Super Tournament season kicks off with Savannah River showdown on Lake Hartwell
The Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Super Tournament season is here, and the Savannah River Division anglers will take on Lake Hartwell August 17-18. The famous fishery should provide plenty of action in this season finale.
Tournament details
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Savannah River Division Super Tournament
Anderson, SC
August 17-18
About the fishery
Lake Hartwell is no stranger to tournament bass fishing, hosting events at all levels every month of the year. The South Carolina-Georgia border fishery is home to a healthy population of both largemouth and spotted bass.
Formed in 1962 with the construction of Hartwell Dam, this Savannah River impoundment covers almost 56,000 acres of fishable water. In addition to the main lake, anglers can choose to run up either the main arms of the Seneca and Tugaloo rivers or numerous smaller creeks.
Landrum, South Carolina, pro and Bass Pro Tour rookie Marshall Robinson says the entire lake has potential. But, most attention will be focused offshore for bass chasing the infamous and nomadic blueback herring.
“The lower third of the lake always gets a lot of attention because it’s textbook for clear-water fisheries with the deeper water,” he said. “That section of the lake is always good, but I’ve seen where the pressure can get to them. If that happens, I could see some guys doing well at the middle and upper sections of the lake or even up the rivers. The fish act similar across the whole lake.”
Robinson says the potential to win shallow or deep is there, but the offshore bite will most likely lead to a win.
“There will always be some locals or guys who just don’t want to chase the herring fish that stay shallow,” he said. “But, I’d say that 60, 70, or even 80 percent of the field would be offshore. In a Super Tournament, it’s hard to be consistent two days in a row in shallow water.”
What to expect
Offshore fishing is a Hartwell staple, and it can be done several ways according to Robinson. He expects plenty of brushpiles, cane piles, and long points to gather herring and bass.
“Most of the herring are going to be holding around brush or roaming on the end of points,” he said. “Then you have some in the dead center of the lake schooling with stripers over 150 feet of water. It’s like fishing for pelagic saltwater fish, and you can run through the middle of the channel and wait until you see them busting. I could see someone winning that way, even though getting on them at the right time takes a little luck.”
In addition to the challenge of locating the herring, Robinson says timing can be everything in these summertime events.
“You need to be able to run enough places and get on the right rotation, plus have some sneaky stuff that doesn’t get hit as much,” he said. “The other approach is to find an area with a lot of bass roaming and chasing bluebacks off the tips of points in 30 or 40 feet of water and then try to relocate them daily.”
Because nomadic herring are one of the primary meals for bass in Lake Hartwell, Robinson expects baits on the surface and in the middle of the water column to be best.
“The fish don’t start eating off the bottom very well until later in the fall, so it will either be fishing real shallow for largemouth or suspended deeper fish,” he said. “Big, oversized walking baits and herring topwaters like the Lucky Craft Sammy and Ima Skimmer are always good. Flukes will also be big players, and something more finesse like the Jackall Riser Bait could be the way to trigger them.”
Robinson predicts some solid weights in this event.
“A good bag on Hartwell this time of year is between 14 and 16 pounds,” he said. “That might not win it, but doing it two days in a row will get you a good finish. If someone has two perfect days, it may even take 37 or even 38 pounds to win.”