Tag Archives: White River

NSKA

2021 NSKA NWA Schedule Preview and Pre-Season Top 25

It’s about one month out from the season opener for Natural State Kayak Anglers in NW Arkansas. The schedule-makers this year put together an interesting run of tournaments which should provide something for everyone – whether you are just having fun or are trying to win.

What can we expect from the coming schedule? What are anglers saying? Going into the season who is in the top 25 angler list for NWA? Read on and find out!

2021 Schedule Breakdown

This will be my sixth season fishing events in NWA and I think this is the best and most diverse schedule yet. The board did some surveying of anglers after last year and took their feedback to craft this gauntlet of events that will be fun, but will also ensure the Angler Of the Year will have earned it!

NWA Road Runner – March 13

Don’t miss out on the Road Runner.

Road Runners are always a wildcard, this time of year finding the right spot within the 50-mile radius may mean more than how good an angler is at catching fish. With the freezing weather in February it will be interesting to see where things stand on tournament day. Historically the first event gets some big totals, someone will catch ’em but it could be tough for a lot of folks. Don’t over think this one, go somewhere you feel most confident and see what happens. Last year this was won on Oklahoma water, will it happen again? Shout out to Shogun for sponsoring this event!

MLF Beaver Lake – April 10

Very excited to take on an MLF event where everyone is on same water – Beaver Lake. The Dead Sea is no longer dead in recent years, it should be rocking in April and over a zillion bass may be caught on this day. For those who don’t know, an MLF event means you catch as many keepers as possible, not just your best five. Just keep catching and submitting fish. It’s going to be fascinating to see if shallow largemouth or deeper smallmouth will be the key to this one. (Don’t forget those feisty spotted bass!) Size doesn’t matter as much in this one, everybody has a chance if they can generate enough bites. This is the one event this year that there will be a 11″ minimum. Thanks Wasabi of Fayetteville for sponsoring this one!

Table Rock Lake – May 8

This is a new one, an event on Table Rock Lake, considered a much better fishery than Beaver. Anglers will be able to choose from the Beavertown area all the way down covering a good portion of Table Rock. Having an ‘away’ tournament like this should really help even the playing field and as someone who loves to fish new places, I’m really looking forward to this one. Table Rock is known for a great fish population, there should be LOTS of limits turned in. Custom Tees and Graphics is sponsoring this one, thank you!

Beaver Lake South – May 22

Back to Beaver for this late-may slugfest. Bass should be in spawn or post-spawn mode all over the lake so there will be plenty of fish caught. This section of the lake is the most diverse, with skinny water fishing in the War Eagle or White River areas all the way down to the deeper and usually clearer water of Horseshoe to Beaver Shores. In this event you should literally be able to catch bass with almost any technique you prefer. Thank you to Ozark Kayak for their support of this event!

Don’t touch the tail this year, body groping only. That red Ketch board looks hot!

Pumpback – June 5

If you have never caught a smallmouth, especially a giant smallmouth, this is the tournament to enter. Pumpback is a really interesting place and holds a lot of fish and some BIG smallies. Don’t sleep on the largemouth though, there are some real tanks in this lake. It was really cool, yet bizarre, to have this lake drop several feet in a couple of hours during the tournament last year. We may see some Oklahoma Kayak Anglers entering this one, it should be a lot of fun! Ginger Rice and Noodle Bar is the presenting sponsor of this one.

North Beaver Lake – June 26

Ah, my jet-ski and wakeboat friends…we meet again. Beaver Lake will be party central by late June and the fishing is going to start to get tougher. This time we’re up North in the big water. Unlike the South end, there are almost unlimited places to put in and fish, giving everyone plenty of room and options. Smallmouth may be a factor down by the dam, or you might chase bigger largemouth in Prairie Creek. Turn in a limit and you’ve had a good day. A big kicker will be needed though to be in the money.

Nice jet-ski bro. Thanks for showing it to me fifty times.

River Road Runner – July 17

A River Road Runner is back on the schedule for the first time since 2017, and immediately controversy began. What’s a river? What’s not a river? Is this drainage pipe a river? That’s not a river, it’s a lake! And so is that one! To clean up the debates, boundaries have been set for sections of the White River between Twin Bridges to Blue Springs, White River from Beaver Dam to the Beaver Bridge, Elk River from Pineville to Mt Shira, and the Illinois from some random place I can’t identify on the map to Siloam Springs. July is a great time for a river event, glad to see it back on the schedule.

Beaver Lake – August 14

Beaver Lake in August is the crucible that tests an angler’s patience, spins some out, and can break your confidence in two. And I LOVE it! Going on the Dead Sea in the dog days of summer and catching a limit is a rewarding achievement. And our friends the jet-skiers and wake boarders? Yes, they will be there as well. Will anglers find their winning bag dirt-deep in the rivers, or in the cooler blue waters near the dam? This one will be key for those on the edge of making the NSKA Classic 25 angler field.

End of Season Classic

The 25 anglers who finish highest in the AOY will get to compete in this end of year, two day Championship event. Making the Classic is an achievement in itself and culminates a successful season. This season the Classic is going to be amazing! One day on the wild waters of Lake Fort Smith (a.k.a. – Snake Fort Smith) and one day up by the Missouri line around Holiday Island. If you win this one, you’ve done something! We are also hearing there may be more rewards in store for Classic anglers this season…

Wild and mysterious Lake Fort Smith is back this year for the Classic!

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Season Preview Angler Roundtable

We asked veteran NSKA NWA anglers Billy Bowden, Kyle Long, and Tim Hotchkin to join me in sharing some thoughts on the season and advice for new tournament anglers:

What event are you looking forward to the most and why?

Billy – I am for sure looking forward to our Table Rock event due to the fact that I’ve never fished there. From what I have heard, Table Rock fishes much better than Beaver but also sets up a lot like Beaver which is what everyone in our group is used to.

Tim – This one is a tough one for me. I am looking forward to both the MLF Event on Beaver and then the Pumpback Event in Oklahoma the most. The MLF Event on Beaver because I love the format and I think it will create some excitement. The Pumpback event because its just a unique lake and has the potential of catching some trophy sized Smallmouth like John Wofford caught last year.

Kyle – Usually I’m always looking forward to the first event because I’m so anxious to get going, but this year I think I’ve thought more about the MLF than any other event. Where can I go on Beaver and catch 40 fish? Also Pumpback again just because…tank smallies.

Jason – The River Road Runner, because it is going to be the most unpredictable one due to the different options. The flowing rivers of the Elk and Illinois versus the lesser current sections of the White River offer good contrasts. No matter where I wind up, it will be water I’m not as familiar with, which is always fun to explore somewhere new.

Best advice for someone new to tournaments?

Billy – Best advice for new anglers…Make sure your fish is legal before submitting it to TourneyX and make sure the place you plan on launching from is public and accessible according to the rules. Navionics and Google maps sometimes run right into people’s back yards so watch for that.

Tim – Take your time reviewing the rules and if you have questions reach out to someone for clarification. Also, while on the water take your time and not get into a rush while taking pictures. Make sure and ask plenty of questions, everyone was new at one point. Also don’t get upset if you get a fish DQ’d or a deduction. It has happened to all of us when we are learning how to submit correct photos. Anyone that is new is welcome to reach out to me directly if they have questions. If I don’t know the answer I can probably help point them in the right direction.

Tim in the hot tub in Gentry.

Kyle – Best advice is watch some tournament videos (Shameless plug: Kyle Long Fishing) and just familiarize yourself with everything that doesn’t have to do with actually the catching of the fish. Fishing is fishing. Kayak fishing is just fishing but from a kayak. Learning the rules, how to measure a fish, how to photo, TourneyX…that’s the part that every newcomer needs to get familiar with and practice. Also have a good organization system that fits what you do and what you like.

Jason – If you are new to tournaments overall or kayak tournaments, most importantly just go have a good time. Tournaments make you better, but they are supposed to be fun. You don’t have to win to meet personal goals. Don’t get frustrated if you lose a fish off the board or mess up a photo submission. We’ve ALL done it and it’s a part of the sport. Finally, ask questions of others – kayak anglers are friendly and willing to help out!

Do you have a personal goal for the season?

Billy – Personal goal for this season is to win an event. I feel I’ve been so close for a while now. Just looking forward to getting it done!

Tim – Just to fish all of the NSKA NWA Events. The last couple of years have been really difficult for me to fish and now that things are somewhat settling down I am really looking forward to fishing with everyone more. My stretch goal is to do well enough to finish in the Top 10 for AOY, but I know that will be incredibly difficult with the quality of anglers we have in this club.

Kyle – I’d love to break PB’s, love to win ’em all, love to make a ton of money…but I guess if I had to narrow it down, my goal is this…at the end of each tournament, I wanna feel like I have a chance to place/win with what I have in my bag regardless of what anyone else has. If I don’t then I don’t but I wanna know my bag has a legit shot when 3:00 hits. If someone else wins then hats off for beating me…but you had to earn it.

Jason – Really want to improve in a couple of type of events. I always stink early in the year, so want to do better in the pre-spawn timeframe. The MLF-style events have been disasters for me with a total of eight fish in two tournaments. Really am hoping to improve upon that one in particular!

Pre-Season NSKA NWA Top 25 Anglers

This list means nothing and is done just for fun! It really means nothing once it is lines in for the first tournament – the fish will do the talking then. Until then, thought it would be fun (and controversial) to list out a pre-season Top 25 for NSKA NWA.

This is NOT the Angler of the Year ranking and will not be a recurring list. Every year new anglers jump in and win events and do very well. For this list I took the 2020 regular season finish, Classic finish and State Tournament finish averages. Then I did a bit of nudging up and down in a few places to get the list right. It’s not perfect.

But as of today…this is the list.

RankAngler
1Dwain Batey
2Justin Brewer
3Ryan Paskiewicz
4Cole Sikes
5Roy Roberts
6Jason Kincy
7Kyle Long
8Tyler Zengerle
9Chris Needham
10Jeriamy Vann
11Devon Esry
12Michael Burgess
13James Shumate
14Jason Coleman
15Justin Phillips
16Jeff Malott
17Andrew Newsom
18Billy Bowden
19Josh Howard
20Craig Wood
21Danny Dutton
22Jon Swann
23Chad Warford
24Wayne Johnson
25Jason Cowell

Not on the list? Don’t worry, it’s not a real list and doesn’t matter when the first tournament starts! There are some anglers who didn’t fish much last year such as Tim Hotchkin, Bo Sarratt, Brandon Prince and Taylor Frizzell that easily could be in this list with a full season.

John and Hope Wofford are not on the list because they will be competing in NSKA Central this year (we’re going to miss you!). A few anglers such as Chris Needham, Andrew Newsom and Jason Coleman got bumped up because they couldn’t fish either the Classic or State but deserved to be ranked higher. Finally I just moved a few around based on gut feel.

Dwain deserves to be number one based on winning the State Championship, but honestly take the top five and you can put them in any order!

GLHF

It’s almost go-time! If you are a new kayak angler or an old-school yakker, hope to see you on the water and have some fun fishing with you this year. Tournaments aren’t everything, let’s get out and do some fun fishing as well! Good Luck, Have Fun!

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Fishing Tips

Winter Trout Fishing Tips

Arkansas kayak angler Jason Cossey shares his tips for winter trout fishing in this guest article for Kayak Fishing Focus.

People ask me what I do when I take a break from kayak fishing in the winter time. Sometimes it is deer hunting, but other times I like to fish for trout simply because it’s a sit on the bank and hang out with friends and family kind of fishing and I do not have to worry about a boat or a lot of tackle. Here’s how I like to approach winter trout fishing and have the greatest success!

To find trout in Arkansas, there are rivers below the dams, such as the White River below Beaver Dam which is my favorite place to go. Another place to do winter trout fishing is in the various small lakes that are stocked in the winter months. Check your local game and fish website for trout stocking information.

Winter trout fishing with floating egg baits can be an easy way to make a catch.
Winter trout fishing with floating egg baits can be an easy way to make a catch.

Bait and Tackle Setup for Winter Trout Fishing

1. Starting with rod and reel selection, I like a medium-medium light spinning rod with 6# monofilament for a main line. I use my favorite drop shot rod because I like to keep in practice feeling bites, it helps me get ready for the spring drop shot and finesse fishing.

2. Leader line is very important, I use 2# clear monofilament if the water has a little color you can get away with 4# but 2# always gets more bites.

3. Sinker selection, now is the time to use up some of those 1/4oz bullet and egg sinkers that have been rattling around. I also use a #10 or #12 swivel to attach this leader to my main line.

4. Hook selection is simple any #10 or #12 light wire hook. I like a wide gap hook it seems to get me better hookups.

5. Now bait…I am a fan of Berkeley power eggs because they come in their
own jar and unlike dough type baits they don’t get under your fingernails and smell up your fingers all day! Color is just about trying different options until you find a combination that works. I use two eggs of different colors most time like chartreuse and white or orange and bubblegum.

Now you have all of that stuff lined out it’s time to decide on leader length. Trout rarely feed on the bottom this is the reason 90% of all trout bait floats. I always start long on my leader and cut it according to how deep the water is and how deep they are feeding. I find that holes in a river right after a shoal is a good place to start looking for trout to congregate. When you find a school just stay on them for fast and consistent action.

Other Winter Trout Fishing Strategies

So you aren’t really keen on soaking power eggs there are other ways to catch trout, there are an assortment of lures that are old fish catchers. I always carry small rooster tails, they are one of the best ways to catch trout. Small jerkbaits and crank baits are also another way to catch em you just have to figure out how aggressive and what kind of mood they are in! I also keep on hand small marabou jigs, these tiny jigs tipped with a wax worm under a clear float can be deadly on pressured rainbows and can help you fill your limit with nice sized trout.

I hope these tips will help you with those winter time fishing blues, trout can be a fun way to spend the day with your loved ones. Great for kids and an awesome way to pass the time when it’s too cold or you just don’t feel like getting out the boat but need to feel the pull of something on your line.

– Jason Cossey

NSKA

NSKA River Run Preview

The scenic rivers of NW Arkansas will be the site for the June 10 NSKA River Road Runner tournament. Paddlers will be choosing their fishing location from moving bodies of water within a 50 mile radius of Cabela’s. Originally scheduled for May, the heavy spring rains moved this event to June.

As anglers choose their water, the key is understanding the “scenic river” requirement. There are some important boundary rules you need to know.  Beavertown (and below Beaver Dam) is out of play. On the White River, only above (south of) Twin Bridges is in play, and on War Eagle, only above (south of) the War Eagle Mill is in play. Several other rivers mentioned below are also options for the NSKA River Road Runner.

River Run Roundtable

I don’t have much data for use in trying to determine how this will go down so I asked a couple of local kayak river rats to help with the preview – Sam Philip and Jason Cossey.

With a 50 mile radius and “scenic river” waters, what are the main rivers you think will be used by anglers?

  • Jason – The Elk, Illinois and Kings will probably be the best, but you can’t rule our the White and War Eagle.
  • Sam – Elk River, Illinois River, Kings River, War Eagle and Indian Creek.

How will river fishing affect the number of limits and the size of the fish in the limits?

  • Jason – Rivers can have big fish, but I think a 14″ limit with a 18-19″ kicker will take the top spot.
  • Sam – In general you average fish length will be smaller, however, there are several locations on the rivers mentioned where “lake” sized limits can be caught.

What is your prediction on winning limit length and big bass?

  • Jason – 72-74″ is my prediction but could go bigger.
  • Sam – I think 84-85 inches will be a good number for this event. Big bass being 20.50.

How do you think rains over the last month will affect the event?

  • Jason – Rains will bring up the levels and make them muddy, but they clear pretty fast. It will hurt smaller waters because of the muddy conditions.
  • Sam – The rains of late haven’t been enough to really affect the smaller rivers. Unless we see a large amount of rain on Thursday or Friday I don’t see it being an issue at all. The smaller rivers can clear up and level out within 24 hours.

Sam also added that he always looks forward to river events and that he’s curious to see who fishes actual scenic rivers, and who seeks out the slower, deeper waters in a few of the larger ones. Overall I’m also curious how this will play out. For me, as primarily a lake angler, I’m completely out of my element in a river event. I’ll happy if I can just get a limit.

I’m thinking some of the same things as Jason and Sam for the weekend. I’ve always fished Beavertown in river events, so will have to try somewhere else. I have a feeling War Eagle or the Illinois just into Oklahoma will produce the top limit. This year, every tournament has over-performed previous trends on winning length, but I think this time we’ll be looking to top out around 75″ for first place, partly because with a big turnout, there will be a lot of yaks in the water on these small tributaries.

NSKA Tournament Director Jeff Malott has larger expectations for the weekend. He’s predicting a 90+” limit with a 20″ big bass based on folks he’s been talking to who have been pre-fishing.

A few important reminders:

  • Captains meeting will be online Friday night, must view this! Jeff will also be doing a FB Live rules update tonight (Wed, June 7) that you should view as well.
  • For NSKA, you CANNOT fish from outside your kayak at any time. You can get out to stretch, drag your boat, etc., but casts must be made from inside your kayak.
  • 50 mile radius is as the crow flies, not by road.

Good luck to all, wear your PDF and have fun!

Read recent articles: Reins Slip Sinker Review , Fishing with Eric Jackson

 

Events, News, NSKA, razoryak tournament trail

2017 NWA Natural State Kayak Anglers Season Preview

One of the largest kayak bass fishing tournament tNatural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA)rails in the country, Natural State Kayak Anglers, is about to start for 2017 and we contacted some veteran NSKA anglers for their take on the upcoming season schedule. The Natural State Kayak Anglers (NSKA) tournament series is a great way to improve your fishing skills, meet other anglers and most importantly to have a lot of fun on the water.

The 2017 NSKA Tournament Schedule

Jeff Malott is the tournament director for NSKA events this year, we asked him some general questions about the upcoming season:

What’s the best change you made this year to the NSKA tournament trail?

Jeff – Changing tourney management over to 100% use of tourneyX.com will be a real game changer. No more long waits at weigh in and the ability to follow a live leaderboard should take our events to another level.

Knowing you are not fishing the tournaments this year, what’s the one event you will miss fishing in the most?  

Jeff – To ensure the NSKA events go smoothly I won’t participate locally this season. The one event I’ll miss most will probably be the NWA Road Runner, only because I historically do really well, lol.

Which event will have the most impact on the AOY race?

Jeff – With there being only 1 drop this season (best 5 of 6 count towards AOY), all events are going to have a huge impact, but a good start is essential so probably Swepco in NWA and Spadra in the River Valley.

Roundtable – NSKA Angler Season Preview

Natural State Kayak Anglers Taylor Frizzell, Justin Phillips, Rob Barnica and myself shared predictions and thoughts on the upcoming schedule for 2017:

Which NSKA event will produce the longest length? 

Jeff – The longest string should come from the road runner event, folks can really tune in on the handful of big bass lakes around NWA and the River Valley.

Taylor – I think the NWA road runner will produce the the longest length. Only because there will be so many bodies of water in play that you won’t have 60+ anglers on the same lake. I feel like someone will end up with a area pretty much to themselves and be able to really work the body of water.

Jason – To me it is clearly the online event, anglers will have multiple days to put a limit together.

What’s the key in getting off to a fast start for the season?

Rob –  For myself it simply placing top 10 in a tournament. This is my first year fishing kayak tournaments.

Justin – For me it comes down to preparation, practice and homework. All of these have one thing in common. Trying to maximize control over known variables. In short, take care of what you can and when hiccups come you’ll be less inclined to get rattled and more inclined to formulate a solid Plan B.

Jason – I’ll be happy if I can get any sleep the night before tournaments. It’s hard for me to do because I’m excited and ready to go.

Which event do you have circled where you want to do the best?

Rob – The first one at Swepco Lake. It’s a huge confidence booster to know you can compete in your first year with so many great anglers.

Taylor – I’m looking forward to the KBF/NSKA event the most only because I feel like turn out will be amazing and it will give a lot of competitive NWA guys a chance to prove themselves on a larger scale. It’s going to be a lot of fun to have that opportunity to fish a big event and not have to travel hours to do so.

Jason – Probably the NWA Road Runner…there is so much strategy involved on where to go it is interesting to see where anglers wind up fishing.

Swepco Lake is notorious for being a wind tunnel in March. How might this impact how anglers attack the lake? What’s the winning length going to be?

Justin – It really depends on how much wind and what anglers are willing to put up with. Wind can be great in some circumstances but if it’s white capping not many will want to deal with that. The protected pockets may become so packed a guy will be able to walk across the water and not get his feet wet.  If it’s not too bad it may keep everyone more dispersed. I predict 84 inches will win.

Rob – The wind is simply a mindset. Between anchors and pedals I don’t feel it’s a huge obstacle. Winning length on Swepco will be 90+ inches.

Taylor – The wind tunnel in March is always interesting. It makes you really be on your toes and you have to be able to adapt to this on a whim. I think the paddlers will hug the banks and try to attack the coves and the peddlers will have more of an opportunity to fish where they want. It will also make the finesse guys figure out a strategy to put fish in the boat. I know last year I had to change tactics several times based on the wind. It tends to make it really hard to keep your position when Texas rigging or Jig fishing. I used a Ned rig a lot last year but when the wind picked up I had to change my plan of attack. I think for the winning length at Swepco will be over 90 inches because of the size of fish that are in that lake.

The NSKA/KBF event is on Beaver Lake in April. Last year the lake was high and muddy, so far this year it is low and very clear. How do you expect this change to affect this event?

Justin – If it stays as it is the low water will keep the fish pooled in tighter areas. With the decent year on Beaver Lake last season that may prove to provide great regardless of your style. However, I wouldn’t get overly excited just yet. The spring rains may flood and upset the apple cart. If that happens the water would probably become muddy and power fishing techniques will come more into play. 

Rob – Hopefully it keeps the big boats away from several spots. Obviously the lake and all structure has changed. Let’s pray we don’t have a torrential downpour the week before our tournament.

Jason – Should benefit the finesse anglers mid-lake to the dam. A lot of others may run up closer to the river looking for some stained water. I’m happy we’ll get a shot at Beaver Lake before the FLW pros do. Last couple of years they hammered the lake right before our event.

With the NWA River Road Runner focused on river fishing, where do you think the hotspots for anglers will be for this event?

Rob – Illinois, Kings and White would be my best guess.

Justin – I’d like to look at War Eagle, could be a solid choice.

Jason – There are some great river fishermen in NSKA and I’m not one of them. Have heard great things in the past about the Illinois and Kings. Might be that there’s a honey hole on a little known creek or river that may be the secret to victory.

For the NWA Road Runner, strategy comes into play big time for this event – big bass lakes can pay off or burn you. What’s the best high risk high reward destination for this event?

Taylor – The NWA roadrunner high risk high reward destination is Swepco Lake. The fact that there are so many large fish in that lake makes it a go to option but the time of year makes that lake a coin flip. If that water is hot the angler who knows how to fish deep and entice the fish to bite could have a winning outcome, but at the same time it could set them up for failure.

Jason – When I think about the biggest bass in NWA I tend to think Lincoln Lake. That place has the ability to provide a good limit with two to three 20s in it, but it can be fickle sometimes. I’d say Lincoln is the best home run chance.

There is a weekend online tournament in July, that is obviously a different type of deal than a one day event. How should anglers approach this differently than a normal tournament?

Rob – Due to being my first year, I really don’t know the answer. I’m still learning myself.

Taylor – The summer slam online is going to be an interesting event. I feel like Anglers should stick with what they’re comfortable with but at the same time it might take stepping out of that comfort zone to win. I personally won’t run to the “go to” lakes that we normally would in the spring. It’s going to be a hot summer I think and I feel like the rivers are going to have an advantage over the lakes for this particular event but with fishing you honestly never know where the money stringer is going to be.

Jason – Those who fish the most over the weekend won’t necessarily win, I think it will be the angler that picks the right spots at the right time.

Get Ready – It’s Go Time!

Check out the Razoryak Tournament Trail website for info about NSKA as well as the River Valley, Central Arkansas, and NE/North Central trails. If this is your first tournament season, read this article on Five Catch Photo Release (CPR) Protips and the one on a Kayak Fishing Tournament Packing List for helpful information.

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