NCRWC Biologist Seth Mycko didn’t predict big bags from Belews for the CKA opener. While showing a graph of an NC Wildlife electro shock survey of the lake, he noted the vast majority of fish were in the 14”-16” range. “Alabama Bass have colonized 90% of the lake,” he said, and he said it grimly. When 2025 CKA Angler of the Year Brian Tsiolkas came on the show, he said the lake contained Largemouth Bass and that those fish would be the difference. Mycko and Tsiolkas were both right. The…
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Drew Blair wins at Tuckertown
Drew Blair won at Tuckertown on Saturday, June 14th, the fifth tournament of the 2025 CKA tournament season. It was the last tournament before CKA detours to clean up Jordan Lake with Hobie Eyewear on June 29th and to fish for charity with Reel Heroes on July 12th (see below for more info). It was also another chance for long time CKA angler Drew Blair to go home with a win. If you know Drew, you know it’s been a long time coming – he’s been fishing CKA tournaments for…
Read MoreWhitley 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 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 MoreCKA 2024-2025 Winter Series Concludes
The CKA Winter Series is a low-stakes series that is ideal for testing new gear, keeping the rust off and exploring new water. This year the CKA Winter Series began on Saturday, December 14th and it will conclude with the third event on February 8th. There will then be a meet & greet at Get: Outdoors on February 22 with seminars, awards and a kick-off for the 2025 regular season. Currently, Will Lambert has a strong lead in the points race. But with two spots in the CKA Tournament of…
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