Anders, the Savannah River BFL points champion, will lead his division anglers against those from the North Carolina, Shenandoah and Volunteer Divisions in the Regional Championship on Wateree Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“I’ve been on Wateree twice, in two separate tournaments in previous springs, and it’s a lot different from springtime fishing,” said Anders who is practicing on the lake this week right up to the tournament. “The fish are already in a fall pattern and they are biting good.”

Anders said about two-thirds of the lake is muddy from the torrential rains over the past week and a half and the other third has a moderate stain.

While there is muddy water from all the rain, surprisingly the lake is not overfilling its banks, Anders said.

“It’s surprising because I thought we’d be fishing a lot dirtier water,” he said. “From what I read on the Duke Power website they dropped the lake level in anticipation of the heavy rains. I think that allowed the volume of water than came in not to top the banks.”

But, while he is looking forward to competing in the regional later this week, Anders admitted he feels guilty being able to fish while people less than 30 minutes away are displaced from their homes and many have lost everything in the flooding last week.

“We did not get near the rain in Anderson that the Midlands got. I am trying to keep a positive attitude and praying for those people,” he said. “But I know we have a great state and strong people.”

Although he has come close in the past, Anders won the Savannah River Division points title for the first time this year, thanks to three top 5 finishes, a top 15 and a top 25. His worst tournament was finishing 22^nd at Keowee in February, but he rebounded with a 4^th at Lake Russell in March, finished 15^th at Hartwell April 11, then won at Hartwell two weeks later, and finished the year with a 2nd place at Clarks Hill in September.

“I guess I made the right decisions this year, although I did not change the way I fish from any other year,” he said. “I was fortunate to get the win on Hartwell in late April. I had the bites to win the early April tournament on Hartwell, but just did not execute.”

Although he started out slow on Keowee, he said, things picked up in the next tournament on Russell and continued from that point on.

“I wish things could go that way all the time, but I’m fishing against some of the best fishermen in the state. A couple of years ago I was second in points going to Clarks Hill and had a terrible tournament. This year things came together for me and I really crushed them on Clarks hill.”

Anders said he will work with a variety of baits and try to maintain super focus during the regional this week.

“I am on a lot of fish. I have to have tunnel vision and not worry about the boat in front of me or the boat behind me. I’ll just keep the trolling motor on high and keep my head down,” he said.

 

Walmart BFL Regional

Oct 15-17, 2015

Lake Wateree

Clearwater Cove

www.flwoutdoors.com