With temperatures in the high 20s nearly 80 boats took to the water on Wheeler Lake for the second annual Winter Blues on Wheeler catfish tournament. In what looks like a holiday tradition in the making the whole affair kicked off in Rogersville, AL on January 1 with registration and a fine southern style News Year’s dinner.
A long line of catfish anglers queued up to register for the January 2 event. There had been about 44 preregistered boats, but when the tally was in 78 participating boats, with up to three anglers each, had registered to fish. With this great showing this year tournament director Daniel Parsons predicted 100 plus boats next year.
Once the registration was complete families, friends and anglers were treated to dinner. The only cost was a voluntary donation to Rogersville First Baptist Church, the site of the registration.
The men and women of the church served up a sumptuous meal that included black-eyed peas, greens and all the fixins to get everyone off to a great start in 2016. Black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day are a southern tradition said to bring wealth and good luck for the rest of the year. If that luck takes hold quickly the catfish in Wheeler and Wilson Lake are in big trouble, because there was a lot of luck being dished out.
The water in the lake is high and muddy because of all the recent rains. The gates are open at Wheeler Dam, which will create a good deal of current in the lake. Most catfish anglers like current, so that’s a good thing. Continue reading – http://www.examiner.com/article/frosty-temperatures-greet-catfish-anglers-at-winter-blues-tournament