Catfish Club tournament hits Lake Wylie Nov. 3 | Rock Hill Herald

The Catawba Catfish Club announces events in its 2012-13 tournaments schedule, including two regular season and one championship event on Lake Wylie. Dates and location are as follows:

• Nov. 3, Lake Wylie, Buster Boyd Access Area

• Dec. 8, Lake Wateree, Lake Wateree State Park

• Jan. 5, Lake Wylie, Buster Boyd Access Area

Feb. 2, Lake Wateree, Lake Wateree State Park

• March 2, Fishing Creek Reservoir, Hwy. 21 Access

• April 13, Lake Monticello, Hwy. 99 Access

• Championship event for Catawba Catfish Club, May 4-5, Lake Wylie, Ebenezer Park

For more information, visit catawbacatfishclub.com.

Nov. 10 tourney helps college fishing club

The Gardner-Webb University Fishing Club is sponsoring the Bulldog Bassh Tournament on Nov. 10 at Buster Boyd Access Area on Lake Wylie.

Launch time is 7 a.m. Cost to enter is $80 per boat, with $10 big bass optional.

Payback is for the top five spots, including $1,000 for first, based on a full field of boats. There also will be door prizes and giveaways.

In its fourth year, coming off of a hot year in 2012 placing seventh at Lake Guntersville against 50 other collegiate fishing teams, the club is raising money to purchase its first bass boat.

Sponsorships are available. For more information or to enter, call 704-406-3988, email jfern@gardner-webb.edu or visit gardner-webb.edu/fishingclub.

E15 warning stickers available

The National Marine Manufacturers Association is distributing 100,000 E15 warning labels to NMMA member boat manufacturers across the country to place on their boats in hopes of alerting boaters to the potential dangers of fuel with a high volume of ethanol.

The labels will help educate boaters that E15 should not be used in their boat.

Contrary to studies showing ethanol is hazardous to marine engines, the Environmental Protection Agency recently approved a plan submitted by the ethanol industry that allows E15 to enter the marketplace.

There are serious and documented human safety, environmental and technological concerns associated with ethanol blends more than over 10 percent in recreational boat fuel tanks and engines.

That means that anything above E10 can pose serious problems, including performance issues such as stalling, corrosion leading to oil or fuel leaks, increased emissions and damaged valves, rubber fuel lines and gaskets.

Three years ago, the ethanol industry filed a waiver with the EPA to expand the amount of ethanol allowed in gasoline from 10 percent to 15 percent.

It is important for consumers to stay aware at their local gas pumps, checking for high ethanol fuels and to use only E10 or lower in their vessels.

In Lake Wylie, Kangaroo Express at 4044 Charlotte Hwy. and BP at 5075 Charlotte Hwy. sell ethanol-free fuel.