Wind, snow don’t bother Lake Wylie pair in big tournament win

Hicks, Stephens take home $10,500 for CBC win

Blowing snow greeted the 187 teams on March 2 when the South Carolina division of the Carolinas Bass Challenge visited Lake Wylie, but it didn’t faze the local team of Hunter Hicks and Mike Stephens, who took first place with a 5-fish limit weighing 22.53 pounds.

Hicks and Stephens won a whopping $10,500 with what they called their biggest bag ever from Wylie.

Hicks said it snowed for about an hour just as the tournament started, and that was their hottest hour for fishing. “It’s a good day when it’s snowing and you aren’t even cold because you’re catching so many fish,” Hicks said.

“We tried to find the earliest fish that have moved up to spawn,” said Stephens, “and they were pushed up in about five feet of water. We caught them on spinnerbaits and jigs – textbook muddy water fishing.”

Brian Travis and Larry Lehew, both of Charlotte, took second place with a limit that weighed 20.16 pounds, collecting $5,000. Paul Guthrie and Jason Eaker of Lincolnton, N.C., brought the third-place limit of 17.83 to the scales, but had a bigger payday than the runners-up, thanks to their big fish of the tournament – a 7.38-pounder – and the Skeeter bonus money that helped them take home a total of $9,000.

Eric Grigg and Jody Jones of Spartanburg took fourth with five bass weighing 17.23 and took home $2,500, followed by the fifth-place team of Ronnie Mueller of Spartanburg and Wayne Frierson of Manning, who won $2,000 with their limit of five bass weighing 17.07.

OTHER TOURNAMENTS

Wal-Mart BFL S.C. Division, Lake Murray, March 2

1. Jeremiah Jensen (Columbia), 25-3, $3,337; 2. Ross Burns (Columbia), 23-0, $1,668; 3. Chris Marshall (Forest City, NC), 22-4, $1,112; 4. Brock Taylor (Pendleton), 21-0, $779; 5. Todd Lawrence (Rock Hill), 20-15, $667. Co-anglers: 1. Earnest Jones (Blythewood), 10-1, $1688; 2. Chris Coxey (Chesnee), 9-11, $834; 3. Jason Sturgill (Pennington Gap, Va.), 9-7, $558; 4. Dale Hamby (Waterloo), 7-2, $389; 5. Andy Burgess (Greenville), 7-0, $334.

Border Bass Youth Tournament, Lake Thurmond, March 2

Upper Age Division: 1. Christopher Carnes (Lake Wylie High School), 13.62, $500; Lower Age Division: 1. Brad Wilson (North Augusta Middle School), 7.24, $150.

Conway Tiger Invitational Youth Tournament, Bucksport Marina, March 2

1. Vincent Dimaggio-Blair Avant (Waccamaw High School), 6.08; 2. Brody Lavoie-Colin Drew (Conway High School), 4.29; 3. Jesse Hopkins-Justin Anderson (Conway High School) 2.08; 4. Corey Singleton-Jackson Denny (Carolina Forest High School), 1.39; 5. David Willis-Joey Bardelli (Carolina Forest High School), 1.22.

Fishers of Men, Lake Greenwood, Feb 23

1. Sammy Moody (Mauldin)-Hank O’Shields (Honea Path), 24-0, $1,700; 2. Scott Heavener (Columbia), 22-0, $782; 3. Sam Storey (Williamston)-Tommy Stacey (Clarks Hill), 18-0, $400.

Carolina Anglers Team Trail, Lake Wateree CATT, March 9

1. Mark and William Richardson (Irmo), 27.52, $1,283; 2. Mack Kitchens (Aiken)-Chad Gainey (Hartsville), 19.65, $360; 3. Andy Owens (Camden), 18.67, $250; 4. Donald Hinson (Great Falls)-Pat Clark (Camden), 13.35, $217; 5. Craig Haven (Lugoff), 13.27, $100.

Southern Crappie Tournament Trail, Lake Greenwood, Feb 16

1. Alan Stockman (Prosperity)-Eddy  Strickland (North), 10.61, $350; 2. Ellis Cannon-Jon Cannon (Chapin), 9.65, $150, 3. Randy Autrey-Lesa Autrey (Leesville), 8.99, $150, 4. Chad Gilbert-Randy Gilbert (Greenville), 8.04, $50; 5. Will Hinson (Cassatt)-Joey Hilton (Rock Hill), 8.01, $30.

Jocassee Outdoor  Center Trout Tournament, Lake Jocassee, Feb 161. Will Kubler (Woodruff)-David Patterson (Dacusville), 7.47; 2. Leon Baker (Matthews, N.C.), 7.06; 3. Jeff Bridges (Indian Trail, N.C.), 5.67.