But the relief from the weather rigors of winter might not have come soon enough to bust the bass out of their winter doldrums in time for the first Carolina Bass Challenge North Carolina Division tournament of 2014 Saturday on Lake Norman.

“I can’t believe the water temperature has moved up a lot this week,” said veteran angler Jeff Coble of Manson, N.C. “The fish are wanting to move up and start spawning, but the water temperature just won’t let them, so I figure the fish will still be in pre-spawn this weekend.”

Fellow veteran angler David Wright of Lexington, N.C., agreed.

“I don’t know if the next couple of days of warmer weather will be enough,” Wright said. “I just don’t know how much it’s going to warm things up.”

For the past month the weather has teased the bass and the fishermen, Wright noted. The occasional warmer, drier day, seemed to portend the arrival of spring and the start of spawning activity, but then there would be another wintry blast to knock things back. But, Wright noted, the trend has been towards conditions getting right for spring.

“It seems like every time it warms up a little another front comes through and cools things down, but just not quite as much as it was. If we get 60-degree water we will see spawning or fish trying to spawn,” he said.

Wright would seem to have a leg up on other anglers since he fished an American Bass Anglers tournament on Norman last weekend, placing 4^th with five bass that weighed 13.48 pounds. However, in the short time since that weigh-in the lake has experienced another bone-chilling cold front, followed by the sunny arrival of spring on Thursday.

With the lake off limits the week before the tournament, both anglers agreed there is very little to go on as far as having a set fishing strategy for Saturday.

“Nobody is going to have any up-to-the-minute information. You are just going to have to guess right when you get on the lake Saturday morning,”Coble said.

“You will just have to go out there and start fishing and see what’s happening,” Wright added.

More than 170 two-man teams are expected to fish for more than $40,000 in cash and prizes Saturday, according to Al Odom, tournament administrator.

“First Place will be $10,000 with the highest finishing Skeeter/Yamaha owner taking home $5,000,” Odom said. “The Big Fish winner will take home $1,000. CBC pays one place for every 6 teams entered and features a 100 percent-plus payout.”

 

Carolinas Bass Challenge – NC Division

Sat, Mar 22, 2014

Lake Norman

Blythe Landing

Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.carolinasbasschallenge.com