The end of season Classic Championship wrapped up a good year of fishing for the top 25 anglers in NSKA NWA. With one day on Table Rock and a second day on Beaver Lake, it was a good test of versatility for the competitors.
Classic Championship Results
Fishing was not the easiest for the Classic, as expected for September in our part of the country. Putting together good limits consistently is the key to top finishes in the Classic and this year was a great example. Overall, the field caught 275 fish over two days, with a 5.5 fish per angler, putting it middle of the pack for tournaments this season.
Justin Brewer finished the back half of the season on fire and continued the hot streak by taking the Classic Championship with a day one total of 79″ and a day two total of 73″ for a grand total of 152″ for the event. Kyle Long took second with 150.50″ (75.75/74.75) and James Shumate took third place with 148.75″ (73.25/75.50) for the weekend. John Evans took Big Bass with a 19.50″ Largemouth.
Angler Roundtable
Our top finishers for the Classic Championship shared how they made it happen in the end of season event. Thank you to Justin Brewer, Kyle Long and James Shumate for their recaps!
Where did you go on day one and day two and why?
Justin – I went to Eagle Rock on day one. No real reason just fishing history and I’ve done decent in the past there and I always just want to decent day one in two day tournaments. Day two I went to the Horseshoe Bend area. Again that’s the only area I’ve had any experience on so I felt most confident there.
Kyle – Day one I went to three places. Houseman, which I didn’t even make a cast before I left because it just didn’t feel right. Eagle Rock, where I also didn’t catch one fish. Then Beaver Town lastly. Why? Because when I was driving from Houseman to Eagle Rock at 6:55am, I drove across the Beaver bridge. I saw Kincy’s truck was the only one there. After not doing well at Eagle Rock and with all the boat traffic there, I figured at least there isn’t much pressure at Beaver Town. Might as well go there. Maybe there’s some fish that haven’t been thrown at all morning. Plus I could access that cooler water from the backside if need be. Day two, I went to Blackburn. No specific reason. Just thought it might be less crowded than the launches on the west side of the lake.
James – Day one I went to Eagle Rock because I know the area. I threw a buzzbait , Whopper Plopper and shakey headed. I had all but given up I was setting in 22nd with 3 fish at 2:53 I caught my 4th and at 2:57 I caught my 5th and jumped to 9th. Day 2 I went to Horseshoe Bend first fish was a 19 inch thought it was going to be a good day but it wasn’t didn’t get my limit till around 1:40.
Both days seemed pretty even in limit sizes, which day was tougher for you and how did you overcome it?
Justin – Day two was definitely my tougher day and it showed. Luckily I had a good day one so there was some wiggle room. I figured it would be tougher for everyone so lower 70’s would put me in a good spot so I just fished hard until I got there.
Kyle – Day one for sure. I was on the verge of spinning out. I just had to keep my head down and keep making casts. Trying the whole time to not keep doing exactly the same thing. Looking for a little nuance here or there that might make the difference. Luckily I found one.
James – Both days where equally tough I only caught 11 fish all weekend but the wind Sunday was the worst.
What were a few of the key baits or techniques that worked for you?
Justin – Day one was a Booyah XCS Squarebill at a creek channel intersection where the bass were schooling on shad in the morning and then a Carolina rig with the Yum Spine Craw around trees on the channel drop in the afternoon. Day two was a War Eagle buzzbait and Heddon Spook all day. The bite quit at 9:30 but I stuck with it anyways.
Kyle – Spinnerbait and Shaky head. Almost exclusively both days. I did catch a couple on a buzzbait day 2.
James – Threw a Sexy Dog, shakey head and a KGB Chad Shad – it saved me caught my last 2 on it.
What was your most important bait for the duration of this season that made it successful for you?
Justin – I really can’t pinpoint one single bait because each tournament some other bait played the main roll but if I have to pick one, I won the most money on the Booyah XCS Squarebill which play big roles in both my third place finish at Broken Bow with Hobie BOS and then helping with the Classic with my biggest limit on Day 1. It also caught me a few fish here and there in other tournaments.
Kyle – I’d say all season long the MVP had to be the Accent River Special 1/2 ounce spinnerbait. The Slow Town Custom Lures custom 1/4 ounce shaky head and the Skirmish baits Pendragon 110 we’re also crucial.
James – I think throwing a shakey head this season helped me the most this season.
Season Awards
It was a solid season for NSKA NWA with some big bags and a lot of fish caught. The season awards were presented at the season-ending Classic banquet. Please take time to congratulate the recipients!
Final AOY Top 25
Individual Winners
