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May 2nd, 2015 was a big day for sports, with the NFL draft, NBA/NHL playoffs, Kentucky Derby, Blockhouse Steeplechase and highly anticipated LLBFT.   Eight boats scattered from our dock at the 7:30 AM start on a windy day here a Lake Lanier in South Carolina. The wind played havoc for all, especially the boats that relied on a trolling motor alone.  

Our plan was to fish up the creek past Camp Firewater and work our way back to the first basin.   Daron hooked a keeper Bass just over the 12 inch minimum on his fourth cast.  On my 2nd cast, I watched as my line moved parallel under a dock and then went limp as the hook came off the line, rats!  Regardless, I felt a good day of fishing was in store as I retied my line.  We encountered the wind as we tried to fish both sides of the third basin, so we motored down to the second.    

For the next four hours, we cast under docks using the normally productive Zoom watermelon seed green plastic worm. We cast the worm toward shore, and then let it fall into underwater structure as it was reeled in.  Daron tried a top water Zara Spook when possible.  We hooked at least twenty Bass and managed to get half of them in the boat.  A quick glance or measurement gave us just three tournament eligible fish. 

At the noon weigh-in there was silence when I asked if anyone had a big bass.   Then Denver Mullins produced a beautiful Bass weighing almost three pounds.    There were no other large fish caught.  Denver and Bradley Rathburn of the Landrum High School Fishing Team took home 1st place of $40.   Daron Strub and my self’s menial threesome took the heavy stringer at just over two pounds for $20.   Bill and Dan Jones were about to leave when we realized that their one thirteen inch Bass was the only other qualifier, giving them the 2nd stringer prize of $20.  A white spinner bait was the lure that landed the tournament winning bass.

At the weigh-in the weather and lake management was discussed.  Although it was a beautiful sunny day (but windy), the lake was clear as it had not rained recently.   The water temperature was less than sixty degrees; normally it’s at least seventy in early May.  Of course the wind stopped whipping at noon as the tournament ended. We decided the Bass were sluggish due to the water temperature.  Removal of the smaller Bass was recommended, a technique referred to as “harvesting” to let the larger Bass grow.   Adding threadfin shad was mentioned which provides Bass with an additional forage species.  

Others that were fishing were Bob Jutzi with Mike Wiley, John Pruitt and Cathy Davis, Ned and Rutledge Workman, Brian and Andy Dykes, plus Mark Henson who fished with Ralph Jennings.   

Two families of Geese were spotted on the third basin.   One four foot grass carp was seen near the dam.  The prehistoric looking carp prefer the shallow sandy area behind the island, watch for their fins breaking the surface.  The weeds are worse than ever, they attract baitfish and leeches but tend to be good for fishing using “weed less” rigs. 

The rules, results and photos of this and past year’s tournaments are the Internet, click here.

Good Fishing, Stu Davidson