Tag: Largemouth Bass

Sayers wins Classic, Summer Begins and Wildcats!

Hank
Sayers wins Classic, Summer Begins and Wildcats!

In previous seasons, we had the summer doldrums: the late season grind that ended in September’s Gate City Classic. This year, with a newly extended schedule, the old grind becomes a summer stretch. The 2026 CKA season enters that summer stretch this month with events scheduled for Hyco (June 27), Burlington (July 25) and Gaston (August 29). Unlike the previous twelve seasons, we will continue fishing deep into the fall bite this year with events scheduled through late October. Combined with increased attendance and a new format that limits the…

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Tournament Recap: Wilson wins CKA season opener

Hank
Tournament Recap: Wilson wins CKA season opener

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

Hank
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…

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Whitley wins Classic, AOY & ROY Updates

Hank
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…

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CKA 2025 Season Preview

Hank
CKA 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…

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