Tag: Todd Dyer

Jake Angulas Gambles Big on Winnipesaukee and It Pays Off

July 23, 2024 0 Comment

On July 20, the 2024 Dakota Lithium Elite Kayak Fishing Series, presented by Black Hall Outfitters, hosted its second event of the season on one of the Northeast’s greatest fisheries: New Hampshire’s famed Lake Winnipesaukee!

With the scenic backdrop of the White Mountains and the pristine natural environment, forty-one anglers battled wind, waves, an endless parade of pleasure boaters, and aggressive smallmouth.

In contrast to our previous event on Great Sacandaga Lake, the smallmouth on this day weren’t as willing to eat, requiring many anglers to work much harder for their catches—and leaving many others scratching their heads.

Regardless, the tournament was a nail-biting affair, with anglers in the top ten constantly jockeying for position throughout the day. From the morning bite to the final moments, the leaderboard saw continuous movement as competitors reeled in bass after bass. Each hour saw a new contender scratching their way into the top ten, with inches separating the leaders in a fierce contest.


(Watch our live event broadcast on YouTube)

The lake’s diverse habitats and abundance of bass ensured that no angler was ever truly out of the running. As the hours wore on, the relentless back-and-forth battle at the top of the leaderboard highlighted the exhilarating nature of competitive kayak fishing on Lake Winnipesaukee.

In the end, it was New Hampshire native—and our Great Sacandaga Lake winner—Jake Angulas who clinched first place with a total of 93.75 inches of bass, highlighted by a standout 21.50-inch largemouth.

Jake sat atop the leaderboard for much of the morning until Matt Zapala not only took the lead, but increased it. Jake’s decision to swing for the fences and hunt for a kicker largemouth paid off, earning him the Fresh Baitz Big Bass of the event.

Matt Zapala followed closely in second place, amassing an equally impressive 92.75 inches of smallmouth bass.

Steve Hedges secured third place with 90 inches, while the fourth spot went to Todd Dyer, who finished with 89.50 inches, narrowly winning the tie-breaker against Nick Audi.

     

Check out the full results here and watch our EKF LIVE recap show with Todd Dyer and Matt Zapala…

Our next event will be on the St. Lawrence River on August 17! Register here.

Consistency Pays Off for John Ferreira at the 2023 EKF Championship

October 23, 2023 0 Comment

The fall bite on Lake George is legendary—if you time it right.

The two-day Elite Kayak Fishing Championship took place on October 14–15, a time of the year when bass should have been bunched up across the lake, feeding and getting fat for the winter. A sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air as thirty-six of the Northeast’s top anglers gathered with one goal in mind…

Become the 2023 EKF Champion.

But while the autumn foliage and crisp fall breeze painted an expected picture above water, things weren’t so predictable beneath the surface.

Record-breaking high temperatures preceded the week of the event, which meant the water temperature was warmer than normal this time of year (or higher than anglers had hoped it would be). This presented a challenging experience for those seeking to take home the EKF championship trophy.

With the bass less predictable, and the fall feeding frenzy only beginning to turn on, consistency over two days would be the key to victory.

As Matthew Zapala noted before the event, “Consistency will be an issue with the temps the way they are and how random it can be when it’s like this.”

After a week of cool temps, some rain, and windy conditions, day one of the event presented mostly sunny skies and light wind. Smallmouth were active this day, with only one largemouth showing up in the top-five anglers’ limits.

At the end of the day, last year’s EKF Champion and Angler of the Year, Nick Audi, no stranger to the top of the leaderboard, found himself there once again with 95.25 inches. But with this being a two-day event, and with John Ferreira (94.5), Frank Matylewicz (94), Todd Dyer (93), and Rey Morales (90) close behind, there were no guarantees for victory.

Sunday arrived with a dip in air temps and a strong northerly wind for most of the day, changing things dramatically for some anglers on day two.

When the waves settled, Ryan Matylewicz landed in fifth place with a solid limit of 177.25 inches. Ryan covered miles of water, starting at the southern end of the lake each day before packing up and moving to a mid-lake area. A dropshot presentation was how he enticed them into the kayak.

With another strong performance in his first season with EKF, Rey Morales expertly used a jig to haul in 178.25 inches of both smallmouth and largemouth, giving him a very respectable fourth-place finish to cap off an excellent year.

     

On Saturday, smallmouth pushed Nick Audi to the top spot, but on Sunday his quality smallmouth bite had disappeared. A last-minute 20-inch largemouth saved the day, giving him a much-needed 4.5-inch upgrade, which was the difference between a sixth- and a third-place finish. He had 180.25 inches total.

Nick also landed the Three Belles Outfitters Big Bass of the event with a giant 20.50-inch smallmouth.

Frank Matylewicz and Benjamin Bornhorst also caught 20.50-inchers, but Nick caught his first, which was the tie-breaker.

As noted, consistency over two days was key for this event, and Todd Dyer’s persistence was on display as he finished in fourth place each day. His masterful jig work in deep water earned him a two-day total of 181.5 inches and a well-deserved second-place check.

     

While being consistent will always benefit an angler, luck can sometimes throw a wrench in the works. John Ferreira worked a large area of the lake for three days during pre-fishing, putting up over 90 inches each day, utilizing a variety of baits. Like Rey and Todd, the jig was his most productive bait, and on Saturday it resulted in his best day of the week with 94.50 inches. Everything was going his way.

Come Sunday, however, things changed. Before noon, John’s biggest bass was a 17.50-incher. It appeared that after five days his luck—or good fortune, if you will—had finally run out.

Under pressure, John remained focused and covered nearly ten miles in his tricked-out Jackson Kayak Take Two. It was a game of hide-and-seek, and finally, at 11:58 AM, he found the first of four big smallmouth that would ultimately propel him to the top of leaderboard.

In quick succession, John hauled in a 19.75, a 19, an 18.50, and a 19.25, among others that didn’t make the cut, to firmly secure the championship crown with 188.50 inches, seven inches over second place!

John’s ability to track down schools of quality smallmouth bass led to a pattern that held up for the duration of the event.

The top ten was rounded out by Benjamin Bornhorst (175.75), Matthew Conant (172.00), Matthew Zapala (171.25), Ken Wood (167.75), and Joseph Horgos (167.75).

Over the course of two days, thirty-six champion-worthy anglers put up 354 green and brown Lake George bass. Payouts totaled just over $6,000 (with more in prizes), bringing the season total cash payouts to nearly $50,000!

And with that, the 2023 EKF season has come to an end. This season would not have been possible without the support of Dakota Lithium Batteries, Three Belles Outfitters, and National Trade Services, as well as Bending Branches, Crosskix, Catch Co., Fresh Baitz, Harpoon Brewery, Hobie Eyewear, Lunkerhunt, Rogue Gear Co., and YakAttack!

Though our sponsors are the foundation on which we all stand and compete, we must always thank you, the angler, for making EKF the great success that it’s been! It has been an amazing season for us and we’re looking forward to making 2024 even better!