For the third time in 2019, Natural State Kayak anglers took to Beaver Lake in mid-May as focus shifted down lake to the northern end below the Hwy 12 bridge. The streak continued for Beaver Lake showing out by producing a lot of fish for the anglers. The spawn, rising water and overcast skies set up a perfect storm for anglers.
Out of 59 total kayak anglers, 54 (92%) turned in at least one bass, 
while a very strong 83% (49) of anglers had a limit. This was the highest limit percentage of any NSKA event on Beaver Lake.
Winning Anglers
Overall the numbers were strong and fish were plentiful. Dwain Batey took first place with 90.25″, followed by Roy Roberts with 86.5″, Craig Wood with 84.75″ and Christa Hibbs in fourth with 81.25″ total. Big Bass went to Dwain Batey with 20.5″ which is a very good sized bass for Beaver.
Top Ten Finishers:
- Dwain Batey
- Roy Roberts
- Craig Wood
- Christa Hibbs
- Justin Brewer
- Dylan Kelley
- Kyle Long
- Carson McBride
- Jonathan Brewer
- Devon Esry
Angler Recaps
The top four finishers were kind enough to share how they found the fish and got them to bite. Here’s a brief recap and some other good info from the best of the event – Dwain Batey, Roy Roberts, Craig Wood and Christa Hibbs.
What part of Beaver did you choose to go to and why?
Dwain – I went to an area I had never been to, Rocky Branch, mostly because I was afraid it would be muddy where I normally fish. So basically I was in search of clear water.
Roy – I launched at Lost Bridge and fished that area close to the dam. I chose this area hoping it had less fishing pressure than farther up the lake and I like fishing super clear water.
Craig – I went to a cove near Navy Point that I had pre-fished and thought it looked good but didn’t do well in pre-fishing due to high winds.
Christa – I fished the Rambo creek area. When checking out spots on the map during prep I liked what this area had to offer.
What were the overall bait types (as Specific. or not as you want) worked for you to catch your keepers.
Dwain – I caught a lot of fish on a Zoom Fluke, this lasted all day long. I found a couple of beds that had 4 fish on them, and I caught 3 of the 4 on a Ned rig with a 1 ½” piece of a white worm so I could see when they had it and set the hook before they spat it out. Catching 3 of those 4 fish only took about 30 minutes of my day, and one of those fish probably wound up staying in my final limit. Between the fluke and the Ned rig I was in the 80” inch range, and while they continued to eat the fluke all day I just wasn’t getting a quality bite to cull with so I had to do something to get a bigger bite. I had packed a few soft swimbaits and decided to get one of those out and give it a try. Within a few minutes of throwing it I was rewarded with a fish over 18” and I managed to get two more great culls on it including the 20.25” big bass before time was up.
Roy – I caught fish on just about every bait I tried. I was planning to throw a topwater and Ned rig a lot but they didn’t produce the better bites. My keepers came on a Spro McStick Jerkbait, Jewel Football Jig, and a Zoom Trick Worm.
Craig – I use a Slowtown Custom Jig for all my fish mainly because it seems to net me larger fish.
Christa – My keeper fish were all caught on top water baits. I started the day throwing a top water and caught 2 small fish quickly so I decided to stick with it. The keeper fish all came on long casts with very aggressive retrieves.
What is the first bait you really learned to fish with?
Dwain – I have been fishing for bass since before I can remember, but the first bait I remember throwing a lot for bass was a Heddon Tiny Torpedo in the frog color, and I didn’t know how to fish it so I would just reel it straight in, but I do remember catching a lot of fish on it so it must have worked.
Roy – I’m really thankful my Dad took the time to take me fishing a lot when I was young and teach me how to fish. Some of the first baits I remember learning to fish with are hula grubs, Wiggle Warts, and Zara Spooks. I learned how to fish on small creeks, the Buffalo River, and Bull Shoals Lake.
Craig – The first bait I really used proficiently was using a jig in gravel pit lakes in Northern California.
Christa – The first bait that I learned to fish with was a worm.
On a tournament day, does your strategy change after you catch a limit? If so, how?
Dwain – That really depends on the day, for this event it did because I needed to catch a certain size fish to cull, and I changed to a bait I thought could get me those larger fish. I think it’s all about decisions every time, I rarely do what people always talk about, where they get a limit “quick” and then do something for bigger fish. This time just happened to work out that way, but I fully expected to catch large fish on the Fluke. It wasn’t planned to be a limit getter and then move on, it’s just how it worked in the decisions of the day. Another thing is how much pre-fishing I do can really have an effect on what my plans are for the day. If I had known they were eating that swimbait before I started I probably would have thrown that one bait all day until it stopped working, and just looked for five big bites. Since I didn’t pre-fish, and had never been where I was it was really just a day of good decisions on the fly.
Roy – Most tournaments I focus on looking for quality bites and don’t worry about filling a limit early. If I know the conditions are really tough I might adjust and just focus on getting any bites I can. Saturday I had 4 nice fish pretty early but struggled to find that last good cull. There were lots of small fish shallow but I was getting better quality bites in 8-10 feet of water. Sometimes it’s tough to adjust your strategy when you are getting bites, but often in a five fish limit tournament that is what it takes to make a good finish.
Craig – My strategy really is formed through pre-fishing. I power fish with crankbaits and swim jigs to cover water, then when I find spots that look good or produce fish I will mark that spot and fish every square foot with a jig. I don’t change my strategy on tournament day if at all possible.
I really enjoy tournament day and all that goes with it, even the grind of difficult conditions.
Big thanks to NSKA and all the people that make a sacrifice to pull it off.
Christa – My strategy does change sometimes on tournament day after I’ve caught a limit. It depends on where I’m fishing and the time of year. For this Beaver North tournament, I shifted my focus midday on larger fish. If I was going to break into the top 3 I knew I needed to find some better quality of fish. I didn’t find them this time but I stayed on the hunt and remained focused until the last cast.
Next Event – Bella Vista Night Tournament
The next NSKA event is coming up in Bella Vista on June 29. This is a night event and is a great opportunity to see some new lakes. Get signed up and don’t miss it!