Classic Coming Back Near Home

A few days ago BASS announced that the 2027 Bassmaster Classic will be return to Lake Hartwell, marking the fifth time the Classic will be held at Hartwell.

I was glad for that announcement because Hartwell is  close to home for me. The launch area is about an hour from home, and the nearest part of the lake is only about 20 minutes away.

A year away, it’s hard to say what role I’ll have with next year’s Classic. Some years I’ve been in the thick of things. I’ve ridden with pros on competition days a couple of times and have been in the media room backstage or right by the stage several times, including when Alton Jones won at Hartwell in 2008. 

Other years, I’ve been totally separated from the event, only watching from the computer at home. That will be the case for this year’s Classic, which will be held in Knoxville and is less than two weeks away.

Whatever my part turns out to be, I always enjoy Hartwell events simply because of familiarity with the lake and how it fishes, and it’s hard to imagine that I won’t at least be around a takeoff or two - and I’ll probably be around the media room and weigh-ins. 

Hartwell Fishing Great

Jason Christie brought 20 pounds, 14 ounces of Lake Hartwell bass to the scales to take the lead on Day 1 of the Bassmaster Classic. Bassmaster photo by Seigo Siato.

A very simple conclusion after one day of competition at the Bassmaster Classic is that Lake Hartwell is in good condition and producing well. The top of the board certainly shows that, with Jason Christie's 20-pound, 14 ounce sack and seven 16-pound-plus limits. Looking farther down, 32 anglers from a field of 52 weighed at least 12 1/2 pounds of bass, which is a solid 2 1/2-pound average for a five-fish limit, and 51 of 52 anglers brought a limit to the scales.

That shouldn't be a surprise, I suppose. The lake is fairly full, which hasn't been the case very often for the past couple of years, newly flooded grass is providing a lot of shallow cover along the edges, the fish are in a solid pre-spawn mode, and the weather has been warm and fairly stable. All very good things.

I will be interesting to see how things change as leaders have to contend with increasing numbers of spectator boats and anglers fishing "spots" or fairly small areas continue to target the same fish. One interesting thing this morning is that yesterday's leaders were among the first to fill their limits, so it really seems they are on to some specific things that the others might not be seeing.

We''ll keep watching!

10 Years?!

Alton Jones at Falcon Lake in Texas, a couple of months prior to winning the 2008 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell.

Ten years. Could it have really have been that long? I'm having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea that it has been a decade since I stood close to the stage and watched Alton Jones hoist the Bassmaster Classic trophy. It's the only time I've had to wipe away tears during a tournament weigh-in. Just thinking about it almost has the same effect.

The winning moment is always special because it's such a life-changing event for a professional angler and a culmination of lifelong dreams, but '08 was different for me because Alton is a good friend. We first met at writer's event two decades ago. He and I were the only pro/writer pair to go out on an absolute duck hunters' sort of a January day at the end of the event, and we've shared many days on the water since that day. He was among the first to call and pray with me over the phone when I had a 6-month-old in ICU at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, and he is someone I know I could count on in any situation.

Alton had actually predicted his '08 win. He'd said it in a jesting tone, speaking to me and Bassmaster Senior Writer Steve Price as we enjoyed an epic YUM Dinger bite on Texas' Falcon Lake a couple of months prior to the '08 Classic. I knew he really believed it, though, and I trusted his confidence. Enough so that my own confidence in him soared as the tournament unfolded.

Alton missed qualifying for the 2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell, and everyone who spends any time around the sport knows how difficult that was for him. He is back this year, and you know he is mighty eager to get things started tomorrow morning. While I can't believe it has been 10 years since he held up that champion's trophy, I'm guessing it feels more like 20 years to him!

Watch Micah Frazier in Hartwell Classic

I read with interest Bassmaster.com's article that put odds on each Bassmaster Classic competitor's chances of winning this year's world championship (read for yourself). It was well put together, and for the most part, I agreed with the general placement of anglers. We all have our opinions, though, and the one place I disagree with the odds-making crew is in the placement of Elite Series pro Micah Frazier.

Frazier was dubbed a "longshot" -- the article's extreme outer circle -- and was one of only two Elite Series qualifiers in that category. I understand that Frazier lacks the pedigree of many in the field and wouldn't earn the shortest of odds, but to me he has too much in his favor in this Classic to be given such extreme long odds.

For starters, he's no novice. Although he's still quite young, Frazier is in his fourth year fishing the Elites, following a five-year pro stint with FLW, and he finished 31st in this year's AOY points race. He's used to the road, tournament prep, strategizing and the big stage. This will also be his second Bassmaster Classic.

Frazier is also from Newnan, Georgia, which is just south of Atlanta. When folks talk about home state anglers at Hartwell the conversation is always about South Carolina, which hosts Classic events. The lake is half in Georgia, though, so Georgia anglers are just as much home-state anglers as are South Carolina anglers. Hartwell is by no means home water for Frazier, but you don't pave your way into the tournament bass world from a Middle Georgia home without logging some time on the Savannah River lakes.

Newnan has highland lakes to the north and flatland lakes to the South, so Frazier grew up fishing a lot of variety, and one of his main lakes, experience wise, is Lake Lanier. And while Lanier is truly a unique animal, it has some undeniable common traits with Hartwell, with its deep clear main body and more fertile river arms, largemouth/spotted bass mix and a blueback herring heavy forage base.

And one final thing that makes me see Frazier much more as a dark horse to watch than complete longshot. He finished second on an FLW Tour event on Hartwell, and it was held in mid-March!

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!

Double-Barrel Tour Action

Looking forward to gettin the @bass_nation #basselite season underway and to try and find some big Florida girls like this one! Only a week out... #bassfishing #largemouthbass #bassmaster #floridabassfishing #floridafishing @toyotausa @triton_boats_official @yamahaoutboards @carhartt @teamtoyota @lews_fishing @afwhiseas @_duckett_fishing_ @yum_baits @booyah_baits @minnkotamotors @humminbirdfishing

A photo posted by Terry Scroggins (@bigshowscroggins) on Mar 11, 2016 at 10:33am PST

A big weekend for pro bass fishing kicks off in about an hour. The B.A.S.S. Elite Series begins their season this morning on the St. Johns River while the FLW Tour starts tour stop number two on Lake Hartwell. Each has its own intrigue to me, so I'll be paying attention to both through the weekend, although I'm driving to Louisiana on Sunday, and I can't deny that I'm apt to be distracted by some seriously good Cajun cooking at Bourgeois Fishing Charters that evening! Off topic, I know. I guess I'm distracted already.

Anyway, the St. Johns tourney is more interesting than many both because it's the season opener, where this year's story lines begin being written. Plus, I was just in Florida, fishing the St. Johns, and I know how many big fish are apt to be on the flats. The water was off-colored for the area, and I don't know if it has settled, and I haven't looked at the forecast. Even if conditions turn out to be tough, though, I suspect some seriously big bags will be brought to the scales.

Meanwhile, the FLW event at Hartwell carries extra interest for me because it is so close to home. The launch they are using is about an hour from here, and parts of the lake are much closer. I haven't spent loads of time on Hartwell, but it's still pretty familiar, and it's always fun when a big event is happening so close to home. The weather has been warm, and I've seen photos of a lot of good practice fish posted by pros, so I suspect they are going to catch 'em well. Of course, every FLW Tour event is important to the points story line because there are only six events. By the end of the weekend, the season will be 1/3 over.

Both organizations do a good job of providing live coverage of their events. For FLW, I tend to like their Twitter feed best. For B.A.S.S., I go straight to their website and follow the event's blog and/or BASStrakk results. Look for yourself, though, to see which feeds suit you best.

Students Winners in Fatsack Outdoors Summer Bass Bash

Any high school or college student who showed up the inaugural Fatsack Outdoors Summer Bass Bash over the weekend on Lake Hartwell walked away a winner. It was a no-lose situation, with zero entry fee and top prizes of $2000 for the college division and $250 for the high school division. In addition, all registered anglers enjoyed dinner, a High School Fishing Academy session, the chance to meet tour-level pros and a packet of tackle donated by sponsors.

Developers of a journal keeping, instructional and social fishing app that is unlike anything else out there, Fatsack Outdoors puts a high priority on providing opportunities for young anglers, and the company intends to build upon the success of the Summer Bass Bash with future high schooland college events.

The high school division winner, Noah Pescitelli, opted to fish alone. Although Pescitelli traveled an hour and a half from home to fish the Fatsack Outdoors Summer Bass Bash and had only fished Lake Hartwell a couple of time, no one who knows anything about this young angler was surprised when he brought a bulging bag to the scales. A very accomplished high school angler, Pescitelli also operates Kickin' Their Bass TV, producing popular instructional, gear review and fishing montage videos. In fact, he's already produced and posted a really cool Vlog about the event. Check it out!

Also, while Pescitelli had only fished Lake Hartwell a couple of times prior to Saturday, he knows spotted bass extremely well because his home lake is Lake Lanier. Pescitelli's winning bag stretched the scales to 15.44 pounds, and he noted that most of his action came first thing in the morning.

The college winners, who brought in 15.70 pounds, were no surprise either. The team of Deion Latimer and Baylor Ronemus, representing Clemson University, brought some serious Hartwell understanding into the Summer Bass Bash. Anyone who has fished Hartwell tournaments for long knows the Latimer name, if not from Deion, from his older brother Brian or his dad. Plus, Clemson is right on Hartwell. Ronemus is from the Augusta area, so he grew up fishing Clarks Hill, which is two pools down from Hartwell on the Savannah River.

Latimer and Ronemus enjoyed their best action early in the afternoon. In fact, at noon, they only had two fish in the livewell and Latimer admitted that they were beginning to get concerned.

Not surprisingly for Lake Hartwell during the summer, most anglers who talked about the fishing reported catching their fish either on topwater lures or on finesse worms rigged on shaky heads or dropshot rigs.

Carolina Favorite Prevails Again

Casey Ashley, 2015Bassmaster Classic Champion

Yesterday seemed familiar. As local favorite Casey Ashley hoisted the 2015 Bassmaster Classic trophy, I couldn't help but think about a similar scene, seven months ago, when Anthony Gagliardi won the Forrest Wood Cup on his home waters of Lake Murray. The sport's two championship events, both held on South Carolina waters, were both won not only by in-state anglers but by legitimate local anglers.

If you follow pro bass fishing at all, you already know all about Ashley's win, and you likely know the details of his pattern and quite a bit about his road to victory. Having gotten to watch it unfold and to be close to all that was happening, though, I have to offer a few impressions.

One of the coolest aspects, in my mind, is the fact that Ashley's preparation for this event has been going on since 2008. In a way it goes back even further, because he has fished tournaments with his dad since he was 8 years old and he can't even remember the first time he ever fished Lake Hartwell. However, in 2008, when the Bassmaster Classic was first held on Lake Hartwell, Ashley took note of the event's enormous success and became convinced it would return to Hartwell at some point. Since that time, he has been a student of the lake, and he was quick to point out that he's learned an enormous amount about it from many top local anglers over the past several years.

Ashley also talked about learning so much from his dad, who began handing over boat control and decisions for team tournaments when Ashley was in his early teens and who would question decisions to force Ashley to think about them and to learn. Ashley's dad also put also put together the locally popular spinner heads Ashley used to win the Classic.

I also enjoyed seeing Ashley's calm confidence and his patience in answering the same questions again and again throughout the tournament. It seemed everyone wanted him to feel the weight of being the local favorite, but he didn't allow that. He wanted to win and did all he could to prepare himself to win, but he never accepted the weighty notion that he was supposed to win. He said that it was only after he put his boat on the trailer on day three, when everything was taken out of his hands, that he got nervous.

Going back to those similarities with Anthony Gagliardi, Casey Ashley will be an outstanding champion who will represent the sport exceptionally well.

The Classic's Local Flavor

Casey Ashley had a crowd around him almost constantly during
Media Day for the Bassmaster Classic.

"My sponsors love it," Casey Ashley said with his typical relaxed smile in answer to what he thought about having so much focus on him going into the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.



Casey Ashley

Ashley, one of two South Carolina anglers in the Classic field, is getting as much attention as the "favorite" to win the Classic as any angler I remember. Beyond living in Donalds, S.C., a half hour or so from the lake, Ashley showed his understanding of Hartwell bass about this time last year when he won an FLW Tour event on the lake with a similarly cold snap that had a lot of pros baffled.

Ashley, of course, discounts the hype. "You can't predict who is going to win a fishing tournament."

He doesn't deny that he knows the lake very well and that his chances of figuring out the right things are as good as anyone's He's fished tournaments in South Carolina since he was 10 years old, and he can't even remember the first time he fished Lake Hartwell. He's also paid extra close attention to Hartwell since 2008, the first time the Classic was held on this big impoundment of the Savannah River. That Classic was so well received that he was certain it would be back.

Ashley's contention is simply that fish are still fish.

"Any of these guys would tell you that you can't make the fish bite. If you're not in the right place or doing the right thing, it doesn't matter how much you know.

Andy Montgomery

Andy Montgomery, the other South Carolina pro in the field, has been able to fly a least a little under Blacksburg is a couple of hours away, and he considers Lake Wylie his home waters. Montgomery hasn't spent an enormous amount of time fishing Hartwell over the years, but he still knows the lake and South Carolina bass very well, and he believes he is well prepared for the competition, which begins tomorrow.
the radar. His hometown of

Ironically, Montgomery when to school at Clemson, which looks over Lake Hartwell, but he spent most of his play days fishing nearby Lake Keowee while he was in school. "Now I kind of wishh I'd spent more time fishing Lake Hartwell," he laughed.

Montgomery is thrilled about the opportunity to compete in the Classic on Lake Hartwell. He's also excited to help represent his home state of South Carolina.

Montgomery expects Hartwell to impress a lot of people, despite the doom and gloom talk related to the cold. He anticipates seeing a lot of big spotted bass and largemouths brought to the scales.

Ashley agrees. "Hartwell is a great lake, and it is the best it has been for a long time. It offers so much. You can fish deep in clear water or shallow in dirty water. I'm guessing there will be at least four completely different patterns in the top 10."

Classic Weather Coaster

B.A.S.S. photo by Seigo Saito.

Nothing brings on wacky weather quite like Bassmaster Classic week. After a winter with minimal cold weather and more than a few days in the 60s, this week suddenly turned cold in the area around Lake Hartwell. Competitors donned the layers during practice and tried to figure out how the fish would adjust as early daffodils got covered with snow. With an up-and-down forecast that features more downs than ups and an outlook that probably will change again in the next few days, that's a very good question. The forecast includes single-digit lows between now and Friday, when the competition begins, and a mix of rain and frozen precipitation.

Every angler faces the same conditions, but for Casey Ashley of Donalds, South Carolina and other anglers who feel like they understand the way Lake Hartwell's bass will react to tough conditions, a bad forecast is good news. Warm stable weather and active bass all over the banks sort of make it anyone's game and probably add a bigger element of chance. Tough conditions tend to favor local knowledge.

In another few days we'll all begin learning how the fish have moved and exactly which anglers have figured out those moves. Watch here for plenty of updates.

Tracking Hartwell With Asher

Asher endured some tough conditions yesterday, but had a big time tracking his first live tournament day with me. When we left home at 5:00 a.m., the truck thermometer said 36. The when we arrived at Clemson Marina, an hour later, it hadn't changed, and a swift breeze was blowing across the cold water pulling the wind chill down. Asher, 9, didn't complain. He was thankful for the opportunity to watch the FLW Tour pros launch and take-off for day 1 action on Lake Hartwell.

Asher also got to hear Casey Ashley sing the National Anthem (always a treat), and then later in the day watched Ashley bring 21 pounds 7 ounces to the scales to take the lead. Between the take-off and the weigh-in, we spent our morning running from one lake access to another, looking for pros out on the water. We spotted a handful (some nearer than others) and even got to watch Kellogg's Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre swing one into the boat. Lefebre caught a good bag and sits in 19th, and it was extra fun for Asher to see Lefebre weigh his fish, and to look at his boat by the water and meet him a little later. Of course, Asher liked the big Tony the Tiger on Lefebre's boat and jersey.

If the take-off was cold, the weigh-in was colder. The actual temperature was about the same and the wind had subsided, but the rain had arrived and a cold rain fell steadily the whole time we were there. Asher had on plenty of layers, but the rain soaked through eventually, and I know he was pretty chilly by the time we got in the truck. Still, he held on until I suggested heading out, and I know he's glad that he did.

We'll have to track things from home this morning because of fish stories that need writing and other plans, but I know Asher's interest in and knowledge about pro bass fishing rose a big notch yesterday, and I'm glad we got to share a day of tracking the action.

Tournament Morning

The Walmart FLW Tour begins its season this morning with Day 1 at Lake Okeechobee, and I admit being a little distracted from my work at home. They'll blast off at first safe light, so right now there's tremendous excitement around the launch area, with boats launching in the dark and anglers getting final well wishes from family and friends while answering media questions.

Practice time is over. The real deal is about to begin. Very soon each pro will have to decide on the stating spot he will run to -- a decision that could impact how the entire four-day tournament unfolds.

I've never been a tournament fisherman, so I can't rightly convey the angler's perspective. I really enjoy tournament mornings at the ramp, though (especially on day 1). There's just something about the great unknown, all that's about to happen and all that's at stake that fills the morning air with anticipation. And the everything only builds as first light creeps in and the boats start lining up by position. They're probably around that point now.

It wasn't practical for me to travel to Okeechobee, but I'm glad that social media allows the opportunity to follow things pretty closely. @FLWFishing does a tremendous job of tracking the action on Twitter, posting direct reports throughout the day and sharing many things that the FLW pros. And of course the weigh-ins will be broadcast live on flwoutdoors.com.

So I'll be watching from home and trying to not let it keep me from working on the stories that need writing. But when the Tour visits Lake Hartwell in a few weeks, you can bet I'll be out there in the dark in the morning enjoying the pre-tournament excitement first hand!

New Fishing Agreement Between Georgia and South Carolina

From Ellicott Rock, where the Chattooga River exits North Carolina, to the mouth of the Savannah River, where the big river meets the Atlantic Ocean, water forms the entire border between Georgia and South Carolina. Whether as a tumbling trout stream, Piedmont impoundment, twisting river or marsh-bound tidal flow, the water along the border provides plentiful fishing opportunities that are shared by anglers in both states.

Realizing the mutual benefit of this shared resource, Georgia and South Carolina have long operated under a reciprocal fishing agreement, which allows anglers properly licensed by either state to fish anywhere on the border waters, whether by boat or from the bank. Recent changes in South Carolina's fishing laws called for a re-working of the agreement, with some changes in Georgia's sport fishing limits. The new agreement goes into effect July 1 (this Sunday).

"Anglers as well as state officials on both sides wanted to continue the fishing license agreement and keep fishing regulations as similar as possible on border waters," said John Biagi, Chief of Fisheries Management for the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division. "To minimize confusion, Georgia sport fishing regulations will largely mirror South Carolina laws on border waters."

New limits for water on either side of the border include a combined 10-fish limit for stripers and hybrids in lakes Hartwell and Clarks Hill (Thurmond), a five-fish trout limit and a 10-fish white bass limit. It's worth noting that limits for crappie and bream are not unified, with larger harvests permitted in Georgia waters.

For details, visit the regulations page at gofishgeorgia.com.