Tag Archives: Beaver Lake

NSKA

NSKA Road Runner Preview – Hot as a Firecracker

Kick the tires and light the fires, it’s time for NWA NSKA to sprint across Northwest Arkansas in search of bass in the summer heat. The NSKA Road Runner is one of the best tournaments of the year with kayak anglers checking out new water in search of fish or banking on their favorite honey hole to come up big. This year looks to be another tough one with a long stretch of summer temps in the 90s leading up to tournament weekend.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Because this is a road runner, ALL eligible water is off limits after Wednesday, July 10, not just where you plan to fish. Swepco, Lake Prairie Grove and Bella Vista Lakes are NOT ELIGIBLE for this event, nor are any private access areas, launches or take out points. The boundaries are 30 miles from Boar’s Nest in Rogers.

Boundaries for the 2019 NWA NSKA Road Runner.
History Says The Roadrunner Can Be Won Anywhere

A quick look at the lakes with wins from the past Road Runners shows that there’s no monopoly on where to catch the right fish in summertime. It’s more a matter of the right angler on the right lake on the right day.  Past road runner results in order of First, Second and Third.

2015 – Beaver Lake, Crystal Lake, Lincoln Lake

2016 – Beaver Lake, Siloam City Lake, Bob Kidd

2017 – Elmdale, Elmdale, Swepco (off limits in 2019)

2018 – Siloam City Lake, Siloam City Lake, Beaver Lake

In 2018, almost all of the anglers (93%) carded a keeper and a stout 65% turning in a limit. Getting to pick where you want to fish gives anglers and advantage to put their best foot forward and find water that suits them.

I just can’t wait to get on the road again…the life I love is goin’ fishing with my friends. And I can’t wait to get on the road again.
Breakdown of the Fisheries

It’s a long list, but here are some of the key bodies of water that anglers will be fanning out to in search of bass. For each body of water I’ve listed my (PB) and a one-liner description.

Beaver Lake (21.5) – The Dead Sea has been a major player in past Road Runners and is a “spot lake” where anglers can find a place they feel comfortable.

Beavertown (18.5) – One of the most scenic fisheries in the area with a strong population of bass, from Holiday Island marina up to the bridge and beyond.

Elmdale (21.5) – Also a major player in past Road Runners of the past. Elmdale has had a bad rep this year but word on the street is it’s been rebounding lately and the muck is disappearing. Could it get hot?

Lincoln (20.5) – A big bass lake that historically hasn’t performed well on tournament day. Last year was the exception to the rule, will it happen again or will the fickle lake strike back?

Lake Wilson (20.5) – This little lake has some massive fish and gets almost no pressure. If you like to fish a frog and vegetation this could be a hidden gem.

Crystal Lake (18.5) – Crystal Lake is the Steady Eddie of the group, always seems to be in the mix somehow. Although big fish are harder to find, there have been many 20+ caught there.

Bob Kidd (19.5) – A really nice lake with a bit of everything from riprap to timber to grass, could be a real dark horse this year.

Shadow Lake (21) – This is one of my favorite summertime and wintertime haunts to catch fish. Float the Elk and land in Shadow, that’s a great summer Saturday.

Siloam City Lake (19.5) – Some real bruisers live in this shallow lake which is why it’s been in the money several times in the past and rivals Swepco for monthly online tournament giants.

Some others I don’t fish as much include Lake Wedington, Lake Fayetteville, Illinois River (within 30 miles), War Eagle, White River.

Top Angler Previews

Established tournament anglers Kyle Long and Roy Roberts provide their take on what might happen in this year’s Road Runner. Are they giving the inside scoop or spinning some dock talk?

The winner will come from which three bodies of water?

Roy – Siloam City Lake, Lincoln or Beaver Lake.

Kyle – I honestly have zero clue. Conventional wisdom says maybe Lincoln, Siloam City Lake, or possibly Elmdale but I also would not be surprised if Lincoln and Siloam put up some zeros and Elmdale with the muck is unfishable in most places. I’ve zeroed fishing on Lincoln plenty and Siloam is as finicky of a lake as there is. Dark horse…I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in the money fishes Beaver.

Summer heat fishing, is a limit or big fish more important and why?

Roy – There are several places where I think a person can pretty easily catch a limit in this tournament. Catching a limit of 15” or better fish should finish near the top. One giant and a bunch of squeakers usually is not the best formula. So overall I think quality bites are what to look for not necessarily number of bites or spend all day looking for a giant.

Kyle – In any tournament, no matter what season I think a limit is always the goal. Big fish are a bonus but sometimes, when it’s tough, get your five, get some AOY points, and live to fight another day. And it’s tough right now.

What’s a body of water you are staying away from and why?

Roy – I really haven’t ruled anything out. We have small lakes, big lakes, and rivers that could all produce good limits. There are a couple small lakes likely to attract a crowd that I might try to avoid for that reason.

Kyle – All options are open for me. I mean all options. I know that’s a cop out answer so I’ll pick one. Where do I think a zero is the highest likelihood? Lincoln. It’s the epitome of a coin flip lake. Feast or famine. Doesn’t mean I won’t give it a shot if I need to upgrade a dink limit but I’d rather play it safe…probably why I won’t win.

Winning length and big bass?

Roy – 88.5” to win and 21.75″ for Big Bass.

Kyle – Too many good sticks in this club to think that anything under about 84” will have a shot so I’ll say 85.25”…And Big Bass…21”

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READ: TOP TEN NWA NSKA ANGLERS 2017-2019 – WHO IS MONEY?

READ: NSKA NWA RECAP – BELLA VISTA NIGHT OPS

 

 

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake North Recap – The Perfect Storm

For the third time in 2019, Natural State Kayak anglers took to Beaver Lake in mid-May as focus shifted down lake to the northern end below the Hwy 12 bridge. The streak continued for Beaver Lake showing out by producing a lot of fish for the anglers. The spawn, rising water and overcast skies set up a perfect storm for anglers.

Out of 59 total kayak anglers, 54 (92%) turned in at least one bass, while a very strong 83% (49) of anglers had a limit. This was the highest limit percentage of any NSKA event on Beaver Lake.

Winning Anglers

Overall the numbers were strong and fish were plentiful. Dwain Batey took first place with 90.25″, followed by Roy Roberts with 86.5″, Craig Wood with 84.75″ and Christa Hibbs in fourth with 81.25″ total. Big Bass went to Dwain Batey with 20.5″ which is a very good sized bass for Beaver.

Top Ten Finishers:

  1. Dwain Batey
  2. Roy Roberts
  3. Craig Wood
  4. Christa Hibbs
  5. Justin Brewer
  6. Dylan Kelley
  7. Kyle Long
  8. Carson McBride
  9. Jonathan Brewer
  10. Devon Esry
Dwain Batey takes 1st place and Big Bass in the NSKA Beaver Lake North tournament in May 2019.
 Angler Recaps

The top four finishers were kind enough to share how they found the fish and got them to bite. Here’s a brief recap and some other good info from the best of the event – Dwain Batey, Roy Roberts, Craig Wood and Christa Hibbs.

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

Dwain – I went to an area I had never been to, Rocky Branch, mostly because I was afraid it would be muddy where I normally fish. So basically I was in search of clear water.

Roy – I launched at Lost Bridge and fished that area close to the dam. I chose this area hoping it had less fishing pressure than farther up the lake and I like fishing super clear water.

Craig – I went to a cove near Navy Point that I had pre-fished and thought it looked good but didn’t do well in pre-fishing due to high winds.

Christa – I fished the Rambo creek area. When checking out spots on the map during prep I liked what this area had to offer.

 What were the overall bait types (as Specific. or not as you want) worked for you to catch your keepers.

Dwain – I caught a lot of fish on a Zoom Fluke, this lasted all day long. I found a couple of beds that had 4 fish on them, and I caught 3 of the 4 on a Ned rig with a 1 ½” piece of a white worm so I could see when they had it and set the hook before they spat it out. Catching 3 of those 4 fish only took about 30 minutes of my day, and one of those fish probably wound up staying in my final limit. Between the fluke and the Ned rig I was in the 80” inch range, and while they continued to eat the fluke all day I just wasn’t getting a quality bite to cull with so I had to do something to get a bigger bite. I had packed a few soft swimbaits and decided to get one of those out and give it a try. Within a few minutes of throwing it I was rewarded with a fish over 18” and I managed to get two more great culls on it including the 20.25” big bass before time was up.

Roy – I caught fish on just about every bait I tried. I was planning to throw a topwater and Ned rig a lot but they didn’t produce the better bites. My keepers came on a Spro McStick Jerkbait, Jewel Football Jig, and a Zoom Trick Worm.

Craig – I use a Slowtown Custom Jig for all my fish mainly because it seems to net me larger fish.

Christa – My keeper fish were all caught on top water baits. I started the day throwing a top water and caught 2 small fish quickly so I decided to stick with it. The keeper fish all came on long casts  with very aggressive retrieves.

 What is the first bait you really learned to fish with? 

Dwain – I have been fishing for bass since before I can remember, but the first bait I remember throwing a lot for bass was a Heddon Tiny Torpedo in the frog color, and I didn’t know how to fish it so I would just reel it straight in, but I do remember catching a lot of fish on it so it must have worked.

Roy – I’m really thankful my Dad took the time to take me fishing a lot when I was young and teach me how to fish. Some of the first baits I remember learning to fish with are hula grubs, Wiggle Warts, and Zara Spooks. I learned how to fish on small creeks, the Buffalo River, and Bull Shoals Lake.

Craig – The first bait I really used proficiently was using a jig in gravel pit lakes in Northern California.

Christa – The first bait that I learned to fish with was a worm.

On a tournament day, does your strategy change after you catch a limit? If so, how?

Dwain – That really depends on the day, for this event it did because I needed to catch a certain size fish to cull, and I changed to a bait I thought could get me those larger fish. I think it’s all about decisions every time, I rarely do what people always talk about, where they get a limit “quick” and then do something for bigger fish. This time just happened to work out that way, but I fully expected to catch large fish on the Fluke. It wasn’t planned to be a limit getter and then move on, it’s just how it worked in the decisions of the day. Another thing is how much pre-fishing I do can really have an effect on what my plans are for the day. If I had known they were eating that swimbait before I started I probably would have thrown that one bait all day until it stopped working, and just looked for five big bites. Since I didn’t pre-fish, and had never been where I was it was really just a day of good decisions on the fly.

Roy – Most tournaments I focus on looking for quality bites and don’t worry about filling a limit early. If I know the conditions are really tough I might adjust and just focus on getting any bites I can. Saturday I had 4 nice fish pretty early but struggled to find that last good cull. There were lots of small fish shallow but I was getting better quality bites in 8-10 feet of water. Sometimes it’s tough to adjust your strategy when you are getting bites, but often in a five fish limit tournament that is what it takes to make a good finish.

Craig – My strategy really is formed through pre-fishing. I power fish with crankbaits and swim jigs to cover water, then when I find spots that look good or produce fish I will mark that spot and fish every square foot  with a jig. I don’t change my strategy on tournament day if at all possible.

I really enjoy tournament day and all that goes with it, even the grind of difficult conditions.

Big thanks to NSKA and all the people that make a sacrifice to pull it off.

Christa – My strategy does change sometimes on tournament day after I’ve caught a limit. It depends on where I’m fishing and the time of year. For this Beaver North tournament, I shifted my focus midday on larger fish. If I was going to break into the top 3 I knew I needed to find some better quality of fish. I didn’t find them this time but I stayed on the hunt and remained focused until the last cast.

Next Event – Bella Vista Night Tournament

The next NSKA event is coming up in Bella Vista on June 29. This is a night event and is a great opportunity to see some new lakes. Get signed up and don’t miss it!

NSKA

Fishapalooza on the Dead Sea – Beaver Lake Recap

Kayak anglers had high hopes on 4/20 when they hit the water on Beaver Lake for the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) and Hobie Bass Open Series (BOS). The NSKA field consisted of a record total of 87 anglers, while there were 35 entered in the Hobie BOS event. As predicted based on a combination of a nice warming trend, well-timed moon phase and reports of fish being caught all over the lake – Beaver Lake was uncharacteristically generous. There were 525 fish submitted, or just over 6 average  per angler.

Beaver Lake NSKA Results

Not only was there a record number of anglers for an NSKA tournament, but the performance of these anglers set new highs for a Beaver Lake event. A whopping 95% of all anglers turned in at least one keeper for the day, and a very high (for the Dead Sea) 66% of anglers submitted a limit. This is compared to the last Beaver Lake tournament where only 41% turned in a limit.

Local angler Declan McDonald continued his hot streak and took first place with 84.5″, followed by David Cruz from Kansas with 84.25″, and local Jon Swann took third place with an 83.25″ total.  David Cruz also was the winner of the Hobie BOS event, go here for those final standings.

This 21.75″ tank caught by Justin Phillips on a crankbait took Big Bass in the NSKA Beaver Lake event.

 

Justin Phillips won the YUM Big Bass with a thick 21.75″ behemoth caught on a red crankbait. Cher Vue won a Bending Branches Angler Pro for the largest Smallmouth/Spotted bass. Below is the top ten for the event, but visit the TourneyX page for full final standings.

Top Ten Finishers

  1. Declan McDonald
  2.  David Cruz
  3.  Jon Swann
  4.  Billy Bowden
  5.  Cher Vue
  6.  Danny Dutton
  7.  Tyler Zengerle
  8.  Justin Brewer
  9.  Dwain Batey
  10.  Cole Sikes
Top five NSKA Beaver Lake finishers, right to left: David Cruz (2nd), Billy Bowden (4th), Declan McDonald (1st), Jon Swan (3rd), Cher Vue (5th)
Top Angler Recaps for Beaver Lake

The top three finishers, Declan McDonald, David Cruz and Jon Swann share where and how they found the fish. Great info here shared by some great anglers.

Where did you go on the lake and why did you choose that location?

Declan – I went up north near the Rambo area, I went there mostly because it’s a really fun place to fish and does have the potential for a nice bag.

David – Coming to the event I knew I wasn’t going to have much time to pre-fish, so I focused on good ol’ map study and experience. A bit of research and I learned that Horseshoe was one of three major areas in the south end of the lake. I looked for channel swings near small coves and arms with south facing banks, rocks, and points, and so for that reason I chose the area directly east from the Horseshoe Bend State Park ramp. (note – directly east is the Blackburn Creek area)

Jon – I went up in the river to muddy water as that is what I’m more comfortable and used to fishing. I felt like the fish were either spawning or about to spawn and figured that muddy water would warm up quicker than the main lake.

What was your overall strategy coming into the tournament?

Declan – My strategy was to just go get and limit and have a good time.

David – Coming into the tournament my strategy was to target pre-spawn staging areas near spawning coves and pockets, and move towards the back of the coves as the day progressed.

Jon – Overall strategy was to go out and have fun. Seriously. I haven’t bass fished on Beaver in 15 years so had to figure it out on the water.

What baits or techniques did you catch your fish on?

Declan –  I threw a Ned rig pretty much all day, I was in super clear water and wasn’t having much luck shallow so I went deep enough I couldn’t see the bottom and that’s where I started to catch some more quality fish.

David – I started with a Hermsen Custom Lures crankbait (8-10’). I caught my first fish and no more after that due to the lack of wind. I switched to a 1/4oz Stryker Jig in Green Pumpkin with a little brown accent, paired with a Strike King Rage Craw in Watermelon Red, throwing it parallel to the bank at 8-10’ of water on rocky points near spawning pockets, slowly dragging it across the hard bottom.

Jon – Caught fish on square-bill early but jig was the bait of the day.

Any advice for anglers new to tournament kayak fishing?

Declan – My advice would be to get out on the water as much as you can, nothing beats time on the water when it comes to learning, get used to taking pictures with fish on the board and getting them in your boat.

David – Time on the water is the most important aspect of tournament fishing, followed by understanding seasonal patterns and movements and learning how to read a topo map. Get out there and fish, take notes of time of the year and locations where fish were being caught, baits, as well as weather conditions at the time. Locating fish during tournament hours gets a little easier once we understand seasonal patterns paired with experience by way of time on the water.

Jon – Fishing is just like anything else, practice and challenge yourself to try new techniques. Most of all have fun.

Next NSKA Event

Back to Beaver Lake on May 4 for the Beaver Lake North NSKA tournament. Should be a great one with emphasis on the clear water.

 

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 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 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.

 

 

KBF

KBF Central Open – Tournament Recap

The two-day KBF Central Open on Beaver Lake and Grand Lake is in the books and it all came down to 1/2 inch for $10,000. Based in Bentonville, Ark., the KBF Central Open allowed anglers to fish either the Ozark reservoir of Beaver Lake with its FLW history or the sprawling Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees of B.A.S.S. Elites fame.

Conventional wisdom was that Grand Lake offered a more dense fish population and larger average bass, but anglers there were going to be handicapped by getting on the water an hour later due to an anti-kayak rule in place to prevent launching until 1/2 hour after sunrise and a longer drive back to check-in. Beaver Lake had less access restrictions, but was known to be a finicky and risky pick for those looking for big fish and consistency over two days on the water. Weather made it tough on the 68 competitors because of high skies and a muggy 91 degrees each day.

20″ Largemouth on Grand Lake from Cody Milton in the KBF Central Open tournament.

KBF Central Open Results

Some of the top kayak anglers in the country were on hand and did well on day one with 31 of 68 (46%) of anglers turning in a limit and 82% of all entrants turning in a keeper.  The leaderboard looked like this at the end of the first day:

  1. Cody Milton 90.25″
  2.  Richard McMichael 84.50″
  3.  Mel Ashe 83.50″
  4.  Joshua Stewart 83.25″
  5.  Jason Kincy 82.75″

Day two proved to be tougher with lighter winds and increased pressure. On the second day only 21 of 68 (31%) turned in a limit with only 48 of 68 (71%) recording a keeper.  Day two results featured some of the same names in different order;

  1. Joshua Stewart 88.75″
  2.  Eric Siddiqi 86.00″
  3.  Jason Kincy 83.00″
  4.  Mel Ashe 81.25″
  5.  Cody Milton 81.25″

Final standings after both days were:

  1. Joshua Stewart 172.00″
  2.  Cody Milton 171.50″
  3.  Jason Kincy 165.75″
  4.  Mel Ashe 164.75″
  5.  Richard McMichael 160.75″

Cody Milton and Eric Siddiqi both hooked a 20″ largemouth for the biggest bass of the weekend. See complete results for the KBF Central Open here.

Angler Recaps

Top finishers Joshua Stewart, Cody Milton, Jason Kincy and Mel Ashe share how they caught ’em at the KBF Open in this roundtable.

Where did you go each day and why did you choose that lake and that part of the lake?

Joshua – I chose to fish Grand Lake. Arrived on Wednesday to prefish and started out looking at creeks and found one that had potential but couldn’t find a suitable launch. Caught some decent fish from the bank there. A lot of us ended up at the same spot I’m guessing because of the 150 foot rule and that area had a channel bend with a bridge all relatively close to the bank.

Cody – I chose to fish Grand Lake both days. I stayed in the dirty water on Grand because the fish there were staying shallower longer than they were around the dam. On the first day I wanted to hit 4 spots at 3 ramps before 10:00 a.m., with hopes of running into a big group up shallow. Fortunately, that worked out great the first day and I ran into 86 inches off my second spot. The second day I did the same but flip-flopped my starting spots and got around 81 inches pretty quick.

Jason – Being from Arkansas, I chose to go to Beaver Lake instead of Grand Lake, even though Grand is believed to have more and bigger bass. I prefished Beaver from the dam up to the river area and chose to go to the upper end because I just liked the water color and the type of cover I could find there. This area of the lake also had several ramps in close proximity in case I wanted to move around, which I did.

Mel – I fished Grand Lake also. Richie McMichael, Brad Case and I had originally planned on fishing Grand but when we found out about the rules we moved to Beaver. Me and Richie prefished Beaver on Wednesday and Grand on Thursday because we didn’t like what we found on Beaver. We decide we were going to fish Grand for the tournament that evening.

An 18.5″ Beaver Lake largemouth from the KBF Central Open. – kayakfishingfocus.com

What were your overall tactics for catching bass?

Joshua – The first day I ended up catching one of my better fish from the bank on a buzz bait in the morning due to the delayed launch time. The remainder of the day I would cruise around fishing the points and docks with a 1/8 wacky rigged Senko and a ½ ounce jig. Second day I figured I was fishing for second place because of Cody’s strong lead over the rest of the field. The wind was a little stronger so I put on ¾ ounce jig and basically caught all my fish on it. As the day went on I slowly kept culling my fish out and gaining ground. At around 1:30 I crossed to the other side of the bridge and got my biggest fish in about 5 feet of water on what looked like a little current break. After crossing back to the other side I was down a quarter inch with my smallest being 16.25″. with about 35 minutes to go I hooked into a fish with the anticipation of it being the one I needed but was 16.25″. After a few more casts I hook into a 17″ which gave me the lead by .50 inches.

Cody – After 10am I was focusing on brush piles on steep points in 18-22ft. That’s where I was getting the big bites day 1 but never got a bite off any of them day 2. All my fish came fishing a 1 oz football jig.

Jason – My plan on both days was to try and take advantage of topwater early and then fish deeper once the sun came up. Day one my plan was failing, with only one fish on topwater, so I wound up moving three times that morning trying to find something I liked, catching a keeper each time I moved, generally on a Ned rig. About 1:30 I landed on my last spot of the day and over the next hour and a half I used a Carolina Rig in deep water to move from 70″ up to 82.75″, including two 19″ bass in the last hour. On day two I started in the vicinity of where I ended day one and caught a quick four keepers on topwater and then moved to my Carolina Rig spot. Fishing that spot from 9:00-2:30 I caught 17 more keepers with the best five totaling 83″ and was lucky enough to finish third overall.

Mel – The morning of day 1 I got to the ramp I was going to launch from and it had a cable running across the ramp about 2 and a half feet out of the water. Eric Siddiqi had slept at this ramp one night so I called him to ask about the cable which he knew nothing about. He told me he was just three minutes up the lake from me and to come there and fish with him. I had originally planned to fish docks on the way to the bridge so I would have ended up down that way regardless. I caught my 1st fish bank fishing at the ramp with a Jackhammer chatter bait. After we were able to launch I fished my way to the bridge. There I was able to catch my limit on a shaky head and trick worm. Shortly after I made my way back to a point near the ramp and was able to cull two fish using a Jackhammer and fishing how I like to fish. Day 2 I basically did the same thing except I lost a fish at the boat ramp bank fishing and I left the bridge to go find my 5th fish.

When traveling the country to an event where you are unfamiliar with the water, how do you approach choosing a spot and prefishing?

Cody – The way I approach a new body of water is covering a lot of ramps across the lake as fast as I can. I wanna know water the water color is like in different areas of the lake before really dialing in where I’m looking to fish the tournament.

Jason- When I do travel to a new lake, I obviously will look in detail at Google Earth to find areas I’m comfortable with. Then when on the ground I will jump from ramp to ramp to look at an area and see if it matches what I thought it looked like on Google. Ultimately I am looking for water that matches how I want to fish with the type of structure and water color I’m looking for.

Natural State Kayak Anglers Beaver Lake Results

On the same weekend of the KBF Central Open was the NSKA Beaver Lake tournament with 63 anglers on the water. Read the recap of how this tournament was won on Beaver Lake.

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.

 

NSKA

Hitting the Road – NSKA Road Runner Tournament Preview

The best tournament of the year on the Natural State Kayak Angler (NSKA) schedule takes place on May 12 when anglers hit to road to their favorite fishing hole in search of the best limit. The NWA Road Runner taking place right in the middle of the spawn is likely to produce the most limits and the highest totals of the season.

Every angler should be able to find water to fish that fits their style or strategy. In the road runner format, anglers will be able to choose from almost any publicly accessible body of water within a 30 mile radius. Private water, farm ponds, Bella Vista lakes and SWEPCO Lake are off limits!  For a breakdown of the key lakes in play for the tournament, check out last year’s road runner preview article.  Another thing to keep in mind is the further out in the radius you go, the higher risk you have of not making back to weigh in or cutting out fishing time.

IMPORTANT NOTE – Because this is a road runner, ALL eligible water is off limits after Wednesday in this week, not just where you plan to fish.

2018 NWA Road Runner radius is 30 miles from Lowell, Arkansas.

NWA Road Runner Means Big Totals

Choosing your own water generally leads to good results for anglers and there are some common bodies of water which have been key to success the past few years:

In 2015 Beaver Lake produced the winning total of near 80″, with Lake Bob Kidd producing 2nd place, Crystal Lake 3rd, and Lincoln Lake producing 4th and 5th.

In 2016, Beaver Lake produced first place again with the Dead Sea giving up a strong 86″ with Lake Bob Kidd, Siloam City Lake and SWEPCO Lake rounding out the other money placements.

Last year in 2017, Lake Elmdale was the big dog in the road runner. First place with a huge 93.75″ as well as second place came out of Lake Elmdale. The same lake also produced a 23.5″ monster for Big Bass.  Third and fourth place came from SWEPCO Lake (off limits this season). Overall, a strong 67% of anglers caught a limit, with 93% turning in a keeper – by far the best performance in recent tournaments by the field.

This 23.5″ tank was caught by Cole Sikes at Lake Elmdale in the 2017 NWA Road Runner to win Big Bass.

2018 Angler Preview and Predictions

I asked two of the most successful NSKA anglers over the past year to join me in previewing and predicting the upcoming event.  Dwain Batey (last year’s champ), Taylor Frizzell and Cole Sikes shared their thoughts in this roundtable discussion.

Name the two lakes which will most likely produce the winning limit.

Dwain – The two lakes that I think are most likely to hold the winning fish are Lincoln Lake or Lake Elmdale. Both of these lakes have a great population of larger fish, though at times both can be very stingy, and the recent inflow of flooded waters could really change things in the area. This is typically good for Elmdale, and bad for Lincoln, but to be honest I haven’t fished either one enough this year to get a good feel of what’s going on.

Taylor – I think someone fishing Lincoln Lake or Shadow Lake has a great shot at the winning limit. This time of year is always a great time for both spots.

Cole – Lincoln Lake or Elmdale.

Jason – The numbers don’t lie, history shows it likely will be Beaver Lake. If not there Elmdale or Lincoln for those who can find the best fish.

How do you decide or narrow down where to go when a road runner gives you so many options?

Dwain – I will probably just wake up that morning, if I go to sleep at all, and randomly pick which lake feels right for the day and go all in on that one. I pre-fished Elmdale recently and I plan to fish Lincoln before the event off limits, this will give me a good idea on which lake I should hit for the event. Hey, if they’re both fishing poorly I might go somewhere crazy like Siloam Springs City Lake for the tournament, we’ll see.

Taylor – When I get a chance at a road runner I tend to look at my favorite spots to fish and then go back and see how I did in those areas in years past. This year though things seem to be happening a little later with the up and down weather we have had so it could work or be a bust.

Cole – How do you decide or narrow down where to go when a road runner gives you so many options? I typically pick lakes I have confidence in and know they have big ones.

Jason – Probably one that I don’t throw…honestly jigs should be the key with fish up and around cover.

What will be some of the key baits to catch fish this week?

Dwain – I would say that my key bait would be a Skirmish Baits M9 squarebill crankbait, but with the recent heavy rains it might wind up being a jig or spinnerbait if the water is really muddy. There may be enough time to let it clear back up some in a few lakes, and then I would probably be targeting fish with the squarebill, and probably a topwater since it’s post spawn for the most part in our area now. I had a little something figured out before this rain that I am holding on to, but we’ll see if it plays in the event, if it does I’ll spill the beans afterwords.

Taylor –  I think some of the key baits are going to be jigs, chatterbaits, and a Ned rig because let’s be honest everyone is throwing it even if they won’t admit it.

Cole – This time of year when the fish are in all stages of the spawn you can catch them on about anything. I think it will be a junk fishing type tournament.

Jason – Scouting is difficult because you can’t get to many places to check them out. So I’d go somewhere you are the most comfortable with and familiar. No reason to risk a tournament day on a lake where you don’t have some spots.

Predict the winning total, and Big Bass.

Dwain – Winning length will be 89.5 inches and 21.25 inches for Big Bass.

Taylor – I think anyone with around 86 inches is going to be in a good position to win and big bass will be 21 inches.

Cole – The winning total will be 81.50” and 20.25” for Big Bass.

Jason – This is usually some of the biggest totals of the year, so I’d say 85.25″ for the winning limit and 22.5″ for Big Bass.