Now in the fifth season of the Bass Pro Tour, it's surprising to hear that Randy Howell has never fished a REDCREST. He's had some big moments on the top MLF tour but has fallen just short of the championship event a handful of times.
That's all going to change this year as the former Bassmaster Classic champion will compete in his first REDCREST. Now an Alabama resident, Howell is returning to his original home state of North Carolina to fish Lake Norman and try to add another big trophy to his mantle.
Thoughts on Fishing Lake Norman
It's been several years since Howell has been to Norman, so he spent some time before it went off-limits to visit the lake and formulate a plan.
"I went there before the season started and drove around in 40-degree weather and pouring rain," he said. "I just rode and rode and never made a cast. I hadn't been there in about ten years and wanted to see what the lake looks like and it's way different than I remember because there are so many more houses and docks now."
The tournament has Howell excited, specifically the chance at a big payday.
"It pays $300,000 for first, and I'm excited about fishing for that much money," he said. "Fishing REDCREST has been a goal and dream of mine and it feels good to accomplish that. I fell short being the first guy out once and had a bad year the COVID year and the year after that, so it's great to be able to fish one."
When Howell went to Lake Norman, the water was low and Howell is hoping for a rise in water levels and better weather.
"I'm hoping they get some rains to help bring the water up a little because it was pretty low," said Howell. "I'm also hoping for a nice warming trend when we get there. If we get some good weather, I could see a bunch of bags in the upper teens and think 17 or 18 pounds a day will win."
Largemouth or Spots?
Over the years, spotted bass have become more prevalent in Lake Norman and have grown to a size where they are a major factor in tournaments. In the past, they were mainly limit-fillers, but now big bags of them are possible and they can contend for the win. Despite this, Howell says he plans to target largemouth with some of his favorite techniques, like shallow cranking.
"When I went to check out the lake, I spent my time riding and looking for the water I'm going to focus on," he said. "I'm going to chase the stained water and focus on moving baits for largemouth. Changing from every fish count to a five fish limit is a big deal because it would be harder to keep up with largemouth if we were fishing in the old format."
As the spotted bass have gotten bigger, with many more in the 3 and 4-pound range, Howell still thinks his largemouth approach is best for his style. "The spots mix in with largemouth here and you can still catch some good ones up shallow," said Howell. "I'm sure someone will figure them out in deep water, but my best chances are a shallow bite and covering water."
Three Proven Techniques to Fish to a Championship
When Howell won the Bassmaster Classic on Lake Guntersville, he did it with a crankbait and that's his thinking this time.
"I'm hoping to be able to fish a crawfish-colored Livingston Howeller and cover water searching for those better fish," he said. "I fish it on my signature series Daiwa Tatula Elite 'Shallow Cranking' rod. It's a 7-foot medium-light and great for that size of crankbait. I fish it on a 7.1:1 Daiwa Tatula Elite reel with 12 to 14-pound Daiwa J-Fluoro."
Another option is a combo of a bladed jig and spinnerbait. "Depending on how shallow they are, those two baits can be really good," he said. "I fish it on my 7-foot, 4-inch medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite 'Big Topwater' rod," he said. "It was designed for topwaters but is great for those baits as well."
Another option Howell can see in play is a lipless crankbait when he's looking to cover water. "I throw that on my 7-foot, 2-inch medium-heavy Daiwa Tatula Elite 'Universal' rod," shared Howell. "It's got a nice parabolic bend, which you want for that bait. It's got punch, but soft enough to catch those fish hooked on trebles without ripping them out."
The upcoming REDCREST on Lake Norman will surely be great, with many different tactics in play. Anglers fishing the event can fish their strengths and catch fish as the lake has plenty of options to fish your strengths. For Alabama's Randy Howell, that means sticking shallow and covering water with moving baits.
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