Oklahoma Kayak Anglers

The Oklahoma Kayak Anglers 2021 Season Opener at Lake Eufaula is here and it will be a giant of a tournament! Anglers will compete for Angler of the Year points, Newcomer of the Year points, as well as door prizes provided by OKA sponsors. Also, anglers who are B.A.S.S. Nation or KBF members will have their first chance to accrue B.A.S.S. AOY points or grab 2022 KBF National Championship invites. Regardless of the reason for competing, all anglers will have their work cutout for them on this 102,000 East Central Oklahoma fishery.   Last season the OKA set an attendance record at the 2020 Season Opener on Lake Murray with 76 anglers competing on a clear windy day. Now with the decline of covid-19, the OKA hopes to smash the 76 angler record by reaching the 100 angler mark. "100 anglers for a live event would be a milestone for the OKA and its anglers." says OKA President Avery Metcalf. Metcalf went on to say " The top payout would be a big, big bonus to the winner and we ...

I would like to start off by saying that I have fished my entire life, looking back throughout my young life, fishing may have not been the priority at that moment in time but it was the first thing I did when I had nothing else on the schedule. With that being said fishing kayak tournaments without a doubt have made me a better angler, outdoorsman, and fan of the sport of bass fishing. I can remember walking the clear creeks of northeastern, Oklahoma looking for that 5 pounder around the next bend, or riding my bike around the greater Catoosa area trying to find that loaded pond or strip pit. Later I was driving my 1990, 5 speed Ford Ranger to the local hotspot. Fast-forward a few years later and I was off to college at Northeastern State in Tahlequah having the Illinois River and Barron fork Creek at my disposal. Both the river and creek are outstanding places to fish and I couldn't get enough. I loved fishing the Illinois River so much I applied for a job at War Eagle Resort and...

The first derby of 2021 is upon us and man are we excited to begin the upcoming season! The 2021 OKA Statewide Online Fundraiser will be a chance for new anglers to get their feet wet in kayak tournaments and a chance for seasoned anglers to break the ice on a huge 2021 season. This tournament was originally scheduled for February 20th and 21st on Lake Konawa. However, with the recent winter blizzard the OKA board decided to move the Fundraiser to the following weekend which is February 27th and 28th as well as opening it up to a statewide road runner. This move was to ensure angler safety and participation stays at a premium. With so many giant bass caught from Lake Konawa, the OKA hopes to return to Lake Konawa in future seasons.  The Statewide Online Road Runner concept is often debated and said to not be the best metric for anglers to compete against one another and those anglers may have a good point. However, with the state of Oklahoma offering a plethora of remarkable fisher...

The OKA angler spotlight continues this week with Angler Brandon Brooks. Brandon is a new kayak angler who just recently moved to Oklahoma. While only competing in the last half of the 2020 season Brandon has a lot of upside for 2021. " I am 30 years old from Wichita Kansas and entering my 12th year on active duty in the US Navy Seabees. I am an avid bass fisherman, it’s my passion!" Brandon However, is not new to the tournament scene. " I first started fishing tournaments as a Co-angler when I was stationed in Florida from 2015-2018." As everyone likes to steer their own boat, Brandon knew it was time to move on from the co-angler bit. " I quickly grew tired of fishing from the back of the boat. Without the room or money for boat of my own I turned to kayak fishing, and so glad that I did." "After transferring to Oklahoma I joined the OKA series of tournaments mid season of 2020 and loved it!"  Brandon just recently secured a tackle sponsorship ...

The 2021 OKA season is upon us and if you thought the 2020 trail events were a big deal just wait until you see what we got going on in 2021! As normal the OKA trail will crisscross the great regions of this state with a large pool of talented anglers in tow. Last season the OKA came out with its inaugural Power Rankings listing the top 15 anglers who are on the rise for the upcoming season. With the record attendance of 2020 the OKA has decided to expand the PWR Rankings to the top 25. These 25 anglers are expected to fill the top of leaderboards, challenge for AOY, SPOY, KBF, and BASS Qualifications throughout the OKA trail season.  The top 25 will be at the bottom of this article but before you scroll past make sure to check out what else we have going on for 2021!  AOY Champion Jason Ray Angler of the Year Competitors top 5 finishes will be compiled and the angler with the highest score will be the 2021 Angler of the Year Champion. The AOY Champ will receive: $1,000 paymen...

If you think 2021 cant get any better, it just did. Eskridge Chevrolet in Guthrie has made a huge donation to the Oklahoma Kayak Anglers and just wait till you hear how much! Eskridge donated $2,000 to the Big Bass Clash which will allow qualifying anglers to forgo an entry fee. Yes, that's correct anglers who qualify for the Big Bass Clash will not pay an entry fee for the tournament. The $2,000 donation will be used as the payout purse for the top 5 anglers. However, there is a small registration fee of $7 dollars that anglers will pay on tourneyx, $5 of which will go to tourneyx and $1.93 will go to PayPal. Eskridge Chevrolet in Guthrie sells new and preowned vehicles and also provides a great service department. Eskridge General Manager Justin Pence and OKA Board Member Michael Galbraith Sr. have forged a relationship built around telling fish stories. "I got the idea after purchasing my second vehicle from Eskridge", Galbraith said. " Most of the guys were very ...

 By Jason Ray Stage 1: Prep Prepping for a tournament is a time that I really enjoy. This usually happens the week before the tournament for me. I spend at least an hour each night before the tournament going through my gear checking line and fine tuning lures.  I also take this time to study the lake especially if I cant pre-fish or if I haven't fished it in the past. I go to Google maps and check the satellite images to find the part of the lake that best suits my style of fishing. Now is also a time to check the weather for the week end and prep for rain, wind or long hot days. The day before is when I get all my snacks and water ready to go. The night before the tournament is always the hardest for me because I'm so excited to go and compete I usually get about two hours of sleep. Even after 4 years of competing I still get butterflies and an excited feeling before tournament day.    Stage 2: The Drive The drive to the tournament is a time to clear your mind of t...

 By Kong Xiong The expectations are higher than ever for the 2021 OKA season and to be honest if a fish is not over 20" there is nothing to talk about. They are often referred to as mondos, tubs, toads, tanks, hawgs, ditch pandas, biggins, big mama, bucketmouth, full grown stud, slaunch, donkeys or jaints. It doesnt matter what you and your friends call them, everyone craves the adrenaline of a big bass battle. More importantly, the satisfaction of the social media post. A couple of years ago a 5 fish limit totaling 95 inches in an online event such as Toadfest or Dog Days was a good stringer worthy of a top 10 finish. Now, 95 inches wont even get you in the top 15. So, if you want to be in contention to win an online event you have to start looking for fish bigger than 20 inches. With many anglers taking a big bass mentality approach to fishing, many anglers will now catch their personal best or "pb", because their minds are focused on big fish.  Now that big fish are o...