kayak

Kayak: Top Baits at Kissimmee Chain

The Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft headed to the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes in Central Florida for its first of five open events in 2026. These lakes which include Lake Kissimmee, Lake Toho, and Lake Cypress are loaded with trophy largemouth bass. There is lots of vegetation like hydrilla and Kissimmee grass where anglers can usually find bass lurking for prey. Weather would play a key role for these 242 anglers as a massive cold front had dominated the region before the competition. Water temperature was in the low 50’s with air temps in the 59-60 degree range. And to add to the difficulty in this challenge were the previous three weeks of championship tournaments taking place here as well. There were a few anglers who mastered the conditions and put up some really good numbers of big bass including Ryan Matylewicz of Pennsylvania. His 194.25 inch two day total won him the grand cash prize of $11,500 and a nice big blue trophy! Another notable performance was by Dylan Crystaloski also of Pennsylvania who set a Bassmaster kayak series single-day record with 114.75 inches on Day 2 which is equivalent to a 35-lb bag! The big bass of the event went to Garin Butler of Georgia with a 24.75 inch monster! The top 5 anglers qualified for the 2026 Kayak Series Championship to be held this next fall.

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