Contemporary beliefs say that largemouth bass will dominate the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, while spotted bass will be limit makers. Mark Daniels generally agrees, but he has some interesting, if not debate-worthy, points.
“Spotted bass tend to group up more and tend to be more consistent, especially in a multiple-day event, like the Classic,” Daniels said. “I think if a guy can position himself to catch spotted bass in the 2 1/2- to 3 1/2-pound range, you’ll see more consistent weights.
“Now, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this tournament can be won solely on spotted bass, based on what I’ve seen largemouth-wise this week.”
Backing up a statement that’ll surely draw the ire of the big head faithful, Daniels points to the Lake Hartwell water temperature hovering in the low-50’s as the linchpin.
“Those largemouth want to come to the bank, they want to start spawning, but I think the water temperature is holding them back,” he said. “With a lot of guys that are targeting largemouth relatively shallow, I think you’re going to see fewer bites, but the ones they get have the potential to be really good bites.”
The wildcard that everyone mentions is the blueback herring. Those pelagic gypsies that seem to live in perpetual motion are spotted bass candy and it doesn’t matter how deep they roam, spots will follow.
That being said, Daniels knows a random blueback rally could hold bass with more color below their lateral line.
“I have seen where largemouth will chase those blueback herring and get to schooling on them,” he said. “You could be fishing docks anywhere on this pond and just out behind you in 50-100 feet of water you have 3- and 4-pound largemouth busting on bait.
“You have to keep your eyes peeled, let Mother Nature guide you and you might just run into a big bag of fish.