Many fishing tournaments in Arkansas have gone by the wayside or gone virtual to put an extra emphasis on social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. But the show goes on for the Hobie Bass Open Series, which comes to Lake Dardanelle for its kayak-fishing event this weekend.
We’ve always been intrigued with kayaking fishing, which has soared in popularity in recent years, and it might be fun to see how some of these better anglers negotiate the waters and the bass at Dardanelle (for example, motors are only allowed on the kayaks during practice, not during the event, so there will be some serious paddling going on).
The tournament, open to any angler age 16 and up, is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, culminating at 5 p.m. Sept 13. Practice rounds began on Labor Day. Registration to compete ends Thursday at midnight. There’s plenty of information, including restrictions in place because of COVID-19, to be found at the website: results.tourneyx.com/standings/6903. You can follow along with the event at the Hobie B.O.S. Group Facebook Page, where Facebook Live reports will be carried through the trophy presentations Sunday evening. You might be like me and find yourself wanting to take to a kayak on our outstanding fisheries while the weather and water remain warm.
As of Wednesday, there were 74 anglers entered, including Fayetteville’s Jeff Malott (pictured), who is founder of Natural State Kayak Anglers, reportedly the largest fishing club in Arkansas.
