Archive
Master Catters 2
2010
Mastercatters Pound Badin For Big Cats
January 16, 2010
In its last two trips to Badin Lake in 2009, the Mastercatters gang has struggled to lock onto larger fish. That all disappeared this past Saturday when eighteen teams launched themselves into the places where the bigger cats were hiding. A number of forty-pound-plus fish were muscled to scales at the end of the day.
“The morning started out with some of us running through a bit of ice,” stated director, Mike Chandler. “The cloudy skies and falling air pressure may have helped us.” The group maintains constant conversations through its web site at http://www.mastercatters2.com/.
Mark Kimball and Johnny Myers added another win to their list of prize finishes with 61.6 pounds of catfish. They earned $270 for finding the big bite on the lake. The veterans have managed to place consistently in the money this past season.
A three-some team of Dave Vanderford, and Adam and Dakota Brooks placed just five pounds behind the winners with 56.42 pounds. They took $162 home with them. The third and final paying place went to Tim Caviness and Chuck Church who hauled 53.4 pounds out of the lake.
A sizable chunk of that weight was the 43.8 pounder that took Big Fish honors for the day. Third place paid $108, while Big Fish added $90.
Just out of the money in fourth place were Pat Shooter and Bill Shooter with 45.2 pounds. Eric Fincher and teammate and Director, Michael Chandler, hauled 38.8 pounds to the scales.
The Mastercatters group is actively involved in the Wounded Warriors efforts. The group will travel to Lake Tillery on February 13th and blast off from Cook's Landing. They will return to Badin on March 13th for the final event of their schedule.
For more information, contact Chandler at 704-699-2174 or Jim Pauley at 303-358-2371.
MasterCatters Haul Heavy Cats For Points Championship
March 13, 2010
Most bass clubs are struggling to bring fish to their scales right now, but such was not the case for Mike Chandler’s Yadkin MasterCatters on Badin Lake Saturday. Fish came in coolers, nets, bags and in hand to the scales at the end of the tournament. Fourteen teams fished hard all day long for their shot at the club championship and a big pot of money.
Brad Harris and Jon Dowd won Saturday’s tournament with a total cooler full of 84.2 pounds of catfish. They also had Big Fish with a monster 54.4 pound fish. As they hauled it to the scales, other bass anglers on the ramp stared in disbelief and several crowded around to take pictures. The team won $480 for their efforts, although they donated $100 back to the club bounty pot.
Brad Holder, Adam Brooks and Cullen Brooks won second place with 38 pounds. Eric Fincher and Mike Chandler came in third with 30.8 pounds., which was enough to give them the edge in the points race. Fincher and Chandler won the championship and walked away with a little spending money for gas and new tackle.
The club began its Fall/Winter season back in October and met monthly through the winter. Its news and standings are available on its web site at www.mastercatters2.com. Cost to join the events at Badin, Tillery and Tuckertown is just $40.
The Yadkin MasterCatters will sponsor a fishing tournament for North Carolina Veterans for their next event and Fishbyte.Net will provide its On The Water coverage of the event. Details of the honorary event are forthcoming.
For more information, contact Mike Chandler at 704-699-2174.
2009
Master Catters2 and Wounded Vets Take To Badin
April 18, 2009
Sometimes there are heroes and somedays there are heroes helping heroes. That was the best action of the day April 18th on Badin Lake. The Master Catters2 fishing club took nine wounded veterans onto their boats for an all-day tournament, catching smiles much larger than the fish they netted. Vets came from as far away as Ohio to enjoy a day of fellowship and big cat fishing, compliments of a group of people who support the Wounded Veterans and Hope for the Warriors groups.
According to club president, Mike Chandler, the club has put more than 90 wounded vets on their boats in the past two years. “I can't begin to say enough about the sacrifice these men and women have made for our freedom,” stated Chandler. “This is just our little way of telling them thank you and honoring them as heroes.”
Numerous boaters showed up in the early morning hours after having driven to pick up the various vets at far away places. “We go out of our way to make sure they can get here,” stated one member. “If they want to spend a day fishing with us, we'll see to it they can.”
“Believe me your heart will break for these young men and women who have suffered greatly, but you will rejoice after seeing their smiles after landing a big cat - many for the first time,” stated member and Forum Administrator Kevin Chandler.
There is no real competition during the day-long fishing. Although the usual brags and fishing tales happen after the event, club members commit to getting the vets over good fishing all day. Vets catching fish is what it's all about. The group communicates all day where fish are biting and move to get boats over the hot spots. Instead of the usual one or two anglers having great opportunities, all boats get in on the action.
The groups 13 boats managed to land a number of blues, including one 28 pounder. “They all got a number of small ones through the day, but the vets said they were the biggest fish they'd ever caught,” laughed co-organizer Jim Pauley. In total, the day produced 105 pounds of catfish. The club communicates its mission and results through a web site www.mastercatters2.com which is full of stories, photos of events and forums.
Replacing the usual weigh in of tournament fishing was a pizza dinner, all paid for by the Master Catters2. Tales of the day, both true and large, swirled around in the air as vet and boaters recounted the action. If one were to believe the stories, well over a hundred catfish larger than 100 pounds each broke off before being boated during the day. Each story was met with a laugh and good-natured kidding. Somehow, even a battle with a bear story managed to sneak its way into the conversation.
The Master Catters 2 meet again in September on the 19th at Santee Cooper for their next Wounded Warriors event. Information about the club and more details about the fall gathering can be found on their web site. The group is always looking for additional fishermen to join them in their tournament series in winter months and in special events like the Wounded Warriors effort.
Badin Throws Freezing Temps, Fog, And No Bite At Master Catters
November 7, 2009
A safelight blast off for any tournament on Badin Lake meant the first ice on access ramps. Fortunately for the last teams to launch, the slippery stuff has a short life on the warm ground. As quickly as the air could freeze water coming off trailers exiting, the ground would melt it away. But, that element, along with a heavy, thick fog bank at the Gap, was an omen.
The Master Catters (www.mastercatters2.com/) didn't expect a hearty greeting from “Miss Badin”, as they had learned in previous outings she can be either a delight or a mean mistress. Last Saturday was ugly from the get-go. Anglers refer to the Gap as the place on the lake where the Yadkin River sweeps into the main body of water. That spot can be seen from the Alcoa Landing where the Mastercatters launched from. Some mist lay over the waters around the ramp, but a dark bank of fog sat right where these boats wanted to turn and head upriver.
A couple of the boat teams had launched north on the lake, coming down through the fog. They reported fog so thick they could barely see in front of them. One nearly ran aground during the trip.
As the lake began to give up its fog to a bright sun, it was replaced by a strong wind that kept boats rocking and moving. Although air temps rose into the upper sixties by mid afternoon, bite never got started for the teams.
“We had 14 teams come out to Badin today,” stated Mike Chandler, director of the club. “The morning started with a major fog out until around 9 AM and then the sun started to burn it off. The bite was a tough one. We had 12 teams to make the weigh in,” he noted.
Mark Kimball and Johnny Myers finished first with 12 pounds of cats. They also nailed Big Fish of the day, a 6.2 pounder. The team scored winnings $210 for the top finish and $70 for the solo winner. They added 270 notches to their season's point race. “We caught them on a little bit of everything”, laughed winner Kimball.
John Dowd and Chad Harris stuck it out for second with 11.2 pounds winning $126 and adding 240 points to their total. According to Dowd, “We caught them on herring up river just before the Old Whitney Landing out by the island.”
Third place was won by Eric Fincher and Michael Chandler with 11.0 pounds. The pair won $84 and 230 points.
“It was a very tough bite, but it turned out to be the most competitive tourney we've had and a very tight finish,” noted director Chandler.
The Master Catters are supporters of the Wounded Veterans movement. They often hold tournaments where each boat carries a wounded vet out on the waters for a day of catfishing. The next regular event for the club is December 5 at Lake Tillery. The group will use Cook's Marina as a safelight launch point and will weigh in at 3 PM. For more information, visit the club's web site at www.mastercatters2.com.
Combs And Law Haul Big Catfish
December 6, 2009
Information and Photo Courtesy of Michael Combs
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Michael Combs, 59.4oz Blue |
While most of us lay sound asleep in our beds Sunday morning and air temperatures dropped well below freezing, some real fishing action was happening on Lake Tillery. Deep beneath the surface of the dark and misting waters rolled a hungry catfish looking for prey. To most, it would be the Jaws of Tillery.
Only the anglers willing to sit out all night braving 27 degree temperatures will find fish like this. At approximately 2:30 on Sunday morning, two catfish anglers from Liberty, NC were about all who could be found on the lake. The pair had set out much earlier looking for trophy fish and had been at it for hours. It took this kind of commitment to find the monsters and the big-fish anglers had the right bait and grit to make it happen.
Using cut bluegill, the team of Michael Combs and George Law saw the rod go down and leaped into action. They were working the waters about nineteen feet deep above the flashing buoy above the Highway 24/27 bridge when the blue hit. A good battle and what seemed like an hour later, the pair pulled in the 59 pound 4 ounce catfish.
Both are members of the MasterCatters catfish club of North Carolina (www.mastercatters2.com).