Welcome to the home of Union County's finest bass anglers! Founded in 1985, The Carolina Crankers are the oldest bass fishing club in the county. Many of our members have been with us for 25 years or better. With two separate circuits and no annual membership dues, our club offers something for everyone. Weekend warriors may enjoy our year-round Saturday Series while others enjoy a late bite with our Sportsman's Series. Every season brings new members to our ranks and new members will always be welcome!
Now That's A Classic!
Time to bring out the turkey and dress the tree, 2015's tournament season came to an end this Saturday. Lake Wylie played host to The Carolina Classic as anglers wrapped up this year's tour. After a week of off-limits waiting and 5 days of solid rain, another rainy day on the lake leveled the field as every angler started from scratch to develop a winning pattern for the Classic. By far the most overwhelming tool for the day was the Alabama rig. Responsible for 90% of the tournament's weigh-in weights, the "A-Rig" brought in at least 100 largemouth to our boat alone. With shad pushed back 3/4 depth of the lakes creeks, the bite was explosive bringing in singles and doubles cast after cast. Finding a school with larger fish was the most daunting task. You know you had a great day when your shoulders are sore the next morning! It's the perfect time and place to introduce someone to the sport! A day like this can instill a love for fishing that will last a lifetime! Get 'em on the lake and share the passion that we sometimes take for granted, the future of our sport is in our hands. With the final tip of the scales this season, Tom Streater and Jimmy Sullivan took top honors with a total of 13lbs. and 14ozs. The team also grabbed the tournament's big fish with a 5lbs. and 8oz. lunker to anchor their winning total. Just ounces from the top, Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing grabbed second place with 13lbs. and 8ozs. with Jason Williams and Cale Helms taking third with 13lbs. and 2ozs. Great catch guys! Congratulations from us all! As we look to 2016 and the upcoming season, we want to thank every angler that has fished with The Carolina Crankers this season. Competitors, friends, new members and veterans, we are proud to call each of you family. May each of you and your families have a wonderful holiday season! Join The Carolina Crankers as we ride in the Hemby Bridge parade on November 21st at 12 noon. Grab the kids and grandkids and put 'em in the boats while we troll the town! For more info contact Lisa May at 704-226-7127. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!!
This Saturday's Carolina Classic on Lake Wylie will not have an entry fee! There will be an optional Big Fish Pot of $10 per person!
Where We Stand
Carolina Classic 2015
With the conclusion of the 2015 regular season; we would like to remind anglers that boaters must fish 10 tournaments and non-boaters must fish 5 tournaments to qualify for the upcoming Carolina Classic. As we have offered in previous seasons, anglers can pay for up to 2 tournaments to meet qualifications for classic. The buy in is $25 per tournament.
Boaters Non Boaters Eligible Buy-In / Qualified Non
Tom Streater 14 Jimmy Sullivan 9 Taylor Thomas 4 Eligible Buy-In
Terry Benton 11 Tim Cauthen 7 Qualified Non
Tim Helms 10 Andrew Helms 6 Corey Love 7 Qualified Non
Jason Williams 14 Cale Helms 8 Mark Tarlton 8 Buy-in / Qual. Non
Mike Love 13 Ronnie Rushing 12 Shane Morris 5 Qualified Non
Aaron Miles 10 Casey Carver 9
Wayne Snyder 11 Jeremy Pressley 9
Rodney May 14 Lisa May 9
Todd Moore 12 Justin Moore 11
Jonathan Cook 10 Jesse Moore 5
Mitchell York 10
As a reminder, teams with both anglers reaching 10 tournaments have the option to fish from different boats for the Classic and have the option of picking up a non-boater that has reached their 5 tournament minimum.
That's a Wrap!
The 2015 tournament season is in the books! Teams finished off the tour at Lake Wateree this weekend. After dismal results in last weeks BFL series tournament; expectations tended to be low for this event. Even after two weeks the devastating flooding still blurred and muddied 75% of the lake. Throw in pressure from over a hundred anglers last week and you know the rest. A day of hide and go seek is great with the grand kids but never a welcome pattern for tournament anglers. On a brighter note; the striper bite kicked in for most everyone making the day very exciting! With only three limits for the day; weigh-in was quick as Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing took the win with 12lbs. and 10ozs. Todd and Justin Moore continued their hot streak capturing the Big-Fish pot with a 3lb. and 12oz. largemouth. Congratulations guys!!! By winning the season ending tournament, Mike and Ronnie gained the draw for our Carolina Classic. Mike's hatdraw locked in Lake Wylie as the location of this year's classic. Eligible teams will compete on Lake Wylie on November 7th. Tournament hours are 7am to 3pm. The Carolina Crankers will blast-off from the Buster Boyd landing. LAKE WYLIE IS OFF-LIMITS FROM SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1ST THROUGH BLAST-OFF ON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7TH!!! We would like to say "Thank You" to every angler, family member and friend that joined us this season. We look forward to seeing everyone next season! We would also like to invite all our members to bring the boat and join us on November 21st as The Carolina Crankers ride in The Hemby Bridge Parade! Wax 'em up and Show 'em off! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Washout!
Possibly the most predictable lake on our schedule; Tuckertown tournament dates consistently bring rain! A passing shower would be a welcome change to the continuous downpours we experienced today. Last weekends torrential rains and flooding had already taken their toll with near flood level water levels and water clarity at zero. Pile on a strong cold front with driving winds and the day was the perfect storm. Frustration and aggravation were the tone for most anglers as cast after cast mother nature dominated wary fishermen. Weigh-in couldn't come fast enough as most teams headed home long before the tournament ended. With the day's only limit, Todd Moore and Justin Moore dropped 14lbs. and 8ozs on the scales. While most anglers would have rather "phoned it in", Todd and Justin pieced together the winning pattern defeating the field and mother nature. Managing to salvage their day on the lake, Aaron Miles and Casey Carver brought a solid catch for second place with 3 fish totaling 7lbs. and 0ozs. Aaron and Casey anchored today's catch with big fish of the day at 3lbs. and 10ozs. Congratulations guys! Thank you to all our dedicated members that joined us today despite the dismal conditions. Join The Carolina Crankers on Lake Wateree on October 24th as we wrap up the 2015 regular season. Blast-off will be at 7:00am! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Wishful Thinking
79 degrees and overcast skies on the leading edge of a coldfront; every angler's perfect scenario! Throw in a pre-daylight blast-off and it feels like you've won the lottery! Unfortunately Stumpy Pond's resident bass population wasn't as thrilled as we were. Less than an hour had passed and sustained crosswinds and heavy currents pushed the bass even deeper into cover and left anglers scratching their heads in frustration. A day of dreams landed a mere dozen keepers for The Carolina Crankers. With the tournaments only limit; Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing took top honors with 10lbs. and 12ozs. With a 3lbs. and 4ozs. bass, Todd Moore and Justin Moore grabbed today's big fish pot. Thank you to all the members that made the journey today. Congratulations to Mike and Ronnie and Todd and Justin. Great job today! Join The Carolina Crankers October 10th at the highway 49 ramp on Tuckertown. Blast-off is at 6:30am! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Plan B
With drastically falling lake levels recently, The Carolina Crankers abandoned plans for Lake Wylie and headed to Lake Norman. Typically an early season lake for the club and with only two days notice for anglers, patterning a limit would be questionable at best. The consistent bite from Norman's spotted bass had even diminished as the dropping waters pulled them from the shallows. Just shy of noon, skies cleared and summer's heat returned bringing resident watersports. The constant traffic of boaters, skiers, tubers and sightseers drove heavy chop and whitecaps across the lake; chasing most cautious anglers off the main. By 2pm, teams were anxious for dry land. As teams took turns at the scales, totals inched up by ounces. The most productive team of the day proved to be Tom Streater and Jimmy Sullivan. Their limit of 12lbs. and 6ozs. was solid enough to hold off the remainder of the field for 1st place. Second place and big fish for the day belong to Jacob Moore and Jacob Smith with a total of 10lbs. and 12ozs. Their total was anchored by a 3lb. and 14oz. largemouth. Congratulations guys! Great job today! We would like to thank everyone including our new teams that joined us for today's tournament. Join The Carolina Crankers on September 12th as we head to Stumpy Pond. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Blackjack 21!
If the number 21 is lucky in Vegas then The Carolina Crankers just beat the "house" as 21 boats blasted from Lake Tillery this morning! Navigation lights lit up the dark like Christmas in July for the 6am start. No matter how strong your "pokerface" today there would be no bluffing! Near and far anglers ran the lake trying to play their best hand. For many, it was only the hand they were dealt. With no obvious pattern for the day, anglers abandoned their "tried and true" in a search for something new. As the clouds pulled in and the thunder rolled, teams made the journey back to Norwood for a 2pm weigh-in. After a tough day on the lake, standing at the top of the leader board was True South Custom Lure's founder John Martin with his partner Chris Allard with 11lbs. and 0ozs. Veteran member Tommy Streater and partner Tim Ford finished close behind with 9lbs. and 14ozs. for second place while longtime member Terry Benton grabbed third place with 7lbs. and 8ozs. With today's big-fish weighing in at 4lbs. and 14ozs. was the new team of Michael Hargest and Nick Helms. The Carolina Crankers would like to congratulate all of today's top anglers. Great job guys! We would also like to thank all 42 anglers that joined us on Lake Tillery today. To all of the day's new teams, if you are looking for a club to call your own, welcome to The Carolina Crankers! Fish a little or fish a lot, join our family anytime! Join us August 8th from 6am to 2pm at The Buster Boyd landing for The Battle at the Border on Lake Wylie! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Ready to Rock!!
Straight out of Tamarac The Carolina Crankers got their first taste of High Rock Lake. Two years in the works and we finally blast from the legendary lake! Being an inaugural trip for most of the club; results were sporadic at best. Shallow water anglers struggled with waters down 6 to 7 feet leaving structure and laydowns high and dry. Deep water teams faired slightly better as dropping levels had little effect on deep structure. By midday the winning pattern was obvious. Scores of teams made the slow procession working the riprap at the Tamarac bridge. Any given time held a half dozen or more boats slowly working the walls. It was a parade and unfortunately most weren't invited. With a five fish limit totaling 12lbs. and 6ozs. Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing finished in today's top spot. The pair also took home big fish honors with a 4lbs. and 12ozs. anchor fish. With the tournament's only other five fish limit; Tom Streater and Jimmy Sullivan grabbed second place with 10lbs. even. Congratulations guys! Join The Carolina Crankers July 18th as we return to Lake Tillery. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
At The Creek!
The Carolina Crankers headed to Fishing Creek this week. Being the season's first 6am blast-off, teams were greeted by calm waters and a beautiful sunrise. Water clarity would be the deciding factor in today's results. Many headed upriver only to find muddy waters while a few ran into the creek itself to chase clearer waters. We even found some shamrock green waters as we ventured into the early algae bloom. The clearer waters in the creek proved to be the right choice as Corey Love and Jonathan Cook took today's top spot with 9lbs. and 6ozs. The pair also boated today's big-fish with a 5lb. and 12ozs. heavy weight. Only ounces behind, Aaron Miles and Casey Carver grabbed second place with 8lbs. and 14ozs. Congratulations guys!!! Join The Carolina Crankers June 27 as our club makes its first trip to Highrock Lake. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Bath Water!
The Carolina Crankers made their very first trip to Mountain Island lake this week. With wonderful weather, this was possibly one of the most enjoyable tournament days of the season. Known for it's clear waters, the lake was true to form with its gin-clear waters. Anglers got their workouts today as the bank-burners made quick work of most any lure or plastics. Ounce by ounce, teams culled their way up to the 3pm weigh-in. Small fish kept most totals down while the team of Cale Helms and his partner Todd Haigler rose to the top with 10lbs. and 14ozs. The pair anchored their winning bag with the tournament's big fish weighing 4lbs. and 4ozs. We would like to congratulate Cale and Todd on today's victory. Great job guys! Join The Carolina Crankers on June 6th as we head south-of-the-border to Fishing Creek. Blast-off is at 6am! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Perfect Limit!
Watching a 60+ boat Hospice tournament blast from Alcoa just moments ahead of us can certainly dampen expectations for the day! On Badin today, game plans would change on the fly. With most of Badin's largemouth population in transition, several different patterns managed to offset heavy angling pressure. From the shallows or depths, to the ledges and flats, the bite held strong. Ounce by ounce, teams culled up their limits for the weigh-in. After 30 years, a Carolina Crankers first, perfect limits! Team after team hit the scales with full sacks! After the dust had settled, Mitchell York grabbed the tournament's top spot with 16lbs. and 6ozs. He anchored his winning total with today's big fish at 4lbs. and 6ozs. Close behind, the team of Wayne Snyder and Jeremy Pressley had 14lbs. and 14ozs. for second place. Great job guys! Congratulations Mitchell! Join The Carolina Crankers on May 23rd as we make our first trip to Mt. Island Lake. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Wash Out!
The Carolina Crankers headed to the "ocean" this week. It might be landlocked, but Lake Norman offers anglers miles and miles of shoreline and structure. Known for extremely heavy boat traffic, Norman fished completely different for The Carolina Crankers. From dawn to dusk, rains pushed in and out on the lake. Traffic was only that of determined anglers searching for heavy stringers. Although a top-water bite never developed, finesse fishing with light jigs and shakey-heads produced limit after limit of largemouth and spots. All things considered, the strong bite made a messy day very productive. With eight solid limits for the day, first place would be decided by each team's "kicker" fish. Dozens of 14 to 16 inch fish had been caught but two teams managed a big-fish tie at weigh-in. The team of Aaron Miles and Casey Carver tied with the team of Todd Moore and Justin Moore with a big fish of 3lbs. and 4ozs. Aaron and Casey took today's top spot with 11lbs. and 2ozs. while also securing big fish honors with a total weight tiebreaker. Taylor Thomas and his partner Luke grabbed second place today with 9lbs. and 12ozs. Congratulations to today's top finishers! Great job everyone! Join The Carolina Crankers May 9th as we head to Badin. Until then...keep 'em hooked!
Cats and Crankers
The lake was shaking today on Tuckertown Reservoir as The Carolina Crankers competed side by side with CAT Trail anglers. If you were lucky enough to find a spot all to yourself, you made it count! Clean water was at a premium as most teams were only followers as boat after boat paraded the shallows. Regardless of the traffic, we were all blessed with beautiful weather and conditions. While I am not sure that anglers developed any specific patterns for today's tournament, Tuckertown has always been a special place that can play into most anyone's wheelhouse. By early afternoon, teams hit the scales. Bagging another hefty 5 fish limit was the team of Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing. The pair grabbed today's top spot with 16lbs. and 12ozs. Anchored by the tournament's big-fish weighing 6lbs. and 2ozs. was today's second place team of Todd and Justin Moore. The pair took both spots with a total of 13lbs. and 0ozs. Great job guys! Congratulations on today's top finishes! The Carolina Crankers would like to thank Scott Buckaloo and Chuck Broadway for joining us for today's tournament. We hope to see you again soon! If you're looking for a club to call your own, join us anytime! New members are always welcome. Catch The Carolina Crankers April 25th as we head to Lake Norman. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Southern Showdown!!
The Carolina Crankers headed south to Stumpy Pond today for a battle below the border. Typically scheduled for late summer / fall, 30 degrees at the ramp with heavy winds can make the toughest angler buckle. At first light teams hit the lake. The combination of heavy current and sustained winds made the main lake unbearable. Only a few braved the deeper unprotected waters while most fished protected cuts and feeder creeks. Exhausted members returned to the scales at 3:00. While some seemed anxious to weigh their catch, everyone looked relieved that the day was done. With a limit weighing 16lbs. and 2ozs, Todd and Justin Moore appeared untouchable as early weights fell short of their mark. With only two teams remaining, Tom Streater and Cale Helms delivered the knock-out. With an impressive 5 fish limit, Tom and Cale took top honors with 19lbs. and 8ozs! Anchoring their winning sack was today's big fish at 6lbs. and 8ozs. Congratulations Tom and Cale! Nice catch guys! Join The Carolina Crankers April 11th as we head to Tuckertown Reservoir. Blast-off is at 7:00am from Flat Creek. Can't get enough? Come out for a midweek snack and join us for our Thursday Night Series! Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Double Take!
The Carolina Crankers returned home to Lake Twitty this week. In a shotgun start, anglers raced down the lake with trolling motors ablaze! In a true test of battery conditioning, teams ventured as far as the eye could see. Whether enough battery power would be left for the return trip was unknown. Personally, the weather was more of a drain on my batteries rather than my boat's! Five hours of rain with mid 40 degree temperatures never quite loosened its grip as teams struggled with the post-frontal lockjaw. Limits would be out of the question today. This would be a game of ounces! Standing strong in back to back outings, Corey Love and Jonathan Cook tagged a pair of twin largemouth totaling 6lbs. and 10ozs. Keying in on the subtle bite, the team is gaining steam as they string together back to back wins. Just ounces behind the leaders, Mike Love and Ronnie Rushing took second place with 6lbs. and 6ozs. Today's big fish honors belong to the team of Jason Williams and Joseph Austin. The pair rocked the scales with a 4lbs. and 12ozs. football!! The Carolina Crankers would like to congratulate each of today's tournament winners. Way to go guys! Join us March 28th as we travel south to Stumpy Pond. For all of those that enjoy a late bite, join us for our Thursday Night Series. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Spring Forward!
The calender says March, but the freezing morning temps and steady winds resembled mid January as The Carolina Crankers hit Lake Monroe today. Known by most Union County anglers as the sweet spot for lunker largemouth, recent weather conditions left water clarity near zero visibility. Heavily stained waters on the main turned to mud so thick that you could chew it as teams ventured downlake. Despite conditions, a handful of members managed to find a bite. With today's only limit, Corey Love and Jonathan Cook smashed the scales with 18lbs. and 12ozs. Patiently working each piece of structure with jigs was the key to the teams success. Corey and Jonathan anchored their winning sack with a 5lb and 2oz. largemouth. Club directors Lisa and Rodney May had only one bite today. At 8lbs. and 14ozs. they only needed one! The solo lunker cleared the competition to secure a second place finish and take home today's big fish honors. Congratulations Corey and Jonathan and Lisa and Rodney, great job guys! We would also like to welcome Scottie Calhoun, Marvin Williams, Justin Moore, and Rick Rocket to The Carolina Crankers. We are always glad to have new anglers join our ranks! Join The Carolina Crankers next week, March 14th, on Lake Twitty. Blast-off is at 7:00am. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
Champion!!!
The Carolina Crankers are honored and humbled to call Andrew Helms one of our own! We watch in awe as this wonderful young man becomes one of the nation's dominate collegiate anglers. After winning the national title in November of 2014, he once again stands atop the mountain! With thousands in attendance and millions viewing from home, Andrew Helms and Jake Whitaker grabbed the spotlight as the 2015 B.A.S.S. College Classic Champions. We are certain that Andrew will walk the stage again as a B.A.S.S. professional in the future! Congratulations Andrew! The Carolina Crankers will always remain your personal cheering section!
Attention all Carolina Crankers!!!
The Thursday Night Sportsman's Series starts March 26th!!!
Battle at the Border!
Today was a short trip for The Carolina Crankers as we headed south to Lake Wylie. A promise of 60 degree highs for the day wasn't enough to slow the driving winds and white-capping waters of the main lake. Most every angler found wind breaks or protected coves to work the light bite. Earlier reports had light-weight shakey heads tempting the late winter bite. But the wind was too much for light-lining today as teams abandoned the finesse pattern. "Plan B" for most, involved jerk baits, swim baits, "A-Rigs" and jigs. Today proved to be a toss-up. Tournament weights were up and down as exhausted anglers made the 4pm weigh-in. Only one team managed to pull a limit today. The new team of Matt Frazier and Chad Taylor crossed the scales with 13lbs. and 2ozs. to take today's top spot. Jason Williams and Marshall Starnes grabbed today's Big-Fish honors with a 4lbs. and 2ozs. largemouth while Chris Cordova and Taylor Thomas took second place with 8lbs. and 10ozs. The Carolina Crankers would like to officially welcome Matt Frazier, Chad Taylor, Blake Smith, Hayden Banks, Allan Gardner, Chris Cordova, Taylor Thomas, Jesse Moore and Casey Carver to our club. We look forward to many trips to the lakes and building long-lasting friendships with each of you! Join The Carolina Crankers this March as we return to our roots with three stops on our home waters of Union County. Until then...keep 'em hooked!!!
The Carolina Crankers would like to send our prayers to veteran member Mike Love and his family. After losing his mother this past November, we were just informed that Mike's father-in-law has passed. Please continue to keep Mike and his family in your thoughts and prayers as they journey to Lake Oconee in Georgia to join the family.
The Carolina Crankers would like to send our deepest sympathies to the family of Barry Rowell. You are in our thoughts and prayers always. Barry was a long time member of our club but most importantly he was our friend. Barry will be missed by our entire fishing family and will forever remain in our thoughts and memories. Funeral arrangements have been made and we would like to thank Tracy Dula for the information on times and locations.
Visitation will be Wednesday January 21st from 5pm to 8pm at Gordan's Funeral Home
1904 Lancaster Avenue, Monroe NC Phone Number 704-283-8141
Funeral Services will be Thursday January 22nd at 2pm
Corinth Baptist Church
3805 Corinth Church Rd, Monroe NC 28112
Visitation will be Wednesday January 21st from 5pm to 8pm at Gordan's Funeral Home
1904 Lancaster Avenue, Monroe NC Phone Number 704-283-8141
Funeral Services will be Thursday January 22nd at 2pm
Corinth Baptist Church
3805 Corinth Church Rd, Monroe NC 28112
Lift-Off!!!
After two long months of cabin fever, The Carolina Crankers welcomed the 2015 season like pros. Sub-freezing temperatures at blast-off were no match as 14 boats shook the waters of Lake Tillery. True to form, winters' chill brought out the best of Tillery. Angler's patience was rewarded again with early season lunkers anchoring hefty limits at weigh-in. Expectations were high as a game of ounces decided which teams had mastered the new season's bite. Six fish tipped the scales at more than 5 lbs. with a 6 lbs. and 14 oz lunker landed by Dustin Horne and Cale Helms taking the year's first Big Fish honors. Eclipsed by only a matter of ounces, the 6lbs. and 4 oz. largemouth from the team of Terry Benton and Tom Streeter, anchored a massive 17 lbs sack! Holding the rest of the field at bay through most of the weigh-in, the limit fell just short as the scales climbed to 17 lbs. and 8 ozs. as Dustin Horne and Cale Helms final total secured them the first victory of the 2015 season. The Carolina Crankers would like to congratulate Dustin and Cale for winning today's tournament as well as taking today's Big Fish honors. Great job Terry and Tom on securing second place today. We would like to thank everyone that joined us to kick-off the new season. We also appreciate the members of fellow tournament clubs: Bo Russell, Rick Foster, Westin Lineberry and Jody Moore that joined us on Tillery. As always, you and your fellow club members are welcome to join us anytime! We would like to extend a special welcome to Aaron Miles that joined us for today's tournament. Welcome to The Carolina Crankers Aaron! We are looking forward to building a long-lasting friendship! Join The Carolina Crankers on February 7th as we travel to Lake Wylie. Until then... keep 'em hooked!