Leading Points, Clemson Student Seeks Win In Sc Bfl On Lake Wylie
Derrick Compton of Columbus, N.C., won the May 11 South Carolina Division event on Clarks Hill Lake with 17 pounds, 12 ounces
Ross Burns would love to be helping his teammates on the Clemson University Fishing Team win some tournaments, but he just doesn’t have the time because he is tearing up some other tournament trails on his own.
The mechanical engineering major is leading the points in the Walmart BFL South Carolina Division heading into the fourth tournament of the series Saturday on Lake Wylie, ahead of veterans Greg Rikard of Leesville by 16 points and 2011 points champion Eddie Herlong of Prosperity by 27 points.
He sits atop the standings thanks to three top 10 finishes – 2nd at lake Murray March 2, 9th at Santee Cooper April 13 and 3rd at Clarks Hill May 11.
“At Lake Murray, I lived on the lake my entire life, so my local knowledge helped me. I had caught fish on the same points for five weeks straight in multiple tournaments. They just kept replenishing,” he said.
“At Santee I could not blast off with the field because I had to wait on my co-angler. I had found fish in the lower lake on Thursday and when I went back on Friday there were guys in several jonboats were catching fish there and putting them in their coolers. I went back on Saturday anyway and some new fish had moved up.”
Burns said he had fished the Carolina Bass Challenge tournament on Clarks Hill the week before the BFL with a friend who showed him some points holding quality fish.
“I caught all my fish on the third point I stopped on, almost on back-to-back casts,” he said.
Burns said he had not had time to pre-fish Lake Wylie but he anticipates the bass will be on bream beds.
“It will be a classic shallow vs. deep bite on Lake Wylie,” he said. “The bream will be spawning and the bass will be chasing bream on the beds. If the fish are not there I will pull out on the ledges and catch them on deep diving crankbaits and spoons.”
Burns is optimistic about his chances, even though he has not finished well on Lake Wylie in BFL tournaments in the past.
“Two years ago my co-angler knocked two 4-pounders off with the net. I’d like to win one. I’ve been a bridesmaid a few times.”
Walmart BFL – South Carolina Division
Sat, Jun 15, 2013
Lake Wylie
Buster Boyd Access Area
