Two former FLW Co-Angler Anglers of the Year fishing in the 2010 Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier next week, both from South Carolina, plan to employ similar strategies – one from the foredeck and one from the back of the boat.
Andy Montgomery of Blacksburg, who turned pro in 2007 after being the top co-angler in 2006, has had 16 top 10 finishes and earned more than $360,000. Dearal Rodgers of Camden, who won the Co-Angler title in 2009, continued to fish this season as a non-boater, finishing 19th in the points standings.
Both anglers plan to target spotted bass.
“The biggest thing about Lake Lanier is that the main forage is blueback herring,” said Montgomery. “We have blueback herring in South Carolina, in Lakes Murray, Clarks Hill and Hartwell – and we know how tough those lakes can be in the summer.”
But, Montgomery added, Lake Lanier is dominated by spotted bass which make it a little better than the South Carolina lakes which are exclusively or at least primarily largemouth lakes.
And that suits Rodgers just fine.
“I really enjoy fishing for spotted bass, which is the primary target on Lanier, and I am really looking forward to this event. A lot of the fishing should be done off-shore, which really helps a co-angler. Also, spotted bass are much more aggressive than largemouth.”
The problem with spotted bass and blueback herring, Montgomery said, is that they are always on the move.
“They are hard to pattern on herring because they constantly swim. You can catch them in one place on one day, but the herring swim on and the spotted bass move on with them.”
Both anglers agreed that the other major pattern is brushpiles.
“They have a bunch of brushpiles on Lake Lanier and that is where the locals will have a big advantage,” Montgomery said. But, he added, local knowledge is not nearly the edge it once was.
“With the electronics we have today, even if you are not a local you can find enough brushpiles to last four days,” Montgomery said. “You can catch one out of a brushpile one day and usually you can go back to it the next day and catch another one.”
Both anglers said the clarity of Lake Lanier will also be a major factor.
“I spent about five hours on the lake a couple of weeks ago and it is really clear, not like anything I have fished a whole lot,” Montgomery said.
“Anytime you have clear water there will also be a strong topwater bite,” Rodgers said. “I will be throwing a topwater that I can work fast, like a Zara Spook or a Lucky Craft Gunfish.”
Montgomery also said a lot of fish in the tournament will be caught on walking topwater baits such as Spooks and Sammies, and he added a lot will also be caught on the drop shot.
Rodgers agreed.
“In 2009 a lot of the key fish I caught were on a drop shot,” Rodgers said. “But this year, with all the rain we saw throughout the country, the drop shot has not been a factor. Every lake we’ve been to has had stained water, but Lake Lanier will be different and the drop shot should factor in.”
Rodgers noted that he had to learn how to fish a drop shot once he began competing on the FLW Tour, a tactic he was unfamiliar with growing up on Lake Wateree.
“Now the drop shot is one of my favorite ways to fish. It’s almost like a magic bait. In clear water it will get you a bite when nothing else will.”
Rodgers said one other tactic he expects to be pretty strong on Lanier is working baits just under the surface, such as a Zoom Fluke or a swimbait with a Buckeye Lures J-Will Head.
“Moving those baits fast will draw bites in the morning and anytime the wind is blowing,” he noted.
The Forrest Wood Cup on Lake Lanier will feature 78 top pros and 78 co-anglers Aug. 5-8.
2010 Forrest Wood Cup
Aug. 5-8, 2010
Lake Lanier
Atlanta, GA
http://www.flwoutdoors.com
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