ANDERSON, S.C. — Justin Raines won’t be fishing in the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance when the title event is held Nov. 18-21 on Lake Hartwell.
But the B.A.S.S. Nation hammer that calls Hartwell home said no matter how anglers want to fish this renowned reservoir straddling the South Carolina/Georgia border, they’re sure to find something to their liking. The 76,450-acre lake has that sort of reputation, regularly providing a steady catch regardless of the season.
“This is a stout group coming for the Nation Championship,” Raines said of the field that will boast 269 boaters and 242 nonboaters from throughout the U.S. and beyond. “And absolutely, you can pretty much do whatever you want to do here and give yourself a chance to win.
“I think guys that like to fish shallow will like it particularly right now,” he continued. “It’s been a dry year and the water is low right now. A lot of the clubs here haven’t been fishing as much because of that, but when they do, the fishing has been good. It took almost 18 pounds to win (a tournament in early November) and the winner didn’t have (forward-facing sonar.)”
Raines finds it easier to find quality bites when Hartwell’s water is lower than normal. Still, he said he’d dissect the lake in one of three distinct ways if he was competing in this derby.
“I think guys will do well fishing stumps and docks with topwater (lures), something like a buzzbait, a (Zoom) Horny Toad or Whopper Plopper,” Raines said. “The second pattern would be what I like to do, and that’s run rocky points with a spinnerbait. You can catch 12 or 13 pounds to get started and pick up a couple big ones on a shaky head, a crankbait or drop shot. Even a jig works well on Hartwell this time of year.
“The best bet in low water, though, might be to fish minnows, like a Sakamata bait on a jighead, or a Keitech (swimbait),” he said. “Those should be perfect in the timber (in) 10 to 15 feet of water.”
Raines said anglers can expect the customary catch of largemouth and spotted bass on Lake Hartwell. Anglers that find the best mix of the two could have an advantage, he said.
“That, and I think the guys who use their electronics the best (during the tournament) will have a big advantage, especially if they’re fishing timber,” he said. “I think the Top 10 here will be using (forward-facing sonar). Whatever you can do to make the lake fish smaller will definitely help you.”
So how much will it take to take the title on Hartwell? The man who finished third last December in the 2025 TNT Fireworks Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off guessed it will a sizable, but manageable, total.
“Somebody will bust a 20-pound bag here and there, but I think 16 to 17 pounds a day should keep you in it,” he said. “It stinks sitting on the sidelines for this one, I can tell you, but it’s gonna’ be a fun tournament for just about everybody fishing.”
The full field will fish on the first two days of the Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance, and the Top 40 anglers in both the boater and nonboater divisions will advance to fish on Day 3. Each of the competitors making the cut will split a total cash purse of $223,500.
The nonboater champ will be crowned on Day 3 and will claim $10,000. He’ll also advance, along with the Top 10 boaters, to compete for the tournament title on Day 4.
The overall winner will claim a berth in the Progressive Bassmaster Elite Series, $50,000 in winnings, as well as the coveted Bryan V. Kerchal Memorial Trophy, named for the man who in 1994 became the first B.A.S.S. Federation Nation angler to win a Bassmaster Classic.
In addition to that bounty, the Top 3 anglers at this year’s Nation Championship will earn invites to the 2027 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour when it’s held March 19-21 right back on Lake Hartwell.
Daily takeoffs and weigh-ins will be held at Green Pond Landing, 470 Green Pond Road, in Anderson. Live coverage of the tournament can be found daily on Bassmaster.com.
Visit Anderson will host the event.
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Title Sponsor: Mercury
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Presenting Sponsor: Lowrance
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Platinum Sponsor: Progressive, Toyota
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mountain Dew, Nitro Boats, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2026 B.A.S.S. Nation Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Lew’s, Lowrance, Phoenix Boats, VMC, Yokohama
