Crappie USA Super Event coming to Lake Hartwell this weekend
Anglers and spectators are invited to Crappie USA’s 25th anniversary celebration this weekend at Lake Hartwell.
Presented by Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s, the Crappie USA 2021 Super Event has a guaranteed $10,000 payout for one-day events and $20,000 for two-day events. The March 5-6 event will launch from Green Pond Landing and Event Center, 470 Green Pond Road in Anderson.
With 56,000 acres of surface water, Lake Hartwell has become the site for high-profile fishing events including the American Bass Anglers 2020 Ray Scott Championship, FLW’s college and high school series and FLW’s Bass Fishing League All-American Championship.
Visit Anderson, Anderson County’s tourism organization, was able to reschedule fishing tournaments that cancelled last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, keeping a full slate of tournaments at Lake Hartwell and even picking up two new events that moved from other locations, according to Visit Anderson Executive Director Neil Paul.
Lake Hartwell holds a good population of crappie, which begin transitioning from the lake to small creek channels and more shallow water in March and early April when water temperatures reach the high 50s and low 60s, according to tournament organizers. Brush piles are numerous on the lake and vertical jigging is expected to catch a lot of crappie.
The public is invited to attend the tournament weigh-in held at Green Pond Landing, giving non-competitors the opportunity to learn how the big ones are caught. Weigh-ins will begin around 4 p.m., followed by Interviews with the top 5 teams. Social distancing rules will be in effect.
How to Enter the Super Event
Teams may consist of one or two anglers, with a third member allowed if the angler is under the age of 16 years old. Teams can register early on the CUSA website.
Teams may also enter by calling (502) 384-5924 or by entering at the mandatory pre-tournament seminar the night before the tournament begins. Entry fees vary by length of tournament. All fees are posted on the website. Late entries are subject to a $25.00 late fee.
Participating anglers must be a member of the American Crappie Association (ACA). See levels of membership and sign up HERE. Membership includes a subscription to Crappie Digest, the official publication of Crappie USA.
Free Crappie Kids Rodeo
A free Crappie Kids Fishing Rodeo will be held in conjunction with the tournament at Chris Taylor Memorial Park, 5 Jim Ed Rice Circle in Anderson. An adult must accompany all participating children.
The event is free to children 12 years of age and under. Sign up for the Kids Rodeo is Saturday morning, March 6, at 8:00 am with fishing from 9:00 am – 11:00 am.
The Crappie USA Kids Fishing Rodeo is a chance for area children to get out and enjoy nature and do a little fishing. All participants are eligible for a chance to win one of the six Crappie USA $1,000 scholarships, which are awarded annually at the CUSA Classic.
Photos courtesy of Visit Anderson.
