Any guesses as to the next winner of the 45th annual Mr. Clark Hill Bass Fishing Championship Friday and Saturday on Thurmond Lake? There are 215 contestants.
While there have been several multiple winners over the last 44 years, no one has dominated the event like the Brown Brothers – Noel and David. Each has won four times.
The brothers cut their bass fishing teeth at Merry Brothers Brickyard Ponds off East Boundary. After Ray Scott put bass fishing on the international map with his Bass Anglers Sportsman Society in the late 1960s, he encouraged bass anglers to organize clubs devoted to catching their favorite game fish in competitive tournaments.
The first bass club to be established in the Augusta area was North Augusta’s CSRA Bassmasters in February 1971, followed about a year later by the Clark Hill Bassmasters in Augusta. The Browns quickly joined the South Carolina club and as quickly made their marks.
In fact, CSRA club members won the first three Mr. Clark Hill titles, the first by Sam Seal in 1973, with Noel Brown notching his first in 1974, then Bobby Dickinson in 1975. Noel then added back-to-back titles in 1982 and ‘83. His final title came in 1985.
David won in 1984, 1988, 1989 and finally tied his brother in 2003. From the 2005 tournament to date, there have been 12 different winners.
Noel (79) and David (73) are entered in this year’s tournament. Noel was about 46 years of age in 1985 and the added 33 years since he last won has made a big difference in his chances for a fifth title.
“I don’t have the stamina and to have a chance to win a two-day tournament you really need stamina,” he said last week. “When the vote came to change the tournament to two days from one, I really fought against it, but the majority of fishermen was all for it.”
This year’s event is being dedicated to the memory of two-time winner Marty Quesada Jr., of Evans. The Clark Hill Committee which sanctions this and other bass tournaments will present a plaque to the family of Quesada, who died earlier this year.
STROM THURMOND LAKE
Raysville Marina, (706) 595-5582 - Fishing buddies William Hawkins and Cliff Crowe caught three catfish and 15 crappies on Wednesday. Hawkins also caught a 15-pound catfish late last week.
Capt. David Willard, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed, fulltime professional guide specializing in hybrids, striped bass and trophy largemouth bass. (Boat phone: (706) 214-0236. (803) 637-6379 (www.crockettrocketstriperfishingcom) – Water temperature is 83 degrees and the lake is clear. We are still in the early bite summer patter, but we’re still catching a limit an hour or two after daylight. Jerry Johnson and his wife Rita, from Greenville, S.C., had a great morning catching hybrids, stripers and Arkansas blue catfish. Randy Taylor and his family limited out on stripers and hybrids. We also caught some schooling redeye bass early one morning.
Ralph Barbee Jr., professional guide specializing in largemouth bass. (706) 831-8756 - My son R.B. Barbee III and I caught 10 largemouth bass on Wednesday. All came on the Yellow Fellow, but any top water bait will work. We fished around the Fort Gordon and Cherokee Creek areas. R.B. lost an 8-pounder when the trailer hook on the back of the Pop-R gave way. I also threw the Pencil Popper and they slammed it. He caught a 6-pounder among his five-fish catch.
Billy Murphy, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed guide specializing in striped bass and hybrid bass. (706) 339-4784 – Anyone heading to the lake before sunrise should wear a light jacket. We wear ours through mid morning. We are catching limits of stripers and hybrids from 1-1/2 to 4 pounds, as well as a few nice catfish. Our fish are coming from 30 feet down in 50 feet of water. Some anglers are seeing evidence that the lake is starting its fall turnover, but we are not seeing it in our section of the lake. Of course, the lake does not turn over all at once. Glenn Gray, Evans, and Larry Freeman and Gary Olson, Grovetown, fished with me this week. Check our photos on Facebook and our web site at www.doubletroublefishingguides.com
William Sasser’s Guide Service, (Capt. William Sasser, Capt. Bradd Sasser, Capt. Andrew Tubbs, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed, full time professional guides specializing in crappies, hybrids and striped bass). (706) 589-5468 (William), (Bradd) (706) 267-4313, (Andrew) (803) 507-5083 – Bradd – Water temperatures are beginning to drop like nighttime low air temperatures. We are still seeing great schools of fish feeding in all areas of the lake around daybreak. The bite continues through the morning, but slows a bit. Some fish are moving into the shallows, but there are plenty remaining in 40 and 50 feet of water. It is crucial to pay attention to your boat’s electronics and if you mark just one or two fish, stop and fish for them. You could be surprised. Some surface schooling activity is starting up, so keep a rod rigged with The Thing Popper or a doll fly behind the popping float on a couple of feet of leader. There has been some action up Georgia’s Little River, near Modoc along the oxygenation line and between Parksville and Dordon Creek. Some very nice fish have been caught near the mouths of Soap Creek and South Carolina’s Little River. Try fishing small shiners 8 to 10 feet deep over brush piles 20 feet down and you’ll catch some nice early fall crappies. Flathead catfish, blue catfish and channel catfish abound in the lake and all are hungry. Check us out on Facebook for up-to-date pictures.
Eddie Mason’s Guide Service (U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in striped bass and hybrid bass). www.masonsguideservice.com 1 (803) 637-5395. Cell: (706) 829-0428) – The lake is dropping just a bit, surface temperatures are in the low 80s and for the most part the lake is clear. This is the time of year when the lake starts to turn over and we’re moving up the lake toward Parksville and Dordon Creek. We are fishing in 40 to 50 feet of cooler water, fishing live herring on down lines. Last Saturday, Ryan and Marie Lyle and David Suber, from Warner Robbins, Ga., fished with me from daylight on and limited out by 8:30 a.m. We caught a nice mess of hybrids and stripers. Be sure to check our website and Facebook for fresh updates.
Capt. Tommy Dudley, U.S. Coast Guard-licensed professional guide specializing in stripers and hybrids. (706) 833-4807 – Looks like the lake is fixing to turn over because there is an odor and some trash on the surface. I am fishing from Plum Branch to Hickory Knob. The fishing has generally been good, but we’ve needed some wind. We’ve had days that have not been too exciting, but still catching the fish. I caught my fish this morning in 20 feet of water. I don’t recall it being like this. Check out my web site: www.acestriperguide.com.
MERRY LAND BRICKYARD PONDS
Check-in station, 1408 Doug Barnard Parkway, (706 722-8263) - There are multiple ponds offering good fishing for largemouth bass, bream and shellcrackers, crappies and catfish. We are going to hold a free fishing day on Columbus Day. Call our check-in station for details.
BEAUFORT, S.C. & VICINITY
Ralph Goodison, Fripp Island, (843) 838-2530 - The bite is good for redfish, whiting and flounder and fair for spotted sea trout. Cooler weather will make the trout more active. Spanish mackerel are still actively schooling within sight of land. Kingfish and black sea bass are biting offshore, with fishing just fair for trigger fish and vermillion. King mackerel, wahoo and blackfin tuna are active in the Gulf Stream area, but be sure to check the weather before making the trip.
SAVANNAH, GA.
Miss Judy Charters, Capt. Judy Helmey, (912) 897-4921 (www.missjudycharters.com.) P.O. Box 30771, Savannah, Ga. 31410-0771 - Water temperatures have dropped so there is a pretty solid inshore bite. Nice redfish, spotted sea trout and flounder have rewarded our clients. Some of the redfish are too big to be kept so they are quickly released with a minimum of handling.
Source: http://www.augustachronicle.com/sports/20181004/baab-brown-brothers-once-dominated-mr-clark-hill-tournament
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