Corps of Engineers cancels Kerr Lake tournaments

Corps of Engineers
The Piedmont Bass Classics tournament trail and others have had to adjust their schedules after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers canceled all tournaments at Kerr Lake until at least the end of April.

Piedmont Bass Classics series make some changes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has canceled all fishing tournament permits at Kerr Lake until at least the end of April. Phil McCarson, who runs the Piedmont Bass Classics tournament series has made adjustments to the trail’s schedule.

“The April 18 Kerr Lake $10K event has been moved to Falls Lake on June 6. The April 11 Kerr Lake Tobacco Bass Invitational has been postponed until a date to be determined in the fall,” he said.

McCarson said other changes may be forthcoming. But at the present time, it’s anybody’s guess as to what happens after the end of April.

“I’ll keep (everyone) posted if there are any other changes. I have no choice in these changes at this time because most all the NC Wildlife ramps have been reserved previously (for other tournaments). I’ll have to wait and see what happens with the May tournament planned at Kerr,” he said.

The cancelation of fishing tournaments does not shut down Kerr Lake to recreational fishing. And many boat ramps remain open at the lake. However, no tournaments will run on the lake until further notice.

McCarson has made some changes to some of the other tournaments to comply with social distancing recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am going to stagger the weigh-in times by a little more time so as to adhere to the state of North Carolina’s person limit on events. I am also going to ask the anglers to adhere to the same suggestions listed today by the ABA, with guidance from the CDC to lessen the chances of transmitting the virus,” he said.

Those changes are as follows:

  1. If you have any flu symptoms whatsover, stay home.
  2. All persons should follow the CDC guidelines on everyday prevention of viral infections.
  3. Maintain a minimum of 6 feet of distance from any other angler during registration and weigh in with no more than 10 anglers in a group.
  4. Follow all directions from your tournament director.
  5. Be patient with other anglers and the tournament director.
  6. Wash your hands or use sanitizer frequently, and do not shake hands.
  7. Anglers should wear gloves while handling any object that is not your own or has been in the possession of others.
  8. If you have to sneeze due to pollen and other allergies, cover your mouth/nose.
  9. At the weigh-in, please stay a good distance from the scales and scoring area.

While staggering weigh-in times seems to be a good method of keeping with the CDC’s guidelines, the Army Corps of Engineers said canceling the tournaments was their only way of ensuring that anglers to congregate in bigger-than-recommended groups.

“The canceled tournaments are for the safety of all. This came down from our regional office,” said Glenn Card, Natural Resource Specialist with the Corps of Engineers.

About Brian Cope 2725 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.

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