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A site dedicated to freshwater fishing in North Carolina
It’s been a fabulous ride! Since we began coverage of fishing activities in North Carolina two-plus years ago, Fishbyte.net has provided news of almost 2000 events and taken well over 25,000 photos of the action. Last season we managed to gather and post information on nearly 150 clubs and groups. Email and information flow in weekly. Hopefully, our efforts have been of value to anglers in the region. Certainly the many friendships we have made are valuable to us. Sadly, we will not be able to provide the same coverage for the upcoming season. Blame the tough economic times. We’ll post all the schedules on the Calendar and Tweet the highlights so anglers can find events across the State. Article postings have ended. We can’t thank our sponsors enough for their support and commitment. Without their support of your fishing habits, we couldn’t have made it this far. They are the ones who have made it possible for us to travel back and forth across North Carolina every weekend chasing fishing tournaments. Their commitment meant you could read a news article and view photos of your last tournament. Thank them please! Most of all we wish to thank all the fishermen. You welcomed our presence at your events and tolerated my many questions. You put up with me jumping in with a camera and often getting in the way. You took the time to send details or give them to me after an event. You all let me disturb you out on the lake, time after time for some! Who knows what the future holds? Fishbyte.net might get that big break that would have us roaring back. Someone out there may want to take over. If there’s an option that would continue this thing, I will explore it. We know how much you’ve enjoyed and valued Fishbyte.net and I owe that to you all. Best wishes to all of you in the 2011 season! I might just get some fishing done now. |
All Great Things Must End…Longest Season Wraps Up With 15 Pound Win What is probably the longest season in all of North Carolina bass tournament fishing wrapped up in time for Christmas last Saturday, when Bo Russell’s Saturday Wildcats hit Badin for the final outing. Ten dedicated boats faced sleet and blowing snow as an end-note to a season that began last March. ...more |
If you love bass fishing, but would rather go at it a bit slower and cheaper, the Central NC Bass Anglers club may be the ticket. The group fishes a full nine-event schedule, but does it with sixty horse or smaller engines… or none at all. Charles Albright, an organizer for the group, announced this week that the 2011 season will kick off on Jordan Lake on March 26th. ...more |
Hyco Lake Bass Open Tournament Dec. 18 The Ridgeway Bass Anglers will be holding an Open Team Bass Tournament on Hyco Lake on December 18th, 2010.Tournament hours will be 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Entry fee is $50 per boat and includes lunker. Places paid will be first through third and lunker. Registration will begin at 6:30 AM at the ramp. Launch order will be based on registration sign in. A five-fish limit with 14 inch minimum will be used. For more information, contact Tommy at bassman13@embarqmail.com. |
The second event of the Southern Championship Fishing Winter Trail almost became a dry dock, snowed-out event last weekend. Director Tony Furr scrambled when discovering lake levels at Tillery were down approximately 15 or more feet. Work on the power dam had begun days before and access to the lake was cut off. ...more |
Crumbley And Bryant Win Re-Located Championship Fishing EventSwisher And McClure Win Labonte Chevrolet Tournament Randleman Lake opened this year for the first time to bass anglers, and numerous cubs have used the waters for competitive fishing. High Point Auto Salvage hosted the Terry Labonte Chevrolet Bass Open Tournament November 21 on the lake and, as usual, some good results were posted. ...more |
Triad Bassmasters Announce Angler of the Year Kyle Joyce was presented the Triad Bassmasters Angler of the Year Award recently. The trophy was presented to Joyce by the 2009 Angler of the year, Linda Berry. At the final club meeting of the season, Johnny Dunnavant was voted in as the 2011 President, Bud Risner will be Vice President, and Chris Foreman will be the Secretary and Treasurer. The Triad Bassmasters are accepting new members for the 2011 season. For more information, contact Johnny Dunnavant at 336-382-5272. |
Sleet And Snow Greet Wildcats On Badin It was cold. That, according to the director of the Saturday Wildcats, was the biggest issue that anglers faced on Badin Lake this past Saturday. With final weigh in totals topping the fifteen pound mark, catching fish was not a problem. The snow was. ...more |
Abshire: Let's start off by what is the name of the company and where you are located? Tell us who you are and what is your position? Tom Chopin: The corporation is Koppers Fishing and Tackle Corp. manufacturer’s of LIVETARGET Lures. We have a warehouse in Grand Island, NY and Niagara On The Lake Ontario. My name is Tom Chopin and I joined the company in August 2009 as the Office Manager. ...more |
Stauch Wins Seventeen Boat Wildcat Field Barely in time for the Thanksgiving meal to settle, Bo Russell’s Saturday Wildcats headed back to the waters this past weekend on Lake Tillery. With temperatures at the freezing mark, one of the largest fields in months turned out for some after-turkey action. ...more |
Joyce Secures Triad Bassmaster Title On Hyco Beautiful weather greeted members of Triad Bassmasters as they ended the 2010 season with their club Championship on Hyco Lake November 21st. With double points on the line, most club members had a shot at Angler of the Year, depending on how well the points leader, Kyle Joyce of Reidsville, did in the tournament. ...more |
Cunningham And Green Win Powers Swain On Jordan Powers Swain Chevrolet of Fayetteville, NC likes to think of itself as fisherman friendly and they have been proving that since July 2001. The dealership hosts its own bass tournament series for customers, as well as sponsoring a variety of fishing events, including the annual Warriors on the Water gathering. The club met at Jordan Lake last weekend and anglers tore into the bass, hauling some top weights in a few hours of fishing. ...more |
Nelson Wins Saturday Wildcat Competition On Badin As the sound of deer rifles began to echo through the surrounding hills, Bo Russell’s dedicated bass anglers following the Saturday Wildcat series hit the waters of Badin Lake. As deer hunting season rolled into the regular gun season, eight competition boats continued their chase for bass on the local waters. Four of those had solo anglers aboard and two nailed down the paying positions. ...more |
Hyco Open Draws Twenty-Two Boat Field The Ridgeway Bass Anglers held a second open tournament on Hyco last weekend, and anglers turned out in big numbers. The lake doesn’t often get the hype other ponds do, but that Saturday, it was the place to float. Teams reported many bass caught. Finding the right keepers was the tough part. ...more |
Williams Wins 1-On-1 Fish Off With 16+ On Badin The Yadkin River One-On-One Series finished out another successful year of competition fishing on Badin Lake last weekend, as qualifiers for the group’s Fish Off met at the Lakemont Landing on the north end of the pond. Competitors faced freezing conditions in the morning, but the rising sun meant air temperatures that jumped quickly. That combo seemed to be the perfect setup for the 2010 Fish Off winner. ...more More Photos |
Vanhoy Team Wins Championship Fishing Winter Debut Temperatures in the 30's and cold conditions were apparent on the morning of November 20th, as the Southern Championship Tournament Trail kicked off the 2010 Winter series on High Rock Lake. Twenty teams came out to compete. By weigh in time, the breeze calmed down and it was sunny and warm. ...more |
Championship Fishing Kicks Off Winter Trail Just as many anglers find the novelty of the fall hunting season beginning to wane, Championship Fishing is kicking off its Winter Trail for 2010-2011. Director Tony Furr has set five events and a championship on the Yadkin Chain. The schedule began Saturday, November 20 on High Rock. The Trail will visit Tillery and High Rock twice, and will make one stop on Badin. No location has been set for the final event February 26th. All events will begin at 8 AM and weigh-ins are set for 3 PM. Cost is $100 per event with an optional $10 Big Fish competition. No membership fees are required to participate. For more information about the Trail, visit Championship Fishing’s web site at www.southernfishingtrail.com. |
Fishers Of Men Wraps Up Fall Season On High Rock The Piedmont Division of the Fishers of Men finished the Fall Series on High Rock Lake in North Carolina and some nice limits were weighed in. On the line, was the Fall points championship and the teams of Sides and Seagle and Sink and Whicker came to the event tied for the lead. ...more |
Knight Team Wins Carolina Crankers Fish Off On Cane Creek From the very start the Carolina Crankers season-ending Fish Off was destined to be tough. Only six teams qualified for the event and those anglers were blasted with 29 degree temperatures at blast off on Cane Creek. Bass bite only made the day tougher as just two keepers were brought in at the 4 PM weigh in. ...more |
Bullaboy Wins Weekday Warriors Tournament on Tuckertown The new Weekday Warriors Bass Club held its second unofficial tournament on a beautiful day at Tuckertown Reservoir this past week. The series is hosting a number of off-season events as a warm up for the coming spring season. Thus far, both turnout and catches have been great, according to organizers. ...more |
Unrue And Wilburn Top Tarheel Stripers On High Rock It was their last tournament of the year and twenty teams from the Tarheel Striper Club decided to make it a memorable outing. The November 6th competition at High Rock Lake meant a final shot at a number of club titles and a shot at a lake that often produced big hauls. When the scales closed and the last photos were taken, it was a team that finished fourth on the day who walked away with a first place in the points battle. ...more More Photos |
As so many anglers parked their boats and hit the woods on the first day of the regular deer season, the Saturday Wildcats operated by Bo Russell headed for Lake Tillery. Fall bass were as elusive as the big racks, but two boat teams managed to break into double digits on a lake that requires the best of fishing tactics. ...more More Photos |
Stump Morrison Wins Weekday Warriors Bass Club Tournament The new Weekday Warriors Bass Club held its first-ever bass tournament Wednesday at Badin Lake for the members who have joined the weekday bass club. As usual, Badin Lake remains a tough fishery as anglers struggle to find the fall shad tangles. ...more |
Fritts And Langley Finish Season With Win And Championship A long season of Sunday opens ended this last weekend when the Piedmont Bass Classics met in thirty degree weather at Falls Lake. The series of well-sponsored events that saw winners being awarded extra prizes and cash throughout the season, the anglers brought to rest a schedule that opened back in February. A pair of anglers who had stepped into the winners’ circle many times chalked up another win and claimed the overall Cumulative Weight championship. ...more |
Perrel Team Wins Southern Crappie On Jordan The third event of the 2011 Southern Crappie Tournament Trail was the charm for David and Phenice Perrel. The Germantown, NC team walked away with over $1,000 in cash and numerous prizes when they weighed in 12.58 pounds of Jordan crappie. The team used a Second Big Fish 2.28 pounder to score the win. ...more |
Good Reel Maintenance Saves In The Long Run Anglers know how important it is to clean and maintain all of their fishing gear, and most are pretty good at doing that. As fishing schedules close after classics and championships, many clean up the boat and store it away safely under cover. The tackle box can be a great, wintry inside project in mid-January. Rods are usually tucked inside socks and stored to the side. The one thing too many try to get away with is skipping the total cleaning and maintenance of those reels. One local angler has offered to help. ...more |
Bear Creek BC Wraps Up Season On Tuckertown The Bear Creek Bass Club can’t seem to get enough of Tuckertown Reservoir. For the third year in a row, the club drew that pond out of the hat to stage their season-ending Fish Off this past Sunday. When twenty teams hit the waters at 8:30 AM, they found muddy waters all up and down the lake. For those looking hard enough and willing to risk some stumps, clear waters ad fish were found far up the creeks leading in. ...more |
Tuesday Badin Weekly Ends For Wildcats, Saturday Frosty After meeting at the Alcoa Landing on Badin Lake every week at safelight since March 16, the Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats finished a long season this past week. Those participating regularly saw every type and form of weather, ranging from 100 degree heat to casting through snow flakes. Just prior to the final blast off of the season, anglers enjoyed pizza together, courtesy of Bo Russell, director. ...more |
West And Sykes Win Ghoulish Piedmont Bass Classics It was only a few hours before the ghouls and goblins of Halloween came out, and Billy West and Tracy Sykes of Raleigh went looking for the costumed bass of Falls Lake last Sunday. They were part of a six-team assault on the waters begun at the Ledge Rock Wildlife Ramp, a weekly starting point of the Piedmont Bass Classics series. ...more |
Team McLean Wins Final Event & Points Race The High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers had their 18th and final "classic" tournament of the year at Randleman Reservoir on October 27th. The conditions were mostly cloudy with a heavy shower in the last hour of the tournament. The winds were strong at 20 to 30 mph out of the southwest with an air temperature of 85 degrees. The water was clear to stained with a temperature between 65 and 68 degrees. ...more More Photos |
Russell Continues Winning Streak On Wildcat Trail An every Saturday open series to its game to High Rock this past weekend, and the results mirrored outcomes seen in recent events. Director Bo Russell, with son, John, topped the field of anglers as fall weather changed bass fishing patterns. ...more |
Hyco Lake Bass Open On Tap For Nov. 20th After hosting a very successful open bass tournament early last month on Randleman Lake, the Ridgeway Bass Anglers will be back staging yet another for bass anglers looking for fall action. This time, the club will use Hyco Lake as the launch pond on Saturday, November 20th. The event will run from 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Entry fee will be $50 per boat. That price includes Lunker. Places paid will be 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Lunker. Registration will begin at 6:30 AM at the ramp, and launch order will be based on registration sign in. A five-fish limit with 14 inch minimum will be used. |
Abshire And Altman Win Deep Creek Lures Classic A grueling schedule that had bass teams fishing seven different lakes across North Carolina ended when the Deep Creek Lures Trail finished its 2010 season with the annual Classic last weekend. Badin Lake was the pond of draw and two anglers who nailed some wins and places during the season returned to the big bag list. ...more |
Wildcats Keep Weekly Bass Anglers Going Strong For Yadkin Chain lakes bass anglers who look for a weekly fix at minimal cost, Russell’s Wildcat competitions have been just the ticket this season. Hosting both a Saturday open trail that travels up and down the Yadkin Chain and a Tuesday evening series on Badin Lake, regulars and occasional drop-ins make both trails just what many enjoy. ...more |
Stegall And Carnes Win BFN Youth State Championship The NC BASS Federation Nation Youth Championship on Lake Tillery began with all competitors sitting and waiting for blast off. There was a delay launching of over an hour due to heavy fog on the main lake. Colder air and warm waters created an unsafe situation, and organizers chose to wait and be safe. Once anglers were on the water and fishing, Lake Tillery was its usual stingy self at giving up fish. ...more |
October 30 High Rock Open To Help Fire Victim Family A bass fishing tournament on October 30 on High Rock Lake in Lexington, NC will help a local family put things back together after a September 15th fire destroyed their home and belongings. Jody McRoberts, the president of the Triple H Bass Club, and his wife, Jennifer, were helping relocate fish from a pond in Sedgefield when they got word of the fire. ...more |
Simmons Wins Archdale Bass Randleman Event Randleman Regional Reservoir hosted Archdale Bass Club for the third time this year. The club sported another strong turnout by members and visitors. Even with a fog delay, hopes were still high for a big fish fest. In the end, previous visits were considerably more generous but the lake continues to develop its personality after its first year of very heavy fishing pressure. In keeping with the pre-tourney dock talk and scouting reports, unfortunately, no 5 fish limits were brought to the scales. ...more |
Fofi And Murdock Win Jordan Struggle Like so many lakes across the region, Jordan Lake bass are giving anglers fall fits. Although Mother Nature has been serving up perfect weather to be on a bass search, the elusive quarry is failing to show up all too often. Six teams vied for the sole First Place prize money of $480 at last Sunday’s Piedmont Bass Classics event on Lake Jordan and the final winner left no doubts. ...more |
Ridgeway Bass Anglers Hold Open On Belews It was a great opportunity to fish a pond that many bass anglers overlook or just never get to fish. The Ridgeway Bass Anglers held an open competition on Belews last weekend and fifteen teams took advantage of the opportunity. In the end, the northern lake treated anglers pretty well and all are ready for more. ...more |
If you have always wanted to fish throughout the week and avoid the weekend crowds on most lakes, this may be the club you have been looking for. Les Tolley, who started the Booyah Wildcat Club and is also a Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler & Columnist, is heading up the New "Weekday Warriors" Bass Club for those who wish to fish during the week. If you are retired from the military, school system, or work as a police officer, firefighter, or in the medical profession, then this may be for you. "We are going to start with 15 teams, then go from there,” stated Tolley. We will fish a 10 to 12 tournament schedule on the Yadkin Chain of lakes. To reserve your spot and for more information, call Les Tolley at 704-773-1970. |
Goad And Williams Win FOM Eastern Regional Congratulations go out to local anglers Adam Vanhoy and Bubba Davis of Rockwell NC for finishing 8th in a field of 121 boats this weekend in Charleston West Virgina. They qualify now to fish in the National Championship in April, 2011 at Lake Guntersville in Alabama. Vanhoy and Davis were in 14th place after Day One of the two-day competition, but with day two being extremely difficult to catch fish, the team scored well on the water and moved up in the final standings. ...more |
Wagers Wins Carolina Crappie Opener On Wateree The first-ever Carolina Crappie Association competition kicked off last weekend at Wateree as fifteen teams hit the waters off Dutchmans Marina. The event was sponsored by the marina. The series, which includes five regular events during the fall and winter months, finishes in March with a Classic. ...more |
Conner & Mullis Win Two-Day Bear Creek Ending It was a down-to-the-last end of a season for the Bear Creek Bass Club last weekend when the club battled for two days on Wateree. In the past few months, the top four spots in club points battle had been swapped a number of times and it would all be decided in one weekend. ...more More Photos |
Hege And Lawson Win Yadkin Team Two-Day Shootout Carl Benton’s Yadkin Promotions wrapped up its Yadkin Team Tournament Series this last weekend by traveling to two different lakes in two days. The Fish Off was the culminating event in a schedule that began back in February, fishing the lakes of the Yadkin Chain. A new series this year, Benton combined what was the High Rock Team and New Piedmont Team Trails. The schedule included eleven events. ...more |
Anglers Find Badin Tough Going In Wildcat Events As anglers look for fall bass bite to begin its big roll, boats slide far up creeks that lead to the many lakes in North Carolina. Some ponds are beginning to show the expected bigger bite, but Badin Lake left the competitors in Russells Wildcats scratching their heads over the last few days. ...more |
Allred & Broome Win Jordan Event For those who showed up for the Piedmont Bass Classics event on Jordan this past weekend, the outing was good. The fall catch began to show up and the action was up. Only three teams were able to participate and all the prize package went to the winners. ...more |
Cross And Wilson Win On High Rock The High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers held their seventeenth tournament of the year on October 13th at High Rock Lake. With partly cloudy skies, light winds and an air temperature in the mid 70's, the water temperature was in the upper 60's to low 70's and clear to stained. ...more |
They’ve been threatening to do it all season long and the striper anglers of the Tarheel Striper Club out-foxed those using live bait October 9 on Lake Rhodhiss. In recent months, trollers have come on strong, but have fallen short in their quest to grab top spots in the events. That Saturday was the charm and they had their day. ...more More Photos |
Trollers Out-Fish Livebaiters In Rhodhiss Striper TournamentNorman Winter Team Series Announces Schedule For anglers on Norman, the fishing will be non-stop as the colder months roll in. The Norman Winter Team Bass Championship Trail announced a schedule this week that will run from December to mid-February. The weekly events will happen for both Saturday and Sunday bass anglers. The Series will continue to use the Midway Marina Landing and those fishing must donate a modest $15 membership fee. Bonuses for schedule champions, largest stringer, largest solo bass, and points leaders will be paid. Cost per event is $60 per team with a $10 Big Fish pot. Both series will culminate with a February 12 and 13 Championship where the top twenty teams from the Saturday and Sunday events will compete for bragging rights in their series. For more information, contact 828-428-0601 or visit them on the web at www.FISHWITHDJ.com. |
Staley Wins Yadkin 1-On-1 On Tough High Rock For most anglers, Saturday’s Yadkin One-On-One Series season finale was a tough day of fishing on High Rock. Seventeen solo anglers hit the waters early in the AM, looking forward to the big weights the pond delivers come fall months. Instead, just two limits came to the scales at 3 PM, and both walked away with the top prizes. . ...more More Photos |
20th Annual Farmer Lions Club Tx Coming Oct. 30 The Bill Johnson Memorial Tournament to be held on Badin Lake October 30 will be the 20th Annual for the Farmer Lions Club. A favorite for anglers who visit the Yadkin Chain, the event typically hosts from 25 to as many as 50 teams each year. The event will be staged at the Fish Tales Marina. Cost is $60 per boat with a $10 Big Fish option. Those who do not pre-register may do so from 5:30 AM to 6:45 AM at the landing. For more information, contact Richard Delk at 336-241-2333. |
Luthers Win Final Adam & Eve Event Of 2010 One of the most-popular bass fishing series in Central north Carolina finished up a successful 2010 season last weekend on Badin Lake when the Adam & Eve Series weighed in at 2 PM. Events consist of man/woman teams and often see as many as 30 plus boats. And, while a team that scored often during the season won the final day, another husband and wife team took the total catch honors of the year. ...more More Photos |
Farr And Zeigler Win Jordan Open With 16.9 Jordan Lake...Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp |
Hughes Team Wins Mt. Carmel FWB Benefit The bass are biting on High Rock and anglers took advantage of a great benefit opportunity to round them up October 2nd. The Mt. Carmel Men’s Organization held its annual competition using the Tamarac Marina and the fish did not disappoint. Thirty-eight teams joined in the fray and over twenty-one pounds took the top spot. ...more |
Woodard And Szuba Win Stratos 175XL In Buggs Shootout The 2010 Shoot-Out Championship concluded on Sunday, October 3 with the team of Tony Woodard of Four Oaks, NC and Wally Szuba of Cary NC being handed the keys to their new Stratos 175XL powered by a Mercury outboard. Tony and Wally's two day creel, of 30.30 pounds gave them almost a two pound cushion over the second place team. ...more More Photos |
Wildcats Finding Bigger Bass As Fall Temps Roll In With summer weather finally giving way to fall temps ad more rains, the weekly competitions for Russell’s Saturday and Tuesday Wildcats are showing an upturn in fish caught. Anglers in the Tuesday evening events are grabbing some monster bass out of Badin, while the Saturday open is finding better returns on all the Yadkin lakes. ...more |
Badin Gives Up 18 Plus To McLean Team In Win The High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers held their sixteenth tournament of the year on October 4th at Badin Lake. Anglers were greeted by mostly cloudy skies, 15 to 20 mph winds, an air temperature in the upper 60's, and water temperatures around 75 degrees and mainly clear. ...more More Photos |
| Wilson Wins Archdale Bass Club Event On High Rock October 2, 2010 Story and Photo Courtesy of Bill Frazier The Archdale Bass Club met for the third time this season to fish High Rock lake on Oct 2. Anticipation was high given this is the time of year High Rock typically “turns on” with its famous crankbait bite. Several local anglers went on to fame if not fortune because of this fall feeding blitz. When the weather begins to cool, for whatever reason, bass on this lake can’t seem to resist little wood or plastic carvings resembling the real food they eat. This outing was no exception. ...more |
Herndon & Garrard Win Falls Sunday Event A total of $1,310 was up for grabs this last Sunday for twelve teams fishing the Piedmont Bass Classics event on falls Lake. With summer finally ending its grip on ravaging temperatures, the anglers fishing the event saw the beginnings of a fall pattern. One team walked away with $875 of the pot on a day that saw rains move in shortly after weigh in. ...more |
Bean Wins Yadkin Team Event On High Rock There’s only one stop left for Carl Benton’s Yadkin Team Tournament Series this year after teams from the trail finished the 2010 regular season at High Rock last week. While a few of the teams toiled for a last shot at the championship points race, some just needed a win. ...more |
McLean & Tolley Win Yadkin Yahoo At Tuckertown Reservoir With 25 mile per hour winds and wave after wave rolling down Tuckertown Reservoir, conditions became very tough on The Yadkin Yahoo's Club Tournament on Saturday Sept 18th. Sometimes under bad conditions you can bet that someone will find a way to catch fish and this held true for one team during Saturday’s tournament. ...more |
Fofi And Murdock Win Jordan Lake Open With day after day of high heat, you couldn’t have asked for better weather conditions at the Piedmont Bass Classics Open at Jordan Lake last weekend. Air temps ranging from the low sixties to mid-eighties with a nice breeze in the afternoon made the day feel like a late summer outing. The only thing missing was the bass and the usual large turnout of anglers. ...more |
Stubborn Badin Turns Bear Creek Points Race Upside Down It was far beyond tough fishing and it turned what had been a relatively stable points race upside down. Badin churned out what was probably its toughest lesson of the year last Saturday when twenty-two boat teams from the Bear Creek Bass Club arrived to fish the lake. As teams dragged back to the docks, only one had a five-fish limit. ...more |
McLean Team Adds Another Victory To A Long List It was the fifteenth event on their season’s schedule and the winds decided to weigh in before the anglers. Members of the High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers who traveled to Tuckertown September 16th drew fire from high and gusty winds all day. Eight teams took on the 90 degree temperatures. ...more |
Badin Goes Sour For Yadkin 1-On-1 Event Lady Badin and her bass buddies must have seen the Yadkin One-On-One anglers coming last Saturday. In what was probably the toughest outing of the season for the solo competitors, bass bite just wasn’t there. Veteran anglers who normally pound those waters for excellent sacks reported to the 2:30 PM scales with nary a fish. ...more More Photos |
Bryant And Crumbley Take Randolph Team Trail On Badin It took a lot of doing on a day that Badin lake levels were far below normal. Having the pond easily four feet below normal made regular fishing holes worthless for most and changed any patterns. One team still managed to figure out how to find bass and walked away with the eight and final regular event of the season for the Trail. ...more More Photos |
The six boat teams of the Central Carolina Bassmasters found Tillery true to her reputation last Saturday. With water temperatures refusing to budge more than a few degrees, bass are still swimming in summer environments. Tillery is known as a great place to explore during spring and fall, but the waters become stingy during the hot weather. Anglers began the day in fall-like weather, but stiff breezes and rising mercury made the day another grind-fest. ...more More Photos |
Clay Wins Central Carolina On Tillery
Russell Father & Son Team Wins Tillery Open Score one for the tournament director and son, a Bassfury Pro Angler. Russell’s Saturday Wildcats headed for Lake Tillery last weekend and were one of four bass and one striper club using the Swift Island Wildlife Access. When all was said and done and scales packed into trucks, director Bo Russell and son, Jon, topped their club and most other boats on a day when bite meant work. ...more More Photos |
Wobblehead Lures May Provide The Upper Hand (Update: Prior to publication of this review, I gave Ralph Nolan a Wobblehead Lure to try in a Central Carolina Bassmaster event… he caught Big Fish with it that day!) A trip to the local tackle shop can be both exciting and depressing at the same time. We’ve all been there many times… we plan a trip to a favorite shop to pick up the baits that have worked in the past and maybe that new item that will make an outing a dream come true. We walk up and down the aisles looking for the one lure that will win tournaments. Nothing jumps out at us, but we lay down our cash for a few we hope might produce results. Invariably they become more junk in the bottom of our boat. ...more |
While most anglers are struggling to find respectable fish during the last, hot days of summer, one Carolina Crankers member put on a show of a season last week. Lisa Snyder May, fishing with the group on Lake Monroe Sept. 9th, hauled nearly fourteen pounds of bass to the scales. The win was impressive, but what gave her the real bragging rights was the 9 pound 9 ounce bass that anchored her bag. According to club spokesperson, Rodney May, the group has been together for over 15 seasons and welcomes new members. They’ll just have to compete with May. |
All season long, the livebaiters in the Tarheel Striper Club have been crooning and strutting their strategy. This season, the use of fresh bait has been a hands-down favorite of stripers in nearly every lake the club has fished. On Saturday, Lake Tillery turned the tables for the anglers using trolling tactics. Word went out early from boat to boat via marine radio messages that trolling was producing results. ...more More Photos |
Montgomery Bassmasters Crown Champ & Announce Fall Open It was a re-run of last season’s ending and all that had changed was the lake. When the Montgomery Bassmasters traveled to High Rock this last weekend, only one point stood between the first and second place points leaders. Last year the showdown happened on Tuckertown with the lead changing when the scales closed on the season. This year it happened again. ...more |
| Badin Wednesday Specials Still Going Strong If you are looking for some mid-week bass action, Badin Lake is the place to haul a boat. Pinky Sides Wednesday Specials are still going on strong as ever with some great mid-week results. The competition changes start time this coming week on September 22 to 7:30 AM as light changes signal fall. ...more |
Tolley and McLean Win on a "Tough" Badin Lake In the last month or so Badin Lake has become extremely tough on the local anglers while other lakes up and down the Yadin Chain have given up some really nice limits of fish. This Sunday during the Yadkin Yahoo Bass Club tournament, the team of Les Tolley and Les McLean broke through with a limit of largemouth. ...more |
Buggs Island Treats Winners Reedy & Marrow To 23.32 Teammates from Siler City and Oxford launched onto Buggs Island last weekend, spent a few hours at their favorite holes, and picked up $1,640 in cash for their efforts. The Buggs Island Team Tournament event there was the final event in the regular season and the winners dragged an overwhelming bag to the scales for the win. And, while all that catching went on, Brandon Gray and Brian Clark quietly earned the 2010 Points Championship. Daryl and Jimmy Foster were recipients of the 2010 Lunker of the Year, a 7.42 pounder caught on Lake Mayo. ...more |
Falls Lake Gives Hall And Sallinger Win According to Piedmont Bass Classics Director, Phil McCarson, the fall pattern is on at Falls Lake. In a regular schedule event this last Sunday, crankbaits and Texas rigs seemed to be the ticket on a day when water temps had fallen into the high seventy degrees. This was the first Sunday event on the schedule and remaining events will follow that pattern. ...more |
Williams And Laxton Score Again In Saturday Wildcats If anyone takes the bass fishing team of Brandon Williams and Mark Laxton for granted, they may come up short and out of the tournament money. The team scored another win in the Russell’s Saturday Wildcat event on Badin Lake, besting thirteen other teams for the win. ...more |
Sanders Team Wins Adam & Eve On Tuckertown The Yadkin River Chain Adam & Eve Bass Series used Tuckertown Reservoir to stage the seventh of eight events on their 2010 schedule last Saturday, and veterans Jimmy and Kathy Sanders used the opportunity to jump back into the winner’s circle. The partners held off sixteen other boat teams to grab honors on a lake that either treats you well or sends you home with nothing. ...more More Photos |
Hedgecock Wins Archdale Bass Club On Tuckertown Remember the old commercial, “Who made the salad?” Tuckertown Reservoir, situated between High Rock and Badin Lake has enough aquatic weeds and other green stuff in it to embarrass even the Pioneer Family Restaurant’s impressive salad bar. Since most of the other Piedmont lakes do not have them, fishermen around here are not overly fond of fishing them. No one knows quite how they got there. They grunge up tradition lures and are an all around nuisance… until you figure out how to catch fish out of them because they do hide fish. ...more |
Scott And Hazeton Win Tillery Firefighters Competition Water temperatures are beginning a slow descent and bass anglers are seeing the advantage swing back their way. When the High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers traveled to Tillery for their fourteenth event of the season, the green fish were waiting and ready to hit. ...more More Photos |
Weddington And Smith Take Wildcat With 21 Fall fishing is back even though the gauges might not say so. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats picked up their gear and left High Rock this past Saturday, over twenty one pounds had taken the competition. Those weights usually don’t begin to appear until color has started in the trees and a nip is in the air. ...more |
Dunlap And Morris Win Championship Fishing On Tillery With just one event left on the Yadkin Division schedule, points and good showings are what it’s all about. Veterans Pete Morris and Buzz Dunlap took a big leap forward this last weekend on a lake not often viewed as the place to score. The pair used a Lake Tillery outing to best other competitors and move closer to the top in the race. ...more |
New Crappie Club Forms For North Carolina A new crappie trail will hold its first event on Wateree this coming month and anglers are already lining up for the trail. The crappie series will begin in October and run through a final Classic in March. Rick (Capp) Eudy is the organizer of the trail and info can be found on the group’s web site at http://carolinacrappieassociation.webnode.com. The kick off event is October 16. The trail will also visit Jordan, Blewett Falls, Wylie, High Rock and finish with the Classic on badin and Tillery. No membership fees are required and entry fees are $150. That cost includes Big Fish. For more information contact Eudy at 704-791-1095 or 704-782-1485 or email him at raeudy@ctc.net. |
Carolina Dirty Dogs Tournament Announced The Carolina Dirty Dogs Travel Baseball Team announced their fall benefit bass tournament this week. According to spokesperson Waylon Saunders, the group is looking to purchase matching uniforms for the players and all proceeds from the event will be directed to that effort. ...more |
Southern Trail Announces Championship Tourney Plans Championship Fishing’s Southern Trail announced recently its plans for the season-ending Championship Tournament. The competition, open to current members who have fished in four of the regular season events, will be a two-day blow out held on two different lakes, according to Tony Furr, director of the Trail. ...more |
Team Collins & Michael Win Second Straight Some consider the number thirteen an unlucky digit, but members of the High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers needed to work through it. The club’s thirteen teams headed for High Rock Lake last week for their thirteenth event of the season and dispelled any myths the number might bring. The group scored almost one hundred pounds of bass when over half brought in limits. ...more More Photos |
Tuckertown Plays Well For Shamrock Bass Club Winners John Rosenbaum and Mike Crib found Tuckertown to be the pond to fish last Saturday when their group of anglers, the Shamrock Bass Club, slid off into the semi-darkness from the Flat Creek Wildlife Access. The team was part of nine boats that plied the waters for five keeper bass until one in the afternoon. ...more More Photos |
Andrews And Clark Take 15 Plus From Tillery It doesn’t take much of a swing in air temperatures to turn the bass of Tillery back on. Russell’s Saturday wildcats proved that point this past weekend when the winning bag tipped the scales at 15.58 pounds. Using their usual Swift Island Access as a kick off point, even a nine-year-old got into the fish catching action to score at weigh in. ...more |
Tuck And Woods Win MidState With 18+ When a team brings in five pounds more than a nearest competitor, you have to know they figured out a lake on a particular day. That was the case when the Midstate Bass Anglers finished an eight hour shift on Tuckertown last Saturday. Director Ron Tuck and fishing partner, Kenny Woods, hauled over eighteen pounds of bass from the pond to capture the club’s ninth event of their season. ....more More Photos |
Merritt, Tucker And Daniels Team Wins Tarheel Striper On Rhodhiss When the Tarheel Striper Club tackled Rhodhiss at the beginning of the month, the teams faced the same heat and humidity all clubs were battling. For striper angling, that can make for a tough day on the water. According to club director, Jay Childress, the August 7 event was typical for that time of the year, but the outing did produce some fish. ...more More Photos |
Tuesday Wildcat Event Ends In Tie For First Four hours of fishing competition on Badin ended in a deadlock for first place last Tuesday when sixteen boat teams hit the lake at 4:30 PM. With scales measuring to a hundredth of a pound, two teams brought in identical bags for a split of the winning monies. Russell’s Tuesday Wildcat Open has seen bag weights climbing recently, but having that happen in pairs is not customary. ...more |
Smith And Weddington Win Yadkin Team On High Rock All the winners’ money went home to China Grove last Saturday when Carl Benton’s Yadkin Team Tournament came to High Rock. With one regular season event left before their annual Fish Off, the standard for fish caught was set high. ...more |
Organizers are calling it another successful year as the regular season for the Friday and Saturday Nites on Badin and Tillery wound down last weekend. And, although a few of the boats will be idle this weekend, many who qualified for the season finale, will be back on Badin Friday at 7 PM. That grand event, the King of the Night blowout, will be their final effort of 2010. ...more |
27 Pound Sack Wins Deep Creek Lures Event On Falls It was the Deep Creek Lures Summer Challenge and anglers turned out in piles to compete for the extra $1,000 in cash provided by the Rougemont, North Carolina-based bait company. That response and the battle that followed produced the biggest bags of five delivered to weigh in scales since early spring reports. Anglers went dead-serious in their efforts and the winning bag hit the 27 pound mark....more More Photos |
Tuckertown Hosts Bear Creek Bass Club If you fished top water baits on Tuckertown last Saturday, chances are you experienced a pile of action, According to Bear Creek Bass Club member, Martin Ledford, a pile of fish were caught on pop-r baits all day long using that strategy. For Ronnie Wilson and Steve Worrell, the approach meant a win and the club’s point race only got hotter. ...more More Photos |
Freeze and Johnston Win Badin Scramble Many of us groaned and grumbled about all the rain that fell this past week across the region, but, for bass anglers, it turned out to be the best thing that could happen. The lackluster bite that has plagued most boat teams was far away when Bo Russell’s Saturday Wildcats hit Badin lake August 21. For first placers Jarrett Freeze and CJ Johnston, the rain meant a five pound per fish average in the outing. ...more |
Gray & Clark Beat Buggs For Almost 18 When bite is tough on Buggs, it usually equates to a good day on many other lakes across the state. That was the case this past weekend when the Buggs Island Team Tournament launched there. Respectable sacks anywhere else, it was considered an off day by that crew. ...more |
Katch-her Lures: Another North Carolina Lure Maker I met Jody Wright and James Dyer when I went up to Greene's Marine for their open house earlier this year. They had their jigs on display for sale. I was told by Andy Greene that I had to see the jigs that these guys were making. Lots of tournament fishermen are using their jigs with great success. After seeing their jigs at the show, I thought then that this could possibly be the jig that I have been looking for! After trying them, I can honestly say, YES! Hopefully after reading more about this product, you too will become a Katch-her Lure fan as well... ...more |
Tuesday Wildcat Honors Nabbed By Bryant And Goodyear The Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats found the going about as tough as it gets this week when they headed for their usual Badin haunts. A four-hour outing that began at 4:30 PM saw fifteen teams struggle to find much to walk away with. A total of fifteen keeper fish were caught all evening. ...more |
Friday & Saturday Nite Opens Winding Down Season As Todd Street and Todd Little’s Saturday Nites on Badin wind down a busy 2010 season, the regular anglers competing in those events are beginning to ponder how they’ll spend a big chunk of their weekends. Both Friday and Saturday events this weekend are on Badin and are the last “open” events on the night schedules. On everyone’s mind is the blowout King of the Night event August 27. ...more |
Falls Lake Open Won With 19 Plus Pounds The Piedmont Bass Classics series took a break from their regular season schedule this past weekend, holding an open event on Jordan Lake. Eleven teams turned out for the competition and competition for the top prize was beyond tough… the winning team set the standard at 19.54 pounds when boats returned to the Farrington Point Wildlife Ramp scales. ...more |
Fire Dept Uses Randleman For 8/11 Competition The High Point Fire Dept Bass Anglers held the twelfth tournament of the year on August 11th at Randleman Reservoir. With mostly sunny skies, light winds and an air temperature in the mid 90's, the water temperature was 88 plus degrees and clear to stained. The club had a great turn out with 12 teams represented despite a heat index above 105 degrees. ...more |
Piercy Wins Sportsmen’s Bassmaster Event On Tillery It wasn’t a large swarm of boat teams, but it was a determined Sportsmen’s Bassmasters of Charlotte that took to the waters of a tough Tillery last Saturday. Five boat teams took off well before daybreak and fished in some of the best weather conditions in weeks for eight hours. ...more |
Father-Daughter Team Wins Adam & Eve It took a father and a daughter combo to come up with the winning bass weight out of Tillery this past Saturday when the Adam & Eve Series met there for their sixth event of the season. The partners hauled an impressive 13.8 pounds in their outing to grab the August title. ...more More Photos |
Luther And White Dominating Wednesday Outings For weeks and weeks Don Luther and Ronnie White watched as the bass they brought to the weigh in scales weren’t quite enough to take home a victory. Although their fishing strategies were bringing them good hauls that would be envied by most, their catch could only give them a runners up ending to their Wednesday outings. That was all in May and June. ...more |
Sides And Seagle Win FOM Fall Kickoff Event High rock bassin’ is hot. The bass on High Rock Lake are still biting and some nice fish are being caught. At the recent FOM Fall Trail tournament on Saturday, August 7th, 18 teams took on the heat and the boat traffic and were able to bring some really nice bass to the scales. ...more |
Falls Gives Up 16 Plus To Piedmont Winners The Piedmont Bass Classics had a weather break this past weekend. They began in low-70 degree temps and finished the day at 90. For the series run by Phil McCarson, that weather and a nice breeze was a big difference from past weeks. Sixteen teams took advantage of the conditions and hit Falls Lake on Saturday. The pond obliged. ...more |
Team Makes It Three Straight They are as hot as July… and August. Brandon Williams and Mark Laxton grabbed another win in the Russell’s Wildcats last Saturday under scorching sun, something that appears to be their edge. The series moved back to Badin for their early morning attack. ...more |
Although most tournaments on Badin Lake have at east one hefty bag still coming to weigh in, the catch for most of those participating is down… way down. The summer doldrums have set in on the fish in the pond and only cooler weather can stir them up. For the Friday and Saturday night bass anglers on the lake, fishing meant a warm and slow outing. ...more More Photos |
Bass Bite Slow Going For Friday And Saturday Crews
July rolled into August. With record setting heat swarming the region and humidity making any activity nearly unbearable, the last thing anyone might wish for is a day standing outside under the sun for eight hours. That is exactly what nine top competition teams did when the Deep Creek Lures Tournament Trail came to Badin last Sunday. ...more More Photos |
Williams & Laxton Make It Two In A Row It’s not uncommon for a partner fishing team to figure out a lake‘s bass patterns and score a string of wins and places on a lake. While fish are hitting hard in a couple locations, those anglers score well until the bass move on. But, when a team can do it on different lakes, it shows an understanding of bass biology and the underwater environment. ...more |
Yadkin Yahoos Face Off With Low-Tide Tillery When the Yadkin Yahoo Bass Club arrived at Lake Tillery last Saturday, they expected a rugged day of fishing. During the summer months, the pond either brings out the best in a bass angler or it sends them home frustrated. What the members didn’t count on was water levels over two feet below full pond, making many, planned fishing strategies a waste of time. ...more |
Badin Plays Host To Eleventh High Point Fire Department The eleventh event of the High Point Fire Department’s 2010 season meant a few more points for the points leaders, but created a big unknown for the next five positions. With just six regular season competitions left on five different lakes, the scramble is on in the chase for second. For leaders Les Tolley and Les McLean, the July 29th win provide some extra breathing room. ...more |
Williams And Laxton Battle Tough Tillery Although the summer heat finally took a recess for a few days, a lake known for its toughness failed to take a break. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats left the Swift Island Access on Lake Tillery last weekend, anglers were hoping the change in the weather also meant a change in bite. It didn’t happen as the pond continued to show its darker side to fishermen. ...more |
Sunday Wildcats Hold Benefit For Youngster If there’s one thing that will make anglers turn out for a fishing competition, it’s knowing that their activity can help someone in need. And, when the High Sunday Wildcats and Cashion Custom Fishing Rods joined forces this last Saturday to host an event, that was exactly what was provided. Bass fishermen from up and down the Yadkin region came together on High Rock to raise funds for a four-year-old stricken with cancer. ...more More Photos |
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Carden & Wilder Win Falls With 27 Pounds If anyone thought about beating the top team in the Piedmont Bass Classics event this past weekend on Falls Lake, it would have taken a near super-human effort. Any five fish limit would have needed to exceed a five-and-a-half pound each average in order to be competitive. Given the one hundred degree heat anglers participated in, the winning effort was beyond noteworthy. ...more |
After surviving triple digit temperatures, the team of Mack Lowe of Indian Trail, NC and Robert Walser of Lexington, NC took top the top spot in the fifth qualifying event of the Buggs Island Team Tournament series with a six fish limit weighing 17.38 pounds this last weekend. Their catch was anchored with the second largest lunker, a 4.84 pounder. The anglers netted $1580 for their effort. ...more |
Hutchins Wins Archdale Event At Randleman The sun rising slowly over the horizon up Saint Peter’s Church Rd neck on Randleman Reservoir looked like a big old golden, crusty piece of fried chicken being pulled up out of boiling oil. You could almost hear the sharp crackle fade into a slow hiss as it cooled down. Nothing even close to that happened Saturday July 24th as the Archdale Bass Club fished their second scheduled July tournament. ...more |
Goins Team Wins Friday Nite Weekly Most of the time, the evening fishing crowd can avoid much of the heat of the day. This past weekend, that wasn’t the case. The Friday Nites on Tillery/Badin open series headed for Badin with heat still in the upper nineties and little hope it would drop much. ...more |
All-Nighter Honors Go To Clark And Aldridge What blasted off at 11 PM on Saturday night came back to the docks dog-tired and dragging on Sunday morning at 7 AM. The Saturday Nites On Badin weekly open series moved its venue to Lake Tillery for an All-Nighter bass competition this last weekend and it was clear the outing was a tough test for the anglers. Over $600 was on the line at weigh in. ...more More Photos |
As far as tournament fishing goes, everything but the final catch was reason to stay off the lake. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats traveled to Badin Lake on Saturday, temperatures at gathering time hovered above 80 degrees and humidity made it feel much worse. Those conditions would get no better as a hot sun added to fishing woes. One boat team made the best of the day when, at weigh in, they dumped 17.62 pounds of caught bass onto the scales. ...more More Photos |
Bost And Woods Win First Of Season At High Rock If any lake is going to produce a first win for a team, it is likely to be High Rock and it’ll be done in grand style. When the Bear Creek Bass Club hit the waters on Saturday, Wayne Bost and Matthew Woods went looking for the prize. What they found was their first-ever win with the group and Big Fish honors for the day. ...more |
White Wins Wednesday Special With July comes heat, vacations and a lull in fishing for many. Only four boats showed up for the Sides’ Wednesday Specials on Badin this week. With temperatures soaring into the nineties, it is no wonder folks prefer to be in the water rather than on it. ...more |
Last Cast Completes First Of Two On Tuckertown The Last Cast Bass Anglers have done some traveling this season and landed on Tuckertown this last weekend for the first of two, back-to-back events there. The Gibsonville, NC headquartered club has competed on Mayo, High Rock, Badin, and Buggs Island, but took on the smaller reservoir Saturday. The nine boats in the competition finished well ahead of other clubs and prior to torrential rains fell on the pond. ...more More Photos |
16.18 Wins Tuesday Evening Four Hour Clash Although the heat of July has put many teams on the sidelines, the Tuesday Wildcats of Badin continue the weekly trek to the lake. Fourteen teams vied for $285 in prize money this week and a pair of veterans took home the biggest chunk. ...more |
Tillery Turns On For Friday Nite Crowd “It was a great way to spend a Friday evening.” That according to the Friday Nites on Tillery and Badin co-director, Todd Street, was how this week’s event on Tillery turned out. “A breeze was blowing and it was overcast, …and a few fish were biting. There were a few showers across the lake in spots. Just a great way to spend a Friday evening.” For Bo Russell and Gary Freeze Jr., it was an especially pleasant evening. The duo took top honors away from sixteen other boat teams. ...more More Photos |
Windy Jordan Conditions Pound Piedmont Bass Anglers Open For the anglers fishing the Piedmont Bass Classics event on Jordan this Saturday, the lake turned a rough side to fishing efforts. According to director, Phil McCarson, the anglers found efforts thwarted by high winds and a thunderstorm throughout the day. In the end, only twenty-three bass came to the table. ...more |
Rockett Pulls Out Davie Bass Win It was one of many clubs to throw an attack at Tuckertown Reservoir Saturday and the seventeen anglers from the Davie Bass Trails group gave it their best. As the 2 PM weigh in neared, anglers knew the best luck of the day turned out to be storms that were holding just north of the scales. ...more More Photos |
Nance Wins Head-To-Head Tillery Shootout When the day began on Lake Tillery last Sunday, a muggy mist lay across the waters and all was quiet. Within hours after the Yadkin One-On-One Series left the Swift Island Access, the lake was teeming with recreational traffic and bass were tough to find. Still, some anglers found schooling shad on points, sticking with that strategy throughout the day. One angler used a different approach and it was a seven pound difference. ...more More Photos |
Wolfarth And Sweeting Win Yadkin Team Tourney on Tuckertown Only a few teams turned out for the Yadkin Team Tournament at Tuckertown this last Saturday, but those who did could brag at the end. While most struggled to find any fish to bring to the scales, three of the top teams broke double digits. ...more |
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Nix Wins Rocky Bottom Tuckertown Shootout A pile of club events rolled onto Tuckertown Reservoir Saturday and, despite the weather forecast of damaging storms across the area, the club of ten boat teams managed to just miss the brutal downpours. When they blasted off at safelight, a 2 PM weigh in was pushing their luck, but rains and lightning held off until just as the scales were packed away. As black clouds rolled down the lake and sheets of rain were visible, anglers scurried their catches to the scales. ...more More Photos |
Cook And Mauldin Win High Rock Wildcat With the heat of summer come the struggles to keep fish in livewells swimming. Besides having healthy trophies to return to the lake, those same lively fish can mean the difference between going home with extra money in pockets or knowing you could have placed in the money. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats traveled to High Rock last Saturday, many of the anglers found themselves either on the good side of that situation or wishing they’d worked on livewell conditions a bit more. ...more |
McLean And Tolley Highlight Fire Dept. Event The High Point Fire department sent its best bass anglers at Randleman Reservoir past Thursday, hoping the veterans of the crew could tame the new waters. Although only seven teams turned out because of vacations, those who hit the waters piled a bunch of fish into livewells. In the end, veteran winner Les McLean and Less Tolley, Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler, tallied another top finish. ...more More Photos |
July 17, 2010 For the second time in as many months, a father/daughter bass team bested all other competitors in the Adam & Eve Tournament Series on the Yadkin Chain. While other clubs found fishing tough at various other lakes, the males and females lit up Badin Lake with some impressive weights. ...more More Photos |
Rabon Team Wins Forsyth Bass Anglers Duel When blast off happened for the Forsyth Bass Anglers from the Flat Creek Wildlife Access on Tuckertown Saturday, it was amidst five other clubs roaring out across the waters. The eight boat team rigs were barely a dot in the small parking lot around the ramps as trucks and trailers had to find spots along the roadside leading in. A steady send off of boats form the one narrow area meant plenty of holes would be fished during the day.. ...more More Photos |
Some couples work out an arrangement where large amounts of time spent on the water chasing fish is tolerated. Other couples jump in the boat together and go fishing. For Ralph and Jodi Nolan, the Coleridge Hooksetter’s outing on High Rock this last Saturday was just another chance to fine tune their angling skills and score a payday in the process. ...more More Photos |
Nolan Couple Wins Coleridge Attack on High Rock
In the never-ending quest to out-do each other, the “live-baiters” and “trollers” of the Tarheel Striper Club met once again in the sixth tournament of their schedule to duel once again. Both groups hope to put the debate to rest once and for all. In the outing on Kerr Lake, the “live-baiters” sent their adversaries home wondering, as the best money went home with those using bait that moves on its own. ...more More Photos |
Kerr Lake Gives Up Stripers To Tarheel ClubWhite & Luther Break Into Wednesday Winning Column It’s been a dozen tries and half of those have ended up as a second place finish. For Ronnie White and Don Luther, mid-July was the charm as the team scored 17.54 pounds of Badin bass in the Sides’ Wednesday Special this week. ...more |
Sorrell Wins Archdale Bass Club Badin Competition Badin Lake is snuggled in the lap of the Uwharrie Mountains south of the Piedmont amidst a kaleidoscope of mixed of landscapes and users. From shores crowded with opulent neo-castles complete with noisy recreational craft of every shape and size to the Uwharrie National Forest’s chestnut lined slopes pouring right to the water’s edge allowing wading fly fisherman to quietly stalk a finny breakfast. It is a diverse beautiful oasis with a little for everyone. ...more |
Bowers Battles Storms To Win Wildcat Event When summer storms hit the central North Carolina region, one of the worst places to be is on Badin Lake. Whether it’s the geography surrounding that body of water or the near two hundred feet deep waters, strong winds and lightning can turn the pond into a raging beast in minutes. That’s the situation the Russell’s Tuesday Wildcat competitors found themselves in this week before the event was done. ...more |
Watterson & Tolbert Win Triad’s Sixth Event It was a busy lake with an estimated three hundred competition bass anglers all wrestling for the right locations and baits, but David Watterson and Danny Tolbert of the Triad Team Bass Anglers used High Rock Lake as a payoff last Saturday. The fishing partners out-fished eleven other teams to win the sixth event of the season for the club. ...more More Photos |
Harvell and Spake Tame Late-Night Badin Bass It was a three o’clock weigh in, but there wasn’t the usual boat traffic and mid-day heat to deal with. When the Redneck Wranglers bass club came off Badin Lake after eight hours of competition, the sun was still a few hours from rising over the horizon and the only light came from a single light pole at the Circle Drive access ramps. The club had begun its attack at 7 PM on Friday night and the weary anglers arrived back at weigh in at 3 AM. ...more More Photos |
Underhill and Campbell Win Third Straight on Badin Nites For Don Underhill and Greg Campbell, showing up at the weekly Friday Nites on Badin/Tillery competition meant a possible three straight wins. Fishing after dark takes some different skills, but the partners had shown in recent weeks they knew what they were doing. The open competition takes off at 7 PM and anglers have only a couple hours of daylight fishing this time of the year before darkness covers the last half of their event. ...more |
Conner Fishes Solo To Win Bear Creek Event Most times a good fishing partner in the back of the boat can be the difference between a win or a no-show. For Eddie Conner of the Bear Creek Bass Club, it didn’t matter last Saturday when the club took to the waters of High Rock. The angler spent the day by himself out-fishing his fellow-casters, bringing his limit of five to the scales at Tamarac marina. ...more More Photos |
Tuckertown Tops Bass weights Over Weekend When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats travel to Tuckertown, the angling teams turn out. The summer heat drives bass deep and they turn into picky eaters in most lakes, but that stumpy pond turns on. For the weekly, open series the waters produced over twenty-five pounds for the winning team Saturday. ...more |
Younts Wins Bassmasters High Rock Event High Rock Lake is usually known for its big yields even when the heat of summer is on, but the lake showed its rough side to the American Bass Anglers Toyota Tundra Bassmasters NC Division 5 last weekend. Sixty boats holding both Boater and Co-Angler competitors raced off from the Tamarac Marina on the west side of the pond Saturday hoping to make the days of practice pay off. Nearly every angler, just prior to blast off, reported excellent results in pre-fishing that week. Instead, the High Rock big bass turned their tails to many of the fishermen. ...more More Photos |
| Fishing Action On High Rock Lake July 10th |
Badin Wednesday Special Open Blasts Off Under New Leadership As June wound down a promised change took place in the Wednesday Specials held on Badin Lake. Teddy Starnes began the weekly opens a few months ago and set a schedule that ran until the end of that month. The competitions became so successful, Pinky Sides, a longtime tournament director himself, agreed to continue the events. This week’s event was the first under new leadership. ...more |
That's A Wrap… I have been asked by several people about the wraps that I have done on my bass boat and Chevy Silverados. The most questions asked are will it hurt the paint when it is removed, who did the design, who did the wrap and, most of all, How Much? ...more |
Post-Fourth Tuesday Heat Slows Bite Both the bass and the anglers had returned from a weekend off for the Fourth of July. When Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats blasted off from Badin’s Alcoa Landing, only twelve boats skimmed away. When they returned at 8:30 for weigh in, it appeared the bass were reluctant to show up as well. ...more |
Giles And Musgrave Win Championship Fishing Yadkin Event It was a stage set for a big win, and two directors of a weekly bass series showed their knowledge of their local lake last Saturday. When Championship Fishing’s Yadkin Trail came to High Rock, the Sunday Wildcat coordinators Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave came with their best game. When it was over they had hauled over eighteen pounds of winning fish to the scales. ...more |
101 Degrees Doesn’t Stop Yadkin Yahoos As the second heat wave of the season pounds the region, it’s somehow easy to forget the punishing anglers took through the month of June. The Yadkin Yahoos Bass Club found themselves in the thick of it when the group met not once, but twice during those thirty days. This time ten boat teams headed for Tuckertown on June 26 hoping to find the bigger bass there. ...more |
Tuckertown Gives Away 20 Plus To Booyah Winners It’s the lake that angler either love or hate. Narrow, often murky with water levels that seem to fluctuate more than others on the Yadkin Chain, Tuckertown can provide some of the biggest weights during the summer months if a fisherman knows where to look. For the winners of the Booyah Bass Club event there on Friday, they like the lake and they knew where to fish. ...more |
July 10, 2010 Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave have built a strong reputation for themselves as fair and equitable directors of a weekly open bass series, and now they will add charitable to those qualities. The co-directors announced this week that they will hold a benefit bass tournament on High Rock this Saturday, July 10 to help a four-year-old girl who has cancer. The Open event will take place at the Highway 8 Southmont Landing and will happen from 6 AM to 2 PM. Cost is $70 per boat with a $10 Big Fish option. Payback will be sixty percent. For more information, contact Giles at 336-357-0473 or Joey Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. |
Underhill And Campbell Score Back To Back Wins It was a weekend beginning to remember for the Friday Nites On Badin/Tillery open series. Directors Todd Street and Todd Little have been on a two-year quest to field forty boats for an event in either their Friday series or the popular Saturday Nites on Badin events. That mission became history a week before the Fourth when forty-one teams turned out for a 7 PM blast off on Badin. ...more |
Sweeting Wins Saturday Wildcat Pre-Fourth If ever the weather was right for fishing, this past weekend had it just right. Bo Russell’s Saturday Wildcats took to Badin Lake to enjoy the lower temperatures and no humidity, even as Fourth of July recreational traffic began to heat up. ...more |
Dunlap Wins Wednesday Badin Special The month of June fishing wound down this week as the hottest June on record, but for anglers it was a blur of action on local lakes. After a slow bite start early in the season, the heat brought on the bass bite. When Teddy Starnes began his Wednesday Specials on Badin a couple months ago, he timed it perfectly for catching, but kicked it off in a heat wave. ...more |
Dainton Wins Riverbassin.com Charlotte Stop As fishing tournaments go, there wasn’t much of what might be considered “standard” for an event. The day began without a roar of engines; there was no blast off point, and anglers spread out over a one hundred mile radius covering two states. They were looking for bass for the win, but could count five different species in their take. ...more More Photos |
Badin Wildcat Winners Net 16.84 Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats continues to draw the evening anglers to the shores of Badin Lake and, this week, the pond provided a sack of bass for the winners. The Open event saw seventeen entries ready for the 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM competition. The weekly gathering usually fields some of the best fishermen in the region. ...more |
Redneck Wranglers Battle In Seventh Event A day before the Redneck Wranglers arrived at the newly-renovated Swift Island Access on Lake Tillery, NC Wildlife contractors were making adjustments for them. The elimination of a few parking spots at the front of the ramps made for an easier start for the anglers in the wee-dark hours when they gathered. That was the only break the anglers got all day, as Mother Nature and the hydro companies failed to give them what they wanted. Record-breaking temperatures and nearly no water flow made for tough fishing. ...more More Photos |
Langley & Fritts Back On Top Of Falls Lake It took a couple weeks and a few events, but two of the Piedmont Bass Classics hottest anglers found themselves back in the winner’s circle last Saturday after an event on Falls Lake. Joe Langley and Brian Fritts used a predictable “bass pattern” day when bite was on to claim first place on a sweltering day, finding five fish weighing 24.78 pounds. ...more |
Troutman & Strider Claim Tillery And Points Battle For the Bear Creek Bass Club, the season is heating up. Although the Saturday, June 19th competition on Tillery was staged in ninety-plus degree temperatures, the weather paled in comparison to the points battle going on within the group. When the points leaders stumbled and managed only a tenth place finish, Ken Troutman and David Strider used a red-hot Tillery to grab the day’s competition and wrestle the points lead away from Lewis Gordon and Randy Burleson. ...more More Photos |
Hartsell And Woods Pound Tillery for 21 Plus Turns out, stepping in for an absent tournament director can be good luck. When a prior commitment required the Mid-State Bass Anglers’ head, Ron Tuck, to step out for the week, Scott Hartsell and Kenny Woods jumped in to command the Saturday event on Lake Tillery. After eight hours on a bass hunt, the partners had not only taken control of the club for the day, they had mastered the lake. ...more More Photos |
Clontz Scores Big Win On High Rock Russell’s Saturday Wildcats returned to High Rock Lake this last Saturday as numerous other clubs and benefits joined them at the docks of Southmont. The Stanly County-based open series staged their second assault on the larger waters and, although most were unfamiliar with the best holes, teams scored some impressive early-summer weights. ...more |
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Fishing Action On Lake Tillery Saturday June 26th |
Johnston Wins Second Carolina Basser Open When the Carolina Bassers of Harnett County met for the second of two invitational opens last Saturday on Lake Tillery, it turned out to be a battle between youth and “experience”. At weigh in, it was youth who prevailed. The veterans stood by watching a near-sweep of the top finishes. ...more More Photos |
Striper Open On Jordan Pulls Thirty Boat Teams It’s always a battle between the “live-baiters” and the “trollers”, and in recent months the boat teams using stuff that swims by itself have commanded the waters. However, at the recent Open striper competition hosted by the Tarheel Striper Club on Jordan Lake, the boats dangling baits far behind their moving vessels had their day. Thirty boat teams turned out for the event and those using trolling tactics caught the most fish. ...more |
Bryant Team Wins Wednesday Event On Badin It’s not too often you’ll hear bass fishermen say it wasn’t a good day for fishing, but that was the case this last Wednesday when anglers gathered for the Starnes’ Wednesday Special on Badin. They caught fish. Some of them earned some good cash. But still, it just wasn’t a very good day to be out there for the eleven teams. ...more |
Abshire And Sherrer Win Carolina Bassers’ Open Harnett County came to Lake Tillery last weekend in the form of the Carolina Bassers in the first of two “open” events on the club’s schedule. The activity was one of the first larger events to hit the newly renovated Swift Island Wildlife Access, where asphalt and lined parking now greet those using the location. For Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler and Columnist Hal Abshire, it was a great day to be on the lake. ...more |
June 19, 2010 By Phil McCarson & Fishbyte.Net Staff Photos Courtesy of Piedmont Bass Classics If you were fishing on Falls Lake in the Piedmont Bass Classics Lonestar Steakhouse & Saloon event this last weekend, you would have been out of luck without at least twenty-four pounds of catch at weigh in. The winning bag, a 23.64 in five fish, was just a preview of bigger weights to come as fish move to deeper waters, according to the series director. ...more |
Thurman And Bowers Win Heat-Fest One of the main ideas behind fishing in the evening is to escape the searing heat of a summer day. Anglers can enjoy some quiet time on a lake while feeling the temperatures drop to more comfortable levels around them. That didn’t happen this Tuesday when Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats headed for their weekly stop at Badin. The second day of summer sent a warning shot across their bows… she was here and she was cranky. ...more |
June 19, 2010 With nearly one hundred bass boats from the FLW BFL NC Division whisking around them, two bass anglers enjoying a morning of catching fish seemed to barely notice. Wayne Moore of Winston Salem and Jimmy Steele of High Rock Lake put in early on Saturday from Steele’s dock looking for some quiet time on the pond. They found one of the favored locations near the mouth of Second Creek near some cedars growing out in the water. Those humps and drop offs were providing them plenty of action when the Fishbyte.Net photo boat rolled up. They had two very sizable keepers by 6:45 AM and were on bite as they were filmed. The partners stated they were using Carolina rigs and various jigs. Sometimes even in the busiest of traffic, the best fishing strategy is to tune it all out and focus on what it all means. For these two the good company meant fish in the boat. |
Dunlap Grabs Wildcat Win At Renovated Access One day before Fathers’ Day, Russell’s Saturday Wildcats made good use of the newly-renovated Wildlife Access at Tillery’s Swift Island, and Buzz Dunlap probably liked it the most. Not only was the parking paved for anglers’ rigs, but the way was paved for superb fishing as well. ...more |
Walters Wins FLW BFL NC Division At High Rock The FLW BFL NC Division was a matter of the haves and have-nots on Saturday at High Rock. For Boater Todd Walters of Greensboro, it was all “have” as the angler took home $3,553 in prize money after hefting 22-08 pounds of bass onto the scales. Non-boater, Mark Murphy also found himself walking away with top honors in that category, when he netted 15-05 pounds for weigh in. ...more More Photos |
