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 Evening Series. Youth anglers and female anglers are welcome at anytime and compete as equals with The Carolina Crankers! Every season brings new members to our ranks and new members will always be welcome!
Visit: Lisa Snyder May Facebook Twitter and Instagram
The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy are proud to announce our partnership with Gander Outdoors! Gander Outdoors has stepped forward as our title sponsor and the Monroe location has become the new home of Bass Monkey Academy! Look for great things as we work together on the water and in our communities!
Wrapping Up On Wylie!!!
The Carolina Crankers say goodbye to 2018 as they wrapped up the regular season today on Wylie. After the lake took a beating with CBC qualifying and yesterday's first round of competition, fishing "used" water made for a very tough bite. We would like to congratulate Randy Coleman for sweeping the field today with 8lbs. and 10ozs. Randy's winning sack took home first place and today's side pot and he anchored his bag with the tournament's big fish weighing 3lbs. and 14ozs. I apologize for the brief results story today. Unfortunately our newborn granddaughter was airlifted and we had to leave quickly. We are so proud of our Bass Monkey Academy youth and their chaperone that met us at the ramp and took control for today's tournament. They have spent this entire season side by side with us for weigh-ins and we thank them so much for stepping into the lead today when we needed them the most! Thank you Silas Dobbins, Trey Simpson and Tracy Simpson for doing such a great job in an emergency situation! We also want to thank Randy Coleman for drawing this year's location for The Carolina Classic. The 2018 Carolina Classic will be November 10th from 7am to 3pm on Lake Norman. We will be blasting from Queen's Landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!!
Cheese Dip and Butterflies!!!
Today was Sadie's day. Such a precious little girl that shared her day with us at Alcoa today. Even on a rainy afternoon full of new faces, Sadie's smile can warm your heart. It's hard to understand such a damaging illness that lies behind those beautiful eyes. In the brief moments that we shared, I felt the strength and love that she shares with her smile. Cheese dip and butterflies, just a mention and her eyes light up. We were all humbled today just to share a moment with this beautiful little lady. The Carolina Crankers were honored to team up with James Blue to host The Saving Sadie Rae Benefit Bass Tournament. A simple thank you cannot express our appreciation to our sponsors, local businesses and the countless new friends that made it possible to raise almost $6000 for Sadie! A very special thanks to those today that donated their winnings back to Sadie! We will never be able to thank each of you enough. After a long day of muddy conditions and cool rains anglers made the 3pm weigh-in. Greeting teams at the scales, NC Federation President, Robert Griswold weighed in today's catch and stirred the crowds with each total he announced. Smaller bags from the unstable conditions soon made way to the heavy hitters hiding lunkers deep in their sacks. Double digits then teens and then the 20+ sacks made their way through the crowds. When the dust settled, Andy Nix and Randy Collins leveled the field with 22.14lbs! Taking home second today, Tyler Greene and Jeff Harris had 19.45lbs. Right on their heels, Thomas Johnson and Rodney Kinney finished in third with 19.34lbs. Fourth place today belongs to Red Tucker and Ritchie Stuart with 17.75lbs. Red and Ritchie dropped a monster 7.77lb lunker on the scales today for the tournament's big fish! Rounding out the top five, Jeff Faircloth and David Graham grabbed some cash with 16.58lbs. Congratulations guys!!! The Carolina Crankers would like to thank our title sponsor and partner Gander Outdoors for making today a success! Be sure to check out our videos from today's Saving Sadie Rae Benefit Bass Tournament on Facebook with Lisa Snyder May. Thank you everyone! Remember the next time you see a butterfly, take a moment for Sadie! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
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#Ganderoutdoors
#Savingsadierae
#Linecutterz
#Wickedweights
#Tbfnation
#Flwfederation
#Carolinacrankers
#Ganderoutdoors
#Savingsadierae
#Linecutterz
#Wickedweights
#Tbfnation
#Flwfederation
Congratulations 2018 Carolina Classic Qualifiers
The Carolina Classic November 10th 2018
Lake Norman Queen's Landing 7-3
Jonathan Cook 12 Dalton Eury 7 (must buy-in 1)
Jeff Fowler 10 Tommy Perkins 7 (must buy-in 1)
Mitchell York 10
Megan Oneill 10 Jeff Coley (must buy-in 1)
Wayne Snyder 11 Jeremy Pressley 8
Troy Armstrong 10 Fischer Armstrong 8
Todd Barbee 8 (must buy-in 2) Joe 6 (must buy-in 2)
Rodney May 14 Lisa May 14
Lake Norman Will Be Off-Limits From 12:01am November 7th Until Blast-Off November 10th
Big Fish Pot Will Be $20 Per Boat
Boaters Must Fish 10 Tournaments to Qualify for The Carolina Classic
Non Boaters Must Fish 8 Tournaments to Qualify for The Classic
Lake Norman Queen's Landing 7-3
Jonathan Cook 12 Dalton Eury 7 (must buy-in 1)
Jeff Fowler 10 Tommy Perkins 7 (must buy-in 1)
Mitchell York 10
Megan Oneill 10 Jeff Coley (must buy-in 1)
Wayne Snyder 11 Jeremy Pressley 8
Troy Armstrong 10 Fischer Armstrong 8
Todd Barbee 8 (must buy-in 2) Joe 6 (must buy-in 2)
Rodney May 14 Lisa May 14
Lake Norman Will Be Off-Limits From 12:01am November 7th Until Blast-Off November 10th
Big Fish Pot Will Be $20 Per Boat
Boaters Must Fish 10 Tournaments to Qualify for The Carolina Classic
Non Boaters Must Fish 8 Tournaments to Qualify for The Classic
Seeing Spots!!!
Just before daybreak, The Carolina Crankers launched 27 teams into the shadows on Lake Norman. Less than 48 hours after hurricane Michael rolled through the Carolinas, teams made last minute decisions on patterning today's bite. Typically considered a clear lake, Norman now has varied water clarity and moderate current as Duke Energy moves overflow through its system. Clear water anglers can light-line and finesse effectively below the 150 bridge while dingy water pros can powerfish and "hunt" in the waters to the north. Many teams found schools of spotted bass chasing baitfish but few "keepers" in the pack. In the muddy waters to the north, largemouth are super shallow chasing texas rigs and holding tight on dock rears smashing jigs. Conversations and "Fishtales" at the weigh-in included fish taken on everything from topwater and plastics to blades and swimbaits. The lake and the season are perfect for finding that new "confidence" bait and honing new skills. Cruising home with over $1100 today, Chad Midkiff grabbed first place and today's sidepot with 13lbs. and 10ozs. Chad anchored his top finish with the tournament's big fish at 3lbs. and 8ozs. Aaron Digh and Nolan Saunders finished second today with 11lbs. and 10ozs. By far, the highlight of today's tournament was our youth anglers. Nine youth anglers joined the field as equals today and Ty Swedick finished on top with 7lbs. and 4ozs. for the kid's sidepot. We are excited to see the footprint that Bass Monkey Academy youth anglers are making in our tournaments. We can only imagine their strengths and talents as Bass Monkey Academy launches into The Federation! Congratulations to all of today's top finishers! Thank you again to our incredible sponsors and our entire Carolina Crankers family! Always glad to see our Norman guys join us on the lake and it was a pleasure to meet Bobby Young as well! We invite everyone to join The Carolina Crankers, James Blue, The FLW Federation, and Gander Outdoors next Saturday, October 20th 2018 for our "Saving Sadie Rae Benefit Tournament" on Badin Lake. Blast-off is at 7am from Alcoa with $100 a boat entry and huge raffle! For more info, 704-226-7127 or visit Lisa Snyder May on Facebook. Let's bring the entire fishing community together to help find a cure for Sadie! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#Carolinacrankers
#Ganderoutdoors
#Linecutterz
#Wickedweights
#Bassmonkeyacademy
#FLWfishing
#Carolinacrankers
#Ganderoutdoors
#Linecutterz
#Wickedweights
#Bassmonkeyacademy
#FLWfishing
Anglers Choice!
Have you ever had one of those days on the water? A day when you felt like a winner and never put a keeper in the boat! I'll put today in my highlight reel for those confidence questioning times when I'm struggling to get a bite. We weren't sitting on much gas but made the decision to run to the rocks just below the High Rock dam. The spillway was rolling pretty good from 2 gates and there was a swift current cutting through the rocks. We had the entire run to ourselves. We pulled out the big cranks for the shallow rocks and went to work. Fish after fish slammed home on those crankbaits and strained every muscle in our bodies with the fight! The combination of heavy current, big fish and huge rocks was more than our 12lb setup could handle. Imagine watching multiple bass over 6lbs tailwalk over the rocks and your lines snapping without hesitation as they wave goodbye in the current. Then there are the ones pulling so hard they straighten your hooks out chasing bait through the rocks! At least 20lbs in full sight broke off and gone! Then the calm before the storm. probably ten minutes of hauling water and the striper pulled in! No leaving now, tournament or not! The bite was amazing, watching them stage towards the banks and rock edges and absolutely smash the crankbaits as we floated them by in the current and started the hard dig right in front of there noses! Unfortunately, we only landed a couple. Most were just to big to hold on to with our equipment. We probably landed or brought alongside 50lbs and lost at least twice that. Honestly, a memory like today is priceless and we will forever be able to call it up and hit play on a tough day! While Lisa and myself were off "goofing" around, the competition on Tuckertown was fierce! With the lake still heavily stained and full of debris from hurricane Florence, teams pressed hard to find a winning pattern. Spotting the difference between existing laydowns and "fresh" cover was the key for most of the tournament's larger fish. Brian Morgan and Christian Johnson actually filled their bag keying on pine laydowns. For the teams without keepers, even the smalls made for a great day on the water as they happily tugged the line. On a roll with back to back wins, Lucas Hedrick and Phillip Hedrick grabbed the cash and the hardware with 13lbs. and 8ozs. Yall are holding all five next time! However, this lucky arm is for hire! Brian Morgan and Christian Johnson took home second today loaded down with the tournament's big fish at 4lbs and 6ozs for a total of 12lbs. and 4ozs. Dalton Eury grabbed today's youth side pot with 8lbs. and 2ozs. Great job guys! Congratulations to each of today's top sticks! We would like to thank all our anglers that joined us on the lake today. The Carolina Crankers would also like to thank and express our appreciation to each of our sponsors! Thank you Gander Outdoors for your continued support and partnership with The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy! Congratulations to our winners Troy Armstrong, Cale Helms, Tommy Streeter and Mark Bayse in today's drawing from Gander Outdoors! Join The Carolina Crankers on October 13th at Lake Norman. Blast-off will be at 7am from Queens Landing! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Rock It!!!
After a one week delay from hurricane Florence, The Carolina Crankers headed to High Rock today. With cancellations from other series for heavy debris on the main, anglers cautiously navigated out of Tamarac and headed for deeper waters. Noticeable obstacles were on the main but nothing extreme. The abundance of debris has already made its way to the shallows and will provide excellent "fishy" hotspots in the coming weeks. And yes, everyone of us tried it but the bass haven't moved into the fresh structure yet. Abbott's Creek and Flat Swamp have begun to clear a bit but most of the lake remains at 0 to 6 inch visibility. The stained waters have slowed the bite in the shallows but the brush bite at the dock ends is still going strong and was responsible for the day's heaviest sacks. Anchored by a 5lb.10oz heavyweight, Phillip and Lucas Hedrick hammered out 17lbs and 4ozs for today's top spot and big fish. Partnering up at the registration table, Chad Simms and Kenneth Earnhardt knocked out a limit of 16lbs and 2ozs for second place. We would also like to congratulate Hunter Alexander for the tournaments youth side pot. Great job out there today guys!!! The Carolina Crankers would also like to welcome C.J., Ryan and Hunter to the family! Its always a pleasure to share the water with our young anglers. As always, thank you to our wonderful sponsors and partners! We invite everyone to put 'em to the test and fish the best with LineCutterz, Cal Coast Fishing, Wicked Weights, Caraway Creek Custom Baits, Queens Tackle, Bizz Baits, TaterHog Custom Baits, Bert's Bait and Tackle, and our partner and title sponsor Gander Outdoors! Huge thank you to Gander Outdoors for sending a pair of Lews Crush rods and a Revo X rod for today's tournament. Congratulations C.J., Michelle and Troy, go catch some big uns! Join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, September 29th on Tuckertown. We will blast from the highway 49 ramp at 7am! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Calling all Carolina Crankers!! It's time to help our neighbors on the coast. We have teamed up with Gander Outdoors in Monroe, Mooresville, Greensboro, and Gastonia and also Todd Street's Gun and Pawn in Midland and Bert's Bait and Tackle in Randleman to collect items for our families in need. Hurricane Florence has dealt a devastating blow to the coast of both the Carolinas and we invite everyone to join us in donating items at these locations. Collection bins will be available in each location for the next week or so and The Red Cross will schedule pickups. Our entire fishing family thanks everyone in advance for their help.
High Rock Rescheduled!!!
Unfortunately we couldn't wait out the hurricane anymore and had to cancel the tournament this past weekend. We also will be cancelling our Friday night tournament this week as we have rescheduled the High Rock tournament for this coming Saturday, September 22nd. With our late season tournament schedule and prior obligations scheduled with our youth series, Bass Monkey Academy, our monthly Friday night series will pick back up next spring. Thank you to all our anglers that have joined us for the late bite! Join The Carolina Crankers this Saturday on High Rock Lake. Blast-off is at 7am from Tamarac (public access). We will be on the ramp by 5:45 to start signing up for blast-off!
Ladies' Night!!!
Had a blast last night in The Carolina Crankers shootout on Lake Norman! A slight breeze greeted anglers for the 8pm blast-off as teams raced out of Queen's looking for the night bite. Although we are still in the dog days of summer, traffic was very light overnight and made for calmer waters and bigger bites. As expected of Lake Norman, jigs, plastics and topwaters were the combination for success in the dark hours. By 4am, several heavy sacks had made their way to the scales. Landing a 6 pound monster for big fish, "Team Mayo" Angela and John, grabbed top spot last night with 17lbs. and 12ozs. Less than a pound behind, Mark and Hunter Carpenter took home second place with 16lbs. and 14ozs. Great job out there tonight! Thank you to each of our anglers that joined us on Norman for our Friday Night Series! We invite everyone to join us on Lake Tillery on September 21st for our next Friday Night tournament. Blast-off will be at 8pm from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
!!!HogSwag!!!
Heavy skies hovered just above the tree line this morning as The Carolina Crankers blasted on Lake Norman. Experience screamed for topwater and teams were loaded for bear. With murky to stained waters above the 150, teams raced to stake their claim on the upper lake. With the number of Whopper Ploppers that headed that direction, the current should have picked up on the lower end. Gin clear waters remain on the low end of the lake with forests of hydrilla reaching for the sun. The wolfpack bite from teams of spotted bass hides in the shadows ignoring even the most delicious offerings. Putting the swag in the bag with a hefty limit, the Tater Hog himself, Matt McBee and Carson Cochran rocked the scales with 17lbs. and 4ozs. Team Tater rounded out their sack with today's big-fish at 4lbs. and 12ozs. These little piggys drove straight past the market and hit the bank with $1990 for the win, today's side-pot and big-fish! Kenny Seagle and Drew Montgomery grabbed second place with 14lbs. and 6ozs. anchored with a tie-breaking big fish of 4lbs. and 10ozs. Matt Stanley and Micheal S. took home third with 14lbs. and 6ozs. with a 3lbs. and 10ozs. big-fish. With the tournaments strongest youth total weight, Dalton Eury won today's kid's side-pot. Great job out there today guys! We would like to share a special thank you to Bull and Aaron Shumaker for donating rods and tackle for Bass Monkey Academy today! Thank you to each of our sponsors that support our club and our young anglers. The Carolina Crankers would also like to send a huge thank you to Gander Outdoors of Monroe for your continued support and top shelf gear for our members! Catch The Carolina Crankers Friday Night Series on August 17th on Lake Norman. We will blast from Queen's landing at 8pm and weigh-in at 4am. Come join The Carolina Crankers September 15th on High Rock Lake. We will blast at 7am from Tamarac public access. Thank you to all our anglers that joined us on Lake Norman today! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Night Bite With The Carolina Crankers!!
Had a great night on Norman last night in The Carolina Crankers first Friday Night Series Tournament! The late week humidity was still weighing on our shoulders but the 8pm blast-off saw a welcome drop in the temperatures with the sun falling on the horizon. By nightfall, anglers scoured hotspots and summertime hideouts looking for a winning limit. The full moon hanging overhead offered teams more angling options, however, the topwater bite proved the strongest and was responsible for the lions share at weigh-in. First to the scales, Nick Miller grabbed tonight's top spot with 14lbs. and 4ozs. Nick pocketed $850 for first place and tonight's sidepot. Originally tied and falling to second only by an 8ozs. dead fish penalty, Robbie Hunter and Phillip McClung took the cash with 13lbs. and 12ozs. The pair anchored their limit with tonight's Big-Fish weighing 4lbs. and 4ozs. Congratulations guys! The Carolina Crankers would like to thank each of our anglers and friends that joined us to kick off our Friday Night Series. We would also like to send a huge thank you to Matt McBee for donating HogSwag shirts to our crew! The Carolina Crankers Friday Night Series will return to Lake Norman on August 17th before heading to Lake Tillery this September. For all you "Early Risers," join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, August 4th on Lake Norman. We will be blasting from Beatties Ford at 6am. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Take A Number!!!
I'm gonna need a corndog and a funnel cake after this! It's a summer time carnival out here at Badin as the tournament Tilt-A-Whirl keeps on spinning! A dozen trailers on the ramp at 4am from last night's tournament still in progress and four clubs choking the ramps for a 6am blast-off drives a sinking feeling deep in your gut like a deep fried twinkie in a hot porta john. Surprisingly positive the lake could handle the pressure, teams anxiously waited as the sun broke on the horizon. Blast-off shook through Alcoa like a slow rolling thunder as teams raced into the distance. Out on the lake it was "fielder's choice" deciding on Badin's triple threat of rocks, wood and grass. Now granted, I've heard my share of fish tales, but these guys threw the sink, the dishwasher and the refrigerator at these fish today. To the fifteen plus pound catfish on the bottom with my net, "well played sir, well played." On a side note, the bluegill bite is on fire! Try a little "power fishing" they're chewing a crankbait and a blade! With a front looming and overcast skies breaking by midday, the "right bite" remained elusive to many today as half the field fell short of a limit. Experience with these pressured waters placed today's top anglers pounds ahead with solid limits. With 17lbs. and 8ozs, Brice Hollis and Jody Moore pocketed over $1,000 for first place and today's side pot! Bryan New and Steve Postell were knockin' on the door taking home second place today with 16lbs. and 2ozs. Lunker Hunters, Jason and Scott Threadgill took big fish with a 5lbs. and 8ozs. hammer! Bass Monkey Academy members, Silas Dobbins and Trey Simpson grabbed today's youth side pot with 4lbs. and 14ozs. Congratulations guys! Great job out there today! Thank you to our youth anglers and our collegiate anglers that joined us on the lake today! Our entire Carolina Crankers family would like to send a huge thank you to Todd Barbee for his continued support of our young anglers and for our tournament trophies! Thank you Frank Earnhardt for donating a case of AIRSEA boat wax for our club tournaments; it's truely a pleasure to share the water with you friend! Bass Monkey Academy and The Carolina Crankers would like to personally thank Bull Shumaker and Jeff Fowler for donating tackle today for our youth anglers! Our entire fishing family sends a huge thank you to Gander Outdoors for your support and dedication to The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy. Join The Carolina Crankers on Friday Night, July 27th as we "shake the lake" on Lake Norman! We will blast from Beatties Ford Ramp at 8pm with a 4am weigh-in. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
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#Ganderoutdoors
#Bassmonkeyacademy
#Carolinacrankers
#Ganderoutdoors
#Bassmonkeyacademy
Summer School!!!
School may be out for the summer, but class was in session today as The Carolina Crankers hit Lake Tillery. A textbook day of fishing with grassflats, rocks and laydowns had teams pushing early to develop quick patterns ahead of the midday heat. Veteran members and young guns scrambled, running shallows and cranking the depths to chase a winning sack of "greenbacks." Driven away by the heat and heavy traffic, the bite had vanished. The occasional "bank burner" looking for a snack, tossed back faster than a banana on the back deck, only prolonged the frustration. Scratching our heads and questioning our "skills" we bounced around the lake as "The Fish Doctors", Pete Morris and Paul Dunlap took us to school! Pete and Paul put on a clinic keying on years of knowledge and experience to drop nearly 20 pounds at weigh-in! The pair called out 19lbs. and 6ozs. banking over $1200 for first place and today's side-pot!! Contact Pete and Paul for a full class schedule!!! Mike and Mike Dills grabbed second place today with 11lbs. and 4ozs. Today's "chunky monkey" goes to Troy and Fischer Armstrong with the tournament's big-fish topping the scales at 6lbs. With a solo of 1lbs. and 10ozs, Aaron Shumaker took today's youth angler's side-pot! Great job out there today guys!! The Carolina Crankers would like to send a huge thank you to our wonderful sponsor and partner, Gander Outdoors in Monroe! Our guys hit the lake this morning with Limit-Out towels and two lucky teams took home amazing coolers donated from Gander Outdoors. Tom Streater and Jimmy Sullivan won a Pelican cooler and Todd and Lucas Barbee took home an awesome Kula cooler! Thank you to each of our anglers and friends that joined us on the lake today! Catch The Carolina Crankers on July 21st at Badin. Blast-off is at 6am from the Alcoa landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Fantasy Island!!!
If 100 bites a day is the fantasy of Mountain Island Lake, then today was a nightmare! Of course, a lucky few found 15 to 20 bites while most of the field struggled in today's Carolina Crankers tournament. Running the main or sneaking in the creeks, the lakes notoriously clear waters offered anglers no cover to "trick" the light bite. On a side note, the clear waters and heavy laydowns offer the perfect "test pool" to tweak your jig and square-bill techniques! Although a heavy sack from Mountain Island seems a "fishing fantasy," it is truly a remarkable lake for fishable rock and timber. By far, it's one of the most beautiful fisheries in the region! After a long day in 90 degree heat, teams were anxious to hit the scales and enjoy some air-conditioning! Knocking down first place, big fish and today's side-pot, Vince Picca and Jonathan Cook hammered a five fish limit of 10lbs. and 14ozs. with a 4lb. 6oz. anchor. Finessing was the key for the tournaments winning sack with all fish falling to a shakey-head or a drop-shot. Only a pound behind, Denver and David Monteith took home second place with 9lbs. and 14ozs. Bass Monkey Academy member Ty Swedick was the tournament's top youth angler today and took home the young angler's side-pot. Great job out there today guys! Come kick some bass with The Carolina Crankers on June 23rd as we hit Lake Tillery! Blast-off is at 6am from the Swift Island ramp. For all those that have a young angler looking to scratch that tournament itch or just wanting to share a day on the lake with other youth anglers, we invite you to sign up for Bass Monkey Academy's first tournament of the 2018 season! Our first youth tournament will be May 26th on Lake Monroe from 7am to 11am. The Carolina Crankers and Gander Outdoors have teamed up and have great prize packages lined up for our young angler's series!! The tournaments are open to all youth anglers from 7 to 17 years old. Please contact Lisa in advance to register and we will schedule boats for our young anglers. Whether you're stocking up for that next tournament or just hitting the ponds for an afternoon bite, be sure to stop by Gander Outdoors for hot deals on your favorite tackle! Look for great things as your favorite local tackle builders start filling the shelves! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Young Guns!!!
Competing on a lake against the Bass Pro Big Bass Tour is a daunting task and hundreds of anglers hitting Lake Norman this week for practice and bank scouting definitely took its toll. Fishing pressure was intense and clear waters made cruisers and bedders extremely skittish. A noticeable trend in today's Carolina Crankers tournament was the "hook shy" bite as numerous fished followed lures and matched speed and cadence but only nipped to avoid the hookup. This common behavior was noted from both ends of the lake. Highly unusual is the missing "wolfpack" bite from the spotted bass population. To consistently catch numbers in pressured conditions, veteran anglers must learn to adapt new techniques which often enough puts a strain on our tried and true "wheelhouse" of skills. However, these conditions are the perfect launchpad for our younger anglers with open minds and developing skillsets. A little over a year ago, The Carolina Crankers opened our club ranks to young anglers from 7 to 17 to compete as equals in our tournament series. The new experience as our young anglers share time and knowledge with multiple generations of established tournament members has been incredible. Today, that partnership has come to fruition and we are extremely proud to announce that the young angler team of Zachary Zipadelli and Race Goodrich boated 12lbs. and 10ozs. taking home first place in today's tournament. The team anchored their winning sack with the tournament's big fish weighing 2lbs. and 12ozs. New members, Michael Matthews and Vance Matthews grabbed second place with 10lbs. and 14ozs. Mitch Burgin sacked today's sidepot with 9lbs. and 12ozs. Congratulations to each of today's top fishermen! Great job guys!!! We would also like to personally welcome all of our new members that have joined us this season! Welcome to The Carolina Crankers family!!! Look for great new things as we have been offered an amazing opportunity to partner with Gander Outdoors! Gander Outdoors has teamed up with The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy and will become our title sponsor. Look for Bass Monkey Academy classes at Gander Outdoors in Monroe next month! Welcome to our fishing family! Join the Carolina Crankers on May 12th at Mountain Island Lake. Blast-off is at 6am from the Highway 16 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Heavy Hitters
Long before daybreak, The Carolina Crankers lined up to go head to head with Badin's green monsters. With engines roaring, teams disappeared into the darkness at the 6am blast-off. Anglers looking for slightly stained waters headed towards Circle Drive while clearer waters were found near Alcoa. With tomorrows forecasted unstable conditions and a heavy front drawing near, multiple patterns established during tournament hours. Sight fishing the shallows, dredging the ditches and flippin' the switches, all produced quality fish today! "Badin Bruisers" can be found on wood, rocks, grass and docks making it the perfect time to hunt that personal best, hone your skills with a new technique or share your boat and your time with a young angler! Many young anglers are already competing as equals with The Carolina Crankers through Bass Monkey Academy. It's truly a humbling experience to share a boat with them and watch them grow. After a solid week of heavy sacks and multiple tournament pressure would Badin's population produce one more knock out at the scales? At 2pm, anglers cruised back to Alcoa anxious to drop a few "hammers" on the rest of the field. "Heavy Hitters," Mark and Audrey Bayse dropped a Sledgehammer on the scales at 7lbs and 14ozs to anchor a devastating 25lb and 14ozs sack taking out the field and a mountain of cash for first place, today's side-pot and big fish! Only 4ozs seperated second and third as Roy Winkler and Chris Curtis grabbed second with 20lbs and 6ozs. Knocking down 20lbs and 2ozs, Todd Barbee and Joe Swain landed their limit with third place. That's over 65lbs for todays top three teams!!! Today, we added a secondary sidepot just for our young anglers. Lisa and I will personally put $5 for each young angler in a second pot strictly for the highest placing youth angler. This is in addition to our standard payouts where they compete as equals for the top payouts. With a 4lbs and 12oz largemouth, Leelin Mullis took our very first youth angler side-pot!!! Great job everybody!!! We would like to personally thank all of our anglers for joining us on the lake today and invite each of you to tackle the ocean with us on April 28th as we head to Lake Norman. Blast-off is at 6am from Beatties Ford Ramp. I would also like to share my extreme appreciation to our Bass Monkey parents and Academy members that joined us on the lake today. Thank you tremendously for your help with registration this morning and weigh-in this afternoon! See ya on the ramps!!! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Fishing for Conditions!
All week teams have been trolling social media checking results from local tournaments on Tuckertown. Lunker after lunker proved the time was right and the fish were chewing! Spring temperatures and fair weather patterns had driven total weights in to the mid 20's to cash a check on Tuckertown. But this is the Carolinas and we all know about that notorious "Carolina Wedge." As usual, Friday night, skies were clear and winds were crisp as temperatures bottomed out and left anglers scrambling for winter layers and hand warmers. By blast-off, temperatures were frigid; holding strong at 38 degrees. As anglers feared, the bite went South. The migration towards the shallows was over and few heavyweights were left cruising the skinny waters as most had turned their noses towards deeper waters. Angling experience shined as seasoned teams switched gears to develop successful patterns for today's weigh-in. With payouts over $1800, every ounce was critical as teams approached the scales! Knocking down 17lbs. and 2ozs. Michael Kinard and Tony Lambert took today's top spot and side-pot for over $1300!!! Only one pound behind, David Cheek and Mike Kirk dropped a five fish limit of 16lbs. and 2ozs. for second place. Always close enough to "smell" the money, the "Money Magnet" Jeff Coley and partner Andy Nix grabbed third today with 15lbs. and 2ozs. Today's "Lunker Hunter" belongs to Bobby Allman and Mike Deese with a 7lbs and 4ozs stud for big fish! Amazing job guys!!! The Carolina Crankers would like to thank everyone that joined us on Tuckertown today and invite each of you to join us on Badin in two weeks! We would also like to share our extreme appreciation to James Blue, Brian "Bull" Shumaker, and Chad Wilson for sharing a boat and your time with our young anglers!!! You guys are the best!!! Thank you Trevor Wilson, Megan O'Neill, Silas Dobbins and Aaron Shumaker, it is always a pleasure to see young anglers with a passion for our sport!! Join The Carolina Crankers on Badin Lake on April 14th. We will be blasting from Alcoa at 6am! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Necessary Roughness!!!
Bitter winds greeted The Carolina Crankers as the national anthem rang out from Tamarac this morning. The churning waters at High Rock gave way to steady whitecaps rolling two to three foot waves deep into the creeks. The main was an ocean of muddy waters and heavy spray. When Brian pulled out a helmet at blast-off, I decided it was time for a bologna sandwich at the Lakeside Restaurant! But I ain't scared, We made a run for the main...... couldn't get that boat turned around fast enough!!! Teams headed deep into the creeks looking for shelter and cleaner waters. Rough conditions had little effect on the pre-spawn bite as the lake's population is in full "chew" knocking down crankbaits and blades. Heavy sacks can be found working shallow wood and laydowns till late morning and transitioning to rocks and riprap by midday. After a tough day of hammering winds and spine jarring rides, anglers hit the scales. Dropping a monster bag for over $1,000, Rodney Hammill and Jeff Roe took first place and today's side-pot with 21lbs. and 6ozs. Just ounces behind, Brian "Bull" Shumaker and his son Aaron Shumaker grabbed second place with 20lbs. and 10ozs. Big fish was tight today with four toads from 5lbs 12ozs to 5lbs 14ozs but it was a 6 flat "shad buster" from Roger Hoover that took home the cash! Congratulations guys! Great job out there today! We would like to thank everyone that joined us today on High Rock and we would also like to send out a huge shout out to our young anglers that competed in today's conditions! That my friend is true dedication and a passion for our sport! And yes, it was a really good sandwich!! Random thoughts, one of the perks of being a tournament director.... I always have "bass thumb." Lisa and I hope to see each of you in Greenville for The Bass Master's Classic in two weeks! Hit the lake with The Carolina Crankers later this month as we head to Tuckertown on March 31st. Blast-off is from highway 49 at 7am. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Pay The Lady!!!
Winter snapped back today as The Carolina Crankers returned to Lake Tillery. Warm temperatures this week topped off with an 82 degree day yesterday hit the wall this morning as temperatures fell into the low 40's for blast-off. Like a clean slate, midweek patterns disappeared in the chilly blast from an overnight coldfront. Water temperatures still managed to climb into the lower 50's and lake levels were noticeably lower as the lake dropped nearly three feet overnight. The obvious choice for today's conditions was to chase schooling fish. Working the riprap around bridges and running deep into the creeks managed to draw a stronger bite than midlake haunts. Soft plastics and softbody swimbaits on leadheads drew out the heavier bags for today's weigh-in. Most bags finished in the 7lb to 11lb range typical of a tough early bite. Only three teams broke through the 12lb barrier and kept things close with 4 ounces seperating the group until Mark and Audrey Bayse unloaded a 6lb 10oz hammer on the scales! The Lake Tillery chunk took home today's big fish pot and anchored a game-changing sack tipping the scales at 16lbs and 8ozs!! Mark and Audrey "cashed in" taking home first place, a $775 side-pot and the tournament's big fish pot for a total of $1550!!!! Jeff Raby and Brente Davis stiff armed the remainder of the field and grabbed second place today with 12lbs and 4ozs! We would like to congratulate each of today's top finishers!!! The Carolina Crankers would also like to thank our female anglers and our Bass Monkey Academy youth anglers that competed in today's tournament. We would also like to send out a special thank you to Linecutterz pro Tommy Perkins for being a boat captain today! Join The Carolina Crankers on March 3rd as we take on High Rock Lake. Blast-off is at 7am from Tamarac public access. Until then... Keep 'em Hooked!!!
Spank That Bass!!!
Sitting on the ramps long before dawn, bitter winds rolled off the water as The Carolina Crankers prepared to tame Lake Norman. 22 degrees with clear waters is not what the doctor ordered, but this is Norman and the fishing is on fire!!! With 29 boats and over $1600 on the line, what do you choose? Hang out and limit on spots or drop it in the wind and hunt for largemouth. Spots are always willing to chase a little tail but to win on Norman, it takes meat!! If it's time for a BBQ, those "Coley Rigs" are hotter than your cousin from West Virginia!! Jeff Coley took us to school this January on Lake Tillery and decided to take his very first trip to Norman last week and try his luck with his custom "Coley Rigs" and hammered out a solid limit in practice. Today, Jeff Coley and Chris Coble continued to "Spank that Bass" with the Coley Rig for 15lbs. and 10ozs. Grabbing just over $1400, the team took home first place and today's sidepot including a 4lb 4oz kicker for big fish!!! With 13lbs. and 10ozs, James Roten and Josh Gowan finished their day with second place. Great job today guys!! We would like to thank our new friends and welcome back familiar faces to The Carolina Crankers. It was a pleasure to have our young anglers from Bass Monkey Academy compete with us today. Join The Carolina Crankers on February 17th as we continue on Lake Tillery. Blast-off is at 7am from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Check out these AWESOME hand crafted A-Rigs!
Jeff cashed in on over a $1,000 Saturday on his custom made A-Rigs .
Gett’em while you can Gett’em! Contact Jeff Coley on Facebook to place your order.
Just throwing this out to anyone who has any interest in quality umbrella rigs. I don't use junk parts and they hold up to a lot of abuse. These do not tangle like the flimsy thin wire rigs. I use grade 316 0.45 stainless wire on all my rigs. I've found some better prices on blades and swivels so the prices will be coming down instead of going up. Thanks
5 wire single blade arm....$12.00
5 wire double blade arm...$15.00
7 wire double blade arm.....$25.00
7 wire triple blade arm $30.00
Jeff cashed in on over a $1,000 Saturday on his custom made A-Rigs .
Gett’em while you can Gett’em! Contact Jeff Coley on Facebook to place your order.
Just throwing this out to anyone who has any interest in quality umbrella rigs. I don't use junk parts and they hold up to a lot of abuse. These do not tangle like the flimsy thin wire rigs. I use grade 316 0.45 stainless wire on all my rigs. I've found some better prices on blades and swivels so the prices will be coming down instead of going up. Thanks
5 wire single blade arm....$12.00
5 wire double blade arm...$15.00
7 wire double blade arm.....$25.00
7 wire triple blade arm $30.00
Made To Order!!!
Sliding down the boat ramps, The Carolina Crankers kicked off the 2018 tournament season. In a cold that "hurt," teams eased down the icy ramps of Lake Tillery before dawn. Dedicated anglers at the front of the field waiting over an hour in 20 degree temperatures to be the first to brave the day's first run. The roar of the field as the national anthem filled the Swift Island cove. The goosebumps! We thank you all for the perfect start to the new year. With water temperatures in the low 40's and a very slow bite for most teams, Lake Tillery was the day's fiercest competitor. Known for heavy sacks and slugfests in the early season, Tillery has been hammered with temperatures in the teens for better than a week and continues to hold a strong snowpack from the midweek storm. Conditions are brutal even for the most experienced angler on the lake. To win today was an accomplishment, but to do it with your own bait is making a statement! Jeff Coley and Bryce Hollis smashed five Lake Tillery hammers for 16lbs. and 8ozs. on Jeff's custom Alabama Rigs. Designing and building the perfect bait rocked the lake for over $1000 as the team took first place and today's sidepot. With the tournament's only other limit, brothers, Scott and Jason Threadgill hooked up for second place with 12lbs. and 12ozs. Grabbing the first "fatty" of the season, Daniel Threadgill and Westin Lineberry dropped a solid 5lbs. and 4oz. largemouth for the tournament's big fish pot. Congratulations to each of today's top anglers! Thank you to all of our guys that came out today to start the new season! We would also like to welcome our four young anglers that competed as equals today with The Carolina Crankers! Youth anglers are always welcome and ages 17 and under will always fish for free!! Anyone wanting to pickup a couple custom, hand-built Alabama Rigs, contact Jeff Coley on Facebook! And Jeff, don't forget the "special sauce" on mine!!! My apologies for the lighting on today's pictures! Join The Carolina Crankers on February 3rd for a little "big water" fishing on Lake Norman. We will be blasting from Beatties Ford ramp at 7am. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Join The Carolina Crankers on Lake Tillery January 20th as we kick off the 2018 season. We will be blasting from Swift Island (24/27) at 7am with a 3pm weigh-in. New members are always welcome and there are no membership dues. Young anglers 17 and under always fish free and ladies are always free with paying partner! Come on out and become a part of the regions most dedicated fishing family! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!
As the new season approaches, we invite everyone to explore our archives and catch up with The Carolina Crankers.