Andy Montgomery might live in South Carolina, but North Carolina's Lake Norman is one of his home lakes. He's from a border town near the state line and around an hour from the site of this year's REDCREST. It's where he grew up fishing, so he's a popular pick as the favorite to win the event.
While he has plenty of history on the lake, it's changed over the years and he doesn't get to fish it near as often as he likes as he's typically busy traveling to events on the Bass Pro Tour. Still, he's excited to have an event of this magnitude so close to home.
"I haven't fished it much in the last ten or so years since I started as a pro," he said. "If I did have time to fish there, it was typically during the offseason in the fall. I'm interested in how these other guys attack it, but the fishing should be pretty good."
Lake Norman over the years
When Montgomery was starting his journey towards life as a professional angler, he spent time competing on Norman and nearby Lake Wylie. These two lakes are known for dock fishing and that's how Montgomery typically fished and it's why he's considered one of the best in the world at skipping docks.
"Fifteen years ago, skipping docks was the only way to win events here," he said. "There are tons of docks and they'll still be a factor, but the lake has changed. The water is clearer now, and spotted bass have become the dominant species. There are many more ways to win here now than there used to be."
Montgomery predicts that forward-facing sonar will be a player with the changing ecosystem on the lake over the past decade. He also thinks the whole lake will come into play.
"It can be won from one end to the other, either the clear water at the lower end or, the dirtier water in the northern section," he shares. "We might see the winner do a little bit of both. I'm also interested to see how the forward-facing sonar guys attack the lake and can see that being the winning approach."
Techniques in Play for REDCREST
Montgomery stuck with some spring staples when asked what the fish would be doing and what lures should be in play.
"It looks like it's going to be a full-blown prespawn event," he said. "It's been a little warmer than usual lately, but still right on par with normal and setting up for a typical prespawn bite and it's a little early for them to start spawning. Guys should be able to fish however they want to and you'll see all kinds of lures working."
Among his picks are a jig, jerkbait, and single swimbait fished on a jighead. His jig-skipping prowess has led to several technique-specific products, including a Lew's Signature Series and the Strike King Tour Grade Skipping Jig. It's what he's known for and something he's always asked about.
"The key with the jig is that it has the right hook and head to skip perfectly," he said. "That jig was designed to get way back under there and have the right hook so you can get them back out."
His signature rod is a 7'1" heavy model built precisely to his specifications and he adds a Team Lew's Pro SP Skipping and Pitching reel with a shallow spool for better skipping efficiency. He then spools it up with 20-pound Strike King Contra fluorocarbon.
"Back when I was fishing Norman a lot, I never used less than 20-pound," he said. "With the clearer water now, I'll downsize if necessary."
Two other possibilities for Montgomery are a Strike King Rage Swimmer and a Strike King KVD Jerkbait in the 300 size.
"The 300 size is a great all-around size that I use everywhere," he said. "They have some great colors, but my favorite is crystal shad. I'll have one of those rigged up every day and know that a jerkbait will come into play. With forward-facing sonar now, when's the last time a jerkbait wasn't a factor in a big tournament?"
His final option is something he wouldn't have considered in years past, but the increased spotted bass population and cleaner water have him opting for a swimbait as a possible tournament bait for him.
"I like the 3.25-inch for spotted bass lakes and will have one ready at Norman," he said. "I like to fish it on a ¼-ounce Strike King Baby Squadron jighead."
When REDCREST begins, many eyes will be on Andy Montgomery as he's fished the lake many times and the abundance of docks fits right into his wheelhouse. Expect good results if he can figure out how to catch winning stringers on the lake that prepared him to become a professional bass angler.
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