ECU angler catches 10.45-pound bass, wins Cashion College Clash

Mike Corbishley earns big bass honors, and takes 1st place

Mike Corbishley caught a 10.45-pound bass, his personal best, this past weekend on Falls Lake. The best part – he caught it during a tournament. Corbishley, who fishes for the East Carolina University Fishing Team, was participating in the Cashion College Clash, a tournament series for college fishing teams within the state of North Carolina.

The big bass anchored Corbishley’s 18.22-pound bag. He caught the brute on a Spro Aruku Shad in Mud Bug Red. “Shad were schooling and I found one point just loaded with the baitfish. I was burning the Aruku crankbait down the points, and I caught two small keepers out of that hole, then I made a cast and the lure just stopped as soon as it hit the water,” he said.

Fishing alone, Corbishley understandably found it a challenge to get the big fish in his boat. “That big bass hit it immediately, and I couldn’t turn it at first. It stripped off drag for about 15-seconds before I finally got it to turn, then I awkwardly, somehow, got it in the net and into the boat,” he said.

Corbishley was so excited about landing the big bass that he said he missed another big one a few minutes later in the same spot. “My adrenaline was just pumping, and I got too aggressive trying to horse that next big one in, and I lost it,” he said.

Luckily, Corbishley’s trip to the scales proved that lost fish didn’t hurt him. His 18.22-pound limit of five fish was enough to give him the win by more than 5-pounds over second places finishers Austin Moore and Austin Frazier of UNC Greensboro and their 12.82-pound bag.

Corbishley, who caught all his fish on a JB Custom medium cranking rod, said he felt good going into the weigh-in. “This time of year, bass bite pretty good on Falls Lake, but it’s not always easy to catch a big one. I figured it was going to take about 13-pounds to win the tournament, so knowing I had a 10+ pounder to anchor my limit, I felt pretty confident I was going to win it,” he said.

Using crankbaits is a good bet on Falls Lake this time of year, Corbishley said, but there is more to it than just tying any old crankbait onto a multipurpose fishing rod. “Outhouse Tackle in Raleigh is the place to go for crankbait fishing advice. Jerry can help anglers get the best rod, reel, and line combo. He also knows what lures and colors work on the area’s waterways. He’s got solid advice and they’ve got everything you need right there,” said Corbishley.