All posts by jkincy

KBF

KBF Bull Shoals Tournament – Ice Bowl Recap

When I signed up to enter the Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) Trail event to be held on Bull Shoals in April, I had visions of clear water, 60 degree water and bass beginning the spawn in my head.  Boy was I wrong about that. What 53 anglers encountered on the beautiful Arkansas lake was a blast of winter that may not have bothered the fish, but it froze the butts off a lot of anglers.

It was my first trip to fish this lake and I had heard a lot of great things. Upon arrival I saw that the rumors were correct, it was a beautiful fishery with clear water and lots of rock and some shoreline cover in the form of flooded bushes almost everywhere you went. The communities of Bull Shoals and Lakeview did a fantastic job of hosting the event and really rolled out the red carpet for us. Quick shout out to Gaston’s White River Resort which was a great place to stay, definitely want to get back there and do some trout fishing on the White River.

Tough Day of Fishing – Dominant Performances

Overall the results showed a difficult day, partly due to the weather I would assume. A major cold front moved in overnight and brought with it sleet, snow and 27 degree temps at lines in. Temps didn’t get above freezing until almost noon.  It seems that Smallmouth and Spotted bass were key for a lot of the anglers who did well.

Of the 53 anglers who entered, only 12 (23%) turned in a limit of five bass, and only 30 (57%) turned in at least one keeper. This is on a lake that is recognized as being crammed with bass and usually is a pretty easy touch.

This 20.50″ Largemouth bass caught by Brian Hillman was the biggest fish turned in for the 2018 KBF Trail on Bull Shoals.

The top finishers were Jason Adams (Ark.) with 89.25″, Josue Rodriguez (Okla.) with 79.5″ and Garrett Morgan (Ark.) with 79″ overall. This was a very large margin for the winner, making it not close for first place.  You can see the full 2018 Bull Shoals results here. Read below for some insight and video of Jason’s winning day.

Here is a recap of the top 10 finishers:

  1. Jason Adams (Ark.)
  2. Josue Rodriguez (Okla.)
  3. Garrett Morgan (Ark.)
  4. Ben Spangler (Ark.)
  5. Roy Roberts (Ark.)
  6. Hans Bentz (Mo.)
  7. Cody Milton (Ark.)
  8. Brad Case (Ms.)
  9. Brian Hillman (Mo.)
  10. Dorman Hughey (Mo.)

Angler Recaps

The top three finishers participated in a roundtable to share some thoughts on how they did it. Jason Adams, Josue Rodriguez and Garrett Morgan answered my questions about the event.

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

Jason – I wanted to go to the furthest area that was in bounds but still in Arkansas. I was looking for dirty water and found it in the mouths of the creeks.

Josue – I went to look at several spots before the tournament and just fished from the bank trying to figure out some type of pattern. We decided on the east side of the lake, close to the check in.

Garrett – I went to Coon Creek and fished secondary points as I knew fish have been making there way to the backs of creeks as the spawn is approaching. I knew the cold front would push them out a bit but didn’t feel they would travel too far away. So, midway back toward the lake seemed like a good way to spend my time on deeper points of flats near deep water once the sun came out.

Main baits that worked for you?

Jason – I used a Ned rig on a Solid Tackle jig head and a senko cut in half. The big bites later in the day were on a Skirmish one-knocker square bill in chartreuse.

Josue – Drop shot and an A-rig.

Garrett – My two baits I caught fish on were an A-rig and a wiggle wart.

Any particular approach or strategy you wanted to employ to try to win?

Jason – To try and get a limit at my first location was my primary strategy. Then move to another location to fish with a crank bait to try and catch larger fish to upgrade. I wanted to crank and cover water.

Josue – When I started to fish I was having problems right off the bat with my micro guides, they were freezing over. So fishing slow was difficult for me because the line kept getting stuck. I caught my first fish on a drop shot, it was only 9.5 inches and I was just happy to catch a fish at the time. Then I picked up an A-rig and fished a pocket and caught two fish back to back…after that i went looking for similar pockets. I had three fish at the time and that’s when it kinda went south for me. I was really cold and wanted to get out and walk around a bit. I couldn’t feel my legs so when I stood up in my kayak I fell in the water. Lucky for me only my legs got wet but I was still freezing at this point. I was ready to call it quits and I couldn’t fish because of how cold I was. I started to paddle back to the truck. On the way back I saw a good looking cove and I wasn’t very far from it so I decided to fish it really quick. I’m glad I did because I caught my last two fish and cull my smallest one.

Garrett – It was a roller coaster day of highs and lows and highs! My rods, reels and feet were locking up from the cold. I managed to catch a nice Smallmouth in the same area an hour later and lift my spirits a bit. A few hours and spots later my feet were so numb I couldn’t feel them. I headed to the opposite side of the creek channel from where I had caught my first fish, rolled up on a flat reached for the wiggle wart and caught another Smallmouth! A few minutes later I managed my only Largemouth on the A-rig. By this time it’s 11:30 and I’ve got three fish and feeling much better. I tried my spots again and noticed other folks headed in, I turn my phone on, check the time and see it’s about 2:30 and decided to head back toward my first spot one more time on the way in. I fish it about ten minutes and then head in with three fish for the day. As I approach the gravel ramp I see a nice breeze catching the front of the first drop out in front of it, which I noticed on my graph when I headed out that morning and never fished. At 2:43 I cast out in front of the gravel ramp area and hook up with a Smallmouth. I quickly grab my phone to take a pic, only to realize it has 1% because it’s been searching for signal and I never turned it off after the last time I checked the time. On low battery mode it had enough to snap a quick pic. I cast out at 2:46 and three revolutions of the reel later I’m hooked up with a another Smallmouth. I boat-flipped it in my lap, threw it on measuring board, prayed my phone would take a photo, and it did! Released the fish in the water and with the help of fellow competitors was loaded in less than 6 minutes.

Anything else interesting that happened or you wanted to mention? Thoughts on Bull Shoals?

Jason – When the sun finally came out and the fish moved up on shallow road beds – I happened to be in the right place when it happened. I quit fishing at 2:00 but knew I could keep upgrading if I had kept going, I’d caught around 30 fish at my second location and culled 7 times.

Josue – Overall I really like the lake. First time fishing it and I see that it has a lot of potential living up to the hype.

Garrett – This game is 10% skill and 90% mental in my opinion. I’d say I was tested harder mentally than any other tournament. I may have cursed a few times, but I was able to reset and never believed I couldn’t get back in contention as long as there was time left to fish. Adjusting little things like the color of my swimbaits at 2:00 pm when the sun popped out and I only have three fish, is not giving up! You got to believe it can still happen on any cast! I was glad it did on my last one!

Final Thoughts

I definitely hope that KBF comes back to Bull Shoals next year, it was a great lake and venue and the town really seemed to care that the tournament was in town. I was asked several times over a couple of days about the tournament by locals and they were genuinely interested.

The event was well-run and really turned out to be cold, but a fun experience on the water overall.

 

kayak bass fishing

KBF Bull Shoals Preview

The first Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) Trail event of the year in Arkansas will take place on Bull Shoals, a 45,000 acre reservoir on the White River in Arkansas.

The 2018 KBF Trail – Bull Shoals will take place on Saturday, April 7. Anglers will be able to use any ramp in the lake to launch and chase their limit of winning bass. Participants should register for the event using TourneyX by Friday, April 6.

Tournament Schedule and Meeting Information

The captains meeting and check in will be at Beacon Point Restaurant located at 3553 AR-178 in Lakeview, AR 72642.

Friday April 6
* 4:00 p.m.: Prefishing ends
* 6:00 p.m.: Event ID Code Released
* 6:00 p.m.: Captains Meeting at Tournament HQ
* 6:00 p.m.: Registration Deadline
Saturday April 7
* 5:00 a.m.: Earliest Launch; registration deadline
* 6:15 a.m.: Start-of-competition; first cast/lines in water
* 3:30 p.m.: End-of-competition; lines out
* 4:00 p.m.: Photo upload deadline (Shows on TourneyX as “end of competition” time)
* 4:00 p.m.: Check in to Tournament HQ. (Late or Failure to check in will result in disqualification.)

Event sponsors include:

  • *Bull Shoals Lake & White River Chamber of Commerce
  • *Ozark Mountain Trading Company
  • *Beacon Point Restaurant
  • *Enterprise Printing
  • Gerber Gear, NuCanoe, Torqeedo,  Yeti, NRS, Nines Optics, Lowrance, Power Pole, YakAttack, APR, BooneDOX* Title sponsors – please tag in when posting in social media at this event
Bull Shoals Dam at the south end of the lake.
Bull Shoals Tournament Analysis

Jason Adams, event tournament director, previews the tournament and what anglers may expect on Bull Shoals.

What do you expect from Bull Shoals, lots of fish? Big fish? Will it be primarily largemouth or a mix of largemouth, spotted bass and smallmouth?

I believe catching a five fish limit will be the most important aspect and could come from a limit of Smallmouth. These are the first fish to move up for spawning as temperatures start to rise. We saw that at the National Championship this year where a limit each day was key to placing high. One thing to note was the minimum length at that event was 12″, however, for the Trail and Challenge events, the minimum length is back to 8″. This should really be encouraging to anglers who fished the NC and went home skunked.

Is there anything that makes bull shoals unique?

Bull Shoals is a deep and clear highlands reservoir impoundment located in on the border of Arkansas and Missouri. It is centrally located in the United States and has hosted numerous elite bass tournaments. This will be the first time a major kayak tournament has been held on this lake and the locals are ecstatic about the idea. We partnered with the Bull Shoals Lake White River Chamber of Commerce late last year and have had an some great dialogue on the future of Kayak Bass Fishing in this area.

What should anglers coming in from outside of the area know about the Bull Shoals region?

People coming into this area will be welcomed by banners provided by the local Chamber as they drive into this world famous fishing destination. The place will be packed with bass boat and kayak anglers, as well as fly fisherman. This place is nostalgic and knows how to keep you dreaming of coming back. Ozark Mountain Trading Company is the closest kayak shop, located in Cotter just a few blocks from the White River. Area native Brad Eubanks is the store manager and has been known to put people on fish. He said mum is the word, but I bet you can charm him into sharing a few local secrets.

What’s the guaranteed prize for first? Is there a big bass element? 

Payout is to 10% of the field with $1,000 minimum to first place. There is no Big Bass side pot collected on TourneyX.

Bull Shoals Links

Bull Shoals Wikipedia

Bull Shoals Chamber of Commerce

Things To Do

 

Tournaments

2018 KBF National Championship – A Look Back

1 Comment

The 2018 KBF National Championship is in the books as 752 kayak anglers took on Kentucky Lake. The fishing was tough for many and good for some – and for almost everyone it was a grind.

Conditions were very challenging with temperature fluctuations of more than fifty degrees and water level changes of more than 12 KBF National Championshipfeet within one week. The numbers show that it was a tough event for many. On day one only 12.5% (94) turned in a limit, while a full 33% (248) did not turn in any keepers. On day two, many anglers who were out of the money due to a poor day one performance headed home, and this impacted the numbers. Day two only 10% (75) of registered anglers turned in a limit, while 49% (370) turned in no fish.

My story is related to those who didn’t turn in any keepers. I struggled in pre-fishing and never could figure anything out. On tournament day I took a chance and tried some water that I hadn’t been on yet and although I caught some bass, I just couldn’t find any keepers to turn in. Out of the race for prize money, I took the chance to head home and not fish on day two.  I just never could adjust to what was going on and didn’t get a place I felt comfortable on day one. It was a disappointing outing for me but we’ll move on to the next event for 2018.

The old trestle near Cane Creek on Kentucky Lake. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
The old trestle near Cane Creek on Kentucky Lake. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
KBF National Championship Obersvations

Overall the 2018 KBF National Championship seemed to go over successfully, even with the huge number of anglers. The water definitely seemed crowded in some areas, and the event center at the fairgrounds could barely hold all of the anglers. There were some improvements I appreciated from the previous year and you could tell they were working to make things run more smoothly. There were only a few suggestions I’d like to put out to the KBF powers that be:

  • Consider a different time of year and/or a different body of water. Kentucky Lake this early in the year is just too volatile and is an off-shore fishing lake prior to the spawn. Fish can be caught, but the unpredictability of the TVA in drawing water and Kentucky weather in March is a wildcard.
  • During the rules meeting, the importance of checking in at the captains meeting was not covered sufficiently, nor a method provided for anglers to check in if they were not attending the meeting. This held us up for a long time on Friday night as KBF tried to track down anglers.
  • The vendors and such in the different building was a good change and the food trucks were a good addition.

A couple dozen members from the Arkansas and Oklahoma area competed in the KBF National Championship, with varying levels of success. Carson McBride was the top-ranked Arkansas angler, finishing 39th and also was the top junior angler. Fellow Arkansans Cody Milton (59th) and Robert Murphy (89th) finished in the top 100 anglers.

KBF National Championship Angler Roundtable

Local kayak anglers Faron Davidson, Dwain Batey, Robert Murphy and Carson McBride share their experiences at the National Championship in the Q&A roundtable below.

Going into the tournament what was your strategy in finding water to fish? Where did you wind up fishing and why?

Faron – I relied on Google and Navionics to locate a few areas I wanted to check out. I arrived on Thursday morning and drove around and looked at the potential spots I had identified and after giving the first couple a thumbs down because the water was so low I moved on to the the 3rd spot, Johnathon Creek, I made a couple of cast from the bank and caught 2 fish and called it good. There were no kayaks at the ramp so I chose this spot to fish as it had fish and not much pressure.

Carson – My strategy going into this tournament was to go fish everything I could…ledges, points, flats, pea gravel, chunk rock and throw everything I can to find what they are eating and then adjust to it and dial them in. I ended up fishing in Panther Bay after a place named Sugar Bay wasn’t very good to me. I caught a few at Sugar and knew what kind of banks they were on and Sugar didn’t have enough of it so on day one I went in blind to Panther Bay. From seeing it on the maps I saw it had good looking structure. I ended up with a limit there on day one and had confidence I could do it again on day two.

Robert –  I wanted to fish south hoping for warmer water in creeks, mainly on Barkley. Finding nothing but lots of white bass I had to go north. That, and Barkley moves so fast even with my motor it was sketchy. Day one I picked a spot I knew had fish but not much size and close to a couple other spots if I wanted to move. Rocks was my point of attack. They seemed to be hiding in them staying warm. Flicker shads and ned rigs is what I used to catch them.

Dwain – I did some research on Google Earth and Navionics app, and then we drove around and looked at a few ramps the day we arrived at the lake. I wound up fishing Cane Creek, and it was mostly because it had a lot of rip rap, and I felt that cranking a squarebill would be my best option. It’s what I have the most confidence in and I had no idea about the zebra mussels being in the lake going in.

All of you were in contention after day one, what was your approach going into day two? Anything change?

Faron – I ended day 1 in 75th place, the last paying spot. The area I fished on day was fished very hard and I wasn’t sure I could get a limit on day 2. I moved to a new spot I had not even layer eyes on, it looked very promising once I got there.

Carson – My approach going into day two was to just get a limit. I had lots of confidence in my Ned rig and was hoping for five. And, I was planning on hitting the same places I did day one and to cover more water throughout the day.

Robert – On day two, I wanted bigger fish and decided to start out at a spot mid-lake that I knew had lots of pressure and lots of rocks. When I saw no fish on my graph after trolling around the rocks before the first cast I realized I made a big mistake. Had to make a hard choice then to leave 30 minutes after first cast and miss the morning bite to head back north over an hour away.

Dwain – I had to adapt for the strong winds that were beating my best area on day two. I fished there early, before the wind made it almost impossible to do so, but the bite was later in the day so that was a wash. I was forced to fish the other side and so was everyone else, so fishing pressure made it difficult. When I finally found the fish on day two it was too late, and I lost the first one, and caught the second one, but then I was out of fishing time for the day.

What surprised you about the lake or the tournament, if anything?

Faron – I was very surprised when I showed up and the lake was dropped back to winter pool after the recent flooding.

Carson – what surprised me about the lake was how it was tough for everyone that fished just about. It also surprised me for how clear it was since it was just flooded not too long ago.

Robert –  I was surprised how low the water was and how they kept draining it. It kept me from fishing my old spots.

Dwain – If anything, it was the Zebra Mussels, and hearing that some of the leaders were fishing topwater baits, and describing a level of fish activity that just wasn’t present where I chose to fish.

If you could do it over again, what would you change about your strategy or approach for the KBF National Championship?

Carson – If I could do it over again I would just cover more water trying to get more bites.

Faron –  If I could do it over again I would have went back to my day 1 spot and finesse fished for a limit.

Robert – If I could change anything. Not going there would be it.

Dwain – I would get there a few days earlier and check out a lot more of the lake. It’s a huge lake and I’ve only seen a fraction of it. I would also probably have fished pea gravel and chunk rock banks close to deeper water, rather than rip rap.

Do you have a suggestion for KBF on how to improve the event or make it better or anything?

Faron – I feel like the event went pretty well considering the size, a couple of late starts had us waiting around more than I would have liked too though. An idea I did have was that the badges they gave us should have a unique QR code that we could use to check in with that would allow only anglers present to be drawn for prizes. I feel like it would speed things up.

Carson – I think that KBF could improve on timing to make things go faster.

Robert – I did like how KBF gave us extra time to check in but I wish the cut-off time to submit fish could be extended for people with bad service or just from the app. Crashing with so many people on TourneyX at the same time.

Dwain – The timing could be improved on the events so they start on time, but I’m sure they already know that one. I think they could get a more professional looking stage to make a better look for video, and maybe improve the production with a few changes in the way the top anglers were announced. Perhaps model it more after FLW or B.A.S.S. Events, but with obvious changes since we don’t have our fish to show on stage. Overall it was great, and although I’ve qualified every year since I started kayak fishing, this was the first time I got to actually enter the National Championship and it was awesome. I heard several people talking about how much better it was conducted than the year before, so I think they know where they want to take it and will continue to go in that direction every year.

 

Reviews

Ketch Board & Kradle Combo – Review

In the world of kayak bass fishing, catch-photo-release (CPR) tournaments are the standard practice in evaluating results, with anglers using a measuring boards to determine fish length. The Hawg Trough had been the standard go-to measuring board for CPR tournaments, but is being challenged by a couple of new contenders, the YakGear Fish Stik and the Ketch Board & Kradle combo. 

The Ketch Board & Kradle combo is made in the U.S.A. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
The Ketch Board & Kradle combo is made in the U.S.A. – Kayakfishingfocus.com

The new Ketch Board & Kradle combo is the most high-end CPR board option on the market, priced at $49.99 from the KBF website for the KBF specialty green version or from the Ketch Products website for other color options such as red, blue and black.

Ketch Board & Kradle Impressions

When the new Ketch Board & Kradle combo was featured at the The Ten KBF event in early 2018 I was very skeptical and saw it as a more expensive Hawg Trough.  The versions used in The Ten tournament were really cool looking, but the black color did not appear to work well for judging and seeing the fish. Since then, they have listened to the anglers and tournament directors and have some new options available.

Specifications of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo:

  • Board and Kradle measures 4.5″ wide x 26″ long with a 4.5″ x 3.75″ bump wall
  • Milled aluminum construction
  • Weight is approximately 3 lbs (48 ounces)
  • QR code identifier to prevent cheating
  • Tether holes on each end

At this point, the Ketch Board & Kradle combo has been approved for use in KBF events and is still being evaluated by many other tournament circuits for use.

One thing that will be interesting to see is if the use of this board is eventually required by a tournament circuit because of the unique QR code which can tie a board to a particular angler. Not really sure how that would work, but appears to be a future requirement possibly.

I was able to get my hands on one of these boards at the KBF National Championship and have a few initial thoughts.

Negatives of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo

First of all, it is much heavier than I expected after reading that it was made of aluminum.  It weighs approximately 3 lbs compared to a Hawg Trough weight of 10 ounces.  To me, this is by far the largest drawback to this board. My kayak and gear is heavy enough without adding this to the mix. It’s also going to sink like a stone if dropped in the water, requiring you to tether the board, which creates one  more thing in the yak to get tangled or twisted up in.

The price is also much higher than a standard Hawg Trough, more than double in most instances. This will keep a lot of anglers away, unless they are forced to adopt this board by their trail. Finally, although the KBF version in green looks great, I still wish the red and blue options were not so dark and had better contrast to clearly show the fish tail, although the white lines help a lot.

The Ketch Board & Cradle combo in red. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
The Ketch Board & Cradle combo in red. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
Positives of the Ketch Board & Kradle Combo

There are a lot of positives that come with this new board that are improvements over the Hawg Trough. First of all is the fact that it appears to be nearly indestructible.  That 23″ monster you put on the board isn’t going to crack it and you won’t accidentally snap off the bump wall when putting it in your truck. This is the trade-off for the weight, it’s very well constructed.

Secondly, the lines are nicely done in white which is extremely visible. In the current version they have done a really smart thing as result of feedback from The Ten event. The lines go all the way to the edges, with the measurement number in the middle. This allows the fish tail to hit lines on the ends instead of numbers.

The Hawg Trough is 31″ long, whereas the Ketch Board is only 26″ long which will be easier to maneuver and will fit into the hull of many fishing kayak models. It’s to early to tell how the QR code feature will come into play down the road, but this is definitely a board that cannot be tampered with. Anything that discourages cheating is a good thing in my book.

Finally, it just feels good and has real quality feel to it. For the angler who isn’t as cost-conscious, the experience of using this board definitely feels higher end than a traditional Hawg Trough.

The Bottom Line

There are a couple of things I really don’t prefer, such as the overall weight and the color schemes. (I’d honestly just prefer a white one or a yellow) Outside of those two, there are a lot of positives for the Ketch Board & Kradle combo. The quality of construction, shorter length and the ability to hold up against a big fish are all positive factors that make the board a good product.

Although I am perfectly fine using a Hawg Trough, these positive characteristics will likely make this board the main one for my boat in tournaments which allow it. I’m not advocating for trails to adopt the board for use, each tournament series needs to make their own determination. I would fully expect at some point that certain events will require a board like this with anti-cheating measures such as the QR code. My expectation (speculation) is that KBF will require its use at some point in the future for certain events.

If you have some extra cash and want the high end board, I think it’s worth the purchase. If you have a Hawg Trough and are happy with it, stick with that for now. It’s always a positive for anglers to have choices.

 

Uncategorized

RVKA Road Runner Recap

The River Valley Kayak Anglers (RVKA) held their second event of the season and anglers dispersed across the region to their preferred waters to try and catch their best limit. A road runner is always interesting because there is a lot of strategy which can come into play in selecting your body of water and everyone can choose the style of fishing they prefer.

It was a very good turnout for their second event, with 33 anglers competing for the cash and AOY points. The top finishers were Scott Acord with 89.75″, Christa Hibbs with 87.5″ and Chris Nemeth with 85″. You can read more from these anglers below about how they did it and what worked for them.

Here are the top ten anglers:

I drove down to Fort Smith for the tournament, and based off of a recommendation from a friend, I chose a lake I’d never fished before. Didn’t work out great for me as I didn’t hook up with any bass and moved locations to Lee Creek around mid-morning. Although I didn’t fare very well overall for the day, I did catch a 21.75″ largemouth which took big bass. This was only because a 23″ caught by another angler was DQ’d because of issues with the photo. Practice your photos! This is a part of the tournament execution.

RVKA Road Runner Big Bass - Kayakfishingfocus.com
RVKA Road Runner Big Bass – Kayakfishingfocus.com
How They Caught Them

Our top finishers give the lowdown on how they did it and their thoughts on the fledgling RVKA:

Scott Acord – I went to Clear Creek Park. This time of year is when the backwaters off the Arkansas River start turning on. There was a bass boat tournament going on there, but I knew of some water that they couldn’t get to because it gets to shallow before it drops off again. The females are staging to move up and I caught them an a crank bait on sandy points in about five feet of water. I am so glad to have the group people we have taking on the challenge of running the RVKA and just by the turnouts we’ve had so far I would say they are doing a great job and making it fun for everyone. Looking forward to the rest of the season and watching the group grow!

Christa Hibbs – I chose Muldrow City Lake. The main bait that worked best for me was a jig. With the cold morning on tournament day, it changed things up for me some. I had to stay mentally focused and patient while waiting for things to start clicking. The new RVKA group is off to a great start this season. As one of the tournament directors, I am very happy to be making new friends with fellow anglers and enjoying this sport of fishing that we all love so much. I’m looking forward to the rest of the season and the continued growth and sportsmanship.

Chris Nemeth –  I went to Jack Nolan lake in Greenwood, Arkansas, and used a 1/4 ounce War Eagle spinnerbait. I chose Jack Nolan lake because I had a good stringer there the previous weekend and the water temp was 65 degrees. The morning of the tournament, water temperature was 57 so I had to change tactics. I caught all my fish running the spinner bait through the grass in about 2 feet of water. I am very excited to be a part of the RVKA we have a great group and we are all here because we love fishing and we are competitive. We have had some great turnouts so far and I hope we can keep it up. I look forward to the future of this group and how much we can grow. We have some great sponsors backing us as well and are very appreciative of that.

 

Reviews

PJ’s Tackle Company – Quality Jigs and Tackle

It’s always great to find a small tackle company who makes some product which is perfect for your bass fishing needs and has products that just flat out work. PJ’s Tackle Company is a local company which produces lures and colors that are designed to be effective in the clear water applications found in places like the Ozarks. Fishing some of these clear water lakes and streams requires the right look and colors to be effective.

PJ's Tackle Company grub heads and finesse jigs ready to catch some bass.
PJ’s Tackle Company grub heads and finesse jigs ready to catch some bass. – Kayakfishingfocus.com

My dad first introduced me to PJ’s Tackle Company (formerly known as PJ’s Finesse Baits for those who’ve known about them for a while) by recommending their weedless jigheads which work great on a grub bounced along the bottom. These jigheads just fit the grubs I like to use perfectly and I really like the unique weed guard which is very flexible and doesn’t impede a hookup.

PJ’s Tackle Company Lures

Their jigs are fantastic looking, with the colors that you need to look natural in clear water reservoirs like Beaver Lake, Table Rock, Bull Shoals and others. Can’t wait to get the Green Orange/Crawfish version on a rocky bank with a natural color craw trailer. In addition to the grub heads and finesse jigs, they also make football jigs.

Fora different style of fishing PJ’s makes a line of Maribou Jigs designed to work on small streams and rivers to catch fish of all types. These lures put off a subtle realistic movement in the water that entice the bite.

The bottom jig head is a PJ's Tackle Company grub / worm head I use sometimes to rig a YUM Warning Shot or Kill Shot. - Kayakfishingfocus.com
The bottom jig head shown is a PJ’s Tackle Company grub / worm head I use sometimes to rig a YUM Warning Shot or Kill Shot. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
PJ’s Tackle Company Story

This company also has an interesting background and mission. Lures are hand-tied by women in small villages in Central and South America in a program to bring work and a faith-based mission to those areas.  From their website:

“We have two passions that are the foundation of the mission and vision of our business: to create high quality fishing lures that catch fish and to help women living in poverty in remote rural villages by providing employment opportunities.”
If you fish in really clear water situations and want to support a Northwest Arkansas based company, give PJ’s Tackle Company a look. They have a great mission, story and products.
NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake South – Recap

Beaver Lake was the scene for a record turnout for a kayak bass fishing tournament in Arkansas as kayak anglers went toe to toe with bass boaters and held their own. A recent warming trend plus some dirty water on the normally clear Beaver Lake made for some high numbers in fish caught on a partly cloudy March Saturday for the Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA).

The southern third of Beaver Lake felt in spots a little crowded as 82 kayak anglers hit the water south of the Hwy 12 bridge along with 98 glitter rockets motoring around all of Beaver Lake in their event. (see how kayaks stacked up vs motors below)  Even with all of the activity on the lake, there were many fish caught on the day. I didn’t do very well, catching a small limit and finishing 23rd, but some of these anglers really knocked it out of the park.

Bill Campbell took the Big Bass prize with this 21.75″ Beaver Lake bruiser.
Beaver Lake South Results

Overall there were strong numbers for the anglers.  A solid 34 (41%) anglers turned in a limit, and only 18 (22%) failed to submit a keeper. These numbers are above the norm for Beaver. Baron Meek took the win with 85.75″ followed by Cole Sikes with 82″ even for second place. Tyler Zengerle turned in 77.25″ for third and Andrew Newsome had 77″ for fourth place.

Big Bass was won with a fat 21.75″ largemouth caught by Bill Campbell. Second place Big Bass was caught by Justin Phillips and was 19.75″ long.

Here are the top ten finishers:

  1.  Baron Meek
  2.  Cole Sikes
  3.  Tyler Zengerle
  4.  Andrew Newsome
  5.  Cody Milton
  6.  Bo Sarratt
  7.  John Evans
  8.  Dwain Batey
  9.  Kyle Long
  10.  Declan McDonald
Angler Beaver Lake South Recaps

Here’s how the top finishers did their thing:

Baron Meek (1st) – I ended up going to Natural Walk, because I had a friend recommend this spot and I liked the water clarity. The main baits that worked for me were a red Spro Rock Crawler, and a fire tiger Wiggle Wart. I didn’t throw anything else all day long, because I knew I could get the right bites with it. I knew that if the water temps warmed up enough to be around 50-53 degrees, I could get a crankbait bite going, so the first thing I did was check my fish finder  and it was 52. So, I knew they’d eat a crankbait. I fished until I found the specific type of rock and contour required, and then I dialed them in at about 9 o’clock. I only had about 72 inches at about noon, and I managed to find a 18, 17, and a 15.5 to cull my smaller fish and bump me to the top of the standings. It was a beautiful day, and a great day to be on the water.

Cole Sikes (2nd) –  I started the day off near Beav-o-rama which is between Blue Springs and Twin Bridges. I decided to go there because I figured it would have less pressure and the water color should be decent. I caught a small limit there with my jig on transitions from bluff to gravel. Around noon I moved locations to War Eagle Marina. Water color was much dirtier and was able to catch quality in that area. I caught all of my fish on a 1/2 ounce Slowtown Custom football jig in green pumpkin and purple. The strategy for me was just to hit as many transition banks to catch a limit and hopefully a kicker. Other than that, I didn’t have much a plan. I had only about 64” at 1:45 and I was able to catch three quality fish and cull four times in the last two hours. I then stumbled on a spot where I caught a 14.75, 16.5, 17.5 and 18 all in roughly 20 minutes. I was literally thinking about calling it a day early and heading home but sure glad I stuck it out and kept grinding!

Tyler Zengerle (3rd) – The day before the tournament, I told myself I was going to Fish Hickory Creek. That night, I decided to hit up War Eagle marina instead. I’ve never been there before, but something told me to just go. I figured Hickory Creek, Twin Bridges, and Blue Springs would be heavily pressured by the other anglers, so I wanted to stay away from them. It worked out because as far as I could tell, I was basically the only one there.  Three of my biggest fish were caught on a Texas-rigged Gambler Lures 6” Burner worm in Junebug color, and the rest of my catches were on a 2-Tap Tungsten lipless crank. My first plan of action was to stick to what I know, Texas-rigs and crankbaits. I found banks where depth dropped from 4-10ft and fished those drop-offs.  I also caught my first Striper that morning which was pretty interesting. I fought it for about 10 minutes and I was hoping I had hooked into absolute beast of a largemouth…but it wasn’t.

Andrew Newsome (4th) – I put in at Natural Walk hoping I could find some water that had cleared up a little. I had check down there Wednesday and it was still pretty muddy so I knew it was a gamble. I went into the tourney expecting to flip around brush to get bites but for some reason that wasn’t working for me so relying on past experience, I pulled out a red craw pattern wiggle wart and started hitting some chunk rock banks. Within a few casts, I caught my first one. I switched back and forth with a few different baits but was only able to get a bite on the wiggle wart so I rode it out the rest of the tourney. Most of my fish came between 8:30 and 10:30 with one cull later on around 2:00. Overall, it was a really great day with limited mistakes and I consider myself very blessed to have had such a good finish. Can’t wait for the next one!

Catching a keeper on Beaver Lake with a YUM bait. - Kayak Fishing Focus
Catching a keeper on Beaver Lake with a YUM bait. – Kayakfishingfocus.com
Kayaks vs Boaters

Heard a lot of stories about bass boats cutting off kayaks during the day, and I had one zoom in right in front of me to flip some wood and then zoom out again. A lot of the boaters don’t respect the kayak angler, but how did the two tournament results compare? Not too bad. The boaters had use of the entire lake and kayak anglers only had the upper 1/3 to fish, but the top anglers weren’t too far off.  Using estimates to evaluate the weight, Baron had approximately 14.6 lbs which would have placed him 7th of 98 and Cole Sikes would have finished around 10th, both in the money. Bill’s Big Bass also likely would have taken the big fish prize in the boat tourney with an estimated 6.17 lbs. Not to bad for the yak anglers.

Here is the score sheet from the boat tourney with Baron’s totals calculated on the side.

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Reviews

Popticals Popgun Sunglasses Review

Previously I had written about Popticals, a brand of sunglasses made for active outdoor adventures which fold down to a compact size for easy storage. You can read more about the concept in this previous article about Popticals. I’ve been able to try out some Popticals Popgun sunglasses – and how do they perform?

A really interesting concept, but how do they perform?  I’ve been able to use my Popticals Popgun pair now on several fishing outings and so far the results have been really good.

The Popticals Popgun sunglasses are a comfortable fit on the water when chasing largemouth bass.
The Popticals Popgun sunglasses are a comfortable fit on the water when chasing largemouth bass.
 Popticals Popgun Fit and Finish

For sunglasses that fold in on themselves using the FL2 Micro Rail system, I was concerned they wouldn’t be sturdy and would wiggle or wobble at the hinges. When you unfold the glasses and lock them into place, you notice it is a sturdy result, you wouldn’t even know they fold up.  The same applies to folding, the hinges sort of “release” when you fold it and make it pretty easy to make sure you fold them properly.

Popticals Popgun in White/Black color scheme.
Popticals Popgun in White/Black color scheme.
Lens Performance

The Popticals Popgun comes with NYDEF lens technology which is billed as being significantly clearer and 18% less lighter in weight than polycarbonate lenses. These polarized lenses provide UV protection, are scratch and shatter resistant, and are sweat and oil resistant to keep the lenses clear. So far it seems to me the lenses are high quality and sharp. The gray lenses are not as dark as gray lenses I have worn, which may or may not be a positive attribute depending on your personal taste.

Popticals Popgun folds up using hinges and a slider in the bridge.
Popticals Popgun folds up using hinges and a slider in the bridge.
Folding and Storage

Storing the Popticals Popgun is one of the things that makes these great for kayak fishing. They fold down into a compact size and fit into a hard shell case that comes with the glasses. This hard case is great for throwing into the bottom of a kayak hatch, clipping to your crate or seat, or even slipping into a pocket on your life jacket or clothing.

Popticals Popgun stores away in a small hard case, measuring 3.25" long by 1" wide. The case can be pocketed or can clip to a backpack, tackle crate or other space saving location.
Popticals Popgun stores away in a small hard case, measuring 3.25″ long by 1″ wide. The case can be pocketed or can clip to a backpack, tackle crate or other space saving location.
Popticals Popgun Overall

I really like the Popgun for some lightweight sunglasses that don’t have full frames around the lenses. It comes in 13 different colors and several lens styles.  These sunglasses are not cheap, the polarized versions are $199, which puts them in the high-end, high performance category.  If you are looking for top-quality lenses and frames which also fold down into a compact package for easy storage – give Popticals a look, they have worked out great for me.

 

RVKA

RVKA Lake Fort Smith Recap

The first area tournament of the season took place at the start of March and although the anglers were ready to go – the fish were not quite so cooperative. Lake Fort Smith is a lake nestled in the Boston Mountains at the southern end of the Ozarks. A truly scenic lake with very little development, it was a great setting for the River Valley Kayak Anglers (RVKA) opener.

RVKA tournament on Lake Fort Smith - Kayakfishingfocus.com
RVKA tournament on Lake Fort Smith – Kayakfishingfocus.com

Recent rains had turned the lake muddy and had it up a few feet over normal. Usually this can be good news, but the fish were definitely in a funk.  This tournament was a shotgun start from the ramp area which is always fun.

Here Fishy Fishy…

Chances are, if you fished in this tournament you left with a big fat zero. Of the 38 anglers who hit the water that morning, only nine carded a keeper, with 27 (71%) not turning in any fish. No anglers turned in a limit, and the top spot went to Chris Jones with a four fish total of 56.75″ and he also won Big Bass with 18.25″.

Here are the Top Ten finishers:
  1.  Chris Jones 56.75″
  2.  Toby Bogart 56.75″
  3.  Carson McBride 49.25″
  4.  John Wofford 16″
  5.  Christa Hibbs 14.25″
  6.  Braydon Richardson 13.25″
  7.  Jason Kincy 11.75″
  8.  Jason Stovall 11.5″
  9.  Jay Kester 11.25″
  10.  Chris  Nemeth 11.25″

First place went to Chris Jones based on his 18.25″ Big Bass as the tiebreaker.

Word is that the baits that put the top anglers into the money included a red Spro Little John squarebill and a yellow Strike King KVD 1.5″ squarebill.

Although the fishing was tough, the tournament was well-run for this new club and it was great to have an event where all anglers were in the same location and could visit with one another. Check out the RVKA Facebook page for more scheduled events.

NSKA

NSKA Beaver Lake South Preview

The  upper end of Beaver Lake will be home for the first Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) event for 2018, and it’s going to be a challenging one. Beaver Lake is replacing Swepco Lake as the kickoff event, meaning anglers will have to face some stained cold water instead of the hot tub to get the season going.

The boundaries for this NSKA Beaver Lake South tournament are from the War Eagle Mill and Twin Bridges down to the Hwy 12 bridge.  This includes some of they key fishing areas of Beaver Shores, Esculapia, Horseshoe Bend, Hickory Creek, War Eagle and Blue Springs.

Beaver Lake - Kayakfishingfocus.com
Beaver Lake – Kayakfishingfocus.com

Anglers should register on the Tourney X page for the event, and should attend the captains meeting will be Friday evening at the Boar’s Nest in Rogers, but there will also be an online attendance option.

Past Beaver Trends

The last time we had an NSKA tournament early in the spring on Beaver was in 2016 and there were 70 anglers who took to the water. Of the 70 entrants, 49 (70%) turned in a keeper, and 15 (21%) turned in a limit. The winning total was 82.5″ and Big Bass was 19.5″ long.  Last year the lake performed pretty well in a couple of tournaments, producing good numbers and size of fish.

Kayak tournaments on Beaver since 2015 have yielded the following percentages of anglers with a limit: 21% 22%, 10%, 52% and 15%. So history says that if an angler turns in a limit, they’ve had a good day on the water and are in contention.

Beaver Lake (aka: the Dead Sea) can be a real challenge on some days. With the recent rains and dirty water, it can be daunting, but that actually might help anglers find some bass.

NSKA Roundtable – Beaver Lake South

To help us look ahead to the kickoff tournament, I asked a few NSKA anglers for their take on the event and predictions on the outcome. Had a chance to ask Tim Hotchkin, Jeff Malott and Carson McBride a few questions.

1. Beaver lake has risen dramatically in the past two weeks and is muddy, how do you expect that to impact the tournament?

Tim – I think it will cause more confidence issues than anything. I think the fish will still be there but more spread out as now they have more water to access. Anglers that fish Beaver may not be used to the debris and lower visibility and anglers that do fish dirtier water will not be used to the depth. Should really even the playing field.

Jeff – My first guess would be that the fish will push shallow. With the full moon this week, rising water temps, and rising water level it makes sense that the fish will try and push up. Although, there should still be plenty holding in pre-spawn locations.

Carson – Since the lake has risen I expect that to push the fish shallow, especially with the muddy color that has come with the rising water. I think that it should make for a decent day of fishing. And I expect that to have some of the quality fish biting.

2. First tournament of the season, is your approach any different for a first event than others? How do you approach it differently?

Tim – For me it’s no different. I will not get a chance to pre-fish so I am going to an area that I know has fish year round and stick to what I am good at and grind it out. Focusing on a bite once the sun comes out.

Jeff – For my first event nothing really changes other than making sure all gear is in perfect working order. There is a little extra prep time, but I don’t want to get analysis paralysis either.

Carson –  I am going to approach this one differently because the lake has changed so much so I won’t pre-fish at all. I’m just gonna go to my spot and grind it out.

3. For new anglers fishing their first “real” kayak tournament, what’s one key piece of advice?

Tim – Stay calm, just because it’s new to you doesn’t mean you have any less advantage than the other anglers, and stick to your plan not what others are saying will work.

Jeff – For the new guys, come up with a plan and stick to it. Enjoy the day and try not to get to high or too low with your emotions.

Carson – My advice to new anglers fishing their first tournament is to not be afraid of trying something completely different on tournament day because things change and especially on Beaver.

4. What makes fishing Beaver different from other small lakes in the area?

Tim – There is so much more water. It’s completely different than the other lakes and different structure. The small lakes I fish regularly are shallower and have grass. At Beaver it’s about finding the right structure and water for the area. There are sweet spots within a area of the lake that attracts more fish than others.

Jeff – I divide Beaver into almost 3 lakes … The upper end and lower end fish completely different. Mid lake has the best of both worlds a lot of times. Unlike the small lakes, grass plays no factor and you also have a shot at the black bass slam depending on where you’re fishing. A lot of people call it the Dead Sea, I actually really enjoy fishing it.

Carson – Fishing Beaver is different from small lakes because it is different on different parts of the lake. And it doesn’t pattern as well as small lakes. Seems like fish are doing something different all the time.

5. How many inches will win and what will be big bass?

Tim – Realistically I think 81″ could win. Big bass I am going to say will be 21 inches.

Jeff – It will take 85 inches to win in my opinion, something in the 21″ range for big bass. Consistent high water for a few years have lead to some really good spawns. Fish quality on Beaver has really improved because of it.

Carson – I predict 83.50″ inches to win with a 20.75″ inch big bass.

Good luck to all anglers and have a great day on the water for the opening tournament. Wear your PFD and stay safe!