CKA Event 2 Recap: High Rock

The majority of area kayak tournaments this season have been marred by poor weather, with high winds, rain or both complicating affairs. And when the cold fronts aren’t spoiling bites, boating pressure on the lakes has been intense. Crazy weather, skittish bass and busy lakes: that is springtime tournament fishing.

But stable temperatures delivered a picture-perfect spring day for North Carolina tournament anglers. With an FKA/MMKS joint event in the western half of the state and CKA in the middle, anglers had events to choose from on a clear spring day.

If only the fish at High Rock would have cooperated. The anglers who found them earned valuable points, and one of them earned a special place in CKA history.

Faircloth wins second in a row

Prior to this tournament at High Rock Lake, a CKA angler had won back-to-back tournaments only three times. P.C. Hawj did it in 2017, Ricky Rowland managed it in 2020, and Bryan Tsiolkas did it in 2022. It’s rare and hard to do.

And now a fourth angler has managed it. With his win at High Rock Lake, Justin Faircloth joins that exceptional group of anglers in the CKA Hall of Champions.

The first place trophy by Ketch products, Inc.

“I caught them dirt shallow on the bank with a wacky rig. I found that twenty and three-quarters on a bed. It was a real weird bite today, one of those bites when you never felt them. You lifted up and they were there. If you weren’t ready they weren’t there. I missed a bunch, and after ten o’clock I didn’t catch any fish.”

“The boaters were very courteous today. They were struggling to catch them, too, so they stopped to talk,” he added.

With the win, Faircloth is in the lead for the Angler of the Year title. However, his nearest competitors also fished well on Saturday, earning valuable points.

AOY race holds steady

“All five limits caught today came from the same ramp” said Faircloth.

Those five limits stacked up important Angler of the Year points for five competitors, but so did those who did not catch limits. Faircloth has the lead, but Dontrell Sullivan (who placed 7^th, without a limit) and Drew Blair (third place) remain in the thick of the race. Sullivan has second place in the standings, while Blair has third place.

Perennial threat (and 2019 AOY) Will Lambert has fourth place, while Robert Miller is in fifth place overall.

It’s early though, and we all know things can change quickly. And they will in just two weeks, as CKA heads to Falls Lake on May 4^th for its third event of the season.

https://app.fishingchaos.com/club/hcdRny0qxmGvi5nnjxjR/tournament-series/4eeACv3N3Npjs5jXPTv6

Ketch Products, Inc.

CKA event 2 was presented by Ketch Products, Inc. Every season, Ketch supports clubs around the United States, and as a long-standing Ketch-only organization, CKA has been a supporter of the company from the start (in fact, company owner Duke Weskamp attended a CKA event at High Rock in 2018). For this season, Ketch sponsored the CKA tournament at High Rock.

If you are in the need of a Ketch X or Ketch Karbonate measuring board, please visit Get Outdoors and buy yours there using your CKA member discount. The shop also has Ketch Keepers in stock to hold your board!