Bottom Portion Of Hartwell Should Be Popular

By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff

ANDERSON, S.C. – Some might sit and stare, others might run and gun. That’s spring in South Carolina, and it’s what Tyler Campbell expects for the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Hartwell.

Competition days are today through Sunday with daily takeoffs from Green Pond Landing at 7 a.m. ET and weigh-ins each day back at Green Pond Landing at 3 p.m.

Campbell, a Bassmaster Opens competitor and Hartwell guide, spends several days a week on the Savannah River reservoir. Two weeks prior to the Elite tournament he reported good water clarity and a lake level less than half a foot over the full pool level of 660 feet.

Also, midmorning water temperatures were reading around 65 degrees. This, Campbell said, is a pretty good formula for optimism.

“Spring has sprung in South Carolina,” Campbell said. “I’m expecting a spawn/postspawn tournament.”

Noting that the entire lake could be in play, Campbell said the usual mix of wacky rigs, dropshots and Texas rigs will tempt the bed-fish. However, the search for spawners will require a picky perspective.

“You’ll see a lot of fish spawning on dock walkways and in shallow pockets with sand, but you want to look for something isolated and out of the ordinary,” Campbell said. “A lot of the lake’s shallow habitat is pretty monotonous, so if you find something out of the ordinary, like a rock, a stump or a laydown, most of the time that’s where better-than-average fish will be spawning.”

Postspawners will be looking to regain the weight they lost during the spawn, and on Lake Hartwell that mostly means blueback herring. These large, nomadic baitfish lead a fast-paced, highly mobile lifestyle for most of the year, but when spring finds them spawning in key areas, bass are quick to capitalize.

“You have to look for really flat stuff, like a flat point,” Campbell said. “They will spawn on riprap, but what you’re really looking for is that flat stuff.

“Two weeks out, the herring spawn was in full swing. I don’t know if that’s how the tournament will be won, but that’s probably what you’re going to see the majority of the field targeting.”

Key point here: Unlike threadfin shad spawns, which occur mostly at night and spill into the first hour or so of daylight, Campbell said the bluebacks are more sunlight tolerant. That means these gatherings may occur throughout a tournament day.

“They’re still fresh, there’s still a lot of waves of herring spawning,” Campbell said. “Especially on overcast days, they’re gonna stay up there and do their deal pretty much all day.”

Shad will spawn throughout the lake, but finding an area to yourself – and also finding one with quality bass – often requires multiple attempts. That’s where the run-and-gun part comes into play. Rapid casting with Flukes and soft-body swimbaits will produce, but the surface game is hard to beat.

“You’ll see some good topwater strikes,” Campbell said of the hunt for herring eaters. “You can catch them on topwater walkers and pencil poppers, but they really like that blowing-style bait, like the Berkley Cane Walker, here a lot.

“I think a wild card could be someone finding prespawn fish. If there are any prespawn fish to find, it’s gonna be on the lower end of the lake. That’s the deepest, clearest and coldest water, so it warms up the slowest.”

While spring 2025 has seen its share of volatile weather, the long-term forecast shows minimal concerns through tournament week. As long as nothing extreme pops up, Campbell expects Hartwell to show off its renowned potential.

“I think this time of year, everything is pretty stable,” Campbell said. “I don’t think the forecast is calling for any big rains or a major cold front.”

Hartwell is home to largemouth and spotted bass, and while the former grow the biggest, the latter occasionally reach impressive proportions. For reference, Campbell said a 4-pound largemouth is considered a good one, but recent local events have proven that 6- to 8-pounders are not rare.

By comparison, a March tournament produced the lake-record spotted bass — 6 pounds, 4 ounces. Those giant spots are considerably less common than a quality largemouth, so most anglers will target the latter. However, Campbell predicts several mixed bags.

“I think the better-quality fish will come from the lower third of the lake, from takeoff and down,” he said. “That area has the bigger population of fish and a better average size. I attribute that to a better population of baitfish.”

Campbell believes it will take 16 to 17 pounds a day to make the Top 10, with a daily average of 18 to 19 pounds to win the blue trophy. Versatility, he said, will prove essential to success.

“The key will be not getting too bogged down in one area or one pattern,” Campbell said. “Guys are gonna have to mix it up, they’re going to have to cover a lot of water and adapt with the conditions. These herring fish are fickle, depending on the weather and the fishing pressure.

“Several guys are going to be on top of one another and they’re going to have to get creative and figure out some different ways to catch them. A guy that stays versatile and is ready to adapt is going to be a guy to watch out for in this one.”

Bassmaster LIVE coverage of the event will be available on Bassmaster.com Days 1 and 2 starting at 8 a.m. ET and ending at 3 p.m. and will also be on Roku Sports from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday action can be seen on FS1 from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. before moving to Bassmaster.com in the afternoon.

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