Sanders wins final N.C. regular season event

ATHENS, Ala. – Joshua R. Sanders won big during the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, North Carolina Division 5 regular season ender, held June 2, 2012, on Kerr Lake.

Running out of Nutbush Creek Landing near Henderson, the Morganton, N.C., angler caught five bass weighing 12.59 pounds for the Boater Division victory. He culled twice during his first time to fish the 48,900-acre lake straddling the North Carolina-Virginia line. Virginians call it Bugg’s Island Lake.

“This was the first time I had ever been to Kerr Lake,” Sanders admitted. “I practiced one day and found two pockets in Nutbush Creek that had lots of fish eating bluegill fry. I used a topwater bait, a spinnerbait and a jig to catch my fish.”

Close behind in second place for the boaters, Steve Dyer of Mount Pleasant, N.C., brought in a five-bass tournament limit weighing 12.19 pounds. He capped his catch with a 3.17-pounder.

In third for the boaters, Chuck Collins of Smithfield, N.C., landed five bass for 11.71 pounds with a 3.66-pound kicker. Rob Digh of Denver, N.C., finished fourth with a five-bass limit going 11.69, followed by Derek Cummings of Clayton, N.C., with five bass at 11.09 pounds including a 3.10-pound kicker.

Lance D. Eckford of Troutman, N.C., took sixth place among the boaters with five bass going 10.76 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 4.19-pounder to win the tournament big bass honors. Eckford caught his fish on shaky heads worked through 12 feet of water.

In the Co-Angler Division, Moe Hill Jr. of Lake Wylie, S.C., brought in three bass weighing 7.71 pounds to lead the pack. He anchored his bag with a 3.04-pounder to take division lunker honors.

“This was only my second time on the lake,” Hill said. “We hit several areas. We fished around windy points and got off the main channel back in some cuts. My primary baits were crankbaits and shaky heads. I caught the big one on a Luhr Jensen Speed Trap crankbait off the backside of a secondary point. The water came up shallow and dropped quickly. The bait just stopped. I thought I was hung up, until he started shaking his head.”

Justin C. Phillips of Kingston, N.C., landed a three-bass division limit weighing 6.64 pounds to take second place among the co-anglers. Rick Strelec of Thomasville, N.C., followed with three bass and 6.48 pounds. In fourth place, Mark C. Holman of Cornelius, N.C., landed three keepers for 6.05 pounds. John D. Miller of Statesville, N.C., rounded out the top five co-anglers with three bass and 5.35 pounds.

For more information on this tournament, call Gary Conner at (256) 230-5627 or ABA at (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

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