{"id":6266,"date":"2024-06-19T21:38:47","date_gmt":"2024-06-20T02:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carolinakayakanglers.com\/?p=6266"},"modified":"2024-06-30T11:51:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-30T16:51:54","slug":"malena-takes-roy-lead-lambert-sets-club-record-at-randleman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carolinakayakanglers.com\/?p=6266","title":{"rendered":"Malena takes ROY lead, Lambert sets club record at Randleman"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We have reached the exact mid-way point of the 2024 CKA season. With four tournaments completed, the race for Angler of the Year has tightened up, the Rookie of the Year race remains wide open, and qualifying for the Tournament of Champions is also largely indeterminate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Jordan, Mackintosh, Mayo and the Gate City Classic remain on the regular season schedule, followed by the Tournament of Champions and the Battle on the Border. That\u2019s a lot of good fishing, and a lot can change between now and then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malena takes the lead in the Rookie of the Year race<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CKA has recognized first-year anglers since 2018. That was when the club noticed that new competitors were showing up at a steady rate. As a result, CKA instituted the Rookie of the Year award with the generous support of Get Outdoors Pedal and Paddle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since that time, Keith McGee, Sammy Wilson, Charles Crews\u2020, Jared Stanley, Bruce Deel and Ryan Hayes have won the CKA Rookie of the year award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thomas Malena has thrown his hat in the ring to take his shot at the 2024 title. With four events in the books, he holds the lead. He\u2019s a long-time bass angler, but new to kayak fishing. In his words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve only had my kayak for about a year now. Around the time I was getting out of the military and was moving here I started watching a lot of the big names on Youtube. I hadn\u2019t done much bass fishing in the last five years and missed the hell out of it, so I knew this was something I would be doing in the long run.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Malena now faces an epic schedule: CKA will visit two of the state\u2019s best bass lakes (Jordan and Mackintosh) over the next month. Then, we will fish Lake Mayo, a fishery unlike any other in the region. We wrap up at the Gate City Classic.  When it is over, the top three scores of each rookie, plus the Gate City Classic score, will determine their place in the standings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Malena will be in the running. As he told CKA:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am planning to make every event that I can. I\u2019m taking this year as a learning experience but still have the goal to win ROY. Honestly, besides a pre-fish here and there, it\u2019s been my first time on all of these lakes. I just ordered my first graph after riding the struggle bus at Randleman. I\u2019m hoping that along with a lot of practice will help me make the jump I need to compete.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lambert wins on Randleman, sets club record<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

CKA history began on Randleman Reservoir in 2013, and we visit the lake nearly every season. In recent years, we have fished the lake in alternate years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randleman is loaded with both CKA history and big bass. For example: <\/p>\n\n\n\n