05-31-2009, 11:16 AM
For 50 bass anglers, one of the biggest weekends in professional angling starts Friday on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina.
The full field will compete in the 38th Bassmaster Classic on Friday and Saturday and the top 25 will face off Sunday for the $500,000 first-place prize. Daily weigh-ins will be at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., and admission is free.
Jeff Coble of Beaufort and Dave Wolak of Wake Forest are the only N.C. anglers competing.
The anglers practiced last week. Practice days are for scouting -- most contenders discovered cooler-than-expected water temperatures and gusting wind that made boat positioning a challenge.
A cold front moved in Tuesday -- the low air temperature Wednesday morning was 29 -- keeping bass in deep water. That leaves a big question mark for contenders who planned to use productive shallow-water techniques. Plus, the lake is about 11 feet below normal pool, which has made practice particularly crucial.
"It was OK," said Coble of his practice days. "I had nine or 10 bites a day."
Is that enough to win?
"Who knows," he said from his rented house in Anderson, S.C., on Sunday. "They had a little tournament yesterday, and it took about 21 pounds [to win]."
Coble said he's been relying on a jig and jerkbait for most of his practice bites.
Wolak spoke about his practice from a cell phone as he pulled out of his Wake Forest home.
"It was fair. The weather was not the best for everyone, and the lake is low," he said. "I'm keying on moving around. I've found water from 46 to 60 degrees. The fish are in different stages of prespawn."
Wolak said he was burning about 40 gallons of fuel a day in his boat and was "junk fishing," or using a variety of lures and presentations without keying on just one or two.
The winner's prize could have a major impact on an angler's life.
"I will be a lot more stable in my thoughts for the rest of my life," Wolak said of winning. "A little money never hurt. You work really hard at it."
Coble minced no words on winning.
"First, it means $500,000," he said. "It's also a kooky situation for me. To get the automatic invite [winner's exemption] to the Classic, you have to fish the Elite [tour] next year, which ain't on my radar."
Coble's full-time job is as a representative for Triton Boats. If Coble wins, so does bass pro David Wright of Lexington. The pair have a long-standing agreement to split any tournament winnings. Since 1996, the pair have shared $1.2 million in prize money.
The full field will compete in the 38th Bassmaster Classic on Friday and Saturday and the top 25 will face off Sunday for the $500,000 first-place prize. Daily weigh-ins will be at the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, S.C. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m., and admission is free.
Jeff Coble of Beaufort and Dave Wolak of Wake Forest are the only N.C. anglers competing.
The anglers practiced last week. Practice days are for scouting -- most contenders discovered cooler-than-expected water temperatures and gusting wind that made boat positioning a challenge.
A cold front moved in Tuesday -- the low air temperature Wednesday morning was 29 -- keeping bass in deep water. That leaves a big question mark for contenders who planned to use productive shallow-water techniques. Plus, the lake is about 11 feet below normal pool, which has made practice particularly crucial.
"It was OK," said Coble of his practice days. "I had nine or 10 bites a day."
Is that enough to win?
"Who knows," he said from his rented house in Anderson, S.C., on Sunday. "They had a little tournament yesterday, and it took about 21 pounds [to win]."
Coble said he's been relying on a jig and jerkbait for most of his practice bites.
Wolak spoke about his practice from a cell phone as he pulled out of his Wake Forest home.
"It was fair. The weather was not the best for everyone, and the lake is low," he said. "I'm keying on moving around. I've found water from 46 to 60 degrees. The fish are in different stages of prespawn."
Wolak said he was burning about 40 gallons of fuel a day in his boat and was "junk fishing," or using a variety of lures and presentations without keying on just one or two.
The winner's prize could have a major impact on an angler's life.
"I will be a lot more stable in my thoughts for the rest of my life," Wolak said of winning. "A little money never hurt. You work really hard at it."
Coble minced no words on winning.
"First, it means $500,000," he said. "It's also a kooky situation for me. To get the automatic invite [winner's exemption] to the Classic, you have to fish the Elite [tour] next year, which ain't on my radar."
Coble's full-time job is as a representative for Triton Boats. If Coble wins, so does bass pro David Wright of Lexington. The pair have a long-standing agreement to split any tournament winnings. Since 1996, the pair have shared $1.2 million in prize money.