A number of local anglers had top finishes in area bass tournaments last weekend, including Mark Robertson and Keith Joyce, winners of the CATT Kerr Gaston trail event on Saturday on Kerr Lake. They brought in a 5 fish limit weighing 17.80 pounds that also included the big fish of the day. Mark reported that they only had 8 bites all day but they were all good fish. He said that their big fish came with only 10 minutes to go.
On Sunday Joey Talbott and Michael Dean took 1st Place and $1,092 in the CATT Kerr Fall Qualifier with 5 bass weighing 18.22 pounds and had the big fish of the day at 6.45 pounds. Second place went to Eddie Glascock and Billy Dunn with 13.99 pounds to earn $593. Dennie Gilbert and Charlie Redd finished third with 13.97 for $150 and $100 went to Brandon Gary and Robert Perkins with 5 bass weighing 12.53.
In Saturdays District 16 ABA bass tournament on Kerr Lake Mitch Welch won with 11.14 pounds, followed by Tyler Purcell with 9.66. Robert Hammonds brought in the big fish at 4.84 pounds to take third with 8.5 pounds total.
Brad Staley from Pleasant Garden NC moved up from 7th to finish in 4th on the final day of the FLW Costa Series tournament on the Potomac River and earn $10,500. Virginia angler Mike Hicks from Goochland earned $42,200 for taking first place with a three day total weight of 48-10.
Local fishing reports and top tournament finishers – Kerr Lake is low right now at under 298’ above sea level, which is not uncommon for this time of year. This reserves capacity for heavy rains associated with hurricanes typical in September and October in order to manage flooding on the Roanoke River.
Last Sunday morning I landed several good largemouth bass at sunrise on a topwater bait near the dam. Early in the day just as the sun started to brighten the sky I was fortunate to be watching as a huge falling star came down so low it appeared to stall and fizzle out just above the trees right in front of me.
With temperatures standing below 60 degrees on the afternoon of the first day of September I'm expecting that the cool weather has the bass actively feeding for Labor Day. They’ll start to feed up for winter as fall approaches.
Info on upcoming tournaments – There's a Piedmont Bass Classics tournament on Kerr on Saturday 9/16 launching out of the Flemington Ramp. Contact tournament director Phil McCarson at 919-471-1571 for more info. And there's a CATT Trail Fall qualifier on Sunday 9/17. Joseph Sharpe and I are planning on competing in that to qualify for the November finals.
Next week’s report – Labor Day weekend cookout and fishing report from Kerr Lake.
Tip of the week – Use a split ring or small snap swivel to attach your line to topwater lures for better action.
