West Side Anglers Announce 12th Annual And Season Opener
February, 2010

Another mid-Carolina bass fishing club has finalized plans for 2010 and have announced an annual event that has drawn large turnouts over the past eleven seasons. The West Side Anglers, headquartered near Lake Tillery, rolled out brochures this past week setting the date for the 12th Annual West Side Anglers Bass Tournament.

Fishing a number of lakes in the Yadkin Chain and beyond, the group of anglers kicks off their 2010 club schedule Saturday, February 21 on Lake Tillery and the Swift Island Landing at 8 AM. They will fish until 2 PM. In past seasons, the club has also fished Reese, Santee Cooper, Buggs, and Wateree. This year each schedule event will be drawn at the groups' first-of-the-month meeting. The competition is a six-fish, individual event.

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.

Tri City Bassmasters Announce Spring Memorial
January, 2010

As regular season schedules pile in and are added to the Fishbyte.Net Calendar, many of the clubs are also establishing dates for special events they hold annually. One such club, the Tri-City Bassmasters from the Rockingham area has announced its 2nd Annual Memorial Tournament to be held at the Swift Island  Landing on Lake Tillery March 27th. Planning began months ago for the tournament and final details will be reviewed next week. The club will meet in Rockingham at Hudson Brothers' Deli in Rockingham on Monday, February 1st to continue planning.

The tournament, an event in memory of long-time members Rodney Hamilton and Boyce Carpenter, has been used to raise money for the charitable and generous work the club does for local children. The club has been in existence for 31 years. Last season, Bill and Greg Gooch won the event with over 34 pounds of bass. Spring is considered the time when Tillery coughs up huge catches.

Various fishermen from across the area and other clubs have committed their talents and boats to the memorial tournament. Entry forms have begun to roll in  from other Bassmaster members and adhoc groups. “This is our second such  tournament, and we are planning some pretty big things,” stated Rick Bradford, club president. “Last year a local high school band played the Star Spangled Banner for everyone and we even have a food vendor lined up. The guys out there get hungry, too!” he laughed.

The club plans to have a trailer and tent on-site to serve as a main stage and headquarters. Unlike most tournaments, once Blast Off happens, there will still be activity at the Landing. “We couldn't do all this without the participation and enthusiasm of all our fishermen and sponsors,” commented the club president. Payout for winning the tournament will be 75% of proceeds.

Regular monthly meetings are held at the Rockingham restaurant every first Tuesday of the month at 7 PM. The club holds twelve events a year, no small challenge for any group. Besides the events up and down the Yadkin River, the group travels to Gaston, Wateree and Falls of the Neuse. Owning a boat is not required in order to be a member.

For more information about the tournament or becoming a member of this club, contact Rick Bradford at 910-461-6198.

Deal And Carter Win Grueling Day On Tillery
January 23, 2010

Six boats from Bo Russell's Saturday Tournament Trail blasted off from the Swift Island Access this past Saturday in winter conditions about as bad as anyone has seen. Water conditions were beyond murky as the anglers ran into muddy waters strewn with debris.

At the turn of the year, long-time organizer Pinky Sides turned over the Saturday Trail and Tuesday Evenings on Badin events to Russell after over 25 years of efforts. Russell noted last week that numbers are always down during the winter months, but spring is just around the corner.

“All the regulars will begin to come out once we get a little warmer,” stated Russell. “Both these competitions have been favorites for years and we want that to continue.”

Winners Shane Deal and Mike Carter were able to best the field with two fish having a combined total weight of 5.20 pounds. Only one other boat caught fish in the brown waters. Bo and son, John, took second with one fish weighing 1.68 pounds. Deal and Carter bagged a 3.06 pounder to grab the Big Fish title. They won $55 for first place and $30 for Big Fish. The Russells earned $35 for second.

As January rolls to its end, the Trail returns to Badin and the Alcoa Landing this coming Saturday. The group will fish from 8 AM to 3 PM. Cost is just $25 which includes $5 towards the solo lunker prize. For more information, contact Russell at 704 463-7829 or 704 322-1950. Complete information is also on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums.

Saturday Trail Back On 12/26
December 26, 2009

The presents under the tree are sure to include a few new baits, maybe some new gear, or possibly even the rod and reel you wanted. Think there's no place to try them all out in the near future? The Saturday Trail proves that theory all wrong.

Although inclement weather has nailed the series' numbers Saturday after Saturday in November and December, organizer Pinky Sides has hopes for the day after Christmas. The trail will hit Lake Tillery from the Swift Island Landing off Highway 24/27 on December 26th beginning at 8 AM.

“It seems like every Saturday the last few weeks has been nothing but cold and rain,” the long-time director stated. “We had only one boat show up on the 19th, but what do you expect? Most got snowed in just north of here.”

Sides is hoping all the anglers that Santa visited will show up to try out their presents. The Trail alternates between Tillery and Badin Lake throughout the winter months, fishing from 8 AM until 3 PM. Registration is done at the landing and anyone can fish solo or with a partner whenever they wish. For more information, contact Pinky Sides at 704-305-1827.

Gibson And Bayse Score 22.48 At Wishing Well Tourney
December 5, 2009

1st place & Big Fish, Todd Gibson & Mark Bayse

The one thing that participants in the Third Annual Wishing Well Bass Tournament couldn't say after Saturday's event would be that there was heavy fishing traffic on Lake Tillery that day. Angling teams were greeted at the landing on Highway 24/27 with temperatures in the upper thirties, rain, and forecasts of possible snow late in the afternoon. Still, fourteen boats turned out for the fund raiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western North Carolina.

Anglers blasted off shortly after 7 AM and fished until 3 PM. After boats were loaded, the competitors headed for God's Country Outfitters in Albemarle for the weigh in. Championship Fishing, a new trail featuring a winter series and three separate series beginning this spring, handled weigh in chores.

2nd place, Clay Williams & David Redmon with Organizer Chandler Maness

The Make-A-Wish Foundation, www.ncwish.org, grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The Central and Western NC chapter was founded in 1985 and covers fifty-one counties. Over 2,200 wishes have been granted in the chapter's history.

Begun three years ago by high school junior, Sam Hurley of Mt. Gilead, NC, the annual bass competition has been taken over by other high school students as a senior project. This year's event was organized by Chandler Maness, of Albemarle, who attends Gray Stone Day HS, a charter school located in Misenheimer, NC . He was assisted by Cody Lisenby, a senior at South Stanly High who lives in Norwood.

3rd place, Leon Prince & Philip King, 16.87

After just over two inches of rain only days before, Tillery presented a real challenge to anglers. Plenty of current can often be a good thing, but the moving waters were muddy. “You could about walk on the water it was so muddy,” stated Jimmy Blue of Troy with a chuckle. Persistent rains all morning didn't begin to let off until mid afternoon, when they were replaced by periods of rain. Breezes began to pick up near the end of the event.

But, for Todd Gibson and Mark Bayse, the combination was the right one. The pair picked up 22.48 pounds of bass in six fish to capture first place. Included in their hefty bag was a 7.52 pounder that added Big Fish honors to their day's efforts. The pair used crankbaits to land their fish. Winnings for first place were $500 and Big Fish paid out $130.

4th place, Wally Fields & Jimmy Blue, 15.37

Clay Williams and David Redman used spinnerbaits to nailed down second with 16.88 pounds to take home a $104 purse. Leon Prince and Philip King slipped in a water drop behind them with 16.87 pounds to win $52 and third place.

The final two paying positions were won by James Blue and Wally Fields of the Montgomery Bassmasters with 15.37 pounds to take home $26. The pair fished the south end of the lake. According to Blue, all his fish were caught on Dave's Tournament Tackle River Series Spinnerbaits. No schooling action was reportedly seen by any of the competitors. Randy Burleson and Harold Snuggs took the final spot with 14.04 pounds to win $13.

5th place, Harold Snuggs & Randy Burleson, 14.04

Just outside the paying positions were local favorites, Michael Treece and Kenneth Tucker. The team fishes in numerous events across the region and usually places within the top three spots. “We figured out the patterns a bit late in the day,” stated Treece who is sponsored by Galloway 4 Wheel Drive of New London. “If we had another hour, we would have brought in a pile more.” The pair managed 10.27 pounds with a 4.25 pounder that was the second largest solo caught.

A raffle for prizes donation by various sponsors and supporters found Mabon Kimrey winning what was probably the biggest prize of the day. The Norwood resident won a Remington 20 gauge 1187 shotgun valued at nearly $1,000.

GCO, along with Wendy's Embroidered Specialties and Troy Sporting Goods and Pawn, were Platinum Sponsors of the event. Gold Sponsors included Lefler's Place, White Star Pharmacy of Troy, Lemon's Backhoe & Loader Service Inc., and Montgomery County Ducks Unlimited.

For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central and Western NC, visit www.ncwish.org.

Fishermen Face Ice at Tillery Event Start
November 28, 2009

The weatherman was being nice during the 6 AM TV weather reports when air temps of 32 to 38 degrees were reported across the central North Carolina region. When the Saturday Trail competitors blasted off from Tillery's Swift Island icy ramps on November 28th at 7 AM, anglers were braving 26 degrees and ice on anything that got wet.

For David Chilton and Bryan Plattenberger, the bitter cold was worth the trip. New to the trail, the pair had just learned about the open weekly series that moves between Badin and Tillery. They decided to try their luck two days after Thanksgiving. That choice was a good one.

1st place & Big Fish, Bryan Plattenberger & David Chilton

Working the north end of Tillery with crankbaits in waters that had muddied badly with rains a couple days before, the pair hoisted 14.8.9 pounds of winning bass into the boat to grab the $130 first place prize. Chilton added a 5.13.8 pounder to the five-fish bag that eventually scored Big Fish and $65.

Randy Burleson, fishing solo, took second with five fish weighing 14.1.4 pounds. His bag included a solo 5.10.2 pounder. He won $65 for second place.

2nd place, Randy Burleson

“We have to tell you how lucky we are to win this one,” stated Plattenberger. “We had four fish and were working a dock trying to find our last keeper.” According to  Plattenberger, he threw a crankbait at a dock, but overcast. The bait flew straight over the dock, with the line strung over a dock pole.

“The crankbait was in the water over the other side when the bass struck,” laughed the angler. “When I set the hook the fish came out of the water and was hanging there off the end of the dock pole.” Sure they were going to loose the flapping bass, the boat team scrambled to get their boat around the dock to the other side where they could, first, fight the fish off the dock pole without losing it, and then battle it to the net.

“That last keeper was what it took to win this thing,” smiled Chilton. “We only won by about seven ounces so, without it, we'd be a second place team today. Sometimes you take 'em as you can get 'em,” he ended.

The Trail, coordinated by Pinky Sides, returns to Badin and the Alcoa Landing next Saturday. Anglers' Blast Off time will adjust ahead one hour to 8 AM in order to reduce some of the icing conditions at the ramp prior to sunrise. Either one or two anglers are allowed per boat.