What is an iconic number in kayak fishing that gets everyone’s attention? It doesn’t matter where you go, what the event is or who is fishing – catching a “Twenty” immediately is recognized as an accomplishment. It’s a clear bar of what’s seen as a “big” fish. Even more so in a live tournament setting when the pressure is on. There are times you are out on the water in a tournament and run into someone who says they heard so and so has a twenty.
It’s big news.
Cole Sikes caught this 23.50″ giant in 2017. Source: TourneyX
Catching a big bass as a kicker in a tournament to finish out your limit usually will put you in contention to place in the money – especially in NW Arkansas where giants can be elusive. (except for Swepco!) With half of the season or more on Beaver Lake, it can be particularly difficult to catch these big fish.
So how often are 20s caught in NSKA NWA tournament competition? Who catches them? What does catching a “20” means to your chances to win?
Let’s find out.
Just How Rare is a 20+ in Competition?
Honestly when I started doing some of this research along with Kyle Long, we thought it was maybe more rare than it really was. However, as I look at the data, it actually is VERY rare in the overall big picture. During the past three tournament seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020) there have been 8,012 keepers submitted in NSKA NWA events – yet only 72 20+ bass submitted. Out of these 8,012 keepers, here is how it breaks down year by year as a percentage:
Total Fish
# 20+
Percentage
2020
2,721
19
0.70%
2019
2,128
11
0.52%
2018
1,635
17
1.04%
2017
1,528
25
1.64%
8,012
72
0.90%
This is pretty clear…there is less than a 1% chance that any of the bass an angler submits in live competition will be twenty inches or longer. But don’t despair or give up, it can happen for any angler and lightning can strike at any time!
One of the very few 20+ Smallies. Caught by Jon Wofford on Pumpback. Source: TourneyX.
NSKA NWA Hammers
Overall, only 38 anglers are responsible for catching the 72 20+ bass in live NSKA NWA competition. Of this group, only a handful of anglers have more than one 20+ over the past three years. Cole Sikes leads the way with the highlight of three 20+ largemouth caught on one day at Lincoln Lake. He’s followed by Rance Richardson who caught FIVE 20+ largemouth that same day at Lincoln. Wow! Overall there were nine 20+ caught that day on Lincoln lake.
Here’s a list of the anglers who caught a 20+ in live NSKA NWA competition since 2017. (Note – There are anglers who have a 20+ in previous years, before the current NSKA was formed)
Angler
# 20+
Cole Sikes
8
Rance Richardson
7
Jason Kincy
5
Dwain Batey
4
John Wofford
3
Justin Brewer
3
Kyle Long
3
Justin Phillips
3
John Evans
3
Bo Sarratt
2
Jose Rodriguez
2
Rob Barnica
2
Craig Wood
2
Sam McClish
1
Jason Coleman
1
Wayne Johnson
1
Avery Metcalf
1
Ryan Paskiewicz
1
Chris Needham
1
Michael Burgess
1
Clay Johnson
1
Billy Bowden
1
Andrew Newsom
1
Toua Khang
1
Josh Goforth
1
Brayden Richardson
1
Bill Campbell
1
Danny Dutton
1
Baron Meek
1
Ethan Dhuyvetter
1
William Jones
1
Celo Delgado
1
Declan McDonald
1
Nathan Henthorn
1
Jerry Cornelius
1
Cody Milton
1
Jason Cossey
1
Tyler Zengerle
1
72
The largest concentration of big bass caught in live events is no doubt from Lincoln Lake, followed by next level lakes of Elmdale, Pumpback and Siloam City Lake. Beaver Lake produces some, but they are few and far between.
The Biggest and Baddest Bass
So enough about numbers, what about size? Here are the largest bass caught in live NSKA NWA competition since 2017:
Length
Angler
Year
23.5
Cole Sikes
2017
22.75
Jason Coleman
2020
22.5
Kyle Long, Craig Wood, Sam McClish, Sikes
2019, 2019, 2020, 2017
22.25
Nathan Henthorn
2017
22
Justin Brewer, Rance Richardson, Jason Kincy
2018, 2019, 2020
Jason Coleman’s 22.75” was an absolute monster and probably more like 23.75” or 23.5″ because he had a 1” penalty on his photo submission! Wow!
The largest official NSKA NWA bass caught in live competition is the 23.50” tank caught by Cole Sikes in 2017 at Lake Elmdale, I suspect on a jig. Ha!
Jason Coleman’s beast which should have measured more than 23″ but that mouth is a bit open… Source: TourneyX
It’s Go Time!
In 2021 get out there, have fun and fish! Any cast could net you a 20+ tank! You don’t have to only throw certain baits to catch them either, almost any technique can do it at the right place and right time. I’ve caught 20+ bass on crankbaits, topwater, chatterbaits, jigs, spoons, and soft plastics. Keep fishing and be optimistic that you can catch ‘em!
Heavy Hitters Coming Back for 2021!
If this is getting you excited about catching big bass, watch for information coming soon on the return of the NSKA NWA Heavy Hitters competition for the upcoming season. This is a live tournament cumulative big bass competition that gives you something to aim for in every tournament. There will be a $10 entry and the pot goes to the winner at the end of the season. Details coming soon.
The 2020 kayak fishing schedule in Arkansas came to a close with the State Championship held on beautiful Beaver Lake in the Ozarks. As one of the most well-known lakes in the state thanks to previous FLW Tour stops, Beaver Lake was a tough test for locals and visitors alike as they tackled the two day format.
The first state-wide Championship held at Beaver Lake in the modern kayak fishing area brought together anglers from clubs around Arkansas. The two-day format required anglers to fish south (upper end) of the lake one day and north (lower end) on the other day, with the Hwy 12 bridge as the dividing line. This approach did give some NSKA NWA anglers a bit of a home field advantage since it was very similar to the end of season Classic just a few weeks earlier.
Beaver Lake is a great lake and I love it. There are times you can catch them there and there are times where it will burn you. Patterns don’t hold very well day to day, so advice to those not from here, pre-fishing needs to be more about scouting than trying to lock in a pattern. Wait until tournament morning to see what they want for sure.
State Championship Results
On day one of the tournament the lake was its usual stingy self but did allow some good limits to anglers, mostly who were in the upper ends of the rivers. Only 45% of the 51 anglers submitted a five fish limit on Saturday, with Dwain Batey turning in the largest bass with a 20″ tank. The top five after day one:
Dwain Batey – 84.5″
Kyle Long – 77.25″
Cole Sikes – 77.25″
Ryan Paskiewicz – 76.50″
James Schumate – 76.00″
Dwain Batey’s day one 20″ tank from Beaver Lake helped him build day one lead. – source: TourneyX
On day two, it got even tougher as only 43% of anglers submitted a five fish limit. Colton Shumate struck lightning with a 22″ Big Bass (won for the event) which is an absolute giant on this body of water. Day two leaders were Kyle Long, Justin Brewer, Cole Sikes, Jeriamy Vann, and John Wofford.
Most of the names who were on top in day one had a good day two and the local NSKA NWA anglers took all of the top five spots and seven of the top 10 overall. Dwain Batey’s day one lead held on as he won with 160.75″ followed by Kyle Long with 158.25″ for the event.
The top three finishers for the State Championship spilled the info on how they did it over two days on Beaver lake. These are three of the most consistent and best anglers in NSKA NWA and really know what they are doing on this fishery.
How did you prepare for the event which took place on both ends of the lake?
Dwain – I only went to the lake one time a couple weeks before the event, and fished a couple of hours at Prairie Creek just to see if I was going to miss anything if I ran with my plan. I caught just enough to confuse myself, an 18.75” and a 15” off one dock, but I decided to ignore that and stick with my plan ultimately.
Kyle – I didn’t really have much time to pre-fish so my original plan was to fish where I did in the classic the 3 weeks before.
Cole – I didn’t prepare much for this tournament. Beaver Lake can be difficult and everyday is different. I did pre-fish a couple of hours on the north end because I wasn’t 100% sure where I was going to go. I was able to find some fish dirt shallow in the afternoon while pre-fishing and was able to catch them in the high-bright sun. It gave me confidence that I would be able to catch them early in the morning there during tournament day.
What parts of the lake did you fish and why did you choose them?
Dwain – I fished way down in the river and way up by the dam again similar to our NSKA Classic event. Basically I used this as a do-over for correcting the mistakes I made in the Classic and I was hoping that as fall progressed the things I had done there before would only get better.
Kyle – The one plan I was questioning was my south plan. So the one day I pre-fished I went all the way down to Twin Bridges. I caught like 71-72” which was ok and I didn’t blast it…but leaving there I thought I’d likely go back down the river a ways. But the morning of I decided to go back there and hope for a kicker. North I went to Indian Creek. I was pretty confident in that area.
Cole – On the south side, I chose to fish near Highway 412 bridge. We recently fished there for the NSKA Classic and it’s the area I have most confidence in. I knew I would be able to catch a limit there but wasn’t sure if I would be able to get into any quality. On the north end, I fished near point 5 because I had a pretty solid day pre-fishing up shallow. There was a little color in the water so it would fit my style of fishing better.
What was your key bait and technique on your best day and why do you think it worked?
Dwain – I fished a swim jig more recently than ever in my life, and though I’m still learning the subtleties of the technique I’m starting to figure it out and it was the key bait for me this weekend accounting for the majority of my length. I think the swim jig is a big deal late in the year because it’s so subtle and the fish have been pounded by people throwing spinnerbaits and crankbaits all season. The more success I have with a swim jig the more I want to keep figuring out when, where, and to incorporate it into my arsenal.
Kyle – Both days was Buzz Bait and Spinnerbait. I mean shad is the deal in the fall right? Down south was dirty so I wanted them to have a good target and up north the wind blew so that was pretty much textbook with the spinnerbait.
Cole – My key bait for both days was a strike king buzz bait. It accounted for around 90% of my fish during the tournament. The fish were up dirt shallow on both ends of the lake for me. Typically in the fall, bass will start feeding on shad so I just covered water with it and had it in my hand majority of the tournament.
Those from NSKA NWA dominated the top five, we haven’t seen that before. Is Beaver lake that tough for someone out of the area? If so why?
Dwain – Beaver is a crazy tough place to fish, but at the same time the area I fished for the South I’d only been to one time before this event, and the place I went to in the North I’d been to 2 times before this event. So I can’t really say that I had any advantage as far as knowing the waters I was fishing. I also caught my fish on 2 baits that I’d never thrown on Beaver successfully before so at least in my case it really didn’t help me to be local. I could have went with what I know, fishing history and areas that I know and probably finished ok, but I felt like doing something out of my comfort zone was my best shot even though if it hadn’t worked I could have been at the bottom of the leader board.
Kyle – Beaver is tough. I mean I love it but it’s still really really tough. It just seems like every day has a thing that’s working and if you aren’t doing that thing that day it can be bad. I mean you can catch fish but that quality you need is so hard to come by most days. It helps to fish it as much as we do but we don’t really have many other options.
Cole – Beaver lake can be intimidating if you have never fished it. Everything looks fishy and water can be super clear. The key is to find areas that fit your style of fishing and just cover water. Overall, Beaver Lake has a bad reputation but it is getting better every year.
You had a good day 1, how do you carry that good mentality into day 2?
Dwain – I was figuring that I needed 75” to make anyone chasing me have to really earn if they wanted to win. That being said on Beaver 75” isn’t that easy to get especially going from the dirty river on day 1 to the gin clear water up north on day 2. Basically I just set my mind to fishing one bait all day, and I almost made it happen, honestly I took a 30 minute break to fish a shaky head trying to get one more cull, but never got a bite on it. As soon as I picked up my primary bait again and went back to work I caught my fifth fish, then a nice cull at around 1”00 and 1:30 PM. And another one at around 1:30 on it. I absolutely didn’t feel good about the plan working at times during the day because it was so slow, but I was willing to fail to stick it out and give my plan the full tournament day to develop. It’s a good thing I didn’t freak out and try something else though because I wound up basically needing every bite I got in the kayak to win. Having a good day 1 only added more pressure, and made me have to force myself to stick to the plan and give it time to work.
Kyle – My day one I had a tiny limit within 23 minutes. I checked my time stamps. And I also caught fish most of the day including a kicker so I was riding pretty high. Day 2 I had two fish by 7:07 including a 17.5” and didn’t catch another one until 9:41. I was sweating it. I slowed down and picked apart a few trees with a jig and caught a couple but they were barely keepers. I got my 5th on a buzzbait at like 10:30 and even though it was a small limit it was a huge relief. That’s about the time the wind picked up which was what I had been waiting on all morning. From there I just went to work with both the spinnerbait and the buzzbait because I was confident I’d catch them eventually and those are big fish baits which is what I needed. Having caught so many the day before on those exact baits and having the conditions be almost perfect for it, I had the utmost confidence I’d catch them I just needed to keep throwing them. 4 of my 5 day two keepers came after 11:30. It’s amazing what confidence does.
Cole – In this format where you are forced to fish a different section of the lake the following day, it’s all about fishing instincts and where you’re comfortable. Because you have to fish different sections of the lake, I knew it was still anyone’s ballgame even with Dwain’s huge lead which gave me some motivation to keep grinding.
That’s a wrap
Thank you to all the anglers who participated in the 2020 Arkansas State Championship, especially those who came in from other clubs around the state. Several of these out of town sticks like Jeff Otts, Christa and Caroline Hibbs and Chris Jones had very good showings and got the most out of Beaver Lake. We hope you come back soon and give me a ring and will be happy to go fishing with you in NWA.
The second annual NSKA NWA Classic Championship took to Beaver Lake for a two-day tournament that stretched from the dirt and wood of the White River to the open crystal clear rocky waters near Beaver Dam. A great angler Jeriamy Vann won the 2019 Classic and the field was strong and set for a showdown in September. The Classic Championship was a great idea and has really gained traction in the club as a goal to qualify for many anglers. The Top 25 were invited to fish, and 23 were able to take on the lake in 2020. Special thank you to Nite Ize who sponsored the event yet again and to Chad Warford for his help in making this all happen.
On a personal note, I was very concerned about preparing and competing in the Classic because my Hobie 360 Drive broke down halfway through the Beaver Lake North event and needed replaced. As the days ticked by working with Hobie on a replacement I was getting very nervous but the new drive arrived a few days before the event and I was all set. Thank you to Dave at Oklahoma/Tulsa Kayak – they have been great to work with and he’s had my back every step of the way!
Classic Results
Being a two-day event it’s a bit difficult to capture the action from both days, but it is important to recognize individual daily performances by these anglers.
Day One – Hwy 412 and Twin Bridges
It’s unclear if any anglers went to the Twin Bridges launch area, it sure seemed like everyone was at the 412 launches on Saturday morning. This day we’d be battling the Elites boat tournament for water as well. As expected from this strong group of anglers, 87% turned in a limit and everyone had a keeper. Nobody knew what each other had, but Taylor released the rank order and the top five were: Jason Kincy (83.75″), Cole Sikes (78″), Chris Needham (76.5″), Justin Brewer (76.25″), and Ryan Paskiewicz (75.5″) .
There were some big fish caught on day one. I was able to land a 20.25″ largemouth in the first half hour which got the juices flowing for the day. That Beaver Lake bomb held up for Big Bass of the weekend. Jon Swann also pulled a nice 19″ Largemouth to put him in the top ten for day one!
This big Largemouth hit my War Eagle lure like freight train. – Photo: Kayakfishingfocus.com
Day Two – Indian Creek and Beaver Dam
The conventional wisdom that day one would be the big fish day and day two would be the dinkfest didn’t really play out that way. Monster Smallmouth came to play on day two. Ryan Paskiewicz, sitting in fifth after day one had a monster day two, leading the top five: Ryan Paskiewicz (83″), Devon Esry (77.5″), Cole Sikes (77″), Dwain Batey (76.75″) and Roy Roberts (76″). Ryan pulled the biggest bass for day two with a 19.5″ Smallmouth, and others caught some tanks up north: Devon Esry (19), Roy Roberts (18.5), Cole Sikes (18.5, 17.25), and Tyler Zengerle (18.75).
Ryan’s big smallie from day two almost shook up the Classic. What a Birthday present! – Photo: TourneyX
In the end, it was close close close! I did just enough to hold on with 75.75″ on day two to win the Classic by one inch over Ryan. He sent me a picture of his giant smallie with some smack in the middle of the day and had me FREAKED out! Just knew he was going to catch me and I tip my hat to him for a dominating day two.
Your Top 10 finishers for the Classic Championship:
Jason Kincy 159.50
Ryan Paskiewicz 158.50
Cole Sikes 155.00
Chris Needham 149.50
Dwain Batey 148.25
Michael Burgess 146.75
Tyler Zengerle 145.00
Jeriamy Vann 145.00
Jon Swann 144.75
Billy Bowden 144.25
Receiving the hardware from the legend himself, Taylor Frizzell. Photo: Kayakfishingfocus.com
Angler of the Year Race
The Classic plays a huge role in the AOY points race, contributing double the points as a usual event. The race really came down to how a couple of anglers were going to finish in this event unless both of them completely tanked. Dwain Batey or Justin Brewer were most likely to take the AOY title, and it was a razor-thin margin in the end. Dwain had a strong tournament, finishing 5th overall. Justin’s strong day one gave him a leg up to survive Dwain’s day two push. Justin Brewer is your 2020 NSKA NWA Angler of the Year!
The Top 10 AOY finishers qualify for the All-American Classic on Harry S. Truman Lake:
The top finishers from the Classic shared their stories of how they did it on the opposite ends of Beaver Lake:
Overall, which way/where did you go on day one and day two?
Jason – On day one I launched from the smaller 412 ramp and chose to fish in that general area and didn’t go too far south or north. Really just covered a lot of water on day one zipping around running a pattern or two. On day two I put in at the dam, thinking there would be a lot fewer anglers up in that area for more empty water.
Ryan – On day one launched out of the north ramp at Ramsey and headed north near War Eagle Marina. Day two I went across the main lake and through the cut. I fished my way back to the ramp both days at around 12:00.
Cole – Day one, I ran south because it’s probably the area I know best of the entire lake and I prefer dirtier water. On day two, I ran to the very back of Indian Creek hoping there would be some stain in the back and possibly get into some Largemouth. I was able to get a very small limit first thing but didn’t like the way it looked so moved to the main lake and started fishing for Smallmouth.
Chris – I put in at the southern ramp at 412 and worked my way north. Found a very specific pattern early which gave me confidence. On day two I just winged it. I’ve never fished that area before and made my decision on where to go when I got to the ramp and saw there was more wind than projected. I went east from Indian Creek and focused on wind blown banks.
Did you change any approach when it came to strategy or pre-fishing with a two day tournament?
Jason – Unlike some of these other guys I have to really work on pre-fishing to figure out what’s going on. So I did pre-fish both areas in advance and pre-fishing was terrible, especially the south. Since I didn’t find anything good, especially in the south, I just stayed around some water I was just familiar with.
Ryan – My biggest concern was day one because you can’t win it on day one but you can certainly lose it. My goal was to simply find a limit hopefully a kicker. I fished history mostly on day one and it paid off. I didn’t pre-fish the South end. I eliminated some water pre-fishing on the north side. I chose to go away from the crowd and fish a relatively quiet area. I thought they’d be shallow and I knew I had ground to make up so I stuck with my jig and it produced some solid bites.
Cole – I was only able to pre-fish two weeks prior to the tournament because my wife and I were on vacation in Montana. I was able to get a rough idea of what could potentially work for tournament day and just ran areas I felt comfortable and confident in.
Chris – My approach didn’t change for a two day event. I just went fishing and was hoping to execute my game plan and fish clean which I did. I didn’t have any time to pre-fish since we just had a baby.
Of all the fish catches for the weekend, talk about the one that meant the most to you.
Jason – You would think it would be the 20.25″ which was huge, but I was really upset with myself later over a mental mistake. On day one I had a really good limit in the afternoon and was trying to cull. I threw back THREE bass between 15-15.25″ thinking my smallest was a 15.25″. Late in the day I looked at my limit and saw I had a 14.75″ and was just sick and wanted to puke right then in my kayak. Instead of panicking, I knuckled down and caught a 16.25″ with a Bomber crankbait to cull that smaller one and then I just knew it was my day.
Ryan – It was my Birthday and I really just wanted to have a good day up north. I seem to always catch fish but at times struggle to find size. About 8:00 on day one I caught my PB Smallmouth. I knew then I had a chance to make a run. It went 19.5″ and was I couldn’t ask for a better gift!
Cole – I had two fish catches this weekend that meant the most to me. On day one, I was able to catch a 16.25” at 2:58 pm that slightly separated me from the pack of 74 to 76 inch anglers. On the final day, I was really struggling and went hours without culling any fish. I moved to the main lake and was able to catch an 18.50″ Smallie which gave me more confidence to keep pushing and not quit.
Chris – The fish that meant the most to me was a 16” smallie on Sunday. I was hardcore struggling getting bites but as soon as I caught the fish my confidence came back. I instantly caught another decent one then another. I went up and down this 75 yard stretch of bank for hours. Every time I got bit or caught one. It was unreal it kept replenishing like that.
Making the Classic was an achievement, what was your favorite event from the year and why?
Jason – Love, love, love the Classic format that puts everyone on equal footing. And I’m not sure if there’s another kayak event in the country like this that put anglers in dirty river water on day one and big clear water on day two. It’s the ultimate test. Just not a fan of the road runners, Beaver Lake (a.k.a. Dead Sea) is an iconic fishery and always feels like a big-time bass event. Hope the King of the String is on Beaver only next year.
Ryan – This year started off horribly with a zero….. but I turned it around and had my best year yet. This Classic was amazing even though I came up an inch short. That being said, winning and getting Big Bass in Beaver South has to be my favorite this year. It’s incredibly hard to win, much less cash checks on this trail and I’m proud to say I’ve won one.
Cole – The Classic was by far my favorite tournament. I feel like the way we have the Classic set up makes it an equal playing field and really challenges the anglers. Everyone is dealt the exact same conditions and whereas some other tournaments it is all about if you’re on the hot lake or not.
Chris – I really enjoyed our MLF style format. That format suits my style of fishing. Catching numbers usually isn’t a problem but quality is.
159.9″ and 20.25″ won this event, what are your predictions for winning total and Big Bass for the State Championship on Beaver?
Jason – Beaver Lake is fishing pretty well lately, but it’s going to be tough for those coming in from the other clubs to get up to speed and some are going to get smacked right in the face by the Dead Sea. However, there are great anglers in Arkansas and Beaver heats up in the fall. BIG bag needed to win this one: 161.75″ and a 21″ for Big Bass.
Ryan – I think Beaver is gonna fish well for State. I’m predicting 157.5” will win. Big Bass will go 20.75”.
Cole – I personally think it will take an average of 80” a day to win but would not be surprised to see someone catch close to 163”. Big bass will also be about the same in the 20″ to 21.50″ range.
Chris – 155” and 20.5” for the W.
Sportsman of the Year – Kyle Long
This season’s Sportsman of the Year is Mr. Kyle Long. He’s very deserving of the honor and many people don’t know, he was key in getting us back on Beaver Lake with the permits and paperwork needed because of Covid. Asked Kyle a few questions about this honor:
Me with Kyle Long at Lake Fork, Texas.
What does it feel like to be named SOTY? I value it up there with any accomplishment or accolade I’ve ever received. I am so appreciative.
What does the club mean to you? I can’t even explain it fully but when you get to be my age, and that all the stuff you once had that’s gone can be found again…It’s overwhelming. It’s emotional. I didn’t know a single person in this club three years ago…and now it’s my team. My guys I’d go into battle with. I love it to my core. And when I say it…I mean the people. A club is only as good as the people that make it up. And this club has elite people.
For people new to the club or to kayak fishing, any advice to find your place? I’m not saying the way I did it is the best but it worked for me. I tried to integrate slowly. A lot of these relationships seem to have been built and fire tested so I didn’t want to be off-putting lol. I went to every meeting and tournament on the schedule. I hung out and visited and formed relationships at the weigh-ins and then volunteered to help if the need arose. When it did, I jumped on it. Then I just tried to fill the role of a good team player. As we get bigger, we’re going to need more people to help so if you think you have a passion for it…work your way in, find a role that needs filled…and fill it.
Performance Points Rankings
Performance Points show the history of competition finishes over a rolling 5 year and 3 year trend. This recap article got waaaay too long, so watch for an update on end of season standings on Performance Points coming next week.
The Dead Sea in August on the last weekend before school starts is not the friendliest environment for kayak fishing tournament. A lot was on the line as we came down to the wire on the AOY race, Heavy Hitters and finding out which top 25 would make the year end Classic.
Fifty-five anglers took on the warm water, tough bite and wake boat anarchy conditions of Beaver Lake for the season finale for NSKA. Personally I love, love, love, a tournament on Beaver Lake in August when conditions are tough as nails. It’s a great test for anglers to be creative and open their bag of tricks to find a good bite. Combine the summer pattern with the race to catch some fish before the wake boats and jet skis hit the water and you have an exciting challenge.
Yes, I know you are in a boat. Thanks for zooming close to me so I could see it. No, I don’t really want to wave back at you. I’ve seen one before.
Tournament Results
Traditionally an event on Beaver Lake in August and September will give you a winning total in the mid-high 70s and a Big Bass of around 19″. Those trends held true this time around. Overall, it was a difficult day with a pretty low 42% of anglers turning in a limit and only 82% submitting at least one keeper.
Anglers at the top were bunched up with Devon Esry taking the win with 77″ followed by Justin Brewer with 76″ for second place and luckily I took third with 75.75″ in total. Dallas Prouty took the Big Bass prize with a 19.75″ Beaver Lake tank.
Here were the top 10 finishers:
Devon Esry
Justin Brewer
Jason Kincy
Kevin Tadda
Jon Swann
Dwain Batey
Jason Coleman
Jason Fields
Billy Bowden
Cole Sikes
Beaver Lake Smallmouth from the Beaver North Road Runner caught on a Yum Baits plastic. – Source: kayakfishingfocus.com
Angler Roundtable Recaps
One of the great things about fishing is how many different ways you can catch fish on a given day and be successful. In this tournament roundtable, Devon Esry, Justin Brewer, and Kevin Tadda join me in sharing how they caught ’em and finished in the money.
What part of North Beaver did you go and why?
Devon – I went to Ventris and worked my way to Coose and back. Of all of the places I pre-fished, Ventris was the only area that provided a consistent pattern with more bites.
Justin – I chose the Prairie Creek area. I’m not a big fan of clear water so I chose the most southern part of the lake that I could find.
Jason – Torn between a couple of areas, I chose to put in at the campground at Lost Bridge and fished Indian Creek. Having pre-fished a couple of other spots I really felt like the clear water was the best chance to ensure a limit.
Kevin – I had pre-fished Van Winkle and did not do very well there, so I went to one of my favorite spots, Lost Bridge North. I have not done very well there in the past, but there are fish there usually and it is out of the way of most of the boat traffic, which is what i was mostly looking for. Last tournament I went to Ventris and ended up fighting more waves and boats than fish.
What were some of the key baits or techniques you focused on or worked for you?
Devon – I started the morning with a black buzzbait and went straight to my shaky head once the topwater bite turned off.
Justin – I started the day on a Spook hoping for a topwater bite that has been non-existant all year for me with no success. I then went searching for a day pattern. Found some success with throwing a Yum Baits finesse worm on a shaky head and a Texas-rigged Yum Baits Spine craw on any wood or brush I could find.
Jason – Going into the day I expected to throw some topwater early and then move deeper later on. Early on I threw several things including a Heddon Spook, War Eagle buzzbait, popper and a wake bait. After the sun got high and moved out deeper I focused on drop shot and carolina rig.
Kevin – First thing in the morning i tried a Whopper Plopper because I had never thrown one before and wanted to see if I could get a topwater bite started. I quickly realized that wasn’t working but there were fish around me attacking the surface. I tied on a Heddon Spook Jr. to give a smaller profile and a little less noise and that was the key. I targeted the first point I came to and on about the second cast I caught my 17″ bass. While i was taking pictures of that one, a few more were hitting the surface by the trees behind me. Once starting with the Spook, it was the only thing I threw until about noon. I would throw it at a school blowing up, and catch one, I would cast again and it would throw it, then i would keep going as fast as I could reset and ended up getting four before 9 a.m. I let that area calm down a bit, and went into the first cove where I threw into some timber at the very end not really expecting anything to be there and another 16″ nailed it as soon as it hit the water. I had a limit for the first time ever with lots of time left in a tournament.
What was your key fish and the circumstances around that?
Devon – I feel like my key fish was the first fish I got after I had a limit. I was able to cull my smallest and focus on areas that seemed to be producing bigger fish. The fish started getting in the muddy water from all the pleasure boats. It was a struggle up to this point to cull the smaller fish.
Justin – My key fish was an 18.75″ Smallmouth. It was my key fish because leading up to that point I’d had a pretty tough morning. Catching that fish turned my day around, mainly by building up confidence in a bait but also having an 18.75″ fish in your limit on Beaver is a great bonus.
Jason – Hard to choose between a couple of them. My first catch was a 17.25″ largemouth and that made me feel like I’d be able to contend for the day which was great motivation to focus and fish hard. But the 17.5″ smallie I caught late morning really put me into a good total and topped off the limit. This was also my PB smallmouth so that was fun.
Kevin – After leaving the cove I went back to the first point and kept throwing the Spook and pretty much paddled in circles with the bass blowing up the surface all around me until about noon. Once that bite slowed down, I went to my swimbait after seeing all the luck that John Wofford has had on those. The water was extremely clear about 5-7 feet down and i could see several big ones following it to the boat. A couple even lightly took it and when i set the hook i watched it slip away from them. I slowed down my retrieve and the next one was hooked. it was a 16.5″ and kicked off another round of hits and misses all the way up to 2:30. I was able to cull my smallest fish and had a couple others that were even bigger that I should have gotten in the boat. All in all though it was the best day I have ever had on the water and I didn’t want to leave but i was exhausted.
What’s one technique or bait you learned or executed better this year that has been important to your success?
Devon – The topwater bite has been the most challenging, but also the most rewarding this year. The Whopper Plopper and buzzbait produced some decent fish and helped me reach a limit more quickly when they were on. Knowing when to put it down is something I’m still learning.
Justin – My main technique I learned and executed better this year was mind and emotion control. Years before I have been bad at keeping my composure and keeping an open mind. If I didn’t I have limit or at least a couple of fish during the early hours of a morning I would get frustrated and my mind would start running 100 mph trying to figure out what to do. But come to find out if you keep calm and fish the conditions with what you know to fish, the bites will come. Some days they won’t but those are days everyone has from time to time.
Jason – Going into the year I really wanted to focus more on fishing and skipping a jig and that’s been a big help this year. Sometimes a jig seems to be the only thing they will bite.
Kevin – My go to is a shaky head with a Zoom worm, most of the time i can catch fish with it but they are usually not the size I need to compete. In the last few tournaments, I have saved it for the last resort and worked on throwing more deep lures like lipless cranks and swim jigs targeting structure and rocks further away from shore. This season I learned that I needed to cover more water and not just throw against the shore where I think there always should be fish shallow, but to be more tactical to find a faster pattern. Getting away from my comfort zone with the deeper baits helped me cover more water and catch bigger fish.
AOY Race and Classic Qualifiers
As the regular season comes to a close, the AOY race has become pretty clear. With a good finish in the Classic, Justin Brewer may have it wrapped up. However, Dwain Batey is close on his heels and could steal it if Justin falters. If they both stumble significantly in the classic, then there is a list of anglers including Wofford, Coleman, Roberts, Paskiewicz, Needham, Zengerle and Sikes who could maybe pull it off with a Classic win. Reminder, the Classic is worth 200 points, so each spot is worth more than normal.
The Classic field overall has been set with 394 points this year to make the cut. There were some anglers who just barely missed that mark and didn’t make the cut. Rumor has it the Classic locations have been selected and will be announced soon. Good luck to all of the competitors!
Heavy Hitters Final
When the year began there is no way I would have expected it to end up this way as a group of NSKA competitors entered in a side-pot big bass competition. I was lucky enough to hold off a last-minute push from John Wofford.
Top 5 Heavy Hitters and total inches for best five:
Jason Kincy – 95″
John Wofford – 93.25″
Ryan Paskiewicz – 90.75″
Kyle Long – 88.25″
Justin Phillips – 88″
Michael Burgess – 87.75″
Roy Roberts – 87″
Cole Sikes – 86.75″
Tyler Zengerle – 86.5″
Jeriamy Vann – 84.25″
Three of the 2020 Heavy Hitters winning fish, it will take more than 95″ to win next year! – Source: kayakfishingfocus.com
Beaver Lake in the spring earlier this year was a barrel of laughs for anglers who found lots of fish, including big fish, all over the lake and easy to catch. Well the laughter is on hold for now as Beaver Lake in the summer heat is an entirely different proposition.
The only two Beaver Lake South tournaments in the past few years prior to this one yielded winning totals of 70.25″ and 75″ which were indications of what was in store for the 61 anglers who took to the water on a scorching Saturday in July. Fighting the fish, the heat and the jet skis made for a grinder of a day.
Beaver Lake native species: Southern Fishus Interruptus
Tournament Results
Overall, the quantity of fish caught wasn’t that bad considering the conditions. The caliber of anglers in NSKA has certainly improved, accounting for more fish in the yak. A very good 54% of anglers (down from 75% in June) turned in a limit, with an awesome 95% turning in at least one keeper. The challenge of course was catching fish of good size.
Of the 274 fish caught and submitted, only 16 bass were 16″ or above. Sixteen! Out of 274! Thirteen of 61 anglers accounted for the 16″ and above club (J Brewer (2), J Phillips (2), R Paskiewicz (2), J Kincy (2), H Wofford, J Wofford, K Long, D Kelley, R Roberts, D Esry, P Vongpraphanh, D Mathews, and V Vang). The “Beaver Lake Specials” of 13s and 14s were the trend of the day.
Justin Brewer found the right formula to win with four OK keepers and a good kicker adding up to 76″ which is right in line with summer on Beaver Lake. Hope Wofford just barely missed out on the win by placing 2nd on a tiebreaker – she also had 76″ on the day. Justin Phillips finished 3rd with 74.5″ of bass.
Big Bass was won by John Wofford with a 19.25″ largemouth, and Justin Brewer edged out Hope Wofford again in a tiebreaker with an 18.50″ bass for 2nd Big Bass. (Tough breaks for Hope!)
Wofford’s 19.25″ Big Bass.
Angler Roundtable
Here’s how the top anglers on the day did their damage. Justin Brewer, Hope Wofford and Justin Phillips share their path to success on that hot day.
Where did you go on Beaver and why?
Justin B – I went in trying to find cooler water so I chose to fish way up the War Eagle.
Hope – To be completely honest, I don’t get a ton of say in where we choose to go. I let John make that decision and roll with it. I did tell him I didn’t want to get beat up by the wind and pleasure boaters so we opted for Twin Bridges.
Justin P – I ended up going to Blue Springs. I had pre-fished a handful of spots and it seemed my more consistent bites came from that area.
Overall what strategy did you have for the day and did it play out like you thought?
Justin B – My main goal was to get on a good early bite and maybe find a cull through out the day. It did not work that way. I didn’t find a limit until 9-10 and my key fish fish didn’t come until noon.
Hope – My strategy was simply to beat my last tourney score and catch a limit earlier than last time. I wanted to try and fish my strengths, but also to try out a few baits I tend to leave alone. I definitely stuck to my strategy and it worked.
Justin P – My strategy was fairly simple; start shallow with some top water and shallower crankbaits first thing in the morning and then move out to deeper water with sharper drop-offs as the sun climbed in the sky. Going into it, once the sun got up I felt like I could catch them on a jig and a deep diving crankbait in that 15′-19′ range as I had in practice.
What were the key baits for you for the day?
Justin B – I ended up finding a short section of the river that was super dirty with less than a foot of visibility and that small section is what held my fish. I rounded out my limit swimming a Booyah swim jig with YUM Baits chunk trailer. When that bite died off I tried something a little different and tied on a Booyah Flex II chartreuse squarebill and that’s what got me my bigger bites.
Hope – I played my strengths and stuck with a spinnerbait (which I used to despise) and Texas rig. I also landed my first fish on a squarebill. To say I hate treble hooks is an understatement, but I saw a spot where I knew the squarebill would work and it paid off.
Justin P – In the morning it was calm and with the low light conditions I caught my first small keeper on a whopper plopper. However I was having to fish it in a slow method utilizing short pulls. I felt like I was burning too much time so I put it up and got out a DT6 and started covering water. I caught my next 4 keepers utilizing it and pitching a jig. At this point it was just before mid morning. I had a 16″ and the rest small keepers. I decided to start transitioning to steeper banks and testing the deeper waters looking to cull. I finished my starting stretch and moved out to the “river” section focusing on the bluffs. With the wind picking up I was able to keep culling utilizing a chatterbait and a jig.
In the summer it is key to beat the heat, do you have any advice or steps you take to stay cool?
Justin B – I carry a gallon Yeti jug with me so I have plenty of ice cold water and I also where a long sleeve hooded shirt to keep as much sun off as me as possible. Periodically I’ll wet my hat and the sleeves of my shirt. That helps provide just a little more coolness throughout the heat of the day.
Hope – I always have my gallon jug of water. I added a bottle of Gatorade for the extra heat as well as a cooling towel. Feet are in the water as much as possible! Thankfully the breeze kept it very bearable until around noon.
Justin P – The Arkansas summer heat can be brutal. When the weather heats up I usually combat it by drinking something on my way to the ramp and freezing bottles of water, (my all time favorite) Diet Mountain Dew and storing them in the hatch. Then as the day goes on, and the temperatures climb, the drinks melt. By the time I’m ready for my next beverage it still has a little ice in it and serves as a cold refresher.
Heavy Hitters Update
With one regular season tournament to go, the Heavy Hitters crown looks like it will come down to either me or John Wofford. I’m sitting with 95″ for the best five, with John in second at 89″ followed by Ryan Paskiewicz with 88.75″, Michael Burgess with 87.75″ and Justin Phillips and Roy Roberts with 87″.
My Heavy Hitter for this event. Yellow socks may be the key.
John has the biggest opportunity because he can replace an 11.75″, needing only a 17.75″ to tie me and an 18″ to win. That is unless I can replace a 17.75 with something larger. Going to be a close one!
Angler of the Year and Classic Race
With one event to go things are taking shape to identify the final contenders for AOY and also the top 25 who will make the end of season Classic. Justin Brewer and John Wofford both helped themselves in the AOY race, with Justin making the strongest move. It still isn’t settled though with 4 or 5 anglers still in the mix with one event and then the Classic to go.
Many of the anglers in the top 25 who are planning on making the Classic better not get too comfortable. There are several anglers outside of the list who either only have four scores to date or have one horrific score they can drop. If those already in the top 25 don’t put up a good score, some of them may finish out of the Classic when the dust settles.
With a month off, there’s plenty of time to rest up for the regular season finale on Beaver Lake North. See everyone on the water!
Halfway through the season in 2020 it’s time to take a look at some of the top anglers this season as well as over the past few years. Who has been getting it done on the water when it counts on tournament day? Performance Points rankings show the history of competition finishes.
To measure this we simply looked at order of finish 1st through 5th in events and assigned points for each spot. (5 for 1st, 4 for 2nd, etc.) Performance Points metrics will look at 2020, the past three years and past five years. An astounding total of 64 different anglers have earned Performance Points in the past five years.
NSKA ready for take-off. Jeff and Taylor talking some smack before lines in.
One thing is clear as you look at the long-term results…there are three anglers who have been far and away better and more consistent than the rest of the field. After those anglers the finishes are spread among many more competitors around the club.
2020 Performance Rankings
For the year of 2020 using the scoring system described above, here are the top five anglers along with their points total:
Dwain Batey – 11
Justin Brewer – 10
Ryan Paskiewicz – 9 (tie)
Jon Wofford – 9 (tie)
Roy Roberts – 8
Clearly this will change quite a bit as the rest of the year plays out but its where we stand currently. This shakes out a bit differently than the AOY top five (Dwain Batey, Justin Brewer, Jason Coleman, Roy Roberts, Chris Needham) In 2020, 16 different anglers have earned Performance Points.
Three Year Top Ten
Over the past three years there starts to be a pretty clear trend in the top anglers over this time period, with Cole, Dwain, Roy and Jeriamy rounding out the top four. Here are the numbers from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Cole Sikes – 34
Dwain Batey – 28
Roy Roberts – 21
Jeriamy Vann – 18
Declan McDonald – 15
Justin Brewer – 13
Ryan Paskiewicz – 11
Craig Wood – 10 (tie)
Bo Sarratt – 10 (tie)
Jon Wofford, Tyler Zengerle, Carson McBride – 9 (tie)
Lots of anglers in the 10, 9, 8, 7 Performance Points range and the rest of this seasons should clean up the bottom few spots on this list.
Here’s a fish. And a Bending Branches paddle!
Five Year Top Ten
When you look at the five year top ten only a few names change, but the top anglers extend their lead in Performance Points over the field. Here are the numbers from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Dwain Batey – 44
Cole Sikes – 38
Roy Roberts – 27
Jason Kincy – 22
Jeriamy Vann – 21
Justin Brewer – 19
Craig Wood – 18
Carson McBride – 17
Christa Hibbs – 16
Declan McDonald – 15
Some NSKA OGs show up in this list, including an awkward reminder that I used to be able to catch fish. It’s been a tough couple of years…what can I say? There are some on the three year Performance Points list that could move into the five year list with some good finishes. (Justin, Ryan, Craig, etc.)
At the end of the day Performance Points don’t mean anything but they are fun to look at when the long hot summer days roll around.
Watch in a couple of weeks for a look back at NSKA Big Bass history.
More than halfway through the season the 2020 NSKA Angler Of the Year (AOY) race is taking shape – but with the ability to drop two events there is still a lot unknown and to be determined. Using some data and past history, we’ll attempt to determine the real contenders and see if we can say who will the AOY champion.
People often live in the moment, suffering from recency bias, meaning that a person most easily remembers something that’s happened recently compared to something that happens most often. We saw this with the recent Beaver Lake event where recency bias had most predicting mid-to-high 80s for the winning length when the average winning length on Beaver over time has been 79.50″ in recent years. Ryan Paskiewicz hit that number on the nose with…yep…79.50″.
Current 2020 Angler Of the Year Standings
The top 10 AOY contenders have many familiar names and also several new ones for 2020. Finishing in the Top 10 for the year is an achievement in one of the toughest kayak fishing clubs around. Looking at this list it would seem there are clear-cut contenders for the title.
This is great work by the Top 10 to this point in the season. Unfortunately this list will change, a lot, over the next two events.
Projected 2020 Angler Of the Year POTENTIAL
The key to AOY is the best five events, dropping two. The last two events will create a tremendous amount of movement in the standings as people replace either a bad event, or, a zero because they didn’t enter an event. Those with the biggest opportunity to move up are those who can drop bad scores and retain good scores.
Who has the most potential if you look at their best-case scenarios?
If you look at a scenario where each angler drops one bad event with a better score later in the year, here’s the Drop 1 Potential Top 10:
In this case where everyone may replace one score with a better one, Roy Roberts and Tyler Zengerle and Danny Dutton show the most benefit of potential upward movement.
In reality though, many in the Top 10 could wind up having two very good Beaver Lake tournaments and could add two good scores. So, who has the most potential if they can replace two of their current scores? Here’s the Drop 2 Potential Top 10:
This view begins to make it more clear who could benefit most from the ability to drop two events. John Wofford is the biggest mover, into the top tier with Dwain Batey, Justin Brewer and Roy Roberts. Devon Esry jumps into the Top 10 in this view.
These projections will NOT be accurate because there are many, many variables. However, it can tell us who really has a shot at AOY based on their remaining potential.
Predictions for Final AOY Champion
As we look at the numbers and potential above and combine it with the remaining tournament schedule of South Beaver Lake and North Beaver Lake, I’ve put together some thoughts on the contenders for 2020 Angler Of the Year and have put them in tiers.
In the Hunt
Almost everyone in the Top 10 is theoretically in the hunt for AOY if everything fell just right. So it’s important to recognize some of the guys in the models above who could win it if all of the chips fell just right: Devon Esry, Michael Burgess, Jason Coleman and Chris Needham. Some of these guys are new to the club and have had a great first season so far!
The Players
Dwain Batey, Justin Brewer, Roy Roberts and John Wofford are all legitimate threats to win AOY at this point and are separated by only THREE points in the Drop 2 Potential scenario. I expect all four of these to be in the mix for the final AOY title. Back to back NSKA AOY winner is in this tier because he is in striking distance and generally excels on Beaver Lake. He needs some stumbles though from the leaders to be a contender.
The Winner
All of these anglers mentioned in this article have had a great year on the water and have consistently put good fish on the board. Predicting the ultimate AOY from the “Players” now comes down to schedule on Beaver Lake. Here are their finishes on their Beaver Lake lake only events from the past three years:
Cole Sikes – 2nd, 3rd, 9th, 11th, 12th
Dwain Batey – 1st, 4th, 5th, 8th, 17th, 20th
Justin Brewer – 5th, 13th, 16th, 16th, 24th
Roy Roberts – 1st, 2nd, 5th, 19th, 20th, 36th
Jon Wofford – 7th, 22nd
Cole and Dwain have been the most consistent in their finishes on Beaver Lake, but Cole may just be too far back at this point to catch up. Justin has had a hot start to the year and nobody is hotter over the past three events than Jon, but the numbers for them aren’t quite as strong on Beaver Lake. Roy has the best three finishes and is right there from a points perspective.
Based on all the data, and the final lakes, it seems AOY will come down to Roy and Dwain – with Dwain Batey winning by a razor-thin margin.
Of course, this is likely all not what will happen because, hey, it’s fishing.
After a Covid-19 induced ban on tournaments on Beaver Lake by the Corp, NSKA anglers were finally able to hit the water for a day-long fishing expedition on the Dead Sea. Some of the recent tournaments on Beaver lulled anglers into a comfort zone and the predictions for this tournament had big totals and big bass in mind. Not so fast…this is post-spawn Beaver Lake.
Tournament Results
It was a mixed story for the 60 anglers entered into the event, with a lot of fish caught, but size was hard to find. A very good 92% of anglers turned in at least one keeper, with 75% turning in a limit. Ryan Paskiewicz took first place with 79.5″, Craig Wood second with 78.5″ and Tyler Zengerle took a leisurely route to third with 78.25″ on the day. Ryan Paskiewicz also won “Big” Bass with a 19.25″ largemouth, followed by Tyler Zengerle’s 18.75″ 2nd place Big Bass.
The top ten finishers were as follows:
Ryan Paskiewicz
Craig Wood
Tyler Zengerle
Chris Needham
Jeriamy Vann
Billy Bowden
John Wofford
Jason Kincy
Chad Warford
Devon Esry
Ryan’s “Big” bass on the day took home the money. I can’t figure out how that camera orientation worked on this photo.
Angler Recap Roundtable
Top three finishers took a few minutes to share how it went down on Saturday.
What section of Beaver did you go to and why?
Ryan – I fished the south end of Beaver. I prefer dirtier water and have more experience and confidence on the south end. I hadn’t actually been to the area I fished but it set up to my strengths so I gave it a go.
Craig – I like the stained water of the War Eagle arm and it is an area i know fairly well. I targeted pockets of wood and brush on the main lake and avoided coves.
Tyler – I chose to go mid-lake, below Highway 12. I am very familiar with the area I chose to fish, as I have fished there a numerous amount of times. I always prefer the water color and the types of structure that surround that area. As a shallow water angler, it allows me to fish my strengths and fish with confidence.
What were the main type of baits you used (category is fine) to catch most of your fish?
Ryan – I caught my fish on four different baits. I found a few keepers early on topwater. When that dried up a bit I began throwing a Slowtown jig and a 12” Ol’ Monster worm. My big fish came on a jig. Late in the day I did some cranking deeper and caught a few but couldn’t upgrade. I caught 20+ fish on the day and was fortunate to find a kicker. I did lose one off the board that i thought was going to haunt me. It would have given me two more inches. Thankfully it didn’t!
Craig – I had a shaky head, Whopper Plopper, crankbait and a swim jig tied on. The swim jig by Slowtown Custom Lures did all the work, I caught over twenty bass during the tournament.
Tyler – My main baits were pretty simple. I used a jig made by Slow Town Custom Lures in green pumpkin. I also Texas-rigged a Burner Worm (speed worm) and Bacon Rind (creature bait), both made by Gambler Lures.
How many rods do you carry for a tournament and how many are spinning vs baitcaster?
Ryan – Too many! I brought 12 on this trip. I hate retying. I used 5 of them on this trip. I carry 3-4 spinning setups and 8-9 casting.
Craig – I carry four Trinity Fishing custom rods that I build, and my heavy action rod is my jig rod.
Tyler – I carry 11 rods. 8 of those are baitcasting and 3 spinning.
What’s one thing you have in your kayak on tourney day that people might not think to take or have handy?
Ryan – Super glue and an extra measuring device. I also carry a spare charging battery for my phone.
Craig – I don’t really carry anything special on tournament day except for a exceptional lunch – usually a Dagwood sandwich cut in six pieces so I can munch on it while moving spots.
Tyler – I’m just going to say…I’m always thankful to have Dude Wipes with me and it stinks when I don’t. Besides that, I always have a socket set for my drive, and an extra measuring device (Fish Stik) just in case I lose my Ketch overboard.
Heavy Hitters Update
Beaver Lake was stingy when it came to big fish which made it difficult for anyone to really make a big move this week. Time is running out to put some big fish on the board. I was lucky to extend my lead for the moment a bit with a decent 18″ addition to put me at 93.5″. Michael Burgess (87.75″), Cole Sikes (86.75″) and Justin Phillips (86.5″) are still in the hunt but they need to haul in some tanks coming up to take over the lead. It appears that with Ryan’s “Big” Bass from this week he’s creeping into contention but needs two or three more big fish. Or, maybe someone else will smash’em in the next events to come out of nowhere for the lead – anything can happen!
AOY Update
The Angler of the Year race took an interesting turn this week as the top contenders all came up a bit short in earning any meaningful AOY points. In fact, most of the leaders missed a huge opportunity to gain on the field, but since the top four in the rankings all had a difficult day, there wasn’t much movement at the top. Some other anglers really helped their chances to have a shot to get into the mix, especially
Watch for my AOY Breakdown later this week where we will break down some hidden data, handicap the field vs upcoming schedule, and I’ll make a prediction for the AOY winner this season.
Here are the top 25 if the Classic were held today. Green indicates a “good” points total, yellow “fair” and pink “poor” and needs replaced by a better score. Dwain Batey and Jason Coleman are the only anglers with all Green and Yellow for each event thus far.
As the crazy 2020 calendar keeps rolling along with the ‘Rona and all of its side effects causing chaos in the kayak tournament circuits. The latest disruption this past weekend was not pandemic, murder hornets or ‘Karen’ driven – it was the Bella Vista Bass Club scheduling a boat tourney on Lake Fort Smith on the same date, causing NSKA to make a move to the deep water of Oklahoma on Pumpback.
Pumpback Lake (or Chimney Rock Lake) is an interesting and confusing place. According to an old article in the Tulsa World, it uses more electricity to pump the water uphill into the lake than is generated when the water is released back into Lake Hudson. I guess it’s a profit deal that they do when there’s peak demand and can charge more for the electricity. Which explains the unpredictable timing of when water goes up and down. But I digress…
Preparing for a “shotgun” start on Pumpback. Photo: kayakfishingfocus.com
NSKA Pumpback Tournament Results
For a lake that not a ton of NWA anglers had fished very often and a very tough, hot day, a lot of good fish were caught. This is a testament to the fish population and angler skill. The numbers reflected a strong showing by the lake with 91% of anglers turning in at least one fish and a respectable 51% posting a five fish limit.
When the lake was announced my immediate thought was that all of the Okies were going to get paid with NSKA making the trek over into their territory. This was flat wrong – in fact – the top 13 finishers were from Arkansas even though there were at least a dozen Oklahomans in the field.
First place was won by John Wofford with a whopping 93” on the day including TWO Smallmouth over 20” contributing to his total. Dwain Batey was second with 89.5” and Justin Brewer third with 85.25”.
John Wofford’s 21″ Smallmouth that won Big Bass. Photo: TourneyX
John also won Big Bass with his 21” bruiser Smallmouth and Justin Phillips took second Big Bass with a 20.75” Largemouth caught late in the day.
The top 10 were as follows:
John Wofford – 93”
Dwain Batey – 89.5”
Justin Brewer – 85.25”
Cole Sikes – 83.25”
Kyle Long – 83.25”
Michael Burgess – 82.50”
Jason Coleman – 82.25”
Billy Bowden – 82”
Roy Roberts – 81.25”
Danny Dutton – 81”
Angler Profile – John Wofford
John Wofford dominated the day on Pumpback with his first-place finish and Big Bass. This is another good day in a recent string of good performances by John (we’ll forget the bracket challenge…) in competition with a second place finish in King of the String and first place on Pumpback. In this tourney recap I thought we’d focus a bit on getting to know John and how he’s been catching them.
John with his giant Smallmouth on Pumpback. Photo: John Wofford
First of all, what happened on Pumpback!? How’d you catch those monster Smallmouth?
Pumpback was literally a magical day. I had only fished the lake one time and only caught 3-4 fish so my expectations were not high at all and I was just concerned about getting a limit.
First thing in the morning I noticed a Shad spawn happening so I automatically began throwing shad-like baits. Right off the bat I missed a MONSTER Smallie bigger than my 21” because I was using a rod that was too light for what I was doing. Shortly after losing the first big one I noticed on my graph I was coming up on a ledge at the end of a flat/point. My first cast into there I caught my 19.5” Smallmouth. Between losing the first Smallie and catching the 19.5” one I realized I had stumbled upon my patterns for the day. I fished out that whole cove losing more and more fish and one Largemouth that would’ve went 18-19” at least.
I was almost spinning out in my head after losing the Largemouth but I took a second to compose myself and changed gears. Started throwing my fluke on a MH power rod and only lost maybe 1-2 fish the rest of the day. After fishing the back of my first cove I had a few people come in on me so I decided to leave and make some runs to areas that my graph looked similar to where I hooked up with the big fish – and man did that pay off. I believe it was on my second cast in the second spot that I hooked into the 21” and the fight was on! I swore I had a Drum or a Striper on because it took forever for her to come up but once she did I about had a heart attack as I did everything in my power to get her in the net. Once I got her in a wave of emotion came over me and I had a feeling that today just might be my day. Thankfully, Ryan Paskiewicz was nearby and I hollered at him to come get a picture because I not only just broke my Smallmouth PB but I broke my kayak bass PB with a 21” Smallie!
After getting my pictures we let her go and I thanked Ryan and we went our separate ways. I tried to calm my nerves for a moment before getting back to fishing and it wasn’t two casts after the 21” I hooked into the 20.25” on a ledge 20 yards down the cove. This one I was sure was a drum but to my surprise it was the hardest fighting smallmouth I’ve ever caught. It took longer to get this one in the boat than any bass I’ve ever caught. That last big bite came at about 9:15 and from then on it was a dink fest. I moved to the north side of the lake and found some shaded areas with deeper pockets adjacent to them and managed to cull some 14’s with a 15.5” and a 16.75” around noon but other than that the bite slowed down and what I was catching were all smaller than 15.5”. I had an amazing time fishing Pumpback and it is a heck of a fishery!
You seem to have really taken a step forward in tournament finishes this year, what’s been the biggest change or contributor to that?
I lost my Grandpa at the beginning of the season this year and I decided that I was going to dedicate this year to him. Also, I have really been working on myself to stay out of my head to not put too much pressure on myself and just fish. I ask the good Lord before every tournament to keep everyone safe for the day and to allow me to fish clean and give me the knowledge to fish to the best of my abilities.
I know you fish a lot with your wife, Hope, can you talk a bit about that and how that’s helped your fishing and/or relationship?
Haha! Oh man…kayak tournament fishing with my wife has been fun and a strain at the same time. I love taking her out with me and seeing her learn new techniques and catching fish on bodies of water she used to zero on. I’m probably a little hard on her at times but that’s because I want her to do the best she can do and she has really surprised me this year and has learned a lot each time we fish a tournament. I do worry about her sometimes though when we are on the water if there’s a lot of boats around with the weather starts to turn a little, I’ll make my way around the corner or where I can see her and she’s just out there fishing away not letting any of it bother her. I really do love the fact that she has that competitive drive like I do and we are always competing against one another in the tournaments as much as we are the rest of the field and I think that has made both of us better anglers.
John with a Beaver Lake Largemouth Bass. Photo: John Wofford
What’s the biggest thing you’ve improved on this year from a fishing standpoint?
My biggest improvement this year has just been getting back to my strengths and not trying to go out and fish other techniques that are other people’s strengths. And I am always studying bass fishing every single day, it’s almost as if that is all I think about anymore. Anytime I talk with someone, read an article or watch a YouTube video I soak up every bit of information I can and then I try to apply that to my style of fishing. And most importantly I have been able to stay out of my head for the most part this season and just went out and fished the conditions that were dealt to me instead of getting upset the conditions aren’t the exact same they were when I pre-fished.
What’s the best advice you can give an angler who is struggling halfway through a tournament? Take what you’ve done earlier and try to learn from it, make your changes and go catch some fish…but most importantly, never give up. I didn’t cull out my smaller fish until right at noon, but if I would’ve given up before that Dwain and I would’ve tied for first instead of winning.
Heavy Hitters Update
More big fish are in the books after Pumpback. I’m still lucky enough to be in the lead (75.5) followed by Michael Burgess (71.75), but there are some strong moves being made, especially by John Wofford (69.5) with his two 20+ and Cole Sikes (70.5) and Justin Phillips (71) who have 20+ inch fish on the board. It’s still anyone’s crown to win.
NSKA Angler of the Year Update
Things are starting to take shape and contenders are emerging for AOY for NSKA. After four events the contenders and pretenders are starting to separate. There is a long way to go and some big events coming up but so far it looks like Roy Roberts, Dwain Batey, Justin Brewer, Jason Coleman and Michael Burgess are best positioned. Cole Sikes is still within striking distance but has no more room for error.
Here are the top 25 anglers if the Classic were held today. Green indicates a “good” points total, yellow “fair” and pink “poor” and needs replaced by a better score.
For a myriad of reasons, most of them tied to the ‘Rona, the second Road Runner of the year took place, this time with a 30 mile radius around Rogers, Arkansas. Once again some familiar bodies of water played a big role in the outcome.
Tournament Results
Another large field of 84 anglers spread out over the 30 mile radius to their favorite fishing holes in search of big bass. As usual for a Road Runner there were a lot of fish caught – 57% of anglers turned in a limit and a strong 87% were able to catch a scoreable bass.
Dwain Batey took first place with 93.5″ followed by Ryan Paskiewicz who had 85″ for second place. Third place was Chris Needham with 84.75″ and Nathan Henthorn took fourth with 82.75″.
Chris Needham also took home Big Bass with a 21.75″ tank, followed by Kyle Long who had second Big Bass with 20.25″.
Angler Recaps
The top anglers from the event took some time to share how they were able to be successful on a sunny Saturday in April. Dwain Batey, Ryan Paskiewicz, Chris Needham and Nathan Henthorn share their thoughts below. (You can tell it’s getting serious…they are being a bit more secretive…)
Where’d you go and why’d you choose that place?
Dwain – I hadn’t had a chance to pre-fish at all so I just picked a lake at random where I have confidence I can do well if the fish are cooperating, and there aren’t too many people fishing there at once.
Ryan – I chose a lake that I was confident that if i got 5 bites I’d have a chance at a good finish. It’s also a lake that can humble you in a hurry. All my pre-fishing was on Beaver before the switch to a Road Runner. I had to punt and go with my gut.
Chris – I fished close to Prairie Creek. I pre-fished the area a week prior and caught a couple around 15 inches. I didn’t think I could win but thought I could make it competitive. I figured Siloam Springs City Lake would get it done again.
Nathan – I chose a river because I know the quality of fish that live there and it’s where I’m most confident fishing.
What baits (technique or specific) were key to catching your fish?
Dwain – I basically had to junk fish, catching some on a fluke, wacky rigged senko, jackhammer, Skirmish Baits M9-OK Squarebill, a hollow body swimbait, and a Texas rigged Reaction Innovations Smallie Beaver. I believe most fish were spawning, though I only caught one while looking at it, and that one was smaller than I thought and didn’t help me.
Ryan – I started in an area I know I thought would produce a good one early, it didn’t in the first 45 minutes or so and I moved to some clearer water that before the sun got up. I threw a wacky rig at a lay down and hooked up to a solid 18+ but my drag was a bit tight and it broke me off. Had to take a few to regroup but calmed down and retied. I threw back at it and caught an 18.5 followed by a 13.75. Once the sun got up I moved back to my start and fished a chatterbait and was able to catch a 19.5 and a 20” on it. I struggled to find a 5th fish and was worried the one I broke off would haunt me. I finally slowed down and fished some bedding areas and found a 13” on a drop shot.
Chris – I caught my first one at 6:19 on a jig and had my limit in 30 minutes. I tore them up with the jig the first two hours of the day. One of my keepers came off a fluke but once I had a decent limit I stuck with the jig hoping for another stud.
Nathan – My best 5 came on a wacky rigged stickbait fished very slow.
Any interesting or good story from the day with a fish or location?
Dwain – I caught an 18.75” bass on the way back to the ramp on a swimbait that I had thought about trying all day and finally tied on with just a few minutes left in the day. I wound up with mostly male bass and if I had done that earlier I may have been able to find some bigger females offshore, but at least it worked out in the end.
Ryan – I had 6 bites all day. Lost the one good one. It was a good day to work on the mental side of a tourney day. In the past losing the first big one could have wrecked my day. I chose to put my head down and stay positive. It paid off.
Chris – My day started out like a nightmare. I figured I would start my day throwing a Whopper Plopper. The first cast I got it stuck in my net and bungee cord on my front hatch. It took me awhile to get it unstuck. My second cast my line snapped and I absolutely launched the bait deep in the woods. I sat there dumbfounded as to what was taking place. I picked up my jig and threw it in a tree. My first actual cast that landed in the water I caught a 21.75” 5.5 pound bass! When I got the big girl on my board she almost flopped off into the water. I tackled her and got her calm enough for a picture. If she would have fallen in the water I would have just went home for a good cry.
Nathan – Although I caught several fish, it was still a tough day. I squandered the morning bite trying to figure them out and got really frustrated by a nice fish getting off. I found a perfect stump on the bank that created current break and cast my squarebill to it but got stuck on the stump. As I popped it free a big one inhaled it on top. Unable to get a good hookset, it spit it when it jumped. Next cast with stickbait I caught a keeper. I let the spot rest for an hour and came back, first cast caught my 18.5 which I believe was the same fish that spit it earlier. This was a crucial upgrade late in the day
What’s the best advice you could give a new angler?
Dwain – Your photos are just as important as catching the fish, get a good system down for taking them so you’re both efficient and accurate. It’s hard enough to catch fish sometimes, you want them all to count.
Ryan – In the short couple of years I’ve been fishing seriously I’ve found that surrounding yourself with anglers who have been at it a while is very helpful. Ask questions! Many guys in our club are willing to share advice on the different aspects of bass fishing. Also, try not to be too hard on yourself. Learning this thing is a process and takes time. Also, every 1/4” matters. I fought hard on every fish to get that extra 1/4” and ended up securing 2nd instead of 3rd because of it. Take your time and get good pics and make the most of each fish.
Chris – Just have fun and be thankful we can experience God’s creation in the way we do.
Nathan – My best advice for new anglers is practice taking pictures, and figure out what works best for you. I prefer the board to span the kayak instead of having it in the lap. The lap can cause a terrible angle and if holding the camera overhead, you are taking pictures blind. Also, if the fish flops in your lap, there is a greater chance of him going back in the water. Also, if you are serious about fishing, make your second kayak your first kayak. If not, either you will get frustrated and not want to kayak fish, or most likely, get addicted and wish you had something better!
