2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 1: Christie Sacks 20-14lbs for Lead!

Oklahoma room mates land 1 & 2!
By Luigi De Rose

Considering the hype about Lake Hartwell prior to the start, the fishing was slow for most. Even the top anglers complained about long lulls between bites. Oklahoma anglers Christie and Evers, room mates on tour, sit first and second after Day 1. Both explained that Hartwell fishes very similar to Grand Lake. The site of the 2016 Classic, Grand Lake is where Christie led the first two day but later succumbed to a heroic last day limit by Ever which vaulted him in the winner's circle. This event could be a repeat of 2016.

Tomorrow will see increased cloud cover and warmer temps. This might give shallow anglers or anglers targeting spotted bass with moving baits the edge.

1	Jason Christie		5 / 20-14
2	Edwin Evers		5 / 19- 9
3	Jordan Lee		5 / 18-10
4	Brent Ehrler		5 / 17- 8
5	Ott DeFoe		5 / 16- 8
6	James Elam		5 / 16- 7
7	Jacob Wheeler		5 / 16- 1
8	Mark Daniels Jr.		5 / 15-14
9	Gerald Swindle		5 / 15-13
10	Jamie Hartman		5 / 15-12
11	Dustin Connell		5 / 15- 5
11	Jason Williamson		5 / 15- 5
13	Jacob Powroznik		5 / 15- 4
14	Casey Ashley		5 / 15- 0
15	Alton Jones		5 / 14- 9

2018 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Starts Today!

The 2018 Bassmaster Classic is a 3 day event that starts today.  IBASSIN.com has you covered for this event. Visit us for daily standings, mid-day reports and photos to help you enjoy the greatest tournament in bass fishing.

3 Senko Presentations You Must Know!

The recent 2016 Walmart FLW Lake Hartwell had almost all the top 10 anglers fishing for spawning bass with a Senko. Each angler had their own special colour or brand but all of them knew how amazing Senko style baits can be around shallow bass.

Learn how to use a wacky, neko and texas rig Senko will catch bass anywhere they live.

John Cox Wins 2016 Walmart FLW Lake Hartwell Event with 67-06lbs!

Canadians Jeff Gustafson 4th and Cory Johnston 8th!

FLW PRESS RELEASE

John Cox of Debary, Fla., loves fishing ponds. As a kid, he cut his teeth fishing ponds. The first bass club Cox ever joined was a johnboat-only-club that fished on small ponds. The first aluminum boat Cox owned had a blown outboard on it that he could not afford to get fixed. But that didn’t bother him one bit. After all, he just wanted to put the boat in on ponds where he could use the trolling motor to fish around the banks.

Staying quick and aiming shallow proved the difference for Cox.
(Photo: FLW)

Maybe that helps explain why Cox has mostly run aluminum boats on the Walmart FLW Tour. It might also help explain why Cox usually seeks out smaller, limited access backwaters connected to lakes during Tour events.

“These big lakes confuse me,” Cox laughs. “I feel much more comfortable fishing in smaller backwaters off of a main lake or river.”

Today, Cox utilized just such a secluded backwater to come from second place and win the Walmart FLW Tour presented by Evinrude and hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau at Lake Hartwell. His final-day weight of 16 pounds, 2 ounces was enough to nudge past Clark Wendlandt at the finish line by a mere 7 ounces. In four days, Cox accrued 67 pounds, 6 ounces to win the $100,000 payday.

This is the second time Cox has accessed an obscure area for a Tour win. His first Tour win was in 2011 at the Red River when he pushed his aluminum boat through a culvert into a backwater area to reach unpressured fish.

2016 Walmart FLW Lake Hartwell Day 2: John Cox Grabs Lead.

Johnston Brothers Sit 11^th and 13^th.

by Rob Newell

FLW PRESS RELEASE

The Walmart FLW Tour sightfest continued on day two at Lake Hartwell which is presented by Evinrude and hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau. Once again, brilliant blue skies with a few clouds and no wind graced the field and to hear the anglers tell it, there are still plenty of fish moving up – by the hour.

Burning banks pays off for Cox. (Photo FLW)

Several leaders said they found new fish today and others have even commented they have watched fish swim up and lock down right in front of their eyes.

Though the weatherman continues to threaten with rain over the weekend, pros are in a state of bed-fishing bliss, with leaders claiming they plan to sight-fish right on into the weekend.

With sight fishing in full effect, it’s no wonder that the lead spot has been overtaken by John “Eagle Eye” Cox, an angler known for his sight-fishing savvy on the FLW Tour. Today Cox weighed in 20 pounds, 5 ounces for a two-day total of 37 pounds, 1 ounce.

While Cox did sight fish quite a bit today, he did admit that his two biggest fish came from, “just fishing” while looking for beds. One of those big ones registered 6-pounds, 11 ounces on the scales.

2016 Walmart FLW Lake Hartwell Day 1: Darrel Robertson Leads with Ideal Sight-fishing Conditions.

Gussy lands 6-14 bass to grab big bass award.                                                                               FLW PRESS RELEASE 

During the official practice period for Walmart FLW Tour event presented by Evinrude and hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau on Lake Hartwell, a huge springtime warm-up graced the Southeast. For three days in a row, sunny slick conditions warmed Hartwell’s waters to the peak spawning temperatures for bass. All during practice anglers trolled the banks looking at fish that had just moved up from deep water and were just starting to make beds.

Vetran Robertson leads with only limit over 20lbs.
(Photo: FLW)

Today the pros finally got to mash the gas and see exactly what Hartwell could produce. On a scale of 1 to 10 for sight-fishing conditions, today ranked a 10 plus with bright blue sunny skies and not a breath of wind. Anglers were not confined to just pockets or coves for sight-fishing; they could have sight-fished on main-lake shoals if they wanted.

The result was a weigh-in dominated by bass that were being looked at when they were caught. Hartwell showed out with multiple 15-pound bags. In fact, 27 limits topped the scales at 15 pounds or better on the pro side. The top 20-cut after day one stands at 15 pounds, 10 ounces.

2016 FLW Tour Schedule Announced!

FLW announced the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour regular-season schedule today in a live press conference held at the 2015 ICAST show in Orlando, Fla. With the help of six veteran Tour pros, the company unveiled each of the six events, one-by-one, to a crowd of observers gathered around the FLW booth.

Here are the details.

2016 Walmart FLW Tour Regular-Season Schedule

• February 4-7     Lake Okeechobee         Clewiston, Fla.

Hosted by Roland and Mary Ann Martin’s Marina & Resort and the Hendry County Tourism Development Council

Best 2015 CLASSIC Coverage Poll

What Gave You the Best Insight?
By Luigi De Rose

Skeet waiting to start on Day 1. (Photo James Overstreet BASS)

The past Bassmaster Classic provided the greatest live coverage of any BASS tournament ever. Fans loved it. But, what type of coverage worked best for you? Fill out our poll (situation to the right of this post) to help find out what helps you get your Classic on. You're allowed multiple answers so don't hold back.

2015 Bassmaster Classic on Lake Hartwell Day 2: Omori Leads Ounces Over Rojas and Ike!

By Bryan Brasher

BASS press release

GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The final day of the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro on Lake Hartwell is shaping up to be a free-for-all with a handful of former Classic champions sitting atop the standings with the coveted trophy and $300,000 first-place prize well within their grasp.

Takahiro Omori, a Japanese angler who now makes his home in Emory, Texas, caught five fish that weighed 16 pounds, 11 ounces Saturday and claimed the lead going into Sunday’s final round with a two-day total of 31-11.

Takahiro Omori jumped from seventh place into the lead going into the final day of the 2015 Bassmaster Classic.
(Photo: James Overstreet BASS)

The 2004 Classic winner holds a razor-thin lead over Arizona angler Dean Rojas (31-9), New Jersey angler and 2003 Classic winner Michael Iaconelli (31-0) and 2014 Classic winner Randy Howell of Alabama (30-11).

Omori got off to a slow start Saturday. But with years of experience and one Classic title already under his belt, he didn’t panic and managed enough weight to jump from seventh into first.

Casey Ashley Wins the 2014 FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Event.

Texan Redington wins co-angler title, $25,000

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Pro angler Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., brought the largest stringer to the scale on Sunday – for the third time in four days of competition – to win the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Ashley weighed in a five-bass limit worth 15 pounds, 10 ounces to win the $100,000 prize after leading wire-to-wire in the four-day event that showcased 176 of the best bass-fishing professionals in the world.

Casey went wire to wire to win this event by 15 pounds!
(Photos: FLW)

Ashley’s four-day total of 20 bass weighing 68 pounds, 5 ounces gave him an impressive 14-pound, 8-ounce margin of victory over second-place finisher Livingston Lures pro Andy Morgan of Dayton, Tenn., whose four-day total of 20 bass weighed 53 pounds, 13 ounces and earned him $30,000.

“This week has been magical,” said Ashley, who earned the first Walmart FLW Tour victory of his career. “I’m not taking away from any major tournament that I’ve won, but it really means a lot to win at home. When you win at home, everybody you know is here. A lot of times my family gets to travel to my closer tournaments, but at home everybody gets to be there. A lot of them were out on the water watching me. I think the whole town of Donalds is here. It’s just an awesome feeling.”

Ashley said that he concentrated his efforts this week fishing the lower end of Lake Hartwell in the clear water. He targeted deep brush piles from 25 to 40 feet deep.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Day 3: Casey Ashley Advances with 10 Pound Lead!

Fog shortened day 3 makes for difficult day.

FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Walmart FLW Tour competitors arrived to Lake Hartwell early Saturday morning only to find a thick blanket of fog that forced FLW Tournament Director Bill Taylor to delay takeoff. After approximately a three-hour delay, anglers were allowed to start day three of the Walmart FLW Tour at Lake Hartwell presented by Ranger Boats. Local pro Casey Ashley of Donalds, S.C., increased his lead after again bringing the largest five-bass limit of the day to the scale weighing 15 pounds, 7 ounces.

Casey working his first bass of the day to the boat.
(Photo: FLW)

Ashley’s three-day total of 52 pounds, 11 ounces gives him a commanding 9-pound, 10-ounce lead over pro Clent Davis of Montevallo, Ala., heading into the fourth and final day of competition in the tournament that features the world’s best bass-fishing anglers casting for the top cash award of up to $125,000.

“I was really worried because we had such a short day today,” said Ashley, who is seeking his first Walmart FLW Tour win. “I’m not catching a lot of fish in one place, and I’m having to move around a lot. I’ve still got some stuff that I haven’t even fished yet, just because of time. It takes some time to keep fishing how I have been, and there is just not enough time in the day, especially today.

Ashley said that he wasn’t really doing anything special, and most of his fish were still coming on a jig and a shaky-head rig. After weighing in all largemouth bass on day one and mostly spotted bass on day two, Ashley brought a mixed bag to the scale on day three consisting of two largemouth and three spots.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Day 2: Ashley Holds Lead on Trying Day.

Local switches to Spots and cold rain continues
by Brett Carlson
FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – It was inconceivable to think the conditions could get any worse at the Walmart FLW Tour event, but that’s exactly what happened on day two at Lake Hartwell. In addition to the wind and cold, steady rain pounded the field and changed the water color in many of Hartwell’s popular creeks from stained to burnt orange.

Tournament leader Casey Ashley gets quizzed
on how to fish in cold, rainy weather.
(Photo: FLW)

The bite changed for pro leader Casey Ashley, but he was still able to build his lead to nearly 3 pounds. Instead of catching mainly largemouths, today Ashley weighed four sizeable spots and just one bucketmouth.

“Yesterday was really a freak thing,” said Ashley who lives in nearby Donalds, S.C. “I made every right move yesterday. It took me until 1 p.m. to get a limit today, but then I culled six or seven times. It’s slow fishing. I’m picking off one here, and one there. I was able to fish some new stuff today because the wind blew out of another direction and I was able to fish where I couldn’t get to yesterday.”

Ashley said that he has been catching most of his fish this week on a jig and a shaky head. The lone largemouth that he weighed Friday came via a swimbait in the back of a creek, something he rarely throws. Other than starting each morning on schooling fish, Ashley’s overall pattern is still unclear.

“I’m spending a lot of time in the right areas and just fishing methodically and precisely. The sun doesn’t really help or hurt me. The fish that I am catching now are relating to what they relate to for different reasons. They just live there, like a brush pile under a dock.”

With a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 37 pounds, 4 ounces, Ashley has nearly a 3-pound lead at the halfway point in the tournament.

2014 Walmart FLW Tour Lake Hartwell Day 1: Ashley Breaks 20lb Mark as Pack Averages 10.

by Brett Carlson
FLW Press Release

SENECA, S.C. – Casey Ashley may be fishing his first Walmart FLW Tour season, but he’s no stranger to big-time tournaments on Lake Hartwell. One in particular still sticks with him and not for good reason. Today, he put some big-time revenge on the Hartwell bass – catching a 21-pound, 7-ounce stringer on a day where less than half the field cracked double digits.

Casey, uses local experience on Hartwell
during cold, wet day 1.
(Photo: FLW)

With temperatures in the mid-40s and a steady 20 mph northeast wind, the conditions made a tough bite even tougher. Right as the day-one weigh-in commenced, the rain started and isn’t supposed to let up until Friday afternoon. None of this affected Ashley, who fishes Hartwell often and knew the bite was screwy thanks to a cold and unpredictable spring.

“Four weeks ago the lake was on fire and you could catch them any way you wanted to, from 2 feet to 50 feet,” said the 30-year-old pro leader. “ Now they are just roaming. I had some good stuff that I found in practice and I caught some pretty good fish. I fished some stuff that had gone well in practice and didn’t get bit today. I caught my better fish today on stuff that I didn’t even practice. And the wind was so bad I didn’t get to fish all my stuff. I really only hit what was protected.”

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Bryan Thrift's Favourite Rock!

I forgot a key piece of information that further details the determination needed to excel at Lake Hartwell.
Bryan Thrift, for four days cast to a single boulder. Sounds crazy but that is what he did and it worked. First, how confident or desperate are you to press your luck and entire tournament on one rock? That takes nerves of steel. He explained that the fish were coming off of it so why change. I'm sure he tried to broaden his fishing area, but something made him come back to that rock.
If you were betting man; would you take a wager that you could only fish one area on a lake? Hey, let's make it interesting, say we make it only one rock. No one would take a bet like that. But, Bryan made it work all the way to Sunday. It helped him keep his AOY title safe for another week and that is all that counts. 
When we look at tournament performances, it really is the on the water decisions and adjustments that allow anglers become super stars. Bryan makes it look easy. Maybe for him it is.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Secrets to Their Success

How Hartwell Was Won
By Luigi De Rose

Under trying conditions, Jason Christie of Oklahoma went wire to wire all four days to claimed the championship at Lake Hartwell this past weekend. To the casual observer, it looks so simple. Whip a spinnerbait out there and reel them in.
Fourth-place Ramie Colson, Jr. and 12th-place Dan Morehead fished the same backwater, yet they couldn't equal his success.  Christie's catches over the event were: day 1: 22-04, day 2: 20-04, day 3: 13-06 and day 4: 14-13  for a grand total of 70-11. Jason Christie executed very well and used a proven spring time strategy to keep first place all to himself.

Confidence was the name of his game. During several interviews, Jason explained that his fishing area looked a lot like Oklahoma water. What that meant was his area was very similar to the types of areas he fishes back in his home state. It had shallow flats with trees along the shoreline and an underwater ditch. It was very typical of the areas Jason prefers to fish in the spring.

Feeling comfortable in an area provides a feeling that cannot be matched. This is especially true during high stakes fishing. Its easy to become frazzled and leave a good area. Jason had the confidence, conviction and stamina to work it. Much like how KVD won the Classic, how Brandon MacMillan won at Lake Okeechobee and how Shaw Grigsby won at Harris Chain of Lakes. Each angler found the correct location, with all the features needed for spawning and worked it to death. It is amazing how much repetitive casting is needed to grind out a victory. Larry Nixon, a living legend, explained that he intentionally searched out clearer water at Hartwell.  For him, clear water has always worked for him in the past and he felt comfortable there and road it out to a sixth place finish. Even when the wind blew the baitfish out of Larry's location the second day, he stood by his guns like a true veteran.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 4: Christie Captures Hartwell with 70-11

Thrift, current leader and reigning Angler of the Year, continues streak of top performances

Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC

FLW Press Release

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 14 pounds, 13 ounces Sunday to lead the tournament wire-to-wire to win his first Tour title as well as $125,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy with a four-day catch of 20 bass weighing 70-11.

“This goes to the people who support me,” said an emotional Christie. “They’re sitting there watching me right now – my parents, kids, wife and uncles.”
The final day of competition started slowly for Christie. He made a run down the same area in Beaver Creek he had fished the previous days of competition and didn’t have a bite at almost 10 a.m. Christie stuck with his game plan, however, and relocated to another spot in the same creek.


“I had one stretch that I could catch them in, but I went through the entire stretch and never got a bite,” Christie said. “I moved across to a little half-moon - a little notch in the bank that has a deep cut that runs into it. That’s where I caught my fish.”


Christie said he caught most of his keeper fish in Beaver Creek with four coming during the second day from Shoal Creek. Christie said he caught one fish by flipping a YUM soft plastic bait the second day of competition, and said 75 percent of the rest came on a BOOYAH spinnerbait and the others on a YUM F2 Mighty Bug. Christies’ rigs consisted of Falcon rods, Quantum Smoke reels and 20- and 25-pound-test Silver Thread Fluorocarbon line.


“The spinnerbait has taken a lot of trial and error with me,” Christie said. “The BOOYAH ½-ounce spinnerbait has a single willow blade on it and the wire is light, so when you throw it, it has the same vibration as a (BOOYAH) Boogie Bait. It has a thumping vibration. And the fish – pre-spawn, spawn and postspawn fish – they like that vibration.


“One of the reasons I picked that creek was it was landlocked,” Christie added. “So you’re going to have some pre-spawn fish, some fish that are spawning and some post-spawn fish. I mean, they’re going to spawn in there for another month. It’s just a big area. Three guys in the top 20 were in there and the co-angler won in there. There’s some really big fish in there. I was shocked.”


Christie opened the tournament on Thursday with five bass weighing 22-4. On Friday he added another five bass weighing 20-4. He then caught five bass weighing 13-6 Saturday to make the crucial top-10 cut in first place.


“People don’t realize how hard it is to win a tournament after four days,” Christie said. “And it’s not done very often out of one area. After the second day I had come in with two big bags and I still had to catch them two more days to win. I know if I had gone scrambling good things wouldn’t have happened.”


Christie’s final-day catch gave him the win by a 10-pound margin over National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., who caught a total of 20 bass weighing 60-11 and earned $35,000.


“Coming into today I didn’t think second (place) was doable,” Ehrler said. “I was thinking, ‘Man, I hope I just catch them OK and move up into third or fourth.’ It was brutal because it took all day. I didn’t just go out and catch them on the one spot. I did something different every day. And that’s tough, because you don’t know if you’re going to catch 7 pounds or 20 pounds.”


The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in:


3rd: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 20 bass, 59-4, $30,750


4th: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 20 bass, 57-10, $25,000


5th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 20 bass, 55-13, $20,500


6th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 20 bass, 55-2, $17,000


7th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, 20 bass, 54-2, $16,500


8th: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Union City, Pa., 20 bass, 54-1, $15,000


9th: AMP Energy pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 19 bass, 50-12, $14,000


10th: Tom Monsoor, La Crosse, Wis., 16 bass, 50-10, $13,000

Overall there were 46 bass weighing 111 pounds, 12 ounces caught by pros Sunday. The catch included nine five-bass limits.


J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., in second place with 14 bass weighing 33-0 worth $7,500.


In FLW Tour competition, pros and co-anglers are vying for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, where they could win up to $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award – and $60,000 respectively. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita.


Pros and co-anglers are also competing for the prestigious Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s in 2011 that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors. The pro winner will receive $100,000, while the co-angler title holder will win a new Ranger 198VX with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.


The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy was hosted by the Greenville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Anderson Convention and Visitors Bureau, and was the third of 10 Walmart FLW Tour tournaments of the 2011 season. The Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Chickamauga presented by National Guard will be the next tournament and will be held April 14-17 in Chattanooga, Tenn. The event will be hosted by the Great Chattanooga Sports Committee and boats will launch from Chester Frost Park in Hixson, Tenn.


Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air May 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper and Laura Schara, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.


For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors.


About FLW Outdoors


FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, browse FLWOutdoors.com or visit FantasyFishing.com.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell: Day 4 Predictions

For All the Chips
By Luigi De Rose

FLW Tour stop on Lake Hartwell has been a typical spring tournament. A battle of spawning fish. A battle of dirty vs. clear water. A battle of East vs. West anglers.  Day 4 is when it all counts. This is the last day to make it happen. Unfortunately, it might be out of everyone's hands. 

What's working
With so much rain on Day 3 it should have effected the fishing but good catches came from both stained and clearer areas. Sight fishing was a wash. Ish Monroe complained that the overcast conditions impaired his view along with the pollen floating on the water. His catch dropped and he didn't advance. Surprisingly, finesse worked well for West Coast super star Brent Ehrler as it did for Stacy King in his muddy, up- river coves. Power fisherman like tournament leader Jason Christie, Bryan Thirft in fifth and Joe Thomas in tenth, all did well cranking a range of baits. Others said the swimbait bite should have been better but the rain was a cold rain which hampered the fish's mood.

Problem
It rained like hell all of Day 3. Anglers were soaked. With more rain expected last night, the lake will continue to rise. This is concerning for all. The anglers in the upper reaches of the lake, especially the ones fishing coves with creeks in the back might be met with a wall of cold, muddy water. Even in the lower sections of the lake this is not a blessing. Tom Monsoor explained that the grass his fish are relating to is now underwater. During practice he could see the grass and cast to it. Now he is fishing from memory. Joe Thomas, while being interviewed by FLW outdoors stated that his dad told him two thing, "muddy water is OK and cold water is OK but cold muddy water is no good." If his dad's theory is correct many in the Top 10 are in for a world of trouble.

FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Day 3: Christie Still Leads

Christie Still in Lead but Tom Monsoor Closing In

Lake Hartwell 3/24/11 - 3/27/11 -- Lake Hartwell
Portman Shoals Marina, Greenville, SC

FLW Press Release

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Diet Mountain Dew pro Jason Christie of Park Hill, Okla., caught a five-bass limit weighing 13 pounds, 6 ounces Saturday to capture the lead at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Chevy and advanced to the top 10 as the crucial No. 1 seed. With a three-day catch of 15 bass weighing 55-14, he now holds a 6-pound, 1-ounce lead in the tournament going into the final day of competition.


“They’re there … I just have to make them bite,” Christie said. “I think I’ve figured it out. Hopefully this dirty water will make it where I can catch them.


“The water has gotten really clear,” Christie added. “I thought the lake had come down a lot, but it’s actually just clearing up to where I can see the bottom, and I don’t like that. They can see my bait too good. I can’t tell you how many I had wake my bait … just running out of the bed after my bait.”


Christie said he employed the same technique to catch his limit on the third day of competition that he used the first two days - a ½-ounce white BOOYAH spinnerbait with a single gold Colorado blade. Christie said he doesn’t plan on changing tactics.


“I’m going to go down swinging doing the same thing tomorrow,” Christie said.

Jason Christie Still in Control.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

Christie said the creeks are flowing muddy water into the lake after Saturday’s rain, and he thinks that could play right into his hands for his first FLW Tour win.


“Hopefully it’s going to wash dirty water into my area,” Christie said. “And if it does, it’s going to be fun.”


Tom Monsoor of La Crosse, Wis., advanced to the final round of 10 pros in the No. 2 spot with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 49-13.


“It was a long, slow day, but I ground it out and ended up with a decent sack,” Monsoor said. “I’m going to go out and grind it out again tomorrow. I’m happy with what I’m doing.”


Monsoor said he targeted bass with a jerkbait on “specific” types of grass on the lake during the first three days of competition and believes his method will continue to be productive on the last day.


“Fish are slowly moving up as the water goes up, and there’s a few more fish every day,” Monsoor said. “It’s been beat up pretty bad. But today I had a little more than yesterday. Each day I try to find another little spot here or there.”


Despite his 6-pound deficit, Monsoor remained optimistic about his chance for his first FLW Tour victory.



Tom Monsoor a solid second.
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

 “It all depends on if I do good and if (Christie) does bad,” Monsoor said. “I guess we’ll just have to see tomorrow.”


Rounding out the top 10 pros and advancing to the final day of competition are:


3rd: Stacey King, Reeds Spring, Mo., 15 bass, 45-9
4th: Chevy pro Bryan Thrift, Shelby, N.C., 15 bass, 45-6
5th: National Guard pro Brent Ehrler, Redlands, Calif., 15 bass, 45-3
6th: Ramie Colson Jr., Cadiz, Ky., 15 bass, 45-0
7th: AMP Energy pro Stetson Blaylock, Benton, Ark., 14 bass, 43-5
8th: Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes pro Dave Lefebre, Union City, Pa., 15 bass, 42-6
9th: Chevy pro Larry Nixon, Bee Branch, Ark., 15 bass, 42-5
10th: Joe Thomas, Milford, Ohio, 15 bass, 42-3


Finishing in 11th through 20th are:


11th: Mike Reynolds, Modesto, Calif., 15 bass, 42-0, $12,500
12th: Prevacid 24HR pro Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., 15 bass, 41-9, $12,500
13th: Straight Talk pro J.T. Kenney, Palm Bay, Fla., 15 bass, 41-8, $12,500
14th: Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 15 bass, 41-3, $12,500
15th: Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-14, $12,500
16th: Walmart pro Wesley Strader, Spring City, Tenn., 15 bass, 40-4, $12,000
17th: Ishama Monroe, Hughson, Calif., 14 bass, 38-10, $12,000
18th: National Guard pro Justin Lucas, Guntersville, Ala., 15 bass, 37-0, $12,000
19th: Troy Morrow, Toccoa, Ga., 15 bass, 36-8, $12,000
20th: Chevy pro Jimmy Houston, Cookson, Okla., 10 bass, 29-7, $12,000

King's Near the Top Again
(Photo: Brett Carlson FLW)

Overall there were 93 bass weighing 215 pounds, 1 ounce caught by pros Saturday. The catch included 17 five-bass limits.


Pros are competing for a top award of up to $125,000 this week plus valuable points in the hope of qualifying for the Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. This year’s Cup will be in Hot Springs, Ark., Aug. 11-14 on Lake Ouachita where pros will compete for a top prize of $600,000 – the sport’s biggest award. Pro anglers are also vying for the prestigious 2011 Walmart FLW Tour Angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s that will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors with the winner receiving $100,000 for their accomplishment.


J.R. Wright of Truckee, Calif., won the Co-angler Division and $25,000 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 40 pounds, 9 ounces followed by Moo Bae of West Friendship, Md., in second place with 14 bass weighing 33-0 worth $7,500.


“I fished three different styles this week,” Wright said. “The first day I was in stained water. I threw a drop-shot (rig) with a Jackall Flick Shake … and I just got the right bites. Today I weighed in all largemouth; I had been weighing in spotted bass.


“Today I fished with Jason Christie and had plenty of room,” Wright added. “I caught them on a spinnerbait and a drop-shot (rig) that I throw down on the (California) Delta. It has a 6-inch leader in about a foot of water. So every day it changed.”


Rounding out the top 10 co-anglers are:


3rd: Richard Peek, Centre, Ala., 14 bass, 30-14, $5,000
4th: Jeff Sprague, Forney, Texas, 15 bass, 30-11, $4,000
5th: Andy Scholz, Reno, Nev., 14 bass, 29-14, $3,250
6th: Tommy Milligan, Seneca, S.C., 15 bass, 29-12, $2,500
7th: Mike Helton, Jeffersonville, Ind., 14 bass, 29-5, $2,000
8th: Nick Hensley, Cumming, Ga., 15 bass, 27-11, $1,800
9th: Doug Caldwell, Kane, Pa., 15 bass, 27-8, $1,700
10th: Spencer Shuffield, Bismarck, Ark., 11 bass, 26-4, $1,600


Overall there were 67 bass weighing 118 pounds, 1 ounce caught by co-anglers Saturday. The catch included 10 five-bass limits.


Co-anglers are fishing for a top award of $25,000 this week plus valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2011 Forrest Wood Cup. The Walmart FLW Tour Co-angler of the Year presented by Kellogg’s will be determined by the most points accumulated over the six Tour Majors and the winner will receive a new Ranger 198VX with a 200-horsepower Evinrude or Mercury outboard.


The top 10 pros will take off at 7 Sunday morning from Portman Shoals Marina located at 1629 Marina Rd. in Anderson, S.C. Sunday’s final weigh-in will be held at the Carolina First Center located at One Exposition Drive in Greenville beginning at 4 p.m.


Fans will be treated to the FLW Outdoors Expo at the Carolina First Center on Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. prior to the final weigh-in. The Expo provides the opportunity for fans to interact with professional anglers, ride Ranger boat simulators, enjoy interactive games, activities and giveaways provided by sponsors, and learn more about the sport of fishing and other outdoor activities. The first 300 kids 14 and under to the Expo will receive a free rod & reel courtesy of The Greenville News. Plus, one lucky fan will win a Can-Am ATV compliments of 92.5 WESC following the final weigh-in. You must be present to win. All activities are free and open to the public.


Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on VERSUS. “FLW Outdoors” will air May 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper and Laura Schara, is broadcast to more than 500 million households worldwide.


For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow FLW Outdoors on Facebook at Facebook.com/FLWFishing and on Twitter at Twitter.com/FLWOutdoors .


About FLW Outdoors


FLW Outdoors is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world offering anglers worldwide the opportunity to compete for millions over the course of 191 tournaments in 2011. FLW Outdoors has taken fishing mainstream with the world’s richest fantasy sports game, FLW Fantasy Fishing presented by Straight Talk, where competitors can play for free as well as sign up for Player’s Advantage to gain an edge. For more information about FLW Outdoors and FLW Fantasy Fishing, browse FLWOutdoors.com or visit FantasyFishing.com.