Tag: Eastern Division

2024 Season Stats

December 20, 2024 0 Comment

Winter is hitting a bit different this year, and with Christmas just around the corner, it seems we’ve wrapped up tournaments for the season.

For those interested in some stats, here you go…

In 2024, we hosted a total of 51 events, including 24 divisional events, one championship, 10 Tuesday/Thursday Night Throwdowns, four Cold Water Series events, eight monthly online challenges, three Catch ‘Em All Brawls, and the Knockout Series.

We awarded $49,893 in payouts throughout the year! Here’s the breakdown:

Eastern Division: $8,784
Western Division: $6,020
Central Division: $9,094
Northern Division: $9,024
Championship: $3,960
Monthly Challenges: $3,936
Catch ‘Em All Brawls: $2,441
Thursday Night Throwdowns: $2,574
Knockout Series: $2,400
Cold Water Series: $2,094

In total, 955 competitors participated across these events (with many competing in multiple events, of course), and 4,397 fish were submitted (excluding the Knockout Series).

The highest number of fish submitted during a divisional event was 225, recorded at the Eastern Division’s Mashpee-Wakeby event. On the other hand, the fewest submissions for a single event were 48, during the Central Division opener at Webster Lake. Ironically, just a week later in 2023, Webster Lake set the record for the year with the highest number of fish submitted in a single event—252!

Collectively, we submitted a total of 18,948.75 inches of bass in 2024 (also excluding the Knockout Series).

The biggest limits of the year:

Northern Division: Patrick Brown – 96.00 (Lake Attitash)
Eastern Division: Ken Wood – 95.00 (Upper/Lower Mill Pond)
Western Division: Ryan Stager – 94.25 (Quaboag Pond)
Central Division: Lee Kennon – 92.75 (Sudbury River)
Monthly Challenge: Benjamin Hallowell – 101.25 (July)
Thursday Night Throwdown: Jerry Howes – 56.50 (Buckley Dunton Reservoir)
Cold Water Series: Matthew Conant – 91.00 (Santuit Pond)

The biggest largemouth of the year:

Northern Division: Patrick Brown – 22.25 (Lake Attitash)
Eastern Division: Domenic Eno – 22.00 (Snipatuit Pond)
Western Division: Noah Fahmy – 21.75 (Congamond Lake/Connecticut River)
Central Division: Lee Kennon and Cory Walker – 21.00 (Sudbury River and Flint Pond)
Monthly Challenge: Gregg Fritchey – 21.50 (July and August)
Thursday Night Throwdown: Ken Wood – 20.50 (Winnecunnet Pond)
Cold Water Series: Nate Chagnon – 21.25 (Santuit Pond)

The biggest smallmouth of the year:

Western Division: Justin Gallo – 20.50 (Ashmere Lake)
Eastern Division: John Ferreira and Jim Silva – 19.75 (Mashpee-Wakeby Pond and Upper/Lower Mill Pond)
Northern Division: Adam Rourke – 16.75 (Lake Attitash)
Central Division: Carl Hartwick – 15.75 (Webster Lake)

Some other stats:

Lee Kennon, Matthew Conant, and Ken Wood each secured the most divisional wins, with three victories apiece.

Steve Petkevitch led the pack with the most top-five finishes across all divisions, with 11 overall. Close behind were Matthew Conant and Ken Wood, each with 10 top-five finishes, followed by Mike Morcone with nine.

Benjamin Hallowell dominated the online division, with six wins out of 11 events. He also secured a win in the Cold Water Series, earning him the most overall wins across all events.

All in all, it was an incredible year! Fifty-one events—a bit fewer than last year, but still more than enough opportunities for anglers to get out on the water and compete. And now, we’re gearing up for something special: our tenth season next year—the big 1-0!

Thanks to everyone who continues to fish with us; and an even bigger thank-you goes to Kevin Amaral, Jeremey Andrews, Donald Davis, Bruce Levy, Michael Williams, Anthony Campbell, Jonathan Medina, and Patrick Brown, all of whom have played their part in transforming this little trail into something far beyond what we ever imagined.

Enjoy the holidays! We’ll be announcing our 2025 schedules and more very soon.

2023 Season Stats

January 3, 2024 0 Comment

On Sunday, we closed out 2023 with one last tournament, a Cold Water Series event on Johns Pond. This final event marked the 53rd event of the season!

In total, we ran 24 divisional events and one championship, 9 Thursday Night Throwdowns, two zone tournaments, six Cold Water Series events, eight monthly online challenges, and three Catch ‘Em All Brawls.

After I make the payouts for the Johns Pond tournament later this week, we will have issued $49,893 in payouts in 2023! This is how it all broke down:

Central Division: $9,148
Eastern Division: $8,822
Northern Division: $6,518
Western Division: $6,168
Monthly Challenges: $5,254
Championship: $3,948
Cold Water Series: $3,242
Catch ‘Em All Brawls: $3,121
Thursday Night Throwdowns: $2,888
Zone Tournaments: $784

All told, 950 competitors fished these events (not all unique, of course) and 5,163 fish were submitted, which includes 1,630 from the monthly online events and Catch ‘Em All Brawls.

The most fish submitted during a divisional event was 252 at the Central Division season opener on Webster Lake. The least fish submitted was 24 at the brutal Eastern Division season opener on Lake Cochituate.

We submitted a total of 21,896 inches of bass.

The biggest limits of the year:

Central Division: Mike Morcone – 91.25 (East/West Waushacum)
Northern Division: Lee Kennon – 90.25 (Sudbury River)
Eastern Division: Steve Petkevitch – 88.25 (Snipatuit Pond)
Western Division: Shawn Dominik – 85.50 (The Lucky 7 Roadrunner event)
Monthly Challenge: Khoa Dao – 102.00 (August)
Thursday Night Throwdown: Patrick Brown – 61.00 (Mascuppic Lake)
Cold Water Series: Derek Brundle – 87.50 (South Watuppa Pond)

The biggest largemouth of the year:

Western Division: Nelson da Costa – 21.75 (Ashmere Lake)
Northern Division: Nate Chagnon – 21.00 (Sudbury River)
Eastern Division: Lee Kennon – 20.75 (Snipatuit Pond)
Central Division: Jon Carlman and Michael Williams – 20.75 (East/West Waushacum and Flint Pond)
Monthly Challenge: Derek Brundle – 22.50 (August)
Thursday Night Throwdown: Derek Brundle – 21.50 (Oldham Pond)
Cold Water Series: Matthew Conant – 22.25 (Johns Pond)

The biggest smallmouth of the year:

Northern Division: Steve Hedges – 17.75 (Merrimack River)
Eastern Division: Matthew Conant – 17.50 (Long Pond Plymouth)
Central Division: Reyluis Morales – 17.50 (Webster Lake)
Western Division: Shawn Dominik – 16.50 (Onota Lake)
Cold Water Series: Ryan Nye – 19.25 (Peters Pond)

In everyone’s defense, between all four divisions, we only fished eight lakes with smallies last year, and none were what you’d call great smallmouth fisheries.

Some other stats:

Mike Morcone had the most wins between all divisions with three.

John Ferreira had the most top-five finishes between all divisions with six, which of course lead him to his well-earned 2023 Angler of the Year win.

Derek Brundle and Ken Wood tied with the most victories between all divisions and formats with six each. They also tied for the most top-five finishes between all divisions and formats with 18 apiece.

Overall, it was a pretty killer year! Fifty-three events is pretty wild, to be honest. We’ll probably have just as many this year, or close to it. And we’re bringing back the Knockout Series like it used to be: in-state only, angler versus angler competing on the same lake at the same time!

This new year marks the beginning of our ninth year! Crazy.

Big shout-out to all the anglers and especially the MAKB staff, past and present, who have made this the baddest kayak bass fishing trail around!

2023 Schedule Reveal

February 5, 2023 0 Comment

If you missed our Facebook Live schedule reveal, here it is:

EASTERN DIVISION

Apr 1 – Wequaquet Lake (Barnstable)
May 13 – Cook Pond (Fall River)
Jun 10 – Snipatuit Pond (Rochester)
Jul 1 – Charles River (Roadrunner)
Aug 26 – Long Pond (Plymouth)
Sep 16 – South Watuppa Pond (Fall River)

WESTERN DIVISION

Apr 22 – Connecticut River – Oxbow (Easthampton)
May 13 – Lake Rohunta (Athol)
Jun 17 – Onota Lake (Pittsfield)
Jul 22 – The Route 57 Run (Roadrunner)
Aug 26 – Connecticut River – North (Roadrunner)
Sep 23 – Ashmere Lake (Hinsdale)

CENTRAL DIVISION

Apr 15 – Webster Lake (Webster)
May 13 – East/West Waushacum Ponds (Sterling)
Jun 10 – A-1/Stump Pond (Westboro)
Jul 22 – Tully Lake (Athol)
Aug 19 – Flint Pond (Shrewsbury)
Sep 23 – Singletary Lake (Millbury)

NORTHERN DIVISION

Apr 29 – Chebacco Lake (South Hamilton)
May 20 – Lake Cochituate (Natick)
Jun 17 – Sudbury River (Roadrunner)
Jul 8 – Merrimack River (Roadrunner)
Aug 5 – Lake Attitash (Merrimac)
Sep 16 – Nashua River (Roadrunner)

CHAMPIONSHIP

Oct 7 – Mashpee-Wakeby Pond (Mashpee)

ONLINE SERIES

Mar 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Apr 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Apr 16 – The Catch ‘Em All Spring Brawl*
May 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Jun 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Jul 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Jul 16 – The Catch ‘Em All Summer Brawl*
Aug 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Sep 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Oct 1–28 – Monthly Online Challenge
Oct 22 – The Catch ‘Em All Fall Brawl*

*Sunday event

We will also have a few “fun” events, but we’re still working out those details. The Thursday Night Throwdowns will also return, but we won’t have any dates until the weather warms up.

As for the Knockout Series returning, that’s still up in the air. If it does return, it will likely revert back to the original format: Massachusetts only, anglers compete head-to-head on the same body of water. We’ll make a final decision soon…

More details were revealed in the live stream, which you can still view at the link above. Otherwise, you can find all this info on the individual event pages on Fishing Chaos.

If you have any questions, please reach out.

BIG NEWS!

December 5, 2022 0 Comment

Starting in 2023, Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ will have four divisions: Eastern, Western, Central, and Northern!

We’re excited to bring Anthony Campbell and Patrick Brown on as directors for the Northern Division, and Jonathan Medina, Bill Galeckas, and Joseph D’Addeo for the Central Division. All of them have history with MAKB and are friends to many of us, so we have no doubt they’ll be a great asset to the group.

Welcome aboard, fellas!

Below shows the general area in which these divisions will host their events.

We don’t have any dates or locations for next year just yet, but we’ll begin working on that soon. We’ll be doing a poll to choose locations for at least the Eastern Division, as has been tradition for the past for years or so. Look for that shortly!

Anyway, we’ll have a few additional announcements coming soon, but 2023 should be another great year for MAKB!

If you have any questions, let us know.

And the 2021 Eastern Division Angler of the Year is…

February 18, 2022 0 Comment

Winning the Angler of the Year title is about consistency. It’s a slow burn. Winning obviously doesn’t hurt, but performing on a high level over the course of the season is what brings home the Angler of the Year trophy. A single misstep, as we saw in the Western Division, is often the death knell on an angler’s chances of taking home that title.

The Eastern Division Angler of the Year race was anyone’s game through the first three events. Ken Wood sat at the top after two events, but Mike Morcone, Valber Santos, and Bruce Levy were nipping at his heels. Mike won the second event of the season, while Valber won the third.

After a poor showing at that third event, Ken dropped from the top and Mike and Bruce Levy took the top two spots, respectively.

Our hybrid Angler of the Year format was designed to keep the race competitive all season long. An angler “running away with it” isn’t easy under this format, which is based on an anglers top twenty-five biggest bass over the course of the season, plus bonus points for top-five finishes (five for first, four for second, and so forth).

In years past, the Angler of the Year’s total points were the result of a number of quality bass, but with only one or two of them being over twenty inches. It’s not easy catching giants during tournaments, especially when sharing the water—which is usually a small body of water around here—with two dozen other anglers.

But sometimes an angler stumbles upon something special…

At our Nashua River event, Bruce Levy did just that, dropping the hammer on not only one giant, but five of them! Four of those bass were twenty inches or longer, with his smallest going 19.25 inches. His total that day was a massive 102.5 inches, which planted him firmly atop the Angler of the Year standings, casting a big shadow over the rest of the field!

The historical stats don’t exist to back this up, but it’s highly likely that this is the biggest limit ever caught during a single-day kayak bass fishing tournament in the state, if not all of New England. At a minimum, it is the biggest limit caught during a Massachusetts Kayak Bassin’ event, and without a doubt will remain there on top for a very long time.

While a few anglers still had opportunities to dethrone Bruce during the remaining events, this single performance made that very difficult. He followed it up with just two additional second-place finishes over six events, but he also added a number of quality fish to his yearly total, including one more over twenty inches, ultimately bringing his points total to 463.75.

So without further ado, your 2021 Eastern Division Angler of the Year…


Bruce Levy, 2021 Eastern Division Angler of the Year

Congrats on an EPIC season, one unlikely to be duplicated any time soon!