Competitors put in their boats this morning before dawn at Queenâs Landing in Mooresville for the Toyota Trucks Bonus Bucks Owners Tournament. It was a cool 55 degrees with a light wind.
The launch area was lit up with the 75 boats ready for take-off.
Anglers discussed their plans for the day. Many have very little experience on Lake Norman, and others are locals who fish it frequently.
Competitors stand for the singing of the national anthem.
Neither Scott Dupree nor Reggie Norflett has fished Norman before. âIt doesnât matter, though,â said Norflett with a smile. âWeâre just that good.â
Carson Orellana and Carey Matheson head out for the day. Orellana, 17, just won the co-angler division of the 2012 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open on Alabamaâs Smith Lake, Oct. 6.
The final flight took off at 8 a.m.
Trucks line up in the parking lot after dropping off their boats.
Gerald Swindle backs his boat into the water for a day of fun fishing. Heâs not competing in the tournament; instead, heâs among the pros taking VIPs and media out for the day.
Kevin VanDam chats with truck racing champion Timothy Peters before they go fishing on Norman. Peters caught a bass while VanDam coached him on casting.
Phil Mansfield and Benjamin Abele had two in the box before 9:30. They caught both on a Trick Worm.
Michael Iaconelli takes reporter Mark Slutsky, left, and Toyota representative Alan McGuckin to a good fishing spot near a bridge and works a rocky bank.
Marty Robinson fishes with Eric Winter, manager of the Bass Pro Shops in Charlotte.
Christopher Graham of South Carolina and Jason Reid of Mississippi look for bass around docks.
Tony Glassco and Rondell Chambers, both of Virginia, had a single largemouth in the livewell by 10 a.m.
âTerribleâ is how Scott Kennedy and Woody Hughes Jr. of North Carolina described the fishing at 10:30 a.m. They had caught a few, but all were under the 14-inch minimum.
Scott Hamrick and Brent Long check in after a long day on the water. The pair finished in 19th place with 8 pounds, 7 ounces.
Scott Dupree and Reggie Norflett had two keepers early on, but Dupree lamented they had missed a few fish too.
Shane Lineberger holds up a 4-pound, 2-ounce bass that tied for Bass Pro Shops Big Bass honors.
Andrew Young of North Carolina caught this 3-pounder today with his partner, Dwayne Linkous.
Hank Cherry and his partner, Shane Lineberger, came in third place with 10 pounds, 10 ounces.
Todd Auten holds up his teamâs two biggest fish. He and his partner, Pat Tierney, won the event with 13 pounds, 1 ounce.
Rodney Adams and his partner, Ray Gilleland, caught 8 pounds, 15 ounces, and ended the day in 13th place.
Todd Massey, left, and Lee Williams, both of North Carolina, caught 10-7 for a fourth-place finish.
Todd Auten, former Bassmaster Elite Series pro, and Pat Tierney, a construction company owner, won the Toyota Owners event and a $5,000 check. Auten fishes Lake Norman about eight times per year, and Tierney fishes it nearly every weekend.
Pulled pork, beef brisket and baked beans were on the menu after the weigh-in.
Once the weigh-in was over, emcee Dave Mercer and tournament manager Chris Bowes announced winners of door prizes, which included a trip to Mexicoâs El Salto as well as gift cards and fishing tackle.
Carson Orellana, center, came in today with 4 pounds, 1 ounce, but heâs still smiling about his co-angler win last week on Alabamaâs Smith Lake. The 17-year-old angler was supported today by his father, Rick Orellana, left, and his mentor, Jason Shapiro, right. Shapiro works on a NASCAR pit crew.