Kyle Cortiana predicts that MLF Invitational anglers will need to average 18 to 21 pounds per day to stay in contention at Lake Hartwell.
March 14, 2025
By MLF Communications Staff ANDERSON, S.C.– The second Major League Fishing Invitational event of 2025 is set to launch on Lake Hartwell today and run through Sunday.
Hartwell and Green Pond Landing is a familiar tournament destination for competing anglers – the fishery has hosted numerous major events over the years and the world-class facilities offer a visual showcase with the amphitheater-style weigh-in seating and the scenic backdrop of the lake. This event marks the first time since 2016 that a professional-level MLF event with the five-fish weigh-in format will be held at Green Pond Landing.
“Based on the extreme weather patterns I’ve seen, with lows in the 30s and highs hitting the 70s, I suspect this will likely be a pre-spawn tournament,” said Invitationals pro Kyle Cortiana, who has 14 career Top-10 finishes in MLF competition. “The fish will be plump and heavy, staging in typical areas like brush piles, laydowns, and docks to warm up and feed. This event is going to be all about figuring out where they’re setting up and capitalizing on those opportunities.”
Cortiana plans to have several baits tied on to target both Lake Hartwell’s big spotted bass and its healthy population of largemouth bass.
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“I’ll have a bottom-dragging bait, like a Carolina rig or a big football jig, to drag on the hard, rocky bottoms,” Cortiana said. “Lots of guys are going to be looking at them with their electronics, so the forward-facing sonar baits will be big – any sort of minnow. And I also think finesse baits will play – a shaky-head rig with a Yum Finesse Worm is always strong at Lake Hartwell, and I think we could see some on a Ned rig, like the Yum Dinger. It’s hard to explain why it works so well, but it catches both big spots and largemouth there.”
When it comes to weights, Cortiana believes consistency will be key for a strong finish.
“I think 18 to 21 pounds a day will keep you in contention,” he noted. “If the weather stays consistent, we could see some impressive limits. There are definitely 5, 7, 7-pound-plus largemouth in there, so it’s going to be exciting to see how it unfolds.”
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Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Green Pond Landing, located at 470 Green Pond Road in Anderson. Weigh-ins will be held at the landing and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! livestream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
In Invitationals competition, the full field competes in the two-day opening round on Days 1 and 2 in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the Top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight.
Forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar is limited to only Days 1 and 3 of competition. No forward-facing and/or 360-degree sonar will be allowed on Day 2.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live all three days of competition from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be livestreamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
