Here's what's on tap for 2026:

• Feb. 7-8 — Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Kissimmee, Fla.
• April 18-19 — Caddo Lake/Lake Bistineau, Shreveport, La.
• May 30-31 — Santee Cooper Lakes, Clarendon County, S.C.
• June 6-7 — Clear Lake, Lake County, Calif.
• Aug. 1-2 — Susquehanna River, Bloomsburg, Pa.
• Aug. 22-23 — Wolf and Fox Rivers, Appleton, Wis.

 

IN past year, the Championship was held in February of the next year at a lake close to where the Bassmaster Classic was being held. This year it will be a stand alone event in October. There's also some scuttlebut that an event or two may be televised using drones, camera boats, and Go Pro cameras transmitting through Starlink.

 

My goal next year is to fish the first three events, hopefully with @FryDog62 teaming up with me so we can cover water in practice and translate that knowledge to good finishes. Caddo will be tough because it's a one day drive out and a one day drive back that I have to fit in around work. For Kissimmee and Santee Cooper I can leave on Thursday night and get in one day of practice on Friday.

 

The other tournaments are just too far for me to drive with my work schedule. As it is, since I'm new to this company I have only one week of PTO this year.

 

Hopefully, this series continues to grow. For the events Texas and eastward, the fields average around 210 - 220 per event. West Coast tournaments have been in the low 100's. If it grows, especially on the west coast, it would be nice if they had an East Series and a West Series and a combined championship. That way there would be more tournaments close to where I live.

 

Kissimmee should be a blast in February if the weather isn't cold. Caddo and Bistineau are beautiful lakes with all of the giant Cypress, and Santee Cooper is Santee Cooper. Everyone seems to love Susquehanna, but it's a far drive more me and my Autopilot is not a good option for river fishing, especially as shallow as it gets up there. I've heard a lot of people rave about Clear Lake, but that would be a 40 hour drive each way! I have never heard of the Wolf and Fox rivers.

 

 

The wolf/fox rivers are a part of the Green Bay watershed.  It flows into Lake Winnebago and eventually into Lake Michigan.

 

I've never fished it, but as a northern destination, I have more interest in it.

2 hours ago, gim said:

The wolf/fox rivers are a part of the Green Bay watershed.  It flows into Lake Winnebago and eventually into Lake Michigan.

 

I've never fished it, but as a northern destination, I have more interest in it.

Yes, I’m hopeful to fish with Koz at Kissimmee and Santee Cooper.
 

The goal is to participate in three tournaments - and there is a good chance we spend the summer in Minnesota next year. Could make it a strong possibility for me to also fish Wolf/Fox in August. Gim, anyone on the IDO site an expert on bass in those rivers? Or maybe they just fish like the Rum!! 

Not sure about that.  I don't know anyone, personally.

 

Where are you planning to live/stay next summer?

13 minutes ago, gim said:

Not sure about that.  I don't know anyone, personally.

 

Where are you planning to live/stay next summer?

We're looking at a 3 month VRBO right now on the NW side of the Twin Cities... if not, could possibly joint venture with my son to buy a home that our arrangement would be for Kelly and I to live there 3 months per year in the summer (and store the Autopilot kayak in the garage year round). 

 

Kelly's parents have moved to assisted living in Corcoran and need a lot of help right now. 

Go to the susky you won’t regret it promise!

9 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

Go to the susky you won’t regret it promise!

I'd need a different kayak, preferably a lighter weight pedal driver with fins or a kayak with a shallow stern drive motor. From what I've seen it gets much to shallow for my Autopilot to safely navigate unless I stick to locating deeper pools and hoping there's a ramp nearby. But I think that defeats the fun of going up there.

It all depends on water level. The last year they came up everyone was saying it was so slow. It was around 4.2-4.4. People were complaining it was so shalllow. That’s honestly perfect. They should have been here this year when it was under 3. At times. What none of those kayak dudes tell you is they always have to get out and drag the kayak at sometime.  Or pull it through to shallow of water. Which they almost make legal on the susky. 

3 hours ago, Susky River Rat said:

It all depends on water level. The last year they came up everyone was saying it was so slow. It was around 4.2-4.4. People were complaining it was so shalllow. That’s honestly perfect. They should have been here this year when it was under 3. At times. What none of those kayak dudes tell you is they always have to get out and drag the kayak at sometime.  Or pull it through to shallow of water. Which they almost make legal on the susky. 

 

That's exactly why I would only do it with a lighter kayak. No electronics, and very little gear.

We still fish pools. Just have to run the jet through the skinny where a lot of the kayaks have to get out and drag. Honestly there is multiple areas you’d have no issues fishing in your kayak within the normal boundaries. You wouldn’t even have to get out but, you will most likely bump. 

I always thought getting into shallow or skinny water was one of the points of having a yak?  Going where most boats cannot.  Seems like it kinda defeats the purpose otherwise.

@gim, jet boats aren’t “most boats”

That's why I said "most" boats.  A jet powered boat can obviously get into skinnier water than other watercraft can.

There is a slight friendly  feud on the susky with jet boats and kayaks. More so which is the superior vessel for it. Almost all the kayak guys that I bump into that are deep in the kayak game are super cool. The cool thing about where I fish and  I’m sure @TnRiver46 can attest to is knowing the river and being able to read the river  trump technology. Technology for me is more for safety. 

Clear is very good June before the algae bloom. Can’t imagine the east coast kayakers being competitive on Clear Lake with western anglers knowing the big lake so well. 
The 1st 3 events are full of Cypress trees and alligators.

Tom
 

The susky at Bloomsburg is an interesting choice.  Not that there aren't fish, but it's a lot smaller there to host a big tournament.  And then it's a small town to set up a 'weigh in' type event (I know there isn't a true weigh in, but there has to be some form of event space).  I would have thought they'd been closer to HBurg.  I wonder what boundaries they will set for the tournament.  I'd be willing to bet that it takes 80+" to be in the money and 90+" to win it.  

 

@Kayak Koz come august the water will be low (absent storms).  But the pools will have all the fish at that point.  With a kayak tournament, you have the option of loading and unloading and that would be one option for you.  Another would be pairing up with another entrant as a 'float' style trip where you pick a couple of the pools and work through them for the day.  Certainly that's how I'd look at practice.  The AP would be fine from a depth perspective.  You'd have to pull the motor in the riffles to float through, but you only need 4-6" draft for the AP which will get you through most places.

 

 

Not sure if you’re fishing it Koz, but one of the local kayak bass guys that fishes the NJ trail is in third place right now with 185” (20 fish) including a 23” hog.

Since buying a kayak for this season, I've been watching some of the youtubers who do the tourneys. The Susky is insane to me, you need mid-90s to get into the top 10. I have no knowledge of the rules but many of the competitors are standing in the water with their kayak strapped to them, I suppose that makes a catch legal?

I am just under 2 hours away and I have never fished it. Now that I have a vessel to do so, maybe it's time to change that.

On 2/8/2026 at 3:08 PM, Craig P said:

Since buying a kayak for this season, I've been watching some of the youtubers who do the tourneys. The Susky is insane to me, you need mid-90s to get into the top 10. I have no knowledge of the rules but many of the competitors are standing in the water with their kayak strapped to them, I suppose that makes a catch legal?

I am just under 2 hours away and I have never fished it. Now that I have a vessel to do so, maybe it's time to change that.

I’m currently in South Jersey but moving to Nebraska in June.

I am determined to fish the susky before I leave. World class smallmouth fishery, gotta give it a shot.