michael Burgess

James Haeberle

Justin Phillips

Joshua Meyers

Jose Garcia

Jonathan Swann

Eligible Events – Your largest bass from be eligible to count toward your Heavy Hitters best five limit.

3/28 Roadrunner
5/2 Beaver
5/16 King of the String
6/6 Lake Fort Smith
6/20 Roadrunner
7/18 Beaver South
8/22 Beavertown

The winner will be announced after the 8/22 Beavertown tournament.

Winter is a great time to get out and catch some big ones. Bella Vista bass fishing can be very good in the winter time. These bass from Lake Ann and Lake Windsor in Bella Vista came in the cold days near the end of the 2018.

Norman Deep Middle N Crankbait on steep shorelines in 46 degree water caught this 20.5″ largemouth below. The bottom photo was caught from a kayak on Lake Ann off one of the windy points on a cloudy day. Give Bella Vista bass fishing a try in cold weather.