Kayak Fishing Focus

The fourth stop of the 2026 NSKA NWA season, presented by Southtown Sporting Goods, brought the tournament trail back home to northwest Arkansas. This time, the field descended on the river arms and winding bluffs of Beaver Lake South. After a beautiful tournament day on Tenkiller, this event forced anglers to contend with a massive, atmospheric variable: a relentless, soakin...

Wind is one of those things bass anglers love to complain about until it helps them catch fish.

On highland reservoirs like Beaver Lake, Table Rock, Bull Shoals, and Tenkiller, wind bass fishing can turn a dead-looking stretch of bank into one of the best areas on the lake. It can also make kayak fishing a pain if you pick the wrong side of it.

That is the...

If you spend much time bass fishing around the Ozarks, especially on lakes like Beaver and Table Rock, you’ve probably heard anglers use the terms “Kentucky bass” and “spotted bass” almost interchangeably. Early on in my fishing career I heard someone keep referring to catching a “Kentucky” and I was very confused and had to ask.

Most of the time, they’re talking ab...

The post-spawn transition is one of the more frustrating times of the year for a lot of bass anglers. Fish can seem scattered, timing changes throughout the day, and patterns that worked a week earlier suddenly stop producing. Even as an experienced angler, any given day can be a difficult one this time of year.

On highland reservoirs like Beaver Lake, Table Rock, ...

If you’re new to kayak fishing or just moved to Northwest Arkansas, you’re in for a treat. This region offers some of the best kayak bass fishing in the country, with crystal-clear waters, stunning scenery, and plenty of accessible launch points. After spending over a decade exploring these waters in both recreational and tournament settings, I’ve narrowed down my top five de...