A previous REDCREST champion , Edwin Evers has the experience needed to rack up another win . |
After three Bass Pro Tour wins in 2022 , red-hot Dustin Connell is ready to add a second REDCREST trophy to his collection . |
PHOTO BY PHOENIX MOORE
PHOTO BY JOSH GASSMANN
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The forward-facing sonar angle is something that Montgomery is interested to see play out , as it has yet to be a factor in many prior large events on Norman .
“ This will be the first national cold-water event where the technology was around ,” Montgomery observed . “ We ’ ve seen [ forward-facing sonar ] expose fish that people never knew existed in other fisheries , and that same thing could happen at Lake Norman , too . Guys have been catching big ones in local events , targeting those big spots that suspend out deep and swim around chasing bait , which could be a way to win REDCREST .”
Another possible way to win is fishing Norman ’ s myriad docks . The abundance of them is part of why Montgomery and Thrift are regarded as two of the best in the world at picking apart docks and skipping their jigs as far underneath them as humanly possible . Docks have always been part of the recipe to win on Norman , but that recipe has seen some new ingredients in recent years .
“ norman can be fickle when it ’ s calm and the sun is shining .” “ Fishing docks used to be the only deal , but not anymore ,” Montgomery said . “ The lake has changed , and there are many more ways to catch them .”
Two other things to consider , according to Thrift , are the water clarity and weather . Although Lake Norman is generally a clear lake , dirty water may be a key to locating better-than-average fish .
“ The lake is a typical highland reservoir with a clear main lake and dirtier water in the river and feeder creeks , but [ March ] is when we get most of the runoff from rains , and those dirtier areas can be really good early in the year ,” Thrift said .
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