ALBEMARLE, N.C. — Junior Bassmasters from the same club won both age divisions of the North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Youth Championship in October 2010 at Lake Tillery.
South Fork Bassmasters member Cody Stegall topped the 15- to 18-year-old age group by catching a five-fish limit weighing 10.08 pounds. Fellow club member Chris Carnes claimed first in the 11- to 14-year-old class with two bass weighing 5.63 pounds.
The 30 competitors endured a 1 1/2-hour fog delay and then encountered tough fishing conditions when they finally launched. Stegall caught the only limit of the tournament. In the younger division, third place was not awarded because only two of the juniors in that age group weighed in fish.
The juniors were treated to a deluxe drive-through weigh-in at the end of the day. “The people at God’s Country Outdoors Outfitters provided a flat bed truck for a weigh-in stage and a PA system,” said Bob Bauer, North Carolina B.A.S.S. Federation Nation youth director. “It was definitely the nicest [championship] we have ever done.”
By winning the championship, Stegall and Carnes qualified for the B.A.S.S. Federation Nation Junior Bassmaster Southern Divisional presented by Yamaha and Skeeter at Kentucky’s Barren River Lake. Stegall will be fishing a Bassmaster Weekend Series event at the same time on Kerr Reservoir, so he will be replaced by Joshua Farley, who took second at the state championship in the 15-18 division with four bass totaling 7.57 pounds.