Lugoff Bassmasters Tournament Report: Lake Hartwell, 18-19 Apr 09
The Lugoff Bassmasters held their 9th tournament of the year on Lake
Hartwell. Anglers were faced with a variety of weather and fishing
conditions that seemed to change from day to day. Water temperatures
ranged from 58 to 67 degrees and water clarity varied, depending on
which area of the lake you fished, from clear to muddy. After the final
weigh in on Sunday, Gene Gibbs was able to adjust his
gameplan well enough to take the win from Dale Goff. Most of the
fish came on a c-rig or t-rig, baby brush hogs, or ribbontail worms.
Fish were in the areas between docks or on points. Some came off of
beds. On Sunday the herring were starting to get bunched up on points
and some anglers took advantage with a c-rig and top water lures.
The major creeks in the Seneca River were too muddy and didn't produce
anything. The best action came in smaller cuts, coves, and points in
areas where you could find clearer water.
One of the highlights of the weekend was a 50+ lb flathead catfish Jim
Timmerberg caught on Friday while prefishing in the Tugaloo River. This
monster was caught on a ribbontail worm, 3/0 hook, 12 lb
flourocarbon line, 6.6 ft G-Loomis rod, and a Revo Premier reel. Jim
said, "This is easily the biggest fresh water fish I've ever caught.
When I set the hook, the fight was on. At first, I hoped for a big
bass, but when it kept digging and wouldn't come up, I knew it wasn't.
I used the trolling motor and drag to keep it from breaking off, and
after 20 minutes I finally managed to get it in the boat!"
The points race for the 6 man team and Angler of the Year is really
tight and may come down to the final weigh in on a lake that has yet to
be determined.
~Jim Timmerberg
| Angler |
# of Fish |
Big Fish Weight |
Total Weight |
Points Awarded |
| Gene Gibbs |
10 |
3.86 |
26.78 |
260 |
| Dale Goff |
10 |
4.02 |
26.52 |
245 |
| Jim Timmerberg |
10 |
2.99 |
22.30 |
210 |
| Darrell Munn |
10 |
3.10 |
17.38 |
185 |
| David Jackson |
10 |
2.83 |
12.09 |
160 |
| Earnie Jones |
5 |
No weight |
9.56 |
155 |
| Joe Akshar |
5 |
2.43 |
9.21 |
150 |
| Randy Kitzmiller |
4 |
2.63 |
6.29 |
145 |
| William Hodge |
3 |
1.72 |
4.42 |
140 |
| Phil Martin |
DNF |
DNF |
DNF |
10 |