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. Thirteen boats entered the open field. Russell Edwards and Jamie Clark took top honors with the 15.58 pound sack. They earned $120 for their efforts in the safelight to 2 PM event. Rusty Bowers and director Bo Russell finished second with a solid 13.68 pounds. Their anchor, a 4.22 pounder gave them Big Fish honors for the competition. The partners took home $75 for second and $65 for the solo award. Cameron Andrews fished his first bass tournament. The nine-year-old dragged granddad Scott Andrews along for the trip and then out-fished him. Cameron caught the only fish that boat team brought in, an impressive 2.60 pounder. For more information about the Saturday Wildcat opens or Russell’s Tuesday opens on Badin, contact Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. Russell also maintains a Facebook presence for both his Tuesday and Saturday Wildcat series. Search for Russell’s Bass Fishing Tournament Series. |
2010 Cast for Cash Tournament to Benefit Monarch From September 23 to 26th fishing enthusiasts will have the opportunity to cast their lines and their luck for a chance to win anywhere from $10 to $100,000 and at the same time, help people supported by Monarch. The God’s Country Outfitters Cast for Cash Fishing Tournament has selected Monarch as the nonprofit to receive a percentage of the proceeds from this event. The Cast for Cash Tournament will run for 4 days (September 23 – 26) at beautiful Lake Tillery where over 30 tagged fish worth more than their weight in cash will await the lure of many lucky anglers. Tournament registration also qualifies entrants for a drawing which will run over the course of the event. For more information about Cast for Cash or to register, please go to www.visitstanly.com. Various sponsorship levels are still available. Chris Lambert, Executive Director, Stanly County CVB, is pleased to host this event which offers fun for sport enthusiasts and helps a worthwhile cause at the same time. “Monarch is a wonderful organization that does so much good for so many people. They have grown to where they are able to help people with mental illness, substance abuse problems, and developmental disabilities all across North Carolina! We are proud to have them on board as not just a recipient of much needed funds but as a partner!” Peggy Terhune, CEO, Monarch, is grateful for the generous commitment from the Stanly CVB. “We have worked so hard to continue to provide the best possible service for the people we support. With the existing economic conditions and our state budget cuts, we need the help of our community more than ever. Our most sincere thanks goes out to the Stanly County CVB and to everyone who joins in to make Cast for Cash a huge success!” Monarch provides support and resources to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, mental illness, and substance abuse issues throughout North Carolina. Monarch is a nonprofit and is an affiliated chapter of The Arc of North Carolina and The Arc of the United States. To learn more about how Monarch helps “dreams take flight” for people living in our communities, please call 1-800-230-7525 or visit online at www.MonarchNC.org. |
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.
This past Friday the crew headed for Lake Tillery and enjoyed some of the nicest weather all summer. Fourteen boat teams launched at 7 PM and returned for a midnight weigh in. Brandon Williams and Mark Laxton chalked up another win with 12.08 pounds. They also had Big Fish, a 5.68 pound solo. They team won a total of $420 for their efforts. Co-director, Todd Little, grabbed second fishing solo in the absence of Street, his regular partner. Little netted 9.14 pounds for second. Two limits came to the scales. For more information about either series, contact Todd Street at 704-791-4009 or email him at toddsatvshop@yahoo.com, or call at Todd Little 704-634-9821. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forum. |
August 14, 2010 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. The series, which sports a new web site at www.wix.com/clarkricky/adam-and-eve-bass-tournament has two remaining events and is open to any male/female team. Cost is $25 per boat with a $5 Big Fish option. Eleven of the 21 teams brought fish to the scales. Tillery veteran Rodney Gooch and daughter, Ashley, headed up river to score their winning weights. They earned $262.50 in the competition that went from 6:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Twenty one boats participated from the Swift Island Access. Runners-up Jody and Samantha Moore found 11.9 pounds to take home $157.50. In third were Jim and Jackie Kerney. That father-daughter team caught 8.2 pounds worth $105. Big Fish awards went to Gene Hardister and his granddaughter, Meredith. That solo tagged the scales at 5.6 pounds and earned them $105. For more information about the monthly series, contact Ricky Clark at 336-461-2006 or email him at crclark@rtmc.net. |
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. “The water had dropped two feet and away from the grass,” stated Les Tolley, Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler. “It was a must to find fish off shore or you had better get them early.” Eight boats showed up for the competition. The club will move on to High Rock August 14 for their next competition. Jeremy Petry and Richard Clayton figured out a plan early and managed to find five keepers totaling 11.24 pounds. Their largest, a 3.05 pounder, was Big Fish for the event. Their sack held up as the largest of the competition. Robbie Hunter and Allan Snyder also found five and claimed second place with 9.05 pounds. For more information about the group, contact founder Andy Herring at 704-791-9222. |
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. Nine teams headed out at 6 AM and only three of those found a limit of five fish. “It was tough,” stated Director Bo Russell. Brandon Williams and partner, Mark Laxton, headed up the assault with 12.72 pounds. They won $80 after the 2 PM weigh in was complete. Chip Campbell, fishing solo, grabbed the second spot and final paying finish with 9.84 pounds. His solitary effort brought $55. Big Fish went to Randy York and Mark Lucas. The team scored a 4.46 solo worth $45. For more information about the Saturday or Tuesday Wildcats, contact Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. Russell also maintains a Facebook presence for both his Tuesday and Saturday Wildcat series. Search for Russell’s Bass Fishing Tournament Series. |
July 24 and 25, 2010 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.
Fourteen teams launched and eight of them weighed fish in. Bradley Clark and Alan Aldridge had the snag on fishing in the dark and walked 21.16 pounds of limit fish to the scales. The special event allowed six fish. Their anchor was a 6.48 pound monster that barely beat out a 6.32 pounder netted by third placers, Ronnie and Bobby Blankenship. That team scored 13.08 pounds. Second placers were Greg Gooch and Chip Hurley. That team found 15.64 pounds worth $128. Clark and Aldridge won $288 for first and $160 for Big Fish. The Blankenship brothers earned $64 for third. The weekly series has this Saturday night off, but will return to Badin on August 7th. For more information about the Saturday Nite Opens, contact Todd Street at 704-791-4009 or email him at toddsatvshop@yahoo.com, or call at Todd Little 704-634-9821. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forum. |
July 16 & 17, 2010 “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. Three limits of five were brought to the midnight scales and two other teams had four. Russell and Freeze Jr. walked an impressive 17.72 pounds of bass worth $192 to weigh in. They anchored their catch with a 6.48 solo for Big Fish honors worth $160.
On Friday night, the weekly event will be back on Badin beginning at 7 PM at the Alcoa Landing, but Saturday night the All-Nighter on Tillery will take place. There will be event on Badin Saturday night. Street at 704-791-4009 or email him at toddsatvshop@yahoo.com, or call at Todd Little 704-634-9821. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forum. |
Chad Smith, fishing by himself, also made a good night of it. The angler nearly matched the top team with 16.54 pounds. He won $80. Chris Furr, also fishing solo, took third with 11.40 pounds, enough for the $48 payout.
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.
Thirteen boats with single anglers turned out for the event on Lake Tillery. The invitation-only competition pits one angler against all comers. Normally, the field includes as many as thirty boats. As bags came in weights began to climb and it looked like co-director Jimmy Sanders might beat all with his 9.95 pounds. Ronnie Saunders had been one of the first to the scales with 8.76, and that weight had held up to all until Sanders hit the finale. As is so often the case, the biggest came in at the end. Nick Nance hauled a heavy 16.79 pound bag to weigh in, capturing first place and $210. “I caught my big fish off docks flipping a worm,” he stated. He reported having his limit of five by 7:30 AM from schooling action, but headed for the docks as the day warmed. “I got that last one at 1:10 Pm,” he chuckled. The angler poured Big Fish of the competition onto the scales, a 6.36 pound solo that was worth $65. Sanders finished second with his nine-plus, while Saunders placed third. Co-director Ricky Clark placed one spot out of the money with 8.74 pounds. He spent a large part of his day working points in search of schooling activity. The Yadkin River One-On-One Series fishes a ten-event season with an additional Fish-Off for qualifiers in November. Club fee is $20 and each event is $35 plus an optional $5 Big Fish side bet. On August 15, they will travel to Tuckertown and the Flat Creek Access. For more information or to ask for an invitation, contact Jason Poindexter at 704-857-0236 or co-director Jimmy Sanders at 336-953-1086. Complete club information and 2010 schedule are posted on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
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.
“We caught fish all day long,” stated Troutman at weigh in. “Most of the fish came on jigs.” The partners claimed a pile of points with their win and now sit on top with 303.40. On Tillery they scored five fish weighing 15.50 pounds to win the $200 first place pot. In total this season they have boated thirty-five fish weighing 87.40 pounds. Points are given based on tournament placement and participation and meetings attended. Gordon and Burleson found only 9.20 pounds to end the day in tenth, losing nine club points to Troutman and Strider. Twenty-five of the club’s boat teams joined in the battle in waters ranging from 85 to 0 degrees. Eleven of the teams found limits for a total of 87 fish caught. In all 172.9 pounds were brought to the scales. Water temp ranged between 85 & 90. All 25 teams fished the event.
In second place, Max Davis and R.E. Davis caught 5 weighing 12.58 pounds and found Big Fish of the event, a 5.94 solo. They earned $150 for first and $140 for the big catch. Bobby Crowley and Steve Crowley finished on third with 5 weighing 11.72 pounds and earned $100. Fourth went to Barry Davis and Kenny Hill with 11.46 pounds, good for $50. Austin Culler and Cody Stegall managed a fifth place showing with 10.62. Matthew Woods and Wayne Bost caught Second Big Fish of the event, a 4.86 pounder worth $90. The club will move on to High Rock on July 17. Five events remain in their schedule, including a two-day tournament on Wateree and the Club’s Fish Off in November. For more information about the group, contact Martin Ledford at mledford@bearcreekbassclub.org or visit their web site, maintained by Ledford, at www.bearcreekbassclub.org. Details are also available on the Fishbyte.Net pages. |
June 26, 2010 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.
The Redneck Wranglers fish a twelve event season that includes one two-day event and a fish off in October. Most competitions go from safelight to 3 PM. The club made an adjustment for Saturday’s event, pushing back the weigh in to 1 PM, as the weather forecast called for near-100 degrees. Cost per event for the non-affiliated club is $40, which includes the Big Fish pot. Ricky Workman and Junior Jameson made the best of the event when the partners found 8.26 pounds to grab the win. Scott Blankford and Billy Cobb finished second with 7.78 pounds, while Richard Batson and tournament director Vince Mounts took third with 6.76. Danny Spake had the biggest solo haul for the day with a 5 pounder. The group will meet next on July 9 for a Badin Night competition out of the Circle Drive Access. They will fish from 7 PM to 3 AM. For more information about the group, contact secretary Danny Spake at 336-472-8771. Info can also be found on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
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. The club usually fields twenty to twenty-five boat teams and fishes from February through October on the Yadkin and Catawba River chains. They will finish their season with a two-day classic October 16 and 17 at a lake that is drawn just prior to the gathering. The group maintains a web site at www.eteamz.com/MidStateBassAnglers.
Hartsell and Woods used an early morning strategy different from other competitors. While fellow members’ engines roared for minutes after blast off, the eventual winners trolled to their first hole. That decision paid off as they brought 21.4 pounds to the scales at 1:30 PM. Their livewell included Big Fish, a 5.4 pounder.
The club will fish Wiley next in a 4 AM to noon event on July 24th. For more information about the club, contact Ron Tuck at ronnwendytuck@yahoo.com. A complete schedule can be found on the Fishbyte.Net calendar and Forums. |
Second place went to Greg Simms and Barry Bost. The pair scored 14.14 pounds at finish. Third place was won by Rob and Scott Coleman who found 13.5 pounds. Mark Brown, fishing solo brought in 12.5 pounds.
June 26, 2010
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. Two of the three best finishes were scored by a couple of anglers who have proven their skills in the past. In searing heat, a full field of competitors used the Swift Island Access for the second weekend in a row. Unfortunately for the members, the day’s temperatures neared record marks again. As has been the case in recent weeks, better success came from north of the Highway 24/27 bridge that spans the lake.Hunter Johnston grabbed the top spot, netting 11.85 pounds. He also had Big Fish of the competition, a 4.96 solo. A second younger comrade, Timothy McMillan captured the next spot with three fish weighing 9.57 pounds. The veterans could only manage a third place showing, nailed by Jeff Hoener who bagged 8.74 pounds in 4. In the Youth Division, Matthew Shrewsbury brought in 3.81 pounds to finish first. He also had the Youth Big Fish with a 2.26 pounder. Tyler Dunn finished second with 1.32 pounds. An FLW-affiliated group, the 2010 schedule includes thirteen events beginning in February and lasting through October. The anglers will head for the Roanoke River on July 17 for its next event. Info about the group can be found on their web site at www.carolinabassers.com. |
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. “I’m not real familiar with Tillery,” stated Abshire after the event. “I made some good guesses and found enough to add up.” The angler, known to many across the state as one of the coordinators of the annual Warriors On The Water effort, also serves on the pro staff of Greene Boat & Motor and is sponsored by a variety of companies. His web site is http://liprippin.com/. Abshire and Mark Sherrer of Cary joined forces to find five keepers weighing 11.60 pounds. They also boated Big Fish of the event, a 4.70 pound solo. Storm Rutcho of Sanford and Rich Szczerbala of Apex grabbed the second spot with five tipping the scales at 8.48 pounds. Scott Shrewsbury or Elm and Jimmy Wood of Nashville placed third with 7.05 pounds, while Jeff Hoener of Sanford and John Hunning from Beaufort found 6.84 pounds for fourth. An FLW-affiliated group, the 2010 schedule includes thirteen events beginning in February and lasting through October. The anglers will return to Lake Tillery this Saturday for their second open event. Info about the group can be found on their web site at www.carolinabassers.com. |
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. Fifteen boat teams turned out for a hot outing on the lake. Dunlap walked into some heavy hitters and carried in 20.74 pounds for the win. He also had Big Fish, a 5.82 pounder. Robert Parrish and David Drye were second with 11.64 pounds. Russell reported that anglers were doing their best to keep fish alive in the heat, but it was a struggle for those caught early in the day. The Wildcats will be on High Rock at the Southmont Access this coming Saturday. For more information about the weekly open competitions, contact Director Bo Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. Russell also maintains a Facebook presence for both his Tuesday and Saturday Wildcat series. Search for Russell’s Bass Fishing Tournament Series. |
June 5, 2010 By Stephen LaRose and Fishbyte.Net Staff The Cedar Creek Bassmasters rolled onto Lake Tillery last Saturday and the winners found themselves making adjustments all day as the weather and water traffic heated up. With a number of other tournaments buzzing around them and summer fun on the lakes taking off, teammates Steve Larose and Donnie Caldwell faced “taken holes” and changing baits in order to get the job done. “We were about the last to blast off in our club,” stated Larose a couple days later. The group used the “not quite closed” Swift Island Access. “We took about a ten minute ride up to the back woods of the Uwharries where a fellow club member already had my first spot lined out.” Although a majority of anglers headed south on the lake Saturday, a few of the daring teams headed up under the Hwy 24/27 bridge to tackle the northern half of the pond. Three quarters of the events on the lake that weekend were won “up river”.
After finding their first choice of holes taken, the team quickly adjusted. “We fished on the other side of the lake from them casting buzz baits,” reported Larose. “Within fifteen minutes we boated about fifteen bass all under 14 inches.” Knowing their present strategy wasn’t producing the size they’d need, they made a trolling motor location adjustment to slightly deeper water. “We made our move and we hooked up with a 2.34 pounder and a 2 pounder back to back,” stated the winner. “From there, we avoided heavy lake traffic and stayed on the main lake and fished in ten to fifteen feet dock waters. Plastics were the key later in the day,” he ended.
The Cedar Creek Bassmasters are a Fayetteville area club and fish eight season events. Their schedule culminates in an October two-day Classic. They will fish next July 10 at CFR Elwells Ferry from 5:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Club Meetings are held at Deno's Pizza Palace on Hwy 301 and Grove St. in Fayetteville beginning at 7PM. Their next meeting will take place on July 5th. A complete schedule and information can be found on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
When the first real heat and humidity of the summer season launches itself onto the area, the after-dark competitions on both Tillery and Badin become a favorite pastime for anglers. That held true this last weekend when large boat fields jumped on both the Friday night event on Tillery and its sister Saturday Nites on Badin series. In head-to-head competitions pitting one lake against the other, it was a Badin win by inches, as the more-northern pond on the Yadkin Chain produced .08 pounds more for the winning bag. 
Those who prefer Badin Lake will argue that, in the five-fish competitions, a total of the top three bags in each gives Badin the big win. In the 7 PM to midnight Friday event on Tillery, the three paying spots produced 41.32 pounds. Directors Todd Street and Todd Little used a north end of the lake strategy to find the winning 17.40 pounds of bass. The twenty boat field paid $228 for first. “Friday was a nice, humid evening with a crowd of boys itching to start fishing the brutal waters of Tillery,” stated Street. “With muddy water on the upper end to the clear water on the lower end of the lake 7 PM came and the war began.” Many of the teams are preparing for this coming weekend’s all-nighter tournament and teams are scrambling to find the fish. Eleven of the twenty teams found a five fish limit Friday. Twenty six boat teams produced fourteen five-fish limits during the competition. Two other boats had four and three fish at weigh in. “If ever you could call an event a ‘family event’, this one had to be one,” chuckled director Street. The top three winning teams each were relatives. Mark and Melissa Treece earned the top spot with 17.48 pounds, winning the $300 in prize money. Second place went to Jamie and Terry Talbert who scored 15.48 pounds worth $125. They also grabbed Big Fish with a 5.35 pounder worth $260. Brothers Rusty and Rosco Bowers found 14.14 pounds, good for a $75 third place payday. |
Morris And Dunlap Score Championship Fishing Yadkin Win
If it’s Lake Tillery and Buzz Dunlap and Pete Morris are in the mix, chances are good your efforts may fall short. The two partnered for Championship Fishing’s Yadkin Division competition on Saturday and beat the closest bag by over six pounds. The win adds another notch to the long list of wins and places with each other and other teammates in the 2010 season. A series of heavy rains and flooding earlier in the week changed planned strategies abruptly for many fishermen. Just last week area anglers were beginning to figure out some patterns, but all that went out the window with murky waters and above normal water movement. Those factors, plus high heat and humidity levels were a strain on the nine teams that left from Cook’s Marina. For Dunlap and Morris, whatever has been working for them in past weeks must have continued. The pair hoisted 22.9.9 pounds of bass to the Championship Fishing scales while other teams struggled to find double digits. Their closest competition was Derrick Crumbley and Bob Jennett, two bass anglers known for their superior skills on the water. Still, their limit of five weighing 16.3.4 was no match. In third, Michael Kinard and Travis Williams, a boat team that has placed up and down the Yadkin chain, found 13.0.6 pounds. “It was really tough out there today,” stated Kinard. “You gotta hand it to those two… catching that weight on a day as tough as this? That’s something,” he ended. Championship Fishing (www.southernfishingtrail.com) has two trails covering the Yadkin and Capital regions. The Capital Division meets this coming weekend, June 12, on Lake Jordan at the Farrington Access. The Yadkin group will return to High Rock and the Tamarac Marina on July 3rd. For more information about the Trails, contact Tony Furr at 704-467-1598 or visit their web site. Details are also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
June 5, 2010 Two of the best causes, a college scholarship fund raiser and a Take A Kid Fishing effort, were combined last Saturday to memorialize four teens lost far too early in their lives. Pugh Funeral Home of the Montgomery County area organized and sponsored the event which was filled with smiles, pride and loving memories on Lake Tillery June 5th. The day proved to be a celebration of kids… present, past, and future.
The event, the brainchild of organizer Sherrill Bumgarner of Pugh’s, ultimately raised $2,000 for the Montgomery Community College Foundation Scholarship Fund in memory of Chris Deaton, Jodie Noah, Brandon Simmons, and Austin Williams. Twenty-four boats made up of fathers, uncles, grandfathers and piles of excited kids in two age brackets chased persnickety bass from 7 AM until 1 PM on a day that hit ninety degrees. At weigh in, it appeared the heat and humidity had worn the adults out and left the kids untouched, as kids from five to 16 years old happily dragged bags of fish to the scales. Their adult partners headed for shade at the Cook’s Marina Access. A total of $1,300 in cash payouts for the ages 5 to 11 and 12 to 16 year old brackets left children wide-eyed as they accepted their winnings. An additional $2,000 in door prizes donated by area sponsors and businesses made the ceremonies even sweeter. Payouts and various trophies were given for the first four positions in both brackets and even the adults were able to walk away with a few of the door prizes. As they do for so many events, the West Side Anglers donated the use of their weigh in trailer and equipment.
“This has been a really good day doing the right thing for so many,” stated Bumgarner as the crowd began to melt and trailers hauled away. “I can’t thank all the sponsors, volunteers, and all the adults who participated enough. The families were so appreciative of everyone’s support, the kids have some great memories, and we’ve raised a lot of money for the scholarship.” Montgomery Community College Foundation director, Gaye Roatch, was on-hand to accept the check from Bumgarner. In the age 5 to 11 year old gang, Haven Threadgill, fishing with Dad, Scott, won first place and Big Fish. They hauled 11-14 pounds and a 5-6 pounder in to win the $250 plus an additional $120 for Big Fish. As the young angler posed with Dad for photos, the hefty and flopping fish were more than she could bear. She asked Dad to hold up the winners. The crowd roared their approval. Second in that division went to Bailey Rashing and Leroy Poole. They combined talents for 7-10 pounds and $140. Her eyes went wide as Master of Ceremonies Don Newsome asked her what she would do with that much money. Eric Pollard, fishing with David Hurley, took third with 6-12 pounds. They earned $90. The final paying spot in the 5 to 11 was won by Nick King fishing with Aaron Hurley. The team’s 5-12 pounds earned $50. In the 12 to 16 year bracket, Chandler Williams, fishing with Dad, Tony, walked off with some top honors. A seven pound monster caught by Chandler vaulted their bag to 11-6 pounds and the first place and Big Fish honors for the group. They won both the $240 and $120 cash payouts for first and Big Fish. In second place, Austin Moore fished with Jody Moore and bagged 11-0 pounds and a $140 prize. Hailey Hunsucker fished with Brian Moore and caught 8-4 pounds for third and $90, while Corey Hurley fished with Harold Hurley and finished in fourth with one ounce less than the team in front of them. Their 8-3 pounds was enough for a $50 payout. “It was all about the kids today,” stated Bumgarner as he headed back to his truck and the West Side Anglers’ trailer. Everyone within earshot knew he meant more than just the young competitors. |
Take A Kid Fishing Tourney This Weekend On Tillery Lake Tillery and Cook’s Marina will be the stage for the 2010 Take A Kid Fishing Bass Tournament sponsored by the Pugh Funeral Home. The Saturday, June 5th event will be used as a fundraiser for the Montgomery Community College Foundation Scholarship fund in memory of Chris Deaton, Jodie Noah, Brandon Simmons, and Austin Williams. The 7 AM to 1 PM event costs $35 per boat with an optional $10 Big Fish fee. Each boat team must consist of one adult and one “kid”. Two age groups of eleven and younger and 12 to 16 years old will be used. Four places will be paid out in each category. Entry forms, which are available in local stores, can be mailed to the Pugh-Troy Funeral Home, 211 N. Main St. Troy, NC 27371 ATTN: Sherrill Bumgarner, or fees will be accepted at Cook's Marina the morning of Tournament from 5:30 AM – 6:45 AM. For more information or directions, contact Bumgarner at 910-576-2811. |
May 27, 2010 There were two ways to approach Lake Tillery bass on Thursday evening and the organizers of the weekly series used one of them to nail their second win in as many weeks. Organizer Sam Lemons and stand-in co-organizer Brice Hollis combined talents once again in the absence of Bill Sowards to best all other competitors. “It took some pretty deep-diving crank baits to find them tonight,” stated Hollis just before weigh in. “We got some good ones doing that, but there are some other ways that are working pretty good right now.” The pair looked for transition areas and points where bass were moving or hiding on deeper waters. Their best efforts came from at least 15 feet deep.
The weekly series is using the Lilly’s Bridge access right now while Swift Island s being upgraded. Cost is $22 and includes Big Fish. The event goes from 6 to 9 PM each week. Lemons and Hollis used their approach to rack up a 13.65 pound total weight in their win Thursday. Their largest fish was a 5.45 pounder that held top honors until near the end of scales activities. They took home the $165 first place prize. Fishing solo, Buzz Dunlap once again grabbed a good piece of the cash with a second place, 13.20 pound sack. His anchor fish was the one that knocked the organizers out of additional cash. Dunlap scored a 5.60 pounder for Big Fish. His total winnings were $150 for the two placements. Third placers and early to the scales were Wesley Parsons and Tony Glover. They first lifted a fat 4.75 pounder, caught by Parsons, out of their bag for weight check. Their other two fish brought the total to 8.05 pounds, enough for a third place $25 payout. “We got our fish going deep with plastic worms,” stated Glover. For more information about the series, contact Bill Sowards at 910-439-4280 in Mt. Gilead, or Sam Lemons at 910-439-9004. |
May 20, 2010 The weather could not have been nicer for the fourteen boat teams that took to Tillery last Thursday evening. A warm sun setting just prior to weigh-in and calm waters offered some enjoyable fishing and good results. Although the Thursday Night group only fishes for three hours, several decent limits usually appear at the scales. This was the case again on Thursday, but one team didn’t need a limit to take home the cash. Brice Hollis and Sam Lemmons beat out several other teams with limits… with only three fish. Their three big fish had a total weight of 14.65 pounds, a 4.88 pound average. As you might have suspected, they also had Big Fish at a whopping 5.90 pounds. The father-son team of Walt and Cory Gibson came in second place with 12.95 pounds. The Thursday Nites on Tillery series fishes every week from 6 PM until 9 PM. They are currently utilizing the Lilly’s Bridge access until construction is completed at the Swift Island Launch. For more information, contact Sam Lemmons at 910-439-9004. |
May 1, 2010 For a group of anglers from the Troy, NC area, there’s one day each year when bragging rights and old scores are on the line. Employees from Troy Lumber Company head to their local lake with fishing gear and high hopes the honor of best fishermen will be theirs to carry in the yard for the next twelve months.
Nine boat teams bolstered by a company donated $500 prize used the Lilly’s Bridge Wildlife Access on May Day for their annual bass fishing tournament. While a small entry fee, $40, adds to the three paying positions at day’s end, the additional pot provided through Fred Taylor makes a good catch even tastier. Still, every one of the company competitors will tell you it’s the strut and brag they can carry as an honor piece for twelve months that it’s all about. At the noon time weigh in, the crown was passed to Don and Daniel Luther. The team carried 10.80 pounds to the scales and garnered the $347 top prize. The day’s effort is organized by Jody Moore and uses a six-fish limit. Richie Myers and Eric Robinson had Big Fish, a 4.11 pounder worth $90 and a fishing story. The pair also took third place with 9.15 pounds of bass, winning the $105 for that position. Moore and his partner won the second place, $243 position. |
April 30 & May 1, 2010 (See all the On The Water action photos!) Two days of bass fishing is a grueling experience and any advantage has to be used. When the field includes ninety of the best anglers from B.A.S.S. clubs across the region, it only gets tougher. Eddie Darr used a first-day blitz on Lake Tillery Friday, April 30 to hang onto a NC BASS Southern Region win on Saturday, as most of the field crawled closer and closer on Day 2.
“With this many boats out there, I had to go looking,” stated the Tri-County Bassmasters member. “I fished both north and south of the Highway 24/27 bridge… wherever we could find decent grasses, we went.” Darr’s co-angler, George Cannefax of the Hibernia club, finished 39th overall with a combined total of 15.73 pounds. “A lot of the back, little coves on Tillery have grasses coming in now, and those are good spots to fish,” noted Darr.
Darr’s boat partner at numerous events in a couple clubs over the years, Don Newsome from the Montgomery Bassmasters, hauled in the biggest bass for the entire event. On Saturday, the angler found his toad, a 7.41 pounder, while flipping docks on the south east side of the lake. “I had been working docks all day and tied on one of my favorites, a Dave’s Tournament Tackle finesse jig,” stated Newsome. “When it sank by that outer pole, he hit it hard.” For the two anglers, the final results were like old times and they recounted numerous past exploits and adventures on the water. “I’m just so glad Eddie won this thing,” noted Newsome after. “You won’t find a better guy to fish with.” Darr certainly had to feel the pressure on Saturday, Day 2. While Friday’s early bite got everyone excited and Darr raced to a big lead, the angler could feel the heat coming on Saturday. He managed only about half of what he caught the first day, a respectable 9.76 pounds. That pace had him worried all day long. “I kept second-guessing myself out there about the strategy, but I still felt it was my best option and suited how I like to fish,” he stated.
And, creep up the field did. Tony Armstrong had posted a solid 13.16 pounds on Day 1 and felt like a win was just a fish away on Friday. He cut Darr’s lead by two pounds by the end, but the total fell short. He settled for second with 24.97 pounds weighed in. Darr’s biggest threat on Saturday had to come from third place overall finisher Steve Thompson. Hauling 10.25 pounds on Day 1 to grab a Day 1 ninth place, the angler had an almost insurmountable gap to cover. Thompson scored the best bag weight on Saturday with 14.41 pounds, but it was an anchor fish short. John Harris, who had been Darr’s closest threat on Friday, struggled Saturday and boated just 8.25 pounds to end in seventh. Day 1 third placer, Mark Cummings bagged 13.64 and 10.18 pounds to settled into fourth in the event. Wayne King was the mirror to Cummings, drawing 10.23 and then bettering that the second with 13.22 pounds. He rounded out the top five. With fifteen NC BASS clubs represented in the event, club pride was also on the line. The Falls Lake Tri-County gang took home top honors, thanks in part to Darr’s efforts. Second place bragging rights went to Randolph City, while Carolina Bassers1 took third. In order of finisher were Tri-City, Mid-Atlantic, Sandhills, eagle, Sandhills Moore, Hibernia, central Carolina, Carolina Bassers2, Davidson City, Montgomery, South Rowan, and Elite. To see all the results, visit the NC BASS Federation web site at www.ncbass.com. |
“I found almost all my bass on both days in four to five feet of water in the grasses,” stated a jubilant Darr at weigh in. The angler, who boated 16.71 pounds to take a 3.55 pound lead after Day 1, said only one of his fish came off a rocky bank during the two-day competition. He saw some light spawning activity, but used the grassy areas as his strategy and focus the entire event. Darr’s anchor fish on the first day turned out to be the biggest one at the Friday scales.
Sixteen Pounds Hauled On Two Consecutive Nights It wasn’t a forty boat turnout, but it was a night for biting bass. The fourteen teams that showed up for the Friday Nites on Tillery/Badin crew were treated to great weather and tons of catch. This last week the series was on Tillery and Cook’s Marina Landing. “Everyone caught fish Friday night, which was great to see,” stated co-organizer Todd Street. “Eleven of the teams weighed fish and nine of those had their limits.” Tow other teams had four each. The series pays only first and Big Fish with less than fifteen teams and three places thereafter, so Chad Smith and Steve Butler walked away with $260. They landed 16.36 pounds to haul that honor. Jason Hathcock and Philip King finished almost five pounds back with 11.62. Smith and Butler also won the solo pot with a 4.73 pounder for another $130. “Saturday night was a rainy mess on Badin,” reported Street. “Storms were rolling in even before the competition, but eight dedicated boats showed up to fight whatever the storms could deliver. These are my die-hard fishermen.” Last season, during one Friday event on the same lake, over twenty teams were battered by a huge storm that raced directly from the north and down the lake. A pile of equipment was lost, but all came out ready to fish the next evening. The bite was a little slower for the most, Saturday, but the “brother sensation team” won the war against the weather. The winner-take-all pot of $210 was swept away when Chris Furr and Chance Furr hauled 16.62 pounds of bass to the midnight scales. Competitions begin at 7 PM. Out of the money, but in second were Austin and Brandon with 9.92 pounds. The Furr brothers dragged Big Fish out of the waters, a 5.34 pounder. |
April 25, 2010 For trolling motors and the big batteries connected to them, it wasn’t the kind of day to be out on the water. But, the equipment of the Carolina Bassers of Harnett County didn’t have a choice. A swarm of anglers from the club slipped off from a dark Lilly’s Bridge Wildlife Access on Tillery Sunday morning and spent the day battling high winds and a pile of bass. The FLW affiliated club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Johnsonville Community Center off Highway 24/27 at 7:30 PM. Information about the club can be viewed on their web site at www.carolinabassers.com.
Although the early morning hours began as calm but humid, at around 9:30 AM, the weather fronts brewing in the area began kicking up winds that sustained at 20 mph and gusted to 40. Heavy clouds and occasional 30 minute bursts of hot sun made fishing conditions ever-changing. For Ricky Mozingo, the fishing was perfect and the trolling batteries were about shot. The solo angler topped the weigh in list with 15.97 pounds in five fish to grab first place in the approximate 20-boat field. “They all came on the edge of grasses back in pockets,” stated the tired angler. “I probably caught 20 fish today and 8 of them were keepers.” The winner reported using green pumpkin, red flake and purple flake sinkos all day in waters that were somewhat murky with visibility to three feet. He reported fishing mostly in two feet of water on the west side of the lake below the Highway 24/27 bridge. He also won Big Fish with a 5.87 pounder.
In second, Will Blanton scored 11.97 pounds and then watched as his son, Wyatt, also scored second and Big Fish in the Youth Division. It was the first time the youngster had scored trophies and been in the winning circle for photos. It took a minute for Dad to help him hold all the hardware after weigh in. Kevin Matthews brought in 11 pounds even with a 4.26 pounder to make a run at Blanton, but fell short and took third. Fourth went to weighmaster Jeff Horner, while David Blanton locked down the fifth position with 10.51 pounds. In the Youth Division, Tyler Dunn scored another win with an impressive 7.12 pounds of bass. The young angler has captured numerous events and has his eyes set on the club youth championship already. The club moves to a two-day event on May 22 and 23 when they travel to Murray, SC to fish out of the Dreher Island State Park from 6 AM to 4 PM. |
Tuesday And Saturday Wildcats Find Catch Mixed For Bo Russell’s Tuesday and Saturday Wildcats, the bass bite remained elusive and confusing this past week. While a few teams who have figured out the spring holes and transitions found bigger swimming greenery in the waters, most continued to find only the males. The Tuesday evening wildcats on Badin produced some of the best fish when partners Greg Gooch and Gary Abbott again found the biggest haul with 16.48 pounds. The twelve boat field had a close second as Brad Nelson challenged with 15.22 pounds. His anchor was a 6.10 pound Big Fish for the 4:30 to 8:30 PM event. Six limits of five fish were brought to the scales, while three others had four fish. Saturday’s event may have had confusion before boats even hit the waters. The closing of Tillery’s Swift Island Landing April 19 had a pile of clubs and groups scrambling to change up launch permits. Russell’s events were moved to Cook’s Marina across the lake. However, NC Wildlife has not closed off the ramp yet, and a number of boats showed up there rather than Cook’s. “We had only five boats make it over and found out later a number had stopped at Swift Island,” stated Russell. “It’s confusing and frustrating, but I do want everyone to know our events on Tillery will be from Cook’s until the ramp re-opens and we announce the change back.” David Dry and Dorian Turner won with 5 fish weighing 11.64 pounds. They found one trying to bed and brought it along to the scales. It weighed 4.46 pounds and was the Big Fish. Two brothers, John and Jame Russell took second with a limit of 5 fish weighing in at 8.08 pounds. For more info about the open weekly, open events, contact Bo Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950 for any questions. |
The Elite Bassmasters of Raleigh did it up right this past weekend, when the club had a two-day bass tournament scheduled for Lake Tillery. The group had a rented house on the lake to use for the weekend to keep travel costs down and keep the club in close quarters for the weekend’s competition.
When anglers returned to the lakehouse for weigh in on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM, two of the members had scored enough livewell weight to best the field of six boats. Zach Blalock and Kevin Lilly had found an average fish weight of over two pounds over the competition which totaled 27.95 pounds in thirteen fish. While Tillery was willing to give some good fish on Saturday, a weather front moving in overnight and into Sunday morning changed bite dramatically.
Jeremy Phan and teammate Chris Huffine battled the lake for a second place finish. They found enough keepers to tip scales at 23.25 in thirteen fish caught. Mark Lamb and Renee Brisendene (Anglers Waypoint) put eleven over fourteen inches in their livewell for 22.27 pounds. Lamb had Big Fish of the tournament with a 3.40 pounder. The Elite Bassmasters of Raleigh (elitebassmasters.com) draws members from that area and surrounding towns in Wake County. They are affiliated with The Bass Federation (TBF) and send a team each year to the Regional Federation Tournament. Membership dues are $30 per year and each tournament costs $30. Monthly meetings are held at O’Charley’s on Briar Creek Parkway in Raleigh the first Tuesday of each month at 7 PM. For more information, please e-mail the membership director, David Newell at dnewell1927@yahoo.com or visit their web site. |
“Plenty of action today,” stated president David Newell, “but not much for size.” As boats reported catches and activity during the Sunday portion of the tournament, the same was heard up and down the lake from early morning to near weigh in time. Most were switching bait types and strategies frequently, trying to find a combo that would work on larger fish.
Fisher And Morgan Win Freightliner Competition It took twelve pounds of bass to win the Freightliner Bassmasters event on Tillery last weekend and five boat teams went out looking for it. The Swift Island launch was the last of a busy weekend of blast offs at the ramp, now closed for at least two months. Darrell Fisher and Ray Morgan bested the field by breaking that twelve pound bass barrier with a 12.3 pound catch. They earned $125 for that and added a Second Big Fish honor of 3.13 pounds worth $25. Randy Bryant and Neil Mullins fell in second with 11.6 pounds total. They did find the single lunker of the tourney, a 4.6 pound solo for Big Fish worth $25. Second place was not paid with only five boats. Johnny Morgan serves as president of the club, while Fisher is the tournament director. The club moves on to Tuckertown and the Flat Creek Access on May 15th. For more information about the anglers, contact Johnny Morgan at 704-798-0782. |
Smith Tops 18 Anglers In Rowan County Competition As Tillery’s Swift Island access drew closer and closer to shut down last weekend, reports of big bass seemed to be following the same pattern. They had been shutting down all day and finding ten pounds was going to be magic. For the one angler in the Rowan County Bassmaster competition who cracked that mark, it proved to be the competition bell ringer. 
Ten boats and nineteen anglers fishing an individual battled a tough Tillery on Sunday and, although many found limits of five, getting anything to stick to a livewell was the challenge. At 3 PM, when it was time to record successes, most reported plenty of action on soft plastics and some bedding activity, but not much in size to bring to the scales. Jackie Smith topped the ten pound mark, netting 10.04 pounds total. He faced a bevy of others hot on his heels as eight other anglers found over eight pounds. Josh Brady narrowly missed a first place finish with 9.65 pounds, while third place went to Randy Christy with 9.38. Only tenths of ounce differences between finishes could be measured from that point to the next few catches. Fourth was won by Bobby Loving with 9.27 and fifth by Tom Swicegood with 9.15 pounds. Rodney Cozart managed 9.09, Butch Drew found 8.93 for seventh, and John Drew serving as weigh master scored 8.92 pounds for eighth. An issue with scales nearly left the Rowan County group stranded, but members of the American Team Bass jumped to their aid. Those anglers stayed well after their earlier weigh in to assist. Billy Ray Stewart of the ATB group played hero for the Bassmasters. The Rowan County Bassmasters move on to Falls Lake and Ledgerock ramps on May 16. |
A long line of anglers were at the American Team Bass scales at 3 PM on Sunday afternoon, but there weren’t a pile of smiles. While all boats saw a bunch of action out on the water over the eight hours of competition, it all came in under-14 sizes. Ten pounds in 5 was a tough task to net on Tillery.
Weigh-master Billy Ray Stewart worked hard as many bags had limits, but each came short of double digits in poundage. Waters were stained and about 65 degrees in most parts of the lake. Curtis Strickland and Buford McDonald found the “big” little fish and brought 9.620 pounds to the Swift Island weigh in. Their solo 3.105 pound Big Fish was tops for the day. They earned $195 for the win and another $112 for the lunker.
One fish can always make the difference, and second placers Stewart and his wife Tonya knew that 3-plus pounder would knock them down a spot. The husband/wife team almost had them, scoring 9.075 pounds. They won $117 for second. Third placers Jeff McQuillen and Wayne Yates had the heart, but not quite enough run. They did catch second Big Fish on the day, a 2.795 pound solo that was part of a 9.03 pound sack. They missed a better placement by just over 45-hundredths of a pound. American Team Bass (www.americanteambass.com) is a two-man team fishing club. The club fishes eight regular season one-day tournaments a year and a two-day Classic tournament at the end of the season. Club membership dues are collected at the beginning of the season and presently cost $30. Regular season tournaments are $100 entry fee and $20 big fish pot (not required). Charles Phillips serves as president of the group. More information can be gotten by emailing admin@americanteambass.com or by visiting the group’s web site. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net calendar and Forums. Meetings are held at Sagebrush in Dunn at 7 PM the first Wednesday of every month (I-95 Exit 73). They are a non-affiliated club, with no ties to BASS or FLW. |
Mid-Atlantic Crew Finish Weekend At Tillery What a difference a day makes. When the Mid-Atlantic Bassmasters traveled to Lake Tillery, a warm Saturday meant a bunch of fish. But, when a cold front blew in overnight, Tillery showed her dark side to the anglers from the club. Culling small fry was the effort of the final day and anyone who could find more than 10 pounds in five was the threat.
Director Calvin Richardson prophesied the final day well after weigh in Saturday. “It’s going to turn on us tonight ad I suspect bite will be off with the cold snap.” His words couldn’t have been truer. Anglers caught and saw plenty of action all day, but it was the thirteen inch and under gang that was chasing their baits. Abe Gaeta had caught Big Fish on day 1 when he landed a 4.16 pounder. Big Fish on day 2 found by Wayne King was a little brother… a 3.23 pounder. “Everything just got smaller,” laughed member Chuck Murphy at the scales. Murphy grabbed first on the second day of the event with 10.50 pounds, but ended up third in the two-day total. King was the angler with the biggest combined weight for the weekend. His 17.93 total pounds included one of the few day-2 better bags (9.62 pounds). Gaeta settled a close second in total with 17.16 pounds. He could find only 6.68 pounds on Sunday and gave up the lead. DJ Myslinski hauled 10.05 pounds in on Sunday and finished fourth overall. The group fishes individually for club points for regional competition. |
April 17 & 18, 2010 Eight boats with the South Rowan bass anglers traveled south this past weekend to stage two-one day events on Lake Tillery. After a reasonable day of fishing on Saturday, the group was met with a stingy bite on Sunday as weather patterns changed overnight.
President Mike Smith found himself in a tight race at the scales on Sunday, as the final two bags hauled in showed weight. Smith and angler, Kevin Lockhart held back until all others were in before stepping to livewells. A final lunker Smith dropped into his sack made all the difference for Day Two. Darren Gay had won Day One with 10.2 pounds, just a few ounces ahead of Smith. Lockhart had ended that event almost two pounds back with 8.12 pounds. His sack tied evenly with one brought in by Tom Compagne. The tight race, although the group scored each day individually, moved to Sunday and was the final weigh in Swift Island Access will see before closing for renovations April 19. The Access is expected to remain off limits until the end of June for re-grading.
Smith’s 12.11 pounds topped all others. His bag included a 4.7 pounder for Big Fish, one of the larger fish caught in five tournaments on the lake that day. The group used this outing as a warm up for the NC B.A.S.S. Federation Regional to be held at Cook’s Landing on the lake in two weeks. Almost two pounds back, Kevin Lockhart found 10.14 pounds and finished second. He had twin 2.11 pounders as his biggest fish. Darren Gay took third with 8.8 pounds, while Darren Kennedy placed fourth with 6.13 pounds. Patrick Wike finished in fifth with 4.8 pounds. “I tied into a big one on Saturday at one location, but he broke off,” stated Smith. I went right back there today and worked that hole over. I knew he was there.” That strategy paid off as the fish became the solo that put him in the lead on Sunday and made him the last winning angler on the Swift Island Landing until at east July. For more information about the club, visit the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Night Anglers Come To The Light To Win 3rd Ussery Ducks Unlimited Usually during a fishing season, you can find them sliding through the darkness of night across Badin and Tillery, but last weekend a couple fishing partners hauled their rig into the sunshine. At stake was the 3rd Annual Wyman Ussery Montgomery Ducks Unlimited bragging rights, big trophies, and a shotgun. It was enough to make them shift gears, adjust fishing strategies, and see Lake Tillery in the daylight. A long-time outdoorsman and friend to so many, Wyman Ussery passed just over three years ago and the members of the Montgomery County Ducks Unlimited group wanted to find a way to remember their friend. The Ussery Memorial was founded in his name. The group has used the Cook’s Marina Access each year in the spring to host the event. This year, twenty one boats turned out for an event that heralded a pile of door prizes, Ducks Unlimited shirts and hats, cash prizes, and, of course, a shotgun for the winning boat. For Ronnie Blankenship and Roger Vanover, it was a picture-perfect day as the pair, often found fishing the Friday and Saturday “until midnight” wildcats. Last season both have won and placed together and as part of another team in those weekly competitions. Blankenship and wife, Teresa, usually spend at least one of those competitions each week as a date. The pair moved to buzz baits right after blast off and Blankenship nailed his first on the second cast. “It was my biggest fish all day,” stated the boater. “I caught the 5.5 pounder within minutes and then we found a few more using buzz baits.” The pair pounded 22.04 total pounds into their livewell to easily walk away with the competition. Two huge trophies, the shotgun, and $500 in cash awaited the jubilant anglers. Second placers, Davis and Danny Alderman were nearly seven pounds back, hauling 15.77 pounds to the scales. Buzz Dunlap and Benny Blake captured third with 15.64 pounds of bass. Co-winner of a number of annual opens this past month, Bill Gooch hooked the largest solo fish of the tournament. His 5.93 pound lunker held off stiff competition from the Alderman’s 5.70 and Blankenship’s first keeper to win Big Fish honors. Fourth placers William Sr. and William Rogers Jr. had 14.80 pounds for weigh in, and Joel Threadgill and Jeff Preslar found 14.47 pounds for fifth. As they do for so many fishing tournaments in the region, The West Side Anglers had their tournament trailer and equipment set up for the event. Ussery’s wife, Teresa, and daughter, Kim, were in attendance. Co-Chairs Dustin Davis and Aaron Wooley coordinate the efforts for the Montgomery County Ducks Unlimited. |
20th Annual Morgan Invitational Bass Tournament and Fish Fry
The 20th Annual Morgan Invitational Bass Tournament and Fish Fry for 2010 was recently announced and the family and friends will be returning to the Stockyard Landing in Norwood as they have for so many years. The gathering is in honor of granddad, O.J. (Red) Morgan and Roland Blaylock. “Their fishing was well known in the area and we started this after their passing as a way to honor them,” stated a spokesperson for the family. The first few years were just for fun as a small group of family members gathered. The winner had to buy all the other participants all the fixings for a fish fry. Soon, a full-fledged, fish fry banquet was added to the afternoon's activities and it expanded into a true tournament. This year’s event will be on May 15 from 7 Am to Noon. By invitation, the entry fee is $40 per boat and cash prize payouts are based on the number of boats. The group uses a ten-fish limit. Again this year, Dick’s Sporting Goods has signed on as a sponsor and will be donating a variety of prizes after weigh in. Registration forms can be found at any local stores and should be mailed by April 24th to P.S. Morgan, 20754 No. View Road, Locust, NC 28097. |
Thursday Nite Tillery Open On The Move
After over ten years of meeting at Tillery’s Swift Island Landing for eight months of each year, the open-to-anyone competition will pull in lines and head to another ramp on the lake for a few months. As NC Wildlife shuts down the Hwy 24/27 ramps for renovations, the group will shift a few miles south on the lake to the Lilly’s bridge Access. On the final evening before the move, partners Woody Maness and Fred Thompson beat all comers at the scales when they boated 7.45 pounds in the three-fish limit competition. Their catch also included Big Fish, a 3.2 pounder. They took home both the First Place $90 and Big Fish $30 earnings. Bill Gooch and Pete Morris had to swallow second. They landed 6.6o pounds. Third place went to Roy Moore and Brice Hollis with 6.40 pounds. Hollis will step in to assist organizers Sam Lemons and Bill Sowards when Sowards has to step aside for a few weeks later this month. Rounding out the top five were Jeff Horne and Scott DeBerry with 5.60 pounds and father/son team Dan and Daniel Jones with 5.45 pounds. Six boats participated in the event. The weekly events are open to anyone who wishes to jump in. Entry fees are just $22 and the group fishes from 6 to 9 PM. Some adjustments to end times occur as seasonal light changes. For more information, contact Bill Sowards at 910-439-4280 in Mt. Gilead, or Sam Lemons at 910-439-9004. |
Gooch Team Scores Third Straight Open Win The long-awaited 19th Annual Open hosted by West Side Anglers went off without a hitch last weekend and, to no one’s surprise, a red-hot, Tillery team grabbed top honors once again. This time out, however, a number of other angling partners were tight on their heels at weigh in, leaving the end result up in the air until all had weighed in. In early spring months, Tillery produces some of the larger bag weights and thirty-six teams took advantage of that offering. The first five teams hauled 100.59 pounds of bass to the scales at Cook’s Marina in the five-fish tournament. Anglers paid $60 plus a $10 Big Fish option to be part of the chase to unseat a Gooch team that has scored wins in two back-to-back opens on the lake in as many weeks.
Greg and, father, Bill Gooch made it three straight in the tightest competition thus far. The pair looked to their best holes and found 24.05 pounds and a 7.39 pound solo lunker to outlast the field for both first place and First Big Fish. The team has won with a 26 and 18 pound bag the last two weeks. Creeping ever closer each week, a team of Threadgill brothers slipped ever closer to knocking off the perennial Gooch champs. Jason and Scott Threadgill hauled under two pounds less to the scales, a 22.27 pound bag, to nail down second place in the competition. Their largest, a 6.35 pounder, was the difference, but enough for Second Big Fish honors, adding to their prize winnings. Another Gooch team often scoring prize money, Rodney and Garrett Gooch netted 19.43 pounds and a single fish of 6.25 pounds to the scales for third place. Buzz Dunlap and Benny Blake scored 18.07 pounds for third, while Russell Corry and James Weaver took the fifth and final paying spot with 16.77 pounds. The West Side Anglers Ladies added support to the event with sales of hot dogs and refreshments at weigh in. The club often supports other clubs and fishing events across the area with the loan of their weigh in trailer and equipment. The touring trailer can be seen at numerous events throughout the season. “We really appreciate that all these teams turned out to support our 19th Annual Open,” stated Kevin Mason, club spokesperson. Red Tucker serves as president of the group. “We hope they all join us again at our next event,” he added. The club sets their schedule as the season progresses, deciding on events after weigh ins. They will head for Tuckertown on May 2nd and Buggs Island May 15 and 16. For more information about the West Side Anglers, contact vice president, Glenn Galloway at grg1@embarqmail.net or Kevin Mason at 910-576-1949 or email him at khmason@yahoo.com. |
West Side Anglers 12th Annual Slated For Saturday It appears the West Side Anglers have chosen the weekend when bass will move to beds for their 12th Annual Bass Tournament on Lake Tillery this Saturday. Anglers have watched closely as the fish have flirted with spawn, but clearly the big bass were waiting for the West Side Anglers. The annual event will take place on Lake Tillery Saturday, April 10 from Cook's Marina. Competitors will blast off at 7 AM and weigh in at 3 PM. Registration can occur by mail or at the Landing from 5:30 – 6:45 AM that day. Cost is $60 per boat team with a $10 Big Fish pot (first and second place Big Fish payout). Trophies will be given to the first place anglers. The club will also hold a drawing for a Remington 870 EXP gun. A variety of other prizes will be given away. For more information about the 12th Annual tournament, contact Kevin Mason at 910-576-1949. Please note that the phone number on the brochure is incorrect. |
Fish Catch Slows Pre-Spawn For Saturday Wildcats Spring bass fishing has begun a roller coaster ride leading up to bedding action, and the Russell's Saturday Wildcats were the recipients of that on again–off again transition last Saturday. Eight boat teams toured the Tillery waters and found mostly smaller fish willing to strike.
With just one more event on Badin April 10 before the weekly, wildcat series expands its range to Tuckertown and High Rock, anglers were hoping to find bass moving up a bit more. “Nothing of decent size wanted to bite today,” stated organizer Bo Russell. “Bite has been off for about a week now.” Competitors with Russell’s Tuesday Wildcats had found the same going just a few days before on Badin.
Although all boat teams caught fish in the $25 fee event, only five of the teams weighed in fish. Russell and his son, Jamie, found themselves taking home the first place money of $70 with five weighing 10.04 pounds. Their largest was a 3.62 pounder, but was the largest one of the tournament. It brought them an additional $40 Big Fish prize. Henry Jenkin and Bob Phillipy scored a second place with two fish weighing 4.92 pounds. They won $50. The series fishes a five-fish limit. For more information, contact Bo Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. A weekly schedule and information about the open series is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Gooch Team Scores Another At Montgomery Bassmasters' 4th Annual Some days are made for fishing, and the Montgomery Bassmasters picked the right weekend for their 4th Annual Spring Open. Old Man winter was kicked aside as slightly overcast skies and low-eighties temperatures set in for the twenty-nine boat teams that chose to join in. Bass have been skirting with heading for beds in recent days, and the Lake Tillery anglers found them both on the south and north ends of the pond. Waters on the main channel were only somewhat murky with visibility to five feet. Back coves and creeks were clear and anglers found pockets of water as warm as sixty-four degrees. Mostly small males were found near beds, with larger females moving up.
As in past years, the 4th Annual was held on the Swift Island landing, soon to be closed for a number of weeks for renovations to the parking lot area. The project is expected to last until near the end of June (see www.fishbyte.net article of March 25). For the second straight year, Bill and Greg Gooch showed their dominance on Lake Tillery when the father-son team rolled 18 pounds 13 ounces of large-mouth to the scales. Their largest lunker, a 6 pound 6 ounce beast, took Big Fish of the tournament. Club secretary, Don Newsome presented them two checks, $435 for first and $290 for Big Fish, during ceremonies after weigh in. Just one week prior, the team took the Tr-City Annual Memorial with eight pounds more than Saturday's haul.
“It was tougher out there today,” stated Greg Gooch to the crowd that had gathered to watch weigh in. “We had trouble finding the bigger females.” The crowd of fifty to sixty onlookers applauded their results. Ron Wofarth and Marty Sweeting were their closest competition. That team had placed in the money just the weekend before in a Yadkin Tournament on Badin. On Saturday, their bag of 15 pounds 11 ounces was enough for second and the $304 payout. Leon Prince and Philip King scored a third place worth $130 with 13 pounds 8 ounces of bass. Just outside the paying spots were, fourth placers Ronnie White and Sammy Greene with 12-4 pounds, fifth place Kevin and Bradly Chandler with 11-7 pounds, and sixth place Scott and Jason Threadgill with 11-2 pounds.
Teams fished from 7 AM to 3 PM and were sent off by the West Montgomery High School band, lead by Gary Graham. The band's Booster Club, coordinated by Lynn Davis, served up refreshments and hotdogs as anglers headed to weigh in. Just the week before, the band and booster club showed their support of the Tri-City Memorial tournament at the same lake and landing. After weigh in, the Montgomery Bassmasters presented Davis and the Booster Club with a donation as a thanks for their efforts. The Montgomery Bassmasters, a four-year-old club based in Troy, NC, has 13 members and growing. They began the open event shortly after forming. Prior to the club's start and several years before, the Uwharrie Bass Club existed in the county. They are members of NC Bass Federation, the FLW, and TBF. The club fishes mostly the Yadkin Chain along with Shearon Harris, Jordan and Kerr Lake (Buggs). Their next event is this coming weekend, a two-day affair with Buggs Island. The club is looking to add more members. For more information, contact President James Blue or Tournament Director Michael Maness at 910-571-0022. Information can also be found on the Fishbyte.net Calendar or Forums. |
Mint Hill Gang Casts Tillery Bass With a Bassmaster club memorial tourney and another regular club event blasting off from the same ramp at the same time, one twenty-five year old bass club took it all in stride as just another blast off. The Mint Hill Bass Club gathered towards the back of the Swift Island Access in the dark last Saturday and calmly waited until a pile of other boats scrambled for the water. When traffic to the docks slowed, they lined up and quickly launched in time.
Fifteen boats with two per vessel began another season, looking for their five fish limit. Taking a different approach from most clubs, the group keeps points throughout the season by individual anglers, but tournaments are won or lost by teams. Each angler weighs in fish caught for the points race, and partners total weights are added together to determine the winners of a competition. Dean Townsend and Tommy Stillwell head the effort.
“We've been fishing together for many years,” stated Stillwell after the weigh in. “We're all good friends and enjoy the fun together.” For Mike Morse and Charles Sasser, the friendship was paying off. The pair pulled in over 15.9 pounds to nail the first spot down. They caught the majority of theirs on spinner-baits during the day. Second placers Michael Wilson and Brian Price found almost 15 pounds, while third placers' Sonny Lowry and Neal Frye's 12.8 was just enough to fend off Martin Rushing and Bengie Christopher's 12.2 pound total. The group hails from Mint Hill, NC. |
It's considered one of the larger “opens” to happen on the southern end of the Yadkin lakes, and anglers will turn out in large numbers in the warm spring sunshine this Saturday, April 3 for the 4th Annual Montgomery Bassmasters Spring Open on Lake Tillery. Besides a pile of cash, at stake is the record weight brought in by last year's winners. Last year, thirty four boat teams showed up for the annual competition and organizers expect even more this year. “I was really happy with the turnout and results last year,” said Tournament Director, Michael Maness. “We had 34 boats hit the water at 7 AM and most of them had reasonably good luck.” Maness expects the number to jump with weather conditions predicted to be so good.
Bill and Greg Gooch set a mark to shoot for last year with a 37.09 pound sack in five fish. Any record becomes a target, and there are a pile of anglers looking to top what the father and son team established. It's been the talk of the landings for twelve months. The Montgomery Bassmasters, a four-year-old club based in Troy, NC, has 13 members and growing. They began the open event shortly after forming. Prior to the club's start and several years before, the Uwharrie Bass Club existed in the county. They are members of NC Bass Federation, the FLW, and TBF. The club fishes mostly the Yadkin chain along with Shearon Harris, Jordan and Kerr Lake (Buggs). The club is looking to add more members. For more information, contact President James Blue or Tournament Director Michael Maness (910-571-0022). Information can also be found on the Fishbyte.net Calendar or Forums. |
Parker Wins Second Event of Tillery Thursday Open
Sometimes the weekend fishing competitions just don't work into an angler's busy schedule. The best news is some of the better competitions happen during the week and after the regular work day is done. Two weeks ago, the Thursday night Wildcats began yet another season at Lake Tillery. The Thursday night open series offers anglers a chance to fish competitively if they aren’t able to get out on the weekends, or it can be a good chance to test the waters before a big weekend tournament. This week twelve boat teams took advantage of the open and several had their three fish limit. Robin Parker motored into first place with three fish weighing a total of 7.30 pounds. He also had Big Fish at 3.80 pounds and won $200 for his catch. Brice Hollis caught second place with 6.65 pounds. Despite the short time-frame in which to find fish, at least half of the 12 teams had a couple bass by weigh-in time. The Thursday Wildcat weekly series is open to the public and only costs $22 per boat, which includes Big Fish. They utilize the Swift Island landing and generally fish for 2 ½ - 3 hours. For more information, contact Bill Sowards at 910-439-4280. A complete schedule can also be found on Fishbyte.net calendars and forums. |
Tri-County Makes Tillery Season Opener
The Tri-County Bassmasters is a Christian-based club and members of the NC BASS Federation – Southern Division and the FLW. Club meetings are held at the Sunrise Grille on Randolph St. (Hwy 109) in Thomasville, on the first Monday night of each month. Meetings begin around 6 PM, but most members arrive after 5 PM for food and fellowship. Tournaments are run a bit differently than most. Two members are allowed per boat and each can keep five fish. Individual points are kept during the season, but event payouts are based on a combined bag weight of the partners. Weigh ins involve each member bringing fish to the scales and partner totals are then combined to determine the day's winning boat team.
On Saturday, Richard McClure's 10.60 and Buster Swisher's 9.45 pounds were enough to grab the first place payout of $215. Second placers, Dennis McMahan and Steve Casey were nearly six pounds short with 14.60 pounds. They did take the second place purse of $130. Monty Leinbach and Gary Shelton brought in a combined weight of 12 pounds even for third and $85. Eddie Darr found the solo lunker of the competition with a fat 4.95 pounder. His winnings totaled $85 for that honor. The Thomasville area club's next event is on Lake Gaston, April 17th. For more information, contact president Tom Ballantine through the group's web site at www.tri-countybassmasters.org or Jerry Overcash, V.P. and secretary at jovercash2@triad.rr.com. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
As Lake Tillery's Swift Island Wildlife Access enters its last couple of weeks of activity before being closed down for re-grading work (see story below), the Tri-County Bassmasters slipped in for their first event of the season. Even those arriving early found a lot jammed with rigs making ready for bass tournaments being staged there. Nine boat teams from the group added to the melee of activity in the pre-dawn hours.
It was an excellent day of fishing for many anglers, but another stand-out day for the 2009 Champions of the Tri-City Bassmasters 2nd Annual Memorial Tournament. Bill and Greg Gooch returned to Lake Tillery and a favorite event to easily walk away with top honors for a second year in a row.
Twenty of the twenty-nine bass fishing teams carried fish to the 3 PM scales. Thirteen of those boats scored over the ten pound mark. “It was a good day out there,” noted winner Greg Gooch after the event. “We could have caught bigger fish if it wasn't so sunny.” Last season the father-son team scored an amazing 34.04 pounds and a 7.39 solo to win the event. But, it was their kind of fishing day on 2009... rainy with little wind and fog in the early morning hours. This year, a bright sun shone throughout a day that climbed to 60 degrees. The pair was culling right to the end, as they made some favorite stops in the channel leading into the Swift Island landing. “We got them all on crank-baits and jigs, and found a couple more on our way back in,” noted the younger Gooch. The partners brought 26.27 pounds of bass to the weigh in and grabbed the win once again. They also repeated Big Fish honors with a 6.73 pound solo. Although the fish weren't as big this year, their winnings were $540 for first and $290 for the Big Fish. That topped the $770 purse they won in 2009 thanks to a bigger field of boats. In 2009, Terry James and Kevin Chandler chased the Gooch team, but found themselves in second at the end of the day with 24.38 pounds. This year was to be a repeat, as the perennial partners scored 15.08 pounds for another second place finish. They earned $260.
Third placers, Robin Parker and Corey Gibson found 14.69 pounds and walked away $120 richer. Ronnie White and Sammy Green found 13.43 pounds for a fourth place that paid $80. Fifth place went to Reggie Bartell and Daniel Jones with 13.42 pounds for $60, while Jason and Scott Threadgill finished in the final paying spot to earn $50. “I am really happy with this turnout,” stated club president, Rick Bradford. “This is fantastic for a second-ever event.” The emorial Tournament was organized in tribute to long-time and founding member Rodney Hamilton and Boyce Carpenter, a member who just recently passed. The fund raising event is used to help fund an annual children's fishing event held in conjunction with National Fishing and Boating Week. The event date has not been set, but will happen at McKinney Lake State Park later in the summer.
“Thanks to all of you for turning out today,” stated master of ceremonies Robin Collins. “Tri City Bassmasters thanks you all for what you've done for this 1st Annual. The Master of Ceremonies presented Davis with a check in gratitude for the food effort. The Tr-City Bassmasters returns to its regular schedule with a trip to two-day event April 17 and 18 at Clarks Hill Reservoir. The club has been in existence since 1978 and is a member of the NC Bass Federation and FLW. They welcome new members and owning a boat is not required. They hold monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of every month at Hudson Bros. Deli in Rockingham. They fish 12 tournaments per year. For more information about the group, contact president Rick Bradford at mckinneylake@escwireless.com or at 910-461-6198. Information and the club schedule is also available on the Fishbyte.Net calendar and Forums. |
Another highlight of the day was the early-morning arrival of the school band from West Montgomery High School. Anglers were serenaded with The Star Spangled Banner, played from the Swift Island Landing just prior to Blast Off. The band is directed by Gary Graham. The band Boosters Club was on-hand later in the day with warm food and drinks for those coming in. Lynn Davis directs that effort.
The biggest thing in the rumor mill up and down the Yadkin Chain the last two weeks has been a project the NC Wildlife resources Commission has planned for Lake Tillery's Swift Island access Area. Speculation about its closing and what is planned has been the topic of many conversations at tournaments. According to Carolyn Rickard, Public Information Officer for NC Wildlife resources, the project planned is to regrade the parking lot. “Right now, the project is out to bid,” stated Rickard on Thursday. “It (the landing) will close at some point. I am being told that we've rescheduled just about all the tournaments at the ramp and moved them to other boat ramps at the same lake.” Directors who have not heard from their offices should contact the permitting section of the agency immediately. Work is expected to begin in just a few weeks. When asked by Fishbyte.Net about a time line for the work, Rickard noted, “ Right now our Division of Engineering is hoping to start work April 19, and finish up by the end of June.” According to Rickard, signs will go out a couple weeks before they start work so the public will know. The information will also be posted on the NC Wolife Resource web site at www.ncwildlife.org. |
Tri-City Annual This Saturday On Tillery
It's an event local anglers look forward to all winter and it marks the official start to the real fishing season for many. The Tri-City Bassmasters Memorial bass Tournament returns to Lake Tillery and the Swift Island Landing this Saturday, March 27. In past season upwards of fifty boat teams have competed in the five-fish limit exercise. In memory of Rodney Hamilton and Boyce Carpenter, long time anglers with the club, the event is held as a fund raiser for a kid's fishing event later in the season. The entry fee is just $50 with an optional $10 Big Fish fee. Payout is based on the number of boats that compete. Trophies are given first place winners and a plaque for Big Fish honors. Anglers may launch their boats anywhere on the lake, but must have livewells checked prior to the start. Order of start is based on sign up. The action will run from 7 AM to 3 PM weigh in back at Swift Island on Highway 24/27. Two anglers are allowed per boat and the event is a six-fish limit. Life jackets must be worn when the main engine is running. Complete rules and regulations are available at sign up. For more information and registration form, contact: Rick Bradford at 910-461-6198. |
March 20, 2010 Four fishing clubs and over eighty boats left out of the Swift Island Landing on Lake Tillery Saturday, but the Triad Team Bass Anglers began their contest before the rush hit. The lake was busy, but the weather was beautiful and the fish were hungry. Blasting off at safelight helped the fourteen Triad teams reach their holes early and it paid off for several teams. Bill Yokley and Rusty Stafford carried 15 pounds to the scales for first place. They also had Big Fish at 5.12 pounds. They primarily used crank baits and jerk baits near docks. Dwayne Bingham and Allen Meshaw won second place, draggiing in a healthy 12.2 pounds, while Gray Gordon and Edward Gordon found third place with 10.12 pounds. Several other teams also brought respectable bags to the scales at the end of the day. Saturday was the Triad Team Bass Angler’s first meeting of the year and it was certainly an indication of a good year to come. They will fish Lake Gaston and Mayo Lake in the coming months and return to the Yadkin later in the season. For further information and updates on the Triad Team check Fishbyte.Net Calendars and Forums. |
March 20, 2010 It was a busy Saturday morning on the Yadkin Chain as the members of the newly-formed Treece One-On-One Invitational group slipped their boats into the water for their first tournament. They squeezed out of the Swift Island landing in between three other clubs and attacked Lake Tillery on a warm first day of spring. It was the first meeting for the Invitational group, but most of its members are well known on the Yadkin lakes. The twelve boats competed until 2 P.M., and they had several decent bags of fish to show on their debut. Pinky Sides, an experienced angler in central North Carolina, took first place with 13.31 pounds and Big Fish at 4.22 pounds. His bag netted him $225 for the day. Harold Snuggs came in second with 10.12 pounds and took home $75. Mike Treece, club president, was pleased with the opener and looks forward to their next event. The group will hold a drawing each month to determine where they fish next. Several members will also fish a new Open tournament on Wednesday’s headed by Teddy Starnes. The new Open will begin on the first Wednesday of April. Fishbyte.net will post the forthcoming information regarding Wednesday’s Open Series. |
The Bite Has Begun For Bo’s Wildcats! Saturday was the busiest day of the year thus far for the lakes on the Yadkin Chain. It was a beautiful first day of spring and the boat access at Lake Tillery’s Swift Island was packed with over eighty boats. Bo Russell’s Saturday Wildcats is becoming one of the more popular open series along the chain, and it was evident Saturday as eighteen teams lined up to fish.
The water on Lake Tillery is still muddy, but the bite has been improving slowly over the last four weeks as temperatures rise. Areas of the river are beginning to clear up slightly, but warmer water has definitely helped put more bass in boats. These improving conditions meant additional catch and weights for many of the competitors. Kevin Chandler and Terry James took advantage of the heavier bite and carried 15.40 pounds to the scales for first place. They also had Big Fish at 3.88 pounds and walked away with a total of $250. Martin Rushin and Benji Christopher came in second place with 10.84 pounds, while Dustin Clontz was a close third with 10.82 pounds. Newcomers Justin Lornson and Bradley Clark fished the south end of the lake and they also brought a good bag to the scales. As temperatures rise the competition will continue to heat up. For those looking to get into some action during the week, Bo Russell will also begin hosting a Tuesday Night Wildcat Open series. It will begin this Tuesday at the Alcoa Landing on Badin Lake at 4:30 P.M. Anglers will fish until dusk. For more information, contact Bo Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. A complete schedule and further information can also be found at Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
If you can remember to jump your clock ahead, there's no better way to start the time change than a bass tournament. Twelve boats from the BassBoat Central group gathered at Tillery last Sunday to throw their luck at the muddy lake. Fishing the second Sunday of each month (except May), the informal gathering is a way for the brags of the fishing forums to be settled on the waters. BassBoat Central is a web-based forum for anglers (http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerouser?cmd=login) with separate areas for many states. North Carolina's section is always busy as members exchange ideas, strategies and friendly barbs.
“These outings are really just for fun,” stated gathering coordinator, Jerry Zimmerman of Asheboro. “We don't charge much for fishing, just ten bucks is thrown into the pot.” It isn't about the money for this group; it's all about the accolades and bragging rights. For one team, the next month will have plenty of both. Joel Ketcham and, brother, Scott found 11.85 pounds of bass in the safelight to 2:30 competition. They also added Big Fish brags to their bounty with a 6.6 pounder caught on a shadrap. All of their fish were caught in the early morning hours. Zimmerman and partner, Rodney, placed second in the three-fish limit event. The group gathers at Badin's Circle drive access next on April 11. For more information about the BassBoat Central gatherings and forums, visit http://bbcboards.zeroforum.com/zerouser?cmd=login or contact Jerry Zimmerman via email at thezzzz@embarqmail.com. A complete schedule is available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Adam & Eve Series Opener A Success The Adam & Eve series of Bass fishing tournaments has proven to be competitive, fun and successful. Their following has grown, bringing more couples and Dad’s and their daughters together for a great day of fishing. The co-ed anglers took to the water once again in their 2010 opening tournament on Lake Tillery this past Saturday. Fourteen boats dropped into the bay at the Swift Island landing as tournament director Ricky Clark and his wife, Sherry, collected dues and registered the couples for another year. The fishing has been slowly improving on the Yadkin Chain, and several couples were able to find some hungry fish.
Kevin and Renee Coley took first place with 10.11 pounds and Big Fish weighing 5.10 pounds. The young couple has a nine-month-old baby and Renee said, “This is the longest we have been away from our baby yet”. They had only fished one other tournament last year, but plan on returning to fish more events this year. Second place went to Ralph and Jody Nolan with 5.14 pounds. Third place went to the veteran Daddy-Daughter couple, Ron and Carmen Nelson with 5.1 pounds. Carmen caught her big fish with a Senko bait. With seven more events this year, the series promises good action and fun fishing. For more information about the Adam & Eve Series, contact Ricky or Sherry Clark at 336-461-2006. A complete schedule and information can also be found on Fishbyte.net Calendar and forums. |
Lomax Memorial Baptist Church May 15 Tournament 2010 It was so successful last year, it bought a new heat pump for the church. The Lomax Baptist Church still has a building fund to grow, so they are returning to the lake for help. A second Building Fund Raiser Bass Tournament will be held May 15 on Lake Tillery. According to member, Brian Moore, cost to enter will be $50 per boat with a $10 optional Big Fish Pot. The organizers plan a 60% payback on entry fees and full payback on Big Fish. The event will take place on the Swift Island Landing beginning at 6:30 AM. Registration will be held that morning at the ramp beginning at 5:30 AM. For the six-fish limit competition, launch can be anywhere on Lake Tillery, but all boats must report to Swift Island Boat Landing to receive a competition number and livewell inspection tag. Rules will be available at various local shops. For more information, contact Brian Moore at 910-975-2935. |
Piedmont Bass Club Launches 2010 Yadkin Attack The Piedmont Bass Club, a group that has been trolling the Yadkin Chain waters for as many as thirty years, kicks off its 2010 season this Saturday on Lake Tillery. The fourteen members have Lake Tillery in their sights for an early-morning attack. The club, located in Stanly County, fishes the four main lakes on the Yadkin Chain in rotation. They will charge onto Badin in April, head for Tuckertown in May, and end the first round on High Rock in June. According to secretary, Josh Preslar, they will end their season in November back at Tillery. “We all share a love for bass fishing,” stated Preslar. “We all have an ethical passion and love for the sport of bass fishing.” The club is lead by president, Titus Russell. Tom Southers fills the vice-president spot. Events are an eight-hour competition with a five-fish limit. First, second and third places receive trophies, while Big Fish and Second Big Fish receive cash prizes. For more information about the club, visit their web site at www.piedmontbassclub.com or contact Preslar at mail@piedmontbassclub.com. Information about the group is also posted on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Weekly Wildcats Find Improved Tillery Bite Cold weather may keep some people indoors, but Bo Russell and his Saturday Wildcat Trail continue to fish regardless of the low temperatures. As members of Russell’s open parked their trucks and prepared their boats, the sun was just beginning to rise over the trees and warm the air. Unfortunately, water temperatures did not rise much, averaging only 40 degrees in most areas of the lake. Despite the cold temperatures and cloudy water conditions, a few anglers did manage to pry open the mouths of some lethargic Bass. Alvin Mauldin and Grover Cook took first place and Big Fish with 4.10 pounds. Bo and his partner Tony came in second with 3.36 pounds. Both said they “...had never seen conditions this bad”. Finally, Les Perriman brought one fish to the scales for third place. It was not an impressive weigh-in, but it seems to be getting marginally better, as many clubs in the last few weeks have only had one or two fish to weigh-in. Temperatures are supposed to remain slightly higher this week, which will help, but more rain is in the forecast as well. Russell’s Saturday Wildcats will meet at the Alcoa Landing on Badin Lake this coming Saturday to search for a few more hungry bass. For a complete schedule and more information see Fishbyte.net’s Calendar and Forums, or contact Bo Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. |
Many of us are addicted to different things. The word addiction carries a negative meaning for most of us, but not for Dean Minor and the members of his newly formed bass fishing club. Minor aptly named the club, “Fishing Addiction”, and judging by the turnout at his first-ever event, there are many others who are also addicted to fishing.
Despite the sub-freezing temperatures, twelve boat teams lined up before sunlight to become members of Fishing Addiction at the Swift Island launch on Lake Tillery. Minor was happy with the turnout and expects more teams at his next event when the weather and water conditions are better. The teams launched at safelight and returned for their weigh-in at 3PM.
Over the last few weeks, Lake Tillery has not produced many fish due to the muddy water conditions and below average temperatures all winter. Many teams have fished hard and returned empty handed, but one team may have finally broke the spell. Robert Parrish and David Dry were the first team to catch their limit with 13.97 pounds. Parrish stated that he, “didn’t start catching fish until 1145 A.M.” Scott Henley and Kelley Allen came in second with two nice fish weighing in at 7.51 pounds. David Hilton and Phil Lonya took third place and Big Fish with one big bass weighing 4.53 pounds. The results were encouraging. Some fish on the Yadkin Chain are finally beginning to open their mouths and Fishing Addiction will stay competitive through the 2010 season. For more information about the club, check out Fishbyte.net’s Calendar and club information link to the Forums, or email Dean Minor at fourdminors@yahoo.com. New members are always welcome. |
Access
LAKE TILLERY |
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Access Name |
County |
Sponsor |
Directions |
| Norwood Access Area | Stanly | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | From intersection of NC 24/27/73 and NC 740 in Albermarle (Stanly County), take NC 24/27/73 East 5 miles to Indian Mound Rd./SR 1740 turn right, travel 5.4 miles to Lakeshore Drive/SR 1797 turn left, travel 0.5 mile to area on left. |
| Stony Mountain Access Area | Stanly | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | From intersection of NC 24/27/73 and NC 740 in Albemarle (Stanly County), take NC 24/27/73 East 6 miles to Lake Tillery Rd./SR 1803, turn right, go 1.5 miles to the area. |
| Swift Island | Montgomery | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | From Troy (Montgomery County), travel N.C. 24/27 west 12 miles, area on left before Pee Dee River Bridge. |
| Lilly's Bridge |
Montgomery | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | From intersection of N.C. 731 & N.C. 73 in Mount Gilead (Montgomery County) travel N.C. 731 west 2.3 miles to Lilly's Bridge Road (S.R. 1110), turn right and travel 2.5 miles to area on left before steel bridge. |
| Morrow Mountain State Park | Stanly | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | Morrow Mountain State Park is six miles east of Albemarle, turn right on Valley Drive and travel approximately three miles. Turn right on Morrow Mountain Road, which leads into the park. |