Mooresville, NC – Michael D. Stephens achieved back-to-back victories in the 2024 American Bass Anglers Professional League, presented by Caymas Boats, North Carolina Division. The event took place on Lake Norman on March 16, 2024.
Launching from Pinnacle Wildlife Access in Mooresville, NC, the angler from Gastonia, North Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 18.03 pounds, clinching his second victory of the season. Stephens’s haul was highlighted by a bass that weighed 4.44 pounds, earning him $3,800.00 for the win.
“I started off fishing shallow waters this morning, using crankbaits, chatterbaits, and a buzzbait. However, I wasn’t catching the size of fish I was aiming for. As the sun rose and the temperature increased, I ventured into deeper waters than I usually prefer at this time of year,” said Stephens. He added, “I accidentally found some staging and post-spawn fish off of points in depths of 15-20 feet. I caught these fish on small swimbaits and a dropshot.”
Jake A. Monti from Mooresville, NC, secured second place with a five-bass limit weighing 17.49 lbs, including a bass that weighed 5.02 lbs. Monti earned $2,000.00 for his efforts.
“Today, I was fishing in the mid-lake area. I caught schooling fish early on but later in the day, I culled out everything while fishing around docks,” Monti explained.
Danny Eaker Jr. from Cherryville, NC, took third place with a five-bass limit weighing 17.33 lbs. His catch included a bass weighing 5.42 lbs, which was the heaviest fish of the tournament, netting him $1,940.00.
“I started by catching a small limit early in the lake using a spinnerbait. Later, I moved down the lake and replaced all my catches with fish caught on a swimbait and a jig. My largest fish was caught on the jig,” said Eaker.
Tyler Dover from Blacksburg, SC, finished in fourth place with a five-bass limit of 15.73 lbs, earning $1,100.00. Roger Pope from Statesville, NC, completed the top five with five bass totaling 15.08 lbs, earning $900.00.
The next Professional League event scheduled for the North Carolina division is April 13th on High Rock Lake out of the Southmont facility. (link to register)
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About American Bass Anglers
American Bass Anglers, committed to providing low-cost, close-to-home tournaments, offers an exciting platform for individual angler progression. With the support of industry-leading companies, ABA continues to advance the sport of bass fishing.
For more information about the ABA Professional League and other series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
American Bass Anglers is proud to be sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, RT Outdoors, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is dedicated to organizing affordable, local tournaments for weekend anglers while offering opportunities for individual angler advancement. To learn more about American Bass Anglers, including the Team Series, American Fishing Tour, American Couples Series, annual Military Team Bass Tournament, ABA Team Series, Top 150 Solo Tour, and Pro League, all presented by Caymas Boats, please visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406.
