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Targeting floating docks in Abbotts Creek with a combination of swim baits and swim jigs, Burghoff said that moving fast was key to his win. He said that he hit about 50 docks a day and didn’t spend any time waiting for the bass to bite; they either bit on a fast retrieve or didn’t bite at all.
“I was using three primary baits,” Burghoff said. “Secret Lures MVP Swim Jig in white and candy craw with a paddle style swimbait trailer, 5-inch YUM Money Minnow swimbait and the Berkley Split Belly swimbait both in natural shad.
“This was my first time on High Rock Lake,” continued Burghoff. “I was basically looking for docks that fit my pattern. There seemed to be a big population of bluegill and gizzard shad hiding out around the floating docks that were about 20 feet deep and the bass were suspending underneath the docks feeding on the bait fish.
Boater Miles Burghoff of Orlando, Fla., won the Walmart BFL North Carolina Division on High Rock Lake with 10 bass that weighed 36-9 and earned him $4,604
“I know this sounds cliché, but I really have to give thanks to Oakley for my polarized sunglasses. I had to set the hook so fast and without them I wouldn’t have been able to see the bass bite which enabled me to set the hook as soon as the fish bit.”
Rounding out the top 10 boaters were:
2nd Chris Baldwin, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 33-1, $2,302
3rd James Blankenship, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 31-10, $1,536
4th Jeff Jennings, Rock Hill, S.C., 10 bass, 31-1, $1,074
5th Fred Kauffman, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 28-12, $921
6th Brandon Williams, Fort Mill, S.C., 10 bass, 27-1, $844
7th David Wright, Lexington, N.C., 10 bass, 27-1, $767
8th Rob Digh, Denver, N.C., 10 bass, 26-9, $691 plus $1,000 Evinrude bonus
9th Todd Walters, Kernersville, N.C., 10 bass, 25-3, $614
10th Steve Sink, Winston-Salem, N.C., 10 bass, 24-1, $537
Complete results can be found at FLWOutdoors.com.