Doug Young, a veteran High Rock Lake bass fisherman who lives on the other side of the river in Salisbury, topped a field of
59 boaters to win the May 16 Bassmaster Weekend Series event presented by American Bass Anglers. Young caught a five-fish tournament limit from High Rock Lake that weighed 19.01 pounds, thanks to a 7.18-pound “kicker” bass, the big fish of the day. He received $5,000 for first place and $295 for big fish. Ricky Roten of Millers Creek, who’s better known for fishing the cool, clear waters of W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, adjusted to the murky water conditions at High Rock with a five-fish limit totaling 17.26 pounds. The Hot Shot Lures representative also had the second-biggest bass of the day with a 6.96-pound fish. Roten collected $1,324. Lexington’s Chris Brown ranked third with a five-fish tournament limit weighing 16.38 pounds and received $883. Other Tar Heels in the money were Mike Miller of Trinity, fourth, with 15.84 pounds for $618 Mark Lamb of Wake Forest, fifth, with 15.40 pounds for $530 Wayne Hauser of Mooresville, sixth, with 15.22 pounds for $486 Eric Rothrock of High Point, seventh, with 15.16 pounds for $441 Rusty Bowers of Albemarle, eighth, with 14.81 pounds for $397 Jamie Denison of Winston-Salem, ninth, with 15.14 pounds for $353 and Robert Morrison Sr. of Winston-Salem, 11th, with 14.10 pounds for $256. The 59 boaters weighed in 189 bass that averaged 2.57 pounds per fish and had an accumulated weight of 486.53 pounds. Biscoe’s Junior Allen ranked first among the co-anglers with 10.05 pounds and earned $1,279. Ralph Hollifield Sr. of Winston-Salem placed second with 9.61 pounds and had the co-angler big fish of the day with a 5.73-pound bass. He banked $783.
Other co-angler scores were John Russell of Charlotte, third, with 8.84 pounds for $426 Daniel Hallman of Salisbury, fourth, with 8.80 pounds for $298 Jack Scott of Salisbury, fifth, with 8.59 pounds for $256 Ricky McCrary of Lexington, sixth, with 8.18 pounds for $235 Darrell Cartrette of Lexington, ninth, with 7.27 pounds for $171 Ed Douthit of Mooresville, 10th, with 7.18 pounds for $128 and Chris Fabrizio of Kernersville, 11th, with 6.97 pounds for $124.