Weddington And Smith Take Wildcat With 21 Fall fishing is back even though the gauges might not say so. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats picked up their gear and left High Rock this past Saturday, over twenty one pounds had taken the competition. Those weights usually don’t begin to appear until color has started in the trees and a nip is in the air. Fourteen teams entered the fray from the Southmont Landing and Randy Weddington and Ronnie Smith topped them all. Their 21.26 pounds took the top spot and a 5.96 pounder grabbed Big Fish. They won $125 for the win and another $70 for the lunker. Jerry Bono and Bryan "Scooter" Berry followed in second with 14.02 pounds for $85. The scooter-man has been bringing good luck to those who share their boat. Berry, so named because he rides a small motorcycle to Yadkin Chain landings hoping to be offered a spot to fish, often finds his team on the winning side of an event. The wildcat series will be back on Badin Lake this coming Saturday at the Alcoa Landing. They will fish from safelight to 2 PM. For more information about the Saturday Wildcat opens or Russell’s Tuesday opens on Badin, contact Russell at 704-463-7829 or 704-322-1950. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. Russell also maintains a Facebook presence for both his Tuesday and Saturday Wildcat series. Search for Russell’s Bass Fishing Tournament Series. |
Smith And Weddington Win Yadkin Team On High Rock All the winners’ money went home to China Grove last Saturday when Carl Benton’s Yadkin Team Tournament came to High Rock. With one regular season event left before their annual Fish Off, the standard for fish caught was set high. Ronnie Smith and Randy Weddington, both of China Grove, used their time on the pond to haul 22.41 pounds into their livewell. The team also grabbed Big Fish with an impressive 7.00 pounder. First place paid $471 and the lunker added $78. Tom File and Thomas Ludwick, both of Salisbury, placed second with 15.69 pounds. They earned $231. In third, Todd Shoaf of Linwood, Gary Cline of Lexington, caught 15.29 and took home $100. The trail began on Badin Lake on February 27 and will finish out regular competition September 18 on High Rock at the Tamarac Marina from 7 AM to 3PM. The Fish Off will happen October 16 and 17 on Tuckertown and the Flat Creek Access. Benton has also started a High Rock Tournament Trail that began just last month. That group uses the Tamarac Marina for all events and will run into December. 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. |
Sides And Seagle Win FOM Fall Kickoff Event
High rock bassin’ is hot. The bass on High Rock Lake are still biting and some nice fish are being caught. At the recent FOM Fall Trail tournament on Saturday, August 7th, 18 teams took on the heat and the boat traffic and were able to bring some really nice bass to the scales. Finishing in first was the team of Mike Sides and Kenny Seagle of Salisbury NC .They brought a five fish limit to the scales totaling 17.20 pounds and a kicker bass weighing 6.7 pounds. In second place was the team of Steve Sink and Whicker of Lexington NC with 15.64 pounds, while third was claimed by Rodney Bell and Clontz of Salisbury with a limit at 15.44 pounds. In all, 18 teams brought 202.84 pounds of bass to the scales. Most of the bass were caught on jigs and worms fishing docks and points in deeper water. The early top-water bite accounted for some good numbers, too, as some anglers reported catching bass on buzz baits. The water temps on High Rock are in the low to mid 80s and in the main part of the lake. Visibility is around a foot in most areas. The river is a bit cooler at 78 degrees, but is much dingier from the recent rains. The next Tournament for the Fall Fishers of Men will be at Lake Norman on Sept 4th. |
July 31, 2010 If there’s one thing that will make anglers turn out for a fishing competition, it’s knowing that their activity can help someone in need. And, when the High Sunday Wildcats and Cashion Custom Fishing Rods joined forces this last Saturday to host an event, that was exactly what was provided. Bass fishermen from up and down the Yadkin region came together on High Rock to raise funds for a four-year-old stricken with cancer.
“This is something we needed to do,” stated Wildcat co-director Orlando Giles. “Any funds we can raise will help the family and they need to know we care.” He and co-director Joey Musgrave have been organizing the event for over a month and, as happens at all their weekly opens, the competition ran without a hitch. Dr. Matt Cashion, founder of Cashion Custom Fishing Rods (www.cashioncustoms.com), stepped up to help by donating a custom rod as a raffle item and lining up drinks and snacks for the anglers. “This was a no-brainer for me,” stated Cashion. “This family needs our help and this was so easy to do.” The Cashion Pro Anglers were there as well showing their support. Tim Hawley was on hand to assist, while Jarrett Freeze competed. “I really want to thank Country Cupboard of Salisbury for the snacks and Wave energy Drinks of Mooresville for the beverages,” he noted. “Every little bit helps this all happen.” Cashion rods are available through the company web site or at Flemings Candy Company in Salisbury.
For the eighteen boat teams turning out to support, the day brought conditions not seen for a couple months. Overcast skies and air temperatures that barely nipped 80 degrees were a dramatic shift from the scorching sun and intense heat and humidity seen throughout July. A solid breeze kept the lake choppy as rain threatened from start to finish. When the 2 PM weigh in rolled around, anglers showed they knew how to adjust on High Rock. A team of cousins, Dwayne and Jimmy Hughes used jigs all day to find their winning 19.26 pounds in five. “We stuck with jigs all day and found bite from start to finish. The four pounder in our sack was caught just forty minutes ago,” stated Dwayne Hughes. The pair earned $400 for sticking to that attack. Cashion Custom Fishing Rods Pro Angler CJ Johnston and partner Jarrett Freeze had a great start on all the other teams following them to the scales. The pair hauled an impressive 18.26 pounds to weigh in as scales opened. According to Freeze, they also stuck with jigs all day and found bite from 11 AM on. Johnston’s 5.87 pound solo did stand as Big Fish for the event, but the pair had to step aside to the Hughes’ catch of a single pound more. Freeze and Johnston won $200 for second and $170 for the single lunker. Rounding out the top three and paying positions, veterans David Wright and Chris Brown scored a 16.78 pound sack. According to Brown, the pair used Zoom worms and crankbaits all day and found most of their bite from about 8 AM to noon. Their pay totaled $110. Although an estimate of the amount earned for the family was not available at the end of the event, raffle tickets for the Cashion rod were a big seller. Drawing for a coveted rod-of-choice happened after winnings were handed out. In a moment cheered by all, the benefit family won the rod. An anonymous ticket purchaser had written their names on eight tickets and one of those tickets was a winner. “It doesn’t get any more fitting than that,” noted Dr. Cashion. Giles and Musgrave were at it again the very next day at the High Rock Southmont location as their weekly Sunday Wildcats kicked off a regular event. |
Bost And Woods Win First Of Season At High Rock If any lake is going to produce a first win for a team, it is likely to be High Rock and it’ll be done in grand style. When the Bear Creek Bass Club hit the waters on Saturday, Wayne Bost and Matthew Woods went looking for the prize. What they found was their first-ever win with the group and Big Fish honors for the day. Just the seventh event in a young season for the group, Bost and Woods scored a whopping 20.40 pounds of bass during their outing. Their Big Fish was a 7.66 pound lunker that is also the biggest fish caught by any club members this season. The partners earned $300 for their efforts. Twenty-two teams fished this event with thirteen of the teams managing a five fish limit. There was a total of 84 fish brought to the scales with a total weight of 213.68 pounds. Max and RE Davis took second place with a weight of 16.36 pounds. Max and RE also had second big fish 4.96 pounds and took home $215.00. 3rd place went to Rick Poplin and Scott Mason with a weight of 14.46 pounds. Finishing in 4th place was DC Howard and Kenny Davis bringing to the scales 14.00 pounds. Ken Troutman and David Strider widen their season’s points lead, but Rick Poplin and Scott Mason moved into second place and are only 8.98 behind the leaders. Full results of the point standing and lake results are posted on the club’s web site. 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. |
Cook And Mauldin Win High Rock Wildcat With the heat of summer come the struggles to keep fish in livewells swimming. Besides having healthy trophies to return to the lake, those same lively fish can mean the difference between going home with extra money in pockets or knowing you could have placed in the money. When Russell’s Saturday Wildcats traveled to High Rock last Saturday, many of the anglers found themselves either on the good side of that situation or wishing they’d worked on livewell conditions a bit more. “One team got bumped out of second place because of this,” stated Bo Russell, tournament series director. “My son and I have worked on our livewell to help keep our fish alive and it’s working,” he added. “Some of the guys will need to put some more effort in.” Twelve teams traveled to High Rock and the Southmont Landing for the event. Grover Cook & Alvin Mauldin were first with 14.82 pounds. They earned $110. Adam Yountz and Perry Jarrell found 11.88 pounds and a Big Fish of 4.34 pounds for second and Big Fish. They earned $70for placing and $60 for the lunker. 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. |
July 31, 2010 Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave have built a strong reputation for themselves as fair and equitable directors of a weekly open bass series, and now they will add charitable to those qualities. The co-directors announced this week that they will hold a benefit bass tournament on High Rock Saturday, July 31 to help a four-year-old girl who has bone cancer. According to the Fishbyte.Net Calendar, that date should conflict with the smallest number of other tournaments in the region. The Open event will take place at the Highway 8 Southmont Landing and will happen from 6 AM to 2 PM. Cost is $80 per boat. Cashions’ Custom Roda is also donating a custom-built fishing rod to be used for a $5 per ticket raffle. For more information, contact Whitney at 336-239-7567 or Joey 336-239-7567 or jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. |
Nolan Couple Wins Coleridge Attack on High Rock
Some couples work out an arrangement where large amounts of time spent on the water chasing fish is tolerated. Other couples jump in the boat together and go fishing. For Ralph and Jodi Nolan, the Coleridge Hooksetter’s outing on High Rock this last Saturday was just another chance to fine tune their angling skills and score a payday in the process. Ten boats from the club slid into the waters from the Southmont Landing at safelight and returned after a long day for a 3 PM weigh in. The members shared fishing holes with seven other groups including an ABA Bassmaster event. Their sacks rivaled any others brought in during the day.
The second place team, Paul Stanly and Larry Burgess, found a three pound average and netted 9.2 pounds total. Second Big Fish is not awarded to the same boat catching first Big Fish, so the partners grabbed that honor with a 4.8 pound catch. Lewis Brown and Billy Reynolds took third with 8.2 pounds. According to club organizer, Dale Hege, the Nolans found their fish in shallow water two feet deep. Brown reported the same. The next event for the Hooksetters will be on August 14. Members will draw for lake as the date nears. |
The Nolans, regulars at the Adam & Eve Yadkin Series, hauled 16.4 pounds to the scales for the win. Husband Ralph nailed the tournament’s Big Fish, a 7.6 pound hawg. Not to be outdone, Jodi bagged a 6 pound even solo during their efforts. The club uses a three fish limit. The Nolan’s catch averaged nearly five-and-a-half pounds per fish.
July 10, 2010 It was a busy lake with an estimated three hundred competition bass anglers all wrestling for the right locations and baits, but David Watterson and Danny Tolbert of the Triad Team Bass Anglers used High Rock Lake as a payoff last Saturday. The fishing partners out-fished eleven other teams to win the sixth event of the season for the club.
“We had our limit before 7 AM,” stated Watterson shortly after weigh in finished. He reported their best results using buzzbaits right at first light. The partners pulled 14.14.5 pounds from the lake to win $240. Part of that sack was First Big Fish, a 5.8 pounder worth another $85. A father and son team of Gray and Edward Gordon took second honors with 11.5.5 pounds. The spot paid $144. Their largest was a 3.6.5 pound fish. “We caught three of our keepers on spinnerbaits and two on shakey heads,” reported Gray. Third place was won by Bill Yokley and Rusty Stafford, who combined efforts on 8.6 pounds of bass for $96. Alan Michaux and Dwayne Bingman took Second Big Fish with a 5.5 pounder worth $35. The club will move on to Tuckertown August 14 and fish from 5:45 AM to 4 PM. More information is available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Conner Fishes Solo To Win Bear Creek Event
Most times a good fishing partner in the back of the boat can be the difference between a win or a no-show. For Eddie Conner of the Bear Creek Bass Club, it didn’t matter last Saturday when the club took to the waters of High Rock. The angler spent the day by himself out-fishing his fellow-casters, bringing his limit of five to the scales at Tamarac marina. 
“I used spinnerbaits and jigs all day,” stated the club member. He was a bit surprised at what he found. “I caught all my fish in shallow water and it was all over the lake,” he noted. The pattern held true for many clubs that day. Pre-fishing earlier in the week found most bass in ten to fifteen feet of water, but something changed dramatically over the day or two prior to this event. Conner found 12.10 pounds to claim the $180 in prize money for first. Partners Steve and Bobby Crowley finished a half pound behind in second with 11.58. They took home $120. A very close third, Ethan Tucker and Dave Turner netted 11.12, but were one spot outside the paying positions. Gene Carter and Jeremy Petrea scored Big Fish with a 4.73 solo worth $85. Ten boats were involved in the competition from safelight to 2 PM. The club moves on to Tuckertown Reservoir on August 21 and will use the Flat Creek Wildlife Access. 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. |
Russell Takes Co-Angler Side July 10, 2010 High Rock Lake is usually known for its big yields even when the heat of summer is on, but the lake showed its rough side to the American Bass Anglers Toyota Tundra Bassmasters NC Division 5 last weekend. Sixty boats holding both Boater and Co-Angler competitors raced off from the Tamarac Marina on the west side of the pond Saturday hoping to make the days of practice pay off. Nearly every angler, just prior to blast off, reported excellent results in pre-fishing that week. Instead, the High Rock big bass turned their tails to many of the fishermen.
For Brad Younts of Lexington, NC, the day stepped off on the wrong foot. Early problems with his livewell had him scrambling to keep fish alive. As the day wore on, it became more and more of a battle. He figured he had enough to provide a decent showing, guessing there were nearly twenty pounds in his livewell. By 1 PM, he was desperate, as one of his fish had gone south already. “I’d had a good morning out there and could see my weight dropping. A second fish was showing lots of signs of stress and that bothered me a lot,” stated Younts. He had no choice but to come in early and ask for a weigh in. His Co-Angler agreed to end early and the two slid onto the beach at Tamarac. The scales were ready and Younts catch totaled 19.1 pounds. He took a one pound deduction for the dead fish. After a few minutes in rejuvenating liquid, the other four swam off. That decision turned out to be the Lexington angler’s best one that day. When all others finished the weigh in process later, he had topped his Boater field and the second place angler by less than a pound. Another dead fish penalty would have put him second to David Wright, also of Lexington, who brought in 17.85 pounds. First place paid $2648, while second paid half that amount.
Jarrett Freeze of Landis, NC finished third with 16.93 pounds. Freeze is sponsored by Cashion Custom Rods of Raleigh, NC. He earned $883. Big Fish for the Boaters’ side of the field was caught by Jeff Farrell of Garner, NC. His 6.48 pound lunker was larger by almost a pound than all others caught and carried a $256 payday with it. Marty Nester, who placed eleventh, of Mt. Airy netted a 5.6 pounder, the closest anyone came to catching him. “I fished the entire day in about two feet of water,” stated Younts. “I threw crankbaits at them all day.” He reported having only one day to pre-fish the lake earlier in the week. Younts’ largest was a 4.17 pounder. Co-Anglers, fishing from the back of their partners’ boats, are given a three-fish limit in the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster events. For John Russell of Charlotte, NC, that was all he needed. The angler reported having his best luck in less than six feet of water. “I threw at docks and points most of the time and that was where I had my best luck,” he stated. Russell said he had pre-fished a number of days and used various baits that were either black or blue in color to catch his winning 10.8 pounds. Those bass were worth $1324 to the thirty-seven year old Russell. Abraham Street of Glade Spring, VA used a 4.2 pound lunker to aid his second place finish. The Co-Angler put 9.8 pounds on the scales worth $662. Nick Ross of Lexington, NC earned $441 with 9.15 pounds in his third place finish. Co-Angler Big Fish was caught by Robbie Lane of Granite Falls. A 6.05 pound anchor gave him that award and allowed him to finish fifth overall.
The NC Division 5 Series ends its regular season with a two-day competition on Lake Norman August 21 and 22. They will use the Blythe Landing Access. Top points leaders will then move on to regional competitions on Lake Lay, AL in October. For the luckiest, the Bassmaster Classic is at the end of the fishing road. Top Ten finishers in both categories were: 1 Brad Younts Lexington NC 19.10 -1lb deduct 18.10 Co-Angler – |
Giles And Musgrave Win Championship Fishing Yadkin Event
It was a stage set for a big win, and two directors of a weekly bass series showed their knowledge of their local lake last Saturday. When Championship Fishing’s Yadkin Trail came to High Rock, the Sunday Wildcat coordinators Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave came with their best game. When it was over they had hauled over eighteen pounds of winning fish to the scales. Musgrave and Giles grind out one of the toughest trails on directors, a weekly Sunday series that starts in the early spring and lasts into late fall. Commitment levels have to be high going in to stage such events, but the pair has been up to the challenge. The High Rock Sunday Wildcats hosts competition numbers that are sometimes staggering. However, on Saturday they were fishing someone else’s event and that recipe worked well. They earned an impressive $550 in the thirteen boat field with 18.53 pounds. Jason Riggs and Darrell Crumbley scored a second place finish with 17.78 pounds. They also had Big Fish of the event, a 5.60 pounder. Second paid $250, while the solo honor paid $130. Steve Singleton and Al Needham found 15.70 pounds for third. They won $110. “Our points race has closed up really tight from first to second place, state Tony Furr, director. “There is only a six point difference between first and second.” Mike Kinard and Travis Williams gained a few more points on Richard Crayton and Shaun Miller. Those partners have 1474 season points as compared to the second place 1468. Mark weaver and Mike Justice sit in third with 1434, while Branden Younginer and John Meritt are fourth with 1432. Championship Fishing (www.southernfishingtrail.com) has two trails covering the Yadkin and Capital regions. The Capital Division meets this coming weekend, June 12, on Lake Jordan at the Farrington Access. The Yadkin group will return to High Rock and the Tamarac Marina on July 3rd. For more information about the Trails, contact Tony Furr at 704-467-1598 or visit their web site. Details are also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Clontz Scores Big Win On High Rock Russell’s Saturday Wildcats returned to High Rock Lake this last Saturday as numerous other clubs and benefits joined them at the docks of Southmont. The Stanly County-based open series staged their second assault on the larger waters and, although most were unfamiliar with the best holes, teams scored some impressive early-summer weights. Dustin Clontz, fishing solo, led the way and took top honors with a solid outing, scoring a bag of fish weighing 15.02 pounds. His anchor was the Big Fish of the event and tipped the scales at 3.66 pounds. Bradley and Kevin Chandler took the second scoring position with 12.96 pounds. Wrapping up the top three positions were Kenny Hill and Mike Davis who slipped in just behind the Chandler team with 11.06 pounds of bass. The Wildcat Series fishes every weekend on one of the lakes in the Yadkin Chain. Russell also coordinates the weekly, open series at Badin Lake and the Alcoa Landing. Those events begin at 4:30 Pm and go until 8:30. The Saturday series will return to Badin on July 3, one of the only fishing competitions happening all weekend in the area. They will launch from Alcoa at 6 AM and return at 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. |
Special Olympics CAST Benefit Tourney This Weekend For those anglers loving High Rock this time of year with time and no tournament on their schedule, a benefit bass tournament this coming Saturday is a must-do. The 1st Annual Special Olympics Bass Tournament hosted by C.A.S.T. will happen at the Southmont Access. Sponsors are guaranteeing a $1,000 payout for first place. The Christian Anglers Sportsman’s Team will kick off the event beginning with a 5:30 AM registration at the landing. First flight will go at 6:30. Staggered weigh ins will begin at 2:30 PM. Cost for each boat is $70 with an optional Big Fish throw in of $10. Besides the big winner’s payout, sponsors are also guaranteeing a second place $500, third $250, fourth $150, and fifth $110 payouts. For more information, contact Mike Wood after 6 PM at 336-672-5439 (leave message) or Todd Swaney at 336-302-2822. Information and rules are available on the Fishbte.Net Calendar and Forums. Entry forms are available at local stores and businesses. |
Murphy Wins Co-Angler June 1, 2010 See Video at Story End… The FLW BFL NC Division was a matter of the haves and have-nots on Saturday at High Rock. For Boater Todd Walters of Greensboro, it was all “have” as the angler took home $3,553 in prize money after hefting 22-08 pounds of bass onto the scales. Non-boater, Mark Murphy also found himself walking away with top honors in that category, when he netted 15-05 pounds for weigh in.
Top angler Walters offered his strategy shortly after the hour-long weigh ins were completed. “I went after random docks all day, looking for brush in two to eight or ten feet of water,” the winner noted. “My prime bait all day was a Shooters jig and I caught at least twenty keepers with it.” Those random locations added up to top honors and the biggest money haul of the day. The angler, who had won over $6,000 this season, came into the day in fifth place in divisional standings, but soon found himself in second just 30 points and less than four pounds behind leader Maurice Freeze of Concord.
Co-Angler Murphy used a completely different approach. “I threw shad colored crank baits all day,” the worn out angler reported. “I caught most of mine in eight to ten feet of water.” He stated he used Lucky Craft baits on main channel points to net his winners and the $1777 in prizes. The non-boater moved up to twenty second in points standings. Tommy Swicegood of Salisbury holds the top points spot for co-anglers. Murphy has earned just under $4,000 this season. On the boater side of the field, Spence Brunson of Salisbury drew second place with 21-12 pounds for $1,777, while Chris Baldwin of Lexington took third with 20.10 pounds. He earned $1,185. Fourth place went to John Ritchie of Salisbury with 19-12 pounds for $829, and Robert Walser of Lexington finished fifth with 19-08 pounds. Co-anglers (non-boaters) who placed in the top five along with Murphy were Ben Dewit of Cary in second with 13-11 pounds for $888, Dwayne Bingman of Julian in third with 12-09 for $592, Kenneth Morrison of Waxhaw in fourth with 11-10 for $415, and in fifth Greg Cook of Shady Springs, WV with 11-07 for $355. The boaters clearly had the first cast advantage on a tough lake Saturday. Those anglers reeled in 43 limits of five totaling 317 bass, while non-boaters managed only 7 limits totaling 174 fish. Spence Brunson of Lexington caught the boater Big Fish, an impressive 8-03 pound solo that earned him $455. Robert Walser of Lexington earned the Evinrude Bonus worth $1,000. Murphy grabbed non-boater Big Fish top spot with a 6-02 pound catch that added $227 to his day’s purse. The FLW BFL NC Division will gather together one last time this season for a two-day showdown September 18 and 19 on Lake Norman and the Midway Marina in Huntersville. Top qualifiers will move on to regional competitions. The All-American event is scheduled for December 26 and 27 in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
The fourth of five tournaments for the 
Team Zachary Wins High Point Fire Call
The High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers hit the half way mark of their season this week, holding their ninth tournament of the year on June 17th at High Rock Lake. Twelve teams competed in the event and all weighed in fish. Seven of those brought a full limit to the scales. Two teams used the occasion to sneak a point or two closer to first place in season standings.
With mostly sunny skies, light winds and an air temperature in the lower 90's, the water temperature was as high as 91 degrees and stained to clear. Team Zachary and Zachary were the biggest winners on the day when they hoisted 19.11.875 pounds of bass to the scales, grabbing first place and picking up two points on leaders McLean and McLean in the overall club standings. They also grabbed the solo lunker of the day, a 5.08.875 pounder. The club weighed in a total of 45 fish at 121.75 pounds. Team Lackey and Pope inched one point closer to the top with a second place showing. They scored five fish weighing 18.00.875 pounds. Team McLean, season points leaders, finished third with 14.02.125 pounds. Those teammates have grabbed three wins,, three second place finishes, and this event was their third finish in third position. They began the season on March 16 at Badin with a ninth place showing. Others in the top five were Team Cross and Wilson with 13.05.875 pounds and Team Hayes and Dodson with 12.15.500 pounds. All netted the five-fish limit. Members of the thirty-year-old High Point club are active and retired members of the city’s fire service. |
Loflin & Hopkins Win Rocky Bottom Bass Outing
The Rocky Bottom Bass Club seemed to know how to get it done last Saturday on High Rock. Club members would have had to top the twenty pound mark to even be close to a winning day. Fighting off heat and humidity, members used the Southmont Access and got a pre-dawn start to their day before most others hit the water.
The fourth tournament of the year for the club, Derrek Loflin and Jerry Hopkins took a commanding control of the points lead for the year with a win at High Rock with 20.3 pounds. Vernon Wilson and Andy Wilson brought in a nice bag of 14.15 pounds to finish second, while Eddie West and Mark Butner rounded out the top three places with 12.14 pounds. They also grabbed Big Fish for the Year honors so far with a 5.12 solo. There didn’t appear to be any pattern anglers could latch onto during the day. Members reported caught bass both in shallow and deep waters and on a variety of different baits. That news fell in line with strategies reported across all clubs that weekend. Rocky Bottom’s next tournament is at Tuckertown on July 17. The club is recruiting new members to fill out its fifteen boat limit. The club web site is www.RockyBottomBassClub.webs.com. For more information, contact Eddie West (web master) at 336-442-6502 or Andy Nix (president) at 336-689-5569. |
June 12, 2010 By Mike Sides, Director Piedmont NC Division The Piedmont NC division of the Fishers Of Men finished out the regular season on a hot note at High Rock Lake last Saturday, as the day’s competition decided a close divisional championship, angler of the year, and rookie of the year. Regional Qualifiers were also announced.  Thirty-two teams took on the waters of High Rock Lake near Salisbury, NC and the lake didn’t disappoint. Through searing temperatures, anglers battled for the day’s bragging rights and season standings. At the end of the day, 29 of the 32 teams weighed in bass.
Dean Collins and Ray Fur of Lexington were tops on the leader board with a total weight of 19.5 pounds. They also had the Big Bass of the tournament, finding a solo that tipped the scales at 4.86 pounds and earning them $1352. In second place was the team of CJ Johnston and Matt Stanley of Salisbury, NC bringing 17.2 pounds to the scales. They took home $576. Third place went to the team of Robert Mixon and Steve Sink of Lexington with 16.54 pounds. That total weight netted them $1382. |
June 12, 2010 The Davie Bass Trails’ twenty anglers were some of a pile of bass fishermen stalking High Rock last weekend on Saturday. As happened with every group, the anglers found the pond to be tough going. Bass bite was stingy and the heat was on. Jason Redd survived Mother Nature’s onslaught and fond a winning strategy in the fourth club outing of the season.
“I fished mostly shallow waters all day,” stated Redd moments after being announced the winner. “I looked for rocks and used a Carolina Rig all day to find mine.” The angler boated 14.7 pounds in his win and netted the biggest fish of all, a 4.70 pounder. The club fishes as individuals, although two anglers are allowed on a boat. Randy Johnson finished one spot behind Redd with 8.1 pounds. RJ Williams finished third with 7.7 pounds. The club, an invitation only group, fishes nine events March through October and two of those are two-day outings. They will hit the water again on Hickory June 26. For more information, contact Kevin Benfield at krdbenfield@yadtel.net or visit the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
June 12, 2010 The winners of the Walkertown Bass Anglers competition on High Rock used a combination of Carolina rigs and jigs in deep waters to win the club’s event there on Thursday. Ron and Don Griffin stuck to this strategy throughout a hot day that began on the Southmont Landing at 5:30 and ended eight hours later. The Winston-Salem based club fielded seven boats on a lake that swarmed with competitions this past weekend. The Griffins boated 15.20 pounds in their win and had second big fish, a 3.48 pound solo. They won $140 for that spot and were handed $24 for their biggest catch. Mike Moss and Johnny Boggs finished second with 13.40 pounds. They won Big Fish honors with a 3.65 pounder. Second place paid $92, while Big Fish added $46. Jim Bray and Mike Davis finished third with 9.10 pounds and took home $46. The club will move on to Tuckertown July 24 for their next event. They will fish from 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM out of the Flat Creek Access. |
June 13, 2010 After a massive club attack on High Rock Saturday when as many as fourteen clubs swarmed the waters from top to bottom, you would have expected not a single bass to be swimming without a sore mouth. One angler with the Carolinian Bassmasters found a pile still waiting to be fed on Sunday. The Kernersville, NC group has members from the Forsyth, Davidson, Guilford, Davie, and Yadkin counties and was begun in the mid-1980’s. Their web site, http://sites.google.com/site/carolinianbassmasters/home, lists events and club info, as well as results to past tournaments. They are affiliated with the FLW Outdoors.
They meet the second Tuesday of each month at Clark’s Barbecue in Kernersville at 6:30 PM. The group fishes primarily on lakes within 150 miles of Kernersville, including High Rock, Norman, Belews, Lookout Shoals, Wylie, Gaston, Tuckertown, Falls, Badin, and Buggs Island. For Tyler Hill, an angler who has just begun fishing with the group, the third outing was the charm. Finishing twelfth at their last event on Buggs, the angler jumped to the top spot at High Rock. His 16.40 pounds included a 4.10 pounder. “I fished a sweet beaver all day,” stated a jubilant Hill after weigh in. “I targeted rocky points in about eight to twelve feet of water for all my fish.” The angler won $80 for his efforts. Lee Burch scored a second place finish with 14.20 pounds. His anchor, a 4.16 pounder, beat out Hill for Big Fish honors. He won $32 for second and $48 for the solo. Chuck Brammer nailed 8.64 for third. The club fielded sixteen boats for the competition. For more information about the group, visit the web site listed above or view the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. You may also email cbassmasters@gmail.com for information. |
Redneck Wranglers Battle Nose To Nose In Points Race
Organizer Vince Mounts and his fishing partner, Richard Batson, jumped on High Rock early last weekend and had the weights to take home the prize. The Redneck Wranglers, a non-affiliated group that fishes from March through October on eight different lakes across North Carolina, made their one day trip to the pond Saturday. A club race for points was thrown on its head as only 4 points separated the top four leaders prior to the casting began.
One of many clubs that took off from the Southmont Landing that morning, the club slipped off early as other groups were driving in. A small know of boats could be seen doing a slow blast off a few hundred yards off the docks at 5 AM. They arrived back to a packed launch area at 1 PM, as heat climbed towards the 100 degree mark. Mounts and Batson found 12.96 pounds of bass to win the event. Coming into the competition, the pair was sitting in second place in club points. Their solo 3.94 pounder was enough for Big Fish. Joey Harville and Danny Spake finished just under a pound behind with 12 pounds even. They were just a single point behind in the club race prior to Saturday’s event. Taking third in the High Rock meeting were Junior Jamerson and Ricky Workman with 10.06 pounds. That team led the points battle before setting off. A final tally of up-to-date points was not immediately available after the High Rock competition. The group will travel to Lake Tillery June 26 and set up at the newly remodeled Swift Island Access. For more information about joining in, contact club secretary Danny Spake at 336-472-8771. |
Wildcats Dominate Weekend Action On High Rock With club after club coming to the scales after struggling to put together sizable sacks on High Rock over the weekend, one group managed to send off onlookers cheering. The weekly High Rock Sunday Wildcats showed all it was their lake when the top four teams scored above the seventeen pound mark and numerous others found slightly less. Twenty-three boat teams hit the lake for the safelight to 2 PM action. Beginning this coming weekend, the group will fish until 1:30. John and Jerry Brundle were top of the pile with 17.97 pounds. Eric Rothrock and Mick Motsinger found 17.90 for second, while Tony Waterhouse and Jerry Bono took third with 17.73 pounds. One final boat team, Ricky and Greg (no last names available) hit 17.47 pounds. For more information about the open competition, contact organizers Orlando Giles at 336-357-0473 or Joey Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. Info is also posted on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
June 12, 2010 On a day when one team uses their livewell as a storage facility for monster bass and all other teams are struggling to find a handful, you know you’ve found the masters of a lake even on the toughest of days. When the Archdale Bass Club held an open competition event on High Rock Saturday, June 12th, that is exactly what happened. One team scored over twenty one pounds in an event highlighted by heat and humidity. According to Michael Hedgecock and Brian Sorrell, the pair used a strategy that had them fishing the shallow waters and using jigs all day. That approach netted them 21.14 pounds. One of the hawgs, a 5.23 pounder, was enough for Big Fish top spot. Eight boats competed in the event. Larry Parks and partner John Beaver were the closest competition. That team scored 12.80 pounds for second. Their largest, caught by Parks, was a 4.23 pound specimen. In third, Randy and Lucas Hutchins brought in 12.08 pounds. The Archdale Bass Club, directed by Dean Calloway and assisted by Bill Frazier, is using the open events as a way to promote their group. They fish the lakes on the Yadkin Chain. The next open will be on Tuckertown August 14 from 5:30 AM to 3 PM at the Flat Creek (Graveyard) Ramp. For more information about the club or the open challenges, contact Frazier at bill.frazier@highpointnc.gov or call him at 336-880-0627. |
Crumbley Wins Yadkin 1-On-1 In Searing Heat
“This heat is just too much,” stated Darryl Crumbley after the Yadkin One-On-One tournament Sunday on High Rock. Air temperatures tipped the 95 degree mark by weigh in and “feel like” temperatures were above the 105 mark as stifling humidity sat on the region. “I can’t fish in this stuff,” he said as he accepted the first place, $270 prize. Eighteen solo anglers hit the waters of High Rock on Sunday at 5:50 AM and didn’t find their way back until 2 PM. Eight hours of bass fishing takes a toll on any normal day, but heavy lake traffic and blistering conditions had all the fishermen hunting shade at the end. Weigh in came at a pace reserved for tired men and a slow showing on the water. For the most, bass were as sluggish as the ones chasing them.
“I fished shallow all day,” stated Crumbley as he stood in the shade. “I threw spinnerbaits all day and had bite on and off throughout. Throwing those just wore me out today,” he stated. The angler, who often scores well in events in the area, also netted a 4.1 pound solo that took Big Fish. That fish was worth another $90 to him. His limit was the only one to come to weigh in. Early to the scales and battling an engine problem all day, Nick Nance tickled 14.34 pounds out of his favorite spots. “My engine wouldn’t do more than idle all day, so it was slow going,” he stated. He did have enough steam to find a sack worth second place and $180. Robert Blevins held onto the biggest solo fish for all of weigh in until Crumbley walked in. Blevins had put a 5.03 pounder in his livewell and it looked as though the weight would stick. Co-director Jimmy Sanders took third with 8.37 pounds and earned $90. 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. The group will return to Lake Tillery and the Hwy 24/27 Access July 18th for their seventh event. 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. |
June 12, 2010 The American Bass Anglers American Fishing Tour NC Division 14 picked a tough day to travel to High Rock and the Southmont Wildlife Access this past weekend. Summer decided it was time to let all know she was here in a big way and even the fish chose to retreat.
One of many club and open events using the lake, the Division 14 solo anglers found it hard to find holes not fished. An estimated thirteen clubs were competing on the pond and a buzz of activity could be found on every nook and cranny. Once the recreational boaters sought escape from the heat and humidity, the waters were a parking lot. Chris Baldwin discovered a way to get it done in big style, even with the distractions of heat and traffic. At weigh in the angler impressed onlookers when he first pulled a 7.09 pounder and then four other monsters out of his livewell for weighing. Those others helped tip the scales at 17.70 pounds. “I caught three of those on crankbaits and two others on jigs,” stated the beaming angler. He reported finsing them all in fairly shallow waters. Daniel Hayworth did pick his way through the four lane traffic and find 12.84 pounds of bass for second. His sack was bolstered by a 5.14 pounder. Bob Jennett finished third with 12.31 pounds, while Tony Vernon landed hot on his heels with 12.14. Jeffrey Klein found 11.42 pounds for fifth and Don Sprinkle netted 10.56. The event on High Rock finishes the club’s regular season. They will end their gatherings June 26 and 27 with a two-day division championship for those who have qualified. Information about the ABA AFT can be found at www.americanbassanglers.com. Tonnie Tucker serves as director of the local branch. |
Wilson Wins Archdale Bass Club High Rock Event
The half way point tourney in Archdale Bass Club’s season found them up bright and early at North Carolina’s own “Big Muddy”. High Rock Lake is one of best-known lakes nationally for successfully hosting several national-level tournaments as well as its reputation for being the home of many crankbait experts like Lexington’s David Fritts. Saturday June 5th it lived up to some of that reputation. The nearly nightly string of thunderstorms just south of the Triad made the lake thick. Additionally a month-long barrage of tournaments seeking to capitalize on the lake’s stellar reputation for its post-spawn large jaws feeding frenzy in late May and early June left High Rock a hard nut to crack for some of the club members. But, someone always catches fish. Third place went to Greg Moye. Greg had two fish for 9 pounds even. He also had Big Fish for the tournament with a great 5.85 pound lunker. Brian Sorrel scored second with five fish weighing 12.49 pounds. Vernon Wilson captured first place with a five-fish bag tilting the scales at 13.67 pounds. One of the top spot fishermen mumbled something about catching their fish swimming a jig and both of the top two spots came out of the back of the boat – meaning they are not the ones with priority to make the first and best casts. As in past years, the club starts the countdown towards end of the year honors at their midpoint tournament. In the top weight category, Jamie Denison leads with 43.73 pounds. His goal this year is to weigh in a total of 100 pounds in club tournaments. Right behind him is the group’s most senior angler, Clayton Proctor, followed by Vernon Wilson, Ed Brady and Sam Gunter. The club Angler of the Year point’s race is almost the reverse lead by Sam Gunter. Vernon Wilson is in the second slot followed by son, Steve Wilson, and Clayton Proctor tied for third. Jamus Lewis is in fourth, while Jamie Denison rounds out the top six. The club will move on to Badin on July 19. |
Early Bite Greets Russell’s Wildcats On High Rock
“If it weren’t for early bite, there’d be no bite at all.” That is what greeted the Russell’s Saturday wildcats in their first trek to High Rock of the 2010 season. Nine boat teams that are more familiar with Badin and Tillery hit the road a bit earlier as the Series changed its blast off times to safelight beginning with this first-in-June event. “We found we were often the last group to take off every weekend and too many times our guys were finding boats already on holes they were hoping to hit early,” stated Bo Russell, organizer of the events. Two weekends ago on Badin Lake, they found themselves the last of five clubs and opens hitting the waters and it showed come weigh in. “The guys all agreed to an earlier start for the next few months,” noted Russell. For Russell’s son, John Russell, who usually fishes with his father, the event outcome became one he could strut in front of the director for a week. The younger angler and teammate, Nathan Williams captured the top spot with 13.76 pounds of bass at the 2 PM scales. The team had a two pound penalty for two dead fish in the five-fish limit and still took top honors. They were the only team with a limit. Their solo biggest, a 3.88 pounder, gave them Big Fish honors as well. “I may never hear the end of this, guys,” laughed Russell after the event, referring to his son changing partners for the day and winning. The pair won $80 for first and $45 for the solo. Williams has often fished with Bo Russell and the two have had some wins to their credit. Shelton Martin and Robbie Sparks finished second with 8.44 pounds of bass. The team took $55 away as a trophy. 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. |
High Rock Gives Kfellar 18 Pounds And Bass Rustlers’ Win The third of ten may be the golden one for the Carolina Bass Rustlers, but they’ll have an opportunity to best the results of their May 29 outing in June. The club held its monthly tournament at High Rock this last Saturday, and the lake turned on the bass bite. Matt Kfellar took top honors with a limit of five that tipped the check in scales at 18.10 pounds. John Adkins nailed down the runner up spot with a limit of 15.84 pounds. In third was Tony Brewer with 15.12. He also took Big Fish honors with a 5.32 pounder. The group will return to High Rock June 12th for their fourth outing. Their schedule begins in March and ends with a classic in December. Harold Johnson serves as president, while Neil Varner is the group’s tournament director. Cost is $30 which includes Big Fish. |
May 27, 2010 Article and Photos By Les McLean High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers held their seventh tournament of the year on May 27th at High Rock Lake. With mostly sunny skies, light winds and an air temperature above 80 degrees, the water temperature was 75 plus degrees with visibility of a foot or more. High Rock, always a producer for bass anglers, treated the club’s teams to many a battle.
Although weights were down for a club that often brings the best to the scales, hefty bass were still brought to the scales. The club had sixteen teams represented. Team Hayes and Dodson managed to find just under 18 pounds for the win. The team also had Big Fish honors with a lunker weighing 5-14.875 pounds. The club weighed in a total of 48 fish for a combined total of 122 pounds. Second place winners, Team McLean and McLean scored five fish at 13-10.250 pounds. Third place went to Team Elmore and Watkins, who had five fish weighing 13-01.875 pounds. Fourth place went to Team Cross and Wilson with four fish at 11-04.875 pounds, while fifth went to Team Gardner and Dennis five fish at 10-15.250 pounds. Members of the thirty-year-old club are active and retired members of the city’s fire service. |
Organizer Jack Scott expects yet another big field turnout for the 3rd Annual Children’s Miracle Network Bass Team Tournament this coming weekend on High Rock. With area bass fishermen rating the lake as a top place to catch the green monsters and a cause well-worth supporting, he’s probably right. In past seasons, the marina waters surrounding Tamarac have been swamped with bass boats joining the quest for a $1,000 payout to win. Although registrations have been coming in for weeks, the sign up can happen the morning of the event. Scott recommends getting there early if registration paperwork hasn’t been completed. “It’s a pretty busy place that morning with so many anglers,” he stated. With a safelight blast off, it’s a scramble to get last-minute sign ups finished. Cost is just $90 per team in the five-fish event. Big Fish is an optional $10 and pays out two places. A cook-out happens after weigh in is completed. Forty dollars from each entry goes directly to the Children’s Miracle Network. Door prizes will be handed out for those buying the $1 tickets at the event. For more information, contact Jack Scott at 704-213-7142 or email him at tarheel4ever1228@live.com. |
May 22, 2010 Info and Photo Courtesy of Tony Garitta The BFL Piedmont Division made it all about High Rock last weekend as 1,663 pounds of bass were drawn out of the post-spawn waters. A combination of transition strategies using soft plastics in 6 to 10 feet of water and buzzbaits and jigs in the shallower structure were keys to big weights for the near-one hundred boats turning out. Only two boaters managed to break the twenty pound mark after launching from the Tamarac Marina at 6 AM. Eric Rothrock of High Point claimed the $4,037 first place boater prize with 23 pounds 12 ounces, while Howard Bean of Salisbury claimed the second place, $2,019 purse with 21 pounds 1 ounce. The remainder of top five placers were: 3rd - Jordan Card of Cary with 19-06 for $1,345; The boater division had 58 five-fish limits. A total of 651 bass from both divisions came to the scales. In the Co-Angler division, Lee Williams of Durham scored a total 18-10 pounds for $1,944, and Co-angler Big Fish, a 5-12 pounder for $262. Second went to Jim Petrous of Stafford, Va. who found 13-09 pounds worth $972. Jamie Baynard of Clayton rounded out the top three with 13-07 pounds for $649. The BFL Piedmont will move on to Kerr Lake on June 26. |
May 15, 2010 By Fishbyte.Net Pro Staff Writer Les Tolley The BFL North Carolina Division took on a hot biting High Rock Lake under clear, warm, and sunny conditions and the bass were in a feeding frenzy.
In the boater division, Concord, North Carolina’s Maurice Freeze took top honors with five fish weighing 19.11 pounds for a nice cash payday of $6,679. Not bad for only 8 hours of fishing. Second place went to High Point North Carolinas Michael Hedgecock with five fish weighing 18.15 pounds for a cash total of $1,840. In the Co-Angler division top honors went to Brad Wright from Granite Falls, North Carolina with five bass totaling 16.05 pounds. He took home $1,840. Second place with five fish weighing 15.0 pounds was Curtis Sims from Woolwine, VA . Third place went to Linwood North Carolina’s Tim Hawley with five bass totaling 14.03 pounds. Finishing in fourth place and taking Big Fish honors was Lexington, North Carolinas Orlando Giles with a huge lunker weighing in at 6.02 pounds. Next up for the North Carolina Division will be at High Rock Lake on June 19th 2010. |
May 9, 2010 For those looking to take advantage of a dramatic shift in air temperatures created by a northern high front busting into North Carolina, Sunday was the day to do it. Most anglers were hoping the barometric pressure change and gusty winds would revive bass bite. In fact, for High Rock Lake, it may have kept bite down.
Fourteen boats showed up at the Southmont Access for the weekly open series on Mothers’ Day. Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave were at the reins again as directors, keeping a 6:30 AM to 2:30 PM at $35. “After some discussions with the guys, we decided to keep things as they have been,” stated Giles. “We do have new digital scales to use thanks to Tony Waterhouse and we’re glad to see the hanging scales go.” For Tom Ludwick and Tom File, the wind was something the pair wanted. They managed 16.81 pounds for first. The event paid the first two places and no Big Fish. Billy Lawson and partner, Sam Smith, returned to a payout position with 14.65 pounds, good enough for second. Michael Kinard and Shaun Miller finished third with 14.52 pounds, while Marty Williams and Tom Sargent finished fourth with 12.44 pounds. Anglers reported throwing a variety of baits with varying luck in different parts of the lake. For the most, spinner baits on windy points and soft plastics in quieter coves seemed to head everyone’s strategies. Everyone reported numerous fish caught, but far too many were on the short side of the Golden Rule. For more information, contact Giles at 336-357-0473 or Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. Info is also posted on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
Lambeth Wins Carolina Bass Rustlers Event May Day found High Rock Lake a busy place for bass anglers and the Carolina Bass Rustlers added their bruising to the bass in the pond. The club, which numbers sixteen members, made that location the fourth stop in their March to December season. Dean Lambeth put the biggest hurt on the fish, drawing five keepers into his boat. A 5.41 pounder lead his catch and became Big Fish of the event. His total weigh-in hit the 18.60 pound mark at the scales. Matt Kfellar also found five keepers and placed second with 11.87 pounds. Harold Johnson finished third with four fish and 9.83 pounds. |
May 1, 2010 By Les Tolley It was a warm, windy, and beautiful morning when the new Yadkin Yahoo Bass Club of Rowan County blasted off on High Rock Lake. Founder/director Andy Herring was very pleased that every boat that participated brought fish to the scales. “We are a new and small club ,but small clubs have some really good fishermen,” stated Herring. The team of Les McLean and Les Tolley teamed up to win the tournament with five fish weighing 15.03 pounds. They also took Big Fish honors with a nice 3.85 pound bass. “The bite was really tough today so the spinner bait really paid off,” stated Tolley after the event. In second place with a five fish limit totaling 10.92 pounds was the team of Randy Bryant and Shane Mullins . Their big fish weighed 3.54 pounds. The next event for the Yahoo Bass Club will be held June 5th at Badin Lake from the Alcoa Landing starting at 6:30 AM. For info on The Yahoo Club, contact director Andy Herring at 704 791-9222. |
Sink And Mixon Pound Rock For 23 In Championship Fishing Yadkin
It seems like everyone loves High Rock, and after a successful outing there on Sunday, Steve Sink and Robert Mixon like it even more. The pair used a 23.47 pound haul to grab the third event of Championship Fishing’s Yadkin Division. Nineteen boat teams used a per fish average weight of 2.84 pounds to wrack up impressive numbers at the scales. Fifteen teams weighed in seventy fish at the end of the event. Championship Fishing sponsors three divisions, including two others… the Catawba and Capitol. Tracy Adams and Chad Everhardt were Sin and Mixon’s closest threat. The second place team scored 21.39 pounds in five fish. Their anchor became Big Fish of the tournament, a 6.33 pounder. Third place went to Tony Waterhouse and Justin Goodyear who had 17.01 pounds. In fourth were Carty Sealy and Andy Nix with 15.26 pounds. The Yadkin Division hits the water next on Lake Tillery at Cook’s Marina on June 5th. For more information about the Trail, contact Tony Furr at 704-467-1598 or visit their web site. Details are also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. Championship Fishing runs a Yadkin, Capital and Catawba Trail. |
Lake Side Village was a hum of activity a couple weeks ago when a new and convenient-to-anglers shop near the Southmont Wildlife Access ramps held a successful grand opening. Located on High Rock off Highway 8, Lake House Pizza sponsors fishing tournament coverage by helping make coverage of all fishing events at High Rock possible. Clint King, UARA-STARS Series Late Model driver was onsite with his team racing rig, signing autographs throughout the day. Fishbyte.Net, a local band, and the local fire department were also on hand to celebrate the opening. A crowd of well-wishers poured in, spending time with the displays and grabbing a bite to eat. With several tournaments right around the corner, it was a busy day at High Rock. Lake House Pizza offers free, dockside delivery on High Rock Lake and is located less than a mile from the Southmont Wildlife Access. Anglers drive right by the location as they turn off Highway 8 onto the road leading to the landing. Give them a call or stop-in and tell them thanks for supporting your fishing club and all anglers! |
Lane Wins Co-Angler With 12.34 April 10, 2010 Information and Photos Courtesy of Tony Garitta The American Bass Anglers brought the Toyota Tundra Bassmasters Weekend Series Division 5 competition to High Rock two weeks ago, and it was all about weight, as the first five boaters scored beyond the seventeen pound mark. Fifty-four boats went after bass flirting with beds in murky waters and creeks leading out of the main channel were busy. Terry James of Wadesboro, NC took top honors in the Boater division and $2,164 home when he sagged the scales with 19.19 pounds at the Tamarac marina end. His bag included a 7.18 pound monster that narrowly pushed his total beyond the second place finisher. Tom Ludwick of Salisbury, NC was that closest boater with 18.18 pounds worth $1,307. Chris Brown of Lexington, NC took third with 17.53 pounds and earned $871. Shane Miller of Tobaccoville, NC had the solo haul of the event, finding a 7.90 pound bass valued at $300. On the Co-angler side of the boat, of Granite Falls, NC hooked a bag weight of 12.34 pounds to win the $1,205 purse. Big Fish in that competition was a 7.10 pound hawg found by Charlie Wood of Thomasville, NC. That angler also finished third overall in the co-angler portion. The tour moves to Kerr Lake May 22nd and will use the Satterwhite Point ramps. Divisional one-day and two-day events pay based on number of boats and participants must be members of the ABA and BASS. To join the ABA call 1-888-203-6222 or visit www.AmericanBassAnglers.com. To join BASS, call 1-877-BASSUSA or visit www.Bassmaster.com. |
April 12, 2010 Story & Photos Courtesy of Charles McLean For members of the High Point Fire Department Bass Anglers, getting started early on a fishing day is never an option. The club of more than thirty years doesn’t know a normal schedule, typical of those who serve as rescue operations. Fourteen teams of present and past firemen arrived at High Rock last week for a 10 AM blast off, a time that fits the shift work they live with. The club numbers fifty members total.
The Team McLean and Tolley boat made good use of their time on the water, finding almost twenty-five pounds of bass. Their five-fish, 24 pound 9.875 ounce bag included a 6 pound 13.25 ounce anchor that stole Big Fish of the outing. That bag weight represented almost 25% of the fish caught. Team Mendenhall and McClamrock finished second with a five-fish 14 pound .875 ounce bag, while Team Gardner and Dennis scored 10 pounds .25 ounces for third. Teams Cross and Wilson had 8.0.375 pounds and team Elmore and Watkins had 8.0.375 pounds. Both the final two placers had two fish in their bags. |
Three of the teams found limits under sunny skies with air temps in the eighties. “The lake was under full pool and we all found waters averaging between 65 and 70 degrees,” stated member Charles McLean. Each team brought at least one fish to the 6 PM weigh in. The event was the fourth on their closed-club schedule.
Yadkin Team Makes Its Rounds At The Rock Saturday was a busy day at the Tamarac Marina, with multiple tournaments and many recreational boaters. Amidst the crowds and boats, one easily distinguishable feature was the tournament trailer parked under the trees, which is operated by Carl Benton of the Yadkin Team Bass Trail. The Trail’s numbers have fluctuated through the years, but Benton has been leading trails since 1988 and the Team’s members have always been able to find fish.
This weekend was no different as each one of the ten boat teams had something to show at the end of the day. Sam Smith and Billy Jo Allport won 1st place with a solid 16.83 pounds. Todd Show and Chris Brown took second with 14.53 lbs. Not even a quarter-pound behind were Brad Peyton and Chuck Huffman, with 14.36 pounds. They also had Big Fish weighing 6.88 pounds. It was a good day for Sam and Billy, as they fish High Rock frequently together, but had yet to win a tournament. Carl Benton will be leading another Trail on Sundays that will start in July and end with a Fish-off in December. The tournaments will be open to the public and should provide a good opportunity for anglers to compete on a Sunday. The next Yadkin Team event is on May 15th at Tuckertown. For more information contact Carl and Diane Benton - Yadkin Promotions at 336-859-4366. A complete schedule can also be found on Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
April 17, 2010 Every so often, the Mid-State Bass Anglers deviates from its normal club schedule and hosts an Open Tournament. Respectable payouts, good competition and free biscuits make those competitions popular events each year. This past Saturday, twenty-five boats lined the road leading to the Tamarac Wildlife access, as teams registered for the tournament and dropped their boats into the water. Beautiful weather and vastly improved water conditions helped several teams find fish and fill wells. At weigh in, recreational traffic and one other competition slowed the return to the scales, but Roy Barrow and Jerry Bullaboy wouldn’t be outdone by other anglers or the day-fun crowd. The pair patiently scored their first place prize with 18.04 pounds and took home $610.
Bobby Gill and Jim Harris slid in three pounds back for a second place showing with 15.06 pounds and carried $390 to the house. Third went to Mark Brown and Wade Smith at 15.01 pounds. Rob W. caught Big Fish at 6.03 pounds. Mid-State will host another Open on Badin Lake May 8th using the Alcoa Access. The event will run from 6 AM to 2 PM.
For more information, contact Ron Tuck at ronnwendytuck@yahoo.com, 704-239-6154. A complete schedule can also be found on Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
Regular club tournaments are held on the Yadkin & Catawba chains and average about 20-25 boats per tournament. Cost for monthly events is $70 plus a $10 Big Fish option. Info can be viewed at Whisnant Scores Win At High Rock Twenty six of the best headed for High Rock early last Sunday to battle Badin bass. The Southmont ramps off Highway 8 hosted the Yadkin One-On-One Invitational Series, a popular group that attracts some of the most-competitive anglers on the Yadkin Chain. Although experience on the water is often a huge factor in the outcome of events, a number of younger anglers are making their mark and inroads into winning ways. Kyle Whisnant, an angler often found fishing in a variety of events across the region, proved the value of time invested, finding 17.24 pounds for first. Veteran Robbie Swicegood boated 14.83 pounds, barely holding on to the second spot by a crankbait’s weight. Another strong, young competitor often winning and placing in events, Nick Nance, took third with 14.59 pounds. Doug Ayers netted the solo prize and Big Fish honors with a 5.86 pounder. The Yadkin One-On-One group is back on the water this coming Sunday, April 18, at Badin Lake and the Lakemont Landing (Whippowill). 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. |
Although fishing has heated up a bunch these past few weeks, it's about to get even hotter. A favorite open bass event and a favorite lake are about to go head-to-head in an eight-hour shoot out. The Mid-State bass Anglers are hosting their 4th Annual Open Bass Tournament on High Rock Saturday, April 17th. No one can resist the larger northern lake on the Yadkin Chain and this event times it perfectly as pre-spawn turns to full-blown fishing action. The Mid-Staters take a break from their regular eleven event season to host a favorite gathering for bass anglers. Action will begin at the Bringle Ferry Wildlife Access at 5:30 AM when registration kicks off. Cost is $70 per team with an optional $10 Big Fish side bet. With a field of forty boats at blast off, the event will pay out $1,000 to the winners. Based on past years' participation levels, the time of year and the lake being used, that number of teams and more is anticipated. Free sausage biscuits and donuts will be provided that morning to registrants. Blast off will be at 6:30 AM with a 2:30 PM weigh in. For more information, contact Ron Tuck at ronnwendytuck@yahoo.com. |
For anglers using the east side of High Rock as a launch, the lake now comes with an added bonus. Weigh-ins at the Southmont Ramps will never be the same, thanks to a new shop located on Highway 8 at the turn to the landing area. Lake House Pizza will fast become a place to stop on the way home. As one of the latest area businesses to sign on as a sponsor of your fishing tournament coverage, the take out and delivery efforts are a welcome and convenient addition for fishermen. After a long work week and then a day out fishing, support the Fishbyte.Net efforts and make your family happy by bringing them some fresh pizza from Lake House Pizza on High Rock Lake. Sandwiches, hot subs, pizza and a variety of hot wings can be ready promptly. Lake House Pizza is conveniently located in Lakeside Village right next to the Southmont Landing on High Rock Lake. They offer free delivery and take-out and will deliver to the Southmont Landing, the Flat Swamp Launch and the Buttle Landing. Give them a call as you motor off the lake and the pizza will be waiting for you at the landing. Lake House Pizza will have their Grand Opening on April 17th. They will have free samples, a live band, a raffle and Clint King the UARA-STARS Series Late Model Stock Car Driver will be onsite. Lake House Pizza is a family-owned and operated business. The owners reside on High Rock Lake in Flat Swamp, and recognized the need for a good, homemade pizza delivery restaurant in their hometown. Lake House Pizza has recently cast its support to the thousands of Anglers in the area and their clubs by sponsoring Fishbyte.net. They are open Sun-Thurs 11 AM to 10 PM and Fri and Sat 11 AM to midnight. |
Did that “honey-do list” or your boss at work keep you from getting to a lake on Saturday? Do you just want to fish both days of the weekend? The High Rock Sunday Wildcats series is the best way to get your fishing fix on any given weekend this time of year, but you’ll need to bring a good game. A winning bag holding nearly twenty-eight pounds was the mark to hit on Easter Sunday.
The weekly events are open to the public, moderately competitive at $35 per boat, and always fun to fish. The Fishbyte.net crew occasionally enjoys fishing these Sunday tournaments. Brian Morgan and Ramon Stockham won first place and Big Fish this past Sunday with a whopping 27.7 pounds. Other large bags were brought to the scales, but nothing could touch the almost 28 pound bag. Their Big Fish weighed 6.7 pounds. Morgan and Stockham had some difficulty in the morning, and found most of their fish in the last three hours of the tournament. They primarily used crank-baits and caught the bulk of their fish in the Abbotts Creek portion of High Rock. The High Rock Sunday Wildcats blast-off every Sunday at Safe-light from the Southmont Landing and generally weigh-in at 2:30. For more information, contact Orlando Giles at 336-357-0473 or Joey Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. Info is also posted on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
The first of five bass tournaments for a group hoping to raise funds for the Newton Flames Elite Program is in the books and the series is off to a good start. The Hooks for Hoops Bass Fishing Classics supports a 12-and-under AAU/BOA girls basketball team and isn't afraid to work hard to get the job done.
Nine boat teams turned out for the first event on High Rock, held at the Tamarac Marina on the west side of the lake. Cost to enter the open events is $100 per boat and pays back eighty percent (early registration $90). The $10 Big Fish option pays back one hundred percent. All tournaments have a five-fish limit. Two places are paid. The Flames web site, www.newtonflameselite.net, has information about the group. They can also be found on Facebook.
Tim Hawley and Jeff Hartley bested all other for first place and big fish, winning a total of $610. They had five fish and a total weight of 20.08 pounds. Their Big fish weighed 5.40 pounds. John Drew and Howard Beam took second place with a total weight of 19.90 pounds, winning $200 with their five fish limit. Carolina Glove gave a pair of gloves to each fishermen who participated. A $50 gift card to Bailey's Steakhouse in Salisbury was given away by drawing. All gift cards are donated by individuals or businesses. The events use High Rock, Lake James, Wylie, and Norman for the tournaments. The next event will be held on Lake James and the Black Bear Access on April 24th. For more information about upcoming events, call the tournament director, Brian Morgan, at 828-217-6372 or 828-217-5431, or email Kabernethy70@hotmail.com. Information is also available on the Fishbyte.Net Calendar and Forums. |
High Rock Wildcat Group Gaining in Popularity
For those who don’t fulfill their fishing craving on Saturday and want to compete on Sunday, there is good news. The High Rock Sunday Wildcats group competes every Sunday and is open to the public. After their third meeting of the year, more teams are coming to fish and more big fish are coming to the scales. Fifteen boat teams left the Southmont Wildlife Access this last Sunday in hopes of hooking some big bass. Director, Orlando Giles was busy at the scales at 2:30, as several teams had big bags to weigh. Shawn Miller and Michael Kinnard won first place and Big Fish. The Big Fish weighed 4.9 pounds, while their total bag weighed 22.2 pounds. They took home $290 for their hard work. Jonny Allen came in second with a respectable bag weighing 18.1 pounds. Brothers, Dwayne and Chuck Hughes took third, having 16.3 pounds. Second place paid $150 and third paid $80. The High Rock Sunday open series draws competitive anglers from several areas of central North Carolina and costs $35 per boat. A small portion of all entry fees is saved and allocated for the end of year championship. For more information, contact Giles at 336-357-0473 or Joey Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. Info is also posted on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
Benton's Yadkin Team Bass Puts Beating On High Rock Some new winners emerged this last weekend after the second outing of Carl Benton's Yadkin Team Bass series. The club staged an attack on High Rock Saturday that saw over twenty pounds of fish as the winning bag.
Anglers found plenty of clear and warmer waters up the creeks and cashed in on heavier results. John Drew of Gold Hill and Howard Bean of Salisbury carried a 20.39 pound sack to the Tamarac Marina weigh in, which netted them first place and a $386 payoff. It was their first win and purse of the 2010 season. Second placers, Brad Peyton of Salisbury and Chuck Huffman of Elon scored with a 15.82 pound bag that paid $200. They also found themselves placing for the first time in the season. Third placers, Jon Smith of Thomasville and Jarrett Freeze of Landis, won the club's February 27 event on Badin. They hauled 15.16 pounds of bass out of High Rock to settle for third, Winnings on the day were $85. Big fish honors belonged to Joseph Arnold of Mocksville and Jack Vanderford, who netted a 6 pound-even bass that put $71.50 back in their pockets. 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 club fishes 10 events with fish off in October. The Trail's next event is March 27 at Badin and the Circle Drive landing from 7 AM to 3PM. 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. |
Old Lakers Hit High Rock For Second Event Although High Rock's Southmont Landing was busy with club events last Saturday, one club had it figured out. Before other groups could arrive and get organized, fifteen boats from the Old Lake Bassmasters broke water on the main channel. The Triad area club, the first NC club to be affiliated with B.A.S.S. And begun in 1968, came back at 3 PM. The club's membership usually numbers fifteen to twenty-five members and they are looking for additional anglers. They fish an eleven-event season, which culminates at a November Classic. Their next event is April 17 at Buggs Island. The group meets at Gander Mountain in Greensboro. Austin Reitzel grabbed honors in the Saturday outing in waters that had warmed as much as eight degrees over the past week. His three fish weighed over 10 pounds. Veteran Neil McDonald, who fishes with a number of clubs, placed second and caught Big Fish, a 7.25 pound monster. Third place went to David Ginther with over five pounds of bass in two fish. Club dues are $100 annually, which is based on $10 per tournament. Club dues are adjusted accordingly for new members and their dues will be based on $10 per remaining tournament for the year, according to organizer Ginther. The cost of the tournament is $25 and that includes big fish. For more information about joining the club, contact David Ginther at 336-643-0259 or email him at davidlginther@aol.com. Info is also available on the Fishbyte.Net pages. |
Rogers Wins ABA AFT West Div. 14 Event Amidst a confusing combination of sun and brief, but heavy showers, Gary Rogers managed to outcast other members of the American Fishing Tours AFT West Division 14 Saturday. Ten boat teams chased after bass on High Rock with a limited amount of success. With water temperatures just beginning to stir the fish in to action, results across the region still remain spotty.
According to Director, Tonnie Tucker, the Division is part of a national series that is “The largest tournament trail for the weekend angler”. The series' web site is located at www.americanbassanglers.com where information about all local clubs can be found. Members found waters had warmed as much as eight degrees since the previous weekend and Flat Swamp, the place for action seven days ago, was not as productive as before. Rogers caught his fish on a DTT 10 crankbait. His 6.04 pounds in three fish was what it took to win. His winnings were $360. Wayne Skipworth hauled one lunker to the scales, a 3.35 pounder enough for Big Fish and second place. Jeff Klein took third with one fish weighing 2.94 pounds. Three other anglers, Paul Tsolkas (2.81), Tonnie Tucker (2.46), and Kenny Handy (2.29) brought fish to weigh in. The club moves on to Badin and the Circle drive Landing March 27th. For more information about joining the group, contact director Tonnie Tucker by email at htucker001@triad.rr.com or by phone at336-859-3902. |
It was a day for striper fishing and the Tarheel Striper Club came to town as hungry as the High Rock fish were. Twenty-seven boat teams from the club rolled out of the busy Southmont landing early Saturday AM to put a pounding on the big fish in the lake. Within minutes of starting their troll, boats were reporting “fish in the box”.
President, Jay “Chilly” Childress was ecstatic as the first fish caught reports began to roll in. The club monitors Marine radio channel 68 during its events and the members keep a friendly chat going between boats all day. While the group is there to compete, they share tips and advice over the radio network all day, helping each other catch more fish. According to Childress,”We are the premier traveling Striper Club in the Tarheel Sate. We fish all over North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.” Club dues are just $30 per year. The payment includes Big Fish of the Year, website access, message board access, and access to the club's private forum. “You also have access to some great folks, and you can enter all of the club's fishing tournaments” added the president.
The group gathers for 15 events from February through December and individual tournament fees are only $20 plus an optional $5 per person big fish pot.
At weigh in time, every boat team knew the money spent to travel to high Rock was worth every penny. Nearly everyone weighed in fish and a pile of big specimens were loaded onto scales. Each participant was greet by a constant, friendly ribbing from the large crowd that gathered to watch. When the scales closed, it was Childress and partner, Blake Phillips, who escaped with the win. The pair put 25.45 pounds of striper in the ox during the three-fish limit event. Tommy and John Hackworth piled in a close second with 21.45 pounds. Third place was won by Jamie and Garret Randy who boated 20.10 pounds. Big Fish of the day, a stunning 15.80 pounder caught by Bobby Workman, Butch Hendrix, and Todd Mason, drew cheers from the crowd. The Tarheel Stripers move on to Lake Hickory on April 14th, using the Oxford Dam Ramp. Time of the event is 6 AM to 3 PM. For more information about the club, visit their web site at www.tarheelstriperclub.com/phpBB3/index.php. Or contact Childress at 919-478-6620 or by email at chilly3@vzw.blackberry.net. A schedule and info is also available on the Fishbyte.Net pages. |
High Rock And Hope Combine For Benefit Tourney
Anglers look for reasons to fish High Rock and the Hope Baptist Church provided one last Saturday. The Sophia, NC church hosted a fund-raiser out of the Southmont Landing and seven bass boat teams turned out for the fun. On a crowded access ramp, the church set up was obvious in the early morning hours. A canopy and lights told registrants where to sign in. Cost for the seventy-five percent payback competition was $100 per boat with a $10 Big Fish pot. Tournament coordinators Mike and Larry Routh hoped for a bigger showing, but it was a good start. The 7 AM to 2:30 PM event slid out after three other clubs and was back in just before all returned.
Although the field was small, anglers managed to score some of the better bass weights of the day on High Rock. Bryan and Larry Welch hit the jackpot with 13.82 pounds with five fish. Their largest was a 3.515 pounder. The pair took home the full $575 prize. Second placers and no strangers to area tournaments, Les Tolley and son, Derek, walked in 11.295 pounds. The team's solo monster, a 5.645 pound hawg, took Big Fish honors and earned them $70. Les Tolley serves a director of the Booyah Bass Club, a group that fishes the Yadkin chain. Info is available on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. Eric Ward and Adam Hurley also scored well with 10.54 pounds to place third. Frankie Lohr took fourth with a fat 2.75 pounder. Steve McSwain serves as Pastor of Hope Baptist Church. |
A favorite, early-morning, gathering place for anglers during the 2090 season was the Southmont Access on High Rock every Sunday. And, although temperatures hovered around 24 degrees last weekend at safelight, ten boat teams showed up for the kick off of the high Rock Sunday Wildcats.
The weatherman predicted the warmest day in weeks, and, for once, the outlook was true. Clear skies and sunshine began to warm cold waters. Average temps on the main channel were about 42 degrees, a bit too cold for hungry bite. Anglers headed up creeks, barely sliding under the bridges and trestles on the near-full pond. Flat Swamp was a favorite and fishermen found water as warm as 48 degrees in places. New to the tournament scene, Dereck Wallace and Andrew Livingston added a second win in as many days on the lake. The pair of youngsters dragged in three bass with a combined weight of 6.9 pounds. They earned $160 for that spot. As they had done the day before, the pair used spinnerbaits exclusively. Their biggest bass was 2.5 pounds. Jerry Bono and Justin Goodyear placed second with 5.5 pounds. They won $70. Part of their catch was a solid 3.3 pounder, enough to nail the Big Fish pot of $45.
Billy Alpert and partner, Sam, took third, just out of the money, with 3.8 pounds. Their largest fish was 2.0 pounds. Only three boats weighed in fish. According to directors Orlando Giles and Joey Musgrave, the Wildcats will fish from 7 AM to 2 PM on Sunday, March 14. Hours will adjust the following week to reflect the time change. For more information, contact Giles at 336-357-0473 or Musgrave at 336-239-5441 or by email at jmusgrave1@tried.rr.com. Info is also posted on the Fishbyte.net Calendar and Forums. |
Southern Crappie Mauls And Masters High Rock While bass anglers struggle with dazed and stubborn fish, the Southern Crappie Association neared its 2009 – 2010 season end with a master's touch of High Rock last weekend. A majority of the forty four boat teams brought a limit of seven fish to the scales at day's end.
Hill's Minnow Farm (www.hillsminnowfarm.com) and major sponsor of the Association, hosted the 3 PM to 4 PM weigh in. The family-run operation, in business for forty years, is located 2 miles north of the lake on Bringle Ferry Road. “It's great to have you all here today,” stated an excited Terry Hill as the scales were closing. “It's been a great day weather-wise and we're proud to have so many of you here.” About half way through the weigh in process, Rick “Capp” Eudy and Darren Koontz hauled 11.40 pounds out of their bucket to launch themselves into a clear lead. That weight went unchallenged the rest of the afternoon and the pair won $1,000. Big Fish of the day was caught Dennis Morgan with teammate Nelson Henderson. The big crappie tipped the scales at 2.34 pounds. Second place was worth $530 and was claimed with 8.68 pounds, caught by James Landon and Terry Goforth. Robert Jackson and Chip Knight took third with 8.62 pounds. Just six-hundreds of a pound away from second place, they earned $200. Fourth place went to Tom Sprouse and Steve Gentry, who caught 8.58 pounds of crappie worth $210. Fifth placers, Sam and Marty Kennington found 8.46 pounds worth $180. The crappie trail began back in October and will end in April when the association holds its season-ending, two-day classic at Greenwood in South Carolina. For more information about the Association, visit the group's web site at www.southerncrappie.com or contact president Melissa Hinson at melissa@southerncrappie.com. |
It was one of the first limits of five fished weighed for some time on the Yadkin Chain and it was enough to win the Triple H Bass Club's Benefit Tournament for Girl Scout Troop 40853. although turnout was light, probably due to overly-poor fishing luck and cold temperatures, the club managed to raise some funds for the local group.
Newcomers Andrew Wallace and Dereck Livingston showed all that youth can't be discounted, as the pair hauled five to the 2:30 PM scales. According to Wallace, all the fish were caught on spinnerbaits. Waters up the creeks, and especially Flat Swamp were clear. Water temps rose from the main channel's 42 degree average to as much as 48 degrees far up the creeks. The pair took home $120 for their efforts. “We caught them pulling out or coming up,” stated Wallace. “It was just our day.” The next tournament for the Triple H Bass Club is on Tuckertown Reservoir March 21st. For more information about the group, contact McRoberts at 336-215-4402 or by emailing him at jmcroberts@triad.rr.com. The club's web site is www.triplehbassclub.com. McRoberts owns his own taxidermy shop which can be visited online at wildlife@livingreflectionstaxidermy.com. |
Access
HIGH ROCK LAKE |
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Access Name |
County |
Sponsor |
Directions |
| Southmont Boat Access | Davidson | Alcoa | On N.C. 8, south of Lexington |
| York Hill Boat Access | Davidson | Alcoa | On U.S. 29/70, southwest of Lexington |
| Little Cane Creek | Rowan | Alcoa | On Providence Church Road, off Bringle Ferry Road, east of Salisbury |
| Buddle Creek Boat Access | Davidson | Alcoa | On Holloway Church Road, off N.C. 8, south of Lexington |
| Flat Swamp Boat Access | Davidson | Alcoa | On N.C. 8, west of Denton |
| Rowan County Pump Station | Rowan | Rowan County Parks & Recreation | On Old Mocksville Road, north of Salisbury |
| Dutch Second | Rowan | NC Wildlife Resources Commission | On Bringle Ferry Road (S.R. 1002), northeast of Rockwell |