AnglersChannel.com Pro Staffer Rob Digh is in position to take over the top of the points standings in the Bassmaster Weekend Series North Carolina Division in the series final tournament on High Rock Lake this weekend, but the points title is not his primary goal.

After winning the NC bass fishing season opener on Lake Norman in March, followed by 13^th place at High Rock in April, 6^th at Kerr in June and 18^th at Falls last month, Digh trails Brandon Gray of Bullock Creek, N.C., by just four points heading into the series two-day final. Gray finished 10^th at Norman, 17^th at High Rock, 1^st at Kerr, and 6^th at Falls.
“I’m really not going over there (High Rock) to try to win the points,” the Denver, N.C., angler said. “I’m just going to try to get a limit of fish each day and make a check. That’s my goal. The points, if it happens it happens, if it doesn’t then it doesn’t.”

Anglers have been catching a lot of fish on High Rock recently, Digh said, but that does not mean they automatically will this weekend.

“High Rock is a great place to fish, but those fish over there can be some of the moodiest fish in the world. They can be real particular on what they want to bite and how they want to bite it,” he said. “It’s been taking anywhere from 15 to 22 pounds to win a tournament, which is quite a big swing in weights. One day the fish can bite pretty good and the next day they might not be biting good.”

Digh said High Rock contains a lot of 3- to 5-pound fish so it will probably take 35-36 pounds to win the two-day tournament.

“It could even take a little more. According to what I read it does not look like we are going to get a lot of rain this weekend, but Alcoa thinks we might get some rain and if they pull water Saturday and Sunday it could take some more weight.”

Although there has been a pretty good bite both shallow and deep, Digh plans to fish shallow this weekend, throwing a topwater like a Berry’s Prop Bait or a buzzbait early and switching to a jig and a 10-inch Ol’ Monster Worm later.

“If the fish are biting shallow there is a really possibility you can get a 20-pound bag. I have a couple of little offshore places where I have been catching some fish, but I am not catching the quality I need out there,” said Digh who has been getting at least one quality bite a day fishing shallow.

“Those fish over there are like footballs. You can catch a 13-inch fish and it might weight 2 pounds. A 15- or 16-inch fish will weigh 2 ½ to 3 pounds, so if you get five bites you can have in the neighborhood of 14 or 15 pounds.”

Digh said he will need that and possibly more to win this weekend.

“I’ve fished a couple of little wildcat tournaments over there and had 15 or 16 pounds and not been close to a check,” he said. “I am going into this tournament thinking I can catch 14 to 17 pounds a day and that could be enough.”

One factor that may have a big influence on the outcome, he said, will be local fishermen entering the tournament in hopes of taking the jackpot.

“It’s going to be a tough tournament for me for the simple reason there will be some really good locals fishing the tournament. The fish are biting very well, so I am going to have to have a little luck to do well.”

 

Bassmaster Weekend Series – North Carolina Division

Aug. 27-28, 2011

High Rock Lake

Tamarac Marina

Call Gary Conner 256-230-5627

www.abaproam.com