Fish Stories

The Big Three: Part I - Kayak Bass Fishing

The competitive kayak bass fishing scene has grown significantly over the past few years as more major trails have come in to the mix. Kayak Bass Fishing, the OG of the 3, was the only consistent trail series before Hobie Bass Open Series and Bassmaster Kayak Series were added. Being a competitive bass angler for over 20 years I was determined to ensure that I experienced all 3 this year in order to make an honest comparison between the trails. In this 3 part series I’ll share my personal experience with each of the trails as well as breakdown the pros and cons of each trail as I see it.

Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF)

With its long standing as the original national trail that has provoked all the others to get into the mix, KBF has always put on a good event. The formats that KBF brings to the table are many, but I’ll focus on the Trail Series.

The KBF Trail Series runs 3 optional events per weekend. The format gives anglers some choice with time and money which is a good convenience. Events are two single-day tournaments and the Dakota Double-Up - an overall 2 day event, with big bass optional buy in. This gives anglers that can’t fish multiple days a choice to compete and be rewarded for single day finishes . It also allows the option for those who like the multiple day format to be rewarded as one of the 6 consistent top anglers for the weekend.

Over the course of a season, the Trail Series uses a points-based format with automated standings to track the Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year standings. The Angler of the Year format includes 4 individual event points totals combined with the Trail Championship for qualified anglers at the end of the year. The top 10 anglers in the points are also qualified for an elite special event “The Ten” where these top anglers compete in a multi-day all expenses paid (excluding travel) tournament full of personal promotion and prizes.

Chad Hoover has always been a good promoter of the sport and brings a lot of attention to both the sport and the individual anglers. The large following that KBF and Chad has between the social channels and YouTube combine as a great platform for top anglers to get national recognition.

In the many events I have fished, the community and staff at KBF have always treated me great. This season is no different although I have done better than in previous years so far, cashing checks in 2 events. The payouts come slower than I would like but usually arrives within 30 days which is reasonable. The only issue I have had with the payout portion is communication, which is an easy fix for KBF. Just send messages out to the winners with the expected payout time frame and keep in touch with the anglers who are owed money in order to ensure they don’t feel forgotten. Money is a sensitive thing in this world, and it is amazing how fast we anglers spend our winnings before we are even called up to the stage!

Pros:

• Angler centric mentality with live streams and professionally written articles
• Options for single or multiple day event formats
• Good promotion of the anglers across social media
• Angler of the Year points are achievable regardless of reasonable travel limitations
• Great community and large membership (over 10,000 in total)
• Automated standings on Fishing Chaos

Cons:

• Can be confusing for new anglers with all the options available
• Rules and Format changes happen year to year
• Limited staff, sometimes not responsive to angler needs and questions
• History of occasional late payouts (Anglers do get paid, addressed publicly by Chad recently)

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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