Based on his backyard knowledge of Lake Hartwell, and a big FLW win here a year ago nearly to the exact calendar date, if Las Vegas made odds for the Bassmaster Classic, there’s a real good chance Casey Ashley would have been their favorite.
But according to Ashley just before Day 2 blast-off, don’t let history be the basis of any heavy bets. Ashley says his favorite honey holes, the locations on this massive lake that yielded most of his key bites for the big win a year ago, are pretty much a useless non-factor this week at the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
He landed in sixth place, roughly 6 pounds out of the lead after Day 1, but certainly isn’t discouraged or disappointed with the 15-pound limit he caught. “The weather delay yesterday made for a short fishing day, and I just never got the really big bites,” said Ashley.
“I’m hitting a series of high-percentage spots, but the glory holes I used in the FLW (win) have been fished so hard by locals who watched me win last March that they’re pretty much useless now. You can’t hardly catch much more than old snagged-up fishing line on those spots nowadays,” said Ashley with his ever-present grin.
“Most of what I’m fishing this week is 35 to 45 feet deep, but I’m not convinced all the big fish are out deep because we haven’t had the three solid weeks of harsh winter weather it takes to drive them all deep,” said Ashley. “This week is the first really cold weather we’ve had around here. I was hoping for more cold weather the past month to put more of the big ones deeper.”
Speaking of cold weather, Ashley is actually using a 7-foot, medium-action Quantum Smoke Inshore saltwater rod because it has larger-diameter eyes than a comparable bass rod. “Those bigger guides on the Smoke Inshore help me keep ice out of the rod guides, plus that rod has a really big parabolic bend, and that’s really key to keeping fish hooked when you’re setting the hook in 40 feet of water.”
Don’t count him out yet though, Vegas. There’s nothing icy about Ashley’s attitude. “I’ve got great stuff to go fish today that I didn’t even touch in practice,” said Ashley. “Today is the day to move up the leaderboard. Today could very well be my day if those spots produce as good as I think they can.”
A concluding confident hint that perhaps a new handful of Casey Ashley Hartwell hot spots will be established this week.