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NSKA

Table Rock Grind: Schneider Solves the Summer Puzzle at NSKA Event #6

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Welcome to the mid-summer grind, folks. The NSKA NWA Eco Fishing Shop Trail Event #6 landed on Table Rock Lake, and it fished exactly like you’d expect for the dead of summer. A massive thank you to our event sponsor, Capps Mens Cuts, for supporting the trail and the kayak fishing community.

Conditions were brutal. It was flat-out hot with surface water temperatures sitting around 85-88 degrees. When you mix clear water, scorching sun, and heavy recreational boat traffic, Table Rock was a trying situation for many anglers.

Levi’s Big Bass from Table Rock – Source: TourneyX

By the Numbers:

  • Total Anglers: 48
  • Fish Per Angler (FPA): 2.40 – A very low mark for Table Rock!
  • % Who Caught One Fish: 82%
  • % Who Limited: 31%

Table Rock was stingy, and catching a limit was an accomplishment. Most of the field had to grind all day.

The Leaderboard

Here is your Top 10 for Table Rock. A huge congratulations to Levi Schneider, taking the crown on a day when every inch was earned in sweat. His winning total was far and away from spots 2 thru 6 which were separated by 1.25″ total. Moyakers Trevor Motzkus and Josh Boothe took second and third, respectively on their home lake. More from these three later on… Troy Enke took 4th place and Josh Landreth finished in the last money spot in 5th. I of course, lost the three way tiebreaker to land first out of the money!

  1. Levi Schneider – 90.5″
  2. Trevor Motzkus – 81.5″
  3. Joshua Boothe – 81.0″
  4. Troy Enke – 80.25″
  5. Josh Landreth – 80.25″
  6. Jason Kincy – 80.25″
  7. Johnathan Dominguez – 78.0″
  8. Terrill Standifer – 77.5″
  9. Kyle Long – 76.25″
  10. Dwain Batey – 75.5″

Tiebreakers for 4th, 5th, and 6th place were settled based on big fish tiebreakers.

Big Bass, Heavy Hitters & Side Pots

Levi Schneider didn’t just put up the biggest bag; he anchored it with the Advanced Automotive Big Bass—a 20.0″ largemouth caught late in the day on an ole Flutter Spoon. That kicker secured him $144 for Big Bass and $470 for 1st place, plus the hardware. He also took home a GiffGlidez custom swimbait, fitting since a couple of his key fish came on their prototype.

Other notable payouts and prizes:

  • Johnathan Dominguez took the Trash Fish side pot with a big catfish.
  • Jamie Shumate won the middle-of-the-pack side pot for finishing 24th.
  • $42 door prizes were won by Bobby Hogan, Jobie Vee, and Troy Enke. Hogan also won the Table Rock plaque raffle donated by Danny Dutton.
  • The remainder of the Top 10 received a new urchin bait provided by Seth Jones and Sizemore Paving.
Discount on Lurenet, Booyah Baits, YUM baits, war eagle lures, great lakes finesse, Bobby Garland

Angler Roundtable

We caught up with the top three finishers to get the dock talk on how they broke down Table Rock. Levi, Trevor, and Joshua revealed the keys to their day:

  • What general area of Table Rock did you go to and why?
    • Levi Schneider: I went to the Baxter area because I’ve spent a lot of time learning where those fish like to stage.
    • Trevor Motzkus: Shell Knob Area.
    • Joshua Boothe: I went to the Shell Knob area as well. It was a new area to me that I had never been to before. Looking at map study it looked like that area would be sheltered from the wind and give me plenty of water to fish. I had zero practice and it was my first tournament since April.
  • What were the top baits or techniques that worked for you on the day?
    • Levi Schneider: I managed two of my keepers on a 3/4 oz Football Jig. Two on a prototype GiffGlidez Flutter Shad. It’s like a hybrid of a spoon/glide bait and it’s a dang fish catcher. Lastly, caught my late-day 20 on the ole Flutter Spoon.
    • Trevor Motzkus: Topwater (Megabass Dog-X) in the morning with a few smaller Rock Crawler bites mixed in. Chased a non-existent deep crankbait bite for too long into the midday and finally switched to targeting shallow shade pockets with a Brush Hog. I then downsized even more to a Finesse Jig which got my final few culls after 2:20. I caught a ton of fish in the morning and afternoon with a big lull in the middle (my fault).
    • Joshua Boothe: I threw a Buzzbait all day long and never touched another rod. I was pulling the bass out of flooded bushes.
  • What’s your kayak setup, including yak, electronics, battery, motor, etc.?
    • Levi Schneider: I run a Bonafide PWR 129 with a 24v Minn Kota Terrova, dual Garmin 106sv’s, LVS 34 on a sniper pole. 24v 80ah battery for the motor and 12v 80ah battery for everything else.
    • Trevor Motzkus: Jackson Coosa X, Garmin Force Current w/ 24V Battery. Garmin 93SV I hardly look at.
    • Joshua Boothe: I fish out of a NuCanoe U10 with a NK 180 Pro motor and a massive 24v 100ah battery that means I can move at 5mph top speed and have enough battery to last me for days so I can cover lots of water. My Google Earth says I covered over 13 miles of shoreline. I have just a basic Lowrance setup with no fancy electronics. My plan was just to cover as much water as possible.
  • For new anglers, what’s a tip in adjusting to fishing in the summer grind?
    • Levi Schneider: Find topwater/actively feeding bass early in the morning. Once it starts warming up don’t be afraid to throw big heavy baits to entice reaction strikes or, like Trevor said, chase shade lines. Especially on Table Rock, you can always find fish on bluff walls this time of year. Lastly, stay well hydrated and keep your head mentally in it cause you never know when you’ll stumble across a pod of them.
    • Trevor Motzkus: Fish as hard as you can in the morning. If you want to fish shallow throughout the day, find the shade pockets. If you don’t want to be out in the blistering sun, neither do the bass. Full tournament video will be on my channel @TM_Outdoorz on YT and FB.
    • Joshua Boothe: My advice for anglers new to the sport in the summer is that you not only have the heat to deal with, but the boat traffic as well. Hydration is vital, and knowing where the ski and wake boats like to play can be helpful on lakes like Table Rock.

AOY & Heavy Hitter Race Update

The season is in the home stretch, and the standings are tight. Levi made a move with his win, setting him up to finish it off in the next two events, but some others aren’t too far behind. And remember, the Classic is worth double, so there’s still a lot of time left. Heavy Hitters is also showing Levi in the lead, thanks to that 20 he picked up. There are still a few in striking distance, but people need to make a move now!

Current AOY Top 10:

  1. Levi Schneider – 565 pts
  2. Justin Malott – 558 pts
  3. Kyle Long – 548 pts
  4. Dwain Batey – 542 pts
  5. John Hall – 541 pts
  6. Tyler Zengerle – 540 pts
  7. James Haeberle – 536 pts
  8. Jason Adams – 531 pts
  9. Josh Landreth – 530 pts
  10. Seth Jones – 521 pts

Heavy Hitters Top 10:

  1. Levi Schneider – 94.00″
  2. Dwain Batey – 92.25″
  3. Justin Malott – 91.50″
  4. Jason Adams – 90.00″
  5. Kyle Long – 89.00″
  6. Jason Kincy – 88.75″
  7. James Haeberle – 88.75″
  8. Terrill Standifer – 88.25″
  9. Tyler Zengerle – 87.50″
  10. Seth Jones – 87.25″

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NSKA

2026 NSKA NWA H2 Heat & Air Road Runner Recap: Shattering MLF Records

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The fifth stop of the 2026 NSKA NWA season, presented by H2 Heat & Air, brought the field face-to-face with the most mentally taxing format on the schedule. This event completely abandoned the traditional five-fish safety net and dropped the trail into a pure Major League Fishing (MLF) style shootout. Would the records be broken? Would fish be caught? Yes, and yes.

The rules were clear but unforgiving: any legal bass measuring 12 inches or longer counted toward an angler’s total cumulative length. There was no ceiling. The boundary line was a strict 55-mile radius centered on Springdale, forcing a massive strategic choice of where to go hunt for bass. Anglers faced warm, humid conditions with partly cloudy skies and in many areas a nasty morning rainstorm that may have soured the mood of the bass that morning in some cases.

Fanny Phomsopha’s Big Bass from the event, a 20.50″ largemouth bass. Source: TourneyX

The geographical breakdown of where the field scattered tells the entire story of this event. If you chose the right water or region, you had a good day. If you didn’t make the right choices…your day went differently:

  • The Beaver Lake Bust: 16 anglers bet their day on Beaver Lake. It turned into an absolute miss, with only 2 of those 16 managing to crack the top 20 on the final leaderboard. The Dead Sea was in full effect after morning storms rolled through.
  • The Table Rock Paradise: 13 anglers opted for Table Rock. The gamble paid off across the board; the lowest-finishing angler in this group took 19th place, putting 100% of the Table Rock crew inside the top 20.
  • The River Sleepers: Only two anglers decided to skip the major reservoirs entirely to hunt in flowing water. One of those river runners rode that current straight onto the podium.
  • The Outliers: No other independent body of water within the 55-mile ring attracted more than a single competitor and for the most part were not a factor.

By the Numbers

  • Total Anglers: 42
  • Anglers with at least one fish: 88% (37 of 42)
  • Limit Percentage: 62% of the field put a traditional five-fish limit or better on the board.

The Leaderboard – Top 10 Finishers

The historical standard for an MLF-style Road Runner tournament usually requires a strong day pushing toward the 380-inch mark to walk away with a trophy. This year, that baseline wasn’t just broken—it was completely left in the dust. Levi Schneider put on an absolute clinic on Table Rock, dropping a mind-boggling 475.00 inches on the field to shatter the all-time one day club record and pocket the $470 winner’s check. Jason Adams had a very strong 2nd place, beating out 3rd by more than 70 inches.

  1. Levi Schneider – 475.00″
  2. Jason Adams – 330.50″
  3. Jake Wilkie – 255.75″
  4. John Hall – 234.25″
  5. Dwain Batey – 231.25″
  6. Tony Sorluangsana – 228.75″
  7. James Haeberle – 201.50″
  8. Justin Malott – 198.25″
  9. Kyle Long – 196.25″
  10. Cole Sikes – 191.50″

Big Bass & Side Pots

While the top of the leaderboard was a race of pure volume, the Advanced Automotive Big Bass honors belonged to Fanny Phomsopha. Fanny fooled a 20.05″ largemouth to secure a sweet $126 cash prize along with a custom-painted glide bait from GiffGlidez Custom Swimbaits.

Proving he was clearing out everything swimming in his zone, Fanny Phomsopha pulled off a rare double-dip by also claiming the Trash Fish side pot, banking an extra $42 for wrestling a prehistoric 4-foot long gar into his kayak. Meanwhile, the $42 check for the tournament’s biggest verified Spotted Bass went to our event champion, Levi Schneider, who anchored his massive cumulative card with a solid 16.75-inch spot.

http://www.lurenet.com

Angler Roundtable: Top 3 Q&A

Our top three finishers sat down at the ramp to detail how they handled the unique pressure of the clock and the rules. Let’s hear how Levi, Jason, and Jake made their day:

1. Where did you go to fish and why?

  • Levi Schneider: I went to Emerald Beach at Table Rock because I knew it’d set up well for the every fish counts format.
  • Jason Adams: I headed to Table Rock and targeted the backs of pockets with water running into them. Honestly, my first instinct was to hunt one big fish. Levi edged me out by an inch on the last event on the Heavy Hitters standings, so that was on my mind. I pre-fished Lincoln Lake on Wednesday, pulled up, and there were 16 bass boats already running a tournament. That settled it pretty quick. Mandie and I decided to stay together and fish Table Rock instead.
  • Jake Wilkie: I went to the upper Illinois River. Plan was to catch as many Smallies as possible.

2. What were some of the main techniques or baits that worked for you?

  • Levi Schneider: I caught all of my fish on a jighead minnow, spoon, and a football jig.
  • Jason Adams: Early in the morning I was dragging a jig in the flowing water at the backs of those pockets and it was working. As the day went on and the fish pulled off the current, I transitioned to a drop shot around stumps. Read the fish, adjusted the presentation. Pretty straightforward day on that front.
  • Jake Wilkie: Caught everything on a Ned rig and Texas rig. Current was swift so you really had to make a good cast and put it on them.

3. How did you adjust your strategy specifically for the MLF format?

  • Levi Schneider: The only thing I really adjusted was the rods I brought with more finesse tactics but ultimately caught them all on my normal staples.
  • Jason Adams: Time management became everything, and honestly it bit me a little. I made a move to the main lake mid-day that ended up costing me close to an hour. I borrowed Mandie’s kayak since I didn’t have my boat with the Torqeedo, and that main lake run was a lot longer than I remembered. Lesson learned. On top of that, the TourneyX app was fighting me all day in the rain. Had to close it and restart it multiple times just to get fish submitted. When you’re in a format where every fish counts and every minute matters, that’s frustrating. Those two things together probably cost me a few fish on the leaderboard.
  • Jake Wilkie: When the schedule came out I knew I would be in a creek or river somewhere for this event. The heavy rain made it a tough decision but I found some clean enough water to make it work. It got very sketchy at the end of the float as the river started to rise from the rains around lines in time. Thankful I had a good buddy floating with me just in case it got unsafe.

4. How did forward-facing sonar play into your finish?

  • Levi Schneider: I utilized mine a lot to be more efficient to hit my offshore targets on the first cast. I caught majority of fish on offshore cover/structure such as ledges, brush piles and rock piles so being able to ensure my bait was in higher percentage areas helped generate more bites. I had one rock pile produce 7 of my scorable fish.
  • Jason Adams: Short answer, it didn’t. I was on Mandie’s kayak and she’s pretty clear about not wanting me messing with her setup, so no electronics, no motor. I was running purely on water-reading and instinct. Followed the fish from the current-fed pockets in the morning to the deeper timber cover later in the day. Sometimes you just have to trust what you’re seeing on the water.
  • Jake Wilkie: No FFS just a paddle yak and a couple medium light spinning rods.

Ketch Angler of the Year Race Update

The race at the top of the trail remains tight. Justin Malott held onto the overall AOY lead by putting up a gritty 93-point performance on TourneyX, bringing his total score to 468 points.

However, his breathing room completely vanished. With his record-breaking 100-point performance, defending trail champion Levi Schneider vaulted up to just behind Justin with 465 points. Only three points separate first and second place with three events left on the schedule. Tyler Zengerle and Kyle Long remain locked within striking distance, keeping the pressure on the leaders.

AOY Standings (Top 10)

  1. Justin Malott – 468 pts
  2. Levi Schneider – 465 pts
  3. Tyler Zengerle – 457 pts
  4. Kyle Long – 456 pts
  5. John Hall – 453 pts
  6. Dwain Batey – 451 pts
  7. Seth Jones – 450 pts
  8. James Haeberle – 447 pts
  9. Jason Adams – 445 pts
  10. Josh Landreth – 434 pts

Arvest Heavy Hitters Standings

The big fish race continues to shift as tracking quality over five separate tour stops catches up to the field. Dwain Batey grabbed a clutch 19.75-inch kicker during the Road Runner chaos to break out of the pack and claim the standalone lead in the Heavy Hitters race with a total of 92.00 inches.

Levi Schneider sits just three-quarters of an inch behind him in second place at 91.25 inches, while Jason Adams used his solid 17-inch fish from Table Rock to hold down third place at an even 90 inches. Justin Malott and Tyler Zengerle round out a highly competitive top five.

Heavy Hitters Standings (Top 10)

  1. Dwain Batey – 92.00″
  2. Levi Schneider – 91.25″
  3. Jason Adams – 90.00″
  4. Justin Malott – 89.75″
  5. Tyler Zengerle – 87.50″
  6. Seth Jones – 87.00″
  7. Kyle Long – 86.50″
  8. Jason Kincy – 86.25″
  9. James Haeberle – 84.50″
  10. Josh Landreth – 84.00″

This is the first time in a few years that this thing is wide open still going into July. Due to the lack of 20s caught this season, there is a lot of room for anglers to make up ground. If you drop the smallest two fish in the current bag, the race gets tight and some new names are in the top 5-7 anglers.

Up Next

We are packing up the rigs and heading back north to standard operating procedures. Get your maps ready for Table Rock II on July 18th, where we return to standard five-fish limit rules to see who can back up their early summer patterns on deep clear-water structure.

Fishing Tips

How to Catch Spotted Bass on Beaver Lake, Table Rock, and Ozark Reservoirs

Spotted bass don’t always get much respect.

Most tournament anglers would rather run into a big largemouth or a brown fish. I get that. Five average spotted bass probably aren’t winning many tournaments on Beaver Lake or Table Rock. But spots matter.They can save a bad day. They can help you build a limit. And some days, they are the most dependable fish in the lake.

If you fish Ozark reservoirs much, especially clear highland lakes like Beaver, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, or Tenkiller, you’re going to deal with spotted bass. Some days you might be trying to avoid them. Other days you better be glad they’re there.

The trick is understanding where they live, how they feed, and when it makes sense to chase them. For more on what a spotted bass is, read What is a Spotted Bass? How to Identify and Catch Spotted Bass in Ozark Lakes.

How to Catch Spotted Bass on Beaver Lake, Table Rock, and Ozark Reservoirs kayakfishingfocus.com Kayak Fishing Focus

What makes spotted bass different?

Spotted bass act a little different than largemouth. They are usually more comfortable around rock, deeper water, and clearer water. They also seem to be more willing to chase bait, especially when wind or current gets things moving. A largemouth might bury up in a dock, bush, laydown, or shallow piece of cover.

A spotted bass is more likely to be around:

  • points
  • bluff ends
  • rock transitions
  • brush near deep water
  • baitfish
  • wind-blown banks

That doesn’t mean spots never get shallow. They do. Especially in spring, early summer, and fall. But even when they move shallow, they usually aren’t far from deeper water. That is one of the biggest things to remember.

Where to find spotted bass on Beaver and Table Rock

If I’m trying to catch spotted bass on Beaver Lake or Table Rock, I usually start with rock near depth. That sounds simple, but it narrows things down a lot. Not every bank is equal. Not every point is worth fishing. The best places usually have two or three good things happening at once.

A plain gravel point might hold a few fish. A gravel point with wind, bait, chunk rock, and deeper water close by is a lot more interesting. Some of the best areas to check are:

  • main lake points
  • secondary points
  • bluff ends
  • channel swing banks
  • rocky pocket mouths
  • deep docks
  • brush piles near points
  • windy gravel or chunk rock banks

On Beaver, spotted bass are a big part of the lake. You can catch them in a lot of areas, but they really show up around those classic highland reservoir places: points, bluff ends, and rock with bait nearby.

Table Rock is similar, although it also has a strong smallmouth factor in a lot of areas. Still, if you’re fishing rock, wind, and bait on Table Rock, spots are always in play.

Wind can make a big difference

Wind can be a pain in a kayak. It messes with boat control. It makes casting harder. It can turn a clean area into a frustrating one pretty fast. But for spotted bass, wind is usually your friend. Spots like to chase. When wind pushes bait across a point or into a bluff end, those fish will often set up and feed.

That’s one reason clear water lakes can fish better with some wind. On a slick, sunny day, those fish can get a good look at everything. Add a little chop, and they get more comfortable. The best wind areas are usually not the nastiest places on the lake. I don’t love being blown straight across the lake in a kayak. I’m looking for the useful part of the wind.

Places like:

  • the edge of a windy point
  • a pocket mouth with wind pushing in
  • a bluff end with bait nearby
  • a windy stretch that still lets me fish clean
  • a bank where the wind adds just a little stain

There’s a difference between wind helping the bite and wind making you fish sloppy. For kayak anglers, that line matters.

Best baits for spotted bass

Spotted bass will eat a lot of things, but there are a few baits I trust more than others on Ozark reservoirs.

Topwater

Topwater is one of the most fun ways to catch spots. A walking bait is hard to beat when they are chasing shad around points, bluff ends, or open-water breaks. A popper can be good too, especially when the fish are feeding on smaller bait or when the water is a little calmer.

Spots will sometimes miss a topwater badly. They’ll swipe at it, roll on it, or knock it sideways. But even that tells you something. If they show themselves, you can often follow up with a shaky head, Ned rig, or small swimbait. Topwater is not just a catching bait. It’s also a good way to find active fish.

Shaky head

If I had to pick one dependable spotted bass bait for Beaver or Table Rock, a shaky head would be high on the list. It catches fish when things get tough. You can throw it around points, docks, bluff ends, brush, and rock transitions. It is not always the fastest way to fish, but when you need bites, it is hard to ignore.

For tournaments, this is a bait that can keep you from spinning out. Maybe you wanted to catch largemouth shallow. Maybe that plan didn’t happen. Maybe you have two fish at 10:30 and need to settle down. That’s when a shaky head around spotted bass water can save your day.

Ned rig

The Ned rig is not exciting, but it catches them. It is especially good when the lake is slick, the fish are pressured, or they won’t fully commit to moving baits.

I like it around flatter rock, gravel, and places where I know fish are there but they aren’t chasing. It can also be a good follow-up bait. If a spot blows up on topwater and misses, or you see fish chasing but can’t get them to eat, a Ned rig can pick off a few.

Small swimbait

A small paddle tail is a good choice when spots are chasing bait but not coming all the way to the surface. You don’t have to overthink it. Keep it natural. Keep it around bait. Try to make it look like one more shad that got separated from the group.

Seasonal spotted bass patterns

Spotted bass move with the seasons, but they usually stay connected to rock, bait, and depth.

Spring

In spring, spots use secondary points, rocky pockets, and staging areas near spawning places. They may not always be as far back in the pockets as largemouth, but they still move up.

Good spring areas include:

  • secondary points
  • gravel pockets
  • chunk rock banks
  • bluff ends near pockets
  • rock transitions

This is a good time for jerkbaits, topwater, swimbaits, and shaky heads.

Post-spawn

Post-spawn can be one of the best times to catch spotted bass. A lot of fish are moving out of spawning areas, and spots will often start feeding around shad. This is when points and bluff ends can get good.

If you see bait, don’t ignore it. A walking bait, popper, swimbait, shaky head, or Ned rig can all work here. The key is figuring out if the fish are looking up, chasing, or sitting closer to the bottom.

Summer

In summer, spotted bass often slide deeper, but that doesn’t mean you have to fish 40 feet all day. Early and late, they may still feed shallow around points and bluff ends. During the day, they may get around brush, deeper rock, or suspended bait.

On Beaver and Table Rock, electronics can help a lot in the summer. But even without making it complicated, the same basic idea holds up. Find bait. Find structure close to deep water. Fish the places where those two things come together.

Fall

In fall, spotted bass follow bait. That can make them fun and annoying at the same time. They may be here one day and gone the next. They may push shad into the backs of pockets. They may roam around the mouths of creeks. They may school on points.

This is a good time to keep a moving bait in your hand. Topwater, swimbaits, small crankbaits, and spinnerbaits can all work when they are chasing.

Are spotted bass good tournament fish?

Yes and no. They are good tournament fish when you need a limit. They are not always good tournament fish if you need to win. That’s the decision. On Beaver Lake, for example, you may be able to catch a limit of spots on points and rock. That might get you through a tough day. It might even put you in decent shape if the lake is fishing hard.

But if other anglers are catching quality largemouth in dirtier water, shallow cover, or around docks, a limit of average spots probably won’t hold up. So you have to know what you’re trying to do. Sometimes spots are the main plan. Sometimes they are the backup plan. Sometimes they are the “I need five fish before I make a bad decision” plan. That last one matters more than people admit.

A good kayak approach

From a kayak, I like spotted bass because they can be pattern fish. If you catch one on a windy point, there may be another one close by. If you catch one on a bluff end with bait, you can often run that same pattern somewhere else.

Throw topwater, a swimbait, or a jerkbait around the active zone. If you get bites or see fish, slow down with a shaky head or Ned rig. Then move to the next similar place.

The important part is paying attention to the exact detail.

Not just “I caught them on points.” Everybody fishes points. You need to know what kind of point.

Final thoughts

Spotted bass may not be the fish everyone is looking for, but they are a big part of fishing Beaver Lake, Table Rock, and other Ozark reservoirs. They are aggressive. They fight hard. They’ll eat topwater. They’ll eat finesse. And on tough days, they can keep you in the tournament.

You still may need largemouth or smallmouth to win, depending on the lake and conditions. But ignoring spotted bass is usually a mistake. If you want to catch more of them, keep it simple. Look for rock, bait, wind, and nearby depth.

That combination works on Beaver. It works on Table Rock. And it works on a lot of clear Ozark reservoirs.

Fishing Tips

How to Find Bass During the Post-Spawn Transition on Highland Reservoirs

The post-spawn transition is one of the more frustrating times of the year for a lot of bass anglers. Fish can seem scattered, timing changes throughout the day, and patterns that worked a week earlier suddenly stop producing. Even as an experienced angler, any given day can be a difficult one this time of year.

On highland reservoirs like Beaver Lake, Table Rock, and Tenkiller, that transition can last several weeks depending on weather, water temperature, and lake conditions. Some fish stay shallow longer than expected, while others start moving toward summer areas surprisingly fast.

That’s why this time of year often feels inconsistent. But there are still a few reliable things that happen almost every year.

How to Find Post-Spawn Bass During the Transition

How to find post-spawn bass on highland reservoirs

To consistently know how to find post-spawn bass on Ozark area lakes like Beaver, Table Rock, and Tenkiller, anglers should focus on:

  • Shallow feeding windows early in the day
  • Secondary points near spawning pockets
  • Rock transitions and first drops
  • Wind-blown banks and points
  • Areas with baitfish activity

Most bass are moving gradually from spawning areas toward deeper summer structure. The best fishing usually happens along that transition route rather than at either extreme until they get settled in for summer.

What makes the post-spawn period difficult?

The biggest challenge is that bass are no longer grouped tightly like they are during the spawn.

Some bass are guarding fry, recovering from spawning, feeding aggressively, or hanging out offshore. You can catch fish shallow for an hour or two, then suddenly lose them completely. Often those fish didn’t disappear — they just repositioned.

That’s especially true on clear-water Ozark lakes. On Beaver, Table Rock, and Tenkiller, it’s common to see fish feeding shallow early before going to deeper water as the sun gets higher.

Discount on Lurenet, Booyah Baits, YUM baits, war eagle lures, great lakes finesse, Bobby Garland

Start shallow early

One of the more reliable post-spawn patterns on highland reservoirs is still an early morning shallow bite.

That doesn’t necessarily mean the fish are living there all day. They’re often using those areas briefly to feed before repositioning.

This is where topwater can shine. Walking baits like a Heddon Zara Spook or a Rebel Pop-R can be really effective around shallow points, gravel banks, isolated wood, and pockets near deep water. A lot of the better bites happen around low light, especially when shad are active.

It’s also one of the better times to cover water quickly.

Pay attention to the “in-between” areas

One mistake anglers make this time of year is fishing either too shallow or too deep. The best catchable fish are often somewhere in the middle.

Secondary points become important because they act like stopping points as bass move away from spawning pockets. On highland reservoirs, those points may not look dramatic on a map, but small changes matter like chunk rock transitions to gravel or wind hitting one side of a point. This is where a shaky head with a YUM Dinger or a trick worm can be very important. Once the sun gets higher or the shallow activity slows down, slowing down on those transition areas often produces better quality fish.

Wind can completely change the day

On lakes like Table Rock and Beaver, wind during the post-spawn can reposition fish quickly. A windy secondary point or bank can suddenly become active, especially if baitfish get pushed there. That’s where a War Eagle spinnerbait still plays, even on clearer lakes.

A lot of anglers put the spinnerbait away too early in the year, but windy post-spawn conditions can set up perfectly for it on windy banks and points. Flooded bushes or other cover in the wind can also position good bass. It’s not usually an all-day deal, but it can help generate some of the better reaction bites of the day.

Offshore fish start becoming more important later in the day

As the morning progresses, many post-spawn fish start sliding toward drops, brush, and channel swings. This doesn’t necessarily mean “deep.” On many Ozark reservoirs, that can simply mean moving from 2 feet to 8–15 feet, or at least far enough down that the sun impact is reduced.

A lot of anglers overcomplicate offshore fishing this time of year. In reality, the best areas are often just close to spawning habitat. Those are often higher percentage areas than randomly searching offshore. Check out this previous article on fishing the main lake in late spring.

Baitfish activity matters more than exact structure

During the post-spawn, bait becomes a major factor. On Beaver, Table Rock, and Tenkiller, it’s common to see fish reposition daily based on where shad are moving. Sometimes the best clue isn’t structure at all — it could be flicking bait, schooling, or birds. This is one reason the morning bite can be more predictable and strong this time of year.

Final thoughts

The post-spawn transition can feel inconsistent, but there are still predictable movements happening for how to find post-spawn bass.

On highland reservoirs like Beaver, Table Rock, and Tenkiller, bass usually don’t move all at once. Some stay shallow longer than expected, while others start moving toward offshore structure quickly.

The anglers who tend to do best this time of year are the ones who stay flexible:

  • fish shallow early
  • pay attention to bait
  • adjust toward transition structure later in the day

Most importantly, focus on the areas between spawning pockets and summer structure. That’s where a lot of the better post-spawn fish tend to show up.

NSKA

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

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

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

Tournament Results

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

Ryan’s Big Bass winner. Source: TourneyX

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

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

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

embrace the meme - Texas Fishing Forum

NSKA vs Moyak Border Battle

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

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

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

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

Angler Roundtable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What is your preferred brand of line and why?

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

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

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

AOY Race Update

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

Heavy Hitters Race

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

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

Check out some content you may have missed:

NSKA

2021 Classic Championship Recap / Angler of the Year

The top 25 anglers of the year in NSKA NWA faced a diabolical test in the end of season Classic Championship. Day one to day two stretched from one end of the NSKA region to the other and set up what would be an interesting and challenging event.

Lake Fort Smith, a.k.a. Snake Fort Smith, a.k.a. Dead Sea South, is always a fun time for anglers and presents a tremendous challenge. I’m not saying Lake Fort Smith can be tough, but Jacob Wheeler would keep driving past it on I-540 and won’t take the exit.

The mysterious Lake Fort Smith.

Day one had bluebird skies and little wind for most of the day, and it was a grinder! All except for Cole Sikes who took control on day one with 76.50″ – a huge lead over Sam McClish in 2nd with 67.75″ on the day. Sam did land what has to be a biological freak for that lake and took Big Bass for the event with a 20.75″ largemouth. As day one ended, the Classic was shaping up like last year’s event where the day one leader with a big lead would try to hold on day two.

Top 10 after day one:

  1. Cole Sikes
  2. Sam McClish
  3. Jacob Webber
  4. Tyler Zengerle
  5. Dwain Batey
  6. Jason Kincy
  7. Terrill Standifer
  8. Jason Cowell
  9. James Shumate
  10. Craig Wood

Day two was up on Table Rock, site of two previous events in 2021. Anglers could put in at Holiday Island or Eagle Rock. In stark contrast to day one, anglers really caught’em on the Rock. Jacob Webber made a big move on day two with 87.50″ followed by Craig Wood with 86.50″ on the day. Cole Sikes pulled a very respectable 80.25″ on day two – would it be enough?

Top 10 day two:

  1. Jacob Webber
  2. Craig Wood
  3. Devon Esry
  4. Dwain Batey
  5. Tyler Zengerle
  6. Jason Fields
  7. Terrill Standifer
  8. Kyle Long
  9. Cole Sikes
  10. Justin Brewer

2021 NSKA NWA Classic Champion

2021 Classic Champion – Cole Sikes.

Cole Sikes had the total needed to take the title with 156.75″ for the two days, followed by Jacob Webber with 153.25″ and Tyler Zengerle with a 147.25″ total.

Final Top Ten

  1. Cole Sikes
  2. Jacob Webber
  3. Tyler Zengerle
  4. Dwain Batey
  5. Terrill Standifer
  6. Jason Kincy
  7. Craig Wood
  8. James Shumate
  9. Jason Cowell
  10. Josh Landreth

Angler Roundtable

The grueling two day tournament was challenging and fun. Cole Sikes, Jacob Webber, Tyler Zengerle and I share some of our experiences from the event in this season-ending roundtable discussion:

Overall, how did you attack Lake Fort Smith and what baits were key in your day?

Cole – I knew Lake Fort Smith was going to be tough so I wanted to make sure to get a limit. I knew my best chance of catching a limit would be fishing on the south end where there are more spotted bass. I started on a community hole and caught two keepers and then I moved to steeper banks to fill out my limit. I had a limit in the first hour and it was a huge relief. For the most part I junk fished and caught fish on 5 different baits (popper, jig, deep diving crank bait, spinnerbait and drop shot) but my most consistent bite was fishing a popper on the steeper banks really slow. I ended up catching almost three-limits worth of fish but most were 11” spotted bass.

Jacob – In practice, I tried fishing the north end and the south end. I did much better on the south end as far as numbers go. I threw some big baits in practice in the direction of the dam and had some quality fish show themselves. The plan was to fish a stretch and try to get a small limit early, then head to the dam end and try to catch a couple of those bigger fish. It was pretty much a junk fishing day, but the ones that mattered came on a fluke, pencil popper, and buzz bait.

Tyler – Going into day one, I knew most people would go left from the ramp, towards the creek. To avoid the larger crowd, I made the decision to go straight across from the ramp and fish to the buoys and back, as I fished this section several years ago. My key baits for the day were a wacky worm, a Jewel PeeWee Football Jig, and a shaky head.

Jason – I wasn’t very confident going into the day, pre-fishing was pretty terrible and really struggled. So going into the day I was just going to try to get a limit and stay in the mix. Having turned into a power fishing angler mostly, I put that stuff away for the most part and focused on using a drop shot on some key areas to secure a limit. After that I tried to find a kicker but had no luck. Had to leave early to get up to the Hill for the big game, turned into a fantastic day!

Where did you put in at Table Rock, how did you approach it and what were your key baits on the day?

Cole – I had no idea what to expect on Table Rock so I fished history. I have done well in the past launching at Holiday Island and going down river towards Eagle Rock so that’s what I did. I started my morning by covering a lot of water throwing a buzz bait and whopper plopper. After about an hour of not having much luck, I picked my trusted jig and starting catching a few on bluffs and points. I struggled on day two and couldn’t really figure them out but I was able to grind enough and put together a decent limit. Thank goodness I had a good lead after day one because the guys caught them on day two!

Jacob – I put in at Eagle Rock and went towards Rock Creek. I caught a few good fish right away on a whopper plopper and never got another bite on it the rest of the day. I switched to the chatter bait and every spot I pulled up to they were smashing it.

Tyler – I put in at Holiday Island and went to my normal section that I fish anytime I go there. At first, I attempted to throw a buzzbait and spook with no luck. I eventually got out a fluke and caught my first fish 30 minutes into the tournament. After a few more casts, I put the fluke away. I knew a jig worked well in that area, so I started throwing a Jewel PB&J finesse jig (what I used when I placed 4th during our TR 2.0 tourney). That’s when I really started catching fish. I had a limit by 7:30am and caught 82.75” by 9:00am. I decided to leave early at 1:00pm because I knew I was really competing for 2nd-5th place, since Cole had a commanding 12” lead to start day two.

Jason – Really have not had as much luck historically at Holiday Island so I chose to go to Eagle Rock even though I’d never fished there. Kyle, Ryan and I just pedaled to a creek we’d never fished and started working it over. Eventually started catching a few on a plopper and got things going. Later on I was able to catch a few on a jig and then when the wind picked up was able to catch a few on a spinnerbait. Little disappointed in the day because lots of people wrecked’em so I clearly missed out on the juice.

Of the two day event, talk about the key fish that put you in the money.

Cole – My key fish was the 19.75″ kicker I caught day one on Lake Fort Smith. I knew when I caught that fish I was going to have a chance to win the Classic because how tough the lake was fishing. I caught that fish on a transition spot on the bluff where it went from a vertical bluff to little small rocky point. I threw my popper right up on the bank and popped it a few times and she sucked it under.

Jacob – I think my key fish came on day one. I started out on a small stretch where I thought I was going to get a fast limit and ended up not getting a bite. I was about to switch everything up and go to a new area, but ended up catching my biggest of the day right before moving. That fish made me stick to the game plan and put together an alright limit.

Tyler – The fish that really gave me a chance to be in the money was the 14.75” bass I caught at 2:15pm on Lake Fort Smith. That put me at being one of the four people with limits over 60” and gave me a 5.75” cushion ahead of 5th place.

Jason – I didn’t finish in the money, but that very first drop shot fish I caught on Lake Fort Smith was a confidence booster and I milked an area for about two hours catching several shorts but eventually getting my limit. What a relief.

Did you do anything or think about anything differently for a two day event?

Cole – Like I mentioned above, I knew Lake Fort Smith was going to be the x-factor in determining the classic winner so that’s what I focused 100% on. I did quite a bite of map studying prior to the tournament expecting to be fishing offshore. I prefished and was able to get some confidence in catching a limit but knew it was going to take a kicker to have a chance to win. Other than that I treated the tournament like any other tournament. Hit high-percentage spots even if it meant covering miles of water.

Jacob – Nothing different. I just spent a little more time pre-fishing.

Tyler – I took this tournament one day at a time. I didn’t really treat it much differently than single day tournaments. I went into each day with the same baits tied on and used the ones that I was most confident in. One thing that I normally don’t do is leave early, but I was really craving Whataburger.

Jason – Like Cole said, I had no doubt this would be won or lost on Lake Fort Smith so it was the only place I pre-fished. Kudos to Cole, we both arrived at our starting spot around the same time and we agreed to share the water and it worked out well for us.

What’s your PB Largemouth, Smallie and Spot?

Cole -My personal best Largemouth was a 23.50” on Lake Elmdale in my second kayak tournament ever back in 2017. The largest Smallmouth I have caught was a 20” on Beaver and my largest spotted bass was 18” on beaver as well.

Jacob – PB largemouth was a 6.5lb in a tournament in Bella Vista. No idea for Smallie and Spot.

Tyler – My PB largemouth is a 22.25” from Lincoln. Smallmouth is 18.50, I believe, from Pumpback this year, and my biggest spot is 16.25” caught this year on a section of the Illinois River.

Jason – My personal best Largemouth was a 24″ giant from this year on Possum Kingdom, largest Smallmouth is only 17.50″ from Beaver Lake and largest Spot is 17.25″ on Beaver Lake. Really have a goal this winter into next year to get a 20″ Smallie.

Angler of the Year

The 2021 Angler of the Year race really wasn’t much in doubt halfway through the season. Dwain Batey was a consistent performer all season. Dwain is an exceptional angler and one of the things that makes him so good is he can adapt to any condition and any type of water. His versatility helped him excel all season long to take the crown.

Dwain is not only a great angler, he is a friend and a very giving person. He is always willing to help anyone and has made me a better angler as we’ve talked fishing and I’ve observed how he does things. He’s always willing to teach you a technique – because he knows he’ll still do it better! Really happy for Dwain.

2021 NSKA NWA Angler of the Year – Dwain Batey!

Your 2021 AOY Top Ten:

  1. Dwain Batey
  2. Cole Sikes
  3. Tyler Zengerle
  4. Ryan Paskiewicz
  5. Justin Brewer
  6. Jason Kincy
  7. Kyle Long
  8. Jacob Webber
  9. Devon Esry
  10. Craig Wood

Jacob Webber also took home the Rookie of the Year award and Kyle Long was the 2021 Heavy Hitter Champion. Congratulations to them!

Congratulations to all

Thank you to all anglers who participated in the events, yakpots or just some fun fishing. Hope to see you on the water next year and will be rooting for everyone to catch their personal best!

Next up is the Arkansas State Championship – it’s a fun two-day event and hope many of you can make it.

NSKA

Table Rock 2.0 Tournament Recap / Classic Countdown / Heavy Hitters

The fishing-friendly waters of Table Rock welcomed back NSKA for Table Rock 2.0 for 2021 and it was a wild ride.

As many NSKA tournament anglers know, this was the sixth event that involved rain or thunderstorms this year…and this one was a doozy. As Forrest Gump said, “We been through every kind of rain there is. Little bitty stingin’ rain and big ol’ fat rain, rain that flew in sideways. And sometimes rain even seemed to come straight up from underneath.”

On Saturday a dead calm sunny morning turned into stormaggeddon in the afternoon. In fishing one thing is true, when the weather changes the fishing changes and it was going to help someone catch ’em late.

Tournament Results

As 53 anglers took to the water expectations for catching fish were high. Table Rock put out good numbers in the May event (1.0) and there was some optimism it would be a bit easer than Beaver Lake. Overall a very strong 73% of anglers turned in a limit and with 338 fish caught for a 6.5 average per angler the Rock was on fire again.

Levi Schneider took 1st place in his first NSKA event with 88.00″ on the day (after a 1″ deduction!), followed by Jason Kincy with 84.00″ squeaking by Josh King in a tie-breaker who finished 3rd with 84.00″ on the day. Levi also won Big Bass with a 20.00″ Table Rock tank.

The Table Rock top ten:

  1. Levi Schneider
  2. Jason Kincy
  3. Josh King
  4. Tyler Zengerle
  5. Ryan Paskiewicz
  6. Josh Landreth
  7. Jason Adams
  8. Dwain Batey
  9. Justin Writght
  10. Jason Coleman

Check out the full results on TourneyX.

Please hit subscribe on YouTube if you like the recaps, will keep me going!

Angler Roundtable

Top finishers of the event break down the day in the roundtable discussion. A lot of fish were caught that day by Levi, Jason, Josh and Tyler.

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

Levi – After having a horrible practice at the Kings River I looked elsewhere. I found a random ramp just north of Emerald Beach that looked really good with a mix or brush piles, docks, and main lake bluff walls with rock. With multiple main lake points, secondary points, and a couple of coves so I had plenty of options no matter where the fish went.

Jason – Put in at Beavertown because I’d pre-fished a couple of spots on Table Rock and just couldn’t get things going so tried something different for the tournament. Rock Creek and Big M was where I wanted to fish because they are so good.

Josh – I wanted to go to the same spot I did in the first Table Rock tournament, but with the water being down 4’ I didn’t think it would be as good. I got on the internet, looked at some maps and found a spot that wasn’t too far of a drive and had several main points. I ended up fishing Owl Creek arm.

Tyler – I chose to fish at Shell Knob because I figured most of the crowd would be at the Kings River ramp or around Big M area. After doing map study, I noticed that there weren’t a lot of bluff walls, but rather shallower water which best suits my fishing style. I chose to fish behind the island (Lost Hill) and that’s where almost all my fish came from.

Key baits or techniques used to catch keepers?

Levi – I caught ’em early with a Rapala X Rap in a gaudy orange chartreuse color although those fish flopped off the board before I could snap a picture of them. After that all of my fish came of a CJs custom 1/2 oz PB&J football jig with either a green and purple Strike King Rage Craw or a Googan baits Krackin craw.

Jason – I got to power fish all day…pleased to say I didn’t touch a spinning rod one time! Heddon zara spook, War Eagle buzzbait, ZMan chatterbait, Booyah Covert spinnerbait and Slowtown football jig were all contributors.

Josh – I started with a buzzbait and landed one keeper pretty early. I switched to a wacky worm and turned out a small limit. I then put on a 1/2oz football jig, caught several and culled up four fish.

Tyler – All of the fish in my final five came off of a Jewel Finesse jig in PB&J with a Gambler Lures craw in orange/green pumpkin for the trailer. I did catch a few on a shaky head and Ned rig, but nothing of significant size.

Anything notable about catching your biggest fish?

Levi – My biggest fish came off the same main lake point I caught my 5th fish of the day to fill my limit. After I fished the cove by the point with little luck I decided to back out to the point mainly cause the clouds had came back and that’s when I had noticed my biggest bites would happen and sure enough after a few casts and a couple of hops the 20” largie ate my jig and if you saw my picture of him he was a little messed up.

Jason – I’d found a specific pattern by about 10:00 and was running it, catching a fish almost every time I’d find a certain thing. My 19.25″ kicker was cool because I saw it flash a second before it thwanked my bait and the fight was on. Sadly, shortly after this I lost my chance to catch Levi when another biggie pulled off after doing the exact same thing.

Josh – Absolutely, it was in the last five minutes of the game. It was literally going to be my last cast and I was almost back to my vehicle. I’ve never worked so fast and so hard at reeling, catching, unhooking and photographing a fish as I did for that one. I was very nervous it wouldn’t upload before 3:00pm.

Tyler – My biggest catch was 18.50”. I caught him going back through the same stretch of water I already fished about 45 minutes before the hurricane came through. I threw between some chunk rock and wood and pulled him out. He went airborne, and as soon as I had him in the net, the jig popped out. One second later, she probably wouldn’t have been in my final five.

What is one tip on getting good photos you can give new anglers?

Levi – A couple of things are recommend are take your measuring board with you anytime you go fishing and practice taking picture with every single fish you catch. Also if you’re a visual learner like I am, I mostly learned how to from watching many Greg Blanchard videos which is why when I started tournament fishing it was like second nature. Also measure in the lowest part of your kayak to reduce the chance of your fish from flopping out of the kayak.

Jason – Like Levi said, take your board and take photos when not in a tournament. Also like what Josh said about a routine and having everything in its place so you have to think less when in the moment. I’m very superstitious about this and have to put everything back exactly where it goes before starting to fish again, haha.

Josh – What is one tip on getting good photos you can give new anglers? I’m still learning myself and I still make several mistakes, but for me the key is having everything ready and always in the same place and doing the process the same way. Having that muscle memory helps when I have those rushed or excited moments.

Tyler – I recommend practicing at home. I went in the garage, sat in my kayak and moved my board around and figured out the best orientation that is most comfortable for me. After taking a few pics, I found a way that I don’t have to worry about my identifier being cutoff and that my whole board will fit in the picture. I’ve also reached out to other people with the same boat as me and looked at the way they did it. Yes, I know there are more variables when you’re out on the water, but having a plan in place before you hit the water is important. You can tweak some things when you’re actually measuring a fish. Snap a couple pics and always review them before submitting. It’s not fun getting an 18”+ fish DQ’d…I would know.

Classic Standings & AOY Race

Well the season is about over but there are a LOT of anglers in the hunt for a Classic berth. Right now I’d say there are 10-12 spots up for grabs depending on how everyone does in the final event on Beaver Lake. Lots of movement coming for sure.

In the AOY race, Dwain Batey has a chokehold on first that I believe nobody can overcome based on the numbers. (but I’m no mathematician) There is a slight chance for a few…Kyle Long and Tyler Zengerle in particular to catch up if they dominate the last event and the Classic and Dwain stumbles in the Classic. We will see what we see.

Take a moment to check out Dwain’s article about his day on Table Rock, and subscribe to his blog – it is a great read.

Heavy Hitters Not Over?

Was looking pretty early like Kyle Long had his own chokehold on Heavy Hitters, but like last year things tighten up down the stretch. Although he has a good lead, there are some threats to the crown in this last event.

If Kyle does not upgrade…Tyler, Ryan and Jason all have an outside shot at stealing it in the last event. Tyler would need a 21.75″ to win, Ryan needs a 21.75″ to win, and Jason needs a 21.50″ to win. These are not likely on Beaver Lake, but possible!

NSKA

2021 Beaver South Recap / Heavy Hitters / AOY Race

Water levels in May on Beaver Lake have been following a familiar pattern in 2021, carrying on a year over year over year tradition. High water along with a week of rain for the four straight time prior to an NSKA event made for daily changing water conditions. If you look at the past three years on Beaver Lake in May, you should prepare to fish in high water – which is a good thing on the Dead Sea.

Beaver Lake in May means water levels between 1,126 and 1,129. Source: uslakes.info

The past two tournaments I’ve had to work really hard to understand what’s going on with the lakes. After a terrible start to the year I needed to ensure a decent finish. This meant a lot of driving around of Beaver Lake the week prior to the event, and the weekend prior I hit two of my go-to areas on Beaver Lake South with horrifically bad pre-fishing results. This told me I needed to do something else…that the river area felt like it was dead for the most part and the action would be down lake toward the Hwy 12 bridge. The results I think showed this to be mostly true at the top.

Beaver Lake South Tournament Results

We had a really strong field for this one, including some top anglers who came in from NSKA Central and RVKA. Love the fact they came up! May is a great month to fish Beaver Lake because of the elevated water levels, still some spawning or fry guarders present, and with some color in the water – it gives an angler a better chance of getting them shallow. Of the 53, a really strong 70% turned in a limit for the day, and I suspect that everyone who got on the water turned in at least one keeper.

I was fortunate to catch enough to take the win with 87.75″, followed by Christa Hibbs with 84.25″, and then Justin Brewer with 82.75″ for third place. Big Bass was a good battle, where Christa and Justin both caught a 21.75″ and Christa won the tiebreaker to take the prize. (Justin beat me in a tiebreaker for third place on Table Rock, so he’ll be OK. Ha!)

Here is your top ten from Beaver Lake South:

  1. Jason Kincy – 87.75
  2. Christa Hibbs – 84.25 (RVKA)
  3. Justin Brewer – 82.75
  4. Jeriamy Vann – 81.00
  5. Chris Jones – 79.75 (RVKA)
  6. Garrett Morgan – 76.00 (NSKA Central)
  7. Josh Goforth – 75.75
  8. Roy Roberts – 75.50
  9. Michael Burgess – 75.25
  10. Jeff Malott – 75.00
Christa Hibbs’ 21.75″ Big Bass had a gigantic head and a skinny body! Source: TourneyX

Angler Roundtable

So how’d the top finishers for the event do it and what are their thoughts on Beaver Lake? I joined Christa Hibbs, Justin Brewer and Jeriamy Vann in this recap discussion. Here’s the scoop:

What part of the lake did you fish and why?

Jason – After doing a lot of looking around, I decided that dirty water was going to be the key to a chance to win. Monte Ne gets really dirty when it rains hard in Rogers, and I’ve fished it quite a bit because it is the closest part of the lake to my house. Took a chance and it paid off.

Christa – I fished the Horseshoe Bend area for the event. I decided on this area because in the past it’s always fished well for me and held good fish each time I’ve fished it.

Justin – I put in at the War Eagle Marina and fished pockets on the main channel swing. That was my pattern at Table Rock so I tried to duplicate it at Beaver. Only difference was that I didn’t get the dirty water I was hoping for.

Jeriamy – I went just south of the HWY 12 bridge Saturday. Really wanted to fish a stretch that I had never fished before and this area looked really nice on the maps that I had studied all week.

Describe how you caught your biggest bass of the day, and what on?

Jason – After catching several keepers early on a spinnerbait, the bite started to slow as the rain cleared off. Wanted to keep throwing a moving bait so chose a white chatterbait. On a long cast that landed right next to a bush, it immediately got heavy and could tell that she was wrapped up in a bush so I just tried to keep some pressure on and she eventually came out. Second 20″ fish that morning, only the second time that’s happened to me in a tournament. Was very lucky.

Christa – My biggest bass of the day was the 21.75 that came around 7 am. I’d missed a bunch of fish just swatting at the buzzbait that morning, so I decided to put a trailer hook on. Three casts later, that big one hit it. Once in the net I noticed it was only hooked by that trailer hook. I luckily adjusted just at the right time.

Justin – My biggest bass came on a wacky rigged Yum Dinger. I pretty much kept it in my hand all day with the hope that eventually I would come across a big female or some decent males still on beds. It took me all day but I eventually found the big female and then a bonus male with her.

Jeriamy – I caught a 19.25″ which was my biggest of the day on a Santone Rattling Jig Black, Blue and Purple with a (CRAWL) trailer. I eased up real quiet to some floating debris and submerged trees in the back of a pocket and had just enough room to make a pitch across to the bank and work the bait along big root ball. I twitched the jig a few times and she came out from under the wood and crushed it.

Was seeing 20 / 20 on tournament Saturday. Source: kayakfishingfocus.com

Beaver Lake showed out a bit on Saturday, what are your thoughts on the lake as a fishery?

Jason – My grandfather, dad and his brothers fished Beaver Lake from when it was formed, and took me there when I was a kid so I will always have soft spot for this lake because of that. It’s a tough place at times but I really like the challenge of a changing lake rather than when people can just hit their honey holes. I joke about it being the Dead Sea, but it’s all in fun, you can catch’em there! For NWA it is our premier fishery and a beautiful place that we are lucky to have nearby.

Christa – I’ve always enjoyed fishing Beaver Lake. It may not always kick out the 20+ inch fish like a lot of other lakes, but I’ve had some awesome fun fishing days out there. In this tournament it produced some nice ones. I think with the heat of the summer not quite here yet, the higher water level, and cloud cover we had on tournament day helped keep those big ones out roaming and more vulnerable. Congratulations to all the top finishers!

Justin – I know many people call it the Dead Sea but other than a couple of trips I’ve always enjoyed the lake. Especially if I can find some dirtier water it’s always put up good limits for me.

Jeriamy – I’m pretty biased about Beaver lake. It’s my favorite with Lake Ouachita being a close second. I was a little surprised at the number of fish caught Saturday, but then I realized that I shouldn’t be with all the sticks in this NSKA group.

Video recap of my day on Beaver Lake, including baits my best five were caught on:

Heavy Hitters Standings

The Heavy Hitters pool is starting to take shape as we’re now four events in. As a reminder, anglers take their top fish from five events, so there’s a long way to go. This week was a real plus for me and Jeriamy getting some big ones on the board to make up some ground. Kyle Long still leads and is in a good spot, with Roy Roberts and Josh Howard on his tail. Again, don’t sleep on those with 20s on the board like James Haeberle, Tyler Zengerle and Cole Sikes. They are still in great shape.

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NSKA Classic / AOY Race

The top 25 finishers in AOY will make the end of season Classic Championship. It’s too early to tell much, but let’s take a look at who’s “in” as of today. Keep in mind it’s the top six events with two drops, so a lot is going to change. Everyone has a chance to get in at this point. For overall AOY – Dwain, Michael and Roy are still in the best position, but any angler with two scores above 95 is likely still a threat to close the gap.

Next Up – Pumpback

We’ll do a preview for Pumpback next week – it’s a really weird and cool little lake (More formally known as Chimney Rock Lake). If you haven’t been there, be sure to mark your calendar for June 5 to experience this pool of giant smallmouth and largemouth bass.

NSKA

NSKA Table Rock Recap / Heavy Hitters Update

The latest battle on the water for NSKA NWA took place on a section of Table Rock Lake, from the Shell Knob area up into the Kings and White River arms. It was a great opportunity for anglers to try out some new water and to catch a lot of fish on a great fishery.

Bass on Table Rock were biting for the NSKA gang.

A week and a half before the event there was significant rain and flooding which were going to affect the water for tournament day. Although Table Rock was a complete muddy mess a week out, when Beaver Lake and Table Rock both were running water through their respective dams, it really flushed a lot of the mud and debris down lake. This resulted in evolving conditions leading up to the event, meaning anglers had to find the water they were most comfortable with.

Table Rock Tournament Results

There were 53 anglers entered in the event and they accounted for a lot of fish caught. A strong 87% of anglers turned in a limit, about 20% higher than the average event. Timing worked out well for the event with bass in all phases of spawn in the lake, meaning there were many good fish to be had.

Michael Burgess won Big Bass with this 20″ Largemouth

Dwain Batey took 1st place with 89.75″, Michael Burgess was second with 88.25″ and Justin Brewer third with 85.50″ on the day. Brewer beat me out on a tiebreaker putting me in 4th on the day, also with an 85.50″ total. Big Bass was also won by Michael Burgess with a 20″ largemouth.

Here are the top 10 finishers:

  1. Dwain Batey 89.75″
  2. Michael Burgess 88.25″
  3. Justin Brewer 85.50″
  4. Jason Kincy 85.50″
  5. Carson McBride 85.00″
  6. Kyle Long 84.50″
  7. Devon Esry 84.00″
  8. Justin Phillips 84.00″
  9. Josh Landreth 82.75″
  10. Jason Coleman 82.25″

The complete tournament results are available on TourneyX.

Video recap and highlights from my day on Table Rock with 85.5″

Table Rock Angler Recaps

Here are some thoughts and insight from the top five anglers from the NSKA NWA Table Rock event. Dwain Batey, Michael Burgess, Justin Brewer, myself and Carson McBride share how things went down on the water and some other thoughts.

In general what area did you go and why?

Dwain – I fished the Kings River hoping it would have more color in the water than the White River did.

Michael – I fished on the white river side. I didn’t have time to practice so I just went to the same area as my previous tournament for MOYAK.

Justin – I chose to put in at Viola. I figured that section would still be the dirties water and dirty water is my strength.

Jason – Fished a creek arm around the Big M section of the White River area. Had fished there previously in the Moyak event and the water looked like the color I wanted to fish.

Carson – I fished the Kings River arm, mainly because I wanted to get as far away from Beaver Town as I could because I don’t like fishing that area

Overall what was the key bite for your day’s success, any specific baits you want to call out?

Dwain – I found fish in debris mats which had shad spawning on them. I used a Big Bite Baits BFE with a Trokar TK130 flipping hook and a 3/8 oz weight Texas rigged to punch into those mats.

Michael – My day started off slow with no bites in my first 1.5 hrs. I connected my first fish on a jig in the bushes but it was a small one. I continued to try to repeat the pattern but only came up with three small fish. I switched to the other side which was shallower and picked up a spinner bait. Within 10 casts I had caught three, one being a 18″ fish. It dialed me into what I needed to throw and where to fish.

Justin – I started early with a spinnerbait and flipping a big creature bait to catch my small limit. I threw a wacky rigged dinger and got bit twice which keyed me in to my main pattern of flipping a Texas rigged black and blue Yum Dinger with the smallest weight I could get away with and still penetrate the and the trash on the bank.

Jason – Unlike a lot of others, seems like my fish came on more variety of baits. Early on caught them on a War Eagle buzzbait and late morning got my 18″ and a 17″ on a Booyah Covert spinnerbait. As the day wore on still caught several on the spinnerbait but did some late culls on skipping a football jig with a YUM Spine Craw at bushes and sawdust areas.

Carson – My key bait was a half ounce flipping jig with a Rage Menace trailer, I was flipping it around isolated buck brush and bushes and punching through the debris mats, and any time I came to a spot where someone’s yard was flooded, a white spinnerbait with gold willow leaf blades always produced a bite.

First NSKA on Table Rock, how did you feel about it and do you like events outside of Arkansas, why?

Dwain – I always like to fish new bodies of water, or be forced into fishing areas of familiar lakes that I’ve never been to, so I always like when we have diversity of venues.

Michael – I enjoyed fishing Table Rock, it’s a fantastic fishery with some big fish. I’m not much of a fan fishing small lakes, it just seems to easy and I want a challenge.

Justin – I feel like I have done pretty good at Table Rock events in the past so I was excited about this event. I like venturing out to different states and different waters. It helps you as an angler to travel and figure out different bodies of water.

Jason – I’d never fished Table Rock before the Moyak tournament a couple of weeks ago and now have fished it a few times. It’s a great lake and clearly has a better fish population than what we encounter on Beaver Lake. Hope we go back next year.

Carson – I liked having and NSKA event on table rock I just wish we could’ve went all over the entire lake.

If you could only have one rod / reel / line setup to fish with, what would it be and why?

Dwain – I would have to go with a 7′ 2” medium heavy baitcaster with an 8.3:1 reel, I am not brand loyal just anything that will get the job done. I picked this because it would cover a variety of different baits/techniques.

Michael – My main set up I would take would be my jig set up with 15# Invizx line. I personally love fishing a jig but I can also easily switch to a Texas rig or any bottom bumping bait.

Justin – I would have to go with a baitcast setup. 7:5:1 reel and 7’ medium heavy rod and 15 pound fluorocarbon line. That will cover with just about anything. Jig, cranking, spinnerbait and even a wacky rig.

Jason – My most flexible setup is a medium heavy jig / Texas rig rod with a Shimano Curado 7:4:1 reel with 12 lb floro. With this I can fish a jig, Texas rig, spinnerbait, fluke, or about any single hook style bait.

Carson – If I could only have one rod reel setup to fish with it would be a 7 foot 3 heavy fast with a jackhammer chatterbait, that’s about my all time favorite setup to throw when I can get away with it

Heavy Hitters Update

Three weeks into Heavy Hitters and Kyle Long is in the driver’s seat for now, with Josh Howard, Cole Sikes and Brian Lookadoo right behind him.

With five events left, everyone is still in it since it is the best five fish total. Things are going to tighten up and shake up quite a bit. Keep your eye on Tyler Zengerle and James Haeberle who both have a 20 in their list, they will close the gap quickly in coming events.

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Next Up – Beaver Lake South, May 22

The next tournament for NSKA will be the Ozark Kayak Beaver Lake South event, which depending on the water level could be a smash-fest or a dink-fest. Get signed up now on TourneyX for this battle royale on the Dead Sea. The highlight of the day will be the post-tourney weigh-in at Las Fajitas in Lowell. See you there!

NSKA

NSKA NWA Road Runner Recap / Roundtable / Heavy Hitters

The first tournament of 2021 had some familiar and some new names in the top 10 as anglers to the road, seeking out the best water they could for this event. Shogun (thanks!) was the sponsor of the Road Runner and the radius for the event was 50 miles from the Shogun restaurant in Fayetteville.

A warming trend during the week were capped off by a serious round of thunderstorms and heavy rain in the northern part of the radius on Friday night. This made for some tough decisions on where to go. Because of the storms and rain, el presidente Taylor Frizzell wisely moved the start back an hour that morning.

Road Runner Results

With the event coming early in the season combined with rainy and stormy weather, participation was a respectable 73 anglers. Overall, 35 of 73 (48%) anglers turned in a limit, while 63 of 73 (86%) turned in at least one bass. This is on par with the last two Road Runners held in March, and in fact a bit up from last year.

Once again, one lake showed up as usual in the Road Runner. Siloam City Lake produced the win again. In five of the last six NWA Road Runners, Siloam City Lake has been the winning lake – 2018, 2019, 2020 (2nd RR) and 2021. Additionally, in these same six events Siloam City Lake has put NINE anglers in the top four spots.

Sam McClish’s 20.25″ bass looks like its downed some beer and wings right before this pic. It won Sam a NSKA 20+ sticker. Dwain Batey and Cole Sikes got’em too!

Event favorite, Dwain Batey, took first place with 93.25″ and Big Bass of 21.5″ to take home some good $$. Sam McClish took 2nd place with a strong 86.50″ while Carson McBride jumped back into things with 86.25″ for third place. The rest of the Top 10 were Michael Burgess, Roy Roberts, Ian Howard, Heath Berner, Cole Sikes, Justin Wright and Michael Sandlin. See the full results on the TourneyX tournament page.

My day was a disaster, marked by poor site selection followed by poor judgment and poor execution. If you haven’t seen the video of the debacle, check it out on YouTube.

Angler Recaps

Good news for those of us who didn’t do as well, the top four anglers sat down to share their secrets for finishing in the money! Kayak anglers are a different breed and one of the awesome things about our club is the willingness to share and help others. Here’s what Dwain, Sam, Carson and Michael had to say:

1. Where did you go and why?

Dwain – I chose Siloam Springs City lake, there were a lot of good options within the radius, but having just came from fishing the Hobie event in Broken Bow I didn’t have much time to pre-fish, so picking some random place especially this time of year didn’t feel right. I was able to fish a couple hours on Tuesday and Wednesday and just checked a few baits. As soon as I would catch a fish I’d put that bait up and switch to something else. I got bit on 3 baits in practice.

Sam – I pre-fished 3 other lakes the last couple weeks, but with the shad kill I was skunked each outing. I went to Lake Atalanta for a couple hours the weekend before the tournament and caught a few 14s on a jig and chatterbait.

Carson – I went to Lake Sequoyah, I have a lot of time on the water there and feel very confident during a road runner style event.

Michael – I started off at Mills Creek on Table Rock. My research for spring time screamed this would be a good cove to fish and catch some big girls. It had a channel creek running into it. Deep banks and a feeder creek.

2. Did the big rain the night before affect your fishing area?

Dwain – Yes, but in a positive way. This time of year City Lake gets a lot of floating slime that really hampers fishing with moving baits. Well Tuesday pre-fishing it wasn’t that bad, and I caught a few fish on a crankbait, but the very next day it was so bad I couldn’t throw a crankbait at all. So the rain actually pushed some of that stuff on through with the current and let me actually fish a crankbait during the event.

Sam – With the rain I had planned for it to really help push the fish to the banks, I was wrong. I paddled around trying to figure out my next move and kept graphing fish in the 25-30ft range on steep drops.

Carson – The big rain the night before majorly affected the whole lake, with the white rivers running into it, the lake progressively got muddier throughout the day, so I tried to stay away from the mud line by fishing the very north end of the lake all day.

3. General approach that worked for you, techniques, etc,?

Dwain – I started out by demoralizing Kyle and Cole by catching 4 fish in the first 16 minutes within sight of them throwing the new Skirmish Baits AIM7 jerkbait in my Batey Shad color. You have to set the tone for the day, you know? In all seriousness, I couldn’t believe those fish were in that spot, much less eating the jerk bait on command, but it really did help me mentally the rest of the day to pull up and look like I knew they’d be there. Then that stopped working, and I didn’t catch the 5th fish for a while, finally figuring out what I mentioned above that the slime wasn’t as heavy and I could throw my crankbait. Well I caught one pretty quickly on that for my limit fish. I culled all of those early fish starting with a 17” on a ned rig at 10:33 am, and then one about every half hour up to an hour, to cull to my final total at 1:06 pm. The last 4 culls were all on the flat sided crankbait, wasn’t one of mine, didn’t even have custom paint on it. The fish were off the edges of spawning flats feeding up as they waited on “go time” which isn’t far off if these warm temperatures hold up at least for these smaller lakes anyway.

Sam – The only option I had at that point battling the crosswind was to tie on an A-Rig.

Carson – I threw a jig all day long around lay downs and rock and that is what I threw all day long basically, never even had a ned rig tied on.

Michael – After 5 hours and only 1 good fish to show for it that creek wasn’t producing for me. When I arrived at my 2nd location the rain pretty much blew out every spot I fished the week before. I found a bank wall with the same setup and started to throw a jig. My 3rd cast and I got bumped, was the only thing I needed to know I was in the right area and throwing the right color. I also caught them early on a jerkbait and on a craw colored crankbait.

4. What was your key fish and anything special about the catch?

Dwain – After my jerk bait bite stopped working, I picked up the ned and caught a17” fish that was in my final bag, but that didn’t produce anything else, and I had just stopped running that down a full bank to give it a legitimate shot to work, and when I pulled off that bank I picked up the flat sided crankbait and hurled it out in a slightly deeper spot where fish have been known to stage and caught the 21.50″ which gave me confidence to keep throwing that flat side. From there I caught one almost an hour later that was a good cull, then about 30 minutes later again with a good cull, then another hour and my final cull all on that same flat sided bait. The main key was just believing that they’d show up as the day went on, and having the confidence to wait them out.

Carson – I had 2 key fish actually, very late in the day I decided to do something big, I have a spot I can go to and normally feel good about catching a good one or two but wasn’t confident because of the rain, I said screw it and made the move anyways, that’s where I caught a 19.75″ and a 17.75″ in the last hour of the whole thing, bumped me from 74 inches to 86.25″ total.

Sam – I’d like to say my key fish was catching my 20.25″ but it had to be the first fish I caught that was a 16” it helped confirm (1) Those were definitely bass at 30ft and (2) they were hungry. That bite was hot from 10:15 ’till about 12:30. I caught about 11 fish in that timeframe doing that. I didn’t get a single bite before then or after that.

Michael – Highlights of my day was watching a coyote swim across the cove chasing a deer and getting checked by the game warden for the first time ever.

Dwain Batey’s Big Bass, I like how the top fins are at full attention!

Heavy Hitters Update

Well, I’m off to a bad start on this one. Need to get a good fish in the Road Runner to get things going. Here are the current standings, with Cole and Brian and Jason off to a great start! Who will be crowned this year’s Heavy Hitter? Still time to enter since you have 7 events left and only need best 5, check out the rules and how to sign up.

Next Up – MLF on Beaver Lake

How many “Beaver Lake Specials” can you catch? Those 12-inchers can win this one for you if there are enough of them. Get ready and see you on the water.