Tag: Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon

Jake Angulas Conquers the St. Lawrence River, Dominates Season So Far

August 22, 2024 0 Comment

On August 17, the 2024 Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series, presented by Black Hall Outfitters, held its third event of the season on the legendary St. Lawrence River, widely regarded as one of the top fisheries in the United States. This scenic stretch of upstate New York also allowed anglers to fish two of its tributaries, the Raquette and Grasse Rivers, which are also known for their excellent bass fishing opportunities.

More well-known of the three rivers, the St. Lawrence is famous for its pristine, crystal-clear waters and varying currents, making it a prime habitat for both smallmouth and largemouth bass. The rocky shoals and underwater structures offer ideal spots for trophy-sized smallmouths, while largemouth bass tend to hide in the river’s calmer, weedy areas, giving anglers a variety of fishing challenges. The beauty of the river and the thrill of battling these bass make it a top-tier destination for competitive and recreational anglers alike.


(Watch our live event broadcast on YouTube)

Tournament day saw intense competition, with anglers battling not just the fish but the challenging river conditions. Jake Angulas once again proved to be a dominant force, claiming his third win of the season with an impressive total of 88.75 inches of bass. Angulas strategically focused on smallmouth bass in the early hours before transitioning to shallow largemouth later in the day. His decision to switch tactics and employ a chatterbait over submerged grass paid off handsomely, securing his place at the top once again.

Khoa Dao made his mark in his first-ever Elite Kayak Fishing event, taking second place with a solid 85 inches of bass, a mix of both smallmouth and largemouth. Dao also captured the Fresh Baitz Big Bass prize with a hefty 18.75-inch largemouth, a highlight in a standout debut.

In third place, Rey Morales hauled in 83.25 inches of smallmouth bass, showcasing yet again that he is one of the best anglers in the Northeast. Close behind was Antoine Desrochers-Gagnon, whose 83 inches earned him a fourth-place finish. Rounding out the top five was Gerard Elias, whose 78.75 inches of bass capped off a strong tournament for all competitors.

Check out the full results here and watch our EKF LIVE recap show with Khoa Dao…

The Kennebec River is up next on September 1. The river may not be so well-known among our anglers today, but it will be after our event. Mark our words! Don’t sleep on this one.

Jake Angulas Secures Number Four!

May 6, 2024 0 Comment

On May 4, the Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series, presented by Black Hall Outfitters, hit Great Sacandaga Lake in New York for the first event of the 2024 season.

This event marked an exciting change for EKF: the debut of EKF LIVE, a live-stream broadcast that brought a hyrbid of live commentary, pre-recorded angler spotlights and interviews, and more. EKF LIVE provided viewers with a “front-row seat” to all the angling action, allowing them to follow the highs and lows of the competition in real-time.

And what a thrilling battle it was!

This was a tournament within a tournament. With an abundance of smallmouth to be caught (no largemouth were submitted), the true challenge for the 56 anglers competing in this event was finding those “Sacandaga unicorns”—a bass over 17 inches long.

In a competition where every quarter inch mattered, the anglers managed to submit an impressive 512 bass (surpassed only by last year’s Cayuga Lake event, which had nearly double the anglers and 518 submissions), but only nine surpassed the elusive 17-inch mark. Jon Richardson hauled in the Fresh Baitz Big Bass of the day—an impressive 20.25-inch smallmouth. A unicorn, indeed!

As with any tournament, it had its twists and turns. Canada’s Antoine Desrocher-Gagnon’s caught the same bass twice, three hours apart on the same spot, which resulted in the latter being denied. This dropped him from fifth to sixth place, allowing Nick Audi to clinch the fifth-place slot. Both Desrocher-Gagnon and Audi finished with 85.75 inches, but Audi’s larger fish was the tiebreaker.

In fourth place was Christopher Nielsen with 86 inches, while Pennsylvania’s Dylan Miller made an impressive EKF debut, securing third place with 86.25 inches and being the only angler to land multiple fish over 17 inches—an 18 and an 18.25.

     

As the tournament neared its end, Benjamin Bornhost seemed poised for victory until a late surge by Jake Angulas catapulted him to the top spot by a mere three-quarters of an inch. Bornhost settled for second place with 87 inches, while Angulas claimed his fourth EKF victory with 87.75 inches.

Angulas’s winning strategy of cycling through seven different rods with seven different jerkbaits (read that again) proved effective in enticing quality smallmouth from Sacandaga’s rocky terrain.

With the excitement of Great Sacandaga Lake behind us, we now look forward to the next event at Pennsylvania’s Raystown Lake on June 22. Register here!