The 2026 Florida Bass Nation Kayak Series North Region kicked off with 45 anglers on November 22nd, representing four different states, the first time in trail history a Florida Bass Nation Kayak Series season event has drawn competitors from that many states. The field included four anglers from Georgia, who traveled south to compete and successfully secured points toward both AOY and the Florida State Championship, which will ultimately send qualifiers to the National Bassmaster Kayak Series Championship.

Anglers launched into a crisp morning, followed by a warm afternoon, a combination that activated fish early but demanded constant adjustments across Orange Lake and Lake Lochloosa. Many anglers stated their best bites came towards the end of the day. The duck-season opener also brought heavy pre-dawn boat traffic and not-so-distant shotgun volleys, presenting an additional layer of pressure and difficulties that many anglers noted throughout the day.

Vogt’s winning total of 91.75 inches was anchored by a 21.00-inch kicker and followed by strong limits across the top 10. Blake Abbey finished second with 91.75 inches, and Duayne Dwyer secured third with 89.00 inches. Abbey’s 91.75” tied the winner Matt Vogt. However, Vogt secured the tiebreaker with his largest bass coming in at 21.00” and Abbey’s at 20.75”. Vance McCullough (86.75”) and Ross Pinkerton (87.25”) completed the top five.

1st - Matt Vogt (91.75”)
2nd - Blake Abbey (91.75”)
3rd - Duayne Dwyer (89.00”)
4th - Vance McCullough (87.75”)
5th - Ross Pinkerton (87.75”)
6th - Brandon Hewlett (86.75”)
7th - Nicholas Bowman (85.25”)
8th - Brian Nelli (84.75”)
9th - Timothy Campbell (84.25”)
10th - Garrett Wade (84.25”)

One notable storyline came from the Big Bass battle, which ended in a tie with two giant 24.00 inch bass. Barbara Moore and Richard White III each landed giant fish, but Moore claimed the $450 Big Bass payout via the tiebreaker: the larger second-biggest fish in her bag. Moore’s next-largest measured 18.00 inches, edging out White’s 17.50-inch secondary fish, securing her the hard-fought Big Bass victory and a nice payday. This marks the second straight event where a female angler has landed the largest bass of the tournament. In the previous South Region opener on the Harris Chain, Wendy Biles claimed Big Bass with a 24.75-inch giant, currently the largest of the season.

Orange Lake also saw a strong showing from established competitors and new anglers. Middle-of-the-pack battles were tight, new anglers posted solid early-season limits, and multiple competitors from outside Florida traveled in to test themselves against one of the state’s and nation’s big bass factories.

Across all angler bags, the average fish measured 16.17 inches. For comparison, the average fish in the Harris Chain South opener was 15.66 inches. Current lake Average Size standings:

Orange Lake: 16.17”
Harris Chain of Lakes: 15.66”

Both the North and South Region return to action on December 13 at Lake Miccosukee and Walk-in-Water/Lake Arbuckle, respectively.