Kayak Adventure Series: Fiesta on the Susky presented by Bonafide Kayaks
There are many reasons why the north branch of the Susquehanna River won the title of “River of the Year” in the state of Pennsylvania last year, but for Kayak Adventure Series presented by GoPro there is only one: a chance for some world class fishing in a beautiful location.
For the second tournament in a row, Mother Nature did her best to wreck those plans. That’s because for the second consecutive tournament, anglers rose to the occasion to prevail over tropical storm-related elements to catch fish - Beryl in MO and now Debby. Debby's wind, rain and eventual flooding couldn't stop the spirit of the anglers on the Kayak Adventure Series as they had a blast in scenic Towanda, Pennsylvania, one of the most spectacular areas of the Keystone State.
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In addition to trophies for the top spots, prizes at the Fiesta on the Susky included:
the Boonedox Big Bass Bling - big bass of the event
the Day 2 Dark Horse - angler who rises the highest from day 1 to day 2
the Omnia “Tackle for Trash” award - gift certificate to Omnia Fishing
GoPro's Go Big Bass - Biggest bass captured on GoPro wins Hero 12 Black
Crescent Kids Winner - Prizes from Realtree Fishing, Yak Attack and Darkhorse Tackle
The Aggressively Average angler who finishes in the middle of the pack
CrossKix Century Belt for the anglers who post 100” or more
Raffle Kayak - Bonafide RVR119, raising money for pediatric cancer
With that much on the line, anglers enjoyed what turned out to be a good pre-storm bite.
“Fiesta on the Susky” was presented by Bonafide Kayaks, and like its predecessor in the Ozarks, this event also brought unique challenges as Debby tracked up the east coast and brought on "imminent" flooding. Thankfully, the storm delayed its arrival just long enough to provide series founder Drew Gregory time to modify the schedule so anglers could fish a smaller local lake and a full day on Friday. As a result, the Friday “Afternoon Sesh” turned into a “Full Day Sesh” and by "full day" it was indeed a full day - anglers were allowed to fish from 6:30am until 7pm to get in the typical number of fishing hours (12) that KAS events have.
The result? Kayak Adventure Series adapted to the conditions. That after all is what anglers do, and what Kayak Adventure Series competitors did was remarkable given the conditions.
It wasn’t only the weather that repeated a familiar pattern. Some anglers did the same: for the second tournament this year, Ryan Parker and Glenda Celestino found ways to win.
Torqeedo Individual Division
The Torqeedo Individual Division is the most coveted division at each stop on the KAS, featuring the most competitors, biggest payouts, and fiercest competition. Despite being on the way to well over 100 entries a week prior to the event, this one saw the impending forecast caused registrations to come to a hault and over 20 understandably back out. But the show must go on as long as it was safe to do so, and it was.
Fishing began with rain and windy conditions as Debby moved over the region, and anglers got to work early. If they wanted to win, they all knew these first few hours would be the most critical as the rain would slowly raise the river all day, and at some point make it too muddy to catch fish. After three hours of fishing, Ohio angler Ryan Parker was in the lead with a five-fish limit of 85.75”, followed by Tom Gilmour with 81.50”. Justin Claycomb (77.75”), Josh Sims (76.25”) and Jordan Welliver (74.50”) rounded out the top five in the early going. Of note: four of the top five anglers were from Pennsylvania, an indicator that the local competitors had the early advantage.
By 1pm on Friday the remnants of Debby began to clear out of the region. In the meantime, 35 out of 59 anglers who registered for the Torqeedo Individual Division had posted at least one bass to the Realtree Fishing Real Time Leaderboard.
Ryan Parker added to his early lead by culling once to reach the 90.00” mark with a stout 19.50 being his biggest Susky smallie. Gilmour remained on 81.50”, but a new name started to enter the deluge - Brook Williams moved ahead of Gilmour by .25” as the fishing approached the mid-day mark. In the meantime, Nate Hall also entered the mix and crossed the 80” mark into fourth place, while Dwight Bartlett moved into fifth with 78.75”. The smaller culls were beginning to make a difference: as the waters rose with the rain, so did the average length of many of the top limits.
As the tournament entered the final quarter, the rising water was starting to drive most anglers off the water as the bite was nearly completely gone, or at least very challenging. Parker and Williams held the top two spots, and Robert Weiker and Steve Baker moved into third and fourth, respectively. Between culls and a few new limits being posted, the afternoon proved that the rising waters didn't stop some competitors from finding ways to continue to get bass to eat in what was becoming chocolate milk. A few savvy anglers decided to move to the small local lake that was put in bounds and made important late culls.
In the final tally, Robert Weiker took fourth place and Steve Baker rounded out the top five. In an interesting twist, there was a three-way tie for 6th, 7th and 8th places.
Jacob Turner’s 84” took third place, and Turner’s 20.50” Largemouth Bass also won the Boonedox Big Bass Bling prize. As he told Kayak Adventure Series, he landed his winning big bass with a white Z-Man chatterbait after moving to the lake late in the event - never give up.
At the awards ceremony, Brook Williams and Ryan Parker each had a turn on the Kayak Kushion hot seat, which is KAS's way of creating even more drama (along with turning the leaderboard off 3 hours before "lines out") by bringing anglers up in random order and allowing the current known "leader" to relax until he/she either maintains the top spot for the win or gets dethroned.
Drew Gregory eventually asked Ryan Parker to get off the hot seat and stand next to the other "last man standing," Brook Williams, who, as steadily as the water was rising was culling and rising up the leaderboard all day with a few late culls including his biggest bass - a 19-inch smallie caught at 4pm in those high muddy conditions.
He actually started heading home after Friday's fishing because his campground was closed due to flooding; Drew Gregory quickly called him to let him know they had a room for him to stay free of charge if he wanted to turn around because he was "in the money." A quick call to his wife and Brook made a u-turn; she gave good advice because taking the KAS stage isn't easy, so when you get a chance to do so you take it! Would it be enough?
He made it interesting by culling up to 88.75” before it was over, but just couldn't get past the high water (fish) mark of 90" set early by Ryan Parker, giving Parker his second win this year! Williams told Kayak Adventure Series that he credited his second place finish to scouting tactics. “We did a float a couple of weeks ago…about eleven miles, and got comfortable with that area. Obviously the water was a lot lower then. A week later we did [another] area, and caught a lot fish. We – Tom Gilmour and I – had a lot of fun.” Williams caught his limit fishing with a white spinnerbait over structure.
Parker followed up on his June victory in Whitehall, MI, with a win here in Pennsylvania, proving he is no fluke and a force to be reckoned with as he takes the AOY lead. He did it by floating a long stretch of river with his "Team Loveland" teammate Steve Baker (scroll down for X2Power team results). He utilized a motor setup on his Crescent Kayaks CK2 for speed to be able to complete the extremely long float that he and Steve chose (more on that later). Despite the length, Parker stated during the awards at the Keystone Theater, his winning limit mostly came from a spot that he found near the ramp. “It was straight across from where we put in, a channel swing, bank bluff wall. I looked at it and I was like ‘of course I’d fish that.’ I run over there. In four casts I caught two over 18."
Parker wisely let the spot alone before tournament time, hoping no other anglers would find it. Knowing the Susky, Parker knew that a competitor like Brook Williams, who nearly made a comeback, could get hot and win. “I just know what this river can shell out, so even with ninety inches in unusual and tough conditions I never felt safe.”
The Top 10
1. Ryan Parker (OH) 90.00
2. Brook Williams (PA) 88.75
3. Jacob Turner (NY) 84.00
4. Robert Weiker (OH) 82.00
5. Steve Baker (OH) 81.75
6. Nate Hall (OH) 81.50
7. Josh Sims (PA) 81.50
8. Tom Gilmour (PA) 81.50
9. Dwight Bartlett (OH) 80.75
10. Mark Bradford (OH) 80.00
ALthough PA anglers jumped out to a hot start, Ohio ended up showing out on the final leaderboard and taking 6 of the top 10 spots, including 1st place. PA was second with 3 anglers from the state inside the top 10.
How did the Fiesta on the Susky change the rankings of the Angler of the Year race presented by Farwide Outdoors? Parker certainly made his case stronger while Weiker also moved up in the standings after a strong event. The Angler of the Year wins a prize package nearing $10,000, with an electric motorbike ($5,000) from UBCO being one of the main prizes.
The Z-Man Micro Finesse Division
The Z-Man Micro Bag event turns the usual tournament logic inside out: the smallest average wins this event.
Smaller bass can be hard to find when the waters rise. Anglers have to adapt methods to target young fish that may not have the strength to navigate current for long periods, but are also small enough to show up in unexpected places as they seek refuge from the river’s mood. Although opposite in size, the challenge and fun is turning out to be many angler's favorite part of the KAS.
In the early going, West Virginia’s Brian Butcher had the lead when he posted a 9.25” Smallmouth Bass. All eyes turned then to defending champ Glenda Celestino who, after winning the micro-bag in dramatic fashion at Ozarkana, had staked a claim to being one of the best Z-Man Micro-Finesse anglers in the series.
Celestino did not disappoint. She posted a new record small limit of 28.75”, her smallest being a 5.00” Smallmouth Bass, a new record small (and first to hit the 5-Inch minimum In the category) But Celestino had company: New York angler Joshua Brewer posted a limit of small bass to take over second place. And Brewer kept posting smaller fish, culling down from 31.50” at 2:30 pm to 29.25” in the final tally which would have been a new record score if it wasn't for Glenda "the Micro Queen" Celestino earning the tiny trophy and around $275 once again.
Like Parker, Celestino added another win to her season total and it was her third win for the year in that category, and in a row! She has topped the $1000 mark in micro winnings so its easy to see why we now call her the Micro Queen. Like other anglers, she braved the elements. She told the crowd at the awards ceremony: “It was raining so hard the Ketch board was filling up and I had to drain it out because the fish could nearly swim off It.” Celestino focused on the small bite with a Z-Man Finesse Shadz. At this point we just wonder when Z-MAN will contact her about her own signature series micro bait?
X2Power Team Event
The Realtree Fishing Real Time Leaderboard, powered by TourneyX, lit up early. Why? Because in this event, one angler can carry a team while another fishes or looks for a signal to upload photos. That was what happened with Team Loveland: Ryan Parker staked them out to an early lead with his first limit while Steve Baker found his solid bite later in the day. The duo didn't let the rain ruin the fun and challenge this event presented. This photo is proof of that!
Working in a team format also makes for a volatile leaderboard. In the early going, Team NY > PA was in second place, while Strictly Racoon, Team RCO and Two Oneders filled out the top five spots respectively.
Team Loveland ended up holding onto the top spot because Steve Baker did figure out the bite, as Baker and Ryan Parker together outpaced all teams with a total of 162.25” at mid-day. Team AKAC jumped into second place for a brief time only to see team RCO led by Robert Weiker retake the second spot. As the day wore on, teams moved up and down while other teams jockeyed for position.
As time ran out, Team Loveland held the top spot with 171.75” while RCO took second. Team River Rats made a late push to take third place overall in the final standings, combining for 153.75”. The third lace team improvised. As River Rats team member Aaron Proper told the crowd at the awards ceremony at the Keystone Theater in Towanda, PA, that: “It was rough. I didn’t pre-fish at all. I looked at a map, threw a dart, and looked for something familiar.” His teammate Nate Hall added that he pre-fished one area that turned out to be the spot that produced his entire limit.
*In a side note Nate returned home to his home that had caught on fire. A GoFundMe has been set up and a charity tournament by Keystone Bass Kayak Series that we highly recommend being a part of. KAS along with Aaron Proper will be donating at least 2 entry fees ($300 value) to future KAS events as some of the many prizes being contributed by the kayak fishing community.
Second place was taken by Team RCO (Raccoon Creek Outfitters). teammates Dustin Hoy and Robert Weiker told the crowd that they fished together. Where Weiker caught his fish with a Z-Man Jackhammer, Hoy landed his limit in a bunch with a spinnerbait, “one after another” as he said. Both anglers made the official kayak sponsor of the event proud, as both fished from Bonafide kayaks.
Team Loveland decided to “go with the flow,” as Ryan Parker told the crowd. Steve Baker added that “We both had the game plan to cover a massive amount of miles.” They somehow, with motors and the long day provided, covered 34 miles of river! However, after that long float, Parker found the water had risen to the height of the cab of his truck. Fortunately it started and was able to be driven away.
The results pushed Loveland high into contention in the Farwide Team of the Year standings.
Top Lady Angler, the Crescent Kids Division and more
Owen Miller won the Crescent kids division with a 71” limit. Owen, who is twelve years old, fished with his dad. He told the awards ceremony that he caught his limit with a Z-Man “Gold Shiner Jackhammer, all day.” Owen took home a trophy as well as gift certificates from Dark Horse Tackle, YakAttack and a Realtree Fishing Tackle Bag. He also placed 26th overall!
Billy Chambers won the Aggressively Average angler award for his 27th place finish.
Top Lady Angler division presented by the Women’s Fishing Federation was won again by Glenda Celestino, who made it two in a row after winning at Ozarkana.
Brian Butcher won the Omnia gift certificate for picking up trash. He said at the awards that “This Gatorade bottle comes down by me. I pick it up and it says ‘you could win.’ I do this [pick up trash] at every tournament.” Win you did, Brian, win you did! Thanks for leaving the river better than when you arrived.
2025 Broodstock II Announcement
While in the state or PA, before anglers left the Keystone Theater the Kayak Adventure Series made a special announcement. The theater went dark and on the screen appeared the Dr. Nathan Reigner, Director of Outdoor Recreation for the State of PA. He thanked the anglers for coming out and announced that 2025's Broodstock will be held on the west side of the state in Franklin, PA - Broodstock II "An Allegheny Adventure" on Sept 12-13th, 2025. He actually misspoke and called it "Broodmaster," which turned out to be the best thing ever because Drew Gregory then announced that the winner of Broodstock each year will hold the title of "Broodmaster" and it'll be etched on their trophy.
Raffle Kayak for Pediatric Cancer
Thanks to Hans Nutz of Bonafide Kayaks for donating an RVR 119, which raised nearly $2000 for pediatric cancer! Jason Ryan, from New Jersey, won the kayak and was rewarded for his generous donation of $150 (30 raffle tickets).
Special Guests and Youtubers
The weekend included visits and talks from a range of people who work in the kayak fishing industry. They included the Bass U Brunch event, with talks by Jeff Little, Drew Gregory and Hans Nutz of Bonafide Kayaks. The event was MC'd by Bobby Roastbeef of the Jigs and Bigs Podcast. Bobby also treated the crowd to a fun "Fishy Trivia" game in the Keystone Theater before awards with prizes from Darkhorse Tackle. Click play below to see "Fishy Trivia" and Bobby Roastbeef in action!
Special thanks to Ketch Products for making some incredible trophies and for the extra effort made to get them to this event on time. If you want quality, look turn to Ketch Products.
Thanks to Amanda Brannon, or Reel Tournament Management, for her tournament directing, Jake Heppner and Billy Chambers for continuing to make the Awards and Theater experience even smoother for our fans.
Thanks to Williams Toyota of Sayre for bringing a new 2024 Tundra and Tacoma for the anglers and fans to check out. If you're in the area, check out Williams Toyota for the best service and deal on your new Toyota!
Huge thanks to Robyn & the entire team from Bradford County, who really showed us all an incredible time and what the spirit of the city of Towanda is all about. Despite tough conditions no one complained and instead the anglers appeared to have more fun with the unique challenge that presented them Thanks to the Keystone Theater and their staff as well for being so flexible with all the changes that KAS had to make. We'll definitely be back!
Looking Ahead
Kayak Adventure Series is not just a tournament – it’s an experience. Experience it for yourself when we visit your area. The next stop will be “Wisconsin Riverfest” in Sauk Prairie, WI.
Additional Info
For more information about the Kayak Adventure Series presented by GoPro, visit: https://www.kayakadventureseries.com/
Click here to learn more about GoPro cameras.
Click here for the Torqeedo Individual Event Standings from Towanda, PA.
For X2 Power team Event standings from the Fiesta on the Susky, click here.
Click here for the Z-Man Micro-Bag Standings.
© 2024 Kayak Adventure Series. All Rights Reserved. First published August 11, 2024.
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