SENECA, S.C. – South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell, a standard stop for tournament trails of all sizes, will host the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine South Carolina Division anglers on April 11. The spring timing of this event, which is presented by Suzuki Marine, should open up plenty of different ways to catch them. Look for bass in all stages of the spawn, plus both shad and herring also beginning their annual ritual.
What to expect
Dylan Akins won the Savannah River Division event on Hartwell just a few weeks ago, on March 21. He says the spawns will be the focus in this one – whether it’s anglers chasing spawning bass or those gorging on spawning baitfish.
“You’re going to have bass in all three phases of the spawn; the whole month of April is when you see it all,” he said. “They’ve already been spawning for a while, but there will probably be another wave of fish pushing up somewhere on the lake. Then, you’ll have the fry guarders to catch.”
There should also be some furious action in the morning as anglers chase bass eating spawning herring and shad.
“It’s a little early for the herring spawn, but I’ve already seen a glimpse of it, so it could be a full-blown herring and shad spawn for the first hour of the day by the time of this tournament,” he shared.
“It will be more of a herring spawn on the main lake, unless someone goes way up the lake or into some of the creeks where the shad are spawning. The whole key is whether you can find it. You need to figure out what section of the lake is going to fire that week, because you can literally strike gold in any pocket or stretch that you pull into anywhere on the lake.”
Hartwell is home to plenty of spotted and largemouth bass, but Akins says largemouth will surely be the difference-makers this week.
“Whoever wins will likely have all largemouth,” he said. “There’s the rare occasion where you can find a few 4-pound spots on beds, but I still think the winner will at least have a few big largemouth in their limit.”
Baits to bring
Hartwell is a renowned topwater fishery, and Akins believes that style of lure will play big, along with another Hartwell staple, a fluke-style soft plastic. For targeting bedding bass, he says a wacky rig, Neko rig or shaky head can all produce well this time of year.
What will it take?
When Akins won in late March, he brought in 18 pounds, 2 ounces, but he believes the winning mark will be much higher this time around.
“I’m going to say it will take around 21 pounds, just because of the sight-fishing factor,” he shared. “I think there will be someone with a couple of big ones on a bed that will push their weight way up higher.”