HENDERSON, N.C. (March 19, 2018) – Boater Michael Birr of Franklinton, North Carolina, weighed a 18-pound, 15-ounce, limit of bass Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League (BFL) North Carolina Division tournament on Kerr Lake. For his win, Birr pocketed $4,313.
“I started out in Nutbush Creek but they weren’t biting, so I made a long run and caught all of my fish within three hours near Clarksville,” said Birr, who logged his second win on Kerr Lake in BFL competition. “I cranked shallow right in front of bushes where fish were staging. Normally they’d be spawning in the bushes, but the water wasn’t high enough.”
Birr used an unnamed custom-colored crankbait to catch his fish, and that he rotated through a few different spots in a specific creek.
“A recent local tournament on Kerr Lake was won in Nutbush Creek, so knowing when to make the move out of there was key for me,” said Birr. “I lost a 5-pounder first thing in the morning which I thought would cost me the tournament, but I was able to get five more of the right bites.”
The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:
1st: Michael Birr, Franklinton, N.C., five bass, 18-15, $4,313
2nd: Andy Nix, Thomasville, N.C., five bass, 17-8, $1,657
3rd: Rodney Bell, Salisbury, N.C., five bass, 13-14, $1,037
4th: James Wall, Greensboro, N.C., five bass, 13-0, $726
5th: Jason Houchins, Clarksville, Va., three bass, 12-12, $988
6th: Ryan Deal, Indian Trail, N.C., four bass, 12-8, $571
7th: Matt Stoupa, Colonial Heights, Va., four bass, 12-3, $519
8th: Travis Young, Rock Hill, S.C., five bass, 11-6, $467
9th: James Stowers, Narrows, Va., four bass, 11-1, $415
10th: Chad Poteat, Mount Airy, N.C., four bass, 10-9, $363
Houchins weighed a 6-pound, 5-ounce bass – the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division – and earned the day’s Boater Big Bass award of $365. Bowe Luther of Mooresville, North Carolina, won the Co-angler Division and $1,757 Saturday after catching four bass weighing 12 pounds, 10 ounces.
The top 10 co-anglers were:
1st: Bowe Luther, Mooresville, N.C., four bass, 12-10, $1,757
2nd: Brian Bird, Huntersville, N.C., three bass, 8-10, $960
3rd: Tony Laaper, Pittsboro, N.C., four bass, 7-11, $571
4th: Paul Foley, Mooresville, N.C., four bass, 7-9, $363
5th: Jeff Scism, Shelby, N.C., two bass, 7-6, $298
5th: Mark Whitman, Elon, N.C., three bass, 7-6, $298
7th: Dalton Marlow, Maiden, N.C., four bass, 7-2, $259
8th: Barry Burford, Charlotte, N.C., two bass, 6-15, $233
9th: Jeff White, Rhoadesville, Va., two bass, 5-13, $208
10th: Tristen Trull, Mount Holly, N.C., one bass, 5-0, $172
10th: Ian Dubee, Chapel Hill, N.C., one bass, 5-0, $172
Bird caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division weighing in at 5 pounds, 8 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Co-angler Big Bass award of $182.