Newport angler Ewing Minor clinched a thrilling victory at the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Susquehanna River powered by TourneyX. With a remarkable two-day total of 187.75 inches, Minor outpaced the competition, securing his first Bassmaster Kayak Series victory and the top prize of $11,694. His margin of victory was razor-thin, edging out second-place Kristine Fischer by just a quarter of an inch!
While this win marks Minor's first triumph in a Bassmaster event, it adds to an impressive list of accolades he has accrued in the kayak fishing world. He has previously won several Hobie Bass Open Series events and has been a consistent top contender in the Hobie BOS Angler of the Year race.
Since his initial trip to the Susquehanna River several years ago, Minor has made it a tradition to fish the "Susky" every year. Upon arriving for practice this year, he found the river conditions strikingly familiar, mirroring the successful conditions he has encountered in the past.
Minor attributes his success to this familiarity with the river’s conditions. “That week was very close to the water clarity and water level it is right now,” he noted. “I feel like that trip last summer really helped me with the win here.”
On Day 1, with rising water levels, the fish had pushed even shallower than expected. Once Minor located the fish in these shallow areas, he enjoyed a topwater field day using a buzzbait and a wake bait. The inside edges of grass islands and shade lines proved to be particularly productive for him.
On Day 2, facing increased fishing pressure, Minor leveraged his Newport NK300 electric kayak outboard motor to venture far upriver, away from the main field of competitors, and discovered new waters holding fish. This strategic move allowed him to continue his topwater success, this time utilizing a plopper-style bait to entice the big bites.
Ultimately, it was this ability to find and capitalize on less pressured areas on the second day of the tournament that secured Minor’s victory. His strategic thinking and familiarity with the Susquehanna River environment played crucial roles in his triumph.
Congratulations to Ewing Minor on his well-deserved victory, and to all the anglers who participated in this monumental event!
1 comment
Ewing is an absolute hammer, his name is always in the mix if you are talking about contenders. His brother is a damn good fishermen too! Congrats Ewing!