The Gate City Classic saw high pressure, a strong breeze and bluebird skies. Those conditions are the recipe for a tough bite, especially in shallow water. The expected fall pattern was not available as fish backed off from shallow schooling and summer ended and the advantage went to deep-water anglers. They didn’t have it much better, but they found the fish to get the job done. And there were some twists along the way, as anglers battled for top prizes and qualifying spots in the invitation-only Tournament of Champions. Here…
Read MoreTag: Carolina Kayak Anglers
Lanier, Gearhart, and Lambert take top 20 for 24 spots
When CKA expanded its portfolio of tournament offerings in 2023, we finally added a friendly, low-stakes on-line series for anglers to enjoy. And we added a little extra incentive: the anglers in the top two places would qualify for the CKA Tournament of Champions In this way, an angler who missed an event or two, or had a work schedule that conflicted with the main trail schedule could still qualify by another route. And that is precisely what Will Lambert did in 2023. After missing some events, he was in…
Read MoreFaircloth wins at Mayo, Gate City Classic is Next
Another fun season is winding down and CKA celebrates another year of kayak fishing tournaments. The “regular season” closed at Mayo; the eight and final tournament will be the Gate City Classic on September 21, 2024. Many things have yet to be decided, as spots in the Tournament of Champions will be determined (that’s the top 15% of membership). We have an interesting points race to finish between Will Lambert and Justin Faircloth, who have battled hard all season, the Rookie of the Year race, Duff Digital Big Bass and…
Read MoreDave Hart Wins at Mackintosh
For the second straight tournament, a new angler has etched his name in the CKA Hall of Champions. First, Dontrell Sullivan earned his first victory at Jordan in late June, and this past weekend Dave Hart earned his first win at Mack. In addition to the money and the nice Ketch trophy, Dave Hart is now a member of a new club – he’s a CKA champion. By now, the name “Mack” resonates in a different way. When we compete on Lake Mackintosh, we expect big results. The lake out-produces…
Read MoreLake Mackintosh Tournament Preview: Return of the Mack
Since 2020, when CKA and CCKF adopted the five fish limit, the two clubs have fished about seventy tournaments in North Carolina. In those seventy tournaments, nine limits of 100” or longer have been submitted to leaderboards. Of those nine limits, four of them came from Lake Mackintosh. The numbers are staggering. Lake Mackintosh has outproduced its nearest rival (Jordan) by twice the amount (four 100” limits to two). When it comes to delivering 100” limits to kayak anglers, Lake Mackintosh is the most productive fishery in North Carolina. And…
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