Fantasy Fishing: Herring masters and young guns

Written by

Kyle Jessie

The 20th season of the Bassmaster Elite Series rolls along to a familiar body of water at the Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lake Hartwell. Unlike the last Elite stop at the Pasquotank River, Fantasy players have plenty of history to work from at Lake Hartwell. Between multiple Classic stops, an Elite event, Open events and B.A.S.S. Nation Championships, players have plenty of research to dig through if they choose to do so.

As for me and my picks, I’m going to stick with some of the familiar faces that typically succeed when fishing blueback herring lakes and even mix in a few rookies.

This is certainly an event where you could justify going extremely rookie heavy with your lineup considering the expertise with forward-facing sonar as well as the fact that a number of the rookies have had success at Hartwell and lakes that fish very similarly.

Let’s get into some picks.

BUCKET A: LEHEW

As always, Bucket A is absolutely loaded with hammers that have all the momentum rolling in their favor. That said, I couldn’t believe that Shane LeHew was at just a 5.8% player percentage. There’s no question that LeHew is one of the most consistent anglers on the Elite Series, and his background allows him to excel on blueback herring fisheries. Additionally, the North Carolina pro finished 5th back in the 2019 Elite event that was held in early April.

Solid secondary selection: Once we get to this point in the season, it’s never a bad idea to play the hot hand. Will Davis Jr. and John Garrett share the lead in the Progressive Bassmaster Angler of the Year standings, but Will Davis Jr. would be my secondary choice. The Alabama pro has had success on Hartwell and this style event suits his strengths well.

BUCKET B: WALTERS

I don’t think I could live with myself if I picked against Patrick Walters and he ended up winning the event. Walter’s 43.8% player percentage speaks for itself in Bucket B. The South Carolina pro is easily one of the favorites going into the event, and after an uncharacteristically tough event at Pasquotank River, I would expect Walters to bounce back in a big way in his home state.

Solid secondary selection: There are plenty of other good options in Bucket B, but don’t overlook Paul Marks. The rookie is one of the best anglers on Lake Lanier, and notched a 5th place finish at the 2022 Lake Hartwell Open.

BUCKET C: WAGNER

It appears that Emil Wagner is not going unnoticed in Bucket C at a 12.4% player percentage. Much like Paul Marks, the Georgia pro is a master at fishing herring lakes and has a BFL All-American title to his resume at Lake Hartwell. Look for Wagner to make some noise this go around as well.

Solid secondary selection: Given the time of the year, there’s still a strong possibility that a guy like Drew Benton will be able to find some bass that are still on beds. Benton has proven that he can mix in the herring fish with the spawning bass much like he did when he won at Lake Murray in 2023.

BUCKET D: COBB

Much like Patrick Walters in Bucket B, it feels like too big of a risk to pick against Brandon Cobb in Bucket D. It’s easy to envision Cobb piecing together a flawless gameplan of working the potential herring spawn early in the morning and then heading to the bank to catch lingering spawners or even sling a buzzbait around for a big bite.

Solid secondary selection: It’s crazy to see that Cobb isn’t the highest selected angler in Bucket D, but less crazy when you notice that Easton Fothergill is also in the Bucket. The reigning Bassmaster Classic champ is on a roll, and has been on record saying that Lake Hartwell is his favorite lake to fish. That’s a deadly combo.

BUCKET E: ROBERTSON

I don’t really have a lot of history to reference in picking Matt Robertson in Bucket E, but I’ve just got a gut feeling that he’s going to have a big event at Lake Hartwell. At just a 5.3% player percentage, it feels like a reasonable risk to take.

Solid secondary selection: Seeing Matt Arey down in Bucket E is a very unusual sight, but Lake Hartwell is the perfect event for him to bounce back. The North Carolina pro is an expert at fishing this style of lake and even has a few solid events at Lake Hartwell specifically.