Fishing should be great and entries should be up for the 4^th Carolina Monster Bass Winter Trail Tournament on Lake Norman Saturday, said tournament director Scott Hyder.

“The tournaments have been going good and entries are picking up,” Hyder said. “We should have 25 to 30 boats this Saturday.”

Fishing success has been picking up, too, he said.

“Fishing should be great this weekend. Two weeks ago it took 18 pounds to win and Shane Lehew had big fish at 7.06 pounds.”

Hyder said anglers have been catching bass both shallow and deep on Lake Norman.

“They are doing a lot of flipping under the docks,” he noted.

With participation and fishing success on the rise, Hyder said he is looking forward to next year on the Denver Marine Monster Bass Trail.

“We are going to upgrade the tournaments. We just want fishermen to come fish with us,” he said.

Anglers pay a $20 membership fee to participate in the Denver Marine Monster Bass series and teams pay a $75 entry fee per tournament, which includes $10 for Big Fish. However, the membership fee is waived if the angler bought or buys his boat from Denver Marine.

The tournament series has other bonus money for anglers who qualify. An angler who wins while fishing out of a Denver Marine Ranger Boat, no matter what year, will earn bonus money. Also, anglers fishing out of another make of boat that was bought from Denver marine also can earn some bonus money.

The Ranger Cup is available for anyone in a Ranger Boat 10 years old or newer that was bought from Denver Marine as long as there are 20 or more boats entered in a tournament. Monster Bass Bucks are available for Rangers up to 10 years old purchased from Denver marine – with a 20-boat minimum. The boats must have a Team Denver Marine windshield sticker and bass displayed for both bonus programs.

There is even a special lure program. An angler who wins with a Shane’s Finesse Rigg by local luremaker Shane Lehew will earn up to $100 in a regular season tournament and $250 in the year-end championship.

Even the less than lucky anglers have something to shoot for. The team with the lowest weight for a 5-fish limit will win $75 provided by Key Properties.

But, perhaps the biggest bonus is the chance to win an entry into the highly popular Jim Ledbetter Cancer Tournament on Lake Norman next March. The top 10 in points in the Monster Bass series will receive a free entry to the Ledbetter Tournament, plus all the boats will be entered in a drawing for an entry into the Ledbetter Tournament.

The winner of the Jim Ledbetter Cancer Tournament will take home a 2015 Ranger Boat, provided by Denver Marine, Ranger Boats and Evinrude.

The remaining schedule for the Carolina Monster Bass Winter Trail is Dec. 13, Jan. 3 and Jan. 10, with the Championship Jan. 24, all out of Midway Marina on Lake Norman.

 

Carolina Monster Bass Winter Trail

Sat, Nov 15, 2014

Lake Norman

Midway Marina

Call Scott Hyder, 704-483-9471 or 704-861-3163

http://denverrecreationalmarine.com/tournaments,schedule