Whoa! The bite has finally turned on here in the Hoosier State and our anglers definitely took advantage of it.
Week Seven? Already? Doesn't seem possible, but sure enough, here we are.
This weekend featured 3 GRBY events and the long awaited season opener of the longest running series in the state - Indiana Kayak Anglers, presented by Moving Water Outfitters.
There was no shortage of action on the water this past week and for those of us stock on dry land, the leaderboards were full of drama to keep us entertained.
GRBY | Nyona & South Mud #1 - presented by Soremouth Tackle
The GRBY Nyona Series opened up its season this weekend and it did not disappoint. Started off with a Bang on Thursday morning when Evan Long quickly dropped an impressive limit of 80 plus inches. But, he wasn't the only one catching them. Right behind him were the likes of Chad Howard, George Nemeth, and the Sheriff himself, Bob Goldsmith.
In the end, Bob was on top after day one as he was able to nudge out Evan by half an inch, thanks to a 21.00 inch largemouth bass. With a 5 Fish limit of 84.00 inches, Bob was not only able to take the lead on monday, but his bag held up for the remaining 4 days of competition, earning him his 1st victory of the season!
Evan Long finished in 2nd and 2022 Nyona Lake AOY, Chad Howard, rounded out the top 3.
Bob’s 21.00 kicker was also the Big Bass of the event, landing him a little extra cash to go along with his 1st place winnings, not bad for a day's work. Especially considering over 30 anglers competed in this event.
With over half the field above 70 inches and 3 anglers breaking the 80 inch mark, it's safe to say Nyona continues to prove it's one of the hottest destinations for anglers in the state.
GRBY Central Trail #2 | Geist Reservoir presented by Honey Creek Tackle
The GRBY Central Trail made its second stop of the season, this time on the historic Geist Reservoir. This was a fairly tough event for most. Out of 22 anglers, only 4 were able to find a limit.
Micheal Luke of Mccordsville, IN brought his A-Game and shut it down on Sunday with a really solid 80-inch limit, including the Big Bass of the Derby at 19.00 inches. Michael Kulik landed in second with 75.00” and 2019 GRBY Champion, “Big Fish Chip” Romanovich, took 3rd with 73.00”.
Wes Ward of Avon, Indiana landed one of the fattest 19.50” largemouths we have ever seen, making his wallet a little fatter with some Big Bass Money.
GRBY | Blue Grass FWA #3 presented by Bizz Baits
The Blue Grass we have come to know and love showed back up this week and in a BIG way. The top 11 anglers all broke the 80-inch mark and if you were in the 80s, you weren't even close to winning.
TJ Alyward throws down the hammer and cashes in on his second win in two weeks. Putting up a massive 98.75” inches anchored by a mondo 22.00” largemouth, which was of course Big Bass of the event.
In a recent post, TJ said “It's all coming together” meaning he's got that confidence. So if you see him on the roster for an event you're fishing, you better know he's bringing the heat!
If you catch a limit and have a 22 in this state, your odds of winning are like 98% so of course, you have to imagine after friday, most anglers knew they were fishing for 2nd.
Brian Hensely, like TJ, fished Friday and was able to find some good ones himself, taking 2nd with 90.75” and the TD Adam Cartwright broke a few hearts on monday when he slid into the 3rd place spot with 87.25.
IKA | Tippecanoe River presented by Moving Water Outfitters
The 2023 IKA season kicked off with an EPIC derby this past Saturday with 54 anglers ready to do battle on the Tippy. Less than half the field was able to find 5 keepers, but the ones that did, put up some really impressive numbers considering the conditions.
The most impressive of which was an 88.25” stringer from Ryan Platt, anchored by the Big Bass of the event, a trophy 21.00” Smallmouth Bass.
This is the second year in a row Ryan has opened up the IKA Season with a Victory. Here is what Ryan had to say about the win.
“It feels great to start the IKA season off with a win. This one feels special because I've always been a lake fisherman, so to win on a river after winning on Wawasee last year is a confidence boost for the season.”
Clint Stafford made a run of it himself, putting up 87.50 inches and possibly the most talked about angler in the state right now, Antoine Hayes, finds himself yet again on the podium with a 3rd place finish.
Incredible!! - Antoine now has top 3 finishes in KBF, GRBY, SIYAK and IKA. We remind you, it's only May! We have seen some hot streaks before, but what Antoine is doing right now may be a first. To have had so much success this early on and across every series is not an easy feat.
Something tells us this angler is bound for greatness.
KBF | April Challenge Series presented by Dakota Lithium
April state challenge series also wrapped up this past week and yup, you guessed it, Antoine Hayes was the man on top.
Hayes, with 98.75 inches, narrowly beat out Brant Sharp who landed a total of 98.50 inches. Adam Murray made a last minute push to get into the top 3 with a total of 98.00 inches on the month.
You may have also seen Antoine and Nate Goodwin crash the party over in Illinois. Hayes with 101.25 and the victory, while Goodwin rounded out the top 3 with 97.50 inches. - Way to represent boys!
KBF Trail Series AOY
Speaking of representing the Hoosier State, KBF held their Potomac River Trail events this past weekend and with all the results tallied, Glenn Landstrom now leads the KBF Rogue Gear Co Angler of the Year race. The Champ, Mike Elsea, is keeping his name in the mix as well, currently sitting in 3rd - just 60 points behind Glenn. With only 3 events left this season and one of them being Chick, we’re liking the odds of seeing the two amazing Hooosier anglers in the DEEZEE Ten House!
Hobie BOS | Lake Seminole
Indiana Native and Kayak Fishing Phenom, Jaxton Orr, is back to making waves in the kayak world. Currently in Jefferson City, TN, fishing for the Carson-Newman University Fishing Team, Jaxton hasn't been as involved here locally, but he still sneaks away for the occasional national level event. This past weekend, he competed in the Hobie BOS on Lake Seminole and took 3rd place with a 2 day total of 187.25 inches. While AOY standings have yet to post, Jaxton was sitting in 8th going into this event so, we expect to see him at or near the top, when the results are published.
IKA | Hoosier Big Bass Hunt
The IKA Hoosier Big Bass Hunt is really starting to heat up, currently Josh Robbins of Pendleton, IN sits in the hot seat.
Josh has a 22.50 mondo largemouth bass and a solid 19.75 smallmouth. If Josh is able to find a 21" plus Smallie, he will be difficult to beat.
2nd place, Troy Riggins, and 3rd place, Ryan Reedy, are currently tied at 40 inches.
Reminder: This event is still open for registration, so don't be afraid to sign up and go hunting!
Congratulations to all the top performers from week 7!!
Looking through the leaderboards from this past week, it is obvious that the 1st wave of big females is starting to move up for the spawn, and with the full moon taking place this coming Friday, we should see a big wave head to the shallows, meaning Donky Season is officially here.
Week eight should be a Slugfest, especially considering that on top of the full moon, we have a warming trend starting Wednesday, extending well into the 10-day forecast.
So what is the moral of the story?
You don't want to miss out on the fishing this week, so check out the events below and get signed up!
UPNEXT
IKA | TRI-LAKES - May 21
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