News

A Sweet win on the Potomac

(pardon the lame pun, its unavoidable...)

KBF's annual visit to Stafford, Virginia and the Potomac River seems to challenge anglers not accustomed to tidal fisheries. The weather cooperated for the most part throughout the weekend and the high tides lined up nicely for a mid-morning bite which most anglers were able to take advantage of Sunday.

Trail I on Saturday was won by Ryan Nye who took the lead and held on for most of the day. Nye commenting after the event stated that he started in the same waters he did previously consisting of deep channels and marinas. “There are large pylons, like telephone poles, around those docks, and I targeted those.” With a consistent bit all day from dark until 2pm Nye was able to hold on for the win with an impressive 92 inches.

Tyler Sweet was in 4th with 88 inches for the Trail I event and was in the lead for the Pro Series Saturday. Wanting to qualify for the Pro Series Championship which has $50,000 guaranteed, Sweet set aside any obstacles and doubt. “fishing tidal water isn’t what I am used to” he continued “But I found grass on the Potomac, and the bass were biting there. It was like fishing a natural grass lake, which I am used to”

Trail II on Sunday turned into a feeding frenzy when the tide came in and high water had battles for the Trail II and Pro Series heating up. Alex Fiolka had 90 inches up early and was able to post up a 92.25 inches to take the Trail II win.

By mid-morning Sweet had posted up 82.25 inches with Ryan Matylewicz chasing for the Pro Series lead with 85.75 inches. Sweet would prevail with a total 170.25 inches, with Matylewicz close behind with 167.75 inches taking the second spot.

Sweet told Kayak Bass Fishing "“I think what I found was a spawning bay. In pre-fishing, my lipless crankbait brought up some green grass. So I figured the bass were staging there to spawn. Sure enough, every bass I caught was a pre-spawn female. The water there was also pretty clear, and I caught my fish Saturday on a Strike King 2.5 Square Bill, in a Sexy Shad color. I struggled a bit more on Sunday, throwing different baits, but I got enough for the win.”

Nick Audi was able to cash the big bass check with a 20.25 inch bass, which was caught before Alex Fiolka’s breaking the tie.

Next stop for KBF Trail and Pro Series with be at San Vicente Reservoir, Lakeside, CA on April 23-24, 2022.

Current KBF Pro Series Standings

1	Anthony Garcia	1758 pts
2	Gilbert Garcia	1650 pts
2	Casey Reed	1650 pts
4	Josh stewart	1638 pts
5	Dusty Yakker	1608 pts
6	Cory Dreyer	1584 pts
7	Mike Elsea	1536 pts
8	Jody Queen	1500 pts
9	John Dicenzo	1428 pts
10	Cody Milton	1404 pts

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Eric Nelson
Professional Kayak Bass Angler

Biography

I was born in Southeastern Massachusetts, where I began fishing for bass when I was in my early teenage years, graduating to competitive bass tournaments in my late 20’s. I moved to North Carolina in 2015 and found the passion for bass fishing from a kayak, and quickly became involved in both the local and national kayak bass tournament scenes. My fishing skills have allowed me to qualify for almost every major event since joining the clubs, be it at a club, state and even national level.

Being a professional in the online web development and design field for publications, I have always used my skills to help promote the clubs and the sport as a whole in my spare time.  I have been a part of the club directors for Cape Cod Bass, and now for Carolina Kayak Anglers, one of the larger kayak clubs in the country. I am also a part of the national KBF tournament advisory board.

The Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) format has allowed me to travel across the United States, fishing against the best fisherman in the country. Now with the KBF Pro format, and the merging with the FLW organization, I am looking forward to where this adventure takes me in the future.

Highlights

Total Career Earnings - $3,250

Competition Highlights
Inaugural FLW / KBF Cup Championship Qualified 2019 - Hot Springs, AK
KBF National Championship Qualified 2020 - Lake Guntersville, AL
KBF Challenge Championship 2018 - Toledo Bend, LA
2019 KBF National Championship - 57th overall out of 462 anglers - Shreveport, LA
KBF Regional Trail Championship Qualified 2019 - Lake Wheeler, AL
KBF National Trail Championship Qualified 2019 - La Crosse, WI
2nd Place 2018 KBF National Trail - High Rock Lake, NC
2nd Place 2019 - Plastic Pirates - Randleman Lake, NC
11th Place - 2019 KBF Southeastern Region Trail - Santee Cooper Lakes, SC
13th Place - 2019 KBF Southeastern Region Trail - Chickamauga Lake, TN
46th Place 2019 FLW / KBF Cup Qualifier - Nickajack Lake, TN
2nd Place - Plastic Pirates - Randleman Lake 2019
1st Place - Cape Cod Bass,  2002 - Lake Winnipesaukee, NH
1st Place - Cape Cod Bass, 2008 - Glenn Charlie Pond, MA