Tharp Crossing Over To Everstart Central For One Tournament Because Pickwick Is A Tennessee River Lake
Randall Tharp usually fishes the EverStart Southeast Division schedule in addition to the FLW Tour, but he is fishing the EverStart Central Division tournament on Pickwick Lake this week simply because it is a Tennessee River lake.
“Pickwick is in Alabama and the fishing on the Tennessee River is probably the best fishing in the country right now,” said the bass pro from Gardendale, Ala. “Fishing has really been strong on the whole Tennessee River in general the last couple of years and I won’t bypass a chance to fish a tournament there in the spring.”
In Tharp’s last FLW Outdoors tournament on Pickwick, the FLW Major in 2011, he finished 6th, but, he noted, “that was a lot different fishing that what we are going to experience this week.”
This week, he said, anglers are going to have to contend with extreme flood conditions on the lake because of all the recent rains.
“We had a cold winter so I think the bass are having a late spawn. A lot of fish have that on their minds, but we are dealing with flooding on Pickwick,” said Tharp who is currently ranked 25 in the FLW Tour Majors Division at the halfway point of the 2012 Tour season. “There are 20-plus gates open on Wilson Dam right now. I went up and took a picture of it this morning and it was a sight to behold with that many flood gates open on a river this size.”
Tharp said the lake is expected to rise another foot, maybe two feet, by the EverStart tournament, “and it’s already out of the banks.”
And, he added, as incredible as it sounds, the flood waters are almost crystal clear.
“I can see the bottom in 5 to 6 feet of water and that is pretty much over the entire lake. I rode over the lake yesterday and it is clear everywhere. That is amazing considering how much water is flooding into the lake,” he said.
“I’ve never seen the Tennessee river this clear this time of year. In the summer it is usually kind of clear, but not this early in the spring. It almost requires a finesse style presentation I am sure it’s going to lend itself to some sight fishing, too.”
Tharp said he has yet to figure out how to fish during the tournament, but he probably will stick with his strength, shallow power fishing.
“I will have plenty of targets to fish, even if they are in somebody’s back yard.”
FLW EverStart Series
May 2-4, 2013
Pickwick Lake
McFarland Park
