5 to Watch at Hartwell
Looming spawn leaves the door wide open
Lake Hartwell is the second stop of the 2016 Walmart FLW Tour, and this week’s tournament, which is presented by Evinrude, is shaping up to be a smackfest.
Over the last several years of visiting Hartwell in the spring FLW has seen a diverse fishery. In 2011 the tournament was won shallow with a spinnerbait, while the next year it was won in 40 feet of water. In 2014, middepth brush produced the victory.
This time around, it’s a whole new Hartwell once again. An extended warm spell has blanketed the South over the last few weeks, causing water temperatures to rise steadily. Because of that, bass are fairly rushing to the bank, and it seems as though the shallow bite is going to be the ticket to fame and fortune.
Like the Tour competitors, FLW Fantasy Fishing players have a shot at cashing in on some great prizes this season too. At each Tour event – six regular-season tournaments and the Forrest Wood Cup – more than $7,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to the top 50 Fantasy Fishing teams. There will even be cash prizes awarded to the top 10 teams at the end of the season based on cumulative point totals, including a $10,000 top prize.
To help you finalize your Fantasy Fishing team for the Lake Hartwell event, which starts Thursday, here are five pros to consider.
Head over to FantasyFishing.com right now and make your picks.
1. Bryan Thrift – The 2016 season got off to a rocky start for this Tour stalwart as he posted consecutive triple-digit finishes on Lake Okeechobee in Costa FLW Series and FLW Tour events. Ouch; but Thrift quickly found redemption last week in the Costa Series tournament on Santee Cooper where he walked away with the title and got his game back in full force. Throughout his career, Thrift has been known to get on streaks and Santee Cooper could have marked the start of another one. Though Thrift has had two bad tournaments in recent years on Hartwell, he did place fifth back in 2011 – which also happens to be the last time we saw a strong shallow bite there. In the last eight years the Shelby, N.C., pro has finished outside of the top 10 in the Angler of the Year points just once (still, that 13th-place showing wasn’t too shabby). He’ll need a decent finish in this tournament to get back on pace, and it’s a good bet he’ll do just that.
Fantasy Verdict: At $35, Thrift isn’t the most expensive pick on the list and is surprisingly under-owned. This tournament is right in his wheelhouse if, indeed, the bite is shallow, plus he has some major momentum. He’s a better pick than other high-dollar guys who are finesse specialists.
2. Brian Latimer – Latimer is a rookie on Tour this year, however, he’s no slouch. The Belton, S.C., pro lives just minutes from Hartwell and knows the lake better than most. He put his time in during pre-practice to get a feel of how the lake was setting up and he couldn’t be more excited for this event. Latimer likes fishing up shallow, and while he wishes the weather would be cooler to keep the fish off the bank (so that it would be a tougher event and possibly give him an advantage), he still has a few secrets up his sleeve. Latimer is ready to show he can hang with the best on tour and he’ll have his chance this week. Certainly, he’s is one of the true locals to keep an eye on at Hartwell.
Fantasy Verdict: Latimer is the lowest-priced local of the bunch at $22. For someone that has put so much time in preparing and who possesses so much knowledge of the lake, this seems like too good of a deal to pass up.
3. Tracy Adams – Adams had a fantastic season on Tour last year, posting back-to-back top 10s on Lewis Smith and Beaver Lake en route to an eighth-place finish in the AOY points. The reason Adams did so well on those lakes is the fact the fish were up shallow looking to spawn, which is right where Adams wants them. He’s a very versatile angler who shares some of the traits of other North Carolina pros in the Tour (Matt Arey and Bryan Thrift among them) in that he can dissect a lake and run a pattern with the best. Lucky for Adams, Hartwell is a pattern lake and will allow him to run new water every day – which can be very key when fish are moving shallow. Don’t hold his low Okeechobee finish against him – this is the time of year where Adams excels, so expect a strong performance from him this week.
Fantasy Verdict: For a guy like Adams, $29 is a very reasonable price. Pick a few top-tier guys, then throw Adams on your team and build from there. His performance throughout the spring is far too clutch to overlook.
4. Clark Wendlandt – If this becomes a sight-fishing tournament then you’ll probably want one of the best anglers at doing so on your side. Wendlandt not only excels at finding and catching bedding bass, but he also has a strong track record in the spring. Whether it’s prespawn, spawn or postspawn fish, Wendlandt just seems to catch them. Tie a swim jig on his line and he’ll cover water and connect with quality largemouths. Like Adams, Wendlandt also had a hot streak during the spring stretch last season and could be poised for another run. His versatility to catch bass by sight or just going down the bank is the right combination for this event.
Fantasy Verdict: Wendlandt checks in at $28. If you’re looking to fill your team with guys sporting mid-level price tags, Wendlandt isn’t a bad one to start with.
5. Tom Monsoor – Lake Hartwell is one of Monsoor’s favorite bodies of water – and for good reason. The 14-year Tour veteran has finished 21st, 8th and 10th, respectively, in the last three Tour events on this pond. He’s known as one of the best when it comes to fishing a swim jig, and has utilized it to cash more than $38,000 from Lake Hartwell alone. Conditions are setting up to be perfect for Monsoor to add to that winnings pile in just a few days. The interesting thing is that throughout the last three events on Hartwell conditions have never been the same, yet Monsoor still has managed to catch ’em – a true sign of someone who is in tune with a particular body of water.
Fantasy Verdict: One of the biggest shockeroos on the Fantasy roster is that only three percent of players own Monsoor for $33. That is a ridiculously cheap asking price for a guy who has the performance record he does on Hartwell. Don’t let this solid opportunity for good points pass you by.