With more than 110 teams already signed by the first of the week, Brett Collins is looking for an outstanding first tournament of the year for the South Carolina Division of the Carolinas Bass Challenge Saturday on Lake Murray.

“We should have between 175 and 200 boats,” said Collins, founder and tournament director for the CBC, which operates a full tournament schedule in South Carolina and North Carolina, with outstanding payback and rewards.

First place in every CBC tournament is guaranteed a minimum of $8,000, more depending on the number of entries, Collins said. The big fish winner in each tournament earns a check for $1,000 and there is a $5,000 Skeeter Bonus for each tournament for registered owners of Skeeter Boats.

“The Skeeter Bonus is split three ways, $2,500 for the highest finishing Skeeter, $1,500 for the second highest finishing Skeeter and $1,000 for the third highest finishing Skeeter,” Collins said.

Skeeter Boats, Yamaha Outboards, Foothills Marine Center in Morganton, N.C., Marshall’s Marine Center in Lake City, S.C., and Palmetto Marine Center in Greenville, S.C., teamed up to support the 2015 Carolinas Bass Challenge.

The top teams of the 2015 South Carolina and North Carolina State Championships will both win a Skeeter TZX190/150 with a Yamaha 150. A ZX200/200 Yamaha SHO will be awarded to the winning team in the 2014 CBC Classic.

The big payouts in both the state qualifying tournaments, the state championships and the CBC Classic are drawing a lot of attention from anglers all over, Collins said.

“We have a lot of teams signed up from Georgia and others from West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and even Ohio,” he said.

The South Carolina schedule includes: Feb. 7, Lake Murray, Dreher Island State Park; March 7, Lake Wateree, Clearwater Cove Marina; April 11, Santee Cooper, John C Land Landing; May 30, Lake Hartwell, Portmans Marina; June 13, Clarks Hill Lake (Double Points), Wildwood Park; Sept. 19, 2015 SC Championship, Santee Cooper, John C Land Landing; Oct. 23-24, 2015 CBC Classic, Clarks Hill Lake, Wildwood Park.

As for the opening tournament on Lake Murray Saturday, Collins said the fishing should be very good.

“Fishing has been great for some,” he noted. “The last couple of weeks there have been tournaments won with 25 pounds, so I expect we will have several bags over 20 pounds this weekend.”

Collins said the water level is stable, which is a must for Lake Murray, and the weather is expected to be very good for the tournament.

“The fish seem to be in the 8- to 12-foot range and crankbaits and jigs have been working very well,” he said.

 

Carolinas Bass Challenge – South Carolina Division

Sat, Feb 7, 2015

Lake Murray

Dreher Island State Park

Call Brett Collins 803-413-7521

www.carolinasbasschallenge.com