Elite Kayak Fishing

Matthew Zapala Targets Big Smallies for a Big Win at Great Pond

September 12, 2023 Ken0 Comment

This past Saturday, the final regular-season Elite Kayak Fishing event of the year unfolded against the backdrop of Messalonskee Lake and Great Pond in Maine’s Belgrades Region. With a total of 64 anglers, from as far away as Pennsylvania and Canada, the stakes were high as many of them aimed to secure a coveted spot in the two-day championship event set to take place on Lake George in October.

Snow Pond Center for the Arts once again played host for this event. Situated along the eastern shore of Messalonskee Lake, in perfect view of the sunset (or an evening thunderstorm in the distance, as many saw Thursday night), Snow Pond offers a unique tournament experience for the anglers and their families who choose to stay on campus.

Leading up to the event, the weather was consistent: sunny, hot, with light winds, if any at all. The forecast for Saturday called for a cool morning with cloudy conditions all day, something many anglers, especially those who struggled during practice, were hoping would change their fortune. But as the day dawned and anglers made their way to their starting spots, there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

Under bright blue skies, the strategy adopted by many was to utilize their electronics to pinpoint smallmouth bass congregating around schools of baitfish. What set the top contenders apart was their reliance on the controversial forward-facing sonar technology, which proved to be the linchpin of their success. With the bass constantly on the move chasing schools, this gave those anglers the unique ability to spot fish in real-time, a significant advantage over those relying on traditional 2D sonar and sidescan.

In the end, it was New York’s Matthew Zapala who clinched the top spot, boasting an impressive 95.75 inches of Great Pond smallmouth. No stranger to either Great Pond or Messalonskee Lake (Matt finished third in the KBF Super Trail event there in 2020), he focused on offshore smallmouth, targeting the bigger fish with precision, which ultimately proved to be the winning strategy, producing not only the biggest limit but the biggest bass of the tournament: a 20.25 smallmouth!

Defying the odds once again, Ken Wood targeted largemouth bass as he did at our St. Lawrence River event last month, where he placed second. Ken fished the Belgrade Stream area on the southern end of Messalonskee Lake, power-fishing his way to another second-place finish with 94.50 inches.

The competition for the top spots was fierce, with three other anglers—Ryan Matylewicz, Benjamin Bornhorst, and Nick Audi—also boasting 94.50 inches. Tie-breakers are determined by the anglers biggest bass, which lead to Ryan securing third place, Benjamin taking fourth, and Nick rounding out the top five.

Jake Angulas secured the final paying spot with a respectable 93.75 inches, while Stephen Hedges (92.25), Mike Morcone (91.75), John Ferreira (91.50), and Anthony Campbell (91.25) completed the top ten.

Congratulations to all!

With the championship on the horizon, the stage is set for another thrilling showdown on Lake George in October, where the best of the best will vie for the titles of EKF Champion and Angler of the Year.

With 64 anglers, we paid out six spots for nearly $8,000 in cash and more in giveaways! A total of 411 bass were submitted to the National Trade Services Live Leaderboard.

As always, thank you to our elite sponsors, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services, without whom we could not run these events.

Please support them whenever you can, as well as our other amazing sponsors: Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack!

And a big shout-out once again to Snow Pond Center for the Arts for having us back. Thank you!

Our championship event on Lake George is up next! This two-day event will not only determine our 2023 Champion but also our Angler of the Year!

Ryan Matylewicz Secures His First EKF Win!

August 21, 2023 Ken0 Comment

The world-renowned St. Lawrence River in upstate New York, a haven for smallmouth bass enthusiasts, played host to EKF’s fourth stop on the 2023 trail.

Despite the high expectations set by the river’s legendary smallmouth population, the bass proved to be more elusive than expected. Whether that was due to the conditions or the relentless pressure from bass tournaments and recreation anglers, or a combination of things, we’ll never know. What we do know, is that the river produced far less than most had hoped for.

With dreams of smashing personal best smallmouth records, only 96 smallmouth bass were submitted during the tournament, while a very surprising 134 largemouth crossed the National Trade Services live leaderboard.

In the end, it was Ryan Matylewicz who emerged victorious, securing his first EKF win! Matylewicz adopted an offshore strategy, which should come as no surprise, as his skills at targeting offshore bass have been on display many times before. His approach paid off handsomely, as he managed to reel in an impressive total of 92.75 inches of smallmouth bass.

Ken Wood, on the other hand, took a completely different route to success. Unable to find a quality smallmouth bite during practice, he opted to focus on largemouth bass, flipping a creature bait and throwing a frog in shallow weeds and slop. His ability to abandon the tried-and-true St. Lawrence River smallmouth pattern and focus on what he knows best propelled him to a well-earned second place finish.

Third place went to John Ferreira, whose strategy involved covering a significant amount of water while targeting smallmouth bass, both deep and shallow. Ferreira’s dedication to exploration and his focus on smallmouth paid off, as he recorded a solid 90.25 inches of bass, firmly securing his spot on the podium.

(Yeah, yeah, we forgot to bring the checks to the event!)The competition remained fierce, with Pat Veomett notching 89.75 inches, landing him in fourth place. Pat’s love of chasing big New York smallmouth paid off, earning him his third top ten EKF finish.

In fifth place, Jake Angulas showcased his consistency and experience with 89.5 inches of St. Lawrence River smallmouth, marking his tenth top ten finish in fifteen events — an impressive feat by any standard.

The top ten was rounded out by Matthew Zapala (87.25), Nick Audi (87), Brandon Brylinsky (85.75), Jeff Levesque (83.50), and Ryan Melia (82.75).

Landing the day’s Three Belles Outfitters Big Bass was Nick Audi, with an impressive 20-inch brownback!

Despite the fishing challenges and adverse weather that cut the day short for most, these skilled anglers displayed their determination and professionalism, making the most of what the conditions gave them.

The St. Lawrence River tournament proved to be a true test of skill, adaptability, and perseverance. The unpredictable behavior of the smallmouth bass and the varying strategies adopted by the anglers showcased the depth of talent within the EKF ranks.

Forty-nine anglers turned out for this event, a surprisingly low number for a bucket-list fishery. But with two local events taking place at the same time, plus the Native No Limit Big Bass event going down on the Susquehanna River, anglers were split between four events.

Anglers submitted 230 bass to the National Trade Services Live Leaderboard, which, as noted above, surprisingly consisted of more largemouth than smallmouth.

We paid out over $6,000 in cash, and even more in prizes!

A huge thank-you to our elite sponsors, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services, without whom we could not run these events.

Please support them whenever you can, as well as our other amazing sponsors: Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack!

Our final regular-season event is on the angler-favorite Messalonskee Lake and Great Pond on September 9.

We are once again staying on the Snow Pond Center for the Arts campus, where the majority of anglers will stay. Affordable dorm rooms and cabins are available, and we highly encourage you to stay on campus and experience what has become our favorite event of the season. Join us by booking your room/cabin and meals at this link!

Register for the event here!

Jeremiah Savely Wins Big on the Connecticut River/Moore Reservoir

July 17, 2023 Ken0 Comment

The third stop on the 2023 Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series presented by Three Belles Outfitters took place on July 8, 2023, on the Connecticut River/Moore Reservoir. Sitting halfway in Vermont and New Hampshire, the competition took place in an area where an abundance of small fish was present, making it a test of skill and strategy to locate the larger bass, which proved to be an exciting and challenging event.

One 19-inch upgrade for anyone in the top 30 would have put most in the money and given others the win!

Events such as this require a stronger mental game than most. It can be discouraging cycling through a dozen or more small fish before catching a keeper or an upgrade, all of which are also small. But whether you’re catching five-pounders or your total limit would have weighed roughly five pounds itself, it was a level playing field and someone always wins.

On this day, that someone was Jeremiah Savely, who was able to locate the elusive bigger bass and emerge as the victor with a total of 77 inches. (Rumor has it, his pre-fishing limit on the reservoir pushed him close to 90 inches, which, if true, would have been mighty impressive.) Jeremiah’s outstanding performance earned him a well-deserved cash prize of $1,918 and the coveted Elite Kayak Fishing trophy.

With very limited time to pre-fish on Friday, Matthew Conant didn’t let that stop him from putting up a total of 76.5 inches of bass on Saturday. He submitted his first bass—a giant 19.75-inch smallmouth—just a few minutes into the tournament. This was not only the first fish submitted to the event but also the biggest. Matt walked away with the Three Belles Outfitters Big Bass bonus of $500 and an additional $1,370 for second place.

Demonstrating angling skill and perseverance, New Hampshire’s Matt Lee launched himself up into the winner’s circle with two last-minute upgrades, securing third place with a total of 76 inches. His impressive performance earned him a cash prize of $986.40.

With a top-ten at Cayuga Lake and third place at Lake Champlain, Rey Morales has been on the hunt for that top position in the Angler of the Year leaderboard. With a fourth-place finish at this event, Rey’s 75.75 inches sees him now wearing the AOY crown, surrounded by $712.40 in well-earned EKF gold.

Finally, Donald Davis rounded out the top five positions, securing the fifth-place spot with a total of 75.25 inches of bass. Don fished a pattern figured out by his girlfriend while fun fishing the day before, thus his $493.20 was likely halved.

This tournament proved to be a testament to the anglers’ abilities to adapt and make the most of the conditions at hand. Although the quintessential “big bass” were hard to find, the anglers who found the right ones to win deserve just as many accolades as those who win on world-class bass fisheries. It’s a tournament, a competition, and you don’t win if you don’t earn it.

Congratulations to those in the winner’s circle, and thanks to everyone for showing up and making this a great event.

We had 52 anglers for this event and paid out nearly $6,000 in cash and more in prizes. With this event, Elite Kayak Fishing has paid out over $100,000!

Anglers submitted 352 bass to the National Trade Services Live Leaderboard, all but one of which were smallmouth. The lone largemouth was submitted by your winner, Jeremiah Savely.

Special shout-out to our elite sponsors, Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services, without whom we could not run these events.

Please support them whenever you can, as well as our other amazing sponsors: Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack!

Our next event is on the mighty St. Lawrence River on August 12. This fishery is legendary for a reason. Come join us!

Register here!

Nick Audi Triumphs in a Windy Battle at Lake Champlain

June 7, 2023 Ken0 Comment

Known for its scenic beauty and abundant fish populations, Lake Champlain provided the backdrop for the second Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series event of the season.

Presented by Three Belles Outfitters, this world-class bass factory produces giant largemouth and smallmouth like few others, and it did not disappoint this weekend.

Leading up to the event, pre-fishing reports were great, but everyone knew the conditions—a sustained north wind in excess of 25 mph—on tournament day would eliminate some of the most productive areas on the lake. Despite the challenging conditions, which transformed the lake into a menacing beast, anglers braved the relentless, dangerous wind, demonstrating their skills and producing impressive limits of both smallmouth and largemouth bass.

Amidst the tumult, it was Nick Audi who emerged as the victor once again, demonstrating his exceptional adaptability and resilience. Not only did he claim the first-place title, but he also secured the Three Belles Outfitters Big Bass with a 20.50-inch smallmouth bass and the Double Down side pot.

Ryan Matylewicz, braving the windy main-lake conditions, secured a commendable second place with a total of 97.75 inches.

Following a top-ten finish at our Cayuga Lake event, and just a fraction behind Ryan at Champlain, Rey Morales claimed third place by putting up 97.50 inches before his spot became too treacherous to continue fishing.

The battle for the remaining positions was intense, with Jake Angulas, Mike Morcone, and Chris Gomes showcasing their exceptional angling abilities. Angulas clinched fourth place, amassing an impressive limit of 97.25 inches, while Morcone landed the fifth spot with 97 inches. Chris Gomes rounded out the top six with a noteworthy 96.75 inches.

Nearly the top twenty anglers put up over 90 inches of bass in their quest to win the highly sought-after Elite Kayak Fishing trophy, but in the end it was Nick Audi’s exceptional performance, marked by an impressive total of 99 inches of smallmouth bass, that secured his well-deserved victory.

With 62 anglers, we paid out nearly $7,500 in cash and even more in prizes.

Anglers submitted 139 largemouth and 243 smallmouth bass to the National Trade Services Live Leaderboard.

Check out the full results here.

As always, a big thank-you to everyone who supported this event!

And to Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services—THANK YOU!

Please support these amazing companies whenever you can, as well as our other sponsors: Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack!

Our next event is on the Connecticut River and Moore Reservoir on July 8. A relatively unknown fishery compared to Lake Champlain or Cayuga Lake, but we hope to see you there!

Register here!

Nick Audi Does It Again!

May 9, 2023 Ken2 Comments

The Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series presented by Three Belles Outfitters kicked off its third season this past Saturday on famed Cayuga Lake, one of eleven finger lakes in upstate New York.

A record-breaking 109 anglers turned out for this one, hoping to take home the coveted Elite Kayak Fishing trophy!

Given Cayuga’s reputation to churn out monster bass this time of year, all 109 anglers were undoubtedly anticipating an absolute slugfest. And for many, that’s exactly what it was!

Compared to events in previous years—2017, with Kayak Bass Fishing, and Elite Kayak Fishing in 2021, in particular—this year was a much tougher event, despite the top 15 anglers cracking 90 inches. Colder weather this season meant very little grass/weed growth and colder water temps, which had the bass hunkering down a little deeper than normal.

Anglers who found that offshore structure holding those big pre-spawn bass were rewarded. And of course the famous community holes that always attract the bass—and even more anglers—produced countless giants. The amount of 5- to 7-pound bass caught pre-fishing and during the tournament was staggering. A number of 8-pounders were caught as well, adding to the already long list of anglers breaking their personal best bass records (some more than once).

To say they’re built different in Cayuga Lake is an understatement. It’s football season all year long out there!

The flipside of this story is that a lot of anglers struggled to find those quality bites, or bites at all. Yes, the lake produced an obscene amount of monster bass, but only roughly half the field caught limits, leaving many scratching their heads.

With 109 anglers, we paid out ten spots and nearly $14,000! The top three anglers also earned a Fresh Baitz prize pack!

Anglers submitted an epic 518 bass to the National Trade Services Live Leaderboard, 42 of which were over 19 inches, with 18 of them surpassing the 20-inch mark. Sitting atop the Three Belles Outfitters Big Bass Leaderboard was a 21.50-inch behemoth hauled in by New York’s Brandon Brylinsky.

Again, football season all season.

In tenth place, the last of the money spots, was Stephen Sisto, who put 91.50 inches of Cayuga largemouth on the board. Just ahead of him was Rey Morales with 92.25, followed by 2021 Angler of the Year, Jake Angulas, and Dan Hargrave, both of whom put up 92.50 inches, with Dan’s 20-incher breaking the tie.

Serious Angler Podcast host, Bailey Eigbrett, got away from the northern crowd and headed a bit farther south, deep-cranking his way into sixth place with 94 inches, while Benjamin Bornhorst squeaked past him with a solid 94.25.

With 96 inches, Maine’s Shawn Marston secured fourth place, and Ryan Matylewicz, no stranger to the top of the leaderboard, settled into third on the backs of five bass totaling 96.75 inches.

A last-second—literally last second—19.25-incher pushed big-bass leader Brandon Brylinsky into second place for a big payday.

Brandon’s 98.75 was close, but ultimately not enough to dethrone our 2022 Champion and Angler of the Year, Nick Audi, whose 99.25 bested the other 108 anglers. Nick worked subtle, isolated offshore structure with a Z-Man Jackhammer, which had him at the top of the leaderboard for most of the day.

This is Nick’s third win with Elite Kayak Fishing, tying Jake Angulas for the most wins and putting him atop the Elite Kayak Fishing career earnings throne. Nick also took home the winner-takes-all Double Down sidepot, adding to his overall earnings—which totaled nearly $5,000!

Thank you to all the anglers who supported this event. We have come a long way in a short period of time, and our success depends heavily on your support. We salute you!

And to Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services, without whom we could not do this: THANK YOU!

To Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack, we thank you for the support!

Please support these amazing companies whenever you can!

Special thanks to Justin Hausner and New York Kayak Bass Fishing for their support and willingness to work with us.

New York Kayak Bass Fishing hosted their own club event, with 93 anglers competing. There was some double-dipping between groups, but it’s safe to say 150 kayak anglers, if not more, were out there on this day. All went as smooth as could be expected, and that is a testament to Justin and the New York Kayak Bass Fishing anglers. Thanks again!

Check out the full results here.

Up next is Lake Champlain on June 3. We’ll see you there!