The official 2026 CKA schedule was a group effort, a combination of angler feedback, TD meetings and collaboration with other entities. CKA has been rejuvenated with an influx of anglers who are new to the sport. At the same time, kayak fishing has new gadgets available to it. The combined demographic and technological changes have provided CKA with the opportunity to bring tournaments into the future while also maintaining the traditions of fair sportsmanship that have made CKA the state’s longest running kayak bass fishing series. The new 2026 schedule…
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Whitley wins Classic, AOY & ROY Updates
The third edition of the Carolina Classic marked another milestone for North Carolina’s home-based fishing clubs: since 2023, each of the three founding clubs has hosted the event one time. The event has become a staple of our busy state-wide community and the 2025 edition, hosted perfectly by Foothills Kayak Anglers (with an assist from Waterways of Old Fort N.C.) added a memorable chapter in the event’s story. What will 2025 bring for the Carolina Classic? We shall see! The Carolina Classic also imparted some definition to the respective CKA…
Read MoreCKA Recap: Tsiolkas Wins Windy Season Opener at Tillery
Tsiolkas Wins, Approaches All Time Record When CKA directors set up the 2025 schedule, we listened to angler suggestions and feedback. And we decided to open the year at Lake Tillery, the southernmost fishery on the Yadkin Chain in North Carolina, and one of the southernmost lakes in our rotation. It was the first time Tillery hosted a CKA season opener, and with two visits to the Yadkin Chain (CKA will fish Tuckertown in June), it made for a nice trip. With the scenic Uwharrie Mountains framing the fishery, anglers…
Read MoreCKA 2025 Season Preview
CKA enters its twelfth season with the wind at its back. Attendance was steady last year, tournaments produced big bags and CKA payouts topped $35,000. Will Lambert had a historic season, too, winning his second Angler of the Year title in five years, the 20 for 24 Series and the Battle on the Border. The only title he didn’t take was the Tournament of Champions (which Ryan Hayes won). In 2023, it seemed Bryan Tsiolkas could not be stopped. Will Lambert had the same aura of invincibility in 2024. Who…
Read MorePreview: The Battle on the Border VI
What is the Battle on the Border? The short answer: it’s a kayak fishing tournament, Virginia versus North Carolina, the Old Dominion versus the Old North State. The longer answer: it’s also when we fish for fun and celebrate our sport at the end of another successful season. The Battle on the Border is a time to camp and relax, compete and catch-up. It’s when anglers from Virginia and North Carolina renew old friendships and make new ones. It’s when our kayak fishing clubs send their crews to one of…
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