South Carolina division to fish Lake Wateree

ATHENS, Ala. – Halfway through its 2011 season, South Carolina Division 9 of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, heads to Lake Wateree on April 9.

Anglers will run out of Clearwater Cove Marina located at 2029 Baron Dekalb in Camden, beginning at 6:45 a.m. or safe light. The weigh-in begins at 2:45 p.m. Registration begins at 4 p.m. on April 8. Anglers fishing the Boater Division may weigh up to five bass, each at least 12 inches long. Co-anglers may weigh up to three bass.

Impounded in 1920 on the Wateree River as a power generation source, one of the oldest reservoirs in the country spreads over about 13,700 acres of Fairfield, Kershaw and Lancaster counties near Camden. The lake offers anglers more than 216 miles of shorelines. Several islands, humps and coves provide good bass habitat.

The lake contains good bottom structure with plenty of grassy cover in addition to rock piles, docks, bridges and stumpy areas. Fish the heavy cover or bottom contours with Texas-rigged plastics or jigs sweetened with craw worms. Work a rattling bait around points. Some anglers vertically jig deep creek channel edges with chrome spoons.

With the warm spring weather, bass began to move up shallow. In the thin water, fish the rock piles, stumps and flooded brush with shad-pattern crankbaits. If the wind kicks up, switch to white or white and chartreuse spinnerbaits.

In a June 2010 BWS tournament, Steve DeBord of Martinez, Ga., won the Boater Division with a five-bass bag totaling 16.37 pounds and anchored by a 4.63-pounder. He fished the upper end of the lake, flipping docks with a jig. John Allen of Concord, N.C., took the tournament lunker title with a 5.18-pounder that hit a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog creature bait flipped near the grass.

For the Co-Angler Division in that tournament, Scott Stallings of Cannapolis, N.C., won with two bass going 6.89 pounds. A 4.79-pounder that took division big bass honors helped the effort. He caught fish on a shaky head and a spinnerbait.

For more information on this tournament, call Billy Benedetti at (256) 230-5632 or call ABA at (888) 203-6222. On line, see www.americanbassanglers.com.

About American Bass Anglers: The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series provides weekend anglers a professionally operated competitive tour with a path the world championship of bass fishing the Bassmaster Classic. American Bass Anglers commitment is to provide low cost, close to home tournaments for the weekend angler and at the same time offer each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression. For more information about American Bass Anglers and the American Fishing Tour, The Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series or the American Couples Series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com.

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