“Take the Fifth”
Author: Neil Paul
When B.A.S.S. officials announced last week that the Bassmaster Classic would return to the upstate of South Carolina in March 2027, a bit of history was made. The announcement marked the fifth time that Lake Hartwell would be selected to host the most prestigious bass tournament in the world. No other fishery has hosted five Bassmaster Classics.
Here at Visit Anderson, we are going to take every opportunity to highlight Lake Hartwell as a five-time Classic host. With that said, we are going to embark on a journey over the next year to highlight some of the untold stories or to relive some of the moments from the Bassmaster Classics on Lake Hartwell in a blog series called, “Take the Fifth.”
We’re thrilled that Lake Hartwell is the first destination that the classic will go to five times. So, over the next year, “Take the Fifth,” is going to be a fun way to recount some cool stories, facts, and anecdotes that will give you a closer look at Lake Hartwell being the first fishery in the world to host the Super Bowl of Bass Fishing a record five times all happening on the 5th of each month.
Having served at Visit Anderson since 2010, I was not a part of the 2008 Bassmaster Classic. Do I remember it? Absolutely! I’m a bass fishing fan too! I have been a part of the last three (2015, 2018, 2022) and have played a role in bringing the 2027 Classic to our fishery. Contrary to what you may think, this Classic was among the toughest of the Classics to seal…. if not, the toughest. We began working on the fifth Classic not long after Jason Christie hoisted his Classic Trophy and the confetti fell in Greenville in the March 2022 Classic. It has been several years of meetings, calls, visits, and discussions before we were given the nod. We’ll dive more into this Classic in a later blogpost.
One quick story to note about this fifth Classic, along with our partners at Visit Greenville, we submitted dates to B.A.S.S. for 2025, 2026 and 2027. As you know, the 2025 Bassmaster Classic was held in Ft. Worth, Texas and Lake Ray Roberts. The 2026 Bassmaster Classic, which takes place next week in Knoxville, Tennessee will be contested on Fort Loudoun and Tellico Lakes. You don’t just decide one day to host the Bassmaster Classic, pick up the phone, and make a few calls. It’s a process.
I’ve received a handful of texts, calls, and social media messages from some of the current Bassmaster Elite Series Pros excited about the return of the Classic to Lake Hartwell. Three anglers that I’ll be watching closely over the course of the season are John Crews, Gerald Swindle, and Greg Hackney. Those three anglers are the only anglers to fish in each of the four Classics on Lake Hartwell.
When the confetti falls in Knoxville on late Sunday afternoon, March 15, an angler will have his life forever changed, and Lake Hartwell will be on the clock for our record fifth Classic.