2024 Southern Illinois Kayak Club Season

The 2024 Southern Illinois Kayak Club Season was nothing short of spectacular, marking another thrilling year of competitive kayak bass fishing across Southern Illinois.

From record-breaking bags to photo-finish battles, this season delivered everything that defines the SIKC community — skill, sportsmanship, and camaraderie. Anglers faced everything from torrential rain to scorching bluebird days and still brought incredible weights to the leaderboard.

With six regular-season trail events and the SIKC Classic Championship, the 2024 season showcased some of the best anglers and moments in club history. Records were broken, new champions were crowned, and the fight for Angler of the Year and Rookie of the Year came down to the wire.

Follow along below for a full look at this unforgettable season — complete with recaps, photos, and results from each stop on the 2024 trail!

2024 Tournament Schedule & Results

SIKC Classic Championship – Kinkaid Lake – March 2024 → 🥇 Darren Hemker
Back-to-back Classic Champion and Big Bass winner with a 21” chatterbait bite.

Stop #1 – Newton Lake – April 20, 2024 → 🥇 Darren Hemker
A razor-thin win with 92.75”, edging out 2nd place by just a quarter inch.

Stop #2 – Sangchris Lake – May 11, 2024 → 🥇 Glenn Banaszak
Former AOY returns to form with 93.75” on a windy, tough day.

Stop #3 – Cedar Lake – June 1, 2024 → 🥇 Susie Roloff
Sets a new SIKC single-day record with 101.25” in the rain-soaked showdown.

Stop #4 – Little Grassy Lake – July 6, 2024 → 🥇 Susie Roloff
Back-to-back win with 84.25” and Big Bass honors at 21”.

Stop #5 – Banner Marsh – August 3, 2024 → 🥇 Dalton Williams
Takes control of the AOY race under bluebird skies and tough bites.

Stop #6 – Coffeen Lake – September 14, 2024 → 🥇 Rece Schneider
Closes out the season with 90.50”, leading one of the most competitive fields of the year.

Season Awards

🏆 Angler of the Year: Dalton Williams
🌟 Rookie of the Year: Jerry Bryson
🎣 Big Bass of the Year: James Faught – 22” Cedar Lake
🍍 Pineapple Man of the Year: Jay Reidler

Tournaments
Coffeen Lake – September 14, 2024
Coffeen Lake – September 14, 2024

Rece Schneider dominates Coffeen Lake with 90.50” to close out the 2024 SIKC season, while Jay Reidler and Nick Chabarria round out a record-breaking finale.

Banner Marsh – August 3, 2024
Banner Marsh – August 3, 2024

Tough conditions at Banner Marsh couldn’t stop Dalton Williams, who claimed 1st place and tightened his Angler of the Year lead as the season heads into its final event.

Little Grassy Lake – July 6, 2024
Little Grassy Lake – July 6, 2024

Back-to-back wins for Susie Roloff at Little Grassy Lake! She tops the field with 84.25" and lands a 21" crankbait giant for Big Bass honors.

Cedar Lake – June 1, 2024
Cedar Lake – June 1, 2024

Rain couldn’t stop the bite at Cedar Lake! Susie Roloff shattered the SIKC single-day record with 101.25", while James Faught’s 22" buzzbait giant claimed Big Bass honors.

Sangchris Lake – May 11, 2024
Sangchris Lake – May 11, 2024

Glenn Banaszak returns to the top at Sangchris Lake with 93.75”, while Nick Chabarria’s 21.75” chatterbait giant claims Big Bass honors in a tough, windy showdown.

Newton Lake – April 20, 2024
Newton Lake – April 20, 2024

Darren Hemker edges out Dalton Williams by just ¼ inch to win the Newton Lake opener, with Caden Cox landing a 22-inch giant for Big Bass honors.

2024 SIKC Classic – Kinkaid Lake
2024 SIKC Classic – Kinkaid Lake

Darren Hemker defends his title at the 2024 SIKC Classic on Kinkaid Lake, taking both the championship and Big Bass honors in a winner-take-all showdown.

2025 AOY Standings (Final Top 5)

1️⃣ Dalton Williams — Angler of the Year Champion
2️⃣ Darren Hemker
3️⃣ Susie Roloff
4️⃣ Corey Forsythe
5️⃣ Jay Reidler

The AOY race came down to the wire, with Dalton’s consistency and three straight wins earning him back-to-back titles.

Full Standings (Member's Only)
A table with numerous fishing trophies, including fish figures on top, displayed at an outdoor event by a lake. A banner with various logos and the text "SIKC Southern Illinois Kayak Club" hangs above the table. People are gathered in the background
Smiling man holding multiple fishing trophies in front of a lake with green trees in the background.
Man with a gray beard and sunglasses holding a trophy shaped like a pineapple near a river with green trees in the background.
Person standing outdoors near a river holding multiple trophies, with trees and grass in the background.
Three men standing outdoors near a body of water with trees in the background, holding oversized checks for fishing awards. The man on the left is holding a check for third place, the man in the middle for first place, and the man on the right for se
A man standing outdoors by a river holding a giant check and a foam fish cutout. The check is made out to Wil Abbott for $342, awarded for second place in a fishing competition. The foam fish indicates the prize of $20 for Big Bass. The background fe
A man with sunglasses, a cap, and a beard holding a large check for $684 made out to Kevin Cox, awarded for first place by the Southern Illinois Kayak Club, standing by a river with trees in the background.
A young man holding a large check for $114.00, awarded for third place in a kayaking competition, standing outdoors near a lake with trees in the background.
A man smiling and holding a wooden award plaque beside a river, with green trees in the background. He is wearing sunglasses, a cap, and a long-sleeved fishing shirt with various patches and sponsor logos.
A person fishing on a kayak in a lake surrounded by trees.
Man fishing on a kayak with fishing poles on a lake, surrounded by green trees.
A person sitting on a kayak holding a fishing rod with a fish in hand, smiling, in a calm lake with green trees in the background.
Three men standing outdoors on grass with trees in the background, holding large checks for kayak tournament prizes. The man on the left holds a check for second place, $360, and is dressed in camouflage shirt and gray pants. The man in the center ho
A man holding a fish-shaped sign that reads 'Big Bass $215.00' outdoors on green grass with trees in the background.
A man standing outdoors in front of green trees and grass, holding a large ceremonial check for second place in a kayaking competition, issued by Southern Illinois Kayak Club
A man standing outdoors holding a large white check for $120 made out to Jerry Bryson from Southern Illinois Kayak Club, indicating a third-place finish at Cedar Lake, date 7/19/25. The man has short gray hair, a beard, is wearing a black T-shirt, an
A young man wearing a fishing shirt and cap, standing outdoors in front of green trees, holding a large check for $720 made out to Dalton Williams for first place at Cedar Lake from the Southern Illinois Kayak Club, dated July 19, 2025.
Young man with curly hair smiling, holding a large check for third place, in front of a lake with green trees in the background.
Two men standing by a lake holding boxes of Railblaza products, with trees and water in the background. The man on the left has a grey beard, wearing a white and green long-sleeve shirt, a cap, and is holding a box for a kayak mount. The man on the r
A young man standing by a lake, holding a large fish-shaped sign that says 'Big Bass $245.00,' with logos from the Head's Up Taxidermy and Midwest Kayak. He is wearing a beige and brown fishing jersey with multiple patches, a cap with sunglasses, and
Man holding large check in front of a lake with green trees in the background.
A man holding a large check standing by a lake with trees in the background. The check is made out to Dalton Williams for $770, dated 6/7/25, and is from the Southern Illinois Kayak Club. The man is smiling and wearing a kayak fishing jersey and a ca
Three men standing outdoors by a lake, each holding a large check with details and awards for a kayaking competition. The backdrop is a wooded area with a body of water, and the sky is overcast.
Four people fishing from three small boats on a calm lake at sunrise with trees on the shore.
A man holding multiple packages of baby diapers and wipes outdoors near a lake, smiling at the camera.
A man smiling outdoors holding a trophy and a box of Huggies diapers in front of a lake and trees.
Young man holding a large check for $150 at Otter Lake during a rainy day, with trees and lake in the background.
A man wearing glasses, an orange hat, and a brown jacket holding a large check from Southern Illinois Kayak Club, awarded for second place in a fishing competition at Otter Lake, dated 5/31/25, with a background of a lake and green trees.
Young man holding a large fish-shaped sign reading "Big Bass" and "$270.00" in front of a body of water, on a cloudy day.
Three men standing on a dock holding oversized checks, with a lake in the background. The man on the left has a beard, glasses, and is wearing an orange hat and brown jacket. The man in the middle is wearing a racing jacket, holding a check for first
A young man holding a large check at Otter Lake, celebrating first place in a kayak fishing contest, with trees and lake in the background.
A man with curly hair and sunglasses on his cap standing in front of a lake, holding a large check for third place at the Southern Illinois Kayak Club, dated 4-12-25, made out to Darren Hemker for $154.00.
A man holding a large check in front of a lake with trees in the background, celebrating his second-place finish at the Southern Illinois Kayak Club event on April 12, 2025.
Man holding a large check for 1st place at Southern Illinois Kayak Club, date April 12, 2025, $924.00, standing by a lake with trees in the background.
A man wearing sunglasses, a boat racing jersey, and a cap stands by a lake holding a green fish-shaped sign that reads "Big Bass" with a $280 price tag. The background features a blue sky and trees on the shoreline.
Two men standing on a rocky beach near a lake, holding kayak and canoe cart boxes, with a clear blue sky and trees in the background.
Three men standing on a lakeshore holding large checks with the date 4-12-25. The man on the left holds a check for Keith Gressler for second place, the middle man holds a check for Wade Hobaugh for first place, and the man on the right holds a check
A man in a blue jacket and shorts standing on a small fishing boat in a lake, holding a fishing rod. The boat has multiple fishing rods and equipment, with a forested shoreline in the background.
Smiling woman holding a wooden trophy with a lake and a small dock in the background.
Three people standing outdoors near a lake, holding large checks. The person on the left is a man with a beard, wearing a black cap, dark clothing, and blue shoes, holding a check for second place. The person in the middle is a woman with glasses, we
A woman stands on a dock by a lake, holding a large check for $504 made out to Susie Roloff, indicating she won first place at the Southern Illinois Kayak Club event on March 29, 2025. She is wearing sunglasses, a blue t-shirt with the club's logo, a
A man holding a large award check standing by a lake with a dock in the background. The check is from the Southern Illinois Kayak Club, dated 3/29/25, made out to Brady Barlow for $144.00, for second place in the SIKC Classic.
Man with beard wearing fishing jersey and cap, standing by a lake, holding a large cardboard fish cutout with the labels 'Big Bass', '$135.00', and 'Heads Up Taxidermy' logo.
Young man holding a large check at a lake, celebrating third place in a kayaking competition, smiling, wearing a kayaker sponsored jersey and sunglasses, with a floating dock and water in the background.
A person in a fishing kayak holding a yellow fish release tool with a fish in a net, with the Ketch logo overlayed on the image.
Man fishing on a yellow kayak in a peaceful lake surrounded by green trees.
A man fishing on a kayak on a lake with trees showing fall colors in the background, and a logo with the text "Midwest Kayak Co. 2023" and crossed paddles.
Person in fishing gear standing on a boat fishing in a river with trees in the background.
Man in kayak on river with lush green trees in background, holding a fishing rod and wearing a cap and life jacket.
A person fishing on a kayak on a lake, with a lush, green forest in the background. The image includes a logo for the Southern Illinois Kayak Club and text announcing that memberships are now available.
Schedule for the SIKC 2025 fishing tournament, listing dates at various lakes, including Coffee Lake on 4/12/25 and Newton Lake on 9/13/25. A man is fishing from a kayak in a natural setting.