Field Staff Spotlight: An Exclusive Interview with Jake Suvak

Our Pro Team member, Jake Suvak, has been dominating the competition in Kayak Angler’s Yakoff Awards. We sat down with him to discuss his experience with competitions, favorite fishing gear, and share some wild stories from his adventures.

Q. Tell us more about the Yak Off awards and what’s going on with that next.

A. Round 2 is coming up – April 17^th and people can vote on my new favourite set up walk through video. The next round I’m up around 8 other candidates so the race is getting tighter. 

Q. What’s a day in the life of Jake Suvak like when you’re not on the water?

A. I keep busy by day as assistant athletic director for  Sports Performance at University of South Carolina Upstate.  On top of this my wife and I coach our daughters softball team. 

Q. Can you share a favorite or wildest fishing story from your time on the kayak?

A. There are many that come to mind but probably my first tournament I won at Lake Kissimmee in Florida hosted by Kayak Anglers of Florida.  It was my first year of doing tournaments and hadn’t had much luck.  On this particular day was having a bad morning but kept working at it and looking and fortunately in the last hour found some fish located in some grasses and filled my limit for the day ending the day with my first tournament win.   Kayak Angler’s of Florida. 

Q. If you could only bring three pieces of gear on the water, what would they be?

·       Vibe Versa Pod

·       Motor Guide XI3 electric motor

·       Yak Attack Blackpak 

Q. Any other upcoming tournaments are you most excited about?

A. I’m doing lots of local tournaments in and round South Carolina.  I’m particular excited about the Kayak Adventure Series coming up May 2-3, 2025 weekend in South Boston,  Virginia. 

Q. Any big plans or projects coming up in the kayak fishing world we should know about? 

A. There are a fewer national competitions, so will likely see more local events.  The few national ones are limited to Bassmaster Tournaments and the Kayak Adventures Series which will mean a lot less travel for anglers but more intense competition at these limited events.   

Q. How did you find your way into the sport of Kayak Angling?

A. During my college years, I couldn’t afford a motorboat for fishing, but I could afford a kayak. I believe an angling kayak is a much easier entry point into fishing in general. There is a stronger pull for new anglers to get into kayak fishing than for existing motorized anglers to switch to it.