Newton Lake – April 2023

The opening tournament of the 2023 Southern Illinois Kayak Club season was a great one! A huge thank-you goes out to all the anglers who made it out to Newton Lake and kicked off the season with us.

Anglers battled some tough main-lake winds throughout the day, but still managed to put together an impressive showing. Newton Lake did not disappoint—157 fish were submitted for a combined total of 2,181 inches of largemouth bass, proving just how strong the field was to start the year.

At the top of the leaderboard, Jake Schultz earned his first-ever SIKC victory, posting an impressive 92.75 inches. With this win, Jake made a major leap forward in the Angler of the Year race while also locking in his spot on the Crossroads Classic Team. Congratulations, Jake!

Nick Chabarria claimed 2nd place with 88.75 inches in his first-ever SIKC tournament—a day he’ll surely never forget. This strong debut also made Nick the early Rookie of the Year frontrunner.

Rounding out the top three, Rece Schneider finished with 88.25 inches, relying on finesse tactics and his trusted senko to secure another solid podium finish. Congratulations to all of our top three anglers on a job well done!

It was truly a great day on the water, and we want to thank everyone who came out and supported the event. We hope you had as much fun as we did, and we’re already looking forward to seeing everyone at Kinkaid Lake on May 20, 2023.

A huge thank-you also goes out to our sponsors for supplying incredible giveaway items and supporting the 2023 season. We couldn’t do it without you!

Sponsors:
JayDiz Fishing & Tackle Co. · Heads Up Taxidermy · Kayak Bass Fishing · Paddle N’ Fin Podcast · Amped Outdoors LLC · Venom Lures · Spittin Image Jigs · Freaky Frank’s Custom Tackle · YakAttack · NeverLost Gear · Ketch Products Inc. · Thrasher Sports Apparel