Category: News

Announcing the Massachusetts B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series

March 9, 2020 0 Comment

With his second place finish at the very first B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series tournament on Logan Martin Lake last week, our buddy Mark Edwards got to experience something many of us never thought possible or only dreamed about: walking across the Bassmaster Classic stage and holding a trophy high!

Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ is proud to announce that we are now an official B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series club, offering anglers their shot at bass fishing glory and a chance to stand on the 2021 Bassmaster Classic stage like so many legends have in the past.

For the 2020 season, all ten of our regular-season events will be qualifying events for the Massachusetts B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series State Championship, which will take place on October 10 at Lake Nippenicket. The top three finishers in each event will qualify!

In addition, the top fifteen anglers in our 2020 Angler of the Year race will also qualify.

To be eligible, you must meet all of the requirements listed on the registration page linked below before the start of any qualifying event.

Potentially forty-five anglers will qualify, though that is unlikely, as there will be no roll-downs and no doubt some overlap there in the top fifteen overall and the top three finishers at events throughout the season.

For instance, if this applied to our 2019 season, excluding the spots earned by previous qualifiers, only 21 anglers would have qualified to fish the championship.

Of those who do qualify for the state championship, the top five finishers at that event will have earned their chance to fish the B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series National Championship—which will coincide with the Bassmaster Classic—in 2021!

Who wants to stand upon that stage like a legend?

Follow this link for more details (or click the B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series link from the menu at the top of this page). The link to register is at the bottom of that page.

The Massachusetts B.A.S.S. Nation awards banquet is this coming Saturday. Your state dues covers entry into this event. Would be great to see some of you there!

If you have any questions, just ask.

(And sorry this took so long to post and there’s not much time between now and the banquet. I was waiting on them for something, and they were waiting on me for something. Little confusion there, so I’m sorry about that.)

Announcing the New England KBF Partner Trail Series

February 19, 2020 0 Comment

It started as an idea. A single regional event, hosted by many of New England’s and New York’s various kayak fishing groups, working together instead of against each for the good of the sport.

That was 2018, and we ran out of time.

We readdressed the idea again last year, thought that a standalone regional trail series would work even better. Instead of all groups working on one huge event, allow one or a few to host a single tournament in a series of them, culminating in a championship event.

But again, we ran out of time.

This year we were determined to get it off the ground. Jason Gardner and I reached out to Brian Baulsir at Adirondack Kayak Bass Fishing and Chris Smigz at New Hampshire Kayak Fishing, asked if they and their groups would be willing to jump on board and make this thing a reality. They happily agreed.

Having a little behind-the-scenes insight into Kayak Bass Fishing’s plans in the coming years, it just so happened that our idea perfectly aligned with KBFs vision for the future. And so our little regional trail series has morphed into something much bigger. Higher stakes, bigger rewards!

And so without further ado, we are very excited to officially announce the 2020 New England KBF Partner Trail Series, the very first of its kind!

Stop 1: Lake George, New York, May 23, hosted by Adirondack Kayak Bass Fishing
Stop 2: Great Pond, Maine, June 6, hosted by Maine Yak Anglers
Stop 3: Charles River, Massachusetts, August 1, hosted by Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’
Stop 4: Lake Winnipesaukee, August 22, Championship Event hosted by New Hampshire Kayak Fishing

The first three stops are concurrent events—Lake George is also the KBF Trail event, Great Pond is also a Maine Yak Anglers event, and the Charles River is also a Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ event. Each will be its own separate tournament on TourneyX. Anglers may fish one or both.

Here’s what’s at stake:

• Top 10% at each of the first three events qualify for the KBF Partner Championship on Caddo Lake, October 17–18
• Top 10% at each of the first three events qualify for the KBF National Championship
• Top 30% at each of the first three events qualify for the New England KBF Partner Trail Series Championship on Lake Winnipesaukee, August 22
• Top 10% (minimum 10) at the New England KBF Partner Trail Series Championship qualify for KBF TRAIL Series Northeast Regional Championship on Lake Messalonskee and China Lake, September 12–13

Entry fee for each event is $50, with an optional $10 Big Bass Brawl side-pot (purchased through the KBF store), split 50/30/20.

The Lake George event is already on TourneyX, if you wish to register now.

There are just four events this year, but we plan to double that next year, involving more groups. We want this to be a true regional series, with all kayak fishing groups working together for the good of the region, for the betterment of the sport and, most important, its anglers.

We are excited for this series and what it means for the sport in our region. And as always, we’re happy to be working alongside Chad Hoover, Joe Haubenreich, and everyone at KBF. There may be some new kid’s in town, but KBF is still the biggest and baddest around, and with them we are thrilled to take this to another level.

For more up-to-date announcements and details, please join our Facebook group.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to either me, Jason Gardner, Chris Smigz, Brian Baulsir, or post it in our Facebook group.

Announcing the 2020 MAKB Tournament Schedule

February 16, 2020 0 Comment

We are excited to finally announce our 2020 trail schedule!

This has been a long process, I know, but the goal was to create a schedule with as few conflicts as possible. With so many of us traveling to KBF events, we wanted to keep those dates free (at least for those tournaments in our region), so anglers don’t have to choose.

And with the addition of the New England KBF Partner Trail Series, plus the B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series, Hobie BOS series, and other local or regional trails, our options are, for all intents and purposes, endless.

Quite a difference from just a handful of years ago when we averaged six or seven people per event.

With that said, barring any unforeseen issues, this is our schedule for 2020:

Apr 11 – Snipatuit Pond
May 16 – A-1/Stump Pond
May 30 – Singletary Lake
Jun 20 – New Bedford Reservoir
Jul 11 – Taunton River *
Aug 1 – Charles River *
Aug 15 – Glen Charlie Pond/Agawam Mill Pond **
Sep 19 – Lake Maspenock
Sep 26 – Mashpee-Wakeby Pond
Oct 17 – Billington Sea

* Roadrunner event
** Two Lake Throwdown

We’re also working on some online events as well. More details to come on those…

Now, compared to previous years, some of you may notice some long gaps between events. Here’s why…

Apr 11 – Snipatuit Pond
May 2 – Hopatcong Pond (New Jersey) *
May 16 – A-1/Stump Pond
May 23 – Lake George (New York) ** / ***
May 30 – Singletary Lake
Jun 6 – Great Pond (Maine) ***
Jun 20 – New Bedford Reservoir
Jun 27 – Susquehanna River (Pennsylvania) **
Jul 11 – Taunton River
Jul 25 – East/West Harbor (Ohio) **
Aug 1 – Charles River (Massachusetts) ***
Aug 15 – Glen Charlie Pond/Agawam Mill Pond
Aug 22 – Lake Winnipesaukee (New Hampshire) *** / †
Sep 12–13 – Messalonskee Lake/China Lake (Maine) ** / ††
Sep 19 – Lake Maspenock
Sep 26 – Mashpee-Wakeby Pond
Oct 17 – Billington Sea
Oct 24–25 – Pickwick, Wheeler, and Wilson Lakes (Alabama) †††

* KBF Pro Tour Open
** KBF Trail Series Event
*** New England KBF Partner Trail Series Event
† New England KBF Partner Trail Series Championship
†† KBF Regional Trail Series Championship
††† KBF Trail Series Championship

That is our schedule including the KBF events.

Save for the championship on Winni, all of the New England KBF Partner Trail Series events will be concurrent but separate events. The Lake George event is also the KBF Trail Series event. The Great Pond event is also a regular-season Maine Yak Anglers event, just like our Charles River event will be for us. You are not required to register for both in order to fish one of them (though we do encourage it).

Obviously not everyone travels to these other events, and that’s perfectly fine, so don’t let the bottom schedule overwhelm you. If you only want to fish MAKB events, then focus on the top schedule. No worries.

I’m sure many of you will have questions, so feel free to ask them below. If you have questions about specifically the B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series or the New England KBF Partner Trail Series, please hold off and ask them in the official announcement thread.

Thanks for your patience while we put this all together! We may be doing some big things, but all of that is optional. We’re still just a small tournament trail at heart. Always will be.

A Quick Word on Angler Etiquette

October 12, 2019 0 Comment

As you all know, we are partnered with Kayak Bass Fishing (KBF) and we use TourneyX as our tournament management system. Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ is run with integrity and respect to our anglers, and we trust and believe in these two companies, as they are aligned with our goals as a group.

We do not require our anglers to share those same beliefs, but openly and continuously disparaging our partners—or our sponsors, anglers, etc.—on social media undermines MAKB as a whole.

It will no longer be tolerated.

Going forward, if you choose this path, you will be removed from our groups and banned from fishing our events.

Constructive criticism is always welcome. Baseless accusations and conspiracy theories are not.

As leaders of this group, through input from our anglers and from others withing the kayak community, we make decisions based on what we feel is best for the group as a whole. We try, but we cannot please everyone. All we ask is that you trust us.

Thank you.

And the 2019 MAKB Angler of the Year Is…

September 27, 2019 0 Comment

The Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ Angler of the Year race is a tough one. Points are based on an angler’s top twenty-five bass of the season, plus bonus points awarded for finishing in the top five. Seems simple enough, right?

It’s not.

Anglers wishing to become the MAKB Angler of the Year need to compete in a minimum of five events, consistently catch limits, put quality fish on the board, and finish in the top five. None of those alone will do it.

And we have a lot of excellent fishermen in this group, so getting to the top, or even close to it, is a great achievement and something to be proud of.

So it is my pleasure to officially announce the 2019 MAKB Angler of the Year: Kevin Amaral Jr!

Kevin fished in nine tournaments and caught 44 bass (not including culled fish) this year, racking up two wins, three second-place finishes, and a fifth-place finish. He also had lunker largemouth and smallmouth once each, both of which were fish that contributed to his Top 25 season length of 410.50. Add to that 23 points from his top-five finishes, and his winning total season total length was 433.50!

His 20.75-inch smallmouth was also the biggest bass caught during any of our ten events.

Consistency is the key, as I mentioned, and the without a doubt Kevin performed at a consistently higher level than the rest of us this year. A well-deserved victory, my friend! Congrats.

Here are your top ten anglers for 2019! Great job, fellas!

Kevin Amaral, Jr. – 433.50
Ken Wood – 420.00
John Ferreira – 406.25
Gabe Portes – 397.25
Paulo DeMorais – 397.00
Lee Kennon – 388.25
Bruce Levy – 384.75
Donald Davis – 383.00
Steve Scott – 378.50
Bruno Casagrande – 377.25

Click here to check out the full 2019 Angler of the Year standings.

Congrats again, guys!

Official Statement Regarding the Three Lake Throwdown

July 22, 2019 0 Comment

On Saturday evening, July 20, 2019, it was determined that the winner of the Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ (MAKB) Three Lake Throwdown, Renato Serrocha, from Rhode Island, submitted two photos of the same bass, using photos taken two minutes apart but submitted four hours apart. Independent reviews by MAKB, Kayak Bass Fishing, LLC (KBF), and an impartial third-party reached the same conclusion: the double submission was intentional, representing a deliberate attempt to defraud.

In keeping with KBF policy, Serrocha’s competition privileges as well as his social media privileges have been indefinitely revoked. As the matter has been referred to law enforcement officials for investigation, no further details will be publicly provided at this time.

Serrocha has refunded his winnings, the tournament standings have been corrected, and the true winners of the event have been paid what they rightfully earned.

The viability of kayak bass fishing competition depends on the integrity and honor of each person involved. Participation in such events is a privilege. Anglers who abuse that privilege—who break faith with the kayak fishing community by intentionally falsifying results or skirting rules and regulations in order to create unfair advantages for themselves—have that privilege revoked.

Renato Serrocha has been permanently banned from fishing MAKB and KBF events. It is recommended that other New England kayak fishing trails follow suit. If you are a local tournament director and wish to see the evidence we gathered, please message me and I will privately share it with you in confidence.

Rocky Ledge Tackle

May 24, 2018 0 Comment

Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ is extremely excited to announce a partnership with Jim Migliozzi and Rocky Ledge Tackle, who will be graciously sponsoring some of our events this year.

Jim makes some of the best hard baits in the business, including one of the most unique spinnerbaits I’ve ever fished: the Swimming Spinnerbait. I’ve lost count of the amount of big fish I’ve caught on this bait alone.

Our members will receive a 20% discount on all online orders. Message Ken Wood, Mike Elrick, or Bruce Levy for the discount code, and please like Rocky Ledge’s Facebook page, check out their website, and orders some killer baits!

Radfish Lures

May 23, 2018 0 Comment

In addition to our partnership with Go Bananas Outdoors, we are very happy to announce that we have partnered with Ralph D’Arco and Radfish Lures this year!

Radfish will be sponsoring some of our events, plus our members will receive a 10% discount on any Radfish order. Message either Ken Wood, Bruce Levy, or Mike Elrick for the discount code!

If you’re from Massachusetts, you have no doubt heard of Radfish Lures. They are one of the leading local baitmakers, and for good reason. I haven’t fished all their baits, but personally I love the Z-Slugs and Flop-It Craws. We are excited to be working with them!

So please like their Facebook page, check out their website, and give some of what they have to offer a try.

(And once again, “members” means those who have fished with us this year.)

Registration for the 2018 Knockout Series

January 30, 2018 2 Comments

Here we go…

Registration for the 2018 Knockout Series is live (see PayPal link below)!

For those who may not know what this is, the Knockout Series is a bracketed, one-on-one tournament series. Anglers are randomly paired prior to Round 1, which begins on April 1. Once paired, those anglers then coordinate with each other a one-on-one tournament (i.e. match) on a day, time, and lake/pond of their choosing. The winners of those matches move on to Round 2, then Round 3 and so forth, until we have an ultimate winner.

Entry fee is a one-time payment of $50 (non-refundable after March 14, 2018). The series will consist of five or six rounds, and each round will last five or six weeks, depending on how many anglers sign up.

We are looking for 32, 48*, or 64 anglers.

For complete details and FAQs, click here.

We will not hold spots. If you want to compete in this year’s series, pay as soon as possible. If you wish to pay with a check or money order, message me for my address. Otherwise, you can send payment directly through this PayPal link.

If you have a Facebook account, please consider joining our Facebook group for more up-to-the-minute updates on everything MAKB.

Looking forward to another great, competitive year!

* With 48 anglers, there would be a three-way finale.

2018 Schedule and More

January 29, 2018 0 Comment

All permits have been approved! Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this is our 2018 schedule.

Apr 14, 7–3 – Santuit Pond (Mashpee)
Apr 28, 7–3 – Dark Brook Reservoir (Auburn)
May 19, 6–2 – Agawam Mill Pond (Wareham)
May 26, 6–2 – Great Herring Pond (Plymouth)
Jun 16, 6–2 – Snipatuit Pond (Rochester)
Jul 1, 6–2 – Ponkapoag Pond (Canton)
Jul 7, 6–2 – Taunton River (Taunton)
Jul 21, 6–2 – Charles River (Waltham)
Aug 4, 6–2 – A-1/Stump Pond (Westborough)
Aug 18, 4–12 – Whitehall Reservoir (Hopkinton) *
Sep 23, 6–2 – Neponset Reservoir (Foxboro)
Sep 29, 6–2 – Lake Cochituate (Wayland)
Oct 6, 7–3 – Norton Reservoir (Norton)
Oct 20, 7–3 – Singletary Lake (Sutton) **

* Annual night tournament.

** First annual Tournament of Champions.

Next year’s trail is laid out so that it does not conflict with the number of KBF events up this way in 2018. If you’re interested in fishing those tournaments, the dates are as follows:

Jun 2 – Lake George (New York)
Jun 9 – Cobbossee Lake (Maine)
Jun 23 – Lake Oneida (New York)
Jul 14 – Peconic River System (New York)
July 28 – Susquehanna River (Pennsylvania)
Aug 25 – Chautauqua Lake (New York)
Sep 1 – Charles River Basin (Massachusetts) ***
Sep 14/15 – Lake Erie (Pennsylvania)

*** KBF Trail Event hosted by MAKB.

The Lake Erie event is one of five new KBF Regional Opens for 2018. It’s a two-day event, Friday and Saturday. The others are single-day Trail Events.

The KBF State Challenges will run from May to September in 2018. Chad Hoover has mentioned the possibility of starting the state challenge series earlier (April) and ending it later (October), though only the challenges between May and September would count toward AOY.

If they do not start the series in April, we will likely host our own state challenge in April. We will mirror the KBF challenges—same rules, cost, etc.—so that anyone new to the challenges can get a little experience under their belt.

The KBF Trail Event that we’re hosting will take place on the Charles River on September 1. The boundaries will be from Millis to the Esplanade in Boston, roughly 50 to 60 miles of water. Should be awesome!

A few other things…

We will be using TourneyX for all our events again next year.

The ramp at Cochituate will be closed for renovation starting Sep 1. It’ll remain closed for the rest of the year, so that’ll be good for us. It’ll be a roadrunner event, but I’m hoping to get approval to launch from the beach next to the ramp as well.

The Taunton River and Charles River tournaments (including the Trail Event, of course) will also be roadrunner events.

Our annual night tournament will likely be at Whitehall on August 18.

The Singletary Lake tournament will be our first ever Tournament of Champions. We’re still banging out some of the details, but to qualify for this tournament you must win one of the other thirteen throughout the season.

Initially we weren’t going to allow roll-downs (meaning, if someone wins two tournaments, we roll that slot down to the next angler in that second tournament), but after discussing it with Donald, Bruce, and Mike, we decided to allow them.

Speaking of Mike, he is now on the MAKB staff and will be working toward bringing sponsors aboard so that we can offer some additional perks and prizes to everyone. =)

We will have a new payout structure for next year. Don is working on it now.

I’m sure there will be some other announcements coming, but we’ll get to that. Any questions? =)