Back on the road again for the 2023 NSKA NWA ZPro Road Runner event. This event gives anglers the opportunity to fish the waters they feel the most comfortable on, close to home, or where they have the most confidence they can catch a limit. What is in store for the 2023 edition – now requiring a 10-fish limit – and where will the winning totals come from?

Last year in the road runner preview, we pretty much predicted where the winning total and the pool of waters where the top limits would come from. This time around it’s going to be a bit more of a mystery and a LOT more wide open. With the dramatic change to a 10 fish limit, the playing field between lakes has been leveled and there are many options.

To win the title this year, an angler will need to turn in a limit of 10 fish for the longest total. There are two recipies for a winning total thanks to the change. Two or three big fish at the top along with bass of descending size to smaller 13s or 14s at the bottom can make up a winning total, however, what may be more likely is a total of 10 fish ranging from 15-17s across the board. So where can you find a limit for either of those recipes?

Clues from AGFC Data

Everyone has their own experiences and opinions on the quality of fishing at area lakes and waterways. That said, let’s look at some data to see what the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission says from their fisheries management studies.

Two key measures are what we’re most interested in for this preview:

• CPUE – Cost Per Unit Effort measures the abundance of a particular species in a body of water. (higher is better)
• PSD – Proportional Stock Density is a ratio (expressed as percentage) between the number of quality-sized individuals or larger individuals and stock-sized individual fish. (higher is better)

In the chart below, we see the ratios for CPUE and PSD for the bodies of water in bounds and available data for Black Bass, averaged for the past 10 years. (data available only on these lakes)

So what does all this mean? For the lakes shown here, it indicates that there is a higher density of Black Bass at Elmdale and Crystal than the others. Note the low CPUE for Beaver Lake, but keep in mind this is only for Black Bass and does not include Spotted Bass or Smallmouth. So the aggregate CPUE for Beaver in total is much higher than shown here. According to the PSD ratio, there are more quality fish (proportionately) as a share of the population at Crystal, Lincoln, and Beaver. Would have to believe that Siloam City Lake would be very similar to Lincoln and Bob Kidd numbers if we had the data – lower fish population fish density, but larger size penetration.

So what does THAT all that mean?? In short, Elmdale and Crystal have more total bass density and should be easier to catch a limit than the others. Elmdale has the highest expected catch rate, but you may need to catch more than 10 to find the right quality – but there are definitely bigs there. Crystal may be the most balanced, with a surprising mix of number of fish with some decent quality available. However, the biggest number of quality bass and chances to catch larger fish seem to exist at Lincoln, Bobb Kidd, and Beaver Lake, but the quantity of fish makes this very challenging and can burn you. That’s the very scary thing, when’s the last time you caught ten fish (or even close) at Lincoln or Siloam or Bob Kidd in one trip?? Along with the pressure of other anglers at the same time? Six anglers on one small lake try to catch 60 fish?! That’s the risk.

The dark horse candidate for the best combination of ability to catch a limit and possibly win the whole thing could be Table Rock. It has everything needed, abundant fish population, large fish, and familiarity for a lot of anglers. Wish we had CPUE and PSD for it – but I couldn’t locate this data.

The hard numbers above of course do not include key locations such as Siloam City Lake, Lake Sequoya, Table Rock, Atalanta, Lake Wedington, Lake Fayetteville, and the main rivers (Kings, Elk, Sugar, War Eagle, and Illinois). The rivers likely have the highest average catch rate by far, but we don’t have this hard data. The right pool on a river can hold a limit in one spot. It is no secret that Beaver and Table Rock are serious contenders, and the ten fish limit immediately makes the rivers a major threat.

Big Fish Totals – Last Few Years

As we look back at NSKA NWA tournaments and where the largest limits were produced, there are some clear trends regarding those in the boundaries. The most productive big 5-fish limit lakes in bounds have been Siloam City Lake (4), Lincoln Lake (4), Table Rock (3), and Beaver Lake (3). How will they fare when 10 are required?

Last year Lincoln Lake bounced back after being completely irrelevant for a few years, and Siloam City Lake once again (sixth time in the past seven RRs) finished in the top three.

Winning Road Runner Locations over the past seven years:

• 2016 – Crystal Lake
• 2017 – Elk River (Rivers only RR)
• 2017 – Siloam City Lake
• 2018 – Siloam City Lake
• 2019 – Siloam City Lake
• 2020 – Lake X (not identified publicly)
• 2021 – Siloam City Lake
• 2022 – Lincoln Lake

What’s Going to Happen?

Due to the ten fish limit, this is new territory for the road runner, but I do think the numbers and history for road runners and MLF-style events lay out the most likely scenarios:

• It will take 160+ to win. However, I think predictions of 170+ are too much. Sweet spot for a victory will be between 162-168 inches.
• Likely a huge drop-off between 1st and 5th place. I’d estimate 5th place to be around 145-147 inches.
• Tenth place will be in the 133-140 range as people start stacking up with tightly bunched totals in the 130s and 120s.
• A LOT of people who go to Lincoln, Siloam, or Bobb Kidd will struggle to catch a limit. They are fishing very tough right now.
• Rivers will be the ticket to a LOT of limits, and likely some Top-10 finishes.

The Last Word

Many people hate road runners because of the stress of trying to decide where to go. But they are great for giving options and involving all the area fisheries. If you don’t know where to go, simply choose where you want to spend the day and where you’ll enjoy fishing. This thing is wide open. Can’t go wrong with that. Good luck!

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” is a famous literary opening that could describe NSKA’s history on W.R. Holway Lake, Chimney Rock Lake, or Pumpback – A lake so nice they named it thrice. Once dubbed by Craig Wood as “like fishing on the moon” because of the lack of cover and barren, rocky landscape, Pumpback has provided the widest array of outcomes of any lake on the NSKA NWA trail.

Looking back at the past four events at Pumpback tells the story:

June 2020 – 1st place 93.00″, 10th place 81.00″, FIVE 20+, FPA (Fish Per Angler) of 4.73

June 2021 – 1st place 89.25″, 10th place 83.00″, FIVE 20+, 4.08 FPA

March 2022 – 1st place 84.50″, 10th place 59.75″, THREE 20+, 1.73 FPA

June 2023 – 1st place 90.00″, 10th place 52.00″, ONE 20+, 3.07 FPA

Another angler commented that they were catching fish with previous hook marks, and I’ll say the same happened to me. These fish are pressured and those shallow are seeing tons of baits. You might take note of how the top two finishers caught their bigger limits…

Overall, it was tiny fish day, with 30 fish submitted that were under 10″ – which is ridiculous on a day where the winner had 90.00″!

Josh King took the win with the 90.00″ total, including a 20.00″ Big Bass. Tony Sorluangsana took 2nd with 87.50″, and Devon Esry took 3rd with 72.25″ – with a huge drop-off after the top five. Overall, it was tiny fish situation, with 35 fish submitted that were under 10″ – which is ridiculous on a day where the winner had 90.00″!

Your Pumpback Top 10:

1. Josh King 90.00
2. Tony Sorluangsana 87.50
3. Devon Esry 72.25
4. Kyle Long 70.50
5. Jason Kincy 70.25
6. Jason Sibert 61.00
7. Dwain Batey 57.00
8. Tyler Zengerle 55.75
9. Jordan Rozenblum 54.25
10. Bryan Pennington 52.00

Pumpback can still put out some big fish, especially if you are looking for a PB Smallmouth. But it can also be a grind on a given day. Limits may have been higher without the storms and weather situation, but can tell you that tournament day matched exactly what anglers saw in pre-fishing.

Angler Roundtable

The gap between the top three finishers and the rest of the field was significant. Let’s hear how they caught the top limits in this Angler Roundtable, featuring Josh King, Tony Sorluangsana, and Devon Esry!

With the weather delay and late start, did that change your strategy and if so, how?

Josh – Not too much. I was hoping for a Buzzbait bite to start the day. Once we started I went near the spot I wanted and tried the Buzzbait, but switched gears pretty quick.

Tony – 100%! I was committed to throwing the topwater until at least 10am. I had actually had three rods tied up for topwater. Even with the cloud cover, I figured there was too much commotion on top w/ the rain drops – I just abandoned that plan completely.

Devon – It changed what I fished with but not where I was going to start.

What were the primary techniques you used to catch’em today?

Josh – I started seeing fish near the bottom in 20-ish foot of water so I started dragging the bottom with crankbaits and a Carolina rig. Caught a couple on some other things, but bottom fishing was key for me.

Tony – I assumed that the majority of anglers will be beating the banks, so I made the call to back out to deeper water and caught all the quality ones on a Strike King 6XD.

Devon – I started with a Pop-R, and put it down after four casts. After that, I threw a 4” Ned rig all day!! Tried to upsize here and there, but nothing. Kind of sad! That caught all eight I fish I got yesterday. Not one cull.

Tell us about the main key fish you caught – how did that go down and what did it mean?

Josh – It has to be either the first or the last. The first one confirmed that the fish I was seeing on the bottom were bass and the last one gave me a 3” cull to pull ahead of Tony.

Tony – The first three were the most important because it confirmed that they were on deeper points and that I had found a legit pattern.

Devon – My better fish came off of points when it was windy. One on the main lake, one on secondary points. My main lake fish was my fifth, caught around noon! Just a 15.50″ bass…but everyone I talked to said it was tough!!

Beaver Lake is the ‘Dead Sea’, Lake Fort Smith is ‘Dead Sea South’, and Pumpback is ‘The Moon’ because of it’s bare rock bottom. Which is the toughest for you and why?

Josh – Definitely Beaver Lake. I’ve spent a lot of time on Beaver and still suck at it. Every time I think I’ve had a good tourney day, everyone else has had an even better one. The other lakes I rarely fish, but seem to do pretty decent on them.

Tony – Lake Fort Smith, I have only fished it once before and got skunked. Maybe I need redemption. I feel like I can always catch a fish on Beaver or Pumpback – if not at least it’s a better lake to enjoy instead of Lake Fort Smith.

Devon – Lake Ft. Smith?!? Is that even a real lake?! I hate it!! Too many small fish. It’s so hit and miss.

Do you tie different type of knots based on the bait, how many?

Josh – I mainly use an improved clinch knot on everything except I use a Palomar knot for drop shot, A-Rig and the standing end of a Carolina rig.

Tony – I tie a lot of knots pending on my mood. FG knot if I’m going from braid to leader, Palomar or double Uni Knot if I’m using straight braid (rarely use), but three tag knot/Jimmy Houston knot is my primary knot for my fluorocarbon setups. But every now and then I’ll use an improved clinch. I been fortunate to haven’t had a knot break or slip…yet.

Devon – nope! Always stick with Palomar, or Uni Knot to leader Palomar knot. I mostly fish with 8lb test on all my spinning tackle. Just have to set the drag right.

Angler of the Year Race

Is the AOY crown being sized for Tyler Zengerle? He took a big step forward to the title in this event, securing an 8th place finish and quality points. A fairly healthy lead at this point in the season – he’s going to be hard to catch.

Credit to Zengerle – I ran into him a couple of times on the water and he was struggling and not catching them. But he continued to grind and found a way to get into the Top 10. IF he wins the title, I think this event may be the biggest key factor.

Others are lurking, and still can give it a run. Jacob Webber, Kyle Long, Terrill Standifer, and Tony Sorluangsana all have three green-rated finishes and Devon Esry is close with an 88. If you don’t have three greens or close at this point, sorry, you are out of it.

Heavy Hitters Race

Heavy Hitters haven’t changed much since the last event, with Josh Landreth in the driver’s seat, followed by Tony Sorluangsana in second. Tony was the only angler to really make a move in this event, gaining on Josh a bit. This is a two horse race down the stretch. Everyone else is out at this point, mathematically.

The recent fishing report for Lake Tenkiller from May 21st says “Bass are good on crankbaits, jerk baits, spinnerbaits, and topwater lures.” Well, throw that out the window, because that’s not how the day was won on Lake Tenkiller kayak fishing for the H2 NSKA NWA mid-May tournament. They anglers in the little plastic boats did a pretty good job with some basic approaches.

Tournament Results

Lake Tenkiller kayak fishing produces some pretty good limits in kayak tournaments, so it was no surprise that 80″ wasn’t going to get you very far in the standings. There were lots of fish to be caught. Out of the 58 anglers, 44 (76%) turned in a limit, while the FPA was a robust 6.6 on the day. It was a fun day with lots of new names in the Top 10, with different winners from events earlier this year.

Devon Esry took 1st place with 86.75″, followed by Jason Cowell with 86.25″, and Tony Sorluangsana took 3rd place with 86.00″. TIGHT scores! Big Bass was caught by Will Atchison – a 20.00″ Largemouth. Will beat out another 20.00″ bass caught by Aaron Sabatini by winning the tiebreaker.

Will shared some info about his big catch: I had a few small fish early on, I had my mind set on using a wacky worm while flipping bushes. However, that bite was not on for me. But I knew of a good shallow bank where the wind would be crashing on. Went there and started slinging a spinnerbait. The spinnerbait was a double willow brass, Strike King Kvd sexy shad color. Three of my keepers came from that specific bank including the 20.00″ that locked me in for big bass!

Lake Tenkiller Top Ten:

1. Devon Esry 86.75
2. Jason Cowell 86.25
3. Tony Sorluangsana 86.00
4. Fanny Phomsopha 86.00
5. Jimmy Chokbengboun 85.75
6. Will Atchison 85.50
7. Jacob Webber 85.00
8. Cole Sikes 84.50
9. Anthony Bertschy 83.75
10. John Evans 83.50

Angler Roundtable

Anglers Devon Esry, Jason Cowell, and Tony Sorluangsana share how it went down on Tenkiller kayak fishing on their big day in May:

What part of Tenkiller did you choose to fish and why?

Devon – I put in at Chicken Creek because I pre-fished well
there the day before, and figured I had other close options if the pattern didn’t hold true.

Jason – I fished at Snake Creek. I had fished there last year and had a decent day. Yesterday was the second time I have been on the lake. There is an island across the lake from the boat ramp. The wind was pretty crazy first thing so I was just trying to find a spot not so wind blown. There is a little pocket on that island that’s slightly out of the wind. And that’s where I caught my first five fish.

Tony – It’s a area north of Burnt Cabin, based off the map it had a lot of offshore structure that I thought could come into play.

Overall, how did you catch most of your good fish?

Devon – My first two 16″+ fish came off of a Pop-R earlier that day by docks, but my larger fish came off of a shaky head with an 8” Big Bite finesse
worm in the windiest areas on main lake from 11:00-3:00.

Jason – All of my fish were caught on a shaky head. I threw a Whopper Plopper about four times and that was the only other bait I threw all day.

Tony – I caught the majority of my fish in the first five hours of the day on a main lake flat that just kept reloading.

What’s the story with catching your largest bass? How’d you catch it?

Devon – I was catching a lot of fish where I started but the quality wasn’t getting better, and the area was getting hit hard by other anglers. I decided then to upsize my worm and head to the island by Chicken Creek around 10:00am. I found a couple quality fish on the bank the day before, and I figured I’d end up there in the end. I started where the wind was lightest but soon figured out they were stacking up where the wind and waves were the worst. Finally, at 11:00am I tossed that shaky head into some windy cover, pulled it once, and the fight was on with my first 18″+ inch fish of the day. I culled up 4.25″ with that fish, which got me onto a new pattern for the day.

Jason – My biggest fish was and 18 1/4″ Smallmouth that smashed the shaky head on the fall. That fish put me in 1st place with an hour and half to go. Only by a quarter of an inch…both Devin and Tony had 86″.

Tony – As I was going to the spot I saw a boater sitting on it and watched him throw a big swimbait at it for about 15 minutes. I literally went behind him with a Carolina rigged baby brush hog and caught that 20” fish in 18 feet of water on the 3rd cast after he left.

How did you feel in the last couple of hours of competition, how did you stay focused to finish where you did?

Devon – I was exhausted in the last couple of hours of the day. I culled up a couple inches after my largest at 11:00, but then hooked into an 18.5″ Smallmouth at 1:00 that put me in a tie at the top 3. The adrenaline from that kept me going for another hour and a half, but I knew I needed to cull one more fish to get there. I went back to the spot I caught my first large fish hoping it had reloaded at about 2:30, but had no luck. I was both mentally and physically ready to quit! With one more point to fish, I made a cast from the bank into the wind on the point, and BAM, a 16.5″ Smallmouth at 2:47 to cull up .75″! I felt like it was what I needed, but still 100% sure.

Jason – The last hour I was nervous. A 1/4 of an inch is not much when you fish against some of the best anglers in the state.

Tony – This is the part of the day where I failed. I caught myself just casting and reeling, but I was definitely fatigued from being beat up by the wind and boat wakes and I’m sure forgetting my snacks didn’t help either, lol.

Favorite place you’ve ever fished and why?

Devon – Table Rock and Tenkiller kayak fishing are in a tie with my favorite places to fish. They both hold quality fish and fish similarly. I do feel like you can’t beat the fight from the Smallmouth fish on Tenkiller. I love the rocky structure that both offer!

Jason – I really don’t have a favorite place to fish but I’m growing pretty fond of Tenkiller.

Tony – Below the Ozark Dam on the Arkansas river. It’s just where I first learned how to fish as a kid and I have a lot of memories there. Also, in my opinion it’s the best catfish fishery in the South.

Tenkiller Kayak Fishing Recap Video

Angler of the Year Race

As the weather starts to warm up, things often shake up in the AOY race. The kayak fishing Tenkiller event saw some of the contenders stumble, and others inserted themselves in the race. Right now Tyler Zengerle still looks to be in the driver’s seat, but he needs to bounce back on Pumpback. The big mover from Tenkiller kayak fishing is Jacob Webber who now owns three green-rated scores (90-100). Josh Landreth, Terrill Standifer, Kyle Long and James Haeberle are lurking. Barring an explosion from another angler down the stretch, I think your AOY winner will come from the names above.

Heavy Hitters Race

The big fish champ for 2023 is going to earn it if they are going to take it away from Josh Landreth. Even though Josh didn’t catch a big one on Tenkiller, none of his close competitors picked one up either. When you are leading, that’s a win for the leader. Last chance for someone to gain ground will be Pumpback. If nobody makes a move, Josh will be the champ at the end of the year. Someone in the top 5 or so drops a 20+, then maybe there’s a chance…

Natural State Kayak Anglers NWA hit the water for Table Rock 2.0 a week after winning the Club Championship for the All-American Classic on Truman Lake. Several Moyak kayak anglers joined the fray as well, looking to cash a check and maybe get some payback for the All-American. Turned out to be a pretty good battle on the Rock. On a side note, can I just say this has felt like a weird year and a weird spawn season? No rhyme or reason it seems to what’s going on from day to day. But back to the subject at hand…

A total of 66 anglers were entered for Table Rock 2.0 and for most it was a good day of fishing, although size was hard to find. Only one 20+ in this event out of 450 fish caught – wow! Micah Funderburgh won Big Bass with at 20.50″ largemouth. The rest of the field caught a lot of fish. The Fish Per Angler (FPA) was a really strong 6.82, the highest of the year for an NSKA NWA event. Just over 80% of anglers turned in a limit, making it a good day overall.

Moyak anglers showed out, taking several spots in the top 10, while the top three had a tri-state feel: Missouri’s Chad Davison taking first place with 87.00″ on the day, Arkansas’ Brandon Prince taking second with 84.75″ and Richie McMichael from Kansas took third with 84.75″ – losing on the tie breaker.

Your Table Rock 2.0 Top Ten:

1. Chad Davison (MO) 87.00″
2. Brandon Prince (AR) 84.75″
3. Richie McMichael (KS) 84.75″
4. Jason Fields (AR) 84.50″
5. Chris Robbs (MO) 83.25″
6. Tyler Zengerle (AR) 83.00″
7. Joe Hayes (MO) 82.75″
8. Terrill Standifer (AR) 82.50″
9. Micah Funderburgh (MO) 82.00″
10. Jacob Simmons (OK) 81.25″

Angler Roundtable

The winners from the Rock 2.0 shared how they got it done. Chad Davison, Brandon Prince and Richie McMichael shared their tournament details.

What area of Table Rock did you fish and why?

Chad – I fished what I refer to as the mid-lake part of Table Rock which I define as the section from Kimberling to Campbell Point. I was in a large creek in this section. I chose this part of the lake because I have a lot of history, and I liked the water color which wasn’t as clear as the Dam area. It was about 5-6ft of visibility in my area. I only had a few hours to pre-fish on Friday afternoon, and when I launched, I immediately started catching solid fish, so that made the decision easy.

Brandon – I ended up fishing history on Table Rock and choosing a area that would be one of the last areas on the lake to warm up being later in the spawn and full moon.

Richie – I was fishing in the Eagle Rock area of the lake. I found baitfish stacked in the back of a creek and followed them around all day.

What were the key techniques or ways you caught your fish?

Chad – I caught the majority of my fish on a jerkbait shallow (<5ft) on secondary points with mixed rock and gravel. Also caught a few fish on a CrockOGator Shaker Head with a Shortie worm.

Brandon – I mainly threw a glide bait on bluff walls or 45 degree banks leading into spawning pockets try to catch those pre or post spawn fish.

Richie – I threw a variety of shad imitation baits. spinnerbait, Pop-R, Choppo, Frittside 5 bladed jig and a 3.5″ Keitech. Caught fish on everything with the bladed jig getting the bigger bites.

When fishing a tournament around the spawn, do you target spawning fish? If so, how?

Chad – I have never been one to sight fish, but I definitely blind fish spawning areas. I feel like this was a wave of fish that had just moved shallow due to the full moon we had. There were a ton of bass boats in my area, but most were fishing deeper than I was, so I was able to catch fish behind them all day. I feel like the jerkbait is an overlooked way to catch spawning fish.

Brandon – If I have a day of practice and can locate area where fish are spawning or pulling up I will definitely spend my time in that area locating bigger fish. I do love to sight fish. If I don’t have time to practice I will focus on those pre-spawn fish so I don’t spend so much time looking during the tournament. I always want to be in a area where the fish are coming to me not leaving.

Richie – With no pre-fishing I had no idea what I wanted to target but not a big fan of bed fishing. I only saw a few beds but no fish on them so decided to stay with moving baits and follow the bait fish around. I left the area midday to go fish points but found bass boats on everything I wanted to fish so went back in the creek and continued to follow the baitfish around. Caught over 30 bass but nothing bigger than 17.75″.

What’s your favorite lake in Missouri? And, in Arkansas?

Chad – Table Rock is probably my favorite lake in Missouri. I really enjoyed fishing Lake Conway last month for the first time.

Brandon – My favorite lake in Missouri would probably be Table Rock and for Arkansas it would be Lake Conway.

Richie – Table Rock has always been my favorite lake to fish. My first tournament win was on Table Rock and always finish well in tournaments there.

What is your biggest bass caught this year? What did you catch it on?

Chad – My biggest so far this year is 22.5” caught on a Wiggle Wart in March.

Brandon – My biggest for this year would be a 23.5″ largemouth caught on a Senko.

Richie – My biggest bass in 2023 so far was 8.2 lbs caught on a Megabass Popmax at Lake El Salto.

NSKA NWA AOY Race

Table Rock 2.0 extended the AOY lead for Tyler Zengerle, who is looking very strong with four green-rated scores in the 90s so far. The good news for Tyler is none of his pursuers really made a key move in this event, with some tough scores in the next several spots. When you get a big score in a tourney that includes a lot of anglers from another club, it’s like a bonus because it pushes others down the points list. Josh Landreth and James Haeberle are hanging tough and have a chance. AOY still feels like there are a lot of competitors, but another tourney like this one and Z may be hard to catch.

Heavy Hitters

The Heavy Hitter race is kind of like AOY, no dramatic moves made this week by those pursing the leader, Josh Landreth. However, I predict there are more in play to catch Josh than those in the AOY race. However, one more big on Tenkiller by Josh without a big by a close pursuer, and this could essentially be over…A couple of big fish caught by others and not by Josh can really make it tight down the stretch.

Spring has sprung in Northwest Arkansas and on Beaver Lake. After seven straight days of warm, consistent and sunny weather – the fishing should have been set up for success in the Capps Men’s Cuts Beaver Lake North event.

The boundary for the event went from the Hwy 12 bridge down lake to the dam. Water is high, about has high as it can be, and clear. Making it an interesting spawn season. The first event on Beaver this year was a return to a stingy lake, where breaking 85 was difficult. What would we see in round two?

Tourney Results

Overall, the fishing on the day was not great for an April tournament. The fish per angler ratio of 4.46 was a big drop-off from last year’s April event on Beaver Lake and Table Rock, which posted a 5.95 and a 5.45 FPA, respectively. A strong 86% caught at least one bass, but a middling 54% turned in a limit.

Jacob Webber took first place with 84.25″, while Levi Schneider took 2nd with 82.50″ and Jason Coleman third with 81.75″ on the day. Levi also won Big Bass with a 21.25″ monster for this fishery. A 21″ or bigger is pretty eye opening on the Dead Sea.

Your complete Top Ten for this event:

1. Jacob Webber 84.25
2. Levi Schneider 82.50
3. Jason Coleman 81.75
4. Tyler Zengerle 79.50
5. James Haeberle 78.50
6. Wayne Johnson 78.25
7. Justin Malott 78.00
8. Anthony Bertschy 77.50
9. Ryan Paskiewicz 77.25
10. Justin Brewer 77.25

Angler Roundtable

Pull up a camp chair and get around the fire for story time…the top anglers for this event, Jacob Webber, Levi Schnieder, and Jason Coleman are here to tell us the secret to tackling what was a fairly difficult spring day on Beaver Lake.

What part of Beaver did you choose and why?

Jacob – I decided to fish near Ventris. I’ve fished there the last few Beaver North tournaments and have gotten somewhat familiar with the area. There was one specific area that I thought would be good this time of year.

Levi – I chose to go to Indian Creek because I’ve had success there in the past. Plus I knew it held good Smallmouth and Largemouth so I figured more than one pattern could work.

Jason – I fished up around the Rambo area. I chose that spot because there’s several deep narrow arms with multiple spawning pockets in each. I’ve fished the area a lot and it’s well protected when the wind kicks up.

Any particular patterns or baits that worked for you on the day?

Jacob – The only thing I could really get bit on was a fluke. I started off throwing a buzzbait, but after throwing to a couple spots that looked too good to not have a fish I picked up the fluke. Caught one first cast and then another a few casts later. Each one was hooked deep in the roof of the mouth so  I stuck with the fluke most of the day. I caught all my Largemouth in the first hour in the back of the creek arm, but then it slowed down. I caught quite a few spotted bass in some pockets off the main creek arm throughout the day, but nothing that helped.

Levi – I just kept rotating between a white chatterbait, a PB&J finesse jig and a swing head – all equipped with a YUM Spine Craw trailer. Used the chatterbait to cover water up higher in the water column, jig to flip into cover and around docks, and the swing head to cover water on the bottom.

Jason – I threw a Neko rigged Strike King finesse worm all day. All my keepers were caught around deeper structure in the spawning pockets

What’s the story on your biggest fish from the tournament?

Jacob – I’m not sure if this was the biggest since they were all about the same size, but I had netted one and and set the net down with the fish still in it. I was moving some stuff around to clear some space to take a picture and I heard a flop followed by a splash. I looked up and the fish had jumped back in the water. Fortunately it was hooked good so I got to fight that one a couple times. 

Levi – I planned on fishing the very back of one particular cove but decided to scope out a cove I had some luck at before just to see what it looked like on livescope and didn’t see much so I moved on. Then with a few minutes until lines in I decided to start at the point of the cove I was closest to and within five minutes of lines in, the 21.25″ smoked my chatterbait and I didn’t have much issue getting her in since she was hooked well. That fish set the tone for the day.

Jason – My big fish came late in the morning. No crazy story just got lucky with a good fish. I’m happy with anything over 14″ on Beaver.

Do you have any superstitions you pay attention to in fishing or tournaments?

Jacob – I really don’t have any superstitions. 

Levi – I consider some pairs of clothing and hats to be “luckier” than others but I always realize how not true it is. I do believe catching a fish on your first cast is good luck especially since that happened to me on Pumpback last year. It’s also important to grab breakfast at Casey’s before every trip, or it is bad luck otherwise. And finally, I don’t really believe in the banana In the boat deal but I also don’t eat a lot of bananas so no worries there.

Jason – No superstitions… but I do believe in Karma…I was eating my sandwich Saturday and the Ziplock baggie blew out of my yak. It was blowing away fast and I really contemplated trying to run it down or let it go. I thought to myself that if I didn’t get I’d be cursed the rest of the day. My next cast after picking it up was a 16.25. Karma.

Angler of the Year Race

Now that we’re three events in, things are getting a bit more clear in the AOY race. Some different names at the top of the list right now, can they hold on the rest of the year? Zengerle is sitting on top right now with Josh and Jacob close behind. Defending AOY champion Kyle stepped on the rake this week, but he’ll probably bounce back on Table Rock. Don’t sleep on Haeberle who has one of the best two scores combos on the list. It’s great to see how many good anglers we have, lots of fishing to go!

For the Classic Top 25, it’s a murky picture now and will be for several more events. After three events everyone who has fished them all will have to keep at least one score in their season total, because you can only drop two. Some of us (me included) need to get after it to make the cut!

Heavy Hitters

History would say that an angler who gets off to a hot start with three big fish in the first three events will go on to win the Heavy Hitters crown. This is good news for Josh Landreth, who is off and running with the lead so far. He is the only angler with two green-rated catches. One more 19+ in the next event and he may just lead the rest of the way. Lots of big fish opportunities left on the schedule though. I think we’ll know who the real contenders are after the next event – and I’ll start handicapping the race.

The first kayak fishing event of the year on Table Rock started with a bang with some big fish caught by some, and not many fish caught by several. In true NSKA NWA tradition, we had torrential rains just before the season opener, making anglers scramble to find good water or adjust to some blown-out, dirty situations.

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This event was a good one for big fish, and had the most 20+ bass submitted for an opener (5) since 2020, which was at the very end of March. Josh Landreth took the Big Bass by tiebreaker with a 20.25 largemouth.

Overall, the field had a so-so day, with 182 fish caught by 52 anglers for a paltry Fish Per Angler (FPA) of 3.52, only slightly higher than last year’s opener on the Dead Sea which had a FPA of 2.99. Only 38% of the field turned in a limit and 75% boated at least one bass.

A Missourian took the top spot on the Missouri lake with Micah Funderburgh posting a strong 89.50″ on the day – good for a top 20 total in NSKA competition history. This is the third time Table Rock shows up on the top 20 tournament total list.

Kyle Long took second with 83.25″ and Josh King third with 83.00″ on the day. Great outings by these and the other top ten anglers.

The complete top 10:

1. Micah Funderburgh 89.50
2. Kyle Long 83.25
3. Josh King 83
4. Justin Arnold 82.50
5. Billy Bowden 82.00
6. Dwain Batey 81.75
7. Josh Landreth 79.75
8. Justin Brewer 77.75
9. Tyler Zengerle 77.25
10. Patrick Marbury 74.75

Angler Roundtable

The top finishers shared how they did it in the season opener. Let’s get around the table and learn from Micah Funderburgh, Kyle Long and Josh King!

In general, what part of the lake did you go to and why?

Micah – I chose to fish where the Kings met the White river so I could pick and choose water clarity since the Kings was muddy from the recent rains.

Kyle – I went to the Kings. I tried to talk myself out of it because I was scared of what it might look like after the rain but I knew I’d be mad at myself if I didn’t at least go look. It wasn’t clean by any means but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be.

Josh – I put in at Holiday Island and fished the river. I wasn’t sure where to go this early in the year so I picked a ramp that was close and had a spot where Kentuckies usually hang out. Figured I could get a small limit if they were there and then hoped to find a couple bonus bigs in the area.

What were your go-to baits for catching your limit?

Micah – I caught almost all my fish on a Vision 110+1 jerkbait. Once I had a decent limit I fished a glide bait from noon to 3:00 and caught one kicker.

Kyle – Spinnerbait was the go-to. Wasn’t planning on that. 3/4oz with big Colorado blades, reeling it slow.

Josh – I caught all my fish on a 5/16 oz walleye jig with a Keitech swimbait trailer. All my keepers came from one spot on the lake.

What happened on your largest bass of the day?

Micah – I was mostly fishing ledges and I found a particular 50ft section of ledge that setup perfectly and I ended up catching 8-10 fish on it including my biggest fish.

Kyle – I had just caught a small spot and a 15.5” spot a few minutes before and when I set the hook on my big one, it actually jumped which is weird in cold water. I didn’t know how big it was until I got it up in the net. Pleasant surprise.

Josh – I actually ended up losing my “biggest” while trying to get my Ketch board and camera ready, but landed another one a couple hours later. Both fish came on the first cast at new spots.

What’s something new you’ve added to your boat or to your equipment this season?

Micah – As far as new stuff I’ve added to my boat this year pretty much everything is new. I started kayak fishing last summer so I’ve been adding new stuff since then.

Kyle – That Newport Vessels NK180 was a game changer for me. Pair that with a ZPRO 24v 50Ah lithium…I covered so much water and got where I wanted to go way faster than normal.

Josh – I guess the only thing new was my bait. I had it tied on for Walleye fishing, but had caught bass on it in the past so I decided to try it and it paid off.

Heavy Hitters Standings

The Home Run Champ version of the NSKA kayak series is the Heavy Hitters crown. This year is off to a big start for some anglers who pulled in some tanks in event one. History shows, you need to get off to a good start if you expect to win…you can’t play catch-up on Beaver Lake in summer.

Here are the initial top 20 standings:

Angler of the Year

Angler of the year is a long race, but the anglers at the top are off to a great start. If you aren’t in this list, don’t worry, you can drop some events. But, those in this top group currently have the advantage!

Next up is Beaver Lake, see ya’ll on the Dead Sea!

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The end of season Classic Championship wrapped up a good year of fishing for the top 25 anglers in NSKA NWA. With one day on Table Rock and a second day on Beaver Lake, it was a good test of versatility for the competitors.

Classic Championship Results

Fishing was not the easiest for the Classic, as expected for September in our part of the country. Putting together good limits consistently is the key to top finishes in the Classic and this year was a great example. Overall, the field caught 275 fish over two days, with a 5.5 fish per angler, putting it middle of the pack for tournaments this season.

Justin Brewer finished the back half of the season on fire and continued the hot streak by taking the Classic Championship with a day one total of 79″ and a day two total of 73″ for a grand total of 152″ for the event. Kyle Long took second with 150.50″ (75.75/74.75) and James Shumate took third place with 148.75″ (73.25/75.50) for the weekend. John Evans took Big Bass with a 19.50″ Largemouth.

Angler Roundtable

Our top finishers for the Classic Championship shared how they made it happen in the end of season event. Thank you to Justin Brewer, Kyle Long and James Shumate for their recaps!

Where did you go on day one and day two and why?

Justin – I went to Eagle Rock on day one. No real reason just fishing history and I’ve done decent in the past there and I always just want to decent day one in two day tournaments. Day two I went to the Horseshoe Bend area. Again that’s the only area I’ve had any experience on so I felt most confident there.

Kyle – Day one I went to three places. Houseman, which I didn’t even make a cast before I left because it just didn’t feel right. Eagle Rock, where I also didn’t catch one fish. Then Beaver Town lastly. Why? Because when I was driving from Houseman to Eagle Rock at 6:55am, I drove across the Beaver bridge. I saw Kincy’s truck was the only one there. After not doing well at Eagle Rock and with all the boat traffic there, I figured at least there isn’t much pressure at Beaver Town. Might as well go there. Maybe there’s some fish that haven’t been thrown at all morning. Plus I could access that cooler water from the backside if need be. Day two, I went to Blackburn. No specific reason. Just thought it might be less crowded than the launches on the west side of the lake.

James – Day one I went to Eagle Rock because I know the area. I threw a buzzbait , Whopper Plopper and shakey headed. I had all but given up I was setting in 22nd with 3 fish at 2:53 I caught my 4th and at 2:57 I caught my 5th and jumped to 9th. Day 2 I went to Horseshoe Bend first fish was a 19 inch thought it was going to be a good day but it wasn’t didn’t get my limit till around 1:40.

Both days seemed pretty even in limit sizes, which day was tougher for you and how did you overcome it?

Justin – Day two was definitely my tougher day and it showed. Luckily I had a good day one so there was some wiggle room. I figured it would be tougher for everyone so lower 70’s would put me in a good spot so I just fished hard until I got there.

Kyle – Day one for sure. I was on the verge of spinning out. I just had to keep my head down and keep making casts. Trying the whole time to not keep doing exactly the same thing. Looking for a little nuance here or there that might make the difference. Luckily I found one.

James – Both days where equally tough I only caught 11 fish all weekend but the wind Sunday was the worst.

What were a few of the key baits or techniques that worked for you?

Justin – Day one was a Booyah XCS Squarebill at a creek channel intersection where the bass were schooling on shad in the morning and then a Carolina rig with the Yum Spine Craw around trees on the channel drop in the afternoon. Day two was a War Eagle buzzbait and Heddon Spook all day. The bite quit at 9:30 but I stuck with it anyways.

Kyle – Spinnerbait and Shaky head. Almost exclusively both days. I did catch a couple on a buzzbait day 2.

James – Threw a Sexy Dog, shakey head and a KGB Chad Shad – it saved me caught my last 2 on it.

What was your most important bait for the duration of this season that made it successful for you?

Justin – I really can’t pinpoint one single bait because each tournament some other bait played the main roll but if I have to pick one, I won the most money on the Booyah XCS Squarebill which play big roles in both my third place finish at Broken Bow with Hobie BOS and then helping with the Classic with my biggest limit on Day 1. It also caught me a few fish here and there in other tournaments.

Kyle – I’d say all season long the MVP had to be the Accent River Special 1/2 ounce spinnerbait. The Slow Town Custom Lures custom 1/4 ounce shaky head and the Skirmish baits Pendragon 110 we’re also crucial.

James – I think throwing a shakey head this season helped me the most this season.

Season Awards

It was a solid season for NSKA NWA with some big bags and a lot of fish caught. The season awards were presented at the season-ending Classic banquet. Please take time to congratulate the recipients!

Final AOY Top 25

Individual Winners