Freeze Hoping Shallow Water Produces In Nc Bfl 2-Day Tournament On High Rock Lake
Maurice Freeze is banking this weekend on the anglers’ rule of thumb about bass fishing on High Rock Lake. That rule basically says that you can always catch bass shallow on High Rock – anytime of the year.
“I am hopeful that it will be a shallow water deal,” Freeze said of the WalMart BFL North Carolina Division 2-day tournament. “But,” he added, “I heard David Wright won a wildcat up there with 21 pounds and I know he is not fishing shallow.”
But the Concord, N.C., angler can’t let that bother him. He will fish his strength and he is known for his prowess fishing shallow water year-round.
“Generally in September the fish are headed toward the banks and that is where I am going to be looking,” he said. “I’ll look for some on topwater, then the spinnerbait and then I’ll be looking with a jig and a worm. That is the way I am going to fish.”
Freeze noted that the lake was about 4 feet low before the recent tropical storm rolled through and dumped a lot of rain on the region, bringing the water level up.
“It’s about 2 feet low now which I think is good. Once the water gets done rising and turns around and goes the other way, that is when the fishing will get better,” he said.
Although he is third in the points, Freeze believes he would have to have a super tournament while the anglers above him stumble to earn his fourth North Carolina Division points title this year.
“I did not do very good the first of the year. Usually by now I am on top in the points, but I’m in third place right now. David Williams is leading the points and he is a really good fall fisherman so I suspect he is going to win the points title.”
Freeze sits 56 points behind Williams of Maiden, N.C., and Keith Kirby of Gaffney, S.C., is in second place, just 10 points ahead of Freeze.
“I doubt I can make that up,” he said. “If David were not a really good fall fisherman I’d say there might be a chance. But I know him very well and he is going to catch them this weekend. I won the points the last two years and I’ll just tell him I am giving him a shot at it this weekend.”
Freeze was the North Carolina BFL points champion in 2006, 2009 and 2010. He was also the South Carolina BFL points champion in 2001, 2006 and 2007.
He finished fifth in the S.C. Division two-day tournament on Lake Hartwell last weekend, winning $986 plus the $1,000 Evinrude bonus, and qualifying to fish the regional championship on Smith Mountain Lake October 13-15.
Wal-Mart BFL North Carolina Division – 2-Day
Sep. 17-18, 2011
High Rock Lake
Tamarac Marina
