Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Classic Warm-Up

The Anderson, S.C. forecast calls for a high of 70 degrees on Friday, the first morning of the 2018 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell. That's quite a contrast from the most recent Hartwell Classic, three years ago, when the first morning's takeoff had to be delayed because boats were frozen to trailers. It was the coldest takeoff in Bassmaster Classic history, and while temps moderated through the weekend, the entire event had a definite winter feel.

It's chilly this morning in North Georgia and the South Carolina Upcountry (Hartwell straddles the border), with temps hanging right around freezing. However, it's supposed to be sunny with highs in the mid-50s today and tomorrow, 60s on Thursday and warmer still on Friday. Typical of early spring, it'll be a bit of a yo-yo, with forecast highs of 70, 54 and 67 for the three competition days (Friday through Sunday) and a mix conditions to include wind, calm, sunshine, clouds and probably some rain.

The important thing is that the trend is toward warmth, and given the amount of mild weather the region has already had this year, the Classic should fish as a spring event, much more so than a late-winter event, with shallow fish and aggressive patterns potentially coming into play. The water is also notably higher than during past Hartwell Classics, which means more cover is available to fish moving shallow.

The anglers have gotten to practice, so they have an idea what is happening and how fish are likely to respond to this week's weather. I'm pretty eager to see how it all unfolds!

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