Archive
Bear Creek Bass Club
2010
2009
22-Plus Pounds Wins Bear Creek Bass Club Season Opener
by Wesley Eudy and Fishbyte.net Staff
March 14, 2009
No one told the bass in Lake Wylie that the Bear Creek Bass Club was rolling into town on March 14th. By day's end, the 24 team boats had rocked the lake, with the winning boat hauling 22.4 pounds to the scales.
“It was cold and rainy the whole day, and temps never got above 45 degrees,” stated member Wesley Eudy. Conditions didn't seem to slow any of the teams down. The club had a total of 105 fish caught, weighing a total 265.8 pounds with a 14 fish limit. They used the Copperhead Landing as a blast off point and fished from 8 AM to 4 PM.
Randy Burleson and Louis Gordon scored the total winning catch of the day with 22 pounds 4 ounces, while Keith Phillips and Lewis Phillips netted 20 pounds 4.6 ounces to take second.
In third place were David Forgash and Jim Dudley with 17 pounds 9.4 ounces, and Wesley Eudy and Chris Toole captured fourth with 14 pounds 9.4 ounces. The final scoring position went to Martin Ledford and Emmitt Ray with 14 pounds 2.6 ounces of bass.
Big Fish winners were Keith Phillips and Lewis Phillips with an 8pound 4.2 ounce haul-in-one.
Bear Creek Bass Club moves on to Lake Norman on March 28th for its next event. They will have a pre-tournament meeting on March 26th at Troutman's B-B-Q. For more information, tournament rules, and club and contact information, see the club's web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org . According to club director, Ryan Mullis, ten more events remain on the club's schedule for 2009.
Bear Creek Bass Club Faces Stubborn Norman
March 28, 2009
By Wesley Eudy
Twenty-one out of twenty-four Bear Creek Bass Club boats hauled in their limit on Lake Norman this past Saturday, but the big ones remained elusive and refused to be caught. The group launched out of Blythe Landing at safelight and spent the day coaxing bass in the pouring rain.
“We fished in the rain all day. A lot of fish were caught, but nobody could figure out how to get the big ones to bite,” said Wesley Eudy, club member. According to the angler, a majority of the fish were caught using shaky heads, but participants had some luck with a variety of things.
Big Fish for the day was a mere 2 pounds 9 ounces, caught by the team of Emmitt Ray and Martin Ledford. That sole fish helped them capture the top spot in the day-long competition. Their total bag weight was 9 pounds 3 ounces.
Second place went to the team of Wesley Eudy and Chris Toole with a bag weight only 9-tenths of an ounce behind at 9 pounds 2.4 ounces. Third place winners were David Strider and Ken Troutman with 8 pounds 8.6 ounces, while Steve Bailey and Sid Lefler weighed in 8 pounds 5 ounces of fish to capture the final paying spot.
Bear Creek Bass Club moves on to Wateree for a two-day competition April 18th and 19th. The club fishes 10 tournaments per year with a Fish Off in November. More club information and contact names can be found on their up-to-date and extensive web site at http://www.bearcreekbassclub.org or on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums.
Bear Creek Finds Success On Badin
Results courtesy of Martin Ledford
May 9, 2009
When 23 boats enter a fishing tournament and 11 of those teams catch limit, you know you're keeping company with veterans. The Bear Creek Bass Club made its season debut at the Old Whitney Landing on Badin Lake May 9th, and even the heat and winds didn't hamper their efforts.
The fourth of a regular 10-event season, the club features a Fish Off November 11th. Membership in the club is limited to 25 boats and 50 members. Earlier in the week, on Thursday, members met for a pre-tournament meeting at Troutman's Barbecue outside Concord (junction of Hwys. 601 and 49). According to president, Ryan Mullis, the group of anglers is about more than just fishing. “This is a great group of guys,” he smiled. “They have all been fishing together for years and that helps everything go smoothly.”
That camaraderie was obvious come weigh in as 23 teams hauled boats from a landing that sported only one back up zone. Throw in an upper 80's day and a recreational pontoon or two, and that scenario tests even the best of patience. Not so with this club, as traffic moved ever-so-slowly, but patiently, to the docks with members joking and laughing throughout. “There's always a waiting list of guys who want to join us,” commented Mullis. “You can see why.”
A last-minute change on Thursday to the Old Whitney Landing was precipitated by the Hospice Tournament at the Alcoa Landing on the south end of the lake. Members also slipped the weigh in time back an hour.
Clearly, it was all about individual fish weight and not numbers on Saturday. Eight of the 23 teams scored double digit bags as small fish were numerous. A look at the weigh in results shows one needs to go deep into the list before there are teams who scored less than four fish.
Topping that impressive group was the team of Max and R.E. Davis. Their five bass totaled 13 pounds 9.8 ounces. They also wiggled Second Big Fish of the day, loading a 4 pound 4.8 ounce bass into their livewell. Their winnings for first place gave them $185, while 2nd Big Fish added another $90 to that score.
Second in the money-maker list were Eddie Conner and Ryan Mullis who pounded 13 pounds 8.6 ounces from the waters, only 1.2 ounces behind the leaders. They, however, did bag top Big Fish for the day and earned within $5 of the first place anglers. They brought home $140 for placing and $130 for Big Fish bragging rights.
Dave Turner and Ethan Tucker ran third, managing to ply 12 pounds 6.4 ounces from a tough Badin. The walked off with $90 in prize money. Allen Phillips and Pat Fuller rounded out the money spots with 11 pounds 8.8 ounces of bass and earned $45.
The club, which begins its season in March, moves on to Lake Tillery on May 30th. Complete information can be found on the club web site, maintained by Martin Ledford, at www.bearcreekbassclub.org. Interested anglers may also contact president, Ryan Mullis, at 980-581-0444.
Twenty Three Bear Creek Boats Slam Tillery
Story & photos courtesy of Martin Ledford
May 30, 2009
It was all-out-war at Tillery May 30th as 23 boat teams from the Bear Creek Bass Club waged battle against the bass of the long lake in sunny and warm weather. Although murky waters upset what patterns the fish are beginning to settle into, members kept after them from 6 AM to 2 PM that afternoon.
Big Fish winner, Wesley Eudy, used a crankbait to trick his 6.28 pound beauty into the livewell and it turned out to be a $130 strategy for the angler. He and teammate, Chris Toole, netted 13.12 pounds total weight and slipped second place, $140, into their year's winnings.
First place in the onslaught belonged to the team of Austin Culler (14 years old) and David McEachern who found 14.98 pounds of flailing bass during the day. They pocketed $185 for their skills while using a Carolina rig all day. Rick Poplin and Scott Mason scored 11.50 pounds for the day and took home $90 for their third place position. Fourth went to Bobby Crowley and Steve Crowley, who brought 9.46 pounds in. They won $45.
Other information about the club can be found at http://www.bearcreekbassclub.org , the club's web site maintained by Martin Ledford, webmaster. Ryan Mullis is president (980-581-0444).
The Tillery assault was the club's fifth event of their season and the mid-way point. Their next event will be held at Tuckertown Reservoir June 20th. A final Fish Off will take place November 11th.
Conner And Mullis Win Bear Creek BC At Tuckertown
June 20, 2009
By Martin Ledford
Photos Courtesy of Ken Troutman
It was all the bass could do to avoid the Bear Creek Bass Club assault on Tuckertown Reservoir this past weekend, as twenty-three boats from the group swarmed the lake. Although recent rains have kept waters swollen and murky, anglers from the group fought through these barriers to net some good fish.
The club used the Flat Creek Access area as a safelight launch, hammering bass until the 1:30 PM weigh in. “Water temperatures were close to 80 degrees,” noted member Martin Ledford. “It was pretty warm to be out there, but the wind kept it mild at least.”
It was the club's director who found the right places to temp bass. Ryan Mullis and partner, Eddie Conner lead all with 13.78 pounds to grab the first place prize of $185. None of the boats found the six-fish limit, but Conner and Mullis brought in five.
More often than not, it's that one fish left in the lake that becomes the difference between winning and placing. Brad Culler and Mike Culler took second spot with only four fish. Their bag weight totaled 10.84 pounds, earning $140 for position. Matthew Woods and Wayne Bost scored Big Fish for the day, a 7.2 pounder, earning $90 for the big gills.
Keith Phillips and Lewis Phillips slid into third, barely missing another spot by two-tenths of an pound. They managed 10.60 pounds and took home the $90 paycheck.
The final paying slot went to Gene Carter and Kenny Hill, who took 10.20 pounds from the lake, making the second through fourth positions a real horse race to the end. They put $45 in their pockets for their efforts.
The Tuckertown event was the sixth of ten events for the club this year. Members will travel to High Rock July 18th for their next competition. Ledford manages the club's web site, www.bearcreekbassclub.org where visitors can obtain additional information, tournament rules and contact info.
Bear Creek Bass Club Masters High Rock
July 18, 2009
By Martin Ledford and Fishbyte.net Staff
All Photos Courtesy of Ken Troutman
It didn't take long for the bass of High Rock to know they were under seige this past Saturday as twenty-four, dead serious boat teams from the Bear Creek Bass Club tore into the waters on Saturday. In short order bass after bass hit the livewells for weigh in later in the day. The day's honors were at stake and a tight season's points race was red hot. For those looking for the big fish, school was in session and Bear Creek was the teacher.
Leading the “instructors” that day were Chris Toole and Wesley Eudy, who first boated a monster 7.38 pounder and then went on to rocket 16.56 pounds of competition fish into their net. Nine limits were brought in totaling 188.82 pounds. The pair inched a few points closer to club leaders, David Strider and Ken Troutman, who lead Eudy and Toole by a mere 5.46 points on the year.
The competition for the day and for the year remained hot, as Strider and Troutman refused to yield too much ground to Eudy and Toole on the season, grabbing second place for the day with a 14.26 pound bag. If that competition isn't enough to turn heads, there are less than 6 points between second and third place on the season. Eddie Connor and Ryan Mullis hold that spot and finished outside the first four spots at High Rock.
Third place on Saturday belonged to David Forgash and Jim Dudley who managed 13.52 pounds of hungry bass. The final paying spot went to Sid Lefler and Steve Bailey who netted 13.08 pounds on the day. All four teams in the top four caught a limit of five fish on a day that saw mild temperatures with water temps in the low 80's.
With only three events left in the season, the Bear Creek Bass Club sees big fields and tight competition down the stretch. The field behind the leaders remains close and a week or two of stumbling could find new leaders at the end. The club moves to Badin Lake August 15th.
For more information visit the club's web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org . The site is maintained by Martin Ledford. Interested parties can also contact club president, Ryan Mullis at 980-581-0444. Complete season standings can also be found there.
Eudy And Toole Score Triple Crown On Badin
August 15, 2009
Most days it's worth the effort to get out of the sack and get out fishing in the early morning. On rare occasions it's plenty worth it. Two members of the Bear Creek Bass Club were more than glad they didn't hit the snooze button this past Saturday when, later in the day, they put on a triple crown performance at the club's tournament on Badin.
Wesley Eudy and partner, Chris Toole, put on a fishing school for members by capturing First Place, First Big Fish, and Second Big Fish awards during eight hours of fishing for five bass. The pair netted two fish that helped their total weight climb into the double-digit area. Twenty-four boat teams from the club blasted off from the Alcoa Access shortly after daybreak.
“We just managed to find fish today,” stated a beaming Eudy after the scales closed. “I am beginning to like this lake,” he laughed. The angler team's total weight was 12.08 pounds, with a 5.08 pounder that grabbed top billing and a 4.54 pound cousin that nailed the second heavyweight of the day. “No place in particular” noted Toole. “We worked a little here and there all day.”
Second place belonged to Keith and Lewis Phillips who dragged in 10.72 pounds to the scales. David Strider and Ken Troutman landed third (see photo caption story Friday 8/21 on Strider's pre-fishing luck) with 10.12 pounds, while Rich Poplin followed in fourth with 8.8 pounds of bass. President Ryan Mullis and member Eddie Conner served as weigh masters for the event.
The club moves back to Tuckertown on September 19th as it winds down its season. The group will fish Wateree for two days in mid-October and head to a season-ending Fish Off November 7th.
For more information visit the club's web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org. The site is maintained by Martin Ledford. Interested parties can also contact club president, Ryan Mullis at 980-581-0444. Complete season standings can also be found there.
Tuckertown Collapses To Poplin And Mason
September 19, 2009
By Martin Ledford
All Photos Courtesy of Ken Troutman
When the Bear Creek Bass Club rolled into the Flat Creek Wildlife Access, a number of the season's point contenders had a lot on their minds. With this event and one other remaining in their season, any stumble could mean a season-ending dropoff. And, with fish just beginning to stir after a long and hot summer, anything could happen. Bragging rights at the end of the season were in sight. Fishing was getting very serious and twenty one boats were out to prove something.
David Strider and Ken Troutman entered the Tuckertown event Saturday with a slim lead and were feeling the pressures associated with it. Chris Toole and Wesley Eudy stood just a stone's throw behind them in the points battle, and there were a pile of teams chasing close behind them. They needed a healthy day of bass on the reservoir to keep the pack at bay. Teams ended the day in rain as weather swept in the last thirty minutes of the event.
Although the leaders didn't manage a first place finish, they did take second spot with five fish and an 11.84 pound bag. They earned $125 for the weight. Rick Poplin and Scott Mason took the day away from everyone, netting an impressive five-fish, 15.78 pound bag and tying for Big Fish honors as well. They earned $170 plus $98 for the team effort. More importantly, the win brought them up to fifth place in the standings, the only team to edge closer to Strider and Troutman overall.
Max Davis and R.E. Davis finished in third with four fish and 9.96 pounds. They are in sixth in the points battle and lost a few points in the season chase. Toole and Eudy also dropped a couple points further behind with a four fish, 8.1 pound fourth place finish. Alan Carlton and Ken Long caught the Big Fish tie and earned half of that pot, or $98 at the 2:45 PM weigh in.
Other top teams in the points chase include Eddie Conner and club president Ryan Mullis in third, and Keith and Lewis Phillips in fourth. Only a 51 point difference between the top team and the sixth place team exists going into the final and determining two-day event at Wateree in October. The group will hold a season-ending Fish Off November 7th.
For more information visit the club's web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org. The site is maintained by Martin Ledford. Interested parties can also contact club president, Ryan Mullis at 980-581-0444. Complete season standings can also be found there.
Eudy And Toole Use Final Wateree Event To Secure Club Championship
October 21 and 22, 2009
By Martin Ledford and Fishbyte.net Staff
All Photos Courtesy of Ken Troutman
It took two days of hard fishing in tough weather conditions to secure the 2009 Bear Creek Bass Club Championship, but Chris Toole and Wesley Eudy had the bass of Wateree pegged last weekend. The angling partners sat in second place in the season rankings coming into the event and had their eyes set on the number one spot. Old Man Weather threw windy and near-freezing conditions as a barrier to the pair's intentions, as all anglers had to battle through sixteen hours of winter-like conditions to finish.
For club members, the Wateree gathering was the tenth and final competition in a tight points race that began back on March 14th at Wylie. Although the club will host a Fish Off November 7th, the two-day event this past weekend wrapped up the points race. The club boasts an active web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org created and maintained by Martin Ledford.
Ken Troutman and David Strider had recently taken over the points lead when Eudy and Toole stumbled a couple months back. It was the thirteen fish, 18.76 pound two-day total that launched Eudy and Toole back into the top spot. The partners won the Wateree event, pocketing $170, but more importantly capturing the club crown in the process. Troutman and Strider managed to find seven more fish on the year's total as compared to the winners, but were edged out by just under three pounds combined-season total weight. Both boat teams fished all ten events in the schedule.
Eddie Conner and club president, Ryan Mullis caught Big Fish of the day on Saturday, a 3.66 pound lunker, while Martin Ledford and grandson, Robbie Hutchins, found Second Big Fish. Steve Worrell upped the bounty just a hair on Sunday, finding the solo lunker that day, a 3.88 pounder. Ken Cullipher caught Second Big Fish on Sunday with a weight of 3.58 pounds. Both spots were paid on both days and solo lunker winners took home $110 and 2nd Big Fish winners pocketed $75.
For Eudy and Toole, this is the second club championship in as many years. The club holds its recognition dinner at the November 5th club meeting.
Other results for the two day finale included Keith Phillips finishing second with eleven fish and 17.54 total pounds, winning a total of $125. Third placers Allen Phillips and Pat Fuller also scored eleven fish that tipped the scales at 16.46 pounds. They earned $85. Sid Lefler and Steve Bailey finished in fourth with 11.98 pounds and took home $40.
Overall on the season, Troutman and Strider finished in second, while Eddie Conner and Ryan Mullis placed third. Fourth place in the standings went to Keith Phillips and Lewis Phillips. Only thirty-eight points separated first from fourth place.
For more information about the club, contact Martin Ledford at mledford@bearcreekbassclub.org or visit the club's web site listed above.
Bear Creek Finishes Season With Tuckertown Blast
November 7, 2009
By Martin Ledford
All Photos Courtesy of Ken Troutman
Finishing a bass tournament season is always a bittersweet experience. Although the pressures of a close points race is finally lifted and the fishing gets a bit chilly, the monthly competition with friends is usually missed. For the members of the Bear Creek Bass Club, returning to Tuckertown Reservoir for their end-of-the-year Fish Off was the right choice. Two divisions mauled the bass on the pond for the last time of the season.
“We actually had two separate divisions competing based on the final point standings,” stated Martin Ledford. “This was a non-points event, as our regular season ended in October.” Both divisions pay a first and second place finish, $203 and $135 respectively.
Members had to adjust the usual pattern of a 7 AM blast off. “We launched in smothering fog, so all boats left at idling speed or with trolling motors,” chuckled Ledford. “It wasn't a Blast Off; it was more like an Ease Off.” Conditions cleared by later that morning and teams enjoyed great conditions for fishing. The top four teams in each division scored a five-fish limit.
Ken Troutman took the top spot in the Division One competition. Although fishing without his usual partner, David Strider, Troutman weighed in 15.44 pounds of bass. Bill McCoy and Tommy Russell finished second with 11.62 pounds.
In the Division Two event, Matthew Woods and Wayne Bost scored a hefty 18.82 pounds to finish well ahead of all boat teams. Tuckertown has treated the team extremely well this season. They broke the all-time, club record for Big Fish on Saturday when the pair landed an 8.64 pound hawg. Earlier in the season, the team scored a 7.2 pounder off the same pond.
Louis Gordon and Randy Burleson finished in second place in the Division with 12.18 pounds. The team earned Second Big Fish of the tournament with a 5.64 pounder.
The club boasts an active web site at www.bearcreekbassclub.org created and maintained by Ledford. For more information about the club or if you are interested in joining them next season, contact Martin Ledford at mledford@bearcreekbassclub.org.