14th Annual McGill Associates Fishing Tournament Sets Attendance Record

The 14th Annual McGill Associates Fishing Tournament took place on Lake Rhodhiss Friday, May 15, 2015, as 26 boats loaded up with 52 anglers blasted off at 8 a.m. The field of 26 boats sets a record for participation in the 14-year history of the tournament.

Congratulations to Jeff Grindstaff with Ingles and Phil Fisher of McGill Associates, who followed their runner-up showing last year by grabbing first place honors this year. Jeff and Phil produced a five-fish limit that weighed in at 12 pounds (lbs.) 10 ounces (oz.). Their bag was anchored by two nice largemouth bass weighing 3 lbs. 12 oz. and 3 lbs. 10 oz. They also brought in a 6 lbs. 10 oz. striper that won the Big Non-Bass prize. Big Bass for the tournament weighed in at 4 lbs. 6 oz. by the second place team of Kelly Homesly and Chris Elliott (both representing Cleveland County Water), who had a total weight of 11 lbs. 2 oz. with five fish. Their big bass just clipped a 4 lbs. 4 oz. largemouth brought in by the City of Lenoir’s Lowell Graves and his son, Clay.

Rounding out the top five teams were Christian Bridges (N.C. State University) and Danny Bridges (McGill Associates) at 8 lbs. 12 oz.; Zane Allison and Chuck Melton (both representing North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission) at 8 lbs. 6 oz.; and Doug Saunders and Gwynn Icenhour at 7 lbs. 10 oz.

Twenty-three of the 26 boats brought at least one fish to the scales. Eight teams weighed a five-fish limit and eleven other teams weighed at least three fish. In all, 81 bass were brought to the scales for what turned out to be a challenging post spawn bite. Cash prizes totaling $1,560 were awarded at dinner, hosted by the City of Lenoir.

Tournament day started out at a comfortable 57 degrees with cloud cover most of the morning before sunny skies opened up in the afternoon with temperatures topping out near 78 degrees. Lake Rhodhiss proved once again that it holds some nice largemouth bass, but it didn’t want to give them up easily this time of year. As always, it was a great way to spend a day with family, friends, and coworkers while enjoying a favorite pastime. As an old fisherman once said, “A day spent fishing is often served with a cool bottle of water and a very large slice of humble pie.” And remember, whether you catch a 4-pounder or a half-pounder, fishing can give perspective to the sometimes hectic world we live in. We thank all of you who participated.

McGill Associates would like to thank our partners and sponsors, which included the City of Lenoir for providing their facilities for the weigh-in and dinner, and Fortiline Waterworks for providing the great barbeque that was catered by Hog Wild Bar-B-Que.

Tournament Morning Launch

The Winners: Phil Fisher and Jeff Grindstaff

Group Photo after the Awards Dinner

The Final Standings