STOP #6 - Hart's Lake

43 Anglers. 3 Waterways. 11 Species. One Wild Day of Fishing.
The 2025 edition of the Hook & Paddle ~ Harts Lake ~ tournament on Harts Lake, Coy Lake, and the St. John River brought the heat—literally and figuratively. With 43 skilled anglers hitting the water, the sun blazing overhead, and thick cabbage clogging pedal drives and lures, it was a full-on battle of grit, grind, and green stuff.
Despite the challenges, competitors hauled in a total of 256 fish submitted across 11 of the 16 eligible species and much more caught! From chunky smallmouth and lurking chain pickerel to the surprise catches like muskie, eel and chub/fallfish, anglers proved their versatility and hustle all day long.

Conditions: Hot, bright sun all day
Challenge: Thick weed growth across the lake
Support: Huge thanks to Arcadia Municipal Government for their generous support and prize contributions!

Top 5 Anglers of the Day:
1st – Bryan Cawthra – 138.0 pts
The model of consistency and coverage, Bryan landed 9 species, including standout catches like a 25" muskie, 20.25 eel, and 20.5" chain pickerel. The rare musky and stacking of multi-species earned him $300 and the 1st place Atlantic Laser Works custom plaque!

2nd – Gage Nyenhuis – 127.75 pts
Gage secured 2nd place and $200, with the elusive 11.25" fallfish, a 20.5" chain pickerel, 26.75" eel and solid showings across sunfish, catfish, and perch. A dominant day despite the weed-filled chaos. Gage was also the Walters Baits top youth angler on the day!

3rd – Amanda Metz – 125.25 pts
Amanda crushed it with 21.5" of target species of largemouth + red breast sunfish giving her the X Zone LuresTHE ROD GLOVE prize pack. Add in a 14.5" largemouth, 12.50" catfish, and consistent multi-species catches lander Metz in 3rd place and a $100 cash prize + Lake&Lure Prize Pack!

4th – Travis Melanson – 121 pts
Travis held it down with 9 total species and and had another solid showing - including a monster 19" smallmouth bass - which tied him for the lunker on the day.

5th – Rene Pelletier – 117.5 pts
Rene also landed a 19.00" smallmouth, to claim his share of the lunker bass prize, along with 8 other species to round out the top 5 anglers on the day. 

Event Species Summary:
Total Fish Caught: 256
Species Caught: 11 out of 16 eligible

Most Common Species: Chain Pickerel, Smallmouth Bass, Yellow Perch, Pumpkinseed Sunfish and Catfish
Rare Finds: Eel, Largemouth, Chub/Fallfish, Muskie

Arcadia Municipal Government sponsored the prize pool – thank you for supporting the kayak fishing community!
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Thanks to all 43 anglers for an unforgettable tournament day. From thick weed battles to hot sun and cold drinks at the end, Hook & Paddle Harts Lake 2025 was one to remember.