September 8th, 2012
Twenty-four teams tested the waters on Buckhorn reservoir near Wilson, NC during the Five County Bassmasters’ open tournament event. A dense fog greeted the anglers during the morning check in and slightly delayed the start of the tournament for safety concerns. Nonetheless, boats began to depart shortly before 7:00 am in search some of Buckhorn’s lunker catches. Known for it’s ability to produce giant bass, the 850 acre lake was a bit stingy for most anglers on this day, yet one participant was able to figure out the perfect ingredients for one amazing day’s catch.
Rip Bass of Spring Hope, NC blew the rest of the field away with a stunning first place catch of 29.87 lbs including an 8.51 lb brute that earned him lunker honors as well. Bass targeted channel swings with sharp drops while employing a combination of deep diving crankbaits and 10 inch Texas-rigged worms. “All of my bites came relatively early. My three largest were in the boat by 8:30 am and I put my fifth keeper in the livewell around 10:00 am. After that I never caught another fish the rest of the day” said that of Bass.
Following with a distant second place finish was Jeff Narron of Sims, NC with only two fish weighing 10.44 lbs, anchored by a 7.57 lb kicker. Narron, too, used a combination of deep diving crankbaits and large 10 inch worms to entice what few keeper bites he had. “I really expected most everyone to really catch them today. It looked as if the weather conditions were going to play in everyone’s favor, but the fish sure proved me wrong. Like Rip, I had only five bites today, yet those three 15 inch fish were no help to me.” (Note: The minimum size for largemouth on Buckhorn reservoir is 16” in length.)
Rounding out the top five finishing positions included the third place team of James Horne and James Hinton with 10.24 lbs, the fourth place team of Phil Bissette and Frank Edwards with 9.33 lbs and the fifth place team of Scottie and Crystal Braswell with 4.38 lbs.
All in attendance were provided refreshments during the weigh-in by club sponsor Outdoor Accessories Unlimited of Kenly, NC.
The Five County Bassmasters would like to thank everyone for their participation and look forward to seeing you at future events.
