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Walters Has A Classic Tournament
In 2023, the first ever Jackson Kayak Classic got super intense, coming down to just one fish in more ways than one. The leaderboard was crazy tight, with folks pulling in five-fish limits averaging around 75 inches per day on Kentucky Lake. On that particular October day, Hank Newsom barely snagged the win, beating Marcas Grubbs and Samuel Beck by just 0.75 inches. But the big question is, will the second Jackson Kayak Classic be just as nail-biting, or will someone hook a monster catch and dominate the leaderboard?
On the first day, Chris Walters measured in at 82.75 inches, with Todd Yocum on his tail, hitting 80.25 inches with his five-fish limit. Spots three to eight were all over the place, from 72 inches to 78.25 inches. Marcas Grubbs, last year’s runner-up, was sitting in fifth with 77.50 inches, just 5.25 inches away from the top. But hey, it’s a two-day tournament, and in fishing, anything can happen—a big bite could change everything.
When Day 2 kicked off, the directors were on edge, watching to see who’d get the first big haul. Just before the leaderboard went dark at 10 a.m., there was a massive rally in the southern part of the lake. Marcas Grubbs, of all people, came through with an impressive 85-inch five-bass haul, the biggest of the tournament, climbing to the top spot for the afternoon.
Meanwhile, Chris Walters had a slower start, pulling in some smaller fish. Rumor has it he lost his last lucky squarebill to a fish near his kayak. But later, he spotted something floating in the water—it was his squarebill! The fish had shaken it loose, and it had bobbed to the surface. Without missing a beat, Chris grabbed it back and got his line retied.
From that point on, everything shifted as Chris made an impressive comeback, swapping out one of his smaller catches for a 19-incher. That move set the stage for another thrilling finish at the Jackson Kayak Classic, with all the anglers clueless about the rankings.
When tournament director Jason Cassetty got down to the final two anglers, Grubbs and Walters, they were both totally in the dark. Then Cassetty checked his laptop and announced, "With 164.75 inches, it's Chris Walters!" Chris had climbed back up the leaderboard to snatch the win by just 2.25 inches. His winning five fish included two big ones, a 19-incher and a 19.5-incher, along with a tale of a lost lure and the headline of National Champion.
Grubbs didn't leave completely empty-handed, though. His second-place finish earned him the top spot in the Tournament of Champions and the title of Angler of the Year. A classic ending by a top-tier competitor.
Kentucky Lake was just as exciting as it was last year, treating the anglers well while offering some bigger catches in 2024. Everyone left appreciating that the "South’s Great Lake" is definitely staging a comeback.
A shout-out to the awesome folks at Marshall County for hosting this championship event, and a HUGE thank you to all the anglers who came out for the 2nd annual Jackson Kayak Classic. Can't wait to see you all in 2025!
