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Showing posts from November, 2020

OKA - NSKA Border Battle Preview

We have made it to the end of a crazy and unprecedented 2020, but before you set your eyes on the new year a single kayak tournament remains! The Oklahoma Kayak Anglers and Natural State Kayak Anglers will renew their Border battle series on Chimney Rock Lake to find out which club has what it takes to be named Border Battle Champions! Bragging rights, and good ole fashioned pride will be on the line Saturday, December 5th but more importantly it will be a chance for kayak anglers from the two border states on Chimney Rock/ Pumpback / W.R. Holloway to get together and tell fish stories and forge new friendships.  The Natural State Kayak Anglers based out of Northwest Arkansas were founded in 2012 by then president Jeff Malott. NSKA has since expanded to an Arkansas central region trail to go along with their Northwest Arkansas (NWA) trail. Malott, who now runs the Kayak Bass Nation (KBN) Podcast  and an admin for the KBN Facebook page recalls the first and only border battle taking pla

OKA Angler Spotlight: Jason Thomas

By: Jason Scott Thomas I grew up in Henryetta, OK. That put me in frequent great fishing at Eufaula, Dripping Springs, and Okmulgee Lake with my dad, who tournament fished in the 80’s/90’s. I learned a great deal from him, and he always let me try new things (just don’t get hung up too much). I still learn from him, we all forget some great memories, but he doesn’t forget colors, weather, and where at when it comes to fishing. I bet a lot of us know that feeling. I’m now a dad and teaching my boys about fishing, and I love it. I have an incredible and beautiful wife, and two boys (4 & 2) who keep me ready to take on each and every day. For work, I’m the HR leader at Boeing (Oklahoma City) where we work on and support Military and Defense aerospace products (this video still pumps me up  https://youtu.be/HvxfarP5ENY ). My other hobby/passions are golf (lowest I’ve ever been is a 3 handicap), and collecting/selling sports cards (Vintage, specific modern…my kayak and electronics were

Fishing Skinny Water

I began fishing competitive kayak tournaments in 2018 and it was a trial by fire. I was new to fishing lakes and reservoirs as I had grown up walking, wading, and canoeing the small creeks and rivers of northeastern, Oklahoma. Obviously I was hooked fishing 12 tournaments excluding jackpots. The lakes were new and exciting and I had little to no experience on any of them. It was during that 2018 season where I learned what my strengths were for success. Small, moving water with hard to find access points. If it was available to fish I would locate an access point on the main inflow of the tournament lake and make that the focus of my tournament day. This water is routinely over looked by tournament anglers, but fished correctly can pay dividends on tournament day.    1. Fish are more condensed        Bass are creatures of habit and follow seasonal changes and weather patterns to migrate from deep water to shallow water and back again. However, in small rivers, and creeks bass are conde

AAKC Recap: Big Mike catches 4th Place, OK finishes 3rd

OKA angler and board member Michael Galbraith Sr. finished 4th place out of 167 anglers at the Inaugural All - American Kayak Classic on Truman Lake in Missouri. The AAKC is a championship level tournament comprised of the top kayak anglers from around the country. AAKC invites are handed out to each individual clubs top anglers by Angler of the Year points. Several other Oklahomans placed high in the event which helped Oklahoma receive 3rd place honors as a group. Anglers Jacob Weickum, Steven Giblet and Josue Rodriquez finished 14th, 15th, and 16th place respectably. The OKA looks forward to sending more anglers to the AAKC in future seasons.  Michael Galbraith Sr. is an angler who hails from the Guthrie - Stillwater area. Competition fishing hasn't always been the reason to wet a line for Galbraith. "I grew up fishing as a means for food and not for the sport or competition." Galbraith has been on the competitive kayak scene for 4 seasons now and has recently started t

2021 OKA Schedule

Let the Google Mapping, YouTube searching, and prefishing begin! The 2021 OKA Schedule is out and man does it hit different than 2020! The lakes range in size from 102,000 acres down to 688 acres and every size in between. The OKA will travel from the Southwest Deseret region of Oklahoma through the big bass central region. Up to the Sandstone Hills of Northwest Tulsa and across to the Boston Mountains of Eastern Oklahoma and finally to the piney forested Ouachita Mountains in Southeastern Oklahoma. There are also several new changes to the schedule such as long standing Toadfest and Dogs Days online events have changed to 1 month adding 2 additional events now known as Spawnfest and Summerfest. The OKA has also added the Big Bass Clash, a 2 day event right in the middle of the schedule. Anglers can qualify for the Big Bass Clash by scoring a 20", bass in Toadfest or Spawnfest. Day 1 of the Big Bass Clash will be ran concurrently with the Central Region Road Runner and will have t