The Piedmont Bass Trail is serious about two things – having fun fishing and keeping bass alive.

“I tell guys if you don’t want to have fun, don’t come,” said tournament director Phil McCarson, “and we do have a good bunch of guys fishing the trail.”

In the hot summertime, McCarson said he is just as serious about keeping bass alive.

“One of the biggest problems is keeping fish alive anytime of year except in winter,” McCarson said. “Anglers need to keep their live wells oxygenated, keep them cool and, when necessary fizz their fish. That takes care of them most of the time.”

‘Fizzing’ is a technique fishermen use to deflate a fish pulled up from deep water, McCarson said.

“The rapid change of pressure coming from deep water to the surface real fast puts too much air in his bladder and the fish can’t swim,” he said. “If you don’t treat them, most of the times they die.”

The air pressure can be relieved by inserting the needle of a syringe behind the side fin of a bass, he said. It should be done underwater so the air bubbles can be seen coming out of the syringe because care must be taken not to release all the air from the bladder. Special ‘fizz’ kits can also be purchased at tackle dealers and there is a video tutorial on You Tube that anglers can view to learn how.

“Our guys do a pretty good job of fizzing,” McCarson said. “I would guess our mortality rate for the whole year is around 2 or 3 percent. I don’t think there are many other trails that can claim that.”

‘Fizzing’ is a necessary procedure in a lake like Mayo, especially in the summertime, McCarson said, because it is a deep clear lake and many fish are caught in the deeper parts of the lake.

“Mayo is one of the smaller lakes that Piedmont Bass goes to, only 2,800 acres. But it is a very popular lake and it has deep, clear water this time of year so there is a lot of vertical jigging going on in the hot summertime. You are looking at lighter line, lighter colored lures because the water can be 60 feet deep and sometimes this time of year you have to go deep to catch fish.”

McCarson said he will be at the ramp by 5 a.m. Saturday to take entries, with blast-off around 6 a.m., and the weigh-in will be held at 2 p.m. instead of 3 to help keep the fish alive because of the hot weather.

“We are also one of the few trails that allows teams to weigh in anytime they want to. If they get a dead fish it cost’s them money and we don’t like dead fish at all. We do everything we can to keep them alive and return them to the lake,” McCarson said.

McCarson said he combined the previous summer and fall trails into the Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ trail to give the fishermen a break in entries.

“Because of the economy, we combined the two and called it the ‘End of the Year’ Trail. It starts in July , which gives me time and gives the anglers a break. They don’t have to fish through the fall so there is not so much pressure on them – and it gives me a break, too. I get to stay home a visit my grandkids occasionally,” he said with a laugh.

The Cashion Fishing Rods ‘End of Year’ Team Tournament Bass Fishing Trail began July 12 on Jordan Lake, with the second tournament July 26 on Mayo, out of Triple Springs; followed by tournaments Aug. 9, Kerr, Flemingtown Landing; Aug. 23, Falls, Ledge Rock; Sept. 13, Jordan, Farrington Point (Right Side); Sept. 27, Mayo, Triple Springs; Oct. 11, Shearon Harris, Cross Point Landing; and Oct. 25, Falls, Ledge Rock; with the championship Nov. 1, also on Falls, out of Ledge Rock.

 

Cashion Fishing Rods / Piedmont Bass Classics Trail

Sat, Jul 26, 2014

Mayo Lake

Triple Springs

www.piedmontbassclassics.com

Call Phil McCarson 919-971-5042

Email: [email protected]