Welcome to the home of North Carolina'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 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! Youth and female anglers fish for free with paid boater! Visit our tournament fees page for additional information! Every season brings new members to our ranks and new members will always be welcome!
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Classic 2020
The last stop for the 2020 Carolina Crankers season was on High Rock for The 2020 Carolina Classic. Heavy rains a week ago made for a very tough day on the lake. Levels have been pulled all week but only two teams were still able to make it under the bridges today. The high waters, made the lake fish very small by limiting access and the debris fields are everywhere. Making it to your spots was more of a slalom run dodging the logs and trash. Before blast-off, Marshall Starnes was approached by an angler fishing a different trail in need of a trolling prop or his season was finished. By chance, Marshall had brought an extra with him on his trip from home in Southport. That one kind gesture between anglers may have been the spark that fueled his victory today in The Carolina Classic. With time running low, Marshall made a last run at the riprap surrounding Tamarac and boated two keepers totaling 5lbs. and 10ozs. for a Classic win! Just ounces behind, Bill Carothers and David Calbert took home second with 5lbs. and 6ozs. Behind by only 2 ounces, Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis grabbed third with 5lbs. and 4ozs. Decided by total weight tiebreaker, Billy Sipes won the last big fish pot of the 2020 season with 3lbs. and 4ozs. A very tough end to a very trying season for tournament anglers. Congratulations guys! Please continue to keep our President in your prayers as we enjoy the holiday season. He needs our support now more than ever! Early buy-in for The 2021 Carolina Classic is open until midnight on December 31st. Buy-in is $200 per angler and guarantees your spot in next season's finale. New for the 2021 season, we will offer an automatic berth to The Carolina Classic to the winners of the last regular scheduled tournament of the season! Until next season..... keep 'em hooked!!!!!!
What a Year!!!
Never thought 2020 would have been such an exhausting year. So many times, schedules and plans changed overnight to safely and legally continue our tournament season. Cap it off with Lisa's emergency surgery and we quickly became overwhelmed. Thank you to every single one of you! Your patience and understanding as we changed and navigated this season makes everything worthwhile. The Carolina Crankers rounded out the 2020 regular season today on Lake Tillery. Friday's rains had no effect on the bite as the fish were already transitioning this week and unwilling to give chase. Nearly half the field of anglers struggled to land keeper fish although smaller fish were aggressive. With a stout limit on a tough day, Charles Lineberry and Don Luther took today's top spot with 13lbs. and 0ozs. Charles and Don grabbed the tournament sidepot and landed today's big fish at 4lbs. and 4ozs. Keeping the cash in the family, Weston Lineberry and his partner Greg Gooch knocked out second with 10lbs. and 10ozs. Our top finishing youth angler, Hunter Freeman took home a sack full of brand new gear from The Carolina Crankers and our incredible sponsors and a little cash to boot. Congratulations guys! We would like to send out a very large thank you to all our anglers that fished this season with The Carolina Crankers. Lisa and I are very blessed to be a part of such an amazing group of anglers! We would also like to share our thanks and gratitude to our North and South Carolina Wildlife Officers, Local Law Enforcement and North Carolina's Department of Fish and Game for making it possible for The Carolina Crankers to navigate our 2020 season! You guys are the best! Qualified teams for The Carolina Classic will slug it out November 7th on High Rock Lake! Blast off is at 7am from Tamarac public access. We will collect $20 per boat for our big fish pot for The Classic. High Rock will be off limits for Classic anglers from Sunday, November 1st through blast off on November 7th. We will offer our pre-season qualifying buy-in for the 2021 Carolina Classic until December 31st at midnight. Buy-in is $200 per angler and guarantees your spot in the 2021 Carolina Classic regardless of number of tournaments fished during the regular season. After buy-in, anglers are only responsible for optional big fish pot and optional side-pot during the regular season. Let's all "Make America Great Again, Again" Get out and vote! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Hickory Grind!!!
The Carolina Crankers returned to Lake Hickory today. The chill was definitely in the air with temps in the 40's for blast-off. Cooler late week temperatures promised perfect weather for today's tournament. Teams ran quickly to take advantage of the topwater bite ahead of daybreak. As the sun broke the horizon and began to climb, anglers began the grind of soft plastics and crankbaits. The smaller spotted bass were willing and able as usual while keeper fish remained less aggressive and harder to manage. In general, most of today's fish were caught in the 4 to 10 foot range. Bait is beginning to move and the fall feeding period should be right around the corner. A couple more weeks with falling morning temperatures will turn this fishery on fire! Todd Farris and Mike Barber landed the win and today's sidepot with 5 fish totaling 12lbs. and 0ozs. Fishing solo, Billy Sipes took second place with 9lbs. and 0ozs. Rob Nicholson and Noah Nicholson won big fish today with 3lbs. and 4ozs. Carson Eckard was today's top youth angler and grabbed some cash and a TrueTimber Fishing jersey. Congratulations guys! Great job out there today! The Carolina Crankers have one regular season tournament remaining this season. We welcome everyone to join us on Lake Tillery on October 17th. Blast off is at 7am from Swift Island. Big shout out and thank you to all of our local and regional anglers that have donated towards the Lake Norman F1 stocking program thus far! We encourage everyone to donate what you can. A quick link to the F1 stocking fundraiser can be found on Lisa Snyder May's Facebook page. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Fall Blows In!!!
We've all said it; " I sure will be glad when this heat is gone." Yep, It's gone. We all probably glanced at the forecast for this weekend and said finally some nice cooler temperatures for tournament day. We had no clue that early morning blast-off would make you shake to your spine like it did today. Cooler temperatures and howling winds hammered anglers on Tuckertown today. There was no safe haven or protected cove from the driving winds. With water being drawn from the lake, the current was extreme near the upper dam but visibility was better than expected. Yes, the black snot is everywhere and makes quick work of fouling even the best of casts. Honestly, the bite was tough at best but that's to be expected after heavy rains and a strong coldfront. Our top finishing teams today were as tightlipped as the bass about how they caught their strong limits. I'm guessing it wasn't blades because I threw the blades off of them to no avail. Hats off to the five teams that managed double digit sacks! Taking today's top spot, Cameron Andrews and Derek Crumbley had five fish for 15lbs. and 10ozs. With 13lbs. and 6ozs, Darrell Fisher and Scott Josey took home second place and dropped a five pound chunk at the scales for today's big fish. Congratulations guys! Great job on a very tough day. Celebrating his 9th birthday, Kellan Gibson fished his first Carolina Crankers tournament today and we helped him celebrate with a brand new Lews Mach 1 spinning combo. Happy Birthday Kellan! It was great to see everyone on the lake today! Join The Carolina Crankers on October 3rd as we head north to Lake Hickory. Blast-off is at 7am from the Lovelady ramp. Anglers are welcome to use any ramp to launch but must be at lovelady to register and have livewells checked by 6:45. Don't forget to checkout the Lake Norman F1 restocking program and donate to help improve the future of this great fishery. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Badin Brawl!!!
The floodgates are wide open after multiple days of heavy rains. Badin is getting some color and beginning to stain near Alcoa but just a short ride behind the High Rock dam, the rushing waters look like chocolate milk. The impact of the heavy rains has taken its' toll on the resident bite as fish were scattered and unpatternable for today's Carolina Crankers event. The endless shores of standing grass are welcoming to any angler, but conditions have most fish pulled and holding yards away or tucked up tight with lockjaw. Small "bankrunners" are still aggressive but never a welcome sight with cash on the line. Most teams found keeper fish in 6 to 8 feet of water on jigs and plastics. As unlikely as it sounds, no team managed a limit for today's weigh-in. It was a battle between man and fish. We must continue the chase another day. Sacking four strong fish, Bill Carothers and David Calbert took home first place and today's sidepot with 9lbs. and 2ozs. Bill and David anchored their winning bag with the tournament's big fish at 3lbs. and 6ozs. In second place at weigh-in, Dallas Starnes and Bradley Couick had four fish totaling 8lbs. and 14ozs. With the biggest youth fish of the day, Noah Mckinney grabbed some cool cash with 2lbs. and 2ozs. Congratulations guys! Great job on the lake with tough conditions. Join The Carolina Crankers on Tuckertown September 19th. Blast-off is at 7am from highway 49. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Shakin' and Crankin'
Teams were rocking and rolling today on Lake Norman. The heat wave is in full force and the lake is jumping with traffic turning the waters like a spin cycle. This time of year, it's get on them early or find the closest no wake zone to have a shot at the top. I will say, shakey head takes on a new meaning with waves like these! Shakey heads always put numbers in the boat at Norman but the crankbait bite is getting stronger and bringing in better quality fish to weigh-in. Don't forget the blades as several hit the scales today after chasing chatterbaits. Topping the field today at weigh-in, Steve Addington cashed in just over $1000 with 12lbs. and 10ozs. Carolina Crankers Founder, Wayne Snyder grabbed second with his 11lbs. and 6ozs. limit. Jerry Poteat and Joe Floyde took home our Big Fish today with 3lbs. and 12ozs. Great job out there today guys! Join The Carolina Crankers August 22nd as we head back to Badin. Blast off is at 7am from Alcoa. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Business as Usual!!!
The Carolina Crankers finally got back on solid ground today at Lake Tillery. Last month we finished our four week fish-a-thon under tough restrictions changing to an on the water format to meet government and wildlife regulations. It was hectic to say the least! Finally, restrictions were eased and The Carolina Crankers are back to business as usual! Summer sneaked in the back door today with temperatures jumping near 90 degrees. All week we have seen unusually cool temperatures and daily showers and downpours. Like clockwork, over 2 inches of rain hit the Albemarle area Thursday evening and heavily stained the lake. Visibility near Swift Island is 6 inches at best. Normally, water stained so quickly tends to suspended bass and lead to a tougher bite. Not the case today! Teams managed several fish in the 3 to high 4 pound range while absolutely smashing keeper fish eager to give chase. No dominant pattern was established as fish ate everything in the boat from jigs and worms to swimbaits and Pop R's. Now is definitely the time to hit the lake and build confidence in new lures and techniques! If you're after the "angry" bite, the smallmouth are biting and a couple hit the scales for our 2pm weigh-in. Running the table with back to back wins, Mike and Ken Dills, dropped 16lbs. and 2ozs. on the scales to take first place and today's sidepot for $1000! Just ounces behind, Mike Allen and John Kistlor grabbed second place with 15lbs. and 12ozs. The pair anchored their hefty sack with today's big fish weighing 5lbs. and 2ozs. Banner Gatz took home today's No Limitz Youth prize with a 2lb. and 12oz. largemouth. Banner grabbed a big bag of fishing goodies from The Carolina Crankers and our incredible sponsors! Congratulations to each of our "big sticks" out there today! Thank you to all of our anglers for an amazing day on the lake! Join The Carolina Crankers on July 18th for a battle at the border as we hit Lake Wylie! Blast off is at 6am from Buster Boyd landing. Until then... Keep 'em hooked!!!
United We Stand!!!
The Carolina Crankers four week bass blitz made it's final stop today on Lake Tillery. Finally, warm weather has set in as temperatures drove into the mid 80's today! Before we go any further, BEWARE, there is a rattlesnake overhead under the Swift Island bridge! Several anglers advised us at weigh-in. Always be aware of your surroundings! Back to the good stuff. As the early fog eased above the waters edge, teams stood in respect for our National Anthem. However, we found it very disrespectful and unthinkable that a non tournament boat drove through our ranks as the anthem rang out! Honestly, we've seen hundreds of anglers show their respects and stand with us near the ramps even though they are not competing in our tournament. It struck a nerve deep within me and troubles me still. We have so much to be thankful for. We should stand as one, if only for the moment! On the lake, short fish are running rampant hitting the entire lineup. Multiple patterns came into play with late spawners hiding in the shallows while the masses are transitioning into prespawn mode. Hit those shallows soon, summer heat will steer fish towards deeper ledges very soon. Hardbaits and plastics pulled the bulk of today's weights while one team had a productive day with a Pop R even with the bluebird skies! Rocks, docks and grass produced for teams the entire day. Unfortunately, navigating the angry waters was today's biggest challenge. Everything but the barges are running full tilt down the lake. The "wash" certainly tested even the most veteran anglers. For the record, fishing is absolutely a contact sport! At 3pm, today's gladiators returned for weigh-in. Taking the top spot and today's sidepot, Mike Dills and Ken Dills brought home triplets totaling 12lbs. and 2ozs. That's three solid fish guys! Anchored with the tournament's big fish weighing 4lbs. and 4ozs, Reid Hatley and Ross Hatley grabbed second place with 9lbs. and 12ozs. Out of the gate in his very first bass tournament, Noah Mckinney dropped a 3lbs. and 6ozs. "Tillery Chunk" to win a brand new Lews Mach Spinning Combo in our youth sidepot! Outstanding job Noah! Thank you to all of our anglers that joined us today! Once again, thank you for everyone's patience and understanding with our modified format these past four weeks. We are hopeful that tournaments will return to our normal format next month. Join The Carolina Crankers as we return to Lake Tillery on June 20th. Blast off is at 6am from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Big Chill!!!
Those Democrats have got to do something about this global warming for sure! It's currently the second week of May and morning temperatures on Lake Norman were in the mid 30's this morning! Brrrr!! By now we should be rockin' Crocs and Flip Flops but today it was hand warmers and hoodies. Fishing was tough, even for the pros today. Increasing winds and rolling white caps from the next "Carolina Coldfront" packed more punch than teams were prepared for. Today's pattern, catch something over 14 inches! With the conditions, plastics and chatterbaits on docks and laydowns pulled a steady bite. The "bigs" are still there, just "social distancing" at the moment! Dropping that three fish limit to the tune of $1450, Craig Chambers and Derrick Cummings grabbed first place and today's sidepot with 9lbs. and 4ozs. Jay Hutchens and Ethan Barnes found a "bull" and took big fish with 4lbs. and 4ozs. They rounded out there limit, finishing second with 8lbs. and 4ozs. cashing in twice with $440. On a "hot streak," Christopher Pennell makes it two in a row winning today's youth side pot. Great job guys! Nice to meet "The Legend" Michael Fox today. The Carolina Crankers would like to send a huge shoutout and thank you to Bryan Thrift and Shane Lehew for joining us on the lake today! You guys are welcome anytime! Lisa and I continue to stress the importance of not leaving the water to trailer your boat under our current format. Unfortunately, a placing team has left the weigh-in to trailer or leave again today and cash payouts were awarded to the next highest weights. If in doubt, wait it out! We invite everyone to hit the lake with The Carolina Crankers on May 16th at Lake Tillery. Blast off is at 7am from Swift Island. We continue to thank our wildlife officers for your support of our modified format. Our anglers' safety and health are our top priority! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Stacks of Cash!!!
The Carolina Crankers made a long overdue trip to Hickory today. Only an hour and a half out of Union County, Lake Hickory is one of the finest lakes in North Carolina! From steep bluff walls and sharp dropping ledges, to acres of lay downs and stumps, Lake Hickory offers something for every skilled angler. Unfortunately for the spawn, water levels were dropped drastically earlier this week. By Thursday night, over 2 1/2" of rain hit the Hickory area filling the lake to capacity practically overnight. Last week's heavyweight sacks were wiped out by the quick inflow of fresh water. At a moment's notice, patterns changed as bass began staging deeper and have begun to suspend. Run and gun and trial and error were today's recipe for success. Darrell Fish and Richard Crayton produced today's winning pattern running mid depth structure with spinnerbaits and jigs. Anchored by a 5lbs. and 10oz. "Hickory hammer," the pair smiled all the way to the bank with 10lbs. and 14ozs. and took home a huge sack of cash worth $2485. "We going Sizzler!" Just two pounds back, Kevin Younce and Reggie Lowman landed their three fish limit of 8lbs. and 14ozs. for $315. Unfortunately, our third place finisher with 7lbs. and 0ozs. jumped the gun and headed out before weighins were complete. With 6lbs. and 14ozs, Lane Bailey and Adam Seagle moved ahead and took home third place and pocketed $125. That's a lot of $Greenbacks$ for some green backs today guys! Today's top youth angler was Christopher Pennell. Christopher grabbed a hefty soft-sider Plano full of tackle and $35 cash from The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey academy. Congratulations guys! It was an amazing day on the lake. Thank you to our officers that joined us for today's tournament. We will definitely have Lake Hickory in our regular season rotation next season! Most importantly, thank you to local law enforcement officers and our North Carolina Wildlife officers for your continued approval and support of our modified tournament format! Join The Carolina Crankers next Saturday, May 9th on Lake Norman. Blast off will be from Queens at 7am. We will continue a three fish limit with weigh-in at 3pm. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Throwdown on Tuckertown!!!
The Carolina Crankers made their first 2020 trip to Tuckertown today. Expectations were high, and so was the moss! This big fish factory is notorious for two things, heavy weight sacks and "snot" covered hooks. The primary pattern? Stay off the bottom! With steep bluff walls, sprawling shallow flats and miles of laydowns, it's the Disneyland of bass fishing right in our back yard! Current water temperatures climbed from 59-64 degrees during the day with gloomy overcast skies from mid morning through the remainder of the tournament. Most of the lakes "big girls" seemed to have spawned out and are ready to eat. Teams took advantage of the strong bite with multiple baits with the strongest sacks coming on frogs, blades, chatterbaits and jerkbaits. They will even run down a trap, but you better have a "burn gear" in that reel or that bait is lost in the jungle! Most limits weighed in the mid teens today but the heavy hitters pushed the scales into the twenties slugging it out to be today's "kings of the lake." Hammering the scales with 22lbs. and 14ozs, Jeremy Talbert and Curtis Cox took the crown and banked over $1300 for first place and today's sidepot! Just over a pound back, Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis grabbed second place with 21lbs. and 12ozs. Laying down a solid limit anchored by a 6lbs. and 6ozs. "Tuckertown bruiser," Jeremy Smith did it solo and took home the tournament's big fish. Carson Eckard landed three of his own for an even 6lbs. and was today's youth sidepot winner. Congratulations guys! Lisa and I would like to send a huge thank you to the entire Carolina Crankers family of anglers! Through all the extra rules and restrictions, our entire trail of anglers has been rock solid adjusting for our health and safety! With your continued support, The Carolina Crankers keep on casting! Thank you everyone! Join The Carolina Crankers for our Lake Hickory Wildcat next Saturday, May 2nd from Lovelady landing. Blast-off will be at 7am with a 3pm weigh-in. We will adopt a new format for this event with a three fish limit and 100% payback! Standard entry fees apply, $25 per person with optional $25 per person sidepot. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Fishing The Wedge!!!
Welcome to the "Carolina Wedge!" This week has brought some pretty amazing weather with afternoon thunderstorms and tropical temperatures in the 80's. Just like clockwork, a wedge of cold weather smacks "fishing eve" like a brick wall! At Badin, temperatures crashed to the mid 30's by the 6am blast-off. Next, we kick things up to "expert level" by dropping lake levels overnight and pulling water during tournament hours. These conditions level the field and wipe out even the strongest patterns for catching a quality limit. Teams threw the "sink" at them today salvaging the day with a moderate bite in the shallows. Even with water temperatures in the mid 60's, only a handful of bass were taken from the beds as most fish are yet to lock down in the changing conditions. Teams had success with cranks and blades as well as jigs and plastics. Rising to the top, Calvin McCaskill and Derrick Crumbly knocked out over $1400 for first place and today's sidepot with 18lbs. and 10ozs. Taking home second, Chad Guiney and Jeff Furr weighed in at 16lbs. and 14ozs. Arguing all the way to the scales, Greg Haverlock and Brian Haverlock took the "Big Fish" cash with their 5lbs. and 14ozs. anchor fish. Just kidding guys! Seth Starnes won today's No Limitz Youth sidepot taking home the cash with a 2lbs. and 6ozs. largemouth. Way to go Seth! Elaine Hawkins won our ladies sidepot today taking home a brand new Lews Mach Spinning Combo. No, you don't have to share it with Jerry! Congratulations to all our top finishers! Great job out there today! Thank you to all of our anglers for your help and dedication to our new "social distancing" format. You guys are the best!!! Join The Carolina Crankers as we head north to Lake Hickory on May 2nd. As always, our tournaments are open to all anglers with no membership fees! Lake Hickory will count as a qualifier for this years Carolina Classic and will be 100% payback! Any format changes due to possible permit restrictions or quarantine extensions will be posted here and on Facebook. Blast off is at 7am from Lovelady landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Social Distancing!!!
Setting the example, The Carolina Crankers held their first "social distancing" tournament on Lake Wylie today! Disposable pencils, gloves and sanitizer wipes greeted anglers at the registration table this morning. Honestly, the six foot spacing, cash drop registration and assuring no groups larger than three members in an area, went smoothly. We have a wonderful group of fishermen that held the health and safety of themselves, their fellow anglers and the tournament directors as their top priority! We thank everyone for their extreme patience and understanding as we adhere to our present format. Although it's technically spring, summer came crashing in today with temperatures in the mid eighties. Getting that first sunburn out of the way in March is definitely unexpected! Although lake and ramp traffic was extreme, seeing families enjoying the day boating, picnicking, or just reading at the waters edge eased the stress and anxiety if only for the day. No doubt, we will all come out stronger and closer on the back end. As far as the bite on Wylie, it's a slow go for anything with size. Water temps from 62 to 65 degrees absolutely call for the spawn but the camera never lies, it's just too early on Wylie. Several teams experienced a limited early window as the larger fish smacked at buzz baits in the shallows. Unfortunately, most of the larger hits came unbuttoned this morning. As the late morning sun climbed higher and temperatures began to jump, smaller fish pulled into the 6 to 10 foot depths and aggressively ate small plastics and jigs. By midday, most "keepers" moved away. Trailering the boats for weigh-in was an extreme adventure as it took nearly 45 minutes for all teams to make it out of the water in traffic. Teams left their boats one at the time for weigh-in then spread out appropriately as the weigh-ins continued. Today's largest bag, 11lbs and 10ozs. Robby Rush and Tyler Dover anchored their winning sack with today's big fish at 3lbs. and 12ozs. Robby and Tyler topped the field banking $1375! Only two ounces back, Darrell Fisher and Richard Crayton took second place with 11lbs. and 8ozs. Carson Eckard was our top finishing youth angler today and grabbed that famous Carolina Crankers t-shirt! Congratulations guys!!! Join the Carolina Crankers April 11th on Lake Tillery. We will be launching from Swift Island. Come early, blast-off is at 6am! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Badin Bash!!!
The Carolina Crankers rolled into Badin today. Heavy weight sacks over the past two weeks had anglers waiting at the ramp as early as 3am! Too late to hide it, the secret is out! Badin is on fire with wildlife counting eight tournaments today on the lake! The warm temperatures this week have driven water temps into the mid fifties triggering the fish to feed up ahead of the spawn. With muddy waters at Alcoa and clearing waters near circle drive and old whitley, conditions are perfect to support multiple patterns. The lake's population is pulling up shallow and can be taken on worms, blades and square bills. Capitalizing on conditions, Bryan Dehart and Calvin McCaskill dominated the field with 22lbs. and 10ozs. cashing in just shy of $2000. The pair anchored their winning sack with a 7lb. and 14oz. Badin "Bruiser." Just behind the leaders, Adam Younts and Orlando Giles landed a limit of 19lbs. and 4ozs. Rodney Adams and Jarrett Freeze grabbed third today with 18lbs. and 6ozs. The Carolina Crankers would like to congratulate today's top finishers. Great job guys! We would also like to send a special thank you to Todd Barbee for donating to our youth side pot! Unfortunately, our young anglers struggled today and the sidepot will be carried over to Lake Wylie. The Carolina Crankers would like to welcome our new anglers that joined us on Badin today. Welcome to our fishing family! We invite everyone to join us as we "shake the lake" on Wylie on March 28th! Blast-off is at 7am from Buster Boyd landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Trust Your Gut...
The Carolina Crankers made their first 2020 trip to Lake Norman today. With a one hour delay due to forecasted frigid temperatures, the Carolina Crankers were greeted by sunshine, heavy winds and rolling white caps. After February's relentless rains, most of Lake Norman's waters remain stained to muddy at best. Norman's notoriously clear waters leans itself towards finesse fishing. However, the murky waters have opened the doors to multiple patterns. Diehard finesse fishermen struggled to limit out as power patterns like cranking and spinning packed on the pounds at the scales. In a lower lake shootout, Taylor Schneider and Keith Stills dialed in a winning pattern with 13lbs. and 8ozs. Second-guessing a sidepot entry at registration, the pair left a $550 gift to today's second place finishers Alan Cooke and Scott Muellemann. Alan and Scott sacked a limit totaling 12lbs. and 4ozs. grabbing over $700 for second place and sidepot! Cruising to the bank with today's big fish pot, Noah Wilson and Hayden Lail brought in a 4lb. and 8oz. Lake Norman chunk. Taking today's No Limitz High School sidepot was Carson Eckard dropping four fish totaling 8lbs. and 4ozs. Congratulations to all of today's top "Sticks!" We want to thank all who joined us today on Norman. Join the Carolina Crankers on March 14th at Badin. Blast-off is at 7am from Alcoa. Grab your very own Carolina Crankers gear at the ramp! Hats and Tees only $15. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Ice Ice Baby!!!
In the latest round of "whiplash" weather, The Carolina Crankers rolled out to High Rock Lake for our second stop of the 2020 season. Bitter winds swept over Tamarac while frigid 26 degree temperatures tortured fingers and toes. Even the heaters awaiting anglers at the sign-in tables failed in the winds that greeted our dedicated anglers. Frigid temperatures alone can wreak havoc on a fishery but add on massive downpours and flooding from last week and High Rock has become a sea of mud. Arguably the strongest creek on the lake, Abbott's Creek, off the table as the waters creep closer and closer to the underside of the suspended train tracks. Wise anglers chose option two and made the grueling ride to Flat Swamp Creek. With slightly higher clearances, the bridge remains passable and played host to the majority of todays teams. Make no mistake, the conditions were brutal. Every cast brought ice to rod eyes and encased micro guides instantly. Reel and dip, reel and dip, the ice-over just another "condition" in today's chess match. A lone wolf, was caught sunbathing in the shallows with a square-bill, all others falling to a jig. The tried but true adage of slow fishing put to the extremes. "Killing" the jig and letting the gentle current whisper through the skirt proved lethal as Zach Gooch and Savannah Heath dropped four bricks on the scales for 15lbs. and 10ozs. Check out that 6lb. and 2oz. hammer that anchored their winning sack and secured today's big fish! Just ounces behind, Josh Demaury and Dave Ferguson tag-teamed four of their own with 15lbs. and 4ozs. That's fishing for conditions! Congratulations to our top anglers today! We would like to welcome our new lady anglers that hit the lake head-on in the harshest conditions! Don't forget, it's a leap year baby! Join The Carolina Crankers on February 29th at Lake Norman. Blast-off is at 7am from the Beatties Ford Ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Fishing With "Grandpa"!!!
The Carolina Crankers officially started the 2020 season on Lake Tillery today. Teams eased into the waters at Swift Island long before sunrise anxiously waiting to kick off the new season. Boats glowed like Christmas lights in the darkness as the last echoes of The National Anthem rang out in the cove. Nose to tail, teams made there way under the bridge itching to lay down the throttle. At the docks, the deep growl of raw horsepower brought goosebumps as teams passed the no wake zone and screamed towards the main. Then they were gone, like ghosts, leaving behind a deafening silence as the darkness faded. Today's hunt shadowed by a mountain of changing conditions. Month long mild temperatures wiped out by a crashing cold front that covered The Carolinas through midweek with morning temperatures near 20 degrees and highs in the 40's. The deep chill throwing a wrench at possible patterns. Then, the rain! Friday downpours wreaked havoc turning the waters to mud. The field had been leveled. Today was up for grabs. Possibly 30 different baits and rigs covered the front decks as these warriors raced to their favorite spots to track their prey. Feast or famine determined only by their willingness to adapt to conditions. Back at the ramp, directors began preparations for the 3pm weigh-in. As tents were erected and setup began, spectators began to form waiting for results at the scales. After a pleasant visit from North Carolina Wildlife officers, setup was complete and the stage was set. As always, The Carolina Crankers carry full permits for all tournaments and ramp permissions from North and South Carolina as well as Duke Energy. Slowly the cove at Swift Island began to fill with weary anglers spent from the hunt but eager to hit the scales. The conditions were tough and it showed as many teams struggled without limits. Whispers of square-bills, plastics and jigs were shared at the scales but the tournament's top "slingers" only shared a tight-lipped smile! The heaviest sack taking almost $2000. "Grandpa" Greg Gooch and Weston Lineberry took first place, sidepot and big fish. The team hammered the scales with 17lbs. and 4ozs. and anchored with a 6lb. and 2oz. monster to top the field. Josh DeMaury and partner Dave smacked down 14lbs. and 10ozs. in their first Carolina Crankers event taking home second. Just ounces behind, Kevin and Dustin grabbed third place with 14lbs. and 2ozs. Josh Howard was our top finishing youth angler today with 3lbs. and 4ozs. Josh took home a brand new Lews Mach 1 combo and a tournament "goody" bag from The Carolina Crankers and Bass Monkey Academy. Congratulations, great job out there today guys! We would like to welcome our new female and youth anglers! Welcome to The Carolina Crankers Family! Bring your Valentine and join The Carolina Crankers February 15th at High Rock! Blast-off is at 7am from Tamarac public access. We will have Carolina Crankers hats, shirts and decals at the ramp! Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Join The Carolina Crankers on Lake Tillery January 25th as we kick off the 2020 season. We will be blasting from Swift Island 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.