By B.A.S.S. Communications Workers

ANDERSON, S.C. — Collin Smith has spent a lot of his life honing his expertise on the waters of fabled Lake Hartwell

All that work paid off Saturday along with his win within the Bassmaster Workforce Championship Traditional Fish-Off.

Smith, a 27-year-old grounds foreman for Anderson County, weighed a two-day complete of 10 bass totaling 28 kilos, 1 ounce to assert victory within the closing Bassmaster occasion of the 2022 season. With it, he earned entry into the 2023 Bassmaster Traditional, scheduled for March 24-26 on the Tennessee River in Knoxville.

“I’ve devoted the vast majority of my time to this pond (Hartwell) as a result of all the large tournaments are out right here,” Smith mentioned. “I’m super-thankful for the prospect to fish the Traditional. It in all probability gained’t set in till I’m going up the street there for pre-practice … it’s been a lifelong dream. There was loads of blood, sweat and tears behind the steering wheel of my boat to get me thus far.”

Little doubt there have been dozens extra miles added this week on Lake Hartwell, with Mom Nature throwing quite a lot of appears to be like on the 500 anglers who began the group portion of the event on Wednesday. That two-day occasion was hindered by dense fog, however Smith and 5 Alive Sunday Collection teammate Brady Kimbrell, additionally of Anderson, totaled 30-13 over two days to win the group title and the $25,000 money prize that accompanied it.

Their efficiency set the stage for Smith’s ascension within the Fish-Off. The Prime 3 groups, solely six anglers in all, had their weights zeroed after which set out individually for 2 extra days of competitors. They had been greeted by regular rain on Friday when Smith and Tyler Campbell of Martin, Ga., each caught 14-01 to tie for the Day-1 lead.

The temperature plummeted into the decrease 40s by the ultimate weigh-in, however Smith remained regular, following his Day-1 complete with a 14-pound restrict on Day 2 – simply sufficient to nostril him previous Campbell, who wound up second with 27 kilos over two days.

The ultimate day of the Fish-Off didn’t begin swimmingly for Smith. The deep timber he exploited on Friday didn’t produce Saturday. Smith mentioned that might have been attributable to adjustments in barometric stress that adopted repeated climate shifts within the area.

So, Smith put his intimate data of Hartwell to make use of. He lined loads of water on Saturday, fishing some dependable spots, but additionally a number of he hadn’t tried in any respect this week.

“I went to a spot this morning the place yesterday there have been 100 or 150 fish,” he mentioned. “Immediately, they had been simply roaming. They wouldn’t sit nonetheless, so I chased them, however nonetheless couldn’t make them chunk. At 8:30 this morning, I didn’t have a fish within the boat.”

Ultimately, he did get the bites he wanted, three of his noticed bass keepers coming off a rockpile in about 20 toes of water.

“I used a V&M 3/4-ounce football-head jig (inexperienced pumpkin/orange), particularly out that deep,” Smith mentioned.

“However I observed the change in presentation is what labored at the moment,” he continued. “Yesterday I used to be in a position to fish fairly quick. Immediately, you needed to beg and plead with them to chunk. I’d maintain the bait in entrance of them for at the least a minute typically earlier than I even moved it.”

Studying the refined adjustments helped him take advantage of Hartwell’s chunk.

“I used the Garmin LiveScope all week,” he mentioned. “It’s a heck of a instrument, however it may be fairly irritating when you recognize you’re round 100 of them they usually gained’t chunk. It helps, however it’s important to do totally different retrieves and various things to make the fish chunk. You don’t simply throw at them and catch them.”

The Traditional berth is the grandest prize, after all, however Smith additionally picked up a $500 Bass Professional Outlets present card for successful the Fish-Off. It’s an ideal alternative to select up some gear earlier than his flip within the sport’s largest event — a derby he hopes is the beginning of one thing particular in his fishing profession.

“I can’t even fathom I’m going to the Traditional,” he mentioned. “However I’ll be targeted. I’m not gonna’ simply present up. I’ll give it one hundred pc.”

Campbell, 21, was solely 18 ounces from successful the Fish-Off. The 5 Alive Workforce Path angler was disenchanted however mentioned he expects to be an element sooner or later.

Chris Nelson caught a 16-01 restrict on Saturday, the heaviest of the Fish-Off, with a largemouth kicker that pushed 6 kilos. That helped the Social Circle, Ga., resident to a 24-04 complete, adequate to leap from sixth place on Friday to 3rd total.

Elberton, Ga., resident Jeremy Sturdy, Nelson’s teammate on the Palmetto Boat Middle Workforce Path, completed fourth with 23-14.

Joe Mitchell of Martin, Ga., and the 5 Alive Workforce Path was fifth with 23-07 and Kimbrell completed sixth with 22-08.

Last Standings

1. Collin Smith – — 5 Alive Sunday Collection — Anderson, SC

Day 1: 5, 14-01 — Day 2: 5, 14-00 — Complete: 10, 28-01

2. Tyler Campbell – — 5 Alive Workforce Path — Martin, GA

Day 1: 5, 14-01 — Day 2: 5, 12-15 — Complete: 10, 27-00

3. Chris Nelson – — Palmetto Boat Middle Workforce Path — Social Circle, GA

Day 1: 5, 08-03 — Day 2: 5, 16-01 — Complete: 10, 24-04

4. Jeremy Sturdy – — Palmetto Boat Middle Workforce Path — Elberton, GA

Day 1: 5, 11-09 — Day 2: 5, 12-05 — Complete: 10, 23-14

5. Joe Mitchell – — 5 Alive Workforce Path — Martin, GA

Day 1: 5, 13-10 — Day 2: 5, 09-13 — Complete: 10, 23-07

6. Brady Kimbrell – — 5 Alive Sunday Collection — Anderson, SC

Day 1: 5, 12-06 — Day 2: 5, 10-02 — Complete: 10, 22-08