Taylor Targets Bluebacks for Hartwell Win

Glouse claims co-angler top prize

ANDERSON, S.C. – Brock Taylor of Pendleton, South Carolina, weighed a five-bass limit totaling 21 pounds, 1 ounce Saturday to win the third Walmart Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division tournament of 2015 on Lake Hartwell. For his victory, Taylor earned $4,830.

“Anytime you can come home with a check it’s awesome,” said Taylor. “The anglers out here are very talented so it feels good to come out on top.”

Taylor said his strategy was to imitate the blueback herring which were spawning along mid-lake red clay points. He used a white Zoom Super Fluke to attract bass that feed on the small baitfish.

“We caught them mostly in shallow water,” Taylor said. “The fish were hovering in the 5-foot depth range while we sat in the 10-foot depths.”

Taylor said that he also explored spawning beds where bass were active and caught a 4-pounder.

“The bed was near the spot I was fishing,” Taylor said. “It was in a location that I knew people hadn’t been looking.

“It was the only fish that I caught off a bed, but it was important,” Taylor continued. “I culled out a 2-pound fish which I know helped get me the weight I needed to win.”

The top 10 boaters:

1^st:          Brock Taylor, Pendleton, S.C., five bass, 21-1, $4,830

2^nd:         Jerry Kotal, Elberton, Ga., five bass, 17-7, $2,415

3^rd:          Jim Smith, Bowersville, Ga., five bass, 17-4, $1,368

3^rd:          Joe Thompson, Clayton, Ga., five bass, 17-4, $1,368

5^th:          Kameron Harbin, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 17-3, $966

6^th:          Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 17-2, $885

7^th:          Brian Tidwell, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 16-13, $805

8^th:          Cason Nickles, Due West, S.C., five bas, 16-11, $724

9^th:          Matthew Roesch, Toccoa, Ga., five bass, 16-10, $603

9^th:          Sean Skey, Sumter, S.C., five bass, 16-10, $603              

Complete results can be found here.  

Thompson caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the pro division, a fish weighing 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $720.

Glouse wins co-angler title

Gerald Glouse of Easley, South Carolina, weighed in a five-bass limit totaling 15 pounds, 15 ounces Saturday to win $2,415 in the co-angler division.

The top 10 co-anglers:

1^st:          Gerald Glouse, Easley, S.C., five bass, 15-15, $2,415

2^nd:         Collin Willis, Easley, S.C., five bass, 14-12, $1,207

3^rd:          Kaleb Turner, Hartwell, Ga., five bass, 14-3, $806

4^th:          Harley Ross, Taylors, S.C., five bass, 13-3, $563

5^th:          Luke Barton, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 12-12, $463

5^th:          Brad Gambrell, Seneca, S.C., five bass, 12-12, $463

7^th:          Derrick Wilson, Simpsonville, S.C., five bass, 12-1, $402

8^th:          Jim Morris, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 11-12, $362

9^th:          Brandon Brock, Honea Path, S.C., four bass, 11-9, $322

10^th:        Derek Freeman, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 11-4, $256

10^th:        Jason Hueble, Whitmire, S.C., five bass, 11-4, $256

10^th:        Keith Lewis, Franklin, N.C., five bass, 11-4, $256

Willis caught the biggest bass of the tournament in the co-angler division and earned the day’s Big Bass award of $360.

The top 50 boaters and 50 co-anglers based on point standings will qualify for the Oct. 15-17 Regional Championship on Lake Wateree in Camden, South Carolina. Boaters will compete for a top award of a Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard and $20,000, while co-anglers will fish for a new Ranger Z518C with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.