TERRELL, N.C. – Jerry Goble of Sherrills Ford, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 17 pounds, 14 ounces Saturday to win the Bass Fishing League North Carolina Division bass fishing tournament on Lake Norman. For his victory, Goble earned $3,766.
“I started off right away early that morning catching a 5-pounder with a green pumpkin jig,” said Goble. “But then it really slowed down for a few hours. I had to wait for the day to warm up, because I knew where I could catch fish once the temperature warmed. Finally around 10 a.m. it did. I was fishing in the mid-lake area, and I fished pretty much one specific area that I had been targeting. I’ve been going back to this spot for the past month, and once I get what I need, I leave. I went back to that spot today, and was able to catch my two big ones there.
“I live on the lake, so I knew what I needed to do coming in to this tournament, and my plan worked,” Goble continued. “I caught my fish with a Tennessee Shad-colored jerkbait, and the green pumpkin jig. I threw the Alabama rig a little bit, and did catch two on it, but I had the most success with the jerkbait. I was fishing from 5 to 10 feet of water, and once the rain stopped and it warmed up a little bit, I had my fish by noon. My day was great.”
Rounding out the top 10 pros were:
2nd: David Pless, Candler, N.C., five bass, 13-13, $1,883
3rd: Kelly Logan, Morganton, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $1,256
4th: Michael Fox, Statesville, N.C., five bass, 13-8, $879
5th: Hank Cherry, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 13-7, $721
5th: David Williams, Maiden, N.C., five bass, 13-7, $721 + $1,000 Evinrude Bonus
7th: Jason Wilson, Cherryville, N.C., five bass, 13-2, $628
8th: Scott Hamrick, Denver, N.C., five bass, 12-6, $533
8th: Brian Travis, Conover, N.C., five bass, 12-6, $533
10th: Paul Brittain, Icard, N.C., five bass, 12-0, $439
James Lee of Connelly Springs, N.C., weighed a five-bass limit totaling 11 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win $1,883 in the co-angler division.
Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers were:
2nd: Cody Hoyle, Rutherfordton, N.C., five bass, 10-11, $942
3rd: Sam Spencer, Hudson, N.C., five bass, 10-10, $627
4th: Denny Sigmon, Sherrills Ford, N.C., five bass, 10-9, $439
5th: Bobby Snyder, Charlotte, N.C., five bass, 10-1, $377
6th: Anthony Mandia, Kannapolis, N.C., five bass, 9-15, $345
7th: Michael Branch, West Columbia, S.C., five bass, 9-5, $314
8th: Carroll Blevins, Jonesboro, Ga., four bass, 9-0, $282
9th: Thomas McDermott, Madison, N.C., five bass, 8-4, $235
9th: Bryan New, Belmont, N.C., five bass, 8-4, $235
The next BFL North Carolina Division tournament is scheduled for March 31 on Kerr Lake in Henderson, N.C. After the fifth North Carolina Division tournament is complete, the top 40 boaters and 40 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 18-20 Regional Championship on Pickwick Lake in Florence, Ala. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and a Chevy Silverado, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518 with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.
The BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 120 tournaments throughout the season, five in each division. The top 40 boaters and co-anglers from each division qualify for a regional tournament and compete to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. The 2012 BFL All-American is being held May 17 – 19 on the Potomac River in National Harbor, Md. Top winners in the BFL can move up to the EverStart Series or even the Walmart FLW Tour.