“They closed Wildwood, but Lake Springs is just over the dam to the right before you get to Wildwood,” he said.

“We tried to put the tournament on Clarks Hill because we had not come here yet and we moved it to the fall because there are a lot of tournaments here in the spring. We could not find a good date then, so I moved it,” Whaley said. “We put it on the first open date I could find, but as long as there is a good bite everybody will be happy. If it works out this time of year we will put it down here more.”

And, he added, while checking out the fishing this week, the bass are biting, although a lot of them are small fish.

“Although there are some deep fish, most of the fish are shallow. They have not moved out yet. But a lot of fish are being caught right now, so it should be a good time for all.”

As long, he warned, as everybody is keenly aware of the extreme low water levels and operates their boats safely.

“The water was down 14.9 feet this morning, so there is a lot of stuff exposed and a lot more just under the surface, especially if you go way up the lake. Guys will need to use their best judgment on that. I’d like to advise everyone to be safe out here and pay attention.”

Whaley said a lot of fish are being caught on crankbaits, spinnerbaits and flukes on the shallow flats.

“There is also a decent jig bite. In fact there was a tournament last week that was won on a jig.”

Entry fee for the tournament is $150 with a payout to one in every ten places. Total purse is $5,000, based on 60 boats, said Whaley who noted the tournament held on different lakes in South Carolina has always drawn between 40 and 60 boats.

“We’ve never paid out less than $4,000. We do the best we can and so far we’ve satisfied everybody.”

Whaley said the Claire Whaley Foundation raises $6,000 to $8,000 annually to help families who have children like his daughter, Claire, who have special needs. His daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with Ischemic Hypoxic Encephalopathy which means that parts of her brain were deprived of oxygen when she stopped breathing right after birth. She has not been able to develop normally, has the most trouble with her vision, and also demonstrates characteristics of cerebral palsy.

Whaley and his wife Angie created the Claire Whaley Foundation when they were denied participation in some state and federal programs because their family income exceeded eligible limits. The foundation exists to provide support for middle class working families who have children with special needs.

“We’ve helped more than 15 families so far. This year we bought several weighted blankets, some braces, a helmet, things that insurance would not pay the full amount on. We also try to give around $2,000 to a family that needs it. We do anything we can to ease the burden on these families,” Whaley said.

“We all work for a living, so we don’t qualify for government help. This is our fifth year of helping families in Middle Class America who have children with special needs.”

 

Claire Whaley Foundation Bass Tournament

Sat, Nov 17, 2012

Clarks Hill Lake

Lake Springs

Call Trad Whaley at 864-378-0952