Bryan and van are in first place with a fifty and a half lb weigh in in the open tx on lake Hartwell. Two fish weigh in tomorrow good luck guys go get em.
TOM GITTO
The good news is Brian had an excellent plan and we did weigh in two fish on Friday for a total of 50.5 lbs and sat at 1st place for a glorious 24hrs. Unfortunately we chose to stick to our original plan to fish in a different spot on Saturday, which proved not work out as well as we had hoped. We got skunked Saturday which meant not only did we not finish well in the Saturday Open tournament, but also dropped us to 4th in the SBCC two day tournament. It was an exciting opportunity for me to fish with Brian in this event as we had a great time and shared a lot of fun on Hartwell. With me getting to pull in two fish (29.5 lbs and 21.7 lbs by scale time) within 15 minutes of each other was an absolute blast I will remember and enjoy for a long time.
Thanks to all who stayed in touch and wished us well…
VanMan
Thank you for fishing with me Van. Getting those fish in the boat by myself would have been very tough. It was too bad that where we fished Sat did not produce. Last year I fished the area 2 times for tournaments and had 42 and 44lbs with 2 fish so I was confident about fishing there again. Last year I lead the Championship after first day and fished the same area on Sat and was crowded out when a dozen boats fished the same area so I didn’t want to repeat that mistake again. Maybe the third time, next year, will be a charm!
Hartwell has been producing fish like these for a few years. It’s better in my opinion than Clarks Hill because you can go just in about any creek and have an opportunity to catch fish like these. The lake just keeps getting better and better. A Midland club tournament through the fall - early spring months would be really nice. 
Nice fish guys. Too bad you cound’nt stay in 1st place.
Bob Van Gundy
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I agree with Brian on this being a great lake for a possible tournament. Easy access off I-85 to most key ramps, and even with the water way down if you take your time you should be very safe. Of course those skilled in fishing “big bait” on this lake may have a definite advantage… Also plenty of lodging from camp grounds, to cabins, to hotels all near by. If we don’t schedule this as a regular club tournament, it would still be a nice trip to set up as an optional weekend trip and additional tourney for club members in the fall or spring.
VanMan
You guys still did right well! Congrats on some hello-good fish!
The only problem I have with holding a tournament up there is the consumption advisory. Most of us are not set-up with tubes; so what do we do with the dead fish? Maybe we could base it on total inches with yardsticks and cellphone pics. Anyway, I don’t care for a side of mercury with my striper dinner.
Xpress HB-22
175 Yammy Jammer
Great job guys! We did the same thing about 3 years ago but managed to get a couple 12 lbrs the second day to hold on to the lead for the SBCC and 5th or so in the open. There are definately some great fish on the lake. I wished it wasn’t such a long drive…
Richy
“My biggest worry is that my wife (when I’m dead) will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.”
Richy it’s funny but the drive did not seem much worse than the Hill mainly because of the interstate travel and the good roads and accesses off the interstate. Plus it’s not a bad drive for the Rock Hill teams as well down 85. But yes it would be a long “one day” event so this may be better for a “Catch and release” trip for a few boats willing to take two days to go have fun and fellowship…
VanMan
Nice fish fellas! and what was the magic bait? I’ll be fishing there around Thanksgiving…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
Woody, we used three inch Red Herring hooked in the tail… The smaller the better and #1.0 hooks fishing lower lake.
VanMan
Sure you did…lol I think I will stick with Shane Foster’s approach…big and fast. I think most people are shocked when they see how fast Shane pulls them Gizzards but you can’t argue with the results…
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…
Actually he appeared to mixed the speed up quite often just as we did. I think varying the speed and making casual turns allows the bait a chance to act more natural and vary depth rather than just hanging on for the ride. Just all depends on what the fish want that day. I agree sometimes the speed causes that reactionary strike all all look for…
VanMan
I’ve watched him at Lanier and Hartwell many times. You’d probably have to see him fishing a good bit to really notice it… He does slow down at times but He’s definitely on his horse alot… I think at times he wants his baits to wake at the surface so he cranks up the speed or either he’s just in a hurry to get to the next “sweet spot” in the creek. He’s a pretty quiet guy so you don’t get many details from him. We’ll have to ask Terry Caulder since he’s fished with Shane some to get his take on what he’s doing. Through his experience, Shane probably just knows the better spots in a creek or area that he wants to be in. So if he’s on his way to the next hot spot, he’s in high gear instead of putt-putting around less productive areas.
I’ve spent about 85% of my life’s wages on fishing, the rest I just wasted…