Season 8 started off with a bang on February 19th 2022. We opened the season on Lake Norman with the support of Visit Mooresville and The Pit Indoor Kart Racing. 146 anglers signed up for the event which was our season opener record and also the Queen City Kayak Bass Fishing stand alone event record. We have had higher, but it included a double dip event. Native Watercraft was excited to make this the largest season ever and we are off to a good start! Todd Sides Real Estate Agent NC was our presenting sponsor for Event 1 and he has been super excited for that opportunity for a long time. The weather yesterday was a mixed bag, as was the fishing. The morning started off cool and calm with bright sun. Anglers were choosing where to fish from the 11 Lake Norman ramps. Most were anticipating high winds in the afternoon, and we taking that into consideration. The weather changed for the worse around noon. The wind kicked up, creating some tough conditions, but also led to the fish turning on and the actual fishing improving for most of the field. We fished from 8:00-4:00pm yesterday and then over 100 anglers met at The Pit for a weigh in ceremony with food, drinks and snacks. I was lucky enough to be on a media boat captained by Wes Cloninger. I hired a professional photographer and we drove all over the lake take amazing shots of the anglers. Those pictures will be released tomorrow. Mary Ferreri and William Benini were judging fish all day, start to finish. We ended the day with 146 anglers, 334 fish, 39 limits and 40 skunks. I was on the Carolina Kayak Lunker Hunters Podcast last week and I said on the show we would see some big bags this weekend on Norman, and I think I was right.
In first place with 76.25, Mark Wilkins goes home with $2000! Mark was also fishing from his Native Watercraft so he takes home another $50 bonus cash! Congrats on qualifying* for the 2022 TOC as well!
Not far behind in the Lumina Sun Smart Home second place, with 72.50, Ronnie Murphy is going home with $1150, $675 for the Academy Sports + Outdoors Elite Win, and another $75 for the Rock Outdoors Team Win. A total of $1900!
Rounding out the top 3, Chris Goodwin with 71.50. He takes home a total of $1030 which includes his Rock Outdoors Team Win.
Making the top 5, in 4th, Mr. Hammer Time AKA Austin Vang with 70 inches worth $725. Right behind him in 5th, Keng Vang with 68.50 for $630!
In 6th place, Nick Huddleston takes home $496, plus $300 for his Emerald School of Excellence and Academy Sports + Outdoors Big Bass award! His 20.50 inch earned him a total of $796!
In 7th, and making a huge comeback after a tough start, Joey Randall with 68.25 worth $440.
In 8th with 67.75 Tyler Smith goes home with $360.
In 9th with 67.75 Logan Talbert goes home with $305.
In 10th with 67.25 Tracy Stanford goes home with $240.
In 11th with 66.75 Chris Grant goes home with $200.
In 12th with 66.50 Jared Branch goes home with $170.
In 13th with 63.25 Yee Hang starts strong again with $150.
In 14th with 63, Co Commish Ryan Hulsey goes home with $125.
In the final cash spot Adam Fillmore with 62.50 takes home $100.
In the Tudor Home Services Bubble Boy spot, Larry Wood earns a free entry into Event 2 at Santee with 61.25.
Jeremiah Whitlow takes home the Sugar Creek Coffee Roasters Small bass pot for $230 with a 9.5 incher! TANK!!
Risen Son Custom Lures donated a free entry for the Santee Event and Trent Davis won it but is unable to use it. We re-ran it, Jeff Travis is our new winner. Congrats!!
We paid out a total of $9,451 yesterday!
We also put $858 into the TOC pot!
Thank you so much to all the anglers who call QC Home!! We are blessed to have a group of people around us as awesome as you. Thank you to all the sponsors who support us. The table was so packed again that EVERY ANGLER in the room, which was over 100, went home with a prize!! Thank you judges, captains, photographer’s, website creator, YT creator, IG creator, everyone who has a hand in this QC thing! I couldn’t do this without you all!
Lets keep this train rolling into Jurassic Park. We will be on Santee on March 26th with the Hobie BOS – Bass Open Series crew. We are lucky enough to have the opportunity to double dip with AJ Mcwhorter and them Hobie boys. I know about 80 of us got into the BOS event, and I anticipate many of them coming to the QC side. I am seeing 250 anglers for this one!!
Have a great weekend!!
