Tag Archive for: #kerrlake

Fishing University to Re-Air Vance Co. Episode April 8-14!

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-Information courtesy Vance County Tourism Authority

It’s time for the Fishing University episode featuring Vance County to air again, April 8 – 14, 2019!

Fishing University, an internationally televised, Emmy award-winning television show, filmed an episode in Vance County this past fall featuring Kerr Lake as well as local restaurants, activities and attractions.

Featuring hosts/fishing legends Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier, the show has a viewership of more than 63 million households, airing in all 50 states as well as in 51 additional countries.

The Vance County Tourism Development Authority served as point-of-contact for the project, viewing it as a strategic marketing opportunity to reach a target audience of potential guests seeking an outdoor travel destination.

Network codes: ODC= Outdoor Channel; SPM= Sportsman Channel; WFN=World Fishing Network

Monday, April 8

9 a.m. – ODC
10:30 a.m. – SPM

Wednesday, April 10

3 a.m. – WFN
6 a.m. – ODC
9 p.m. – WFN

Friday, April 12

4 p.m. – WFN

Saturday, April 13

8 a.m. – ODC
11 a.m. – SPM

Sunday, April 14

4:30 a.m. – SPM
10 a.m. – WFN

Kerr Lake Set for T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Opener

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-Press Release, Fishing League Worldwide

WHAT:

The FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament season will continue Saturday, April 6, with the T-H Marine FLW BFL Shenandoah Division tournament on Kerr Lake. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day tournament.

WHEN:

Saturday, April 6, 2019

Takeoff: 7 a.m. EDT. Weigh-In: 3 p.m.

Nutbush North

115 Jack Wade Farm Rd

Henderson, N.C.

Hosted by the Vance County Tourism Development Authority

Kerr Lake is set to host a great day of bass fishing for Shenandoah Division competitors. According to recent local fishing reports, quality bass are being taken on crankbaits on main-lake points. The area of the lake between Clarksville and Eastland Creek is said to be fishing strong. If your boat needs repairs, then you have to get it to a repair shop (you can check it out).

In past BFL events held on Kerr Lake this time of year, spinnerbaits on main-lake points near Nutbush Creek, flipping bushes for spawning bass and running bushes with a crankbait has produced winning bites. Working a Carolina-rig for bass on deeper points could be a good choice as well. A five-bass limit nearing 19 pounds should be enough to take the grand prize at this early-April BFL derby.

The 2019 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American.

The 2019 BFL All-American will be held May 30  – June 1 at the Potomac River in Marbury, Maryland, and is hosted by the Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism and the Commissioners of Charles County. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For complete details and updated information, visit FLWFishing.com. For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League on FLW’s social media outlets at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Walt Bowen Talks Fishing on Kerr Lake

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Walt Bowen, a name often associated with Kerr Lake fishing, was on Tuesday’s edition of WIZS’ Town Talk program to discuss the lake’s vast potential and to provide a fishing “tall tale” or two.

Bowen, a Henderson native and retired IT executive for Sara Lee and Hanes, said he and his son started fishing on Kerr Lake approximately 25 years ago and have been hooked ever since. “It’s a competition that’s almost like an addiction,” said Bowen.

Participating in numerous fishing and angling tournaments over the years, Bowen almost reached the professional level in 2018. “I’m not quite at the professional level yet, but I’ve gotten very close,” Bowen said.

When not on the lake fishing, Bowen enjoys writing about fishing. As the author of “On the Water,” a weekly fishing column that runs in the Sports section of The Daily Dispatch on Sundays, Bowen is able to share his experiences and suggestions.

“I’ve been writing that column for 13 years now and I’ve really enjoyed it,” Bowen said. “I was reading the paper one day and I thought ‘they don’t have a fishing report.’ I contacted the sports editor about starting a fishing column, and that’s how it got started. That column has helped me develop many new relationships.”

Bowen has also written several magazine articles for the North Carolina Sportsman.

In addition to the enjoyment of fishing on Kerr Lake, Bowen said he sees the financial potential of the area. “Angling and tournament fishing are financial generators. A lake like Kerr Lake that has nice, open and plentiful parking and boat ramps like you find at Nutbush should attract people.”

Bowen said the return of bigger fishing tournaments like the ones held in the 1970s would be a huge boost to the local economy. This sentiment was shared in WIZS’ recent interview with the Vance County Tourism Development Authority who stated attracting larger tournaments was a high priority.

“We need to get the word out that this is a world-class fishery, which it is, so we can draw folks here. The recent Fishing University show helped to get the word out, but we need to continue to spread that message,” said Bowen.

As far as good fishing stories, Bowen chuckled and said he has plenty of those. One of the best ones he has heard about Kerr Lake involves a high school teacher and football coach catching a “world-record 143-lb. blue catfish” in the lake in 2011.

“You always hear the stories of catfish as big as men; turns out they’re true,” laughed Bowen.

To hear the Town Talk interview with Walt Bowen in its entirety, click here.

TV Show Featuring Vance County to Debut This Week!

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-Press Release, Fishing University 

The Internationally televised, Emmy-nominated television show, Fishing University, that filmed here in the early Fall, will air the episode featuring Kerr Lake and Vance County this week. The show features not only the lake but local dining, activities and attractions.

Fishing University holds a viewership of more than 63 million households, airing in all 50 states as well as in 51 additional countries. The Vance County Tourism Department played host to the crew taking them to sites that had the potential to draw in visitors to enjoy what we have to offer here in Vance County. When the offer to film the show came, the Tourism Department viewed it as a strategic marketing opportunity to reach a target audience of potential guests seeking an outdoor travel destination.

Within each 30-minute episode of the show, a 90-second promotional spot will be included. The spots will be created to mirror the marketing efforts of the Tourism Department. Hosts Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier will also include numerous mentions of their location during each show.

In addition to filming promotional spots and fishing, the hosts and film crew also presented a one-hour program at Vance County High School and shared with them the importance of attaining an education and the outdoor career options available to them.  The school will also be featured during the show.

The Vance County episode will air 10 times in each quarter all year.
Codes for Channels: Outdoor Channel = ODC; Sportsman Channel = SPM; WFN=WFN

The air days and times for the 1st quarter of 2019 are:
Mon., Jan. 7                           9 a.m. ODC; 10:30 a.m. SPM
Wed., Jan. 9                           3 a.m. WFN; 6 a.m. ODC; 9 p.m. WFN
Fri., Jan. 11                             4 p.m. WFN
Sat., Jan. 12                            8 a.m. ODC; 11 a.m. SPM
Sun., Jan. 13                           4:30 a.m. SPM; 10 a.m. WFN

As one of the longest-running Outdoor TV shows, Fishing University is celebrating 33 years of bringing quality fishing programming to avid viewers. Each week they hit the water accompanied by friends and professionals in the industry, as viewers are engaged in a competitive show that is packed full of ‘how to tips’. Not only is the show exciting, but it also lets people in on ‘tricks of the trade’ from some of the very best in the outdoor industry. Fishing University can be seen on the Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network and The Sportsman Channel in all 50 states and 51 other countries. To see the entire schedule, go to www.fishingu.com, and be sure to visit Fishing University on Facebook.

Television Show ‘Fishing University’ to Feature Kerr Lake, Vance Co. Attractions

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-Press Release, Fishing University

Internationally televised, Emmy award-winning television show, Fishing University, will soon make Vance County home, filming an episode to air in 2019 and featuring not only Kerr Lake but local dining, activities and attractions. The film crew, along with hosts/fishing legends Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier, will arrive on September 24, to fish and film.

Fishing University holds a viewership of more than 63 million households, airing in all 50 states as well as in 51 additional countries. Vance County Tourism Development Authority is serving as point-of-contact for the project, viewing it as a strategic marketing opportunity to reach a target audience of potential guests seeking an outdoor travel destination.

Charlie Ingram and Ray Brazier with Fishing University. (Photo Credit Fishing University)

“When Fishing University reached out to us with their proposal, Norman and I knew it would be a natural fit to accompany our other marketing and advertising efforts for 2019,” said Pam Hester, executive director of the Vance County Tourism Development Authority. “We will not only be able to put a spotlight on the world-renowned fishing opportunities in our region but also feature the community, culture and activities that guests can experience while visiting.”

Within the 30-minute episode, a 90-second promotional spot will be included. The spots will be created to mirror the marketing efforts of the Tourism Department. Hosts Ingram and Brazier will also include numerous mentions of their location during the show.

In addition to filming promotional spots and fishing, the hosts and film crew will also present a one-hour program at Vance County High School to share with area youth the importance of attaining an education and the outdoor career options available to them. The session will offer a “Q & A” time with a discussion of majors such as communications, marketing, biology, wildlife management and animal husbandry. The school will have a 90-second segment within the show.

“We are proud to welcome Fishing University to Vance County,” said Hester. “Coverage such as this will be seen by an audience of anglers that travel and have expendable income which will be good from both a branding and economic impact perspective.”

The competitive fishing show is packed with how-to tips and tricks of the trade, making it popular among competitive amateur and professional anglers. Viewers of World Fishing Network and the Outdoor and Sportsman Channels tend to spend more time on the water and are more active consumers than those of competing networks.

About Fishing University
As one of the longest-running Outdoor TV shows, Fishing University is celebrating 33 years of bringing quality fishing programming to avid viewers. Each week they hit the water accompanied by friends and professionals in the industry, as viewers are engaged in a competitive show that is packed full of ‘how to tips’. Not only is the show exciting, but it also lets people in on ‘tricks of the trade’ from some of the very best in the outdoor industry. Fishing University can be seen on the Outdoor Channel, World Fishing Network and The Sportsman Channel in all 50 states and 51 other countries. To see the entire schedule go to www.fishingu.com, and be sure to visit Fishing University on Facebook.

Sponsors of Fishing University Include
Charger Boats, Honda Marine, Jackson Kayak, Spro, Raymarine, T-H Marine, Power Pole, Orion Coolers, Cashion Rods, Strike King Lures, StormR, Cedar Creek Beef Jerky, Soft Science Footwear, Lithium Pros Batteries, Schrader Orthopedic & Stem Cell Treatment Center, Shooting Concepts, Marine Master Trailers, Gruv Fishing, BALSAX Line and Nite Track.

Kerr Lake’s Independence Day Celebration Set for Sat., June 30

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-Information courtesy Norman Dickerson, Admin. Assistant, Vance County Department of Tourism

Independence Day Weekend Celebration – Fireworks, Entertainment & Food

Fireworks over the water at Kerr Lake, Satterwhite Point, in Henderson, NC on Saturday, June 30, 2018.

Entertainment presented by “Frankie Faucet & The Drips” Band.

Food vendors on site. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. Enjoy the music and good food.

FREE event admission, but $7.00 per car gate fee charged by NC State Parks.

7 – 10 p.m.

NO ALCOHOL ALLOWED!

Directions: From I-85, take Exit 217 and follow the signs to the park. Park entrance located directly across from 6254 Satterwhite Point Road.

Sponsored by Vance County Department of Tourism – www.kerrlake-nc.com

(This is not a paid advertisement; however, there are paid advertisements on WIZS for this event)

Kerr Lake Park Watch Asks ‘Are the Days of the Park Ranger Numbered?’

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Frank Timberlake, lead of public affairs for the Kerr Lake Park Watch (KLPW), was recently on Town Talk to discuss what is, in his and other Park Watch members’ opinion, the troubling trend of the dwindling role of the park ranger position at Kerr Lake.

Timberlake has been with the KLPW for eight years and has seen its ranks grow from six to almost 600 concerned citizens. He said the group’s mission is “to promote, to protect and improve all of the public facilities around Kerr Lake.”

Timberlake believes today’s park rangers are expected to act predominantly as law enforcement officers while ignoring traditional ranger duties such as protecting the environment and educating the public, specifically youth, on preservation efforts.

In documentation provided to WIZS, Timberlake states:

At Kerr Lake, the park rangers for the US Army Corps of Engineers parks still adhere closely to [a] broad range of duties, with only a few designated as full law enforcement officers. The rangers, including the Chief Ranger, wear Federal badges and can issue citations. That may sound mild but be assured those citations land accused violators in Federal court because those parks are on Federal land. Those arrested on the say-so of Corps rangers are hauled before a magistrate or to jail.

 In Virginia, the two parks on Kerr Lake have law enforcement officers. There is no “split” in Virginia having parks versus recreation areas; they are all parks. Some current and former Virginia State Parks employees believe that the tilt of the park ranger job is going too far towards law enforcement and leaving behind the resource, the park’s other employees and the visiting public.

 The KLPW recently conducted their own 30-day investigation into the role of park ranger and the visiting public’s opinion of ranger responsibilities. The results of this investigation were documented in a five-page report that was sent to the NC Division of State Parks and Recreation in Raleigh.

“One reason we’ve taken it public is that we don’t want to bring this issue out, bring it to the forefront, and then it be swept to the back when something else comes along,” Timberlake said.

Among the findings, the KLPW cites a lack of understanding of ranger roles other than as a law enforcement entity, the public’s unawareness of who the rangers are, a high turnover of rangers at Kerr Lake leading to inconsistency in leadership, the lack of an official park manager role to keep parks organized and a prevailing “that’s not my job” attitude among park officials.

“Part of the problem is that there is nobody assigned to the duty of being a park manager, so to speak,” said Timberlake. “There is nobody to fill in on those interpretive services that were done previously. The park rangers use to take pride in their part. What’s been mutilated in all seven parks is the team spirit.”

Timberlake said part of the KLPW’s proposal to NC State Parks and Recreation included a recommendation that entry stations built at each park in recent years be made the rangers’ offices. “The State of NC spent $250,000 on entry stations that are unmanned most of the time,” Timberlake said. “There is a missed $6 entry fee for every person who drives through. Why not make those booths the park ranger’s office?”

In the report, the KLPW invite the administration to “leave Raleigh and get out to talk with the park – public and employees.”

Timberlake said he was recently told by some of the leadership of NC State Parks and Recreation that the department is taking into consideration several points mentioned in KLPW’s report and that meetings have previously been held to discuss issues related to organizational structure.

While the KLPW finds this encouraging, Timberlake warns that “the wheels of government grind slowly.”

*For more information on the Kerr Lake Park Watch Association, including a more detailed summary of their report on Kerr Lake’s park ranger role, please visit their website at https://kerrlakeparkwatch.org/.

Vance County Tourism

Vance County Tourism Director Nancy Wilson Retiring End of March

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer/Editor for Hire

After 20 years of service, Nancy Wilson, the long-serving director of the Vance County Department of Tourism, is looking forward to retiring at the end of the month.

“I’ve been working all of my life,” said Wilson. I’m ready to retire.”

Wilson’s career in tourism began in 1998 when she was hired as a contractor by the Henderson-Vance Economic Development Commission (EDC). According to Wilson, the first assignment given to her was to increase the number of fishing tournaments held at Kerr Lake. “At that time, we were not competitive with South Hill or Clarksville, VA,” Wilson said. “I had to beg the tournament directors to give us a chance; please just let us host a tournament and see how it goes.”

Wilson’s efforts paid off by way of an increase in fishing tournaments, including high dollar $100k tournaments such as the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW). “When it showed up on the front page of USA TODAY that Vance County hosted a tournament, it was great publicity for us and was worth all of the time and effort,” said Wilson.

In addition to fishing tournaments, Wilson has also been instrumental in increasing tourism at Kerr Lake thanks to the addition of a Fourth of July fireworks display. “We never had a firework display around the lake area and I thought we needed to entertain our visitors while they were there,” said Wilson. “That’s one of the biggest holidays for the parks.”

Wilson knows from experience how special the fireworks are for many visitors. “People start calling the tourism office as soon as the fireworks are over wanting to know the date for next year’s show so they can book their campsite.”

A success since its inception 20 years ago, the patriotic fireworks are held on the Saturday closest to the 4th of July to better accommodate visitors’ schedules.

Wilson is also proud of creating the Parade of Lights on Water, a floating parade featuring Kerr Lake’s best-decorated boats. A staple for several years, a decline in participation led to the cancellation of the event.

Another one of Wilson’s successful endeavors is the annual Show, Shine, Shag & Dine and East Coast Drag Times Hall of Fame event held each fall. What started as a small gathering of friends grew into the economic boom that it is for Vance County today.

“It started as a group of people meeting at my house. Then we had to move it to the community building at Satterwhite Point because it kept growing and people were coming from everywhere,” Wilson said. “I thought about it for a long time and thought I could make a tourism event out of it.”

Wilson presented her idea of combining a car show and a drag car hall of fame to the Henderson-Vance EDC Board and they implemented the first event in 2001.

The exact economic impact of events such as fishing tournaments, Fourth of July events and Show, Shine, Shag & Dine is hard to calculate, but the increased spending on gas, hotel rooms, restaurants and entertainment are a huge boost to the local economy.

According to Wilson, visitors come from all over the country to attend these events, thanks in part to a strong, nationwide advertising campaign that includes multiple publications. “We advertise in recreation magazines, recreation guides, motorsports magazines, car show magazines, at welcome centers, in airports, online, on the radio and in print,” said Wilson.

When asked what advice she has for the next tourism director, Wilson said they’ll have their own ideas that will bring value to the area.  She said, “I’m sure they’ll put their own twist on it and do what they think is best. If I can help in any way, I’ll be glad to.”

Wilson plans to remain active in the Roanoke River Basin Association, an organization that she feels is vital to the lake area. “I will continue to serve on the association and try to keep the County informed on issues,” Wilson said. “It is so important. That water is like liquid gold.”

As for life after retirement, Wilson says it will be a continuation of traveling all over the country, playing with cars and attending car shows.

“I don’t have a bucket list,” Wilson said. “People say when they retire they will do this or that, well, I’ve already done all of that.”

Park Fees at Kerr Lake

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A WIZS TownTalk listener (11 a.m. – 11:55 a.m. M-F) recently submitted a written topic request via wizs.com/towntalk about the fees to enter the parks on Kerr Lake.  On this topic, WIZS can address those fees for parks in North Carolina.

As Bryce P. Fleming, park superintendent at the Kerr Lake State Recreation Area explains, “Park fees are set system wide for the N.C. State Park System, and state parks have needed to increase revenues over the last few years.”

Park fees may include things like entrance fees, facility rental fees, permit fees and more.  Fleming wrote in an email to WIZS News, “I do not see the entrance fees being reduced at Kerr Lake.  However, the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation did introduce the discount for active military and veterans this year.”  Fleming said the division “also instituted dynamic pricing for campsites in the last year.  It offers lower pricing for campsites during the week when they typically have a lower occupancy rate.”

According to the information provided by Fleming, the entrance/parking fees are charged on weekends only starting in April then seven days per week from Memorial Day through Labor Day before going back to weekends only in September.  The entrance/parking fees are:

$7 per car on weekends – $5 per car for Seniors 62 and over and for active military and veterans.

$6 per car on weekdays – $4 per car for seniors 62 and over and for active military and veterans.

There is no entrance/parking fee October – March.

Also, visitors can obtain a season pass for $60 that permits entry April through September at Kerr Lake, Falls Lake and Jordan Lake.  Fleming said the season pass can be used also for the “Hammocks Beach State Park ferry, a one hour boat rental at parks where that is offered and a swim pass at parks where there is a fee for swimming.  There is no additional fee to swim at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area other than the entrance fee.”

When asked about using proceeds from vending and food trucks as an alternative way to raise money and reduce fees, Fleming said, “N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation has considered food trucks as a way to generate some revenue and provide an additional service that some of our customers may enjoy.  We now have the ability to issue a permit to food vendors to operate in parks.  We have not been approached by food vendors yet at Kerr Lake State Recreation Area.”

 

Kerr Lake Readies For T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League Piedmont Division Opener Presented by Navionics

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WHAT: The 2017 T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) tournament season will open Saturday, March 25, for Piedmont Division anglers with a tournament on Kerr Lake presented by Navionics. Up to 400 boaters and co-anglers will be competing for top awards of up to $8,000 and $3,000 respectively in the one-day tournament.

WHEN: Saturday, March 25, 2017

Piedmont Division

Kerr Lake

Nutbush North

115 Jack Wade Farm Road

Henderson, N.C.

Hosted by the Vance County Department of Tourism

NOTES: Piedmont Division anglers can expect Kerr Lake to produce some sizeable bass for this BFL opener. Fans following the action will likely see competitors flipping and pitching to flooded bushes with jigs and Texas-rigged soft-plastics. A variety of moving baits including crankbaits, spinnerbaits and umbrella rigs may also play a role near wood. A five-bass limit nearing 18 pounds should be enough to take top honors at this late-March BFL event.

The 2017 BFL is a 24-division circuit devoted to weekend anglers, with 128 tournaments throughout the season, five qualifying events in each division. The top 45 boaters and co-anglers from each division, along with the five winners of the qualifying events, will advance to one of six regional tournaments where they are competing to finish in the top six, which then qualifies them for one of the longest-running championships in all of competitive bass fishing – the BFL All-American. Top performers in the BFL can move up to the Costa FLW Series or even the FLW Tour.

For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the BFL on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWFishing.

About FLW

FLW is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, providing anglers of all skill levels the opportunity to compete for millions in prize money in 2017 across five tournament circuits. Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, with offices in Minneapolis, FLW conducts more than 274 bass-fishing tournaments annually across the United States and sanctions tournaments in Canada, China, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. FLW tournament fishing can be seen on the Emmy-nominated “FLW” television show, broadcast to more than 564 million households worldwide, while FLW Bass Fishing magazine delivers cutting-edge tips from top pros. For more information visit FLWFishing.com and follow FLW at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat.

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