Anderson wins second South Carolina event

ATHENS, Ala. – Halfway through the regular season, Phillip Anderson won his second Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series, operated by American Bass Anglers, South Carolina Division 9 tournament, this one held May 5, 2012, on Lake Wateree.

Running out of Clearwater Cove landing near Camden, the Saluda, S.C., angler caught five bass weighing 15.92 pounds with a 4.04-pound kicker. With his second Boater Division victory of the year. On Jan. 28, 2012, he won the BWS event on Lake Murray with 23.57 pounds including a 6.97-pounder that took tournament lunker honors.

“I mostly flipped boat docks with a big worm or tube at the lower end of the lake,” Anderson said of his Wateree victory. “I didn’t have many bites. I only had 10 bites and caught nine fish. The bass were extremely shallow. It was a matter of pitching to the right post on the docks.”

In second for the boaters, Steve Phillips of Lugoff, S.C., brought in a five-bass tournament limit weighing 13 pounds.

“I went all over the lake,” Phillips admitted. “I mostly fished Carolina rigs and crankbaits around points in 12 to 15 feet of water. I lost three good fish.”

Steve DeBord of Grovetown, Ga., took third with five bass and 10.42 pounds. He anchored his catch with a 3.13-pounder.

“I had five bites and caught five fish,” DeBord confirmed. “Every bite was on rocks out deep and hit a jig. I was close to the landing.”

Rob I. Nowlin of Columbia, S.C., landed in fourth place for the boaters with four bass at 9.50 pounds. Chris Heath of North Augusta, S.C., followed with four bass going 8.74 pounds. Chad Cook of Summerville, S.C., brought in the tournament lunker, a 4.96-pounder.

“I only had two bass bites all day,” Cook admitted. “Both came late in the day, about an hour before the end of the tournament. I actually had three bites. I caught a 50-pound catfish on a jig. In fact, all three bites came on a jig. I was fishing a brush pile.”

In the Co-Angler Division, Ken Fender of Dallas, N.C., landed on top of the back pack with a three-bass division limit going 6.24 pounds.

“We went up the river,” Fender explained. “I caught every fish on a Stupid Tube by Secret Lures. We fished stumps and isolated rock piles.”

Clay Wilson of Evans, Ga., brought in two bass for 5.96 pounds, but one weighed 4.80 pounds.
“We fished down near the dam,” Wilson revealed. “I caught both of my fish on a shaky head. I also caught a couple short fish, a catfish and a white bass. The big bass hit at 9:45 a.m.”

Michael L. Norris of Myrtle Beach, S.C., caught two bass for 5.01 pounds.

“I caught my first fish early on a Pop-R,” Norris said. “I caught my second fish on a Texas rig. We fished all the way up the lake.”

Jill L. Shealy of Leesville, S.C., finished in fourth for the co-anglers with two bass and 4.81 pounds. Pat Clark of Camden, S.C., followed in fifth place with a limit of three bass going 4.55 pounds.

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

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