“Lake Norman is one of the most diverse fisheries that we can visit,” said Quaker State pro Matt Arey of Shelby, North Carolina, who has 20 career top-10 finishes in FLW competition. “There are a ton of different options to catch bass, and anglers have won tournaments all over the lake. They’ll be catching them as deep as 40 feet and as shallow as six inches. I think you’re going to have to hit a lot of different areas and mix up patterns to win.

"It’s definitely going to be a junk-fishing deal,” Arey continued. “There’s some rain and cooler weather coming, which means shad and bass will be in transition. Patterns like topwater fishing and running docks will be strong. The river is also going to be a player because of the current. A lot of spotted bass live in the lake, and if someone can dial in on those deep schools, the spots could definitely be a factor.”