Winter is a great time to get out and catch some big ones. Bella Vista bass fishing can be very good in the winter time. These bass from Lake Ann and Lake Windsor in Bella Vista came in the cold days near the end of the 2018.
Norman Deep Middle N Crankbait on steep shorelines in 46 degree water caught this 20.5″ largemouth below. The bottom photo was caught from a kayak on Lake Ann off one of the windy points on a cloudy day. Give Bella Vista bass fishing a try in cold weather.
The Natural State Kayak Anglers have released the upcoming kayak bass fishing tournament schedule for 2019 and it has some interesting changes from previous years which should make for an exciting season.
Here is a quick look at the scheduled events and some quick analysis from key NSKA anglers. This article covers the NSKA Northwest Arkansas schedule, watch for more coming on the Central Arkansas Schedule.
March 2, Beaver Lake South – Cold water on the upper end of Beaver Lake will be an challenging start to the year, but past history shows there will be big fish caught along with good limits for some and zeros for many. #deadsea
March 16, Lake Fort Smith – Next stop is a joint tournament event with the River Valley Kayak Anglers on this mysterious mountain lake. Pulling a high limit here proves your mettle as an angler. Don’t miss the best shotgun start of the year.
April 20 , Beaver Lake – The full lake is in bounds at a time when the fish should be biting. Spawn will be on somewhere, and there should be lots of limits.
May 4, Beaver Lake North – Smallmouth and Spot country for this one, but some will chase the largemouth for the win. In May this should not be the #deadsea on the bottom end and there should be a lot of fish caught. Some good fishing to be had before the wake boats and party barges take over the lake for the summer.
June 29, Bella Vista Road Runner (Night) – A night event from 4 p.m. to midnight on the Bella Vista lakes. Should be an interesting and fun night on the water.
July 13, NWA Road Runner – Kayak anglers from NSKA terrorize the streets as they hit the road to their favorite honey hole. A road runner in July could be tough tough but the bass are always eating. Do you swing for the fences at a big fish lake or go for the guaranteed limit?
August 17, Beavertown – The traditional season-ending tournament comes a bit earlier. Clear water, bridges, trestles, river channels galore!
September 14, NSKA Classic – Inaugural NSKA Classic will bring together the top 25 anglers from the season for a finale to crown a Classic champion. AOY to be crowned after the event. Location TBD.
October 5 & 6, State Championship on Lake Ouachita – New venue for the State Championship. Plan to attend, the state event is a great turnout and this lake will be an awesome site.
Defending NSKA Angler of the Year Cole Sikes, Tournament Director Jeff Malott, and 2018 Rookie of the Year Kyle Long shared their quick thoughts on the schedule and the upcoming schedule and new season.
Cole – I’m most interested in the Bella Vista Road Runner event. For me personally, I have never fished any of the lakes and excited about the opportunity to learn new bodies of water. From a tournament standpoint, I think it will be interesting seeing how each lake fishes differently with them being close in proximity to each other.
Jeff – Lake Ft Smith strangely enough. In four years I’ve carded a total of three fish there I believe, and while I hate the lake I invite the challenge of finally figuring something out.
Kyle – The first one. March 2nd. Beaver Lake South. Once that first one happens I know that the season has begun and it’s time to get serious. I had so much fun in 2018, it being my first year and all, that I can’t wait for 2019 to get going. Also Bella Vista. I’ve never been to any of those lakes so just fishing new water is always fun and exciting.
The event you expect the largest limit to come from is which one? And the smallest?
Cole – The largest limit will come during the Road Runner event at one of the small local lakes. The smallest limit will be either Beavertown or Lake Fort Smith.
Jeff – The largest limit will be from the NWA Road Runner most likely, the angler that picks right could bust 100. Smallest I will guess Beaver Town although I expect solid limits from every lake on the schedule.
Kyle – I’m going to say the smallest limit comes from Beaver Town. With it being a month earlier than last year, I’d bet if someone gets 75” they’ll have a really good chance. Largest limit…hard not to go with the NWA Road Runner. Even though it’s almost in July, someone will know where to find some big ones. I’m going to say it’ll take really high 80s at least to win that one…probably low 90s.
Cole – The key to a successful AOY run is to never give up and keep fishing. I had many late afternoon flurries and culls in the 2018 season where I almost loaded the boat up early but stuck it out and kept grinding.
Jeff – Consistency not only in how you finish but how you manage your schedule. Being able to prefish and make enough events to cull a bad finish or two is huge.
Kyle – When it’s tough, grinding out a limit, no matter how small it might be, could be the difference in a 12th place finish and a 24th place finish. I looked back at last year’s first tournament and the difference between 15thth and 33rd was one 10” fish. That’s 18 AOY points…exactly the points difference between our 2018 AOY and who finished 4th place. One 10” fish could be enormous so grind when it’s tough. Also, when they are biting, and everyone is catching them…you need to do your best and find a pattern and try to limit how much unproductive water you fish. Don’t get lulled into just going down the bank. Pick your spots and fish them out really well. That said, you have to be able to adjust quickly if the pattern changes.
Cole – The best tip I can give a new tournament angler is learning to know when and how to ask your spouse for permission to go fishing. If you can’t fish you can’t win! Jokes aside, the best tip I can give is just to have fun and ask questions. The kayak community is very open and eager to help out new anglers.
Jeff – Show up and ask questions. This sport is full of people that enjoy helping and are very willing to share what they know.
Kyle – One, learn your boat and how you like it set up. Get a routine established on how you load it, what you take, etc. so everything is always where you want it to be. This comes with time on the water and everyone’s boats are set up differently. Two, get used to the Hawg Trough and taking pictures of fish. Practice on every fish you catch even when you are just out in a non-tournament setting. It’ll save you some heartache. Three, learn from the other guys when you’re just out having fun and don’t be hard-headed. Learn new techniques every chance you get by watching other guy’s fish and listening to what they say when you are having conversations. Lastly, you don’t need to spend $300 per setup to compete and have fun. If you want to, go for it. I got 7th in AOY last year and most of my stuff comes from Wal-Mart. Practice, take good notes, listen and learn from other guys, pay attention to fish behavior based on different weather and water temps and really try to learn what fish are doing, why they are doing it, where they want to be, when and why they want to be there and what do you need to do to catch them.
READ: Bending Branches Navigator Paddle Review
I’ve never seen a paddle I love the looks of more than the new Bending Branches Navigator paddle. This new kayak paddle from Bending Branches sports a classic natural look but has the same feel and durability that makes Bending Branches paddles the best around.
When Bending Branches shipped me the Navigator to try out, I was in awe as I opened the package and laid eyes upon the natural hardwood slats which make up the blade. The rich wood colors come from the Red Alder and roasted Basswood slats, which are protected by clear fiberglass. These blades looked so good, I wanted to hang them up and not use them…but that’s no fun.
I have fished now with the Bending Branches Navigator several times and multiple people who have seen the paddle have commented how awesome it looks. But how does it work? Although the wood looks awesome, I was worried about weight and durability.
Even with the wooden slats, the Bending Branches Navigator comes in at an awesome 28 ounces, which is unbelievably lightweight. I have a Bending Branches Angler Pro which is a top of the line model and you really wouldn’t know there’s something different in your hands. The T-700 Carbon shaft is strong yet flexes like a dream.
When Bending Branches manufactured the Navigator, (Made in the USA!) they added a hardened Rockguard edge protector around the blade which helps keep it tight when pushing off of rocks and gravel. So far, only minor nicks are showing in the black edge and the wood still looks flawless.
Looking for a paddle for the New Year or an awesome Christmas gift? Pick up the Bending Branches Navigator at your local Bending Branches dealer or order online from online retailers like Austin Kayak and Walmart.
Specifications:
The final event of 2018 is next up for the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) as anglers descend on the idyllic setting of Beaver, Arkansas. Beaver Town is the headwaters area where the White River below Beaver Dam runs into Table Rock Lake and will be a challenging backdrop for the season finale and wrap up to the angler of the year race.
Beaver Town Is a Slice of Fishing Heaven
So Beaver Town is one of the most beautiful places in Northwest Arkansas and a personal favorite place to fish. Featuring lots of greenery, rock and wood, this picturesque stretch of water is a great fishing spot in the Ozarks. There are a couple of key features there which really set up as landmarks for the area, an old railroad trestle and the yellow Beaver Bridge. The rickety yellow bridge crosses over on your way to Holiday Island and eventually Eureka Springs. The bridge itself was a key feature and backdrop to a movie called Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst, described as a “romantic tragicomedy.” This movie is definitely not worth watching. I’m serious, do not watch it, it is terrible. The bridge is by far the best part of the movie. They should have made the movie five minutes long and called it Cool Looking Bridge in Arkansas.
Overall the fishing area is in three key zones. You can launch at Holiday Island Marina and fish that region, or can launch at the Beaver Town campground area featuring the railroad trestle and the bridges, or after launch make your way up the river toward where Butler Creek comes in and further on up the White River. Remember if fishing Holiday Island area, this is near the Missouri border and a Missouri fishing license will be required to fish past the state line.
The launches at Holiday Island Marina and Beaver campground will be shotgun starts and there will be someone there to announce the start. You must take out at the same place you put in. There will be a captain’s meeting the night before at the campground and also a video meeting on Facebook for those who can’t make the in-person.
Make sure to register for the 2018 NSKA Beaver Town event on TourneyX.
I don’t have scorecards from past Beaver Town tournaments, so don’t have the usual statistics to pull from. In general however, Beavertown has not historically produced huge limits. This time of year fish are in transition, the water levels can be fluctuating and weather can be unpredictable. Of all tournaments this year, Beaver Town can be one of the most challenging to get a decent limit.
This year anglers will be helped out by the decision to let people launch from Beaver campground or down at the Holiday Island marina. This will spread people out and will give them more water to fish. There are some good fish there in this area if you can catch ’em, have seen several 20+ Largemouth caught, but you have to find them among a zillion 10.5″ Spots. Those little Spots are feisty bastards and won’t lay down on the board for nothing. Just when you have them and try to take the photo, they pop their mouth open and flip around like crazy. Bastards.
There is a bit of sizzle in the 2018 Angler of the Year race with several anglers having a legitimate shot at taking the title. These guys are going to be feeling a bit of the pressure as they hit the water, going to be a historically tight race!
NSKA anglers Taylor Frizzel and Tim Hotchkin helped me analyze the upcoming event.
As the season finale, what makes Beavertown a favorite among NSKA anglers?
Tim – When the tournament is at Beavertown there is normally a camp out so it’s more than just a tournament but also a get together and fun hangout. Someone normally has a TV set up and watching the game and the mood is almost like a tailgate party plus fishing.
Taylor – The area is a great place to fish but I think it’s a favorite because of the opportunity to camp and spend some time with fellow NSKA anglers.
Jason – Beaver Town is a cool place and allows everyone to be in close proximity. Many tournaments you may not see a lot of other anglers, but at Beaver Town you will get to interact and will also see each other frequently on the water.
The weather has been cool and we’re heading into fall, what affect will that have on the fishing?
Tim – I think the conditions will change the fishing a lot. Some people may be on the fish and then just a day difference cannot find them anywhere.
Taylor – I think with the temps dropping you will see the fishing get a little better. The bite can get real slow in the dog days of summer down there.
Jason – With rain and cooler weather coming in this weekend, someone who was on fish already better be concerned. It’s going to change on tournament day from what it was just a few days earlier. Those with no clue in pre-fishing may find ’em on the day of the event.
In a last tournament of the season does that change your strategy at all? Just go for broke?
Tim – I think some guys will go all out and just try and win a tournament. Angler of the Year is a close race and those guys will probably go out just trying to finish like they have all year.
Taylor – At this point in the season for me personally it’s just throw the kitchen sink at it and see if something sticks. If I can move up a few spots I’ll be happy with me season.
Jason – Anglers in the AOY race have to avoid falling flat and need to make sure they get a decent limit. A mediocre limit will result in good AOY points in this one. Those out of the AOY race should just go fish and have fun, that’s going to yield the best result.
Winning overall length and big bass?
Tim – 81″ to win and 20.5″ for Big Bass.
Taylor – Winning length 78.75″ and Big Bass 20.50″
Jason – It will be around 75.5″ to win, with a Big Bass of only 19.75″
August in the big water on the Dead Sea can be tough enough, throw in high sunny skies with about 2,000 wake boats on a final summer weekend and you’ve got a tough day to catch ’em on Beaver Lake. A solid turnout of 68 anglers took on the deep blue in Northwest Arkansas and did pretty well overall in finding fish.
A lot of discussion of pre-fishing revealed that things had been tough on the water. Fish had been finicky in weeks prior to the tournament, but a cooler stretch of days may have helped turn them around a bit for tournament day. A strong 81% (55 anglers) turned in a keeper, while a respectable 29% (20 anglers) of the field were able to catch a limit. These are good numbers for Beaver Lake any time of year, but especially in the summer.
Jeriamy Vann took first place with a 80.25″ limit of Largemouth, followed by Vince Minnick’s strong 78.25″ limit of Smallmouth. Big Bass was won by John Evans with a 19.75″ Largemouth, followed by Jeriamy Vann with a 19.25″ and then Vince Minnick with a 19.25″ Smallmouth tank.
The top ten finishers were as follows:
Top finishers Jeriamy Vann, Vince Minnick, John Evans and Tyler Zengerle reflect on the tournament and explain how they caught ’em in this roundtable recap.
How did you think about approaching the north end of Beaver, what was your overall plan?
Jeriamy – My plan was to go with the pattern that had worked for me in the Beaver Lake South tournament and to try and fish close to the Highway 12 Bridge.
John – I looked at Google maps for an entrance to coves that I could drive to. Living in Joplin, I usually don’t get a chance to pre-fish, so I looked at several areas until I found one that looked promising. My backup was Big Clifty where i fished the Beaver lake tournament, so in a nutshell I threw a dart and fished there.
Vince – My overall plan was to try and get away from the heavier boat traffic and I figured it would be lighter up closer to the dam. Earlier in the summer I accidentally found a spot that had some nice smallmouth, so I made the plan to go fish it and launch at Lost Bridge North.
Tyler – My overall plan for this tournament was to find a smallmouth bite and they were going to be up by the dam. I chose to fish Lost Bridge North because I’ve been camping at the Lost Bridge South Park for the last 5+ years, and I knew I would struggle catching fish out there with limited structure and tons of boat traffic. I pre-fished Lost Bridge North the Monday before and liked what I saw, so I stuck with it.
The bite was tough to find bigger fish, how did you catch your limit?
Jeriamy – Both my bigger fish came early in about 15′ to 20′ of water by just bumping the bottom. The other three keepers were a little more shallow.
John – I usually throw finesse baits, but have topwater and spin baits ready to entice any bites when it looks promising.
Vince – My spot had a deep trough between main lake points that were about 100 yds apart. After catching a fish off of each point early the fish moved into the deep water as the sun got higher. All of my fish came in 14’-23’ of water. My entire limit ended up being smallmouth with my largest being 19.25”. I caught my 19.25 and 16.25 on a drop shot with a 4lb test Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon leader and a Strike King Dreamshot “Magic Color” drop shot bait in 23’ of water. I saw them on my finder and dropped down to them and fortunately they were hungry.
Tyler – I started the morning in the first big cove to the left of the ramp, and was amazed to find that I was the only one in that cove until late morning. My first fish was caught in a brush pile on a PB&J finesse jig, and it was a 15.25” largemouth. Moving down the bank there were more boulders and rocks, so I switched to a Trapper Tackle shakey head with a Gambler Lures Sweebo worm in watermelon red. Caught another 15.25” largemouth, plus my biggest 16.50” fish. I just needed two more bites and it was a struggle for a bit. I noticed some fish were still chasing minnows, so I put on a small Flicker Shad just to have a chance of catching my limit no matter how big. Instantly caught a 12” smallie and 11.50” spot, which completed my limit at 70.5”. I knew I needed at least 73.75” to pass whoever was in second at that time, so finally at the end of the day, I caught a 15.25” smallie to cull my smallest which put me at my final total of 74.25”. Only two of my keepers were smallies, and the other three were largemouth, which surprised me.
August fishing is really tough, what’s one tip you have for people fishing this time of year?
Jeriamy -I think the thing that helped me was focusing on fishing very slow and deliberately. The last two fish I caught, I threw my jig in pretty much the same spot three and four times in a row before getting a strike.
John – I work for the early morning bites, then as the sun rises I focus on the shaded areas.
Vince – My only tip for the summer is don’t be afraid to fish the clear water…you just have to use your finder to find fish in the deeper water and then try to be patient. Also don’t be afraid to go down in size of your fluorocarbon, you just can’t horse them in.
Tyler – The key to doing well in the hot summer is to find fish as early as possible. The later it gets, the harder it is to get a bite. Don’t be afraid to start shallow because there are always fish there and just throw what you’re confident in. You can fish deeper later in the day for bigger fish. All but one fish were caught in less than 8 ft of water.
What’s your favorite rod and reel combo?
Jeriamy – Right now my favorite combo is the one I used in the tournament. Abu Garcia Black Max baitcaster with an Abu Garcea Vengeance 7 foot rod.
John – I use a Pflueger President reel , with a Berkley eMotion rod. When all else fails I break out the Dynamite and a dip net! lol
Vince – My rod and reel used in this tournament that caught most of my fish was a new Lews Infinity 6’6” Med Action Spinning Rod, that will be coming out to retail in 2019. My Spinning Reel is a Pflueger Supreme size 25.
Tyler – Usually, my favorite combo is a 7’3” MH Stunner HD rod by Fitzgerald Fishing, paired with a Lew’s Speed Spool with 12lb Fluoro. For this tourney, my favorite was a 7’3” MH Stunner HD spinning rod paired with a Shimano Sahara with 10lb fluoro.
Check out the complete tournament results for NSKA Beaver Lake North on TourneyX.
Special to kayakfishingfocus.com courtesy of Aaron McBride:
The Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA), the largest kayak bass fishing club in Arkansas, and the cornerstone of the Razoryak Tournament Trail, is proud to have several active Junior Angler members. These young men are not just tag-alongs with their fathers either, as each one of them are long-standing members who have had their turn taking the adult member’s money in a tournament or yakpot setting. These boys aren’t beating up on a bunch of weak sticks, NSKA features a lot of talented fishermen who have a lot of success on the national scene.
Anyone involved in kayak fishing in the region likely knows exactly how serious these kids are on the water. I’m not sure of any other club nationwide that boasts this number of quality skilled youth anglers in their club – all posing a serious competitive threat. As these boys approach their Senior year of high school, I thought it would be fun to do a feature on this great group of anglers.
One thing that really stands out is that most of these kids started kayak fishing at the same time, not knowing each other. Since that first tournament to kick off the 2015 season, these kids have fished nearly 100% of the NSKA events. Carson McBride and Declan McDonald, both 13 at the time, had big aspirations to not only prove their ability, but to beat the adults. Friends since the 4th grade, they were a little surprised to see some other kids trying kayak tourneys for the first time. Brayden Richardson showed up with his dad, Craig. Baron Meek was there with his uncle, Justin Wright.
All four of these kids were in the 8th grade! And we cannot forget the OG: Original Junior Angler Jacob Hudson. Jacob was a couple of years ahead of this new group, and had fished the previous season as the only youth. Jacob now competes in the adult category and has continued to do well as an angler.
From that day on, these five kids gravitated to each other at pre-tourney checks, weigh-ins, and on the water. They regularly schedule fishing trips outside of the tourneys. Carson and Baron even teamed up to fish the High School circuits in bass boats.
The creation of the Jr. Angler award at every tournament really pushed these boy’s competitiveness. I loved watching them show up at weigh-in wondering how each other did, and who was going to win. Through it all, they have enjoyed a great friendship and supported one another. If one does well, the rest are quick to congratulate him. It didn’t take long for the rest of the club to realize that these kids weren’t just there to compete for top Junior Angler.
These four boys have all finished in the money several times. This season alone, two out of our five NSKA events in 2018 have been won by a Junior Angler. Baron beat a record field of 80+ anglers in our season opener at Beaver Lake South with a crankbait at Natural Walk. Brayden won the other Beaver Lake event, throwing his Neko rig near Beaver Shores. With the Beaver Lake North event approaching, I guarantee you that Carson and Declan are going to give it everything they have to try to outfish the field. These two did show out a little for the River Valley Kayak Anglers event on Ozark City Lake back in April, showing the Fort Smith circuit that the northwest Arkansas kids mean business. They finished 1st and 2nd respectively in this night tournament.
Speaking of Declan and Carson, they both sit at 3rd and 4th place in the NSKA AOY (Angler of the Year) points. It’s anybody’s race to take as there are two events left and anglers get to drop their lowest two scores. A lot can happen when the final fish is caught and scores are tallied. Both of these Junior Anglers are major threats to steal the title from one of the adults.
While Carson and Declan are eyeing the top AOY spot, another good race to watch is the NSKA Junior Angler of the year award. It’s shaping up to be a close call, just like last year. The first Junior AOY award was in 2015, and was awarded to Baron, who dominated all year. In 2016 the title went to Carson. Last year was a tight race, with Declan and Brayden battling it out for top Junior AOY. What nobody saw coming was Carson’s 2nd place finish in the season finale on Beaver Lake, shooting him up the standings and winning Junior AOY for the 2nd year in a row.
All four of the current Junior Anglers qualified for the 2018 Kayak Bass Fishing National Championship on Kentucky Lake. Baron had baseball obligations and could not attend, but Carson, Declan, and Brayden all went to Kentucky Lake to try their luck against 752 of the nation’s best. Only a handful of youth fished in the main event, but those that did were obviously just as capable as the adult competitors. KBF does a good job getting youth involved with their Young Guns event and other activities. However, the kids that qualified for the big show want everyone to know they mean business, and rightly so. Some of these kids were there last year and are well known to each other. They are all good sticks. In that event, Carson took top Youth honors with a very respectable 39th place finish overall, a sizable check, and a four-year fishing scholarship to Bethel University.
Within the next year, these four boys will be aging out of the Junior Angler category. I believe all four will be turning 18 before or during the 2019 season. It’s been great fun watching them grow and develop their skills. The adults in this group took them under their wings and have been truly awesome with them. They have been so much fun to watch. Hopefully this group can attract another group of kids to take up the sport of competitive kayak bass fishing. We’ve had a few kids show up and fish an event or two, but never really stuck with it. The next up and comer is Channon Thomas, who has fished several events over the last couple of years with his father, Jason Thomas. Hopefully we will see a new influx of the next round of Junior Anglers. No matter what happens, it’s been fun watching these kids grow into fine young men.
In last week’s tournament preview article there was no indication in the predictions we would see the huge limits turned in by the top finishers. Almost sixty Natural State Kayak Anglers fanned out across five lakes on a hot Saturday in the Ozarks. The five lakes fished were Elmdale, Bob Kidd, Crystal, Lincoln and a late addition of Siloam City Lake due to the size of the field. On a hot summer day the fish weren’t supposed to cooperate, but the leaderboard provided historically big catch totals.
The last time the NSKA held a Draw 4 event, Lincoln was the skunk of the group of lakes with almost everyone drawing that lake having a terrible outing. The tournament in 2018 was radically different as Lincoln lake showed out for anglers who were fortunate enough to draw that lake. Of the 58 total participants of the Draw 4 event, 50 (86%) submitted a fish, with 28 (46%) turning in a limit.
Rance Richardson won on Lincoln Lake with a NSKA record 102.75″ followed by Cole Sikes with 94.5″ and Carson McBride in 3rd with 86.25″ also on Lincoln Lake. The top 10 anglers looked like this:
Big Bass was a tie between Rance Richardson and Jason Kincy with 21.25″, however Rance Richardson won the tiebreaker to take the title for the day. View all of the NSKA Draw 4 Results on TourneyX.
The anglers in the money for the day provide a recap of how they got the fish to bite and how they assembled their limits.
1. Overall what approach worked for you in catching your fish?
Rance – I started the morning half way down the dam trying a Whopper Plopper, after a few casts and no luck I quickly moved to a squarebill and medium diving crank bait that I always have good luck on at Lincoln. I tried different plastics with no luck so I decided to stick with the crankbaits and cover a lot of water. Both gave me fish but the bigger ones came off the medium diving crankbait in water 5 feet or less.
Cole – My game plan for the day was to start out fishing shallow and then move out deeper once the sun came out. I started the day off really slow and only had two small dinks and a 15 incher at 10 a.m. I moved out deeper and that’s when I started catching the better quality fish. I was catching them in 10-15 feet of water on a SlowTown Custom jig.
Carson – My approach to this tournament was to try and get a limit early. Which I did, so I just kept fishing and hoped for better bites. All my fish came off of a jig in shallow water around shaded areas.
Jason – My initial plan to burn the banks early with a buzzbait didn’t pay off, and finally worked my way around to the back of the lake and caught some small ones on a Bandit 100 squarebill. I kept trying some of the soft plastics I had planned on but they didn’t yield any catches and when I’d go back to a squarebill I’d catch one. The last couple of hours things really slowed down so I switched to a jig around rocks and that netted me a couple of late culls.
2. All of the top anglers were on the same lake, did that change how you were fishing or mindset knowing others there were doing well?
Rance – I didn’t change the way I was fishing. Cole was making me nervous toward the end when I saw him catch a big one and the leader board was turned off so I didn’t know how close he was.
Cole – I knew Rance was on fire so I knew I needed big fish to even have a chance. I started fishing the deeper rock piles where the fish were not pressured and it paid off for me. I broke off on two other 20+ inch fish that would have made things interesting! It was a really awesome day watching the other guys catch big fish all around me!
Carson – It didn’t change my mindset at all I just kept on doing what I was doing because I knew it was working and I had a ton of confidence with it. I knew the fish were biting based off of what I had heard so I just kept grinding at it.
Jason – I’d had a very slow start and only filled in my limit at around 10:30. Compared to what I was seeing from Carson and Rance (even took a photo of Rance and his big one) I was discouraged and felt like I was out of it. When I finally caught a big one, that let me know maybe I could still make a run at a decent total.
3. Describe your biggest fish catch of the day.
Rance – Biggest one of the day was around 10 a.m. toward the back of the lake. It was very shallow in full sun light so I stuck with that pattern the rest of the day and it was working all around the lake.
Cole – I caught my biggest fish around noon in about 15 feet of water next to some of the big rocks offshore. I knew it was going to be a big fish the way she bit. I set the hook and I was almost certain it was an 8 pounder when I hooked into her because she was so heavy. It turned out to be a 21” fish but pretty sure it weighed at least 6.5 pounds.
Carson – My biggest fish catch of the day was an 18.25 incher and he slammed my jig as I was reeling it back in for another cast.
Jason – I was about to call it an early day, having a small limit and knowing these guys were smashing it, I was pretty pissed off at myself for losing three big fish already. Heading toward the ramp around 11:00 a.m., I had just told Cole I was about to load up and then hooked a 21.25″ fatty on a squarebill. No way I could leave then so I kept going and slowly grew my total. I had about 54″ when I caught the big one and finished with 84.25″ three hours later. Good lesson to never give up.
One of the very cool things about the Draw 4 is the different water brought into play. I asked the top anglers on the other lakes how they caught fish on their lake.
Primarily how’d you catch most of your fish , and when you drew your given lake or got there, what was your overall strategy for the day?
Jason Thomas – Siloam City Lake – Everything I caught was on white Slowtown spinnerbait. And when we drew I was a little bummed to have a lake that I didn’t really know anything about. But after getting there I decided to run the bank quickly with a crankbait just to get to know the lake and maybe pick up a fish or two along the way. After a couple of hours and no fish I was beginning to get worried. Then the wind picked up a little and I decided to go to my spinnerbait. After about twenty minuntes that paid off and all my fish were caught in about a 100 yard strip of bank in about 3 to 5 feet of water.
Josh King – Crystal Lake – Bites were few and far between, but patience paid off by slow fishing a jig. Like most, I’d assume, the plan was to catch everything early on topwater. Then either pick the lake apart to cull or go find some air conditioning. Unfortunately after two hours of no topwater bites, I had to slow it down and grind it out.
Jason Adams – Elmdale (Tie) – Fish bit on three baits. The first on was on a carolina rig in the middle of the lake by the overhead lines. Carson put me on his go to lure and it worked for a 13.25 bass that fell pray to a green lizard. This was around 8 am so I was glad to get on the board. Tried to duplicate it and it didn’t work. I saw Kyle Long pick up one in the back and noticed he was throwing something black. The water was stained so it made perfect sense. So getting a jig made up in black and blue was the ticket to getting the next fish and filled a limit. I had a Skirmish square bill tied on the other rod and that helped me cull two fish that ended up being the largest fish in the livewell at the day. All of these fish came from the same lay down. Noticed if I backed off for about 15 minute it would replenish. The jig produced all day. Hitting the stand ups in shallow water and swimming it back to the boat really produced. Couldn’t believe how many fish there was in 6” to 1’ of water. Typically fish are deeper when its this hot.
Kyle Long – Elmdale (Tie) – I started by going straight across from the ramp and threw a buzzbait a little bit. Since I always have a Texas rig tied on I threw around the first lay down I came to and caught a 12.25″. Then caught an 11.5″ at the next one. Fished along some more and noticed lots of birds and then fish hitting topwater really shallow…inches of water. Threw a frog a little but nothing. Started throwing a Texas rig in the same areas and caught a 16.25″ then another 12.25″. Caught my fifth fish doing the same thing at 8:15 a.m. Felt good to have a limit by then. By this time I had fished my way down to the shallow end. Kind of outsmarted myself at that point and went back to the deep end to drag a jig deep to try to get some big bites. Should have stayed put in hindsight. Didn’t boat a fish from 8:15-1:00. At around 11:00 a.m. I started targeting lay downs again but the bite had stopped. Threw a drop shot a while, cranked a while, nothing. Went back to fishing a Texas rig at laydowns and caught a 19.5″ at 1:00. I knew from the leaderboard I needed a little more and finally got another 13.75″ on a Wiggle Wart at around 2:20 p.m. Every fish but the last one came in 3 feet of water or less. All my scoreable fish but one came on a black and blue Beaver style bait on a Texas rig. I had only been on the lake once and I thought if I didn’t catch a few early on top I’d have to crank or dropshot deeper to grind out a limit. My strategy changed pretty quickly when the Texas rig bite was on. Of course I left that bite which was a mistake but that 19.5″ midday ended up being the kicker I needed to finish tops on the lake for the day.
Chad Warford – Lake Bob Kidd – I fished Bob Kidd earlier on in the season during the NSKA NWA Roadrunner in May. It was interesting to see how the fish responded then vs. this weekend. I concentrated on three main baits for Bob Kidd based on the current conditions and what I had learned from in May. The bite was a little tougher right out of the gate but by 6:45 a.m. , I had logged 3 fish using a Berkley drop shot green pumpkin minnow. The wind was calm until late into the morning which became my toughest time and didn’t get another bite until just after 11:00 a.m. As the wind picked up, I keyed in on areas that would likely hold fish during windy conditions and indeed, had my next two fish to round out my limit by 11:45 a.m. Now that my limit was secured, it was time to find the bigger fish. As the temperature rose, I adjusted my strategy and searched for the bigger fish deeper. Early on I caught all of my fish in water 4′-8′ deep. As the temperature rose, I began looking for them in 14′-20′. It took almost two hours to key in on a pattern that would allow me to cull a few of my smaller fish. I found an area that did have structure but also dropped off deep, relatively quickly. It wasn’t enough to just find deep water because I tried that all morning and into the early afternoon and it didn’t work. With the wind finally getting after it and the sun scorching the earth (and me), finding a steep drop off, with structure was the key to successful day on Bob Kidd. And of course, not giving up. The conditions were no doubt tough and it would have been easy to call it at noon with a five fish limit, but I tend to do my best when its a challenge and would encourage anyone faced with difficult situation not to give up. Just keep narrowing down your options!
Special to Kayak Fishing Focus courtesy of Ethan Dhuyvetter.
As a 6’5 fisherman, I have always had some trouble with my “sea legs”. I honestly thought that firing crankbaits on windy points while operating a trolling motor was going to be the death of me while fishing competitively in college. Somehow, I managed to survive despite multiple instances where I nearly took a nose dive into the lake.
So when it came to picking out a fishing kayak the year after I decided to part ways with my boat, I realized that it wasn’t going to be easy to find a watercraft which I can effectively stand in. After researching numerous kayaks which fit my price range, I took a leap of faith and ordered a FeelFree Lure 11.5 from an online retailer.
A couple weeks later, I picked it up at a random warehousing facility on my way to Lake Taneycomo, Missouri for some trout fishing with a couple of my college roommates. Being new to the kayak fishing game, I quickly realized that this wasn’t your ordinary kayak. It was heavy, stable, and incredibly comfortable. After a few hours on the water, I even tried standing….
Let’s fast forward 3.5 years to current day. I still have that exact kayak and feel like I could do a handstand in it. Well, that is, if I could do a handstand in the first place. But you get the point, standing in this kayak actually comes easy for me! Heck, during the spawn, I love to “paddle board” around in search of bedding bass.
Overall, I thought this would be a helpful article for those of you who are also skeptical. Hopefully this brief write-up paired with the video which I put together will help you realize that this FeelFree Lure kayak amongst many others on the market are incredibly stable and easy to stand in, even if you are 6’5.
Ethan Dhuyvetter runs a fishing YouTube channel (Online Outdoorsman) focused on inspiring others to spend more time outside.
If the NWA Road Runner is the Kentucky Derby of the NSKA schedule, then the Draw Four is the World Series of Poker, where your draw may determine your fortunes. How a particular lake matches up with an angler’s skill set or experience on that water will play a big key in who takes home the money. Get ready to adapt, overcome and improvise on either Lake Elmdale, Lincoln Lake, Lake Bob Kidd, or Crystal Lake.
These four lakes are hotbeds for kayak fishing activity in the area and everyone has a favorite among these. Small lakes in the heat of summer will be a great challenge for NSKA competitors.
The last Draw 4 for NSKA was back in 2016, and consisted of the same four area lakes. In that event, 38 of the 50 anglers (76%) turned in a keeper and 15 of 50 (30%) submitted a limit. The winning total was 72″ and Big Bass was 17.5″ in length. This has not been a big limit total event.
The 2016 top 10 finishers, lake and total inches are below:
Lake Elmdale – This is a very popular lake for kayak anglers and is in an easy location, just off of I-540. Lots of anglers have fished yakpots on this lake and many will probably be rooting to draw this one based on familiarity. Overall, not a very deep lake, but different types of structure with both shallow flats and steep banks. This year there seems to be shallow moss flourishing which will be frustrating to some anglers.
Lincoln Lake – This is one of the legit big fish lakes in all of Arkansas. Those who fish this honey hole often have pulled out some massive bass. The challenge with this lake is getting a limit to go along with your lunker. Amazing rock formations and grass lines are the key features for this crescent shaped lake. If you pull five keepers on Lincoln, you have a very good chance to win the tournament.
Lake Bob Kidd – Not too far from Lincoln Lake sits Lake Bob Kidd, another lake known for having some good size bass. This lake has lost some of its normal lily pads and other vegetation but still is ringed by large grass beds along most of the banks. This is one of the very few (if only) small lakes in NW Arkansas with some standing timber, setting it apart from the rest. In 2016 Bob Kidd was a player in the rankings.
Crystal Lake – Used to be known as a dink fest lake, but in past years has improved in quality. Limits will be plenty at Crystal, the fish are numerous and usually bite. This lake has two launch points, one being the main ramp on the west end, and the other is a gravel area on the far east shallow end. I call this the “panty” end of the lake, because one morning we found the largest pair of women’s underwear I’ve ever seen laying on the bank…so use this launch with caution. The dominant feature of this lake is an airstrip that runs parallel to a good portion of it’s length. The winner of the 2016 Draw 4 and many of the top 10 came from Crystal.
NSKA anglers Tim Hotchkin, Taylor Frizzell and Kyle Fields participated in a roundtable to share their insights and predictions.
Of the four lakes (Lincoln, Crystal, Bob Kidd and Elmdale) which one do you think is most likely to produce the winner and why?
Tim – I think Elmdale will pull off the W. There are a lot of fish in that lake and everyone seems to be able to catch them there. It will take someone finding 1-2 good ones there and then to round out a limit. The wild card is Lincoln if the bite is right. It will be incredibly hard to beat with it being a summer pattern, that could be a large if though.
Taylor – I think Lincoln will be the winning lake. It’s one of those small lakes that tends to give up a couple nice ones whether you know the lake or not. If the conditions are right it can produce winning number.
How does someone best prepare for a tournament when they don’t know where they are going until the night before?
Tim – I think it is just focusing on what you are good at. It’s tough to get a true pattern on 4 lakes not knowing which you will end up at. I plan to just go out with my normal set ups and adapt based on what I figure out through the day. If the day starts slow stay calm and try and figure out what the fish are doing. I have only fished one of the lakes this year so unless I get that one I will have no idea what to expect but my plan will be the same regardless what I draw.
Taylor – Preparing for this one was tough. Luckily there was enough time in advance to make some trips and check out the lakes. I might get the one I want, I might not but at least I’ve been on all of our options either way.
What is your prediction for winning length and Big Bass?
Tim – I think it will take 78.5″ to win. Big bass will be 20.25″ as each of these lakes hold quality fish and someone will find one.
Taylor – Winning length will be somewhere around 83.5″ total with a 22″ Big Bass.
Reminders
Sign up for the NSKA Draw 4 on Tourney X.
Anyone who fishes with me knows I’m pretty serious about my sun protection, especially in the summer. Like many anglers, I’ve been treated for skin cancer and want to avoid future issues.
Wearing the right UV protective gear is a big key to protecting your skin – especially if you are a Scottish/Irish background like I am. I don’t tan, I burn. Two of the most important tools I have in protecting myself for 8-10 hour tournament days on the water are the UV Shield Long Sleeve Performance Shirt and the UV Shield Sun Gloves from Stormr.
This is a great sun shirt for many reasons in addition to the fact it 
deflects dangerous UV rays. This 50+ UV shield performance shirt is comfortable and well-made. It features a double layer of material which keeps it cool but feels more substantial than other sun shirts. The collar and sleeves are very resistant to any stretching, and I like that the collar rides just a bit higher than some other sun shirts, protecting the base of my neck. Finally, there are tiny vents in the armpit areas of the shirt which help keep me cool and reduces some of the stench created after hours sweating on the water. I’ve got this shirt in white, red, blue, smoke and yellow.
I’m a big proponent of sun gloves, your hands can burn and get skin cancer very easily. Having tried various types of gloves, the UV Shield Sun Control Gloves are my favorite because they come up the wrists enough to ensure they cover the gap between your shirt sleeve and wrist. I also like how thin and lightweight they are, but have a synthetic palm for added durability and a better grip when handling fish or gear. The fit is snug to the hand, which means the gloves are never in the way or cause an issue. I’ve become so accustomed to wearing these I don’t feel right when they aren’t on my hands while fishing. The only down side to these gloves is that over time some small parts of the stitching can come loose, but this is after heavy use over a long period of time.
Check these items out along with Stormr’s UV Shield Neck Gaiter for use on the water during the hot summer months.