4/10/08
Stren Series bass tournament coming to Clarendon County
By Jerriod Grizzle

Submitted Photo

Hundreds of anglers, both pro and amateur, sat in their boats at early morning awaiting a good start on a fishing tournament two years ago in Lake Marion.

Fisherman: start your engines! The $6.5 million Stren Series is headed to Lake Marion April 16-19 for an over $275,000 bass tournament.

The Clarendon County Chamber of Commerce will host the tournament and Executive Director Dawn Griffith said she is excited to see the tournament come to the area.

“We are expecting as many as 400 pros and anglers,” she said. “We want them to share in the beautiful return of our lake and admire how full the lake is from being down quite a bit.”

Popular baits such as spinner baits, chatter baits, Senkos and Texas-rigged worms will be used.

Berkeley pro Glenn Browne, who has fished the lakes a lot, said he is ready for a very big tournament.
“It’s going to be a great tournament. It’s going to fish different than it has in the past. This time around I don’t think that local guys will have such an advantage because some areas are going to be high and dry,” he said. “I’m not sure if the grass has grown up but if it has, you will be able to catch a lot of fish in that type of cover.”

Clarendon County semi-pro Nelson Walker agreed with Browne that everything should be top notch.
“Everything looks good. We are only three feet from full and it should be a great tournament,” he said.

Walker said that one of the main factors this year will be the weather.

“In April, fisherman should hit it right and the fish should be biting. With all this strange weather we are having though, it may be a tough call,” he said.

Pros will fish for a top award of $25,000 plus a $40,000 198VX Ranger boat, powered by an Evinrude or Yamaha outboard and equipped with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Lowrance electronics.

Co-anglers will cast for a top award of $55,000 plus a $30,000 Ranger boat and trailer. Competitors will be vying for valuable points that could earn them a trip to the $1 million Stren Series.

Tournament officials are calling everyone to come out, even if they aren’t working a rod and reel.

“If you’re not fishing we still want anyone and everyone to attend. We want this to be a spectator sport as well so come out to the weigh-ins and to cheer others on,” said Dave Washburn, vice president of communications for FLW Outdoors.

Anglers will take off from John C. Land III Landing located on Greenall Road at 7 a.m. each morning.

Thursday and Friday’s weigh-ins will be held at the landing at 3 p.m. and Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart on Paxville Highway at 4 p.m.

Takeoffs and weigh-ins are free and open to the public.

“We have a long history of coming year after year to one of the top fishing destinations. We are very thankful to our great host, Clarendon County,” said Washburn.

For more information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit www.FLOutdoors.com or call (270) 252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player’s Advantage visit www.FantasyFishing.com.