Welcome to the home of Union County's finest bass anglers! Founded in 1985, The Carolina Crankers are one of the longest running bass tournament clubs in The Carolinas. 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 our High School youth may enjoy our No Limitz High School Bass Tournament 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!
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That's A Wrap!!!
Lake Norman hosted the 2019 Carolina Classic as The Carolina Crankers wrapped up an outstanding season. 2019 has been a roller coaster with harsh early year freezes and an extended summer with temperatures hot enough to melt you to your seats! Why should the Classic be any different? The coldest temperatures since January rolled through like a freight train overnight plummeting to the upper 20's before blast-off. For any lake, that's a game changer. Add some gin-clear water and it becomes anybody's ballgame. Experienced anglers must adapt to succeed. 2019 Carolina Classic Kings, Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis, are two of the best when conditions call for quick adjustments and new gameplans. Jeff and Brice hit the scales with 12lbs. and 4ozs. to lead the field and anchored their winning limit with the tournament's big fish at 3lbs. and 4ozs. Congratulations guys! Taking second place today, Wayne Snyder and Johnathan Cook weighed an 8lbs. and 6ozs. limit. Rolling solo for this year's Classic, Billy Sipes went home in third with 6lbs. even for the day. Great job out there today gentlemen! Thank you to the hundreds of anglers that joined The Carolina Crankers on the lakes this season! 2020 marks 35 years for The Carolina Crankers and our fishing family has never been stronger! Lisa and I thank each of you! We are all The Carolina Crankers! Thank you for an excellent 2019 season and we look forward to seeing each of you on the lake in January! Just a reminder, for the first time ever, The Carolina Crankers are offering guaranteed spots in The 2020 Carolina Classic! Guaranteed entry is $200 per angler due before midnight on December 31st 2019. Guaranteed anglers are prequalified for next season's Classic and will have 0 entry fees for tournament participation during the 2020 season. These anglers will be responsible for big fish pots and optional sidepots only. Each guaranteed entry goes entirely towards payouts for the 2020 Carolina Classic! Female anglers and youth anglers under the age of 18, with paid guaranteed partner, are guaranteed at no additional cost! Early entry may be paid through PayPal at [email protected] Send all payments as friends and family please! For more information about becoming a guaranteed angler for the 2020 Carolina Classic, please contact Lisa at 704-226-7127. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2019 QUALIFYING TEAMS
CAROLINA CLASSIC ON LAKE NORMAN NOVEMBER 9TH
LAKE IS OFF LIMITS AFTER MIDNIGHT TUESDAY 5TH
Boaters must fish 10 tournaments
Non Boaters must fish 8 tournaments
A maximum two tournament buy in is allowed to meet required tournament total
TIM HOWARD 11 JOSH HOWARD 11
WAYNE SNYDER 12 JONATHAN COOK 8
BILLY SIPES 8 BUY-IN $40 GEORGE KRAUSE 6 BUY-IN $40
JEFF COLEY 11 BRICE HOLLIS 8
MARK BAYSE 10 AUDREY BAYSE 10
GREG HAVERLOCK 10 BRIAN HAVERLOCK 8
RODNEY MAY 12 LISA MAY 10
JAY HUTCHINSON 8 BUY-IN $40 ETHAN 7 BUY-IN $20
JASON ECKARD 8 BUY-IN $40 CARSON ECKARD 8
ALL BUY-INS MUST BE PAYED THE MORNING OF THE CAROLINA CLASSIC
THE 2019 CAROLINA CLASSIC WILL BE HELD ON LAKE NORMAN ON NOVEMBER 9TH
WE WILL BE BLASTING FROM BEATTIES FORD RAMP AT 7AM
RAMP DIRECTIONS CAN BE FOUND UNDER RAMP PAGE
NO ENTRY FEE FOR CAROLINA CLASSIC
BIG FISH POT WILL BE $10 PER BOAT
Seeing Spots!
The Carolina Crankers ended the 2019 regular season on Lake Norman today. Clouds, patches of midday sun, cool morning air and a mild warming afternoon, it was a fisherman's dream day today. No one told the fish! Even the looming front pulling into the Piedmont area couldn't fire up the feeding frenzy today. Of course, this is lake Norman and the spots always bite, just not the roaming wolfpacks today. Teams had enough bites to keep things interesting but packing on any weight for weigh-in fell short with the big bite absent at the scales. Hammering out a solid limit, Jason Wilson, topped the field with 11lbs. and 14ozs. for first place and today's sidepot banking just over $800! Brian Morgan pulled the double, fishing the Monday Night Series finale overnight and taking second place today on two hours of sleep. Brian hit the scales with 10lbs. and 2ozs. Dave Calbert and Bill Carothers stayed in the money by hanging today's big fish pot with 3lbs. and 8ozs. Showing the big boys how it's done, Isaac Haverlock won today's No Limitz youth sidepot with a 2lbs. and 6ozs. largemouth. Isaac won a special "goody sack" full of top shelf hardbaits and plastics from our sponsors, Gander Outdoors, The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy. Great job Isaac! Congratulations to each of our top fishermen today! The Carolina Crankers would like to send a huge Thank You to all our anglers that shared the lakes with us this season! Good luck to each of our teams that qualified for The 2019 Carolina Classic! Until next season ... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Fall!!!
What a difference a day can make! Three months of temperatures above 90 degrees and the bottom falls out! Today was a blessing as temperatures topped out at 70 degrees following last night's cold front. Light breezes and overcast skies are a fisherman's best friend but a season change over night can wreak havoc on any fishery. Lake Wylie was no exception as the big girls locked down and left the game. Today became a dink shootout with teams catching bank burners by the dozens. Even the small bites can keep the day exciting but turns to frustration on tournament day. Not a single limit made it to the scales for weigh-in! Rockin' the scales with 6lbs. and 10ozs, Bill Carothers and Dave Calbert broke the bank taking home first place and today's sidepot. Club founder Wayne Snyder and son Darren Snyder took big fish with an even 3lbs. Rolling home with a brand new rod and an autographed Skeeter hat, Carson Eckard took today's youth top spot with 1lb and 6ozs. Excellent job everybody! Congratulations! With only one regular season tournament remaining, now is the perfect time to join The Carolina Crankers and meet our fishing family before the new season starts in January. We invite everyone to join us October 26th on Lake Norman to wrap up 2019. Blast-off is at 7am from Queens Landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!!
Low Tide on The Rock!!!
Somebody pulled the plug! High Rock is in drawdown and the bite is sparse but fierce. The Carolina Crankers were blessed with the perfect day for tournament fishing. Heavy cloud cover and cooler temperatures held together almost the entire tournament day. The smalls were biting multiple patterns but the big girls are still elusive with the falling lake levels. Several fish in the 4 to 6 pound range made it to the scales, but those 7's and 8's are gonna take that 8 hour in the deer stand approach. You're gonna need the right bait, wind in your favor and a lot of luck to get them to nose out of hiding! With water levels falling, now is the perfect time to put those hours in and do some homework scouting the structure and flow of The High Rock Big Fish Factory. You'll thank me for it next season when you're hammering them on off shore structure! After a long day of "hide and seek" and "chunkin' and winding", Wayne Ingram (The Professor), took us to school dropping 19lbs and 4ozs on the scales and banking just under a $1,000 with first place and today's sidepot! Phillip M. and Brian Morgan scored some extra credit locking down 16lbs and 8ozs for second and a stash of cash. Rounding out the field, Lisa and Rodney May grabbed big fish today with 6lbs. and 6ozs. In our youth No-Limitz series, Carson Eckard topped the field with a solo weighing 1lb and 14ozs. Carson took home the cash, a new Lews Mach spinning combo and tournament gear from The Carolina Crankers, Bass Monkey Academy, Gander Outdoors and Riot Baits! Great job Carson! Congratulations to each of today's winners. Awesome day on the lake! Join The Carolina Crankers on October 5th on Lake Wylie. Blast off is at 7am from Buster Boyd. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#No-Limitz
#RiotBaits
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#No-Limitz
#RiotBaits
#BassMonkeyAcademy
The Dog Days
The dog days of summer have officially arrived on Badin. Even under heavy pressure, Badin consistently cranks out multiple 20+ pound sacks for tournament anglers. Over the past week, the wheels fell off. With multiple practice days ahead of today's tournament, teams struggled to piece together a winning pattern this week. With forecasted heat indexes near 100 degrees, The Carolina Crankers shortened today's tournament an hour hoping to protect our fish and fishermen. However, we were given a gift of overcast skies, a gentle breeze and early afternoon showers. Where did that come from? A break from the heat was refreshing but never triggered 'the bite." It was dry at the scales for over half the field today with only two limits for weigh-in. Cranking out almost 20 pounds, Brian New and Brittany Herron grabbed first place and today's sidepot with 18lbs. and 6ozs. They anchored their winning sack with Brittany's 5lb and 2oz hammer for big fish. Mike Kiser took the cash in second today with 12lbs. and 2ozs. Congratulations, great job guys! Thank you to each of our anglers that joined us on Badin today. Catch The Carolina Crankers next month on High Rock Lake. Remember, we will fall back to a 7am blast-off on September 14th as we blast from Tamarac public access. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Throwdown on Tuckertown!!!
Today was hotter than a five alarm fire on the fourth of July. Heat index above 107 degrees and water temperatures in the 90's. Of course, this is Tuckertown and the swamp algae is everywhere! Ever stronger than the heat, the bitter smell of the thick moss fields are unavoidable. 90% of the lake's banks are unapproachable and extremely difficult to fish even with a weightless worm. Anglers hitting this happy little reservoir should plan on spending up to 25% of their day just cleaning the vegetation from their hooks. Having a productive day at this stage on Tuckertown depends on depth and structure. Those that put in the time and know the lay of the lake can cash in with stacks of bass lurking in the depths. It's honestly a slugfest out there cranking deep and dragging monster plastics. Just ask Jonathan Cook. He took a fin through the jeans and a treble hook through the bridge of his nose trying to net a five pound fish! Between him and the boat, it looked like a crime scene! Teams landed just a taste of the lake's population with only 37 fish hitting the scales. But those 37 went for over 131lbs. That's an average of just over 3.5lbs. Dropping 22lbs. and 2ozs. to take first place, Curtis Dillion and Stacie Dillion anchored the winning sack with the tournament's 5lb. and 10oz. big fish. With that heavy-weight sack, Curtis and Stacie also grabbed today's sidepot. Great job guys! Thank you to all our teams that braved the blistering heat on Tuckertown today. Join The Carolina Crankers on August 10th at Badin. Blast-off is at 6am from Alcoa landing. To all our youth members and followers, join us for the first stop on our No-Limitz High School Bass Tournament Series next Saturday, July 27th on Badin. Registration begins at 6am with a 7:30 blast-off from Alcoa. Check out our links from both The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy websites for tournament rules and format. You can also join our Facebook group at No-Limitz High School Bass Tournament Series for live video and updates during the July 27th tournament. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Bring The Heat!!!
The Carolina Crankers had a real scorcher today on Lake Tillery. With temps moving into the nineties and humidity bearing down on your shoulders there was no frying pan, just the fire! With water levels down three feet or better, new grass is beginning to blanket shallow points and creeps into protected coves. However, the dropping levels have pulled fish away from the grass and out to suspend in open water. Some teams had early success with topwater but it proved to be a very short window of opportunity. The summer patterns haven't developed as planned and teams scrambled to tempt a limit from the depths. Several fish were taken below the 14 inch minimum but the big bite is suffering with the summer heat. Look closely at today's pictures for a Lake Tillery surprise! Jeff and Brice brought in the clubs' very first smallmouth bass! By the 2pm weigh-in, teams had all the heat they could handle for one day. With the tournament's heaviest sack, Robin Collins and Ronnie White took first place and today's sidepot with 15lbs. and 12ozs. Derrick Livingston and Brittany Wilhoit continued their hot streak finishing in second with 14lbs. and 6ozs. This season's breakout team of Jason and Scott Threadgill kept up their winning ways with today's big fish at 4lbs. and 14ozs. Winning back to back youth sidepots, Colby Surratt flexed his fishing skills with 9lbs. and 10ozs! This kid is on a roll! Congratulations to all of today's top finishers! We would also like to welcome each of our female anglers that joined us today as well as our great group of young anglers that competed in today's tournament! Welcome to The Carolina Crankers! Thank you for a great day on the lake! Just a side note, ice cold tomato juice can really quench your thirst, but bringing a gallon to the lake might be a mistake! Just sayin' Join The Carolina Crankers July 20th as we head to Tuckertown. Blast-off is at 6am from the 49 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#GanderOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#QueensTackle
#LineCutterz
#BizzBaits
#Lews
#GanderOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#QueensTackle
#LineCutterz
#BizzBaits
#Lews
Slingin' in The Rain!!!
The Carolina Crankers returned to High Rock ready to deal with unfavorable conditions today. With heavy rains and strong chances for storms forecasted all week, teams prepared for tough conditions and a slow bite. Once again, weather forecast mean nothing as the rains never came and anglers simply dealt with a moderate breeze and heavy boat traffic. With the BFL dropping 94 boats beside us, we jumped the 6am start to allow our teams first crack at the best spots. The overcast skies and low light conditions fueled the bite as bass became more aggressive and gave chase to multiple baits. Today's strongest sack fell to a jig. With 22lbs. and 14ozs, Derrick Livingston and Brittany Wilhoit grabbed the win and anchored their winning sack with a 6lb. and 2oz largemouth for today's big fish. Taking second place at the scales, Dennis Surratt and Colby Surratt weighed a 15lb. and 12oz. limit. Colby's 4lb and 10oz hammer put him on top to win today's youth side pot. Congratulations everyone! Great job out there today! Join The Carolina Crankers on Lake Tillery on June 29th. We will be blasting from Swift Island at 6am. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Some Like it Hot!!!
Just like that, Summer has hit the Carolinas! All at once, it's 92 degrees with bluebird skies, no wind and every jet ski in North Carolina! Welcome to Lake Norman! The Carolina Crankers hit the ramps long before dawn this morning. We all know the routine, hit it hard and fast before the lake becomes unmanageable. In the cooler morning waters, the bite was aggressive. Bank burners have staged in 8 to 10 feet of water and are chasing baits worked through the shallow wood and rock. Fish are beginning to migrate deeper or further under docks as the sun creeps higher by midday. Teams expressed a common shutdown by noon. Blasting so early leaves little time for an afternoon pattern to develop, however, fish became active again as shade returned to the shallows. Early morning conditions are perfect for catching numbers on topwater, jigs and crankbaits. Hammering a consistent bite and packing pounds in the livewell this time of year takes a true angling artist. With 18lbs. and 14ozs, Chad Midkiff painted a masterpiece! Chad grabbed the lions share today sacking just under $1200 including today's big fish at 5lbs. and 10ozs. With a stout bag of their own, Luke Helms and Jordan Baker took home second with 17lbs. and 4ozs. Trent Lawson knocked out 6lbs. and 14ozs. to win today's youth sidepot. Check out that Lake Norman chunk, a new tournament personal best for Bass Monkey member Ty Swedick! This one clocks in at 5lbs. and 6ozs. That fish was one cheeseburger shy of taking big fish! Nice fish Ty! Great job out there today guys! Congratulations! Thank you Jeff Queen and KJ Queen for joining us today. Always a pleasure to have our wonderful sponsors hit the water with us! Great job in the college series KJ! We would also like to welcome all of our new members that joined us on the lake today. Welcome to the Carolina Crankers Family! We are also extremely proud of Bass Monkey members, Aaron Shumaker and Trent Lawson for qualifying for the FLW High School Nationals at Pickwick Lake! Go get 'em boys!!! Thank you to all of our anglers that joined us at Norman today. Catch the Carolina Crankers on High Rock on June 8th. Blast off is at 6am from Tamarac Public Access. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#QueensTackle
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#RiottBaits
#Linecutterz
#PhantomOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#FLWFishing
#GanderOutdoors
#VexanFishing
#QueensTackle
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#RiottBaits
#Linecutterz
#PhantomOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#FLWFishing
#GanderOutdoors
#VexanFishing
Feel the Heat!!!
Finally, The heat is on at Tuckertown! Water temperatures are climbing and the bass are chewing all day. Before daylight, The Carolina Crankers roared out of the highway 49 ramp on a mission to crush the 2pm weigh-in. Head up the river and the water is hovering near 70 degrees. Push mid lake and the temperatures are climbing into the mid to upper 70's. The big girls were chasing topwater early on laydowns and treetops with Bass Monkey Academy's Carson Eckard smashing one 4lb 4 ozs on a buzzbait! That will get that blood pumping early in the morning. Heavier fish began falling for flipping jigs and swim jigs as the sun began to rise. Once that sun pushed over the treetops, the bite shifted off the banks. Those post spawn fish might be tired but they're certainly hungry as they chomped down on plastics worked on deeper points and most offshore structure. Find the right spot and the bite is stacked! Throw in that boiling heat ahead of the impending front and today played out like the fourth of July! By 2pm, teams returned exhausted and ready for some air conditioning and relaxation. The "Dream Team" of Mark and Audrey Bayse dropped the water levels today pulling out 19lbs. and 2ozs. to take the win. That was one nice sack of fish! Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis hammered out a second place finish with 16lbs even. The pair of "Lip Rippers" also tackled today's big fish at 5lb and 14oz. That fish had a smile as wide as The Joker! Carson Eckard's chunk early this morning carried him to the top in today's youth sidepot. Carson took home a brand new Lews Mach Series Combo donated from Lews and Bass Monkey Academy! Great job out there Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you to all of our anglers that joined us on Tuckertown today! We would like to welcome our newest father and son team, Dennis and Colby it was a pleasure to have you join us today at the lake! Join The Carolina Crankers for some big water fishing as we head to Lake Norman on May 18th. Blast-off is at 6am from Queens. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#GanderOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#Lews
#PhantomOutdoors
#GanderOutdoors
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#Lews
#PhantomOutdoors
Technical Difficulties!!!
To say that I'm a little OCD would be an understatement. Hit the weigh-ins an hour early or hang around afterwards and it's painfully obvious that to me, everything has a certain order in the way it's setup and I have to reload my truck placing each piece in it's proper location. All those that have helped with setup or takedown know how weird I am and place everything on the ground and wait for me to reload my way. To say that I am any different about my boat prep would be crazy! Chargers are on from the time it pulls into the driveway until the boat leaves at 3am! Before the chargers are pulled, every switch and every gage checked and rechecked. Livewells, bilge pumps, lighting, dash gauges, straps, rod tiedowns, a quick hit on the key for the engine, keys, lunch, phone, charger, you get the picture... Last but not least, hit the pedal on the trolling motor. Unhook and leave the house. Full checklist and headed to my favorite lake on the planet; Lake Norman. Arrive, setup canopy, setup table, get out money box, hand wife the change for the drawer, hang the lights, get out the number chips, grab the megaphone, grab the speaker, setup the two most beautiful flags in the world; U.S.A. and Trump, get the flashlight, get the marker ribbon, check some livewells, crank up the National Anthem, blast the best group of anglers I've ever met, take down registration area, reload truck, tally the registration sheets, get total count for entry fees, separate money into standard payouts, sidepots and Classic percentages, register late arriving teams, refigure all payouts, strap the lifejacket on the dog, prep for launch, 7:30 blast off, arrive at my destination, 15 rods tangled in rod locker, 20 minutes to completely detangle, Lisa catches fish second cast, drop trolling motor, TROLLING MOTOR DEAD!!! Check batteries for issues, pull prop to check for tangled line, DROP PROP PIN IN LAKE!!! Dog tangled up near console, Time to put it on the trailer! Put all rods away in same rod locker, strap down all loose items for journey back, DOG BREAKS KEY OFF IN IGNITION!!! Back on trailer by 9am, home shortly after 10, leave home at noon, traffic on 77, arrive at boat ramp at 1:20, 40 minutes to pack in an hour and 15 minute setup for weigh-in, catch breath, 2pm hit the scales! Sometimes a little OCD slips into my stories as well! Honestly, the best part of my day was seeing the smiles on Josh and Tim Howards' faces after hearing they caught fish all day. These lakes are quite often hard to pattern and daunting to our younger anglers. We've seen each young angler struggle and have their confidence shaken but today all their hard work and dedication came together as both father and son hammered Lake Norman's spotted bass! Although they fell short of today's top finishers, I still consider it a win for both of them! At the scales, most teams shared similar details of the lake today. Find the right spot and the bites keep coming. There may not be much size in the packs but it makes for a fun day catching! Weigh-ins today saw a handful of largemouth but a vast majority of spots. To take home the cash, it took a combination of both and a pair of shoulders on the spots! Weigh-ins were as eventful as the rest of my day. I chased more than one of these crazy spotted bass across the parking lot and even had one jump out of the sink and back in the bag! They jump around like frog legs in the frying pan! Today we had not one but two ties to split the field for payouts. Wesley Bell and Kevin Gann hit the scales with 12lbs. and 10ozs. with a 3lb. and 8oz kicker fish. Rodney Adams and C.J. Johnston also had 12lbs. and 10ozs. but only had a 3lb. and 2oz. kicker. With big fish as tiebreaker, Wesley and Kevin took home first place while Rodney and C.J. grabbed second. Chad Midkiff weighed a 3lbs. and 8ozs. kicker to tie Wesley and Kevin for big fish but fell short with a total weight of 11lbs. and 12ozs. as Wesley and Kevins' total weight carried them over the tie. Confused yet? Try explaining all that after the day we've had! Great job guys! Despite it all, we had a great day at the lake! Couldn't find a better group of people to call "Family." Join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, May 4th on Tuckertown! Blast-off is at 6am from highway 49 ramp! May the fourth be with you!!! Either you get it or you don't, LOL!!! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Bass Monkey Academy High School Open on Lake Norman
Never underestimate the dedication of our young anglers. The passion and "never give up" attitude is alive and well in each of them. After one young man loses traction at the trolling prop, he fashions a makeshift prop pin with a nail weight from his tacklebox. He never gave up and hammered those swells all day. When a second teams' starter grinds to a halt by sunrise, they back the trailer down, drop the trolling motor and attack the winds head-on! The loss of the main motor would send almost all of us to the house in today's conditions. Fresh off a cold front and battered with heavy winds and rolling whitecaps, Lake Norman punished our young anglers in The Bass Monkey Academy High School Open. Tough conditions, even for veteran anglers weren't enough to slow down these young men and women today. Several limits made it to the scales and all teams had fish for weigh-ins. With today's strongest sack, Austin Wikes and Hunter Alexander took home first place in our Senior Division with 9lbs. and 12ozs. Topping out our Junior Division, Kade and Grant Sturgill knocked out a five fish limit weighing 6lbs. and 4ozs. Aaron Shumaker and Dalton Eury grabbed second place with a "spotted" limit of 7lbs. and 12ozs. Congratulations to Logan and Jay for winning today's big fish pot with a 2lb. 12oz. largemouth. Great job out there today everyone! After weigh-ins, we all enjoyed the perfect lunch with fresh grilled hotdogs, coleslaw, chips and homemade cookies! Yes, if you notice the missing cookies, I'm enjoying them right now! Thank you to each of you that sent food and helped cook and prepare for our tournament. Our young anglers and us "old folks" had a great time hanging out with Pro Hank Cherry this afternoon! Thank you so much for sharing your time and your experience with our young anglers! Jeff Queen stopped by and dropped off Queen's Tackle hats and goodies to share with everybody! We can't possibly thank you enough Jeff! Brian Souza with Bizz Baits made a special trip to bring each of our youth new baits and to share a Huge fishing package with a very deserving young member of Bass Monkey Academy! Thank you Brian!!! Lisa and I would like to express our extreme gratitude and thanks to each of our sponsors. Bass Monkey Academy is only the tip of the iceberg. We have the best sponsors in the industry supporting our young anglers every step of the way. Thank you Gander Outdoors for the wonderful prize packs and rod and reel combos for today's tournament! We are proud to partner with such a great company! We would also like to thank each of our awesome elite sponsors, Queen's Tackle, Bizz Baits, Linecutterz, Lews, Caraway Creek Custom Baits, Strike King, Cal Coast Fishing and The Carolina Crankers. We invite all high school anglers ages 8 to 18 to join Bass Monkey Academy as we launch a new 5 tournament Major League format beginning July 27th on Badin Lake! Tournament guidelines and rules to come! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Carolina Wedge!!!
That Carolina weather sure packs a punch! Early week forecasts promised blue skies and 80 degree temperatures for The Carolina Crankers event on High Rock today. Daily, the forecast began to take a downhill slide. By midweek, the "Carolina Wedge" had 100% rains and thunderstorms waiting at the ramp for us. By midday Friday, yet another change: the possibility of making the tournament ahead of the rains and near 80 degree temperatures! Finally, the weather had taken a dose of "act right" and it was gonna be a great day! Ha Ha Ha! This is the Carolinas and the weather turns on a dime! We got punished by the rains and chased by lightening from the heavens as the skies opened up and dumped bucket after bucket on weary anglers. Across the lake, fields of pollen floated down river chasing logs and debris. The pockets we visited below Tamarack had incoming streams flowing like mountain rivers from the woods into the lake. Last weekend's steady bite was gone. Sight fishing was gone as the mudlines crept into the shallows. Even the locals we spent two hours with under the Tamarack bridge came up short fishing for crappie. Today's key was dodge the lightening and cover as much water as possible. Anyone wanting water conditions at High Rock? My brand new Freedom spinnerbait is no longer white, its pale beige! Today's tournament would be won on shear confidence and consistency. We have a strong group of excellent fishermen and women that produce fish almost anywhere and in any condition, but i've never met a team that can produce like Mark and Audrey Bayse! Mark and Audrey consistently hammer out game changing sacks! Even in the worst conditions, the pair brought in a first place limit with 15lbs. and 10ozs. Congratulations Mark and Audrey! With a stout 14lb bag, Phillip and Lucas Hedrick took home second place with four fish. Brian and Wayne File managed today's "Big Girl" with 5lbs. and 6ozs. to take home the tournament's big fish pot. Great job everyone! On days like today, we really want to thank each of you that joined us on the lake! We are proud to call each of you our fishing family! We invite everyone to join The Carolina Crankers on April 27th at Lake Norman. Blast-off is at 6am from Queens landing. Don't forget, The Carolina Crankers Friday Night Series starts on Friday, May 10th on Norman! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#LineCutterz
#BizzBaits
#QueensTackle
#Lews
#C3Baits
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#LineCutterz
#BizzBaits
#QueensTackle
#Lews
#C3Baits
Lucky 13!!!!
Bass fishing, like every other sport has it's "rabbit's foot" of superstitions! From the dread of catching a fish on the first cast to opening your lunch and finding that "doomsday" banana, anglers are as cautious as an NFL player in his "lucky" socks! Hit the registration table in the early hours and watch teams avoiding the 13th spot! We've seen it all, from teams moving out of line, to those strategically carrying on conversations and casually trading places with their buddies, even days we've actually had to skip the spot to ease concerns of leery fishermen. Personally, I'd wrestle with you for that "lucky" 13th spot anytime! After today's tournament, Mike and Jason won't let me have it! The conditions for today's tournament on Wylie were stacking up beautifully watching the late week forecasts. As usual, tournament day brings new challenges with morning temps near 30 degrees and sustained winds between 5 and 10. Top it off with late week drops in water level and an army of BFL anglers and conditions test even the most experienced Wylie veterans. With half the field ending the day empty, conditions proved to be today's strongest competitor. "Light" limits of spotted bass ended in the 7 to 9 pound range and outnumbered largemouth at weigh-in. It seemed the field had leveled just over 13lbs, but then there's that 13th spot! Mike Seawright and Jason Eaker took that 13th spot and dropped 14lbs. and 14ozs and topped the field for over $1000. The pair anchored today's "top sack" with a 4lb. and 12ozs Wylie largemouth. Just over a pound behind, Chad Sims and Ryan Sommerville hammered out a 13lb and 12ozs limit for second place. Austin Moore sacked the tournament's youth side-pot with 1lbs. and 12ozs. Great day on the lake guys! Congratulations to today's "Top Sticks" Thank you to each of our anglers that joined us on the lake today! We invite everyone to hit High Rock with The Carolina Crankers on April 13th. Get there early, blast-off is at 6am from Tamarac public access. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#VexanFishing
#Linecutterz
#Lews
#QueensTackle
#CarawayCreekCustomBaits
#PhantomOutdoors
#UVTightlines
#BizzBaits
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#StrikeKing
#CarolinaCrankers
#GanderOutdoors
#VexanFishing
#Linecutterz
#Lews
#QueensTackle
#CarawayCreekCustomBaits
#PhantomOutdoors
#UVTightlines
#BizzBaits
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#StrikeKing
Something To Talk About!
By the dark of night, The Carolina Crankers filed in to Pinnacle Landing this morning for this season's first shot at Lake Norman. A field of 44 boats eased into the darkness to await the 7am blast-off. By 7:05, the distant hum of the outboards was all that remained. North or South, never a bad choice for Norman. After another week of rainy days, the common whisper was a red crankbait and it was on the deck of every boat! After weighing multiple teams, I realized the spots seem to be feeding up already but very few largemouth were bulking up. Several days of calm, warm weather should nudge the bigheads into feeding. Weigh-in today brought in the midday snackers that cruised into the warming shallows. Heading home with "pockets full of cash" Aaron Digh and Nolan Saunders sacked 14lbs. and 8ozs. for over $2000! Aaron and Nolan also grabbed today's sidepot and took home big fish with a 4lb and 8oz. hammer. Only a pound behind, Jacob Moore and Jacob Smith hit the scales with 13lbs. and 8ozs. The pair cashed in on second place and Jacob Smith took today's Youth sidepot as well. Nipping at their heels, Alfred Kiesling Sr. and Alfred Kiesling Jr. dropped 13lbs. and 2ozs. for third place. Great job out there today guys! Congratulations to all our top finishers! We want to send a special thank you to all 13 of our youth and lady anglers that competed in today's tournament. Thank you to our dedicated family of fishermen and to our incredible sponsors for supporting The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy! Join us March 23rd on Lake Wylie at 7am as we blast from Buster Boyd Landing. Catch Bass Monkey Academy in Knoxville for The Bassmasters Classic in two weeks!!! Until then... keep 'em Hooked!!!
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#GanderOutdoors
#LineCutterz
#QueensTackle
#CarawayCreekCustomBaits
#Lews
#FLW
#NCSAF
#BizzBaits
#TeamArdent
#CarolinaCrankers
#BassMonkeyAcademy
#GanderOutdoors
#LineCutterz
#QueensTackle
#CarawayCreekCustomBaits
#Lews
#FLW
#NCSAF
#BizzBaits
#TeamArdent
Washout!!!
For days and days, rains have punished the region. Lake levels have crept higher and higher and the waters have simply turned to mud. There are no patterns or "sweet spots" to fill out a sack. It is straight-up dedication and persistence in these conditions. Cast after cast and location after location. Cover the most water and keep the lure wet if you want any chance of filling the livewell. Anglers can only make the conscious effort to give it everything they've got. Top off today's conditions with Tuckertown's notorious black moss and it's lights-out for any gameplan. After a truly miserable day on the lake, rain-soaked anglers idled to the ramps for weigh-in. With a 5lb. and 6oz. Big Fish, Rodney Adams and Jarrett Freeze took home first place and sidepot with 11lbs. and 12ozs. Just over a pound behind, Jeff Coley grabbed second place with 10lbs. and 6ozs. Congratulations guys! Great job to each of our anglers that fought today's conditions! Join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, March 2nd on Lake Norman. Show us what you've got in "The King of the Lake Competition" as we shake the lake from Pinnacle Landing! Blast-off is at 7am! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!!
NC SAF / Bass Monkey Academy High School Open
Only four short weeks ago, Bass Monkey Academy and The NC Student Angler Federation teamed up to announce a wonderful opportunity for student anglers. In an effort to share the tournament experience with young anglers, the decision was made to create an "open event" for all North Carolina youth teams. For the first time, any youth angler could compete as equals with or without Federation membership. Teams competed for awesome prize packages from both Bass Monkey Academy and The NC Student Angler Federation! Governed by all Federation rules and bylaws for our first open, federated teams were awarded qualifying points towards the NC state tournament trail. Although temperatures this past week soared near 80 degrees, the typical late week cold front slammed the Piedmont area driving blast-off temps into the low 30's. On the waters of High Rock Lake, the winds churned at 10 to 15mph eating trolling batteries and pushing teams into protected pockets and creeks. Fighting the winds on the main was dicey at best and kept anglers away from mid lake structure and open water fishing. Exhausted from conditions and driving winds, teams filed in for the 3pm weigh-in. Many teams finished the day empty handed as only four teams made weigh-in. Rising to the top of today's open event, Carson Palmer and Harrison McCall sacked four bass weighing 10lbs. and 8ozs. Coming home with second, Hunter Alexander and Austin Wikes brought in two for 8lbs. and 14ozs. anchored with today's Big Fish of 6lbs. and 4ozs. Third place went to Hunter White and Garett Smith with a solo lunker weighing 5lbs. and 14ozs. Great job everybody! Thank you to all of our NC High School Anglers that made the trip to High Rock today! Bass Monkey Academy sends a huge Thank You to our title sponsor and partner Gander Outdoors for your continued support of our young anglers! We would also like to thank each of our sponsors and anonymous donors that make Bass Monkey Academy a pathway into competitive bass fishing! We invite all youth teams from North Carolina to join us on April 20th as we hold a Bass Monkey Academy North Carolina Open on Lake Norman! $25 per youth with standard team format and chaperone. Cash and prizes from Bass Monkey Academy sponsors and Gander Outdoors will be awarded at weigh-in! Blast-off is at 7am from Beattie's Ford Ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
#Bassmonkeyacademy
#Ganderoutdoors
#Linecutterz
#Carawaycreekcustombaits
#Rulethewater-Ardent
#Bizzbaits
#Lews
#Calcoastfishing
#Banditlures
#T-HMarine
#Trappertackle
#Wickedweights
#Queenstackle
#NCBassFederation
#FLW
#NCstudentanglerfederation
#SAF#TBF
#911customlures
#Longssportinggoods
#Yumbaits
#Anonymous/heros
#Bassmonkeyacademy
#Ganderoutdoors
#Linecutterz
#Carawaycreekcustombaits
#Rulethewater-Ardent
#Bizzbaits
#Lews
#Calcoastfishing
#Banditlures
#T-HMarine
#Trappertackle
#Wickedweights
#Queenstackle
#NCBassFederation
#FLW
#NCstudentanglerfederation
#SAF#TBF
#911customlures
#Longssportinggoods
#Yumbaits
#Anonymous/heros
Bass Monkey Academy / NC SAF High School Open!!!!
Bass Monkey Academy/North Carolina Student Angler Federation High School OPEN Tournament.
February 9th 2019 High Rock Lake. Tamarac public access. 8am-3pm.
Tournament is open to ALL North Carolina youth anglers from age 8 to 18 as long as you have not started first semester of college.
Tournament will be considered as a NC SAF Team Trail Event
Federation points and placement will be awarded to federated teams
All NC high school teams are eligible to compete,
Federated, Non- Federated, Unaffiliated, All NC Youth Teams Eligible!!!!!
Bass Monkey Academy was created on the platform that no youth will be left behind!
This is strictly a team event!!!
Each team must also have a Boat Captain 19 or Older!
ALL NC SAF RULES APPLY!!!
Info Lisa Snyder May 704-226-7127
To our adult Anglers with boats I am sure there will be some youth that would like to attend the event but just don’t own a boat. If you would be interested in Chaperoning for this event please contact me. Thank You! You guys are Awesome!
February 9th 2019 High Rock Lake. Tamarac public access. 8am-3pm.
Tournament is open to ALL North Carolina youth anglers from age 8 to 18 as long as you have not started first semester of college.
Tournament will be considered as a NC SAF Team Trail Event
Federation points and placement will be awarded to federated teams
All NC high school teams are eligible to compete,
Federated, Non- Federated, Unaffiliated, All NC Youth Teams Eligible!!!!!
Bass Monkey Academy was created on the platform that no youth will be left behind!
This is strictly a team event!!!
Each team must also have a Boat Captain 19 or Older!
ALL NC SAF RULES APPLY!!!
Info Lisa Snyder May 704-226-7127
To our adult Anglers with boats I am sure there will be some youth that would like to attend the event but just don’t own a boat. If you would be interested in Chaperoning for this event please contact me. Thank You! You guys are Awesome!
Deep Pockets!!!
The Carolina Crankers continued the "Polar Run" this morning on Badin Lake. After the bone chilling temperatures from midweek began to ease, anglers were anxious to hit the ramps early this morning. Although midday temps would be near 60 degrees, blast-off was still painful at 35 degrees. Teams took it in stride and dropped the hammer to start today's shootout. Muddy waters hovering in the low 40's greeted anglers near Alcoa while there was some clearing towards Circle Dr. Those that ran to Old Whitley found fields of debris making the run treacherous at best. The combination of conditions drove many bass to suspend in 10 to 12 foot of water. The baitfish are stacked near the walls running into the lower dam, however the bite near Alcoa never developed today. Teams willing to change scenery and work multiple patterns were generously rewarded with a strong bite. Weigh-in was a testament to the lake's population with roughly a 2lb. average at the scales. In a full field of boaters, only 8 teams managed to pull a limit from the frigid waters. With pockets full of cash, Rodney Adams and C.J. Johnston banked over $1900 with a 5 fish limit of 20lbs. and 8ozs. The pair leveled the field taking home today's side pot and big fish with a Badin chunk weighing 5lbs. and 2ozs. Knocking out second place was the team of Ronnie White and Robin Collins. Ronnie and Robin sacked a limit of 16lbs. and 10ozs. Just one pound behind, Adam Lockler and Joshua Featherstone took home third with 15lbs. and 10ozs. Congratulations guys! Great job out there today! With the 2019 season at full throttle, we would like to invite everyone to join The Carolina Crankers on the lake! Cast for the cash with us on Tuckertown on February 23rd. Blast-off is at 7am from the highway 49 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
ShowTime!!!
This morning was probably the coldest blast-off in Carolina Crankers history! Teams started down the ramps on Tillery at 5:45am shuddering with the temperature at 23 degrees. On the registration table, our trusted propane heater became worthless as it slowly began to freeze over. The bitter cold taking hold and freezing it from the wick to the base! Die-hard Vikings adrift in the dark for over an hour as others waited out the blast-off in the warmth of their vehicles. Half frozen anglers crept out of sight and throttled into the lingering shadows of first light. The combination of low, muddy waters and frigid temperatures greeted anglers at every cast. The lake yielded only 6 limits from the full field of anglers. After picking up a pair near the ramp at Swift Island, Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis proceeded to fill their tanks working the main and dissecting creek mouths. With only 12 minutes left to fish, Jeff sealed the deal. Culling out that last fish rocketed their winning sack to 21lbs. and 14ozs. Deep in the bag, the tournament's big fish, weighing an even 6lbs. When the dust settled, Jeff and Brice sacked over $1000 for first place! Loading up with a similar game plan, Mark and Audrey Bayse took home second with 17lbs. and 6ozs. In a strong field of High School anglers, Luke Uhl grabbed today's Kid's Sidepot with his big fish of 3lbs. and 4ozs. That's what you call a shootout! Congratulations to all of today's top anglers!! Thank you to each of our adult and youth anglers that joined us on the lake today. Brian Oneill and Tracy Simpson are both RockStars! We are extremely thankful to every adult that shares their boat with our High School anglers, however, braving these temperatures as a non-fishing chaperone for our youth teams is amazing! Join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, February 2nd, on Badin. Blast-off is at 7am from Alcoa. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Ready To Rock!!!
The new year howled across High Rock today as the Carolina Crankers kicked off the 2019 tournament season. Heavy winds ate trolling batteries like girl scout cookies! After a solid week of soaking rains, High Rock was spilling its banks and churning heavily stained waters. On the main lake, precision driving and awareness was critical as forests of debris and hidden dangers floated through the whitecaps. For teams headed under trusses and bridges, lake levels only allowed for "hand walking" partially disassembled boats under the overpasses. Alone, each condition tests any experienced angler, but in combination, the conditions overwhelmed over half the field today. Although no limits were taken, Phillip and Lucus Hedrick smashed the scales with four fish totaling 16lbs. and 4ozs. to grab first place and today's sidepot. Anchored by the tournament's big fish of 6lbs. and 2ozs.. Mike Kiser took the cash for today's lunker and second place. Youth angler Trent Lawson took today's youth sidepot with a 5lbs and 2oz hammer. Great job guys! Congratulations to each of today's top anglers!!! The Carolina Crankers were proud to have such a strong group of youth anglers compete with us today! Seven young anglers attacked the conditions on High Rock gaining experience with every cast. Thank you to each of our anglers that joined us to kick off the new season! Join The Carolina Crankers on January 26th at Lake Tillery. Blast-off is at 7am from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Join The Carolina Crankers on High Rock Lake January 5th as we kick off the 2019 season. We will be blasting from Tamarac (Public Access) at 7am with a 3pm weigh-in. We will be on the ramp at 5:45am and we blast in the order of registration. Come early and get the top spots! 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.