Courtesy photo Marquette’s Brandon Bissell poses with his equipment and trophies after earning third place Angler of the Year at the Kayak Bass Fishing National Championships in Louisiana Oct. 13-15.

SHREVEPORT and BOSSIER CITY, LA. — Hot on the heels of a successful season competing in the Upper Peninsula Kayak Anglers, rookie angler Brandon Bissell of Marquette carried his momentum to an impressive performance at the Kayak Bass Fishing National Championships on a group of lakes, including Caddo Lake and Lake Bistineau in Shreveport and Bossier City, LA. October 13-15.

Bissell came back to the Upper Peninsula with the following honors: KBF National Rookie of the Year, KBF Challenge Series Championship Runner Up, KBF Trail Series 3rd Place and an invitation into the prestigious “The Ten” tournament in Kissimmee, FL.

In the UPKA, Bissell finished on top overall and took Angler of the Year honors.

“Having the great season in the UPKA helped me build confidence throughout the year,” said Bissell. “This confidence allowed me to go into the National Championship knowing that even though I was 1,200 miles away from home, on a body of water I’ve never been to before, I should be able to find some fish.”

Overall, the experience at Nationals was incredible, said Bissell.

Nationals was an incredible experience,” he commented. “KBF went above and beyond to make the event a memorable experience for the anglers. Between the venue, awards, the overall fishing experience, I won’t soon forget it.”

Among the awards and moments was one of the best days of fishing for Bissell.

“Day two was probably the best day of fishing I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. “… I caught my new personal best largemouth 11 minutes into the tournament.

“The fish was 23 inches long and weighed 7.71 Pounds. That fish anchored my personal best 5-bass limit that ended up being the largest bag of the weekend at 105.75 inches.

“In addition, hearing my name called as being one of the Top 10 in the National Angler of the Year standings at the event was an incredible feeling. By taking third overall in angler of the year, I qualified for the Prestigious ‘KBF The Ten’!”

“The Ten” is an invitation-only tournament in Kissimmee, Florida where the top 10 ranked in National AOY compete.

Bissell — despite the growing awards and honors — has only been kayak bass fishing for a short time.

The 2021 season was his first full-time after purchasing his first kayak in 2020.

All of his accomplishments, though, would not be possible without the UPKA.

“This season wouldn’t be possible if not for my initial joining of the Upper Peninsula Kayak Anglers,” Bissell noted. “With the UPKA being a sanctioned club, I was able to qualify for the larger Michigan state tournaments and even the National Tournaments.”

Bissell added the UPKA — which can be found at their Facebook page of the same name — is a great place to begin for those interested in kayak bass fishing.

“If anyone in the U.P. is interested in competitive kayak bass fishing, the UPKA is a great place to start,” he said.