Shoreline

The battle continues for

‘King of the Lake’

With one trail event left before the Oct. 20 championship, local anglers have their eye on the prize

Typically, fish caught in That’s not ideal for fishermen who are looking for hungry fish to catch. It’s also not ideal for a summer tournament will a fishing tournament that awards points based weigh about 20 pounds. But because the fish haven’t been on the weight of fish that are caught.

By Allison Cooke Oliverius

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“King of the Lake” will soon be crowned, walking away with $5,000, a plaque and of course bragging rights to being the best angler on Lake Wylie. But first there is one more event in the series Oct. 6, which will determine the five anglers who will compete for the big prize Oct. 20. The bass tournament series was created by Mike Stone with assistance from title sponsor Lake Wylie Bait and Tackle. It pits pros and weekend anglers against one another in a one-man-per-boat tournament series. The anglers will ultimately fish in all seasons and all times of the day. “I’ve fished the lake for 20-something years and I’ve always had people ask, ‘Who’s the best fisherman all year?’” Stone said at the beginning of the tournament. “There was really no way to tell because it depends on the season. Some do well in winter, some do well in summer. So I thought it would be good to create a tournament trail to actually see with point standings who does the best all year long, and at the end of the year crown the King of the Lake.”

Night fishing

The fifth trail in the series was held July 14 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. About 15 anglers turned up for that event. One might ask how the fishermen stay awake during that time, but Stone said that’s not really an issue. Adrenaline and staying on the move looking for fish keeps you wide awake, he said. Conditions have not been ideal for summer fishing, Stone added. Don’t get him wrong, the fishing is still fun. However, high temperatures early in the season combined with a lot of rain have caused the bass to suspend. This means the fish have decided they’re not hungry and rather than swim around looking for bait in creeks and coves, they’re holding steady at a middle depth to conserve energy.

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