Kristine Fischer Takes First Bassmaster Kayak Series Win at Tenkiller

Lake Tenkiller’s Rising Waters Challenge the Field

The water levels on Lake Tenkiller changed every day. After heavy rains moved through the area, the lake rose to 8 feet above full pool midweek before the Corp of Engineers began releasing water late in the week and into the weekend.

Skipping Big Swimbaits Under Docks for Bigger Bites

Targeting floating docks sitting over 15 to 45 feet of water, Fischer skipped 5-, 6- and 7-inch shad-colored swimbaits (including a 6-inch Berkley Cull Shad) under those docks to generate her biggest bites. She used sidescan to locate docks with baitfish underneath before turning around and making long skips to the backside of the particular dock. 

A Lack of Forward-Facing Sonar Pays Off

In practice, Fischer discovered some issues with her forward-facing sonar, and she was unable to use it during the tournament, which she felt turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

“Some of the bigger bites were way under the dock. You almost had to hit the back of the dock,” Fischer explained. “Some of the times I couldn’t even see what was underneath.

“I didn’t turn it on once. I think that helped me. Sometimes when you have it on, it distracts you. I just did my thing around the banks and docks.”

Flipping Flooded Bushes with the Berkley Crud Craw

She also flipped a Berkley Crud Craw around flooded bushes she came across during the day.

“As the water dropped, I pulled out to the midcreek areas, and anywhere I had a steeper bank with flooded bushes I would flip,” she said. “I also threw the big swimbait there and would crawl it through the flooded bushes. I got a lot of big bites doing that and had a lot of followers.” 

“I caught smallmouth in practice fishing bushes, which was very strange. They were very much mixed in with the largemouth in practice,” Fischer said. “But Day 1 I never got a smallmouth bite. The sun might have had something to do with that.”

Adapt and Conquer: A New Strategy for Day 2

On Day 2, Fischer felt fishing the floating docks would give her the best chance at winning. “I had the big swimbait in my hand all day. I didn’t put it down,” she said. “I was hunting for those big bites, and I got them. I knew I was doing the right thing, but I felt like I needed to stay in the area and hammer down.”

From Doubt to Victory

But, nearing the end of the event, Fischer had mentally prepared herself for another “close, but no cigar.” She was afraid her Day 2 total wasn’t going to be quite enough for the win, but it turned out to be plenty. In fact she finished with an inch-and-a-half lead over second place finisher, Luke Aryan.

“I’m honestly in disbelief,” Fischer said. “I thought the big fish bite was better today, and I had the bites today that I knew I would have needed to win the tournament. But the two biggest bites I got didn’t get to the boat. You get a gut feeling when one of those gets off that it was going to cost you, and I definitely had that feeling. I’m a big believer that when it is your time, it is your time. A lot lately, it hasn’t been my time, and I was just hoping to stay in the Top 3.”

The BassmastHER ambassador, Kristine Fischer, now has victories with three different national trails.