Jerkbait produces 24 1/4-pound limit worth more than $7,000
After the first five or six anglers each brought one fish to the scales at the March 2 Walmart Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division tournament at High Rock Lake, Salisbury’s Kenny Seagle stunned the crowd at Tamarac Marina by bringing in a 5-fish limit that weighed a whopping 24 pounds, 4 ounces.
Seagle easily captured the first-place prize of $3,641 plus a Ranger Cup bonus of $2,000 and a Mercury motor bonus of $1,000. He also received $475 for a hefty 8-pound, 8-ounce bass, the big fish of the day.
Seagle’s haul was impressive given the conditions at High Rock. With temperatures hovering in the 40s and with cold, muddy lake water so high that most fishermen couldn’t pass under the Abbotts Creek and Flat Swamp bridges, the fishing was terrible. Fifty-eight boaters got skunked; only nine caught more than one fish. Just two 5-fish limits were caught, and the 95 boaters weighed in a scant 55 fish.
Seagle caught most of his fish from 9 to 10 a.m., almost within sight of the marina. He used an orange-bellied jerkbait that enticed fish suspended over deep brush to strike.
Randy Childers of Anderson, S.C., had the other limit, using black/blue jigs to finish second with 20-4. He received $1,820.
Other top Tar Heel finishers were: Tom File of Salisbury, third with 11-3 for $1,214; Mike Miller of Trinity, fourth with 10-8, for $850; Chris Baldwin of Lexington, fifth with 8-10 for $728; David Drye of New London, sixth with 6-12 for $688; Chad Poteat of Mount Airy, seventh with 6-11 for $607; John Drew of Gold Hill, eighth with 6-4 for $546; Steve Wagner of Raleigh, ninth with 5-15 for $485; and Dwayne Hughes of Lexington, 11th with 5-1 for $382.
Raleigh’s Zak Davenport topped the co-anglers with 10-14, winning $1,820. Jerry Robbins of Asheboro claimed the co-angler big-fish prize of $237 with a 5-pound, 13-ounce bass.
OTHER BASS TOURNAMENTS
Walmart BFL N.C. Division, Lake Norman, Feb. 23
1. James Blankenship (Lexington), 14-0, $4,235; 2. Gordon Smith, (Lake Wylie, S.C.), 13-11, $2,118; 3. Nathan Webber (Lake Wylie, S.C.), 13-8), $1,413 plus $300 Evinrude bonus; 4. Wayne Hauser (Mooresville) and Shane Lineberger (Lincolnton), 13-7 and, $917 each; 6. Larry Houser (Lincolnton), 13-5, $776; 7. Drew Montgomery (Denver), 12-10, $706; 8. Pete Bejte (Charlotte), 12-8, $635 plus $300 Evinrude bonus; 9. Brian Travis (Conover), 11-13, $565; 10. Kevin Toler (Statesville), 11-11, $494.
Co-anglers
1. Tripp Toney (Rutherfordton), 12-2, $2,118; 3. Andrew Shundich (Cornelius), 8-4, $706; 4. George Hirapetian (Charlotte), 8-0, $494; 5. Mark Murphy (Kannapolis) tied Charles Wood (Thomasville), 7-13, $406 each; 7. Johnny Guffey (Bessemer City), 7-12, $353; 8. Nicholas Shaver (Marion), 7-10, $318; Brooks Singletary (Cherryville), 7-1, $282; 10. Thomas McDermott (Madison), 7-0, $247.
Boats Unlimited Team Tournament Bass Trail
Shearon Harris Lake, Feb. 16
1. Jamie Fajardo (Fuquay-Varina)-Phillip Eakes (Rougemont), 24.15, $1,152; 2. Billy Bledsoe (Fayetteville)-Stump Bledsoe (Hope Mills), 18.04, $624; 3. Stephen Lasher (Bahama)-Cody Shuffler (Hickory), 13.82, $528; 4. Curtis Vaughn (Rougemont)-Charles Vaughn (Timberlake), 13.16, $480; 5. Jerry Marshburn (Sanford)-Rick Ohlson (Garner), 12.99, $384; 6.Allen White-Drew Johnson (Clayton), 12.66, $336; Geno McCree-Phillip Johnson (Durham), 11.37, $288; 8. Ricky Petty (Gibsonville)-Jason Michael (Reidsville), 11.21, $240; 9. Neil Roberson (Rocky Mount)-Jeff Barfield (Holly Springs), 11.18, $240; 10. Rodger Clary (Butner)-Merie Knott (Durham), 10.55, $192.
Shearon Harris Lake, March 2
1. Erik Ross-Lee Walters (Fayetteville), 25.41, $1,190; 2. Jesse-Josh Wise (Erwin), 13.60, $645; 3. Steve Bishop (Goldsboro)-Robin Bowen (Snow Hill), 12.95, $545; 4. Mike Hodge-Tim Wall (Clayton), 12.13, $496; 5. Todd Massey (Chapel HIll)-Brandon Gray (Bullock), 11.28, $397; 6. Scott Smith (Apex)-Tony Woodard (Four Oaks), 11.00, $347; 7. Johnny Ellis (Wendell)-Joe Edwards (Knightdale), 10.05, $298; 8. Geno McCree-Phillip Johnson (Durham), 9.91, $248; 9. Jerek Fowler (Aberdeen)-James Williams (Raeford), 9.17, $248; 10. Chip Baty-Alan Parker (Linden), 9.12, $198.
Yadkin Team Tournaments
High Rock Lake, Feb. 23
1. Thomas Ludwick-Tom File (Salisbury), 17.59, $265; 2. Sam Smith (Lexington)-Michael Smith Jr., 12.23, $162. Big fish: Ludwick-File, 5.34 pounds, $45.50.
CBS Quality Cars NC Triangle Spring Mini Trail
Shearon Harris Lake, Feb. 23
1. Bryce McClenney (Raleigh)-Michael Christie (Fuquay-Varina), 20.20, $783; 2. Jerry Marshburn (Sanford)-Alan Parker (Linden), 14.09, $478; 3. Jerry Woodard (Pikeville)-Tommy Dailey (Seven Springs), 9.75, $348; 4. Shane Burns-Hunter Campbell (Durham), 8.62, $261; 5. Calvin McCaskill-Aaron Faircloth (Thomasville), 8.35, $196; Cody Shuffler-Elijah Jones (Raleigh), 7.90, $109. Big fish: Marshburn-Parker, 8.58 pounds, $203.
CATFISH TOURNAMENTS
NCCATS, Mountain Island Lake, Feb. 23
1. Dennis Leonard (Harrisburg)-Phil Fraley (Mount Holly),75.5, $120. Big fish: 27.4-pound blue catfish, $40 plus side pot of $80.
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