Hege And Lawson Win Yadkin Team Two-Day Shootout Carl Benton’s Yadkin Promotions wrapped up its Yadkin Team Tournament Series this last weekend by traveling to two different lakes in two days. The Fish Off was the culminating event in a schedule that began back in February, fishing the lakes of the Yadkin Chain. A new series this year, Benton combined what was the High Rock Team and New Piedmont Team Trails. The schedule included eleven events. According to Tony Garitta, a member of the Yadkin Trail, the Fish Off winners fell into a superb catch on day two when they became disoriented in the fog and ended up fishing a first location they didn’t plan to. “Hege and Lawson caught most of their fish at Tuckertown after getting disoriented in the fog,” noted Garitta. “They started fishing before they reached their intended spot near Lick Creek.” That bad luck became the best luck of the weekend for the partners. “Those two caught four keepers immediately, including 6 pounder,” stated Garitta. “They caught their last keeper later. Once the sun came up, they couldn't catch anything but a 13-inch non-keeper bass.” Dale Hege and Wayne Lawson, both of Ramseur, topped the competition by scoring 13.29 pounds at High Rock on day one, and then blasting the competition with 19.58 pounds at Tuckertown on Sunday with their foggy catch. Their total of 32.87 earned the two-man squad $900. They also took the Day 2 Big Fish at Tuckertown with a 6.82 pounder, earning $104 additional in prize money. Bobby Lovings (Salisbury) and partner Dwight Morgan (Gold Hill), found 10.81 pounds at High Rock and 14.70 pounds at Tuckertown, for a second place 25.51 pounds. They won $500. Brad Peyton (Salisbury) and Chuck Huffman (Elon) grabbed the third spot with 11.78 pounds at High Rock and 11.83 pounds at Tuckertown, for 23.61 total pounds. The earned $286. They also had Day 1 Big Fish at High Rock, a 5.41 pounder worth $117. The third place finish was all they needed. At the end of the two-day competition, team Peyton and Huffman were announced as the 2010 Points Champions. That honor came with a $500 cash prize from Denton’s Yadkin Promotions. Benton announced that next season all of the tournaments would be at High Rock Lake. The 2011 schedule will be announced in the coming months and will be available through Fishbyte.Net. For more information about the Trail, contact Benton and the Yadkin Promotions at 336-859-4366. |
September 18, 2010 By Les Tolley, Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler With 25 mile per hour winds and wave after wave rolling down Tuckertown Reservoir, conditions became very tough on The Yadkin Yahoo's Club Tournament on Saturday Sept 18th. Sometimes under bad conditions you can bet that someone will find a way to catch fish and this held true for one team during Saturday’s tournament. Les McLean and Les Tolley notched another win on their belt with an impressive showing during Saturdays Yadkin Yahoo Tournament on Tuckertown. They were the only team to bring in a limit of fish under the windy conditions. "I was very excited to fish Tuckertown until I arrived at the landing and saw the large waves rolling down the lake, so I suggested to my partner that we tie on a spinnerbait and just hold on. We were very blessed this worked because we caught three limits of fish. The wind really had the fish stirred up" stated Tolley. The team brought in five bass weighing 18.01 pounds and they also won Big Fish honors with a nice 5.11 pound lunker. "This was a nice way to spend my birthday, and to catch fish the way we did made for an exciting day. My partner can really chunk a blade,” stated a laughing McLean. “I just cannot believe he only had one with him. It was in bad shape.” In second place and capturing 2nd Big Fish was solo fisherman Deryl Fisher with a nice 3.32 pound bass. The Yahoo's will have their club championship on Oct 2nd at Lake Tillery. |
September 16, 2010 Info and Photos Courtesy of Les McLean It was the fifteenth event on their season’s schedule and the winds decided to weigh in before the anglers. Members of the High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers who traveled to Tuckertown September 16th drew fire from high and gusty winds all day. Eight teams took on the 90 degree temperatures. “The club found Tuckertown tough to say the least,” stated spokesman Les McLean. “Waters were about 78 to 80 degrees, but that wind just hammered us all day. No limits were brought to the scales. Team McLean and McLean won the event with four fish that weighed 11-02 pounds. Team Zachary and Zachary came in second with three fish weighing 9-03 pounds. |
September 11, 2010 Info and Photos Courtesy of Ricky Clark
The Yadkin River Chain Adam & Eve Bass Series used Tuckertown Reservoir to stage the seventh of eight events on their 2010 schedule last Saturday, and veterans Jimmy and Kathy Sanders used the opportunity to jump back into the winner’s circle. The partners held off sixteen other boat teams to grab honors on a lake that either treats you well or sends you home with nothing. The Sanders team brought 15 pounds 5 ounces of bass to the 2 PM scales at the Highway 49 access. The teams blasted off at 8 AM. The Sanders boat took home $227.50 in prize winnings. Mark and Nicole Greene grabbed a second place showing with 14 pounds 5 ounces. Their efforts earned them $127.50. They also tied for Big Fish with Teddy and Della Starnes with a 4 pound 4 ounce lunker. The two teams split the $85 purse, but the Greenes took home the trophy based on overall weight for the day. Mark and Audrey Bayse finished third with 11 pounds 10 ounces. They won $85. The Yadkin Adam & Eve Series will finish out its season on Badin Lake next month October 9 at the Lakemont Landing from 8 AM to 2 PM. They began their season on Lake Tillery back in March. The series maintains a web site at For more information about the $25 per event series, contact Ricky Clark at 336-461-2006 or email him at crclark@rtmc.net. |
Hedgecock Wins Archdale Bass Club On Tuckertown Remember the old commercial, “Who made the salad?” Tuckertown Reservoir, situated between High Rock and Badin Lake has enough aquatic weeds and other green stuff in it to embarrass even the Pioneer Family Restaurant’s impressive salad bar. Since most of the other Piedmont lakes do not have them, fishermen around here are not overly fond of fishing them. No one knows quite how they got there. They grunge up tradition lures and are an all around nuisance… until you figure out how to catch fish out of them because they do hide fish.
Mike Hedgecock nailed a double-double Saturday September 4th at Tuckertown. It is his second win in a row with a second 5 fish double digit weight of 17.37 pounds. Bill Frazier finished in second with five fish at 14.56 pounds and big fish of the tournament at 5.12 pounds. Jamie Denison rounds out the top three with four fish weighing 11.97. Hedgecock was tight lipped as usual about his tools, but all of Frazier’s came on top-water lures, even up in the middle of the day. Denison noted he had one fish going into the last hour of the tournament, but did not divulge what he eventually dredged them out with. With two tournaments left in the season, the annual race continues to get gritty. In the pounds race, the last two double digit sacks put Hedgecock ahead of Denison by about 3.5 pounds. Frazier and Proctor continue to dance back and forth in the third and fourth places with Frazier in third this time by only 0.22 pounds. Ed Brady and Vernon Wilson are locked up for fifth and sixth respectively, separated by less than a half a pound. Points are a little more stable, but equally as competitive. Steve Gunter maintains his position in first place for the fifth tournament in a row with Sam Gunter, his boat mate, right behind him in second. Our most experienced angler, Clayton Proctor, takes third in this category flipping Frazier to fourth. Jamie Denison reappears in the Super Six in fifth place with James Lewis rounding it out in sixth. The next Fish Fest for the Archdale Bass Club will be back at High Rock Southmont ramp on October 2 at 7 AM. “The days just keep getting shorter and shorter,” stated McLean after the event. “We just can’t wean these guys off the Yadkin Chain lakes. With the weights they are spitting out, it is a shame to miss out on so many other Piedmont fishing destinations, but it is no wonder why.” |
Tuckertown Plays Well For Shamrock Bass Club Winners John Rosenbaum and Mike Crib found Tuckertown to be the pond to fish last Saturday when their group of anglers, the Shamrock Bass Club, slid off into the semi-darkness from the Flat Creek Wildlife Access. The team was part of nine boats that plied the waters for five keeper bass until one in the afternoon. According to Rosenbaum, bite came early for the partners. “We used a number of top-water strategies’” he noted. As the day wore on, bite became less common and smaller bass were all that chased baits. Tuckertown was about a foot below full pond and little water was moving. Rosebaum’s and Crib’s five fish totaled 14.38 pounds, enough to grab first place by over three pounds. Jeff Hodgins and partner, Darren May, took the solo fish honors for the event. They landed a total of 10.27 pounds and used the anchor, a 4.51 pounder to nail the Big Fish award. Dean Lamblet and Sparky Furr hauled 11.24 pounds of bass to the scales at Flat Creek to win second, while Leon Prince and Phillip King edged out Hodgins and May to take third with 10.37 pounds. The Shamrock Bass Club will meet next on Lake Tillery in September. |
August 28, 2010 When a team brings in five pounds more than a nearest competitor, you have to know they figured out a lake on a particular day. That was the case when the Midstate Bass Anglers finished an eight hour shift on Tuckertown last Saturday. Director Ron Tuck and fishing partner, Kenny Woods, hauled over eighteen pounds of bass from the pond to capture the club’s ninth event of their season.
The club will hold an Open competition on Badin Lake September 11th. Those interested in participating can join members at the Alcoa Landing in Badin prior to the safelight blast off. Director Ron Tuck should be contacted for further information. “I love rattletraps,” laughed Tuck after the scales closed. “We used a number of baits like chatter and buzzbaits, but the rattletraps in grass flats did the job.” The team scored 18.08 pounds to win nearly $400 in an event that paid out five places and Big Fish. The team brought two nearly identical fish in, but Tuck’s 4.13 pounder beat Woods’ by a couple ounces. Their combined efforts as a team landed them five pounds over the nearest team’s weight. Partner Kenny Woods added noted about their day. “We caught them here and there all day long,” he stated. “More of them came early on and it slowed noticeably after 11 AM. Only the little ones bit after that,” he ended. Ralph Hollifield Jr. and Scott Shannon finished a distant second with 13.10 pounds. That weight in the middle of summer is often enough to win events. They earned approximately $200 for their catch. In third, paying over $100, with 11.05 pounds were Jerry Bullaboy and partner Roy Barrow, while fourth was won by Wade Smith and Johnnie Rummage who netted 9.13 pounds. The final paying position went to Rob Wright and Scott Coleman who found just under nine pounds. For more information about the club and the upcoming September open competition, contact Ron Tuck at ronnwendytuck@yahoo.com. The group also maintains a web site at www.eteamz.com/MidStateBassAnglers. A complete schedule can be found on the Fishbyte.Net calendar and Forums. |
Tuckertown Hosts Bear Creek Bass Club
If you fished top water baits on Tuckertown last Saturday, chances are you experienced a pile of action, According to Bear Creek Bass Club member, Martin Ledford, a pile of fish were caught on pop-r baits all day long using that strategy. For Ronnie Wilson and Steve Worrell, the approach meant a win and the club’s point race only got hotter.
Twenty-four teams from the group used the Flat Creek Access as their assault point on a lake that usually treats them well. Wilson and Worrell, sitting ninth in the club’s points race, tagged 15.6 pounds of bass to grab the first place prize of $190. Eddie Conner and Ryan Mullis, sitting in eleventh in points, had the Big Fish, a 6.16 pounder worth $140. They also finished fourth on the day with 13.04 pounds, earning $50 for that finish. Lewis Gordon and Randy Burleson, in third in the points, also placed third for the day with 13.84 pounds. They won $145. Fourth went to Rick Poplin and Scott Mason with 13.30 for $90. Poplin and Mason are in second in the points race, just .62 points behind the first place leaders, David Strider and Ken Troutman. Bear Creek will be back on the water Saturday, September 18 when they travel to Badin Lake and the Alcoa Landing. They finish their season November 6 in an annual Fish-off. Their season began March 13 on Lake Norman. 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. |
July 17, 2010 The Last Cast Bass Anglers have done some traveling this season and landed on Tuckertown this last weekend for the first of two, back-to-back events there. The Gibsonville, NC headquartered club has competed on Mayo, High Rock, Badin, and Buggs Island, but took on the smaller reservoir Saturday. The nine boats in the competition finished well ahead of other clubs and prior to torrential rains fell on the pond.
Nearly $500 was on the line for those competing during the safelight to 1 PM event. In the end, teammates George Bato and Ed Jones took home the lion’s share. The pair teamed up for 8.15 pounds, enough to call first place their own. They took home $180. Todd Still and warren Clarke finished second with 7.85 pounds of bass, while Doug Ayer and Keith Ratliffe finished third with 6.85. Second paid $108 and third paid $90. Big Fish honors went to Tony Escontrias who netted a 5 pound even fish. The club returns to Tuckertown on August 28th and will use the Flat Creek Wildlife Access again. They hold ten events in a season which began in February and will end in November. For more information about the Last Cast club, contact Jimmy Smith at 336-621-2696 or 336-382-8468. |
Rockett Pulls Out Davie Bass Win It was one of many clubs to throw an attack at Tuckertown Reservoir Saturday and the seventeen anglers from the Davie Bass Trails group gave it their best. As the 2 PM weigh in neared, anglers knew the best luck of the day turned out to be storms that were holding just north of the scales. J.D. Rockett scored the best weight, claiming a 13.5 pound sack at the scales for first place. Tony Bartlett and Jim Redd had 6.5 pounds for second, while Joel Lane had a solo 6.1 pound catch that ended up being Big Fish of the day. The Davie Bass Trails is an invitation only club that meets for nine competitions beginning with a March 20 event on Norman. Two of their regular events are two-day competitions. They finish the season with a Classic in late October. For more information, contact Kevin Benfield at krdbenfield@yadtel.net. |
Wolfarth And Sweeting Win Yadkin Team Tourney on Tuckertown
Only a few teams turned out for the Yadkin Team Tournament at Tuckertown this last Saturday, but those who did could brag at the end. While most struggled to find any fish to bring to the scales, three of the top teams broke double digits. Ron Wolfarth of Oakboro and Marty Sweeting of Harrisburg used their time on the water to scout out 14.49 pounds to find a first place showing. The win put $300 in their wallets. They also took home the Big Fish category with a bass over four pounds. That effort added $52 to their winnings. Tony Garitta and fishing partner, Shane Floyd, both of Lexington, hammered out a second place effort with 10.58 pounds worth $103 at finish. John Drew of Gold Hill and David Horton of Albemarle found 9.96 pounds for third that earned the team $85. Benton has combined two of his trails this season, The Yadkin and Piedmont Trails, to form the new series. Membership is $30 and entry fee is $80 for each event. An optional $10 Big Fish pot is available. Anglers fish a five fish limit and can fish alone or as a team. The Trail's next event is August 21 at High Rock and the Tamarac Marina landing from 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM. New members are welcome. For more information, contact Benton at 336-859-4366. Additional info is available, along with the complete schedule, on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
Nix Wins Rocky Bottom Tuckertown Shootout
A pile of club events rolled onto Tuckertown Reservoir Saturday and, despite the weather forecast of damaging storms across the area, the club of ten boat teams managed to just miss the brutal downpours. When they blasted off at safelight, a 2 PM weigh in was pushing their luck, but rains and lightning held off until just as the scales were packed away. As black clouds rolled down the lake and sheets of rain were visible, anglers scurried their catches to the scales. Moments before the first quarter-sized rain droplets smacked the pavement on the Fat Creek Wildlife access, Andy Nix, club director and Fishbyte.net Pro Angler, was announced as the winner of the competition. His solo effort of 15.8 pounds brought in $225. Carty Sealy and Derek Tursey took second with 14.13 pounds, good for $135, while Ryan and Phillip Perkins netted third worth $90 with 14.12 pounds. Craig Norflet and Corey Kimbrough boated the biggest bass of the day, a 5.14 pounder that earned them the Big Fish $75 prize. The club has two more regular season events before its two-day fish off in October. They will meet in August at Badin Lake for an all-night tournament. More information about the club can be found at www.RockyBottomBassClub.webs.com or by contacting Eddie West (web master) at 336-442-6502, or Andy Nix (president) at 336-689-5569.
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Rabon Team Wins Forsyth Bass Anglers Duel
When blast off happened for the Forsyth Bass Anglers from the Flat Creek Wildlife Access on Tuckertown Saturday, it was amidst five other clubs roaring out across the waters. The eight boat team rigs were barely a dot in the small parking lot around the ramps as trucks and trailers had to find spots along the roadside leading in. A steady send off of boats form the one narrow area meant plenty of holes would be fished during the day.
Steve and Don Rabon were one of the Forsyth teams that discovered a hole or two left untouched. The pair stated they used crankbaits and black worms on the south end of the lake most of the day. “We caught our three pounder almost at the end of the tournament,” stated Don. Rabon. In all they boated nine keepers, culling from early on. They earned the Big Fish award with a 5.27 pound solo. Jeff Flynn and Brad Dunaway scored a second place finish with 8.82 pounds as the usual monsters of Tuckertown disappeared. The lake is noted for its bigger fish even during summer months, but turned a tougher side towards bass anglers Saturday. John Trivette and Johnny Boggs finished third with 5.47 pounds in the safelight to 1:30 PM event. |
Tuckertown Tops Bass weights Over Weekend When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats travel to Tuckertown, the angling teams turn out. The summer heat drives bass deep and they turn into picky eaters in most lakes, but that stumpy pond turns on. For the weekly, open series the waters produced over twenty-five pounds for the winning team Saturday. Twenty-two boats showed up at the Flat Creek Wildlife Access for the 6 AM blast off. “Man, did they catch them,” stated director Bo Russell. “We’ve got some of the best talent in these events and they love Tuckertown.” Randy Weddington and Ronnie Smith took the top honors, scoring 25.52 pounds with a five fish limit in their win. They grabbed the $200 top prize. Chad Cook and Brandon Shaver took second and $130 with five weighing 20.54 pounds. That team also had Big Fish at 6.78 pounds. Top lunker was worth $110. The open series will move to High Rock this coming Saturday, fishing from the Southmont Access from 6 AM to 1 PM. Cost is just $25. For more information, 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. |
101 Degrees Doesn’t Stop Yadkin Yahoos As the second heat wave of the season pounds the region, it’s somehow easy to forget the punishing anglers took through the month of June. The Yadkin Yahoos Bass Club found themselves in the thick of it when the group met not once, but twice during those thirty days. This time ten boat teams headed for Tuckertown on June 26 hoping to find the bigger bass there. “We had scorching sun, but it was calm,” stated Les Tolley after the competition. “There was a lot of boat traffic while we were out there.” However, he noted that club founder, andy Herring, was pleased with the results. Only three limits were brought in. Randy Bryant and Neil Mullins scored five of those brought in. That catch weighed 11.58 pounds and was enough for a first place showing. Second place went to JC Whitley and Donald Smith who also caught five fish that came in at 11.12 pounds. They were also Big Fish winners with a nice 4.44 pound lunker. The group will hold off fishing until the end of July when they will meet on Lake Tillery at the Swift Island Landing July 31. |
Tuckertown Gives Away 20 Plus To Booyah Winners
It’s the lake that angler either love or hate. Narrow, often murky with water levels that seem to fluctuate more than others on the Yadkin Chain, Tuckertown can provide some of the biggest weights during the summer months if a fisherman knows where to look. For the winners of the Booyah Bass Club event there on Friday, they like the lake and they knew where to fish. A small invitational group that began halfway through the season last year, the Booyah Bass Club fishes High Rock and Tuckertown only. They fish on Fridays and times vary depending on schedules. This past Friday they began fishing at 2 PM. Cost is just $20 for events which are decided at the end of each weigh in. The club is directed by Les Tolley, Fishbyte.Net Pro Angler. Eight teams turned out for the pre-Fourth event to fish for six hours. Tolley and partner, Les McLean, topped all with five fish weighing 20.01 pounds. Eddie Connor and Tim Biggers also caught limit and weighed in 18.90 pounds, enough for the second slot. Their largest lunker, a 5.56, was enough to earn the Big Fish award. In third place were Eddie Lacky and Mark Bayse with five fish at 15.0 pounds, and fourth place went to Ken Troutman and Bill Hamilton with five weighing 13.01pounds. For more information, contact Les Tolley at 704-773-1970 or email him at tolley@ctc.net. Club information and a schedule can also be found on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Yadkin Team Takes Tuckertown With Several Large Limits
It took at least twenty pounds to place in the small, but highly competitive field. Curtis Rollins hauled in 21.67 pounds for first place and won $185. The well-known, father-son duo of Michael and James Bryant won second place with 21.10 pounds. They split $130. Shane and Donnie Floyd took third with 20.53 pounds and Second Big Fish at 6.65 pounds. Randy Weddington and Ronnie White pulled in a monster weighing 7.12 pounds, which won Big Fish. Although the number of members fishing with the Yadkin Team Trail has decreased some this year, the quality of their fishing still remains among the best on the Yadkin Chain. Carl Benton, Director of the Yadkin Team Trail will also be organizing a new High Rock Fall Team Open to begin in July. The nine events scheduled don’t require a membership, but one must fish at least five events in order to qualify for the $500 points championship in December. McnTires Automotive and Badin Lake Boating Center will sponsor the trail. A full schedule and information will be posted in the Fishbyte.net Calendar, or contact Carl Benton at 336-859-4366. |
The small reservoir nestled in between Badin and High Rock Lake known as Tuckertown sees plenty of Bass tournaments throughout the year. Many groups fish this body of water with limited success and casually write it off as not holding as many large bass as the other surrounding lakes. The Yadkin Team Trail put those questions and doubts to rest Saturday afternoon.Tuckertown Pulls Big Bass For Carolina Bass Rustlers Fishing as individuals in the club competitions, the top two anglers used the same boat and served as netmen for each other to drag in their big weights. Dean Lambeth found the best spots and baits to hook a five-fish limit that weighed 23.17 pounds. His biggest, a 5.88 pound hawg, took the top solo honors. Tony Brewer stepped in close behind with 21.20 pounds to nail the second spot. Scott Faulkner finished with five weighing 14.54 pounds. “Wow! What a day,” stated Brewer after the event. “The big ones were biting today.” Harold Johnson serves as president of the group, while Neil Varner holds the tournament directors seat. This was the club’s fifth event of the season. They fish from March through December and decide upcoming events at each tournament end. For more information, contact Tony Brewer at tonybrewer_1967@yahoo.com. |
June 12, 2010
Jim Harris won first place with 14.4 pounds. “I caught most everything early on in Flat Creek on a Spinnerbait,” noted the winner. “I hardly burned any gas all day”. He went home with $180. Dan Funderburk also had five healthy fish for second place. His catch weighed in at 13.7 pounds. Most of his were early in the day as well, but he found his fifth fish fifteen minutes prior to weigh-in. Charlie Lechner would have edged out Funderburk for second, but a dead fish penalty left him in third with 13.3 pounds. Rick Workley brought in the Big Fish weighing 6.3 pounds. The Club’s next meeting is at Lake Wateree in South Carolina. For more information contact Ron Tuck at 704-239-6154, or check out the Calendar on Fishbyte.net. |
Fields Wins Montgomery Bassmaster Tangle On Tuckertown Even the big fish of Tuckertown withered under the heat and sunshine last weekend. The pond has been producing some of the largest, consistent weights this season, but Saturday was a time to stay deep and hide. The Montgomery Bassmasters traveled to the stumpy waters as they wind their way into summer and some all night events. A 5:30 AM blast off saw a small knot of competitors fan out across the lake to return for a 1:30 weigh in. “The morning was great until about 9 AM,” stated club secretary Don Newsome. “Then it got hot.” Everyone brought fish to the scales. Wally Fields outcast the field with 12 pounds 1 ounce. Seconds place went to James Blue with 9 pounds 8 ounces. “The race is on again this year,” noted Newsome. “Fields gained one point on Blue today, but Blue has a three point lead with three tournaments to go.” The pair took it to the final competition last season and Blue scored a club championship with just a one point edge over Fields. The money winner three months in a row was Michael Spencer with Big Fish of 5 pounds 1 ounce. Montgomery Bassmasters only pays money out to big fish winner. The club’s next tournament is a night time tournament on Tillery July 17, at 6 PM. They will finish at midnight. The club is also gearing up for their annual fall tournament September 25, on Lake Tillery. The competition is a favorite among local anglers and usually draws a large field. Tournament fliers will be going out next. The Montgomery Bassmasters, a four-year-old club based in Troy, NC, has 13 members and growing. 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 KerrLake (Buggs). 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. |
June 9, 2010 Story by Les McLean Photos Courtesy of Todd Zachary High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers held their eighth tournament of the year on June 9th at Tuckertown Reservoir. Twelve teams turned out on a day waters were somewhat stained and a stiff breeze blew most of the day. Seven of those teams found limits on the pond that produces large fish even during the hot days of summer. Forty-four fish came to the scales for a total catch of just over 108 pounds. Father and son team McLean and McLean won with 23-07.375 pounds in five fish. They also had Big Fish honors with a 7-03.125 pound lunker. In second, Eddie Lackey and Pope found 5 fish at 13-03.125 pounds, while team Hayes and Peacock took third with 5 fish at 12-13.000 pounds. Fourth and fifth were Collins and Michaels with 5 fish at 11-10.875 pounds, and Prevatte and Wolf with 5 fish at 10-03.750 pounds. Members of the thirty-year-old High Point club are active and retired members of the city’s fire service. |
May 29, 2010 If an angler was looking for an easy win last Saturday, it would have been good advice to recommend staying away from Russell’s Saturday Wildcats at Tuckertown. The weekly series brought out some of the areas heavy hitters to fill out an eighteen boat field on a lake brimming with big bass. A weight of over twenty three pounds would have been needed to grab the top honors in the competition.
Teammates Brian Klottz and Jerry Charleston were the ones who topped the field, when their 23.02 pounds beat out other heavy bags at the scales. They anchored their sack of five with a 5.80 pounder that wasn’t the Big Fish of the competition. A slew of Tuckertown mighties were brought in by numerous teams. For Klottz, it was his first outing of the season and a great way to begin the year. “We caught these fish using a number of strategies during the day,” stated the winner. “We caught three on jigs, three on plastic worms, and two on Carolina rigs,” he noted. All the fish were caught in five to ten feet of water. The partners grabbed the $155 plus a $25 gift certificate from Highway 49 Sports & Tackle for their win. They found bite early on in the day and then near the end. Heavy odds winners, Dwayne Saunders and Scott Threadgill had to settle for second and $100, even though their 22.36 pounds would have won most events that day. Michael Hedgecock and Darrell Coltrane took third with 21.34 pounds of Tuckertown bass. Only two places were paid in the tournament. Robbie Sparks found the biggest T’town bass during the seven hour shoot out. He hauled a 6.70 pound solo out of the waters to win $85 for Big Fish. “I threw a buzzbait all day in shallow grasses,” he stated. The angler noted that he caught that one fish about 12:30, once some current began to happen in the lake when two chutes were opened on the High Rock end of the lake. Sparks brought in a total of 18.02 pounds and finished fourth. Beginning with the June weekly events, start times of all the Russell’s Saturday Wildcat events will move to safelight. According to Bo Russell, organizer for the open series, starting later in the morning while sunrise happens earlier and earlier becomes a significant issue for the anglers who show up. “When other clubs start half an hour or so earlier each week, our guys find holes already fished. This should help us a lot and all the regulars agreed on it,” he noted. The safelight start time will continue through October. Wayne Austin, fishing solo, finished fifth in the competition with 17.30 pounds, and CJ Johnston and Matt Stanley had 16.26 pounds at the scales. 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. |
May 29, 2010 Bass fishing on Tuckertown is always a guarantee to bring big fish no matter what time of year. When the ABA AFT rolls onto the lake, the final numbers can often be a matter of ounces to decide winners and also rans. This last Saturday it was even closer than that. Two-one hundredths of an ounce was worth nearly $200 and the difference between a first place showing and a runners' up position. Sixteen boats showed up at the Flat Creek Wildlife Access and blasted off shortly after 6 AM. They’d go at bass until 3 PM on a day that saw no current in the narrow lake until the final hour. Water levels were about a foot below full pond with reasonable visibility from south to north ends.
The American Bass Anglers – American Fishing Tour (www.americanbassanglers.com) touts itself as “The largest tournament trail for the weekend angler”. The NC West Division 14 group is headed by Tonnie Tucker. The series fishes an eight event schedule prior to its two-day championship in June. Winners move on to regional and possible national competitions. For Bob Jennett, two ounces meant a lot in Saturday’s competition. His 15.72 pounds beat second placer, Tony Vernon’s, 15.70 out by drops of water. What brought Vernon close at the end was his Big Fish of the competition, a fat 5.58 pounder. “I threw crankbaits all day,” stated Jennett. “All my fish except one were caught before 9 AM. About 1 PM I found the last one.” He noted that all the fish were hooked in about 10 feet of water. Vernon took a completely different approach to catching his haul. “Jigs are what did it for me,” commented Vernon. “I stuck with that strategy from start to finish in about five to six feet of water. I found them all up the lake off points.” Finishing just outside paying places, another two ounce battle occurred. Don Sprinkle scored 14.76 pounds, while Wayne Skipworth found 14.74. The pair finished in third and fourth respectively. Michael Kinard finished in fifth with 12.97 pounds. The club moves to High Rock on June 12 for their final regular-season competition of the schedule. They will use the Southmont Landing. The two day championship is slated for June 26 and 27 at Badin’s Circle Drive Access. For more information about the tour and local divisions, contact Tucker at 336-859-3902 or visit the ABA AFT web site. |
May 22, 2010
Joe Martinez won first place with 9.97 pounds. He used a Drop shot with a worm most of the day. Martinez stated that “…all of my fish came off of points today.” Transition seemed to be the name of the game for the winner. Jason King took Big Fish honors with his best catch weighing 4.81 pounds. King used a Shakey Head that was Texas rigged. A few other members also caught respectable fish. The Fuquay Bass Club has been in existence for three years and has a total of sixteen members. They draw each month for their boat partners and must fish with a different person each month. They will fish the Cape Fear River next month. For more information and a full schedule contact Mike at (919) 924-6068 or Russell at (919) 608-6866 or check their website at www.fuquaybassclub.com. Information can also be found on the Fishbyte.net Calendar. |
Fighting frequent downpours, muddy water, and unfamiliar territory the Fuquay Bass Club hit Tuckertown for eight hours this past Saturday. They don’t fish many lakes on the Yadkin during their regular season, but a few of them just may want to return.
Archdale Bass Club Attacks Tuckertown
Bill Frazier took 1st place with a solid 17.09 lbs. He also reeled in a lunker for Big Fish at 6.76 lbs. A day of wet fishing and good catching earned him $144. Frazier used a variety of 3/8 oz. buzz-baits for much of the day and caught his Big Fish early in the afternoon on a buzz-bait. As most fish are spread out after the post-spawn, he “kept on the move back and forth along pathways from spawning areas and summer feeding stations.” Jamie Dennison came in 2nd place with 15.25 lbs. of Bass and took $60 home. Clayton Proctor took 3rd place and $36 with 13.17 lbs. Frazier also fished with a youth member of BASS, Robert Reid, who also landed two decent fish at 3.42 lbs. For more information on the Archdale Bass Club see the Fishbyte.Net Calendar or email Bill Frazier at bill.frazier@highpointnc.gov. |
May 16, 2010 Information Courtesy of Jason Poindexter Photos by Ricky Clark For those looking to pit their individual skills in head-to-head competition against other anglers from across the region, the Yadkin River One-On-One has become one of the favorite places to do it. The solo-angling competition met on Tuckertown this past Sunday and showed, once again, that they had the keys to the Yadkin lakes.
The Series, an invitational competition, began its 2010 ventures back in February and covers the four main lakes on the Chain. The monthly events are held on Sundays. This season has seen new winners at each of the five competitions held thus far. This is the first held at Tuckertown in the schedule. Eric Moser was the master of ceremonies come weigh in time. His livewell held 17.62 pounds for a first place showing. Nick Nance pulled in right behind in second with 16.59 pounds. Ricky Clark placed third with 12.56 pounds and had the solo Big Fish, a 5.60 pounder. The series moves on to High Rock and the Southmont Landing off Highway 8 on Sunday, June 13. 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. 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. |
Lawson And Hege Take Tuckertown For 19.87 With a pile of tournaments using the Flat Creek Access on Tuckertown Reservoir, two anglers with the Yadkin Team Bass Tournament Trail run by Carl Benton were far from bashful. When their angling day came to an end, they had taken over nineteen pounds of bass from the Yadkin Chain waters. Benton has combined two of his trails this season, The Yadkin and Piedmont Trails, to form the new series. Membership is $30 and entry fee is $80 for each event. An optional $10 Big Fish pot is available. Anglers fish a five fish limit and can fish alone or as a team. Wayne Lawson and Dale Hege, both of Ramseur, scored the top bag with 19.87 pounds of bass sagging the scales. They earned $401 for their outing. Ronnie Smith and Randy Weddington of China Grove took second with 18.10 to win $231. The Trail's next event is June 12 back at Tuckertown and the Flat Creek Landing from 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM. New members are welcome. For more information, contact Benton at 336-859-4366. Additional info is available, along with the complete schedule, on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
May 8, 2010 A pile of boats landed on Tuckertown this past Saturday and the Bear Creek Bass Club was half of them. Twenty-four teams turned out for the fourth event in their schedule, three weeks after a two-day event on Wateree. Most made the adjustment quickly as the club usually fares well on the narrows and stumps of Tuckertown.
A total of 92 fish were caught with thirteen of the boats bringing in the limit of five fish. The total weight of 240.2 pounds was a 2.61 pound per fish average. On such a windy day, that takes some doing. Matt Woods and Wayne Bost have it best figured out. The teammates brought 19.50 pounds in while grabbing Second Big Fish with a 5.46 pound solo. “We used jigs and worms most of the day on these,” stated Woods after weigh in. They now reside firmly in ninth place overall in the club points battle. David McEachern and Mike Culler took second with 17.98 pounds, almost a pound more than third placers David Strider and Ken Troutman who boated 16.50. The spot inched McEachern and Culler into seventh place overall and just a few points closer to the fourth place in points, Strider and Troutman.
Fourth place finishers, Rick Poplin and Scott Mason drew 15.20 pounds out of the lake. That finish was enough to keep them in the lead in club points, where they hold a slim 10 point lead over Barry Davis and Kenny Hill. Eddie Conner and president, Ryan Mullis, finished fifth with 15.04, while Chris Toole and Wesley Eudy followed in sixth with 14.96. Bobby and Steve Crowley had First Big Fish, a 6.24 pound solo as a highlight to a 14.50 pound bag. The club has made an adjustment in its schedule and will move next to Badin Lake and the Alcoa Landing on May 22 from 6 AM to 2 PM. They will substitute High Rock in for the July 17 date. 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. |
May 8, 2010 Their list of wins and places are mounting rapidly across a number of clubs and opens, and Team Tolley and McLean used the Russell’s Saturday Wildcats on Tuckertown to make that scoreboard light up again. This time the partners did it with a 20 pound sack that stood larger than all three groups weighing in at the lake last Saturday.
“Our strategy was to use the windy side of banks all day,” stated Les Tolley after their 20.08 pounds took first place. “We caught ours on spinnerbaits and battled the wind all day.” The pair anchored the catch with a 5.12 pounder. They won $80 for first and another $45 for Big Fish in the nine boat competition. Tolley directs the Booyah Bass Club, a monthly, Friday series that hits lakes on the Yadkin Chain. The partners also fish with the High Point Fire Dept Bass Club, which McLean oversees. They have won and placed in both those groups in recent weeks. Second placers Kenneth and son, Chris, Tucker found 8.58 pounds to take home $55. Shane Deal and Mike Carter netted 7.98 pounds for a non-paying, third place finish. The weekly series will move back to Lake Tillery and Cook’s Marina May 15 and will fish from 7 AM to 2 PM. Cost to jump in is just $25. 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. |
May 8, 2010 Early reports from Thursday and Friday of last week foretold of plenty of big fish on Tuckertown for Saturday’s Adam & Eve event. But, when hydro folks decided to drop the pond a foot-and-a-half or more overnight, all the pre-fishing and practice did no good. Eighteen male/female boat teams in the series found a low-water surprise at the Highway 49 Wildlife Access early Saturday morning, and holes some had fished just hours before were high and dry.
Anglers were left relying on memory of Tuckertown and had to shift strategy dramatically. “When they drop the water this much, it completely changes how you go after fish,” stated director Ricky Clark. “This is really a fast change for fish.” If nothing else, it becomes and equalizer. In the end, it was a team of relative newcomers who beat all the veterans in the series. Maryann and Larry Johnson of Trinity, fishing for only the second time with the group, grabbed the top spot with 13.10 pounds. “We caught all our fish with a spiderjig and finesse worms,” stated Larry. “We caught our last two on the way in just 100 yards from the ramp,” he noted with a grin. The husband and wife team took $225 home with them. Clark and wife, Sherrie, relied on lake experience to find enough fish for second. They won $135 for the 12.5 pounds they brought in. Sherrie’s 3.15 anchor bass was enough to get them there. Ron Nelson and daughter, Carmen, placed third with 11.9 pounds to capture the $90 for that spot. The pair has been a consistent competitive threat in the event and their earnings this year are proof. The Big Fish winners were another husband and wife team who used Tuckertown to join the popular series. Joey and Teresa Calloway of New London dug a 4.3 pound lunker out of the stumps to win $90. Thirteen of the eighteen teams participating brought fish to the scales in the six-fish limit competition. The series moves on to Badin and the Lakemont Landing on June 5, fishing from 6:30 AM to 12:30 PM. For more information about the $25 per event series, contact Ricky Clark at 336-461-2006 or email him at crclark@rtmc.net. |
April 23, 2010 Story and Photos By Les Tolley The Booyah Bass Club-Wildcat Club took to Tuckertown Lake on a clear, hot, but beautiful day last Friday and, as it turns out, it was the right lake on the right bass day. A team of young guns, Derek Tolley and Andrew Motley, put the beat down on eight other teams, using the reservoir’s bass as an easy target. The club fishes both Tuckertown and High Rock monthly and, although considered a wildcat, requires membership. Cost is reasonable and Friday afternoon events work well for many. Anglers can fish as a team or solo, and events are decided after weigh ins.
In just five hours of fishing, the young Tolley-Motley Team drew 18.75 pounds of bass to the surface and scales. Tour director, Les Tolley and Derek’s father, didn’t seem too happy about bragging rights later that evening, but said, “Don’t count Dad out just yet. I’ll be back!” For information about fishing the Booyah Wildcat events, contact director Les Tolley at 704-773-1970 or tolley@ctc.net. The next event is 2 PM June 4 back at Tuckertown’s Flat Creek Access. Additional info about the group is available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
A re-schedule may have been just what some anglers needed last weekend when the Championship Fishing’s Yadkin Division met on Tuckertown. Ten boat teams hit the Yadkin Reservoir and a pile of bass hit the livewells. For Fishbyte.Net Pro angler Andy Nix and partner, Carty Sealy, the week’s wait to chase the T-town bass was worth it.
Originally scheduled for Easter day, organizer Tony Furr changed up the event a few weeks before. The trail includes three divisions, the Yadkin, Capital, and Catawba. See www.southernfishingtrail.com for details. Nix, a veteran on Tuckertown and leader of the Rocky Bottom Bass Club, and Sealy took their best five to the weigh in and accepted a $500 prize in return. The pair scored 17.97 pounds of bass.
Veterans to the series, Michael Kinard and Travis Williams dragged in a 15.85 pound sack to jump on the $200 Second Place purse and one of those stood as Big Fish, a 5.43 pounder, at the end, worth another $100. Outside the paying spots, Richard Crayton and Shaun Miller were the final boat team to find a limit of five fish in the competition. They hooked 11.79 pounds for third. Their largest solo was a 3.93 pounder. The Yadkin Trail moves on to High Rock and the Tamarac Marina on May 1st. For more information about the Trail, contact Tony Furr at 704-467-1598 or visit their web site. Details about all three divisions are also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
The Yadkin Challenge, hosted by the Archdale Bass Club, traveled to Tuckertown’s muddy waters last weekend and found fish a bit picky about what they chose to feed on. The club has scheduled a series of events as fund raisers. “The winners used a combination of big spinnerbaits in muddy water with shallow, submerged grass and jigs on fixed objects,” stated Bill Frazier, organizer of the events. Those winners were Frazier and partner, Denison, who scored 11.52 pounds. Les Tolley and son, Derek, found Big Fish of the event, a 4.08 pounder. They caught it on Sweet Beaver in shallow submerged grass as well. The Tolleys are directors of the Booyah Bass Club. The Archdale Bass Club earned $40 in the benefit with a three boat turnout. The next Yadkin Challenge will be at High Rock June 12. “This should draw a good turnout as a crank-bait slugfest,” noted Frazier. For more information about the open events, contact Frazier at bill.frazier@highpointnc.gov or see the Fishbyte.Net Calendar or Forums. |
Tuckertown Reservoir was not on fire last week, but firefighters from High Point rushed to the waters in the early AM. Chasing after bass rather than dousing flames, sixteen teams turned out for the group’s third event of the season.
Teams struggled all day and, at weigh in, no one was able to pull a five-fish limit from their bag. The top four teams did manage four each. Team Elmore and Watkins scored the top honors with 16.0175 pounds of bass. Honeycutt and Cardwell placed second with 12.13875. Third place finishers were McLean and McLean with 12.05375, while fourth went to Zachary and Kimball with 7.12875 pounds. Fifth placers were McDonald and Scott with 7.08875 pounds. The High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers traveled to High Rock on April 12th for their next event. Those results have not been made available as of publishing time. |
For this group, mid-week outings work the best for schedules, thus events are scheduled for Wednesdays. The teams were greeted by partly cloudy skies with air temps that rose to near 80 degrees. Tuckertown was at full pond with waters ranging from 65 to 70 degrees and stained from north to south.
If you were looking to avoid the horrible weather winter thrown at us for weeks, and wanted a really sweet day for fishing, you couldn't have picked a better date than the Booyah Bass Club's season opener on Tuckertown Reservoir last Friday. Winter was out, skip spring, and move straight to early summer as a high pressure system blew in 85 degree temperatures.
For Les Tolley of Harrisburg, NC, the director of the group that organized late last season, the nine boat turnout was a great sign. “We're ready to go and just look at the day we got,” he exclaimed just before jumping onto his bass boat and starting the blast off. Pond levels were way below normal after hydro officials slammed water through since early in the week. Water conditions at the Flat Creek Access were muddy, with visibility less than a foot. Just up the main channel, a familiar line of stumps along a point showed off nearly a foot of their tops through the water, something not usually seen until the dog days of summer.
“The guys were very excited to kick off the 2010 season. So, under tough conditions they hung in there and did their best,” stated club director Les Tolley. Eddie Lackey took top honors with four fish weighing 9.0 pounds. He took home $90 for a couple of hours of fishing. This was Lackey’s fourth tour win since the inaugural 2009 season. Finishing in second place was director Les Tolley and Todd Stevens with 5.15 pounds. They also took Big Fish honors with a nice 3.7 pound lunker. Collectively, they won $90. The next two events for the Booyah Club/Wildcat Tour is scheduled for Tuckertown Lake on April 23 and May 7 starting at 2 PM from the Flat Creek Landing. The group fishes various Friday afternoons throughout the season on High Rock and Tuckertown. They use the Tamarac and Flat Creek access areas. Cost is just $20, which includes the Big Fish fee. Anglers can fish as a team or solo. Membership sets the schedule at events. For more information, contact Les Tolley at 704-773-1970 or email him at tolley@ctc.net. Club information and a schedule can also be found on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Championship Fishing Yadkin Open Scheduled For April 4
Tony Furr, director of the three Championship Fishing Trails, announced this week that the series will be hosting an open event for all anglers Easter Weekend, Sunday, April 4th. A Yadkin Series event, originally scheduled for the following day has been moved to the next weekend, April 11th. The Championship Fishing Series began last fall with a winter trail and three trails, the Yadkin, Catawba, and Capital divisions have sprung from those first efforts. Information can be found at www.southernfishingtrail.com. Cost for the Easter Weekend event, a tournament open to anyone wishing to fish, is $110. That entry fee includes big fish. Teams will fish from 7 AM to 3 PM and will use the Flat Creek Access at Tuckertown. “We realized we had the next Yadkin Series tournament scheduled for Easter Sunday and were unaware of it when we initially made the schedule,” stated Furr. “We are going to hold a Open tournament with no points and no membership required on Tuckertown that day. We have re-rescheduled the points tournament for the Yadkin series at Tuckertown for April 11th. 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. |
Conner And Rabon Master Tuckertown In Triple H Event It was more than Tuckertown could handle when twenty-five boats from the Triple H Bass Club hit the waters from the Highway 49 Access on Sunday. For two anglers, the pond hated by some and loved by others was a producer in the 7 AM to 2 PM tournament. The group began its season back on a cold-water February day on High Rock and looked to the Tuckertown Reservoir for better action. The cub fishes eight regular season events and hosts a number of open, charity tournaments every season. Their next regularly-scheduled gathering is April 11 at Smith Mountain and the Penhook Access from 6:30 AM to 1:30 PM. They will finish up their season on September 19 at Buggs Island.
Bobby Conner and Bobby Rabon returned to the winner's circle Sunday, when they netted 13.70 pounds in five bass, taking home $285 in cash for their efforts. The pair scored a number of wins and places in the 2009 season. Club founder Jody McRoberts and partner, Rodney Jones, slipped up close for second with 12.21 pounds in three fish. They netted one solo that weighed 4.73 pounds and grabbed the Big Fish honors. They earned $190 for second and $110 for the solo lunker. McRoberts also owns Living Reflections Taxidermy and has begun developing a series of baits under the name JMac Baits. Both the Big Fish and second Big Fish were caught using his baits. Colton and Ricky Jones caught the second big fish, a 4.21 pounder. (wildlife@livingreflectionstaxidermy.com) For more information about the club, visit their web site at www.triplehbassclub.com or contact Jody McRoberts at jmcroberts@triad.rr.com. You can also contact him by phone at 336-215-4402. Complete club info and a schedule are also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Access
Access Name |
County |
Sponsor |
Directions |
| Bringles Ferry | Davidson | N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission | On Bringles Ferry Road (S.R. 1002), off N.C. 8, west of Healing Springs |
| Flat Creek | Rowan | N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission | On Wildlife Access Road (S.R. 2191), off River Road (S.R. 2152), west of Rockwell |
| Hwy. 49 Boat Access | Stanly | Alcoa | On N.C. 49, northeast of Richfield |
| Riles Creek Recreation Area | Rowan | Alcoa | On Stokes Ferry Road, off N.C. 49, northeast of Richfield |
| Newsome Creek Access | Davidson | Alcoa | On Newsome Road, off N.C. 8, southwest of Denton |
| Flat Creek Boat Access | Rowan | Alcoa | On River Road, off Stokes Ferry Road, east of Rockwell |