Last year the first Anglers @ USC Bass Open on Lake Wylie drew more than 80 boats and the collegiates are hoping their second Bass Open Saturday will bring more than 100 teams to the SC-NC border lake.

“Last year we had a boat come all the way from New Jersey to fish the tournament,” said Gettys Brannon, tournament director for the University of South Carolina Fishing Team. That young angler and his teammate have announced plans to come back for this year’s tournament, Brannon said.

“We’re bringing the new Skeeter this year and I’m sure Liam West and I will have a better showing come tourney day,” tweeted Trevor Topken of New Jersey recently.

Entry fee for the tournament is $120 per boat, with an optional $20 for big fish. There will be a 90 percent payback to the anglers, with 10 percent going to fund activities of the fishing club.

“The money we make is how we go fishing,” Brannon said. “This year we’ve already gone to a tournament at Lake Okeechobee and one at Clarks Hill. Then we have one coming up at Guntersville and another at Pickwick Lake in Alabama.”

Registration will be held at Hunt, Fish, Paddle (www.huntfishpaddle.com), starting at 5 p.m. Friday, and continue before the tournament, beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday, said Adam Filmore, owner of the

specialty fishing, bow hunting and paddlesports outdoor adventure retailer at Lake Wylie.

“We’ll have coffee and donuts for the anglers starting at 5 o’clock that morning,” Filmore said.

Anglers should find fishing very good for the tournament, he added.

“The fish are starting to move up and some have already moved up. They are catching fish in the spawning pockets and some off the main lake drops now,” Filmore said.

 

2nd Annual Anglers @ USC Bass Open

Sat, Apr 26, 2014

Lake Wylie

Buster Boyd Access Area

Call Gettys Brannon at 864-490-7864

www.facebook.com/fishing.southcarolina