Fantasy Fishing: Young guns on Hartwell

Written by

Solomon Glenn

Coming off the Pasquotank, I finally had a decent fantasy showing with a couple of guys in the Top 10. And to shake things up, the Elite are coming from a place that was completely unknown to a place that has been a tournament staple for many years, Lake Hartwell.

The deep, clear lake located in Anderson, S.C., has been a staple for Elite series and Classics as well as Bassmaster events of every level. In recent years, the overall consensus has been that it’s fairly tough. The fish are getting smarter to pressure and are becoming trickier to get to bite. However, throughout this spring, reports have been much better, and several 7- to 11-pound largemouth have appeared out of nowhere. With the spawn likely to be in full swing, there’s no telling how this Elite tournament could shape out.

Something tells me that we will not see someone runaway with it like Kyle Welcher on the Pasquotank and it should be a tight race to the end. With how this lake sets up and the types of bites that should be in play, I’m rocking with a full squad of young guns, and I’m excited to see how that plays out.

BUCKET A: PRZEKURAT

Jay Przekurat has been on an absolute tear this season on the Bassmaster Elite Series, and he would be my number one pick for this year’s AOY. He has been putting up great finishes at every type of fishery. Przekurat is definitely comfortable in clear water and has demonstrated his talent for both finesse tactics and bed fishing. At least one of those options will play.

Solid secondary pick: Jake Whitaker has very quietly slid his way into 4^th in the Progressive Angler of the Year race and actually called Hartwell his home waters. After three top 25s to start the year, I could see Jake make a real push at Hartwell

BUCKET B: SMITH

Tucker Smith is your current ROY leader, and I doubt he will be slowing down anytime soon. He is also a master with his Electronics, which, like it or not, is sure to be a factor on Lake Hartwell’s spotted bass. He has an 8th in a College event and a 23rd in an Open in 2022, so he’s had great success in Anderson.

Solid secondary pick: Staying true with the young guns, I’d have to go with Paul Marks. The Georgia native is very proficient at herring fisheries. Guys like Marks who have herring fish dialed, stay very consistent on those types of waters. He fished the Open there in 20022 and finished 5^th.

BUCKET C: WAGNER

Emil Wagner is another master at Herring fisheries and is a guide on nearby Lake Lanier. Now that the Elites visit water that is far more familiar than the first three, I could really see him shine. He has won an All-American on Hartwell a couple of years ago and has a couple of really good college finishes. Definitely watch out for Wagner.

Solid secondary pick: He’s a little older than all my other picks so far, but Jordan Lee is due for a major finish. The Smith Lake native knows his way around herring fish and has won a Classic on Hartwell. I would love to see Jordan Lee grab a victory.

BUCKET D: FOTHERGILL

Florida was not very kind to Easton Fothergill, but since then, it’s been all gas and no brakes. He has said that Hartwell is one of his favorite fisheries, and his Minnesota background makes him dangerous in clear waters. His Classic experience has seemed to remove any nervousness he may have had, and even on Live last week, said he was eyeing the ROY even coming into the Pasquotank in last. I see Fothergill riding his momentum for a while.

Solid secondary pick: Cody Huff has been a little on the quiet side this year, but he can catch them extremely deep and up shallow. The last few events haven’t really been his style, but we could see him excel here.

BUCKET E: GORE

Wesley Gore, being from the Coosa River, has a ton of expertise fishing spotted bass. He also has two Top 25s from Hartwell in previous Bassmaster events. The other kicker is his shallow water abilities, which could play a crucial role if big largemouth are moving up. He didn’t have the best week on the Pasquotank, and I’m sure he’s wanting to bounce back in a big way.

Solid secondary pick: I have to break my theme a little here and go with Matt Arey. Arey is incredibly good at finesse fishing and is sneaky good at fishing for spawning fish in clear water. He got a top 30 when the Elites visited Hartwell in 2019. Matt Arey is typically not a bucket E kind of guy, and I don’t expect him to be there for long.