Archive for April 2022

As part of the Belton Area Museum Association’s newest exhibit SC’s Most Wanted, Kathryn Smith, author of Baptists & Bootleggers: A Prohibition Expedition Through the South…with Cocktail Recipes,  will present a special talk on the history of Prohibition and religion.

On Thursday, May 5, at 7 pm at the Belton depot, Smith will begin her engaging talk followed by a book signing.

Attendees are invited to pull up a barstool and get better acquainted with Carry Nation, Al Capone, George Remus, F. Scott Fitzgerald and a host of other historical personalities as attendees learn of the South’s unique role in the years 1920-1933 when alcohol was banned by the federal government.

“This book talk will take you to major cities and small towns, all of which struggled between the Baptists and their teetotaling allies who preached temperance and the bootleggers who got rich providing what their customers couldn’t buy legally” said Smith.

The event will culminate in a moonshine tasting and snacks made with moonshine products, complements of Palmetto Distillery, the first legally licensed distillery in the state of South Carolina.  Every attendee will also receive a coupon for a complementary tasting and tour at the Anderson facility.

Free to all attendees, this program is sponsored by South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization; inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage.

Guests are also encouraged to come early to view the exhibit on display, which includes artifacts such as police equipment and uniforms, photographs of historical police detectives, bottles from the SC Dispensary system, forensic equipment, stories of SC’s criminals, and lots of bootlegging stills and trappings.

The exhibit and activities are sponsored by SafeKids Anderson County, Anderson County ATAX, Palmetto Distillery, The Humanities Council-SC, and the City of Belton HTAX.  The exhibit will be on display until June 18, 2022.

For more information, contact BAMA Executive Director, Abigail Burden, at 338-7400 or beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net.

The Belton Area Museum Association is a place where people of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities can learn about and experience our area’s history and culture.  Museum admission is free.

Calling all golfers! Don’t miss the upcoming 4^th Annual BAMA Chili Pepper Golf Tourney, Friday, May 13.

Held in conjunction with the SC State Chili Cook-off Championships, this premiere golf tourney will be played at the beautiful Saluda Valley Country Club.

A full course meal will be served starting at noon, complements of Southern Smoke BBQ. Snacks, water, and soft drinks will be supplied to all golfers throughout the afternoon.

A Putting Contest with split money prize will be held at 12:30 PM.

Captain’s Choice play with a shotgun start will begin at 1  PM. The tourney ends with prizes for closest to pin and longest drive in addition to the top three lowest scoring winning teams. Look for drawings for golf items and specialty equipment, sure to please any golfer.

Teams and individuals are encouraged to play.  Proceeds benefit the Belton Area Museum Association in addition to the charities funded by the SC State Chili Cook-off Championships.

Any company wishing to sponsor a team or purchase a hole sponsorship should contact Alison Darby at memoryln@charter.net or call/text at 864-958-5264 or BAMA Executive Director Abigail Burden at beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net or 864-338-7400.

“This is a great opportunity to showcase your business in an innovative way while supporting a charitable cause” said Burden.

Check out the application on our Facebook page (Belton Area Museum Association). Print it out and send it in to reserve your spot by May 9!

Everyone is invited to join us on Saturday, May 14, in beautiful downtown Belton for the 12^th annual SC State Chili Cook-off Championship, presented by IMS Belton.

“Whether you want to sample the amazing culinary talents of champion chili cooks from around the nation or  want to try your hand at competing yourself, the SC State Chili Cook-off Championship is waiting for you!” said Eleanor Dorn, SCSCCOC co-chair.

“Professional cooks from as far away as California and as local as Main Street Belton will compete for a chance to progress to the International Chili Society World Championships,” said SCSCCOC co-chair Gene Jameson.

Over 50 plus professional and amateur chili cooks are expected to light up their fires for competition and the best part is attendees get to taste the entries too! Tasting begins at 11:30 am. Unlimited taste bracelets are $15 or 5 samples can be had for $5.

All profits from the sale of the tasting bands go to non-profits in town:  The Belton Area Museum Association, the Belton Center for the Arts, the Belton Interfaith Ministries Association, Shalom House, and the Belton Masonic Lodge #130 Children’s Programs.

Professional cooks who are members of the ICS will compete in four categories: traditional red, homestyle, chili verde, and salsa.  Great cash prizes and distinctive trophies are awarded to winners.

Amateur cooks can participate in the People’s Choice and Organizational People’s Choice awards.  By providing at least three gallons of chili for sampling and paying a small entry fee of $25, competitors will seek the votes cast by the crowds who attend, and ultimately one traditional homestyle competitor in each category will go home with a cash prize. Entry information can be found on the website at www.scchilicookoff.com or on the Facebook page.

“A new category is also offered this year,” said Jameson.  “If you think you have a good enough recipe to compete with the professionals but you’ve never formally competed, you can participate in the Amateur Homestyle Chili Competition.”

For a $30 fee, Amateur category chili  entries will go through the judging process, and cooks will receive feedback from professional cooks who will give pointers and tips to give a competitive edge in a future professional competition.   Applications for this category are online as well.

Judges for all four categories of the professional competition are being sought now.

“If you are interested in serving as a judge, please send an email to me at scchilicookoff@gmail.com by May 11,” said Eleanor Dorn, SCSCCOC co-chair.

While at the festival there are lots of other activities to enjoy.  People can do some good by giving blood for our area banks. The Blood Connection will be onsite from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Sign up now at their website for a time to donate, or last minute donors are always welcome. Everyone who donates will receive a $20 gift card.

“ If you have a car that you are proud of and want to show it off, why don’t you cruise on in to Belton City Square from 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM?” said Steve Lingerfelt, organizer of the cruise in.

The Belton Masonic Lodge #130 invites all auto enthusiasts to join in the fun, with no registration necessary. For more information, contact Steve Lingerfelt at steve.lingerfelt@charter.com or 864-303-6444.

And children’s activities will be available such as face painting, playing corn hole, and making art sponsored by the Belton Center for the Arts.

Historical tours of the Belton Area Museum Association’s newest exhibit SC’s Most Wanted in the North End Gallery and guided tours of the SC Tennis Hall of Fame and the Ruth Drake Museum of Local History will be available from 10 AM – 4 PM.

The amazing music of the Combo Kings will delight the crowds throughout the day. In addition, Rock 101 with Stoneman will present live, on-site programming on the square.

Vendors selling products such as jewelry, crafts, home-improvement services, and non-chili food vendors will also be on site including Southern Smoke BBQ and Wainani  Shaved Ice.

The crowning of the professional champion in each competition category will be held at 4:30 PM on Saturday.

Tie-in events are also planned prior to and after the Saturday festival.

The Little Miss and Miss Chili Pepper Pageant will be held at the Watkins Community Center  auditorium at 11 AM on Saturday, May 7.  Contestants from 18 months to college age are being sought.  Prizes and recognitions are planned for winner categories and divisions.  Please contact Melissa Brannon at electriccityqueens@ gmail.com for more information.

On Friday, April 13, the BAMA Chili Pepper Golf Tourney will be held at Saluda Valley Country Club with a 1 PM shotgun start.  Prior to the start, a hearty lunch provided by Southern Smoke BBQ will be served to all participants and then they can all try their putting skills at the putting contest.   Limited to 15 teams, this event offers tons of great prizes to winners in several categories as well as swag to all golfers.  For more information or to register to play, contact Alison Darby at 864-958 5264 or by email at beltonmuseum@bellsouth.net.

The day after the festival, cooks will be participating in the Kegs-N- Eggs event at the Belton Recreation Center on Blue Ridge Avenue on Sunday from 8:30 AM – 2 PM.  Spectators are welcome, but no sampling is available.

“See you Saturday, May 14,  for competing, eating, and enjoying down home hospitality at the SC State Chili Cook-off Championships!” said SCSCCOC co-chair and mayor Eleanor Dorn!

Drew Six

Saving the best for last, Drew Six weighed in his biggest bag of the tournament on Showdown Saturday to capture his first NPFL victory. With 17-pounds, 7-ounces on day one, 14-pounds, 13-ounces on day two and 19-pounds, 1-ounce on day three, Six had a three-day total of 51-pounds, 5-ounces to secure the victory.

With and copy and paste method, running the same program all week, Six executed a shallow water sight fishing bite by catching a mix of spawning bass, fry guarders and bluegill chasing bass, different each day.

“Day one we had all three phases of the spawn, day two spawn was wearing off, and today was a new wave of spawners.”

Opting for super light line, Six fished a Z-Man StreakZ 3.75-inch shad bait in the shiner color rigged on a Z-Man Texas eye Jig head on 6-pound Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon. Focusing on sharp drops near long points off the main channel, he fished all new water on Showdown Saturday and relied on Lowrance mapping to replicate his deal all over the lake.

“The keys for me this week were that Z-Man bait, the light line and Lowrance C-Map Reveal. I used the exact same jig head and plastic all three days and today I fished all new water and was able to identify spots on the Lowrance map and I would pull up and they all had fish. This is my biggest win and it was a phenomenal week. By using that light line, I was able to fish behind and around people all week and catch some key fish that others were not able to.”

Patrick Walters

After losing several key bass on day one, Patrick Walters caught 19-pounds, 6-ounces on day two to take the lead and added 13-pounds on Showdown Saturday to finish the event in the 2^nd place spot with a three-day total of 46-pounds, 14-ounces.

Keying on the shad spawn, Walters employed a mix of several moving baits to temp schooling bass. Noting he did have some key areas, but the trick to herring fish is to keep moving and covering water until you run into fish that will bite.

Jason Wilson

With a three-day total of 46-pounds, 14-ounces, Jason Wilson added 17-pounds, 10-ounces to go with an excellent day one to finish the event in 3^rd place. Fishing a primarily shallow sight fishing pattern, the North Carolina pro spent his practice period marking fish on the bed and returned throughout the tournament to catch what was around.

“I had some key areas but basically, I was covering water – I would start at the mouth and work through until I saw a fish and lock down and catch it. I caught a 4 and 5-pounder in one pocket today and I have had a lot of success in previous tournaments on Hartwell, it’s one of my favorite lakes.”

Bryant Smith

Finishing in the 4^th place spot, California pro Bryant Smith wrapped up a very consistent week by bringing 15-pounds, 6-ounces to the scales on Showdown Saturday to finish with a three-day total of 46-pounds, 11-ounces. Fishing the ultimate junk pattern, Smith rotated between herring fish and shallow sight fishing to catch his fish every day.

“The keys for me this week were the really flat points for the schoolers and the flat banks for sight fishing. If there was red clay it was better, but the flat banks and points overall has the most fish. I was randomly looking in pockets and if the bigger pocket had several smaller pockets, that was where most of the bites would come from.”

Burning over 100 gallons of gas throughout the event, Smith fished a variety of baits including the most important – a soft jerkbait.

“I was using that Lews Custom Lite reel and that was key for making very long casts with basically a weightless bait. I was easily getting another 10 to 15-yards out of each cast. I ran that Ranger, Mercury all over the lake it got me back here every day.”

T.R. Andreas

With his biggest bag of the week on the final day, including a 6-pound, 2-ounce kicker, T.R. Andreas brought 19-pounds, 4-ounces to the scales on Showdown Saturday to finish tied for 5^th with a three-day total of 45-pounds, 1-ounce. Sticking to a sight fishing bite all week, Andreas was keying on East facing banks.

“I was basically just moving around looking for fish locked on beds and I was throwing three baits to get them to bite. A 3/0 Gamakatsu hook with a 5/16-ounce weight and 15-pound Seaguar fluorocarbon, I was using both a Yum Dinger and a Rage bug on that, and the third was a wacky rigged green pumpkin Yamamoto Senko. I would rotate through and once I would make a switch, they would bite.”

Jason Williamson

Bringing 18-pounds, 9-ounces to the scales on Showdown Saturday, Jason Williamson finished tied for 5th place with a three-day total of 45-pounds, 1-ounce.  Williamson caught 16-pounds, 6-ounces on day one and 10-pounds, 2-ounces on day two before bringing in his heaviest catch on the final day.

Rest of the best:

7             Jesse Millsaps                    44-9

8              Jesse Wise                          44-6

9              Josh Ray                               44-6

10           Mike Corbishley                43-13

Join us for a celebration of BAMA’s newest exhibit SC’s Most Wanted, Sunday, May 1, from 3 – 5 pm at the historic Belton Train Depot. 

At the opening celebration, enjoy sitting in a gangster automobile from the 1910’s to the 1940’s, listen to police detectives and forensic specialists talk about their jobs, see a police drone fly overhead, and taste a little moonshine (if of appropriate age).   

Children can learn about gun safety from SafeKids Anderson County, and fingerprinting for parent identification purposes will be offered by local police detectives.   

In the exhibit, visitors will see artifacts of the criminals, controversial cultural topics, and law enforcement officers of all branches that made headlines from the 1780s to 1980s.  

Featured artifacts investigate prohibition era politics and the teetotalers who forced dry counties on the population, the SC Dispensary system, and social issues such as bootlegging and capital punishment.  

Also on display is a collection of police uniforms and forensic equipment that have been used over the years to solve crimes. 

The exhibit runs May 1 – June 18.  Museum hours are Wednesday – Friday, 9 am – 2 pm, Saturday, 10 am to Noon, and by appointment for groups by calling 864-338-7400. 

On May 5, a tie in activity will accompany the exhibit.  Beginning at 7 pm at the depot, Kathryn Smith, renowned author of her newest book Baptists & Bootleggers: A Prohibition Expedition Through the South…with Cocktail Recipes, will present an engaging talk followed by a book signing.  This program is sponsored by South Carolina Humanities, a not-for-profit organization; inspiring, engaging and enriching South Carolinians with programs on literature, history, culture and heritage.  This event will culminate in a moonshine tasting, complements of Palmetto Distillery.  Every attendee will also receive a coupon for a complementary tasting and tour at the Anderson facility.   

Thanks to the Humanities Council-SC,  SafeKids-Anderson County, Anderson County ATAX, City of Belton HTAX, and Palmetto Distillery for supporting this exhibit and its activities.  Admission is free. 

Come enjoy learning about SC’s Most Wanted! 

Summerville, South Carolina Pro Patrick Walters Grabs Day Two Lead 

Adding the biggest bag of the tournament to his day one weight of 14-pounds, 8-ounces, Summerville, South Carolina Pro Patrick Walters takes the lead with a day two weight of 19-pounds, 6-ounces, and a total weight of 33-pounds, 14-ounces. Starting the morning on a spot he located at the end of day one with no luck, Walters made a change at 10:30 AM with only two small fish in his bag. 

“I got on some good herring bites yesterday afternoon and I started on those fishing this morning but it wasn’t happening. I scrapped it and went after some spawning fish to fill a limit and it was for only about 7 to 8-pounds.” 

Once the wind picked up, Walters knew what he had to do. Slipping back out into “the deal,” he was able to get to work and landed all of his bigger bites. He is fishing a variety of moving baits to target schooling bass and noted the key to success off shore is to cover water and find fish willing to bite. 

“Tomorrow, I have a few stretches of shallow fish I have not even been to yet and I am really curious as to what’s going on up in those areas. After that, I’m going to run some new water and rotate through my key herring spots.” 

Brandon Perkins 

Adding 15-pounds, 12-ounces on day two, day one co leader Brandon Perkins sits in the 2nd spot with a two-day total of 33-pounds, 8-ounces. Seen on live coverage working a combination schooling fish and sight fishing, Perkins got off to a slower start this morning and went to work with his swimbait to catch his weight for the day. 

“I started where I started yesterday and caught four little babies pretty quick. I stayed in that same area and caught a 4.25-pounder on the swimbait and then a 3.75-pounder to get the day off on the right direction.” 

After bouncing around with no luck, the Counce, Tennessee pro put his head down and worked on his shallow fish. Locating a group of quality bass chasing fry behind a dock, Perkins left the area alone and returned for a few casts later in the day.  

“I skipped up under that cable and one knocked slack into it but it never got the bait. Those fish are around the bed but they are chasing brim and not actually locked on. You can’t fish for them how you normally would sight fishing and they are super hard to catch. I know where the big ones are and it’s just a matter of getting them to bite.” 

With some wind projected for Showdown Saturday, Perkins is hoping to get his morning off to a good start similar to a few days in practice.  

“Two days in practice I was getting bites on a spook and they were all big ones. Tomorrow, I am going to start on that shoal and hope to get off to a good start so I can keep that swimbait in my hand and really go after them hard the rest of the day.” 

Mike Corbishley 

With another solid day, Mike Corbishley added 16-pound, 7-ounces to his day one weight to finish the day tied for the 2nd place spot with a total weight of 33-pounds, 8-ounces. Corbishley continued his junk fishing pattern of rotating between herring fish and sight fishing to catch his day two bag. 

“There were boats on all of my areas so I basically fished my B areas this morning. I was able to catch a few to get the day going including that big one (seen on live coverage). After that, I went through some key areas up shallow and caught one fish, and lost another one that would have given me the lead.” 

After returning to his herring fish when the wind picked up in the afternoon, Corbishley went back to work culling several times late in the day. Spending several hours looking for new water for Showdown Saturday, he utilized his Lowrance electronics to find several areas similar to those he has fished thus far.  

“I am basically looking at the Lowrance C-Map Reveal, using the South East card, and finding herring spawning areas with specific contour breaks that hold fish. Once I find the spot, the Active Target helps me find those schools of bait and I can make high percentage casts. Tomorrow I am going to try and bust them for all they are worth.” 

Drew Six 

Backing up his day one weight of 17-pounds, 7-ounces, Drew Six added a 14-pound, 13-ounce bag to his two-day weight of 32-pounds, 4-ounces to finish the day in the 4th place spot. When asked about his day two on the water, Six laughed and noted an almost identical day as yesterday but with one change. 

“Basically, copy that same story from yesterday, and change the bass I caught to bluegill chasers.” 

As a self-proclaimed offshore angler, Six says his game plan this week is “freaky” but has worked flawlessly to putting him in contention to take home the win on Showdown Saturday. 

“The ones from today were chasing bluegills and bait all day and I am basically covering a ton of water. Looking ahead to tomorrow, I do have some fish I hope to catch (on beds), but I am going to just swing as hard as I can and see what happens.” 

Bryant Smith 

Catching his biggest bag of the event, Bryant Smith added 16-pounds to his total weight to finish the day in the 5th place spot, just 2-pounds, 9-ounces behind the leader. Bryant has executed his “junk fishing mess” flawlessly and is fishing whatever he comes across throughout his day. 

“I have tried it all – I am fishing docks, fishing herring fish, fishing for spawners, cruisers, you name it. I went into the event open minded as it’s a very volatile time of year and I am just rolling with what happens and not getting stuck on one thing.” 

Starting off both days with a limit by around 9 AM, Smith is bouncing around both deep and shallow to catch his fish. 

“I have not been able to get a big fish at all in the morning which is frustrating, but tomorrow I will run more of it. I had a late day today and a good bag so I snuck up to some shallow stuff and found some good ones to try to catch tomorrow.” 

The Rest of the Best: 

6 Justin Kimmel 30-11 

7 William Fletcher 29-12 

8 Josh Ray 29-12 

9 David Gaston 29-7 

10 Jason Wilson 29-4 

Each catching five bass limits of 17-pounds, 12-ounces, 2021 NPFL Champions Buck Mallory and Brandon Perkins take a share of the day one lead at Lake Hartwell.

Starting off the day fast, Mallory’s third bass of the morning was a 4.5-pound largemouth and it was all uphill from there. Culling about six times throughout the day, the Lawton, Michigan pro ran a junk fishing pattern of “random areas with good bass” to catch his fish and credits a late adjustment for his share of the leading weight.

“I am fishing a good mix of spotted and largemouth bass and later this afternoon, I made a bait change after losing three nice fish and really got dialed. I am hitting and missing guys fishing similar type stuff but I had nobody pull in on me and I never pulled in on anyone. Once I figured out the changes, I made some adjustments with that different bait and went to work. I am looking forward to the rest of this week.”

Understandably, Mallory declined to share too much information until after the day two weigh in.

Tied with Mallory for the day one lead, Brandon Perkins went into the morning after a subpar practice and was able to secure a solid limit early, and then went to work doing what he likes to do.

“My practice wasn’t awesome; I really don’t like to catch a lot anyways and I ran three spots this morning and finally landed on them on the third stop. I really don’t know if I found a shad spawn deal or what but I had one bite in practice and it was a good spotted bass.”

Catching a fish on his first cast, a big fish blew up close by and Perkins fired a bait over and quickly landed a 3-pound spot. Moving on to spot number two, he wasn’t feeling it and another boat was close by. On the third spot, it all came together and the Counce, Tennessee angler went to work catching the majority of his bag.

“I caught them really good on that deal and I think I left with 15-pounds. I was fairly comfortable with that weight and I probably could have caught more if I stayed but I felt like I should leave it. I had a good weight and wanted to go fish how I was comfortable and try to cull up.”

After making a move shallow, Perkins got to looking and was able to catch a few other bigger fish including a lost “6 plus pounder” that bit a bait and quickly got wrapped up in some brush.

“She was super shallow and I couldn’t get in there to get to her but I was actually surprised she bit to begin with. She did spit out my bait so I got that back and I know where she lives. I have to keep looking for them but with an early check in tomorrow, I have a feeling that big one is going to end up hurting me bad – it would have been a 3-pound or bigger cull.”

Eddie Carper

Ending the day in the 3^rd place spot, Valliant, Oklahoma pro Eddie Carper landed a 5-pound, 5-ounce kicker to anchor his five bass limit of 17-pounds, 9-ounces. Sticking with his practice plan, he was able to get off to a fast start and secured a limit by 7:30 this morning.

“That was my goal weight, I was hoping to catch 17-pounds and was planning to quit. I made a short run this morning and caught them fast but the big ones didn’t show up. I fished for a while before making a move down by the dam to some fish I had on deep timber in practice.”

After fishing around at the lakes south end, Carper made his move back up the lake and noticed a point he had some schooling fish in practice was vacant. Trying to ditch his small limit, he was able to catch a few schooling bass before they vanished as the sun got high.

“I was able to cull up but it died fast and I just went junk fishing the rest of the day. I found a creek in practice back up near take off with a log jam and on my second flip today I got that 5-pounder. It was the same flip I caught a 4-pounder in practice.”

That fish gave him the confidence to keep his head down in that creek. A short while later in some flooded bushes, a 3 and a 3.5-pounder brough his weight from 14-pounds to over 17 and his official weight for the day.

“It’s all a timing deal for me and those herring fish school up at certain times when the sun is bright and after that, it’s all junk fishing for me. I am looking forward to going tomorrow as it should be even better.”

Drew Six

With a five bass limit of 17-pounds, 7-ounces, Drew Six worked a “three phase” spawning pattern to end the day in the 4^th place spot. With an early limit, including his bigger fish, a 5-pound, 12-ounce kicker sealed the deal on a solid day one.

“I had a limit by 9 AM including my big fish. I landed that big one on 6-pound test and I am using a Z-Man StreakZ and Texas Swivel Head and fishing on key areas next to deep cuts.”

With high skies and little wind projected the next two days, the Clinton, Ohio pro will continue to fish his spawning deal but expects the quality to drop off throughout the rest of the event.

“I knew I would catch them good but I didn’t expect this quality. I can see it with the weights today, we are going into a post spawn period and it may happen fast. I am fishing some pre-spawn, some fry guarders and fry chasers. I expect to keep getting bites but the quality will probably drop off.”

Mike Corbishley

Starting fast and furious, Mike Corbishley began his day with a fast limit with one weighable fish and ran a junk fishing pattern to catch weight of 17-pounds, 1-ounce. Ending the day in the 5^th place spot, the Raleigh, North Carolina angler is fishing a mix of structure, with different baits, and fishing all phases of the spawn.

“I thought I would have a decent day this morning but it all depended on getting a big bite or not. Ironically, today, I had one 4-pounder and a bunch of good quality bass in my bag.”

After his quick start, Corbishley ran a few more “timing deals” to begin his day before the high skies shut down the fish. Losing some quality fish and getting short strikes, he knew it was time to pivot and find some bigger quality bass.

“I think I will be good the rest of the week but the one thing that might hurt me is that several guys saw me catching them this morning and I am a little worried that more people fished those areas after I left.”