Tag: St. Lawrence River

Ryan Matylewicz Wins Angler of the Year After Epic 2023 Season

November 1, 2023 1 Comment

Consistency is one of the defining characteristics of any Angler of the Year. To earn the title, one must be consistent not for one event, not for two, but for an entire season.

This year, Ryan Matylewicz had one of those seasons.

The 2023 EKF season took us to some of the Northeast’s most premier fisheries, and Cayuga lake is arguably at the top of that list. Known for its world-class fishing and trophy bass, Cayuga Lake churned out fifteen limits over 90 inches, and many more close to it, at our first event of the year. Ryan’s limit of 96.75 inches, however impressive, was only good enough for third place—the first of four top-three finishes in 2023.

Following Cayuga Lake, EKF stopped at the famed Lake Champlain where challenging weather presented difficult fishing conditions. Ryan’s ability to adapt allowed him to net a limit of 97.75 and a second-place finish.

The third event of the season took EKF anglers to the St. Lawrence River, known to many as Smallmouth Disneyland. With many anglers fishing the river for the first time, the competition was wide open for those who located quality fish. Ryan’s 92.75 inches of fierce river smallmouth was enough to secure his first-ever EKF victory!

The final regular-season event of the year took anglers to scenic Messalonskee Lake and Great Pond. With both bodies of water known for their impressive smallmouth bass population, it presented anglers with a difficult decision on tournament day. Ryan decided that Great Pond would provide him the best opportunity for success, a decision that would pay off, landing him once again in third place with a limit of 94.5 inches.

With four strong finishes, Ryan was well-positioned in the Angler of the Year standings heading into the championship event on Lake George.

October brought shorter days and dropping temperatures after a period of record-breaking highs in the Adirondack region of upstate New York. Anglers had to come up with multiple strategies to provide them with the best chance to take home the championship trophy.

After day one, Ryan found himself sitting in sixth place and well-positioned in his pursuit of Angler of the Tear.

The second day of the championship saw anglers resorting to their backup plans and making on-the-fly adjustments. While Ryan remained consistent between both days, other anglers stumbled on day two. This opened the door for a fifth-place championship finish and the well-earned title of 2023 EKF Angler of the Year!

Congratulations on a steller season!

Ryan Matylewicz Secures His First EKF Win!

August 21, 2023 0 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 0 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!