“These are the last two tournaments and we figure if we do pretty good in these we could get up to the top three in points,” said Wright. The team is currently 6^th in the North Carolina Division standings. Wright, of Lexington, N.C., and Coble of Manson, N.C., finished 19^th at Falls March 23, 9^th at Kerr April 6 and 17^th at High Rock May 24 in the North Carolina Division. In the Virginia Division they finished 6th at Kerr April 5 and 69^th at Smith Mountain Lake May 10.

“They will let one team go for every 50 boats to an end of the year tournament to qualify for the Classic. We figure they will have three or four spots, so that’s why we are fishing the Anglers Choice tournaments, that and the fact they give away a boat at the end of the year,” he said.

The problem Wright and Coble, who have fished in three Bassmaster Classics, might have – along with all the other teams fishing this weekend – is a lack of quality bites.

“Fishing up there has not been too good,” Wright said. “I saw that 13 pounds, 9 ounces won the BFL tournament there last week and that does not speak too well for what might be happening in the lake. I think there are a lot of 1- and 2-pounders biting.”

Their goal, he said, is to try to catch 11 to 12 pounds both days of the double-header.

“We can’t win with that, but it would give us a decent chance,” Wright said.

Kerr has seen a rebound in numbers of bass in recent years, Wright said, but sometimes that does not translate into bigger bags at tournament weigh-ins.

“During the week the fish are shallow and you can really catch them, then on Saturday with all those boats running around those fish get lockjaw.”

Their strategy, he said will be to fish shallow very early and move a little deeper as the sun gets up.

Beginning last year the Anglers Choice Team series was split into two divisions, one for Virginia and one for North Carolina, with four qualifiers in each division.

“The other aspect of out trail this year is that we are going to have two separate Classics, with a Ranger Boat for the winners on the Virginia side and a Triton for the winners on the North Carolina side. So, with the opportunity to fish both Classics, guys have two chances to win a boat,” said tournament director Chris Lucas.

The Virginia Division Classic will be held Oct. 4-5 on Smith Mountain Lake and the North Carolina Division Classic will be held Oct. 25-26 on High Rock Lake, which is in Wright’s backyard.

 

Angler’s Choice Marine – VA Division

Sat, Jun 7, 2014

Angler’s Choice Marine – NC Division

Sun, Jun 8, 2014

Kerr/Buggs Island Lake

Occoneechee State Park Ramp #1

Call Chris Lucas 276-358-0844

www.anglerschoicemarine.com