For Holly Cittadino, better known as TN Yak Girl, the Kayak Adventure Series was a tournament she had wanted to fish since first seeing it online. When she finally got the opportunity, preparation was less than ideal. Holly and her husband, Joe, arrived Thursday with only about three hours to pre-fish, and their first area produced almost nothing. Holly finally caught a fish while sitting at the ramp clearing line from her Texas rig. With so many options available, they decided to try completely new water for the tournament.
Day One
Holly’s tournament started with an 18-inch bass caught on a crankbait in six to eight feet of water around sparse grass. She followed it with 15.5- and 14.25-inch fish using the same technique.
She thought she had found a pattern, but one mistake kept her from filling her limit. Holly caught an 11.5-inch bass and released it, assuming the tournament had the 12-inch minimum she was accustomed to. She later learned the minimum was lower and that fish would have counted.
Day Two
Exhausted from cranking grass all day, Holly returned Sunday and discovered much of the fishing pressure had moved elsewhere. Joe quickly found fish in shallow water on a chatterbait, but Holly soon realized the shallow, grassy bite wasn’t her style.
“I’m gonna go do what I know,” she told Joe before returning to an area where she felt more comfortable and switching to a Texas rig.
After catching a couple of small fish, Holly switched to a Z-Man ElaZtech worm from the tournament welcome bag. She had never fished it before.
Then everything changed.
Her next fish was a 20.75-inch bass. She followed it with 19.25- and 18.75-inch fish, finishing with 92.25 inches.
The 20.75-inch fish was especially meaningful. Holly’s goal for 2026 was to catch 26 bass over 20 inches as part of the Kayak Jak Fish for 2026 challenge. She had already caught 25 but didn’t realize until after the tournament that the 20.75 completed her goal.
The Cittadinos Represent
Holly and Joe typically fish separately during tournaments, and this event was no different. Joe finished Day 1 with a limit but needed bigger fish. On Day 2, he quickly found several 17- and 18-inch bass and caught more than 40 fish while building his limit.
Holly’s day was different. She didn’t catch a huge number of fish—she caught the fish she needed.
Their friendly competition is always there, but Joe is also Holly’s biggest supporter. With both having strong tournaments, they celebrated each other’s success.
In the 61-angler field, Holly finished 3rd with 92.25 inches, while Joe finished 6th with 90.25 inches.
“The Citadinos represented,” Holly said.
More Than a Finish
The third-place finish meant even more because Holly had been coming off a difficult tournament season and had not expected this kind of success on water she had never fished.
Just three years ago, Holly had never fished. Today, she has multiple tournament finishes, a growing list of big bass, and 26 bass over 20 inches in 2026.
She still considers herself a beginner, but she knows what time on the water, hard work, and dedication can accomplish.
Holly started fishing in her 40s and never imagined she would one day stand on a stage at a national-level event alongside her husband and finish third out of 61 anglers.
She hopes other women see themselves in her story: it’s never too late to find a new passion, set new goals, and surprise yourself with what you can accomplish.
Credits & sources
Story: USAKFM Field Team Member
Source: Holly Cittadino
Photos: Holly Cittadino