NVKBA - Northern Virginia Kayak Bass Anglers

06/04/2026

We are deeply saddened to hear about the passing of our dear friend Rick Fawley. We pray for peace and comfort to him and send our deepest condolences to his family during their time of grief. God bless you, Rick. NVKBA will forever cherish the love and support you had for this club. Rest in peace, brother.

06/01/2026

🔥 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! 🔥

2026 NVKBA Trail Stop #5: "Revenge of the Rapp" is officially open for registration!

We're past the halfway point of the 2026 TRAIL Series, and the AOY race is heating up.

This is shaping up to be THE most diverse single-day event we'll hold all season. In partnership with the VA BASS Nation Kayak Series and the VKAE - Virginia Kayak Anglers Elite (who will once again judge our Snakehead Side Challenge), anglers will have access to a massive section of water stretching from portions of the Rapidan River and Upper Rappahannock, through Fredericksburg and City Docks, and all the way down the tidal Rappahannock to White Stone (Rt. 3).

River smallmouth. Tidal largemouth. Northern snakehead.

They're all in play.

If you're looking to make a move in the standings, this is the event to do it.

Register today. No excuses.

https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/qh4XcT8mF9t08I93zM5t

05/25/2026

Today, we pause to remember the brave men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice and never made it home.

From all of us at Northern Virginia Kayak Bass Anglers, we honor and remember our fallen heroes and the families who carry their legacy every day.

🇺🇸 Never forgotten.

05/17/2026

05/17/2026

🔥 2026 NVKBA Trail Stop #4 – Tidal Throwdown Recap 🔥
📍 Tidal Potomac River | May 16th, 2026

What an absolutely EPIC day on the water.

This year’s Tidal Throwdown once again proved why it has become one of the biggest regional kayak bass fishing events of the year. Anglers spread out across the massive playing field from the Woodrow Wilson Bridge all the way down to the Route 301 Bridge on both the Virginia and Maryland sides of the Potomac River — and the fish were chewing.

A staggering 349 fish were officially scored by 70 anglers throughout the day. 41 of 70 anglers managed to catch a full 5-fish limit! The bite stayed hot nearly all day long, with only brief slowdowns during tidal transitions before the action picked right back up. Fish continued to hit the leaderboard until the final minutes of the tournament.

Congratulations to all of our anglers. The level of competition on display was incredible.

🏆 Top 10 – 2026 NVKBA Trail Stop #4: Tidal Throwdown

1️⃣ Mike Hoskey (VA) – 91.50”
2️⃣ Jason Church (VA) – 89.50”
3️⃣ Dave Thompson – 87.00”
4️⃣ Justin Largen (VA) – 87.00”
5️⃣ Wade Schoonover (VA) – 86.75”
6️⃣ Joel Giljam (VA) – 84.25”
7️⃣ Joshua Evans – 84.00”
8️⃣ Gabriel Taylor – 83.25”
9️⃣ Jonathon Mehus – 83.25”
🔟 Richard Dahl (MD) – 83.00”

The spotlight goes to 🏆 Mike Hoskey 🏆 for once again claiming victory on the Potomac River. Mike has been one of the river’s most dominant kayak anglers over the years, and his experience showed once again this weekend. He was the ONLY angler to break the 90-inch mark, finishing with an incredible 91.50” limit. Congratulations Mike — an impressive and well-earned win.

🐟 Big Bass & Big Snakehead Awards

Dave Thompson added to his outstanding 3rd place finish by catching the Big Bass of the tournament — a beautiful 21” Potomac River stud.

Bob King secured runner-up Big Bass honors with an even 20” bass.

🐍 Big Snakehead honors went to Cody Oliver with an impressive 25” Northern Snakehead!

The 2026 Angler of the Year race is officially heating up. Dave Thompson now sits atop the AOY standings, but right behind him are 2023 NVKBA Rookie of the Year Nathan Updike and current rookie standout Craig Wheeler.

Big shoutout to VKAE - Virginia Kayak Anglers Elite for once again running and scoring the snakehead side challenge. Be sure to check out their next event this coming weekend in Port Royal — it’s guaranteed to be another great time on the water.

We also want to thank the Chesapeake Reel Masters Kayak Fishing Group and the RIVER RUNNERZ Kayak Bass Club for teaming up with us once again on what always turns into an outstanding joint event on the big river.

Events of this size simply would not be possible without an exceptional judging crew. Massive thanks to:

• Sean Boorsma (VA BASS Nation Kayak Series Director)
• Victor Hendrix
• Nathan Schalles
• William Brewer
• Elmer Agmata Susa Jr. of VKAE

Thank you gentlemen for all the hard work behind the scenes throughout the day.

🍻 Special thanks as well to Barley Naked Brewing Company in Stafford, VA for hosting our awards ceremony. The atmosphere is always top notch, the drinks are fantastic, and they consistently bring in some of the area’s best food trucks. We always enjoy coming here and can’t wait to be back again next year.

👏 Sincere thanks to all of the incredible NVKBA sponsors and partners who continue supporting the growth of our trail and the Virginia kayak fishing community:

Kayak Bass Fishing
Appomattox River Company
Catoctin Creek Custom Rods. LLC
Jake's Bait and Tackle
Ketch Products Inc.
Reelsnot
Amped Outdoors LLC
Da Bomb Anchor Company
Fishing the DMV
Woods & Waters Magazine
FishingChaos

Anglers took home some incredible prizes today from sponsors including Rogue Fishing Co., YakAttack, and Bent Rod Fishing USA!

➡️ Next up: We’ll be teaming up with Sean Boorsma and the VA B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series for another outstanding joint event — this time on the mighty Rappahannock River on June 13th! You will NOT want to miss this one. Be on the lookout soon for registration information.

We have officially reached the mid-season mark, and the competition is getting fierce. Thank you all for continuing to make NVKBA what it is. The anglers, clubs, sponsors, volunteers, judges, and families are truly the best part of this trail. Thanks be to God for another safe and amazing event. See you on the Rapp!

📊 Full Standings:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/V3hdryulwNW6QJ9SrfCd

05/16/2026

EPIC day on the Tidal Potomac! Event recap coming soon. Congrats to the field, and big thanks to all the clubs and partners who came out today.

05/06/2026

Anglers,

Registration is now OPEN for 2026 NVKBA Trail Stop #4 — “Tidal Throwdown I” on the legendary Tidal Potomac River!

This year we are excited to team up for a huge joint event alongside three outstanding clubs:

• Virginia Kayak Anglers Elite
• Chesapeake Reel Masters Kayak Bass Fishing Club
• River Runnerz Bass Club

VKAE - Virginia Kayak Anglers Elite will be running the scoring for our Snakehead Side Challenge, while Chesapeake Reel Masters Kayak Fishing Group and RIVER RUNNERZ Kayak Bass Club will be hosting simultaneous events throughout the day.

To help simplify things on the water, any angler fishing with NVKBA may use ANY participating club’s identifier card for this event.

We’re looking forward to an incredible day on the water with a massive turnout and some serious competition. If this event is anything like last year, you will NOT want to miss it — the fish were absolutely on FIRE.

Get signed up now:
https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/V3hdryulwNW6QJ9SrfCd

See you on the Potomac!
NVKBA

04/26/2026

2026 NVKBA Trail Stop #3 – “Smallie Showdown I”
Shenandoah River Recap

NVKBA's first river event of the 2026 trail season is in the books, and the Shenandoah River showed out once again. Mostly overcast skies held throughout the day, with rain showers moving in late helped keep the bite strong and steady.

A total of 65 anglers combined to score an impressive 262 smallmouth bass, with fish coming steadily all day long, making this one of our best river events yet.

We also saw 5 Virginia citation smallmouth hit the board, highlighting just how strong this fishery can be. Many anglers also reported a variety of bonus catches throughout the day including walleye, catfish, and big largemouth bass.

A big congratulations to Nathan Updike on a standout performance, putting together an impressive 89.50 inch limit to take the win against a seriously stacked field. With multiple anglers pushing into the high 80s, it took a complete and consistent day on the water to come out on top.

🏆 Top 10
Nathan Updike (VA) – 89.50 in.
Justin Largen (VA) – 88.00 in.
Jonathon Mehus (VA) – 87.00 in.
James Coleman (VA) – 87.00 in.
Thomas Arens – 86.25 in.
Frank Bogden (VA) – 84.50 in.
Daniel Litwin (VA) – 83.75 in.
Brandon Byram (VA) – 83.25 in.
Scott Skinner (VA) – 83.00 in.
Michael Hogan (VA) – 80.75 in.

Thomas Arens continued his hot streak, claiming Big Bass for the second event in a row with a 21.25” stud, and also taking home the Big Bass prize pack from our friends at Bent Rod Fishing USA.

🐟 Big Bass Leaderboard
Thomas Arens – 21.25 in.
Jonathon Mehus (VA) – 20.50 in.
Michael Hogan (VA) – 20.50 in.
Mark Corley – 20.25 in.
Brian Lewis – 20.00 in.

Full Results (Unofficial): https://app.fishingchaos.com/tournament/ZnkyOCzJiLTdthqXg40g

A big thank you to all of our amazing sponsors. Our Top 5 anglers took home solid payouts, while 6th–8th place anglers earned YakAttack gift certificates. Several lucky anglers at awards also walked away with critical gear management prizes from Rogue Fishing Co.

We’d also like to give a huge thank you to Twisted Oak Farm Brewery or hosting our awards. The welcoming atmosphere, outstanding drinks and food made for a perfect way to wrap up the event. We’re looking forward to coming back next year!

Next up, we shift gears from current to tidal as we head to the Potomac River on May 16th. Get ready.

04/23/2026

Join us live for the 2026 Shenandoah River event captain's meeting! If you can't make the live stream and plan to fish this event, be sure to watch before lines in on Saturday. Good luck and be safe out there!

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