The10 fish road runner in northwest Arkansas promised to be an exciting event for some, and a challenging one for others. Even though the limit total increased, there were some familiar faces and familiar places in the Top 10.
Anglers fanned out in a 35 mile radius from Springdale, fishing any eligible body of water they wanted. The 10 fish limit did seem to change some dynamics on where anglers went, and thinned out the crowd at some of the usual suspect lakes – Lincoln Lake and Siloam Springs City Lake.
Tournament Results
Overall it was a great day of fishing for the field, and many fisheries got pounded in pursuit of 10 bass. Even though it took ten fish for a limit, a respectable 61% turned in a full limit. FPA is a bit off on calculation since we had 10 fish, but an adjusted total (Total fish/anglers/2) is a strong 4.88, putting it in the top half of tournaments this year.
In the preview I predicted the winning total to be in the mid 160s and I underestimated that total just a bit. Also shot a bit low on predictions for fifth and tenth place. Anglers just handled their business! We were correct in some tough fishing at Lincoln and Siloam, and that rivers would contribute to a couple of Top Ten scores.
Dwain Batey continued the Siloam City Lake tradition by taking 1st place with a robust 170.75″, followed by Cole Sikes on Elmdale with 170.50″, and Jason Adams with 155.00″ for third place. Cole Sikes also took Big Bass with a 22.25″ behemoth. Overall, it was a good big fish day with seven 20+ bass caught in competition. For the seventh time in eight road runners, Siloam City Lake was a major factor. Unreal.
Road Runner Top 10:
- Dwain Batey 170.75
- Cole Sikes 170.50
- Jason Adams 155.00
- Brandon Prince 152.25
- Jason Kincy 151.50
- Kyle Long 146.25
- John Evans 145.25
- Justin Brewer 144.50
- Brian Lookadoo 142.75
- Josh Goforth 142.00
Angler Roundtable
Dwain Batey, Cole Sikes, and Jason Adams shared the secrets of their success on the road in NWA:
1) What lake did you go to and why?
Dwain – Despite its nature of being so difficult to get a five fish limit let alone a ten fish limit I chose Siloam Springs City Lake. I felt like I would have my best chance to win there even at the risk of not getting a limit.
Cole – I’m not able to get out and go fishing as much anymore so I went with Lake Elmdale because I know it really well and knew I could easily catch 10 fish out there. I also know there are plenty of giants in there from my experience on the lake and figured one kicker would go a long ways in this 10 fish format.
Jason – Oh, let me tell you about my latest bass fishing adventure at Crystal Lake in NW Arkansas! It’s one of my favorite lakes around, and with the Yak Pot success a few weeks back, it was an obvious choice. Initially, I almost changed my mind due to the rain, considering Elmdale, but decided to stick with my gut and headed to Crystal Lake.
2) Any particular baits or ways you caught them?
Dwain – My pre-fishing patterns all fell apart and I junk fished with two crankbaits, three plastic worms and a topwater bait.
Cole – I was able to get out briefly to go pre-fishing and I was able to put together two patterns. I had an early-morning shallow bite with a buzz bait and spinnerbait to get a quick 10 fish limit of 13-14 inchers. Once the sun got up, I drug a Texas rigged worm offshore where I would catch my kickers and better quality.
Jason – Now, when it comes to baits, I’ll admit I haven’t been fishing much lately. But that trusty jig from my last tournament at Table Rock did the trick yet again. I hadn’t even prepped my equipment before the event, but luckily I checked the jig and knot just in time. That same jig was responsible for all 10 fish I caught that day – no culls, 10 bites, and 10 solid catches!
3) What’s a bait you thought would work going into the event that didn’t work as well as you thought?
Dwain – I had a strong pattern with the chatterbait and wound up not catching a single fish on it during the event despite others at the same lake reporting it was their primary bait.
Cole – During the few hours of pre-fishing I was able to catch some good fish offshore with a jig and free-rig but those didn’t pan out during the tournament.
Jason – I did have a bit of a nostalgic moment when I thought a squarebill crank bait would do wonders. You know how it is when we remember that one time we hooked a massive bass with a particular bait in a specific spot? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me at Crystal Lake before, but unfortunately, lightning didn’t strike twice, and the crank bait didn’t produce the same magic this time.
4) What did you think about the 10 fish limit and did it change any strategies?
Dwain – I loved the challenge of 10 fish and I hope we do that again in the future. I didn’t really change my strategy for the 10 fish and tried to focus on catching larger fish the entire time and letting the limit come naturally. I didn’t want to waste time looking for a small limit first and wind up not having enough time to upgrade.
Cole – The 10 fish limit was a lot of fun and would love to do it again but maybe with everyone on the same lake. The new format didn’t change my strategy, I fished the patterns that made sense for the time of day and for summertime.
Jason – Now, the 10 fish limit was a game-changer for me. Usually, getting a 5-fish limit is already a challenge, but this time, I was thrilled to reach the 10 fish mark. I must say, though, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. By 1 PM, I had only managed 8 fish, and I prayed for those last two to complete my limit. Thankfully, the fishing gods smiled upon me, and I got a 16″ and a 17″ to round out the limit. But boy, those two stubborn 13-inch bass just didn’t want to budge! Overall, it was an exciting and challenging day at Crystal Lake, and I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. Bass fishing always keeps me on my toes, and that’s why I love it! Can’t wait for the next adventure on the water!
Angler of the Year
The Angler of the Year race is very tight going down the stretch. Nobody in the top spots hurt themselves badly, but Kyle Long and Dwain Batey made solid moves. With the Crucible on Beaver Lake and the Classic to go, it’s a race between Landreth, Zengerle, Long, Webber and Batey.
The real drama starts to unfold in the final spots for the Classic. The top 25 make the field. Right now there are folks in the top 25 who may fall out if others have a good Crucible and replace low scores. If you are numbers 20-25, you need a top 20 finish to feel good about getting in.
Heavy Hitters
As we identified in the last recap, this is a two horse race, and one of them just galloped into the lead in this event. Tony Sorluangsana caught a Beaver Lake beast and has vaulted into the lead. As it stands right now, Josh needs a very big fish in the Crucible to win at the wire over Tony.
One more regular season event to go – fish anywhere you want on Beaver Lake and find the best five keepers you can!