2018 Tournament of Champions
Hello anglers!! We are happy to announce the location of the 2018 CKA Tournament of Champions. This 2 Day, No Entry Fee event will be held on beautiful Falls Lake in Wake County, NC. We will have our trophy presentations for AOY and ROY on Saturday at the post event check in, and the TOC trophy will be unveiled Sunday.
This will be an incredible time of year to be on this lake. The fall bite will be on and we picked Falls knowing that we can possibly see a record breaking 3 fish limit from this lake at this time of year. As some Lake of you may recall, Falls Lake was rated in 2016 as the 8th best bass fishery in the Southeast by B.A.S.S. We fished it in June of 2016 as a CKA event, and fished it again in early spring of 2017 as a combined CKA/KBF Trail event, but this is our first autumn visit to this fishery and only our 3rd visit ever to the lake.
The lake has plenty of room for our exclusive field: Falls Lake is a 12,410 acre reservoir located in Raleigh/Durham North Carolina. Falls Lake extends 28 miles up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno and Flat rivers. The defined river channels and creek beds will probably allow anglers to discover bass chasing shad, and the grass beds, ledges and structure will hold fish that are still in summer patterns.
Remember: 1st Place for this event is guaranteed $1,000!
Accommodations
Camping accommodations have been secured Saturday evening for the Top 10 fishing Sunday. These sites are located at Holly Point Campground. Anglers who make the Sunday cut are not required to stay at the campground but the option is there and will be a good time hanging out with other anglers and the TD’s. Also, we encourage anyone that is either not qualified for the TOC or does not qualify for Day 2 to secure a site and come hang out with us.
Format
- The full field of invitees will fish Day 1. Following Day 1, the Top 10 Anglers will advance to fish Day 2. First invitees will be announced immediately after the Gate City Classic. Spots will roll down.
- Big Bass will be Saturday only and will be optionally paid by anglers. Big bass will be $20 (if all anglers buy in, this will be a $500 plus pot). Day 2 anglers may create their own side pot if wanted.
- We will not be using TourneyX for this event. TD’s will review photos after Day one onsite and announce the Day 2 competitors as soon as we wrap up Day 1 activities.
- This will be a multi launch event for both days of competition. Eligible ramps and other info are at the bottom of the post.
Saturday October 13. Lines in at 7:00am. Lines out at 2:00pm. Check in at Harris Teeter satellite lot by 3:00pm. Check in after 3:00pm results in disqualification of days catch.
Sunday October 14. Lines in at 7:00am. Lines out at 1:00pm. Check in at Harris Teeter satellite lot by 2:00pm or disqualified (Harris Teeter: 1432 Brogden Woods Dr, Wake Forest, NC 27587).
Ramps and Rules
Please be sure to obtain a valid N.C. license, and follow parking regulations at the launches, as this popular lake is closely monitored by NC Wildlife officers. To learn lake rules and find other information, visit the Falls Lake State Recreation Area site at: http://www.ncparks.gov/falls-lake-state-recreation-area
Beaverdam Lake Area is OFF LIMITS. Although it is within the Falls Lake State Recreation area it is separated from Falls Lake by a dam and is not accessible by paddling from other areas of Falls Lake; this technically has it closed off as its own body of water. Any angler who submits fishes caught at Beaver Dam will be disqualified.
The listed access areas (below) will be the only eligible locations to launch for the events on Falls Lake. Many of the Falls Lake launches are very large with ample parking, boat lanes and docks to tie off vessels after they are launched. Keep in mind that some launches may also be busy with boat tournaments, so respect fellow boaters and be careful at the marinas.
Of the 7 available launches, four are 24 hour ramps and two other ramps open at 8 a.m. (Rolling View Marina website, which has a launch fee, currently lists opening at 9 am). Please keep in mind that CKA cannot control access to the ramps, and if a gate is closed or it opens late, there is nothing we can do to change that fact.
Eno River Boat Access (24 Hour Access)
40 Rodolphe Rd.
Durham, NC 27712
Hickory Hill (24 Hour Access)
4600 redwood Rd.
Durham, NC 27704
Ledge Rock (24 Hour Access)
24 hour access
2601 Olive Grove Church Rd.
Creedmor, NC 27522
Upper Barton (24 Hour Access)
12900 Six Forks Rd,
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Rolling View Area (Gates open 8 am)
4201 Baptist Route
Durham, NC 27703
Rolling View Marina ($3.00 launch fee)
3940 Falls Lake Rd,
Durham, NC 27703
Highway 50 Access (8 am)
13900 Creedmoor Road
Wake Forest, NC 27587
First invitees will be announced immediately after the Gate City Classic. Spots will roll down.
How many spots are going to be invited?
William, That depends on who wins the classic, and how many event winners are in the qualifying field. A winner of an individual event qualifies, so if they are in the top 15, that spot rolls down. If someone cant attend, that spot rolls down. So we won;t know until after the classic. It could be 1 roll down, it could be several.
So at least 15?
Yes, that’s right.