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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The Carolina Classic 2021
The Carolina Crankers 2021 season wrapped up today with The Carolina Classic on Badin Lake. It was a very chilly morning and hopes were high with our biggest payouts to date. The light rains late this week had little effect on the water clarity. It was clear and the bite was tough. Many teams were left empty for the day while several teams struggled to manage a keeper. The Classic lake each year is luck of the draw and unfortunately, the bite has slowed dramatically on Badin. With the tournament's largest sack, Mark Bayse and Audrey Bayse took home $4000 dollars with 11lbs. and 6ozs. They anchored their winning limit with today's big fish at 3lbs. and 2ozs. for an additional $270. That's a great day on the lake! Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis grabbed $1000 for second place with 10lbs. and 10ozs. With four on the scales, Aaron Jordan landed $500 for third with 9lbs. and 10ozs. Josh Demaury and Dave Ferguson took home fourth place and $300 with 7lbs. and 12ozs. Mark Saunders and Waylon Saunders grabbed the last of the cash finishing fifth with 6lbs. and 8ozs. for $200. Awesome job out there today everybody! It's been a wonderful season this year and we want to thank each of our anglers for joining us for the 2021 season. Now is the time to start winding down as we enjoy the holiday season with friends and family. We hope each of you has a wonderful holiday season and we look forward to seeing you all in 2022!
CLASSIC STANDINGS AS OF NOVEMBER 6TH 2021
PAY AHEAD PRE-QUALIFIED ANGLERS AS OF 12/27/2020: EACH FULL EARLY PAY ANGLER MAY FISH SOLO OR AS TEAMS
JAY HUTCHENS
BILLY SIPES
BRICE HOLLIS
MARK BECK
WAYLON SAUNDERS
DAVE FERGUSON
GEORGE KRAUSE
JOSHUA DEMAURY
MARSHALL STARNES
BRIAN MOORE
JODY MOORE
DAVE GRABOWSKI
WAYNE SNYDER
ANTHONY GOINS
CRAIG GOINS
MARK & AUDREY BAYSE
JEFF COLEY
ETHAN BARNES
JIMMY SULLIVAN
KEITH STILLS
WESTIN LINEBERRY
GREG GOOCH
THE FOLLOWING ANGLERS HAVE EITHER ALREADY QUALIFIED THROUGH NUMBER OF TOURNAMENTS FISHED OR ARE WITHIN 2 TOURNAMENT BUYIN UPON SEASON COMPLETION: EACH TEAM THAT HAS HIT 10 OR MORE WITH BOTH MEMBERS MAY FISH SOLO OR AS TEAMS. NON BOATERS ABLE TO REACH THE 8 TOURNAMENT MINIMUM WITHIN 2 TOURNAMENT BUYIN UPON SEASON COMPLETION MUST FISH WITH THEIR QUALIFIED BOATER:
DAVID CALBERT 14
BILL CAROTHERS 14
GREG HAVERLOCK 9 (MUST BUYIN 1 FOR 10 TOTAL)
DERRICK AND BRITTANY LIVINGSTON 10
VINCE PICCA 14
BRIAN HAVERLOCK 7 (MUST BUYIN 1 AS NON BOATER WITH GREG HAVERLOCK)
DARRELL FISHER 11
RICHARD CRAYTON 11
JO JO CELLS 11
MIKE / JOSH SIMPSON 8 BOTH HAVE 8 (COMPETE OR BUYIN FOR 10 TOTAL BOATER, NON BOATER QUALIFIED)
AARON JORDAN 9 (MUST BUYIN 1 FOR 10 TOTAL BOATER)
WILLIS STURDIVANT 6 (MUST BUYIN 2 FOR 8 TOTAL AS NON BOATER WITH JIMMY SULLIVAN)
BUYIN IS $25 PER TOURNAMENT AND MUST BE PAID MORNING OF CLASSIC!!!
Mobile Mechanic Needed!!!
Today was the final day to qualify for the 2021 Carolina Crankers Classic. Anglers were greeted by bitter cold as the temperatures hovered near freezing at the ramps. Cold weather gear was a must and teams scrambled to pack on the layers for blast-off. Today would be a very interesting day! Immediately, during blast-off, one team blew a steering cable and was out for the day. During the course of the tournament, two teams had main motors go down with one spending three hours in limp mode returning to the ramp while the other shut down completely and had to be towed to a nearby boat ramp. For the cherry on top, another team finds a flat tire after trailering their boat. A mobile mechanic would have been a welcome site during today's adventures! Conquering the cold and avoiding today's complications, Josh Demaury and Dave Ferguson landed a limit taking home first and the sidepot with 10lbs. and 8ozs. Mark Tarlton and Bo Russell landed in second with 9lbs. and 8ozs. Landing today's "big girl" to take the big fish cash was Dave Grabowski with a 4lbs. and 10ozs. chunk. Great job guys! With Josh and Dave's victory, the pair were responsible for drawing out this year's Classic lake. This year's Carolina Crankers Classic will be on Badin Lake next Saturday November 13th at 7am. Blast-off is from Alcoa with a 3pm weigh-in. We will collect $10 for each qualified angler including female and youth anglers for Big Fish pot (non-optional) for The Classic. There will be no other entry fees. Badin will be off-limits Wednesday through tournament blast-off Saturday morning. Thank you everyone for a wonderful 2021 season! We look forward to seeing each of you January 15th as we begin the year on Lake Tillery. Blast-off will be at 7am from Swift Island. Happy Holidays to each of you and your families! Until then... Keep 'em Hooked!!!
Ready For Fall!!!
It was nice brisk morning for The Carolina Crankers on Tuckertown today. Those 46 degree temps were refreshing blasting before dawn! But as the Carolinas go, the heat began to build yet again and pushed into the lower 80's before weigh-in. It seems summer just won't let go but the cold fronts continue to tight-lip the bass. The bite was slow and weeding through the short fish made for a long day on the water. Last month's heavy sacks were just memories at the scales. Unfortunately, today's team with the heaviest sack had two fish die and the one pound penalty dropped them ten ounces out of the top spot. Westin Lineberry and Dakota held on to take the win with 11lbs. and 4ozs. Those livewells can be costly at the worst of times! With the solo rolo, Vince Pica took home big fish with 4lbs. and 4ozs. Congratulations guys!!! Join The Carolina Crankers for the last stop of the 2021 regular season on November 6th at Lake Norman. Blast off is at 7am from Queens Landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Cast till it Hurts!!!
The Carolina Crankers settled in for another tough day on Lake Wylie today. Fortunately, the heat has begun to break and teams enjoyed beautiful early fall temperatures during today's tournament. Anglers were on the fence about the bite today following last weekend's heavy traffic from the BFL. Actually, nothing much had changed since earlier this year. Teams sacked up loads of small fish but legal fish were as illusive as always. Putting together a winning sack for today was all about making as many casts as possible and hoping to land in the perfect location. I won't give away all the secrets, but after the topwater bite has passed, try out a chatterbait for numbers or a swim jig to pick up some size. With the tournament's only limit, Bill Carothers and David Calbert took home first place and side pot with 10lbs. and 8ozs. With today's big fish weighing 4lbs. and 4ozs, Aaron Jordan took second with 6lbs. and 14ozs. In his very first bass tournament, Landon took home today's youth prize pack with his 2lbs. and 8ozs. chunk! Great job today guys! Only two regular season tournaments remain and the weather is getting right! Join The Carolina Crankers October 23rd on Tuckertown. Blast off is at 7am from the highway 49 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Summer's Last Stand!
The Carolina Crankers hit Mountain Island this morning greeted with a slight chill in the air. By midday, the heat was on! Anglers struggled with decreased water levels over the past two weeks. Aaron Jordan and Adam Locklear had today's secret recipe. Landing 5 keepers, the team took home first place as well as sidepot with a total of 10lbs. and 12ozs. Adam Parker rolled the dice and headed up the lake searching for deeper waters. Ending up at the upper dam, Adam grabbed today's big fish pot with a 7lb. and 0oz. toad as well as taking second place with a total weight of 10lbs. and 6ozs. Thank you to all of our anglers that joined us today. Always a pleasure to see old and new faces. Rodney Eury, it was a pleasure having you and Dalton join us on the lake today. You remain in our prayers for a full and speedy recovery. Join The Carolina Crankers on October 2nd as we make a stop on lake Wylie. Blasting from Southpoint at 7am. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Dog Days!!!
It's late August and the dog days of summer are parked over the Carolinas. The Carolina Crankers roasted in the heat today on Lake Tillery. The heavy rains and storms from the later part of the week have pulled in intense humidity and makes fishing a real job once the sun hits midday. The dedication from our anglers is amazing! Heat and muddy waters never slowed them down. The majority of our teams had fast hits today but hookups were elusive as many shared stories of numerous lost fish. On a side note, the bream are wearing out crankbaits. Just like clockwork, the ice cream boat put in as our teams were pulling off the lake! Sure would be nice to get a nice cold ice cream bar around noon but I guess the owner never thought about tournament anglers that have been out all day! Fisherman's Lives Matter too! All joking aside, Tillery was a grueling tournament today and teams were exhausted by weigh-in. Hammering out 16lbs. and 6ozs., Bud Ratliff and Corey Ricketts grabbed first place and today's sidepot. The pair weighed a 4lbs. and 4ozs. stud to take big fish as well. Greg Gooch and Zac Gooch took second today with 11lbs. and 14ozs. With his 2lbs. and 6ozs. largemouth, Lucas won today's youth prize from Queen's Tackle. Congratulations everybody! Great job out there today! Join The Carolina Crankers September 18th on Mountain Island. Blast-off is at 7am from the Riverbend Hwy 16 landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Hot Mess!!!
It was brutal today at Tuckertown. At 5am, the bitter smell of the moss mats could take your breath in the upper parking lot. Hopes that the early blast-off would yield some early bites fell flat. It was one of those days. The black moss and the blistering heat were a knock out punch as most teams headed home by noon. Only the dedicated or crazy kept swinging for the fences. Not one limit made it to the scales at 2pm. The big girls still stalk and hunt under the mats but seldom break through the thick mats to crush a bait. A solid 5+ pounder smashed through for a frog to anchor Mark and Audrey Bayse winning sack today. Unfortunately, the biggest fish passed after several hours but still carried a stout enough weight for a total of 11lbs. and 6ozs. Very close behind, Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis also managed three solid fish for second place with 10lbs. and 12ozs. The pair sacked big fish for today with 5lbs. and 2ozs. Congratulations to today's top teams! Join The Carolina Crankers on August 21st at Lake Tillery. Blast off is at 6am from Swift Island. Until then... Keep 'em Hooked!!!
The Midas Touch!!!
That's three straight for "The Golden One." Christian Johnson is on a roll and continued steamrolling the field today on Lake Norman! It's July on the ocean and the bite is tough and boat traffic is crazy. Keying on a quick morning bite was crucial for today's Carolina Crankers tournament. Once the heat started to build and boat traffic overtook the waters, the bite shut down dramatically. Some anglers found numbers cruising swim baits through the shoals but no size in the schools suspended near them. Consistently adapting to conditions, Christian Johnson topped today's field with 12lbs. and 0ozs. after an 8ozs. penalty for a dead fish. Just ounces behind, Chad Midkiff hammered a limit for 11lbs. and 2ozs. With today's big fish and biggest smile, Brian Morgan and Carmen Setzer grabbed a stack of cash with their 4lbs and 6ozs largemouth. Congratulations everybody! Thank you to all our anglers that hit the lake with us today. Join The Carolina Crankers July 31st on Tuckertown. Blast off is at 6am from the highway 49 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Tillery Time!!!
The Carolina Crankers hit Lake Tillery before dawn this morning. We had a great turnout as teams filled the entire cove at Swift Island awaiting blastoff. Early weather conditions were very "fishy" with cool overcast skies and low fog carrying just the slightest bit of drizzle to make things perfect. However, the welcome weather change couldn't change the slow bite on the lake. Local anglers spoke of the fishing "drought" that has plagued the lake recently. Most fish seem to be lost in transition with the slow bite only coming from the shallows near moderate 10 to 12 foot drop offs. The deeper bite has yet to materialize for offshore angling. Less than 10 full limits made the scales today as our top two teams managed identical sacks at weigh-in. The magic number today was 13lbs. and 8ozs. A big fish tie-breaker would decide almost $1400 difference between first and second place! When the dust had settled, Joe Dew and Anthony Medlin took first and today's sidepot having a 4lbs. and 6ozs. kicker fish. With a 3lbs. and 4ozs. kicker for the tie-breaker, Brian Moore and Jody Moore grabbed a very respectable second place finish. It's all about those ounces when things get tight! Waylon Saunders and Mark Beck hammered it out for third today with 10lbs. and 12ozs. Landing today's big fish lunker at 4lbs. and 6ozs. was the tag team of Dustin Millwood and Bryce Owen. Youth anglers slugged it out today cull tagging their biggest fish for weigh-in. With a stout 3lbs. and 4ozs. stud, Noah Mckinney celebrated his 13th birthday as today's top youth angler! Happy Birthday Noah! Congratulations to all of today's top teams! Huge thank you to Todd Barbee and Jeff Queen for your continued support for our youth anglers! Join The Carolina Crankers on July 10th at Lake Norman. Blast off is at 6am from Pinnacle landing. Until then... Keep 'em Hooked!!!
Just Take My Money!!!
It was a shootout to the very end today as The Carolina Crankers hit Tuckertown. A little bit of sun, heavy clouds, light rain and miserable humidity made the perfect fishing conditions for today's anglers. Teams slugged it out using multiple patterns from topwater to dead-sticking soft plastics. Typical of Tuckertown, the black moss seems to hang and linger in the most desirable "fishy" spots. There is no right or wrong way to fish this lake. With tons of cover, moss flats, grass, riprap, stump fields and stained waters, Tuckertown is the perfect lake to fine tune your skills with that goto bait or tryout a new technique. Today's top teams hammered fish all day shooting for the last bite to anchor their bags for weigh-in. School was back in session today as Jeff Coley and Jason Threadgill slammed 22lbs. and 12ozs. on the scales to take first and sidepot. The pair had a 6lbs. stud as an anchor and took home big fish as well! Derick Livingston and Brittany Wilhoit had a solid 18lbs. limit to take home second place in today's tournament. Keep your eye on these two, they are one of the most consistent teams in the series! Brittany Wilhoit was the tournament's top finishing female angler as well! Noah Mckinney was our highest placing youth angler today and received an outstanding prize pack from our incredible sponsors, The Carolina Crankers, Bass Monkey Academy and a generous donation from Todd Barbee. Thank you Todd! Your support and dedication to youth fishermen is overwhelming! Huge thank you also to Jeff Queen with Queens Tackle! You have been steadfast and unstoppable with your support for our youth anglers! The Carolina Crankers would like to welcome our newest and youngest member to Bass Monkey Academy, Eli Cox. He's got fishing fever already! Just check out that smile! Join The Carolina Crankers on June 26th at Lake Tillery. Blast off is at 6am from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Local Legends!!!
The Carolina Crankers made it's first trip ever to Lake James today. The local anglers mentioned the waters were stained but it was the clearest I've ever seen! We've hit more wood than a woodpecker today running 20 to 30 foot laydowns stacked everywhere. The gin clear waters revealed every branch and twig! Currently in transition, the bite was tough but that view with the mountains on the horizon was spectacular! Early morning drew a mild topwater bite with most short striking or slapping at the bait. By midday, bass began to fall for jigs on the local haunts. Noon at the canal, the party started. The first truly warm weekend of the season and the "rookie" boaters were out in droves! Frustrated anglers steered clear as the "newbies and seasonal boaters" made navigating between the rivers impossible. By three o'clock, teams were exhausted and spent nearly an hour trailering the field for weigh-in. Next time, a snack and some lawn chairs to watch the show! Two local teams delivered the knockout to the field today weighing identical sacks! A big fish tie-breaker would decide the fate between first and second. Rising all-star Brayden Padgette landed a 4lbs. and 4ozs largemouth to seal the deal as he and his father Jason Padgette raked in the cash for first place, sidepot and big fish! Be sure to check out Brayden's Youtube video later this evening! With their 3lbs. and 6ozs. kicker fish, Three Young and Jason Allison grabbed second place after the tie-breaker. Great job guys! We enjoyed meeting each of the local legends that fished with us today! Had a great day learning the ins and outs of your beautiful lake! Look us up the next time you head south! We invite everyone to join The Carolina Crankers on June 12th at Tuckertown. Blast off is at 6am from the Highway 49 ramp. Until then... Keep 'em hooked!!!
Fists Full of Cash!!!
Good thing the fishing was great on Mountain Island today, for the first time in the last 10 years my computer just crashed and lost the last two hours worth of work for tonight's post. Rest assured it was great! Unfortunately, I can't remember the picture I was painting! For all our dedicated anglers that have been waiting patiently, i'll throw out the highlight reel. It was cold, then it got warm! Haha, I still got jokes! Hit the lake early. The topwater bite is strong and consistent in the shallows till mid morning. The skinny waters are holding a tight mix of largemouth and spots that are beginning to hold loosely to timber and laydowns. Mountain Island is low and still falling so be very cautious on those runs near the sandbar. Hit it hard and fast. The pass through that channel is under two foot deep at current water levels. While the vast majority of the population has spawned and are currently feeding for summer, several late season beauties have finally moved up and can be seen in the clear waters deep in pockets. Keeping it close and running the short end below the 16 ramp, Jerris Bush and Tony Bush cruised home with fists full of cash! The pair banked just shy of $1300 taking first place, big fish and today's sidepot! Jerris and Tony sacked 13lbs. and 8ozs. and had a 3lbs. and 14ozs. anchor fish. Sam Dunson and Tripp Meland grabbed second today with 11lbs. and 8ozs. Congratulations to today's top anglers! Great job guys! Fuel 'em up and join The Carolina Crankers as we take a road trip to Lake James on May 22nd. Blast-off is at 7am from the Canal Bridge Ramp. Until then ... Keep 'em Hooked!!!
Shut The Door!!!
The Carolina Crankers slugged it out on Lake Tillery today. Temperatures swung a little low this morning down into the 40's before blast-off. Things got milder as the day moved forward and proved to be a perfect day on the lake. Most found water temperatures from the high fifties to lower sixties and should have the majority of fish moving up soon. Jigs and plastics were responsible for the bulk of today's weights with most teams being hammered by smaller fish throughout the day. Catch enough small ones and clear the road for the heavy bite! Gotta give it to the local boys today as Weston Lineberry and Daniel Threadgill topped the field with 15lbs. and 2ozs. The pair shut the door with deep pockets taking first and today's sidepot. Always near the money, Marshall and Seth Starnes grabbed second place with 12lbs. and 4ozs. Harley Oxendine weighed in the tournament's big fish at 5lbs. and 4ozs. Coy Dutton was today's top youth angler with three fish for 7lbs. and 2ozs. Congratulations to all of today's top anglers! Join The Carolina Crankers on May 8th as we hit Mountain Island. Blast-off is at 6am from highway 16, Riverbend ramp. Until then ... keep 'em hooked!!!
A Little Mud Slinging!!!
It was an absolutely brutal morning as The Carolina Crankers blasted from Lake Hickory today. 28 degrees and a slow breeze hammered teams at daybreak. Add a lake full of mud stained waters and conditions become extreme. Fortunately, the big chill that hit the Carolinas late this week had little effect on water temperatures. Anglers found temperatures from 56-59 degrees. The bite has slowed considerably after the rains and fronts moved through. Until the lake has some moderate clearing, the fish are keying on heavy vibrations with chatterbaits doing the bulk of today's workload. A slow jig bite is apparent but scattered. To pull a limit under the current conditions move to the creeks and hit them shallow with vibrating baits. With an 11lbs. and 10oz. sack, Larry Yancey took home first and today's sidepot. Vince Picca grabbed big fish and second place with 7lbs. and 14ozs. with a 2lbs. and 10ozs. anchorfish. Congratulations guys! True hammers out there today! Thank you to all our teams that made the trip to Hickory today. Join The Carolina Crankers on April 17th at Lake Tillery. Blast-off is at 6am from Swift Island. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Just Bring It!!!
Once again, winter continues its stranglehold on the Carolinas punishing tournament anglers with frigid temperatures and howling winds. Lake Norman greeted The Carolina Crankers today with rolling whitecaps and bitter winds. The lake's waters are clearing somewhat on the main, however, heavy rains this week have drawn deep mudlines in the creeks. The bite has gotten stronger with the clearing and the mudline is still a hotspot for a quick bite. Escaping the winds was a job in itself but the eager bite kept the blood flowing and anglers casting till the last possible moments before weigh-in. Hauling in a mountain of cash and today's top sack, Maurice Barnette and Ricky Billings took first, big fish and today's sidepot with 15lbs. and 14ozs. With their heavyweight sack, the pair won the big fish tiebreaker at 4lbs. and 4ozs. Grabbing second, Russell Hoyle dropped a 13lbs. and 8ozs. limit at the scales. Carson Eckard was today's top placing youth angler with his 2lbs. and 4ozs. largemouth. Carson sacked a Queens Tackle gift certificate and a loaded tackle bag from our amazing sponsors. Thank you Jeff Queen! Congratulations to each of today's top anglers! Join The Carolina Crankers April 3rd as we travel north to Lake Hickory! Blast-off is at 7am from Lovelady landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Badin Bite!!!
The Carolina Crankers headed to Badin this morning. Expectations were dim as anglers shared stories from last week's tournaments at the lake. Two tournaments and not a single keeper for weigh-in makes anglers second guess every decision before blast-off. Three tournaments launched from Alcoa hoping to finally bring the weights back to the scales. One of the earliest teams to launch simply dropped the trolling motor and started casting. The team held up two keepers before the last boats had even been called! The bite was warming back up. The field was split evenly with some teams struggling and others capitalizing on the stronger bite. Most teams with stronger sacks were tight-lipped about today's winning baits. However, one of the top teams shared their success using mid range crankbaits the entire day. By 3pm, Alcoa was a madhouse as all tournaments held weigh-ins. With 15lbs. and 4ozs., Rodney Thomas grabbed today's top spot. Deciding not to jump in today's sidepot, he left a large sack of cash on the table for Marshall and Seth Starnes. The pair took home second and the sidepot with 13lbs. and 6ozs. Josh Brady brought today's heavy-hitter big fish at 6lbs. and 6ozs. Brittany Wilhoit was the tournament's top female angler with her 2lbs. and 6ozs. largemouth. Seth Starnes was our top finishing youth angler and took home a Queen's Tackle gift certificate. Thank you Jeff Queen for sharing your passion for our rising young anglers! Great job out there today everyone! Join The Carolina Crankers on March 20th at Lake Norman. Blast-off is at 7am from Pinnacle landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Hauling Water!!!
The rains finally subsided leading to sunny skies and another chilly start to this week's Carolina Crankers tournament on Lake Wylie. Brisk temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark greeted anglers at the ramps. Honestly, expectations were low with the onslaught of rain this week. Water clarity was terrible resembling a frothy cup of coffee with a heavy shot of creamer. Yes, there was a spinnerbait laying on the deck of every boat that hit the water. However, the fish didn't get the memo! Teams threw it all, probably threw some shoulders out with it! Lipless baits hauled water as well as plastics and chatterbaits. Two shorties fell for jerkbaits but most teams headed home empty handed. Fortunately, the sun shined a little brighter on our top two teams today. Slow flippin' a jig and mixing in a touch of an A-Rig, Tim Cline and Brady Drennen landed three Wylie chunks for 11lbs. and 4ozs. The winning duo anchored their sack with today's big fish weighing 5lbs. and 12ozs. Now that's a Wylie stud! With the tournament's only limit, Dave Ferguson and Josh DeMaury hammered out second place running shad raps and cranks with 8lbs. and 10ozs. Congratulations guys! Thank you to each of our anglers that grinded it out today on the lake. The Carolina Crankers would like to invite everyone to join us on March 6th as we travel to Badin. Blast-off is at 7am from Alcoa. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!! Reminder to all anglers, Our F1 Largemouth Fundraiser Tournament Series for continued efforts to stock F1 Largemouth in Lake Norman begins next Saturday, February 27th on Lake Norman. Blast-off is at 7am from Queen's and the entry fee is $125 per boat. For more information, please contact Lisa through Facebook, Messenger or 704-226-7127
Slim "Pickins!!!"
Another blistering cold morning greeted The Carolina Crankers today on Lake Norman. 29 degree temperatures at blast-off had anglers waiting in their vehicles as long as possible. The last teams eased into the water as the National Anthem rang out. Competition was steep with a full field of heavy hitters competing in this year's first trip to the lake. Those that were able to practice ahead of today's tournament shared the same story; a slow, tough bite. Today's strategies were all over the map. Some stayed downlake, others made the bone-chilling run to the North while others rolled the dice and headed for the hot hole. No solid pattern emerged for the day. The bite was tough and varied as much as the locations. In the end, jerkbaits, crankbaits and jigs did the dirty work producing the tournament's strongest sacks. the A-rig bite was there but not strong enough as a stand alone. As the weigh-in line formed it became clear how slow the bite actually was. Limits were scarce and weights were close. Slugging it out with today's heaviest sack, Brian and Badin Gusa cashed in on first place and today's sidepot with 11lbs. and 2ozs. Larry Yancey and Danny Mason knocked out 9lbs. and 12ozs. for second place. Just ounces behind with 9lbs. and 8ozs, Kerry Bell and Kevin Gawn took home third place. Richard Crayton and Darrell Fisher went "crankin" for today's big fish weighing 4lbs. and 14ozs. Badin Gusa weighed two solid keepers for 4lbs. and 14ozs. of his teams winning sack and was today's top youth angler. Badin took home a sweet Queen's Tackle gift certificate for hammering it out on the lake today. Congratulations to all our top finishers on Norman today! Join The Carolina Crankers February 20th as we head south to Lake Wylie. Blast-off is at 7am from Southpoint landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
Smackdown on Tuckertown!!!
Bitter cold met the Carolina Crankers at Tuckertown this morning. 28 degrees at blast-off and not much warming was the story of the lake today. Only a brave or crazy few hit full throttle for the bone chilling first run at daybreak. The answer to the question for those looking to head to the lake, yes, the black moss is floating at the ramps and continues to be a formidable nuisance throughout the system. Seasoned anglers eased off the banks and found moss free waters near 10 feet. Water temperatures in the low forties continues its stranglehold and makes the fish lethargic and unwilling to chase. However, walk the perfect bait by its nose and watch out! Heavy sacks fell today for the right baits in the perfect place. Three baits stood tall and dominated today's tournament weights. A-rigs, jerkbaits and jigs owned the cash at weigh-in. Laying down the gauntlet with 21lbs. Jeff Coley and Brice Hollis grabbed first place and today's sidepot. Ounces behind with 20lbs. and 4ozs. Mike Kiser fished solo and raked in second place. With several fish over five pounds at the scales today, Rodney Thomas took home big fish cash with his Tuckertown toad weighing in at 5lbs. and 12ozs. Great job out there today! Congratulations guys! Just two short weeks to our next stop. Join The Carolina Crankers on Lake Norman of February 6th. Blast-off is at 7am from the Beatties Ford landing. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!
The Polar Plunge!!!
The 2021 Carolina Crankers season started with a bang yesterday on Lake Tillery. With late week temperatures falling and a winter disturbance moving in, anglers were forced to make last minute decisions on whether to make the trip or shelter at home for those living farther north. Temperatures in the area and at the ramps were at or below freezing near blast-off but fortunately all had a safe journey and there was no icing of the ramps. 25 teams eased past the bridge at Swift Island just before daylight. In the distance, the scream of the outboards, and the co-anglers, tore into the freezing cold. Twenty minutes later, the phone call. An angler had fallen in. At these temperatures, the risk of hypothermia is very dangerous. Fortunately, the team was just beyond the bridge at Swift Island and after a quick change of clothes at the ramp were able to continue their day on the lake. We've all heard about the weight of our clothing especially in the winter season but for him to explain first hand how rapidly he was being pulled down by the added weight should be a reality check for each of us. The frigid temperatures were such a shock he immediately lost his breath and was taking in water. As diehard anglers, we have learned how to layer for cold weather. The most important layer should always be a lifejacket this time of year. We are always only a phone call away and will meet any of our anglers back at the ramp. By the three o'clock weigh-in, several teams had given in to the cold and headed home. Topping the field today with four solid fish, Robin Collins and Ronnie White took home first place with 13lbs. and 0ozs. with a strong 5lbs. and 10ozs anchor fish to secure the win. With the day's only limit, Derick Livingston and Brittany Wilhoit grabbed second only ounces behind with 12lbs. and 10ozs. Bringing a solo hammer to the scales, Brandon Gardner and Wyane File had big fish with 6lbs. and 12ozs. Thats's a nice chunk no matter what time of year! Congratulations everybody! Thank you to each of our anglers that kicked off the 2021 season! Thank you to each of our 5 female anglers that also joined us today. Happy New Year and Tight Lines to all of our anglers for the 2021 season! Join The Carolina Crankers on January 23rd at Tuckertown. Blast-off is at 7am from the Highway 49 ramp. Until then... keep 'em hooked!!!