Brayden Padgett, left, and Ty Allison hold up their limit of smallmouth from Saturday's BASS Western NC High School and Junior Series tournament on Lake James. There will be a Big Fish category for Largemouth, and another for Smallmouth (all bass that are not clearly pure smallmouth, will be weighed as largemouth for Big Fish calculations). A lot of times Ill run wool as an indicator since it is such a delicate presentation. Jeffrey travels all over the country competing in Regional and National events including the MLF Toyota Series, MLF BFL Regional Championships, and BASS Opens. The best fishing will continue to be early morning to midday. The CATT takes great pride in rewarding our anglers. Once a boater launches their boat, they are on the water. Weve been having to run very light tippet and downsize our flies this year due to low flows and spooky fish. The stretch runs through small sections of private land that isnt accessible by foot so these areas yield a bunch of fish. The Delayed Harvest waters are full of trout and after the first Saturday in April the Hatchery Supported Waters open up. We look forward to seeing you on the water! We had a great day of fishing on the Nolichucky River and Bennett reeled in a true trophy river smallmouth. Spring in North Carolina begins March 20th and ends June 21st. Bass Tournaments, Championships, Tournaments Phantom Outdoors Classic $ 225.00 Add to cart FIND MORE TOURNAMENTS CATT INCENTIVES The Carolina Anglers Team Trail is widely known for having some of the best cash paybacks available. Once the smallmouth are solely focused on spawning they arent actively eating. Below are two big fish we caught last year in early Spring. Try this method the next time your own the water and see if it doesnt help put more fish in the net. We should be drying out here in the mountains over the next month and the fishing on the French Broad should be excellent. If you cant catch them on the pats or the egg then most likely the fish want something a lot smaller so thats when you try your midges, pheasant tails, or flashy bead head nymph patterns. We are a BASS and BASS Nation affiliated organization. The French Broad River is finally at a fishable level so we were able to take a trip there and it fished excellent. The Catawba River also provides great wade fishing opportunities as well. The bigger bugs such as caddis, cahills, hendricksons, quill gordons, stoneflies, and sulphurs begin to make their arrival in the spring so there are plenty of insects for the trout to eat. . Top Guns will be conducted with minimum 65 boat field, still have $20,000 first place, and a $2,000 big fish award. Shearon Harris Lake is considered North Carolinas best lake to catch trophy bass. Allison and Padgett were ninth overall and Bartlett and Weaver 13th headed into the Lake James event. The team of Ty Allison and Brayden Padgett took first place with a five-fish limit, all of them smallmouths, weighing 16.46 pounds. The team weighed in 16.46 pounds, to edge teammates Cole Weaver and Dawson Bartlett for first place. Home > News > Tournament Results Yadkin Tuckertown Lake, NC April 15, 2023 . Teams wishing to be counted as in attendance, for the purpose of accumulating points for the season, but are unable to attend, payment in full can be made prior to blast off and the team will be counted as participating. Skip to content. Remember to observe all applicable boating laws. Start early and end early. We havent had consistent weather since early June so weve had to keep a constant eye on the weather. The colder days are more challenging than the warmer ones but downsizing your flies on the colder days have been vital to our success. Bennett made a beautiful cast in the deep, slack water and the fish took off with the jig. The Blue Ridge Mountains located in NC are a sector of the bigger Appalachian Mountain range that extends more than 500 miles. 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. The brook trout directly above is a stocked fish. You want to look for moving water with white bubbles close to structure. Badin Lake is the clearest lake in the Yadkin Chain and runs within the Uwharrie National Forest which offers some unique scenery for a Piedmont Lake. This document contains many of Skeeters valuable trademarks. All totaled, the Foothills Marine Center Tuesday Night Trail & Championship are 100% payback. Fish tournaments to win single event awards and earn points to qualify for the National Championship (High School). Tournament Rules; 2023 Team Trail Schedule; AOY 2023; Calendar; Contact Us; My account; Rock Outdoors the official host of the TBF District 2 National Simi Finals . I couldnt do it without her support. Life is good for anglers and guides here in western North Carolina. McDowell Board of Education race to become partisan in 2024. North Carolina has some of the best smallmouth rivers in the South and the prespawn period offers anglers the chance of catching a trophy smallmouth. To find out what the Tennessee River 600 is really all about (and no, it is not a race), check out our About Us page. James River Membership - $35 Per Person. The wild trout streams are waking up from winter and offering good fly fishing. NORTH CAROLINA. Both species bite well in September and early October. . The river has an abundant supply of baitfish and crayfish that is needed to grow trophy river smallmouth. This river consistently produces trophy smallmouth year after year. The Catawba River runs through both regions and is home to 7 lakes that offers good bass fishing. . These trips are fun because we can post up on fish and use different tactics to catch them. Below are just a few pictures from some of the fish we caught in July! East; Lake Gaston; Lake Norman; Lake Norman Opens; Neuse River; Old North; Roanoke Rapids Lake; SENC; . The bite started off hot during the morning, but tapered off mid day then the bite picked up significantly in the afternoon. Mends are vital to your success when drifting poppers. The key here is using a loop knot that connects to the tippet ring. Actual prices are set by the dealer. Father/Son team of Fry & Fry win over $20,000 on day 2 at LbJ with 20.72 lbs. The boat must be registered to one of the team members and must have been purchased directly from Foothills Marine. All Foothills Marine purchased boats qualify, regardless of make, model, or year. The best fishing during the winter is going to be throughout the Delayed Harvest Stretch. The water temperature was 59 when we started and 63 when we finished. The North Carolina mountains boasts plenty of fisheries that contain wild and stocked trout. April 8. 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An event on the Big Bass Tour . One of the best holes on the creek is going to be the handicap holes right off the main road. The Prachyls wanted to fish a smaller smallmouth river so we did just that and had a great day targeting smallmouth using spinning tackle. Roughly three weeks are left in the spring sports calendar in terms of the regular season action, and two of McDowell High Schools teams are , The McDowell Titans put themselves in a hole that probably felt about as steep as the walk from Enka High Schools baseball field back to the . This is a tournament trail open to anyone who wishes to join and enjoy night fishing on Lake James M Lake James Friday Night Tournament I want to thank him for my wife for getting up at the crack of dawn with me before heading to the river. One of our favorite streamer patterns in the Spring is the feather game changer. Some days 100% of the time the fish will be eating subsurface. $14.99. We have had clear water on the French Broad River so I have been out there every day chasing those big smallmouths that have some big appetites this time of year. I recommend people to book at least 3-4 weeks in advance. Weve got a few dates left in April, but we are currently booking in May and June so do not hesitate to get on our calendars. 7th Place through the last weigh-in position will be one (1) point increments with 7th receiving 87 points. And, as you will see, it makes a difference. Remember the water temps are hottest in the evening because the water has warmed up all day. Lake James is the best bass fishing lake on the Catawba River chain and is home to both smallmouth and largemouth bass. On the warmer days we have been taking advantage of wading the river with clients. Use this link to start your Nation Club today, Series rules specific to North Carolina Youth Trails, Lake James Wrap Up The first stop of the 2022-23 season for the North Carolina BASS High School and Junior Series was , The culmination of the entire East/West season for the 2021-22 North Carolina BASS High School and Junior Series was held at Lake , First, we would like to give a special shoutout to Skyline Marine for their generosity in hosting an open house complete with , The second stop of the Spring season for the 2021-22 North Carolina BASS High School and Junior Series was plagued again by . Below are some fish from the last two weeks. All teams that do not weigh a fish will receive 5 points less than the final weigh-in position. If you want to experience some exciting, visual fly fishing for river smallmouth contact us today. The bigger rivers that meander through the NC mountains provide good fly fishing for river smallmouth as well. Read our pre-tournament notes now and get all the information you need for our next tournament. Read More. Fishing has been consistent on the French Broad and Nolichucky Rivers. The Catawba River is loaded with hungry rainbows. Below we will go through what each of these methods mean. Ramsey Creek Park is a 46-acre waterfront park with 4 boat launching ramps and lights for 24-hour access. It may also contain trademarks belonging to other companies. . As that temp drops the fishing will continue to get better and better. Kenneth Witek & Russell Kessler win over $20,000 on day 1 at LBJ. I appreciate you taking the time to read our reports. Pop Em: Normally the best time to pop poppers is early morning and late evening when the sun is low. The NC mountains provide year round fly fishing opportunities for trout and smallmouth bass which is great for people looking to get on the water anytime of the year. Brown trout are elusive and considered one of the most difficult trout species to catch. Fish enough events to qualify for the State Championship, and finish in the Top 2 to qualify to fish in the BASS Nation National Championships High school or Junior Series! The Catawba Angler offers dry fly fishing trips on our mountain creeks for wild trout in the the Spring. The key to fishing off colored water is to fish it extremely slow. Falls Lake also known as Falls of the Neuse & Jordan Reservoir are on the border of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain region and are some of the best largemouth lakes in North Carolina. Enjoy the photos. The Catawba, Tuckaseegee, and Toe Rivers will be receiving its first stocking of 2023, the first week of March so trout fishing here in the mountains is about to be lights out. The lake is home to some big largemouth bass and is also known as a put and take striper lake where the state stocks 25,000 fingerling every year. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}, Photos by Josh Davis, blueridgesportsphotography.com. Improve your nymph fishing by doing this one thing! BASS membership and BASS Nation membership are required. We prefer to fish this river in the winter because its less crowded then and its a great time to rip big streamers for big fish. There are some excellent wild brown trout fisheries in North Carolina, but much like the native brook trout streams getting someone to tell you where they are will be hard to accomplish. The smallmouth bite has been lights out all summer long and we have consistently been catching quality fish on every trip. Youve got to realize that everything in the river is moving slow. After a long winter many anglers look forward to this time of the year because of the warmer weather and warmer water temperatures. The lakes in the mountain and Piedmont regions are the result of dammed rivers. See the example magazine labels below. After an intense fight we netted the fish and it was nothing but smiles the rest of the day. The Yadkin River boasts a small population of smallmouth bass and a variety of other species. The 2023 season will feature over $2,200,000 in guaranteed prizes and payouts with events in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, North . These fish are less pressured and more willing to eat during this time. North Carolina is home to the highest mountains east of the Mississippi. We are thirty days away from the end of summer (September 22). The Titans, along with their adult boat captains, pose for a team shot after the tournament. 2023 Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series at Possum Kingdom Lake powered by TourneyX June 3 - 4, 2023 View . If its dragging its lagging. All tournaments are held on Lake James and launch & weigh-in at Blackbear Access. Parking lot #2 in the middle of the park has 64 trailer parking spaces, while lot #3 which is closest to the launch, has 48, totaling 112 spaces for boat parking. Give us a call this winter if you want to get on the water. We offer wade and float trips for the four trout species found in NC. North Carolinas fisheries biologist will say Jordan Reservoir is the best lake in the state. We offer half day trips for $300 for two anglers and full day trips for $400 for two anglers. Final - $160 Entry $170 at Ramp. With the popularity of high school fishing clubs being formed nationally, these events give young anglers a chance to experience the competitive atmosphere surrounding such programs and allows them to join an existing team or start their own team at their school or in their community. The North Carolina Bass Federation. The Catawba River and Linville River that flows into Lake James offers good wade fishing for smallmouth bass. We were fortunate to run a few trout fishing trips after rainstorms because the water temperatures were in a suitable range for the fish. The fall trout fishing in western North Carolina is something every fly angler should experience. Anytime you can bring a 19inch fish to the boat its a good day. Jeffrey is well known for his passion, dedication and love for the sport of competitive bass fishing. The best time to fish it is going to be the weekdays. The fall trout fishing trips on our mountain creeks for wild trout streams are waking up from winter offering. 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