The very first team event of the Mo-Yak River Trail Series presented by FeelFree Kayaks kicked off Saturday, May 15, 2021. Jeremy Mitchell and Jason Yiznitsky continued their success on the team side of things by sticking close to home in the Waynesville/Lebanon area. Here’s their story…
What was your strategy going into the day?
Jeremy: “My strategy was to fish as close to home as humanly possible. I’ve traveled way too much this year and any chance to fish close to home is a rare gift. I knew the majority of people would be on the bigger water so I wanted to have a stretch of smaller water all to myself.”
Jason: “Fish a 12-mile section of the river and focus on deeper water next to rock.”
Were you able to prefish and did you find anything that helped you on game day?
Jeremy: “I did not prefish, I have a good amount of experience on the rivers and creeks in this area so Jason and I decided to hit a section of river that we both have some great history with. He fished the next stretch upriver from me and picked me up with my van at the end of the day.”
Jason: “I scouted the section I planned to fish throughout the week. I just had to really keep an eye on the gauges to make sure I could run it safely. There are some tough sections that can easily lead to falling in the drink.”
Care to share the river you fished?
“Pulaski County has some great rivers and creeks. They are all just as productive for fish as they are for their scenic qualities. But as far as naming them, I think we’ll let everyone do some research on Google.”
What were the water conditions?
“Slightly above average. Pushing very well with a little bit of extra green stain. 3-4 foot visibility. 60° water temp”
What was the general tackle you used to win?
Jeremy: “Trophy Bass company jig with a Tackle HD craw and a Yo-Zuri 3DB Pencil (Spook clone).”
Jason: “1/2 oz BOSS flipping jig, Tackle HD 3/8 oz Worldwide Buzzbait.”
Anything else special about the day?
Jason: “Any chance to be on the river is special. I got my start as a kid fishing rivers out West. The Ozarks have some of the best rivers in the country.”
Lose any bigguns?
Jason: “Lost a good one when I made a cast in current. I had a bad hookset as I was out of position.”
Did the weather affect your bite?
Jeremy: “I think river and creek fish get more aggressive when the weather isn’t the best. That’s probably the biggest reason why I was able to find a topwater bite all day long.”
Jason: “I think it helped. Kept all the loud floaters and fair weather jet boaters home.”
Are there things that MoYak can do better?
Jeremy: “Get more people excited for rivers! Kayaks and skinny water go together like lamb and tuna fish.”
Jason: “I’m proud of this club, everything has been run exceptionally well. I have nothing but positive things to say about MoYak. I am also glad Jim Harding won. I’m happy he’s recovering well. Great job man.”
Derby Stats
Teams 8
Fish caught – 92
Total limits – 12/17
Margin of victory – 3.5″
