The setup
Having won the 2021 Bassmaster College Classic Bracket at the Coosa River, the Bethel University grad Tristan McCormick returned to Hartwell seven months after making his Classic debut (March 4-6, 2022) on this Savannah River reservoir. As McCormick pointed out, technological developments created an option that he readily exploited.
“We were just starting to figure out LiveScope, and we were just starting to figure out that you could catch these fish off the bank,” McCormick said. “That’s what I was doing. I was fishing down by the dam and there were four or five island tops where I stayed the entire tournament.”
Leveraging the live sonar recon, McCormick fished these structures with what he called his one-two punch.
“I was catching them on a drop shot with what was, at the time, the new Strike King Filler Worm in the morning dawn color,” he said. “I was seeing these fish cruising around on the bottom around these island tops, and I would pitch at them with the drop shot.
“I was catching a lot of my biggest fish doing that, but when I caught them, they had mud on their bellies. That’s how tight they were to the bottom. I think they were eating crawfish.”
When he got to the point of an island top, McCormick would pan out and find fish suspended in a cane pile or far off the end of the point. That’s when he’d switch to a 5-inch Strike King Caffeine Shad in the ghost shad color rigged on a 2/0 Owner Cover Shot hook (hook exposed).
“There would be a school of 20 or 30 of them, and when I’d throw that Caffeine Shad past them and burn it by them, they’d all come up,” McCormick said. “I might catch a big one, or I might catch a little one, but I definitely caught more big ones on the bottom with the filler worm.”
The variables
As McCormick recalled, two key factors were working in his favor. First, calm, clear conditions facilitated a stealthy attack.
“On a herring lake, that’s what you want, in my opinion,” McCormick said. “That time of year, it’s a big deal, because I was able to move around really quietly and sneakily and make the accurate casts.
“Even with LiveScope being new, you want to make your first cast the best opportunity that you have.”
Also advantageous was the relatively secluded scenario in which McCormick fished.
“You kinda want an area to yourself,” he said. “The dam’s a popular spot, but those island tops I was fishing don’t look that great on a map, so I really feel like that’s why I had it to myself.”
Despite these favorable details, McCormick said he had to mentally prepare himself to handle a humbling reality.
“Blasting off Day 1, I had several of the EliteSeries guys there,” he said. “I looked over and saw (Gerald) Swindle, (Jason) Christie. Looking around, I’m thinking, ‘The best of the best are here. What do I do now?’
“That was the first Open I fished with a lot of Elite Series guys, so I had to overcome being nervous, so I could make good decisions and remain calm, cool and collected.”
How’d he handle it? Perspective.
“I was definitely starstruck around the ramp before blastoff, but once I blast off, my mind goes completely free,” McCormick said. “I know, in my head, it’s me against the fish. You can look around at the ramp, but you have to leave all that behind you and just focus on your task at hand.”
The key ingredient
Looking back, McCormick said this win was not complicated. The island tops were the deal.
“Once I’d leave that area and head back to the ramp, I’d catch some fish, but I could tell they were pressured and the size definitely went down,” McCormick said. “Cody Meyer — in my opinion, the greatest spotted bass fisherman in the world — taught me that the biggest bass in the lake live at the dam.
“I took that into consideration in practice and I found those couple of island tops, and I was like, ‘From what I’ve seen, this is where I’ve found the biggest bass.’”
McCormick said he took care not to risk exhausting his fish before he needed them.
“In practice, I don’t try to fish (my areas) too much,” he said. “I catch one or two and get a sample, so I can decide if I think I can do well on that spot.
“In practice, I’d fish an island top and I’d catch a 3-plus-pounder as soon as I pulled up. I didn’t soak it, or milk it down.”
With other options, mostly cane and brushpiles, throughout the lake, McCormick wisely balanced his practice evaluation. Ultimately, the decision was clear.
“Starting the tournament, I was like, ‘If I’m gonna catch 3-plus-pounders, it’s gonna be on these island tops,” McCormick said.
The outcome
McCormick said Day 1 really solidified his belief in the game plan. The next two days would test his resolve, but getting off to a strong start put him on the path he’d follow all the way to a trophy.
By the numbers, McCormick placed sixth on Day 1, just 1 pound and 11 ounces off the lead with 16-2. In the second round, he added 14-1 and trailed the top spot by 2-15 before a Day 3 limit of 14-13 pushed him across the finish line with a total of 45 pounds — and a 9-ounce winning margin.
The tournament’s first day started hot and McCormick’s drop shot and Caffeine Shad combo had produced 16 pounds by 9:30. Wisely laying off his fish, he practiced other areas and found a few more options, but he’d end up catching each of the 15 spotted bass he weighed in the dam area.
When Day 2 found his fish acting weird — likely a result of all the boat traffic on his perimeter — McCormick had to considerably slow his drop-shot presentation.
“I set my rod down to take a drink of water and when I picked my rod up, a fish was swimming off with my bait,” McCormick said. “I took note of that, and that’s what I did the rest of the day to catch my bag.”
Describing Day 3 as an absolute grind, McCormick caught two of his limit fish by soaking the drop shot and added the other 3 on the Caffeine Shad. As the final round was concluding, McCormick was proud of his effort, but not optimistic about his chances.
“At the end of the last day, I thought there’s no way I’d win it,” McCormick admits. “I had cameraman Jake Latendresse with me, and he said, ‘Tell me about your day.’ I said, ‘I left it all on the water.’”
A couple of hours later, McCormick was holding the first-place trophy.
“When it’s your time, it’s your time. You can’t screw it up,” he said. “This was the most unexpected thing that’s ever happened to me.”
