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Norman,
OK. – Lake Hartwell in Greenville, S.C. is about to receive 50 of the world’s best bass anglers as they gather for the 2008 Bassmaster Classic.
The BZ has selected five Elite Series pros looking to make claim to the title of Bassmaster Classic
Champion. The "Take Five"
pros give the BZ viewer insight on what to
expect at Lake Hartwell.
Between the "Take Five" Classic Qualifiers are two BASS Millionaire Club members, two who are on the verge of breaking into that exclusive club, there are also a collective 33 trips to the Bassmaster Classic, and a total of 18 BASS victories.
The five pros are Edwin Evers of Talala, Okla., Timmy Horton of Muscle Shoals, Ala., Alton Jones of Waco, Tex., Terry Scroggins from San Mateo, Fla. and Dave Wolak, of Wake Forest, N.C.
The following is a breakdown of each of their accomplishments as recorded by BASS how their pre-practice period at Lake Hartwell went, what they think the winning weights will be and what types of patterns will potentially have a chance to catch the winning fish.
Edwin Evers
Age: 33
Career Earnings: $1,020,075.00
Classic Appearances: 8 (Including Lake Hartwell)
BASS Wins: 4
Evers made a trip to Lake Hartwell for a couple of days before the lake went off limits; he said that he felt at home on the lake. “I really liked it a lot,” Evers told The BASS ZONE. “I rode the lake for a couple of days, and it really reminded me of Table Rock, and even though I didn’t fish while I was there, I can see a lot of possibilities.”
As any dedicated tournament angler would, he has been watching the weather forecasts and he knows that the bite could be found at any depth throughout the water column. “The weather has been cold most of the winter,” he reported. “I think it will be primarily a deep bite, but if we get some warming trends, the fish could move shallow.”
With what Evers perceives a seasonal pattern that could have the fish in the shallows, or on offshore structure, he says there are several lure types that could play a part in the champion’s approach. “I am planning on using
Rogues and potentially BD-6 and BD-7
crankbaits if things go the way I hope,” Evers said. “But if the fish stay deep, any one of the Booyah jigs
could come into play.”
Evers said that he is loading up his travel system and will begin driving on Saturday the 9th to get settled and that his family will follow later. He told The BASS ZONE that he thought it would take around 17-pounds a day to win the classic crown. “I don’t think anyone will be able to find a winning pattern on only one species of Hartwell’s bass, I think the winner will have some good largemouth with a couple of spotted bass mixed in.”
Find out more about Evers at: www.edwineversbasspro.com
Timmy Horton
Age: 35
Career Earnings: $995,637.30
Classic Appearances: 9 (Including Lake Hartwell)
BASS Wins: 4
Horton was responsible for one of the most memorable moments of the 2007 Classic at Lay Lake when he caught two heavy spotted bass on the same cast with a Bomber Fat Free Shad crankbait on the opening day. He will also be responsible for another memorable moment at the 2008 Classic whether he wins or not.
When Horton makes his first cast on day one at Lake Hartwell, he will be guaranteed to become a member of the BASS Millionaires Club, even if he does not boat a keeper bass. “I hadn’t really thought about it that way,” Horton told The BASS ZONE. “But to accomplish a goal like that is pretty humbling.”
Horton also spent a few days at Lake Hartwell, but his time was spent doing a lot of looking. “I didn’t fish much,” Horton said. “I did a lot of driving around looking, and I liked what I saw.” He said he had a guest with him before Hartwell went off limits, “I took PGA Tour pro Lucas Glover with me; we had a great time.”
The 2000 Bassmaster Angler of the Year said that he thought that the bite would vary as the weather ran its course over the next couple of weeks. “It could be won by an angler fishing deep, or if the weather warms up, it could turn into a shallow water tournament.”
With those things in mind, Horton said that he would put plenty of each into his Pro Craft Boat’s storage compartments. “I think
a Booyah jig will play a role for me, as will several types of YUM baits, whether as a jig trailers or on their own,” Horton said. “I could also see myself throwing
Fat Free Shad or Xcalibur jerkbaits if the weather starts to warm.”
Horton also said that Hartwell should produce some stout bags for the winner, “I expect the winning weight to be somewhere in the 18 to 19-pounds a day to win,” he said. “I think that largemouth kickers are going to be key, but it will probably take a mixed bag to win.”
To learn more about Timmy Horton click: www.timmyhorton.com
Alton Jones
Age: 44
Career Earnings: $1,083,729.10
Classic Appearances: 11 (Including Lake Hartwell)
BASS Wins: 4
Jones also spent some time at Hartwell scouting the lake prior to cutoff, and he also said that he did a lot of scouting, resisting the urge to fish. “I have found that fishing during the pre practice round can actually be a hindrance,” Jones said. “I have done some of that in the past when getting ready for a Classic, and the fish I found in December were gone in February, so I decided to not fish at all.”
The 11-time Classic qualifier said that his scouting expedition showed there were plenty of types of water at Lake Hartwell to give him a chance to fish many different ways. “I saw plenty of different water there,” he said. “I could see flipping, or fishing for suspended fish there.” He said that Hartwell reminds him a lot of Lake Whitney, a lake near his home in Texas
As a result, Jones said that he sees plenty of opportunity to us a variety of lures in his tackle box. “I think
a Booyah jig will play a role for me, especially if the fish are deeper,” he said. “But, if they move shallow, I could see a Booyah spinnerbait, a
Fat Free Guppy or a sleeper for me could be a Rebel Crawfish crankbait.”
Jones also said that he felt the winning weight would be reasonably high, “I think it will take 53 to 54 pounds to win,” he said. “I think the winner is going to have to find a good largemouth pattern to win, but he will have a few spotted bass in his bag to fill the limit; I don’t think it will be exclusively largemouth.”
Jones and his family are leaving Thursday, February 7 and heading to Nashville to get his Skeeter Boat wrapped for the season; after that, he will head on to Hartwell. “I hoping we can get in to town on Saturday and find a good church to go to on Sunday in Greenville,” he said. “We’ll spend a few days getting everything set up before hitting the water once it goes off limits.”
To find out more about Alton Jones, go to: www.altonjones.com
Terry Scroggins
Age: 39
Career Earnings: $926,115.30
Classic Appearances: 5 (Including Lake Hartwell)
BASS Wins: 5
Scroggins has spent the past couple of years earning his nickname. ‘Big Show’ has become a major threat at just about every tournament his name appears on the roster. His consecutive wins in the Southern Opens, along with a string of highly competitive Elite Series tournaments have proved his ability to win on any type of waterway
Scroggins went to Hartwell at the same time as Horton did, and like the other anglers said that it will take a versatile angler to win at Lake Hartwell. “It looks like a promising body of water,” Scroggins said. “I’m going to have to pay attention to the weather patterns, and that will make me decide how I focus.”
Scroggins told The BASS ZONE that continued cold weather would cause him to fish deep, while the sun would cause him to change his approach. “If it stays cold, I will throw a
jig or a six or seven-inch YUM Big Show Paddle Worm or Houdini Worm on a shaky head,” Scroggins said. “They could also suspend and cause me to look at jigging with a Cotton Cordell C.C. Spoon.”
He also said that warming weather could cause
him to go with a spinnerbait to fool fish that are moving shallow to begin their pre-spawn migrations.
Scroggins also felt that heavy weights were going to be the rule. “I think you will see someone average 18-20 pounds a day,” said Scroggins. “I think it will take a mixed bag to win, its going to take some good largemouth to win.”
Scroggins said that he would be busy in the days leading up to the Classic. He said that he would be going to Massachusetts for an outdoor show over the weekend, then returning to Florida to pick up his truck and boat and heading to North Carolina to get his newly wrapped Toyota Tundra for the season.
Dave Wolak
Age: 31
Career Earnings: $583,532.30
Classic Appearances: 3 (Including Lake Hartwell)
BASS Wins: 3
Wolak spent more time at Hartwell before the off limits period than his counterparts. “I spent seven days on Hartwell in preparation for the Classic,” said the
North Carolina pro. “I saw a lot of the lake and feel that I have something to base my practice on.”
Wolak said that he also sees ample opportunity for anglers to use several different techniques to catch quality fish. “I could see a
Deep Flat A playing a role,” he relayed. “I can also see a Texas rigged
Craw Papi or a Houdini Worm on a shaky head being baits I could rely on.”
Wolak also said that he felt the current conditions at Lake Hartwell would serve as an equalizer of sorts. “There is not a lot of history with the lake at these low levels,” Wolak said. “We can do plenty of research, but the information that we have at our disposal is from much different conditions; I think it kind of levels the playing field.”
He also said that Hartwell should line up well for pattern oriented anglers, “There are plenty of good points and coves to target,” he exclaimed. “I think a guy could find a good pattern and run it all over the lake; it should take around 17 pounds of a mixed bag to win the tournament.”
Wolak will also be getting his Toyota Tundra wrapped before heading to the Classic, but because of his proximity to Hartwell, he would be leaving closer to the opening of the lake for practice. “I’m heading out Sunday,” he said. “I will fish the three practice days then most likely head home for a few days to spend some time with my family before the tournament starts.”
With a field of this sort, anybody has a shot at winning the Bassmaster
Classic, and any one of the above anglers is certainly capable of breaking through, as they have proven in the past. Keep checking back for more Bassmaster Classic coverage as the tournament draws near. As always, The BASS ZONE will be on location to bring you all of the details. Stay Tuned!
Addtional
Info:
The
BASS ZONE on XM Sports Nation Channel 144
has confirmed the lineup for the February
17th show. 2007 Bassmaster Classic
Champ, Boyd Duckett and local South Carolina
Pro, Casey Ashley will give the XM listeners
and BZ viewers an insight on the 2008
Classic after the official practice
period.
The
BASS ZONE on XM Sports Nation can be heard
every Sunday at 6:00 and 8:00am EST with
replays posted on The BASS ZONE every Monday
morning following the show.
For
more information on The BASS ZONE on XM
Sports Nation Channel 144, CLICK
HERE.
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