Clarke Leads Open Tournament at Clarks Hill

January 24, 2025
B.A.S.S. News

EVANS, Ga. — Using lessons learned from last season, Virginia Beach’s Chase Clarke landed a five-bass limit weighing 25 pounds, 14 ounces to take the Day 1 lead at the Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir. The former Auburn University angler anchored his bag with two largemouth over 6 pounds, including a 6-8 bucketmouth that claimed Phoenix Boats Big Bass of the Day honors. 

“I know I’m not going to catch very many. But when they are that size, I’m doing something right,” Clarke said. “It was just one of those days where every decision I made was the right one. Hopefully that happens again tomorrow.” 

Oklahoma’s Blaine Bunney holds second place with 22-7 followed by Tennessee’s Christian Nash in third with 22-5. 

Winter has been in full swing this week in northeast Georgia, as a winter storm brought as much as 2 inches of snow to the area Tuesday night. That caused unsafe road conditions, leading to the cancellation of the regularly scheduled Day 1 on Thursday and shortening the event to two days. Anglers were greeted to 25-degree temperatures as they launched Friday morning.

With two full days off, though, the Opens pros showed the true potential of Clarks Hill. Nineteen bags over 18 pounds, including four over 20 pounds, hit the scales Friday and 116 limits were caught by the field of 161 anglers.  The 2024 season was Clarke’s first as an Elite Qualifier angler, and one tournament in particular from last year has helped him tremendously this week at Clarks Hill.

“I’m taking what I used at Lake Ouachita (last February) and implementing it here,” he explained. “Even though there aren’t blueback herring in Ouachita, the same thing is working for me.” 

Clarke had a solid practice period on Clarks Hill, but as it progressed his daily weights went down. He never imagined a 25-pound bag was possible the way things were going.

“I didn’t think there was any chance. My best day in practice was 18 pounds, but that was the first day. The second day I had 14 and then 12 the last day. I was going downhill throughout practice. But I would pull up and look at some stuff in practice and just leave. I didn’t really know what was there exactly.”

When the tournament finally started on Thursday, Clarke worked his way to a limit by 11 a.m. Shortly after, Clarke made his lone mistake of the day. He landed a 3 ½-pounder that would have helped him, but in the process of culling, he accidentally threw that bass back, costing him a half pound. 

“I caught a 2-pounder right after that, which didn’t help,” Clarke said. “I looked up to the clouds wondering, ‘How did I mess this up.’ I looked back down and on my next cast I caught one of the 6-pounders.”  

Clarke mixed things up throughout the day, moving back and forth between shallow and deep water. Three baits caught the bulk of his bass — two bottom-contact baits and one bait he suspended in the water column.

Water clarity is a key component to what he is doing.

“I don’t want the clearest water in the lake, but I don’t want it to be super stained either,” Chase explained. “I’m looking for that in-between with 6 or 7 feet of visibility.”

While warmer, the forecast calls for less wind on Saturday, which Clarke thinks might change what his bass are doing. 

Bunney, meanwhile, is fishing his first Open. The recent high school graduate is targeting largemouth in deep water using a jighead minnow and forward-facing sonar. He also landed a 4-3 spotted bass. 

“Largemouth are what I’m looking for. That is what is going to win,” he said. “I stumbled into something the first day of practice that led me to this.”

While plenty of other competitors are chasing bass feeding on blueback herring, there isn’t much in the way of bait where Bunney is fishing. As the week has progressed, he has noticed the bass sinking lower and lower in the water column.

“You would think the bass would be really (targeting) the bait balls, but they really aren’t. They are kind of just floating in the nothing, the abyss. And they are wanting to push deeper down. When you think they would be 5 feet under the surface, they are 35 feet under the surface in 50 feet of water.”

Hailing from Dale Hollow, Nash got off to a hot start, catching a 4-pounder before filling out his limit in that same pocket. He then caught a 6-pounder out of a brushpile, anchoring his bag for the day. 

“I pulled in a pocket this morning and there was someone already there, so I made a slight adjustment and went to another pocket,” he said. “The wind was blowing into a pocket, and I said, ‘Man, that looks good.’”

Nash has utilized forward-facing sonar to catch his bass, which are located between 35 feet of water to 50 feet of water. 

“I’m using ¾-ounce and 1-ounce heads. When one sees it, they’ve got it,” he said. “In the mornings, I think the herring get tucked down to the bottom in the creeks. To me, it seemed like the bass just kept going deeper.”

 

2025 Bassmaster Open at Clarks Hill Reservoir 1/24-1/25
(BOATER) Standings Day 1

   Angler                   Hometown              No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Chase Clarke           Virginia Beach, VA       5  25-14  200
  Day 1: 5   25-14   
2.  Blaine Bunney          Claremore, OK            5  22-07  199
  Day 1: 5   22-07   
3.  Christian Nash         Allons, TN               5  22-05  198
  Day 1: 5   22-05   
4.  Matt Adams             Guntersville, AL         5  20-00  197
  Day 1: 5   20-00   
5.  Tyler Campbell         Martin, GA               5  19-15  196
  Day 1: 5   19-15   
6.  Robbie Mills Jr        Appling, GA              5  19-07  195
  Day 1: 5   19-07   
7.  Dylan Fogarty          Mechanicsburg, PA        5  19-06  194
  Day 1: 5   19-06   
8.  Zach Goutremout        Chaumont, NY             5  19-02  193
  Day 1: 5   19-02   
9.  Chris Blanchette       Edisto Island, SC        5  19-00  192
  Day 1: 5   19-00   
10. Hayden Seabolt         Dawsonville, GA          5  18-13  191
  Day 1: 5   18-13   
11. River Lee              Diboll, TX               5  18-11  190
  Day 1: 5   18-11   
12. Michael Neal           Dayton, TN               5  18-06  189
  Day 1: 5   18-06   
13. Hayden Gaddis          Dandridge, TN            5  18-03  188
  Day 1: 5   18-03   
13. Laker Howell           Guntersville, AL         5  18-03  188
  Day 1: 5   18-03   
15. John Hunter Jr         Shelbyville, KY          5  18-02  186
  Day 1: 5   18-02   
16. Paul Marks             Cumming, GA              5  18-01  185
  Day 1: 5   18-01   
17. Dillon Falardeau       Hixson, TN               5  18-00  184
  Day 1: 5   18-00   
17. Ryan Lachniet          Gum Spring, VA           5  18-00  184
  Day 1: 5   18-00   
17. Russ Lane              Prattville, AL           5  18-00  184
  Day 1: 5   18-00   
20. Cody Stahl             Barnsville, GA           5  17-12  181
  Day 1: 5   17-12   
21. Tyler Malone           Chunchula, AL            5  17-10  180
  Day 1: 5   17-10   
22. Dylan Akins            Flowery Branch, GA       5  17-09  179
  Day 1: 5   17-09   
23. James Chandler         Liberty, TX              5  17-07  178
  Day 1: 5   17-07   
23. Hamp Rowland           Appling, GA              5  17-07  178
  Day 1: 5   17-07   
25. Alex Wetherell         Middletown, CT           5  17-06  176
  Day 1: 5   17-06   
26. Brooks Anderson        Marietta, GA             5  17-05  175
  Day 1: 5   17-05   
27. Cliff Crochet          Pierre Part, LA          5  17-04  174
  Day 1: 5   17-04   
27. Sam Hanggi             Knoxville, TN            5  17-04  174
  Day 1: 5   17-04   
29. Carter Cunningham      Dawsonville, GA          5  17-03  172
  Day 1: 5   17-03   
30. Lucas Murphy           West Columbia, MI        5  17-02  171
  Day 1: 5   17-02   
31. Wesley Sandifer        Chapin, SC               5  17-01  170
  Day 1: 5   17-01   
32. Brandon Coulter        Knoxville, TN            5  16-15  169
  Day 1: 5   16-15   
33. Ryan Salzman           Huntsville, AL           5  16-13  168
  Day 1: 5   16-13   
33. Jody White             Shaftsbury, VT           5  16-13  168
  Day 1: 5   16-13   
35. Trey Schroeder         Theodosia, MO            5  16-09  166
  Day 1: 5   16-09   
36. Darold Gleason         Leesville, LA            5  16-07  165
  Day 1: 5   16-07   
37. Elijah Benson          Dahlonega, GA            5  16-03  164
  Day 1: 5   16-03   
38. Lucas Lindsay          Auburn , AL              5  16-00  163
  Day 1: 5   16-00   
38. Tristan McCormick      Bon Aqua, TN             5  16-00  163
  Day 1: 5   16-00   
38. Jaden Parrish          Liberty, TX              5  16-00  163
  Day 1: 5   16-00   
41. Reed Rooke             Dawsonville, GA          5  15-15  160
  Day 1: 5   15-15   
42. Erik Brztowski         Lemont, IL               5  15-14  159
  Day 1: 5   15-14   
43. Chad Pipkens           Dewitt, MI               5  15-13  158
  Day 1: 5   15-13   
44. Donavan Carson         Bluff City, TN           5  15-12  157
  Day 1: 5   15-12   
44. Tanner Visco           Antioch, IL              5  15-12  157
  Day 1: 5   15-12   
44. Dustin Williamson      Modoc, SC                5  15-12  157
  Day 1: 5   15-12   
47. Brett Hite             Phoenix, AZ              5  15-09  154
  Day 1: 5   15-09   
48. Casey Smith            Victor, NY               5  15-08  153
  Day 1: 5   15-08   
49. Brycen Williamson      Aiken, SC                5  15-08  152
  Day 1: 5   15-08   
50. Jason Burroughs        Hodges, SC               5  15-07  151
  Day 1: 5   15-07   
51. Tommy Dunaway          Havana, FL               5  15-04  150
  Day 1: 5   15-04   
52. Kyle Austin            Ridgeville, SC           5  15-01  149
  Day 1: 5   15-01   
53. William Ross           Livingston, TX           5  15-00  148
  Day 1: 5   15-00   
53. Evan White             Roanoke Rapids, NC       5  15-00  148
  Day 1: 5   15-00   
55. Brandon McMillan       Clewiston, FL            5  14-15  146
  Day 1: 5   14-15   
56. Caleb Hudson           Lincolnton, GA           5  14-14  145
  Day 1: 5   14-14   
57. Parker Guy             Appling, GA              5  14-13  144
  Day 1: 5   14-13   
58. Emery Burnett          Appling, GA              5  14-12  143
  Day 1: 5   14-12   
59. Dylan Welton           Middleville, MI          5  14-08  142
  Day 1: 5   14-08   
60. Derek Lehtonen         Woodruff, SC             5  14-07  141
  Day 1: 5   14-07   
61. Tanner Hadden          Appling, GA              5  14-06  140
  Day 1: 5   14-06   
61. Brandon Hightower      Edgerton, KS             5  14-06  140
  Day 1: 5   14-06   
63. Michael Spaulding Jr.  Dundee, MI               5  14-04  138
  Day 1: 5   14-04   
64. Colt Blanton           Piketon, OH              5  13-15  137
  Day 1: 5   13-15   
65. Emil Wagner            Marietta, GA             5  13-15  136
  Day 1: 5   13-15   
66. Cody Detweiler         Guntersville, AL         5  13-14  135
  Day 1: 5   13-14   
67. Alex Prince            Blue Ridge, GA           5  13-13  134
  Day 1: 5   13-13   
67. Collin Smith           Honea Path, SC           5  13-13  134
  Day 1: 5   13-13   
69. Adam Rasmussen         Sturgeon Bay, WI         5  13-12  132
  Day 1: 5   13-12   
70. Shayne Berlo           Mclean, VA               5  13-11  131
  Day 1: 5   13-11   
70. Charlie Hartley        Grove City, OH           5  13-11  131
  Day 1: 5   13-11   
70. Connor Jacob           Auburn, AL               5  13-11  131
  Day 1: 5   13-11   
73. Brayden Rakes          Winston Salem, NC        5  13-05  128
  Day 1: 5   13-05   
74. Brandon Kelley         Evans, GA                5  13-03  127
  Day 1: 5   13-03   
75. Tommy Wood             Peregian Springs AUSTRA  5  13-01  126
  Day 1: 5   13-01   
76. Jerry Fowler           Ellijay, GA              5  12-15  125
  Day 1: 5   12-15   
77. Aaron Yavorsky         Palm Harbor, FL          5  12-14  124
  Day 1: 5   12-14   
78. Sean Anderson          Leesville, SC            5  12-13  123
  Day 1: 5   12-13   
79. Trey Swindle           Cleveland, AL            5  12-12  122
  Day 1: 5   12-12   
80. Matthew Oconnell       Brooks, GA               5  12-09  121
  Day 1: 5   12-09   
81. Jeremy Sadowski        Voluntown, CT            5  12-08  120
  Day 1: 5   12-08   
82. Josh Bragg             Fayetteville, GA         5  12-07  119
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
82. Stephen Browning       Hot Springs, AR          5  12-07  119
  Day 1: 5   12-07   
84. Ryan Matylewicz        Tunkhannock, PA          5  12-04  117
  Day 1: 5   12-04   
85. Ryan Broughman         Corapeake, NC            5  12-01  116
  Day 1: 5   12-01   
85. Alec Morrison          Peru, NY                 5  12-01  116
  Day 1: 5   12-01   
85. Brian Mullaney         Ijamsville, MD           5  12-01  116
  Day 1: 5   12-01   
85. Micheal Stout          Gallatin, TN             5  12-01  116
  Day 1: 5   12-01   
89. Tyler Conde            Chepachet, RI            5  11-14  112
  Day 1: 5   11-14   
89. Billy Gilbert          Hamburg, NY              5  11-14  112
  Day 1: 5   11-14   
91. Matt Messer            Warfield, KY             5  11-11  110
  Day 1: 5   11-11   
92. Bo Thomas              Edwardsburg, MI          5  11-08  109
  Day 1: 5   11-08   
93. Randall Tharp          Port St. Joe, FL         5  11-07  108
  Day 1: 5   11-07   
94. TJ McKenzie            Myrtle Beach, SC         5  11-04  107
  Day 1: 5   11-04   
95. Anthony Garcia         Los Angeles, CA          5  11-02  106
  Day 1: 5   11-02   
96. Hunter  Davidson       Reform, AL               5  11-01  105
  Day 1: 5   11-01   
97. Jonathan Dietz         Corry, PA                5  11-00  104
  Day 1: 5   11-00   
98. John Duvall            Madison, GA              5  10-15  103
  Day 1: 5   10-15   
98. Mark Guhne             Hixson, TN               5  10-15  103
  Day 1: 5   10-15   
100. David Miller           Stratford, CT            5  10-14  101
  Day 1: 5   10-14   
101. Chris Kingree          Inverness, FL            5  10-11  100
  Day 1: 5   10-11   
102. Easton Lindus          Woodville, WI            5  10-08   99
  Day 1: 5   10-08   
102. Brady Vernon           Sterrett, AL             5  10-08   99
  Day 1: 5   10-08   
104. Cade Law               Elmore, AL               5  10-04   97
  Day 1: 5   10-04   
105. Drew Boggs             Lebanon, TN              4  10-01   96
  Day 1: 4   10-01   
106. Freddy  Palmer         Estill Springs, TN       5  10-00   95
  Day 1: 5   10-00   
107. Jacob Thompkins        Myrtle Beach, SC         4  09-12   94
  Day 1: 4   09-12   
108. Bobby Bakewell         Orlando, FL              5  09-11   93
  Day 1: 5   09-11   
108. Byron Kenney Jr        Monticello, GA           5  09-11   93
  Day 1: 5   09-11   
110. Johnathan Crossland    Chapin, SC               5  09-09   91
  Day 1: 5   09-09   
111. Jake Maddux            Roswell, GA              5  08-14   90
  Day 1: 5   08-14   
112. Chris McCarthy         Woonsocket, RI           4  08-12   89
  Day 1: 4   08-12   
113. Cole Drummond          Effingham, SC            5  08-08   88
  Day 1: 5   08-08   
114. Nick Toomey            Evans, GA                3  08-07   87
  Day 1: 3   08-07   
115. Bryson Osteen          Live Oak, FL             4  08-06   86
  Day 1: 4   08-06   
116. Eugene Buff            Hodges, SC               4  08-05   85
  Day 1: 4   08-05   
117. Rich Ortiz             Fort Ann, NY             5  08-04   84
  Day 1: 5   08-04   
118. Shannon Abbott         Louisville, TN           3  07-15   83
  Day 1: 3   07-15   
119. Hunter Eubanks         Landrum , SC             3  07-13   82
  Day 1: 3   07-13   
120. Tyler Shawger          Zanesville, OH           3  07-12   81
  Day 1: 3   07-12   
121. Joshua Weaver          Macon, GA                5  07-09   80
  Day 1: 5   07-09   
122. Mike McClelland        Blue Eye, MO             5  07-05   79
  Day 1: 5   07-05   
123. Josh Gauthier          Petawawa CANADA          4  07-03   78
  Day 1: 4   07-03   
124. Troy Coney             Owego, NY                5  07-02   77
  Day 1: 5   07-02   
125. Tommy Dickerson        Orange, TX               4  06-13   76
  Day 1: 4   06-13   
126. Colden Baker           Ridgeway, SC             5  06-10   75
  Day 1: 5   06-10   
127. Derrick Sadlowski      Monaca, PA               2  06-05   74
  Day 1: 2   06-05   
128. Parker Mott            Winter Garden, FL        3  06-02   73
  Day 1: 3   06-02   
129. Tim Cales              Beckley, WV              3  05-10   72
  Day 1: 3   05-10   
130. John Pollard           Eclectic, AL             2  05-05   71
  Day 1: 2   05-05   
131. Lucas Toliver          Paw Paw, MI              3  05-04   70
  Day 1: 3   05-04   
132. Skeeter  Crosby        Green Pond, SC           3  05-01   69
  Day 1: 3   05-01   
133. Kristine Fischer       Weeping Water, NE        5  05-00   68
  Day 1: 5   05-00   
134. Luke Plunkett          Pinson, AL               2  04-14   67
  Day 1: 2   04-14   
135. Chris Lighthizer       Zanesville, OH           2  04-11   66
  Day 1: 2   04-11   
136. Allen Brooks           Canton, GA               3  04-10   65
  Day 1: 3   04-10   
137. Ryan Michl             Newton, IL               2  04-07   64
  Day 1: 2   04-07   
138. Mitch Mitchell         Appling, GA              3  04-05   63
  Day 1: 3   04-05   
139. Kyle Weisenburger      Columbus Grv, OH         2  04-02   62
  Day 1: 2   04-02   
140. Lance Owen             Greer, SC                2  04-01   61
  Day 1: 2   04-01   
141. Rick Greene            Ocala, FL                2  03-09   60
  Day 1: 2   03-09   
141. Mike Penney            Cameron, NC              2  03-09   60
  Day 1: 2   03-09   
143. Duke Nave              Oxford, PA               1  02-04   58
  Day 1: 1   02-04   
144. Grae Buck              Green Lane, PA           1  02-01   57
  Day 1: 1   02-01   
145. Teb Jones              Yalaha, MS               1  01-09   56
  Day 1: 1   01-09   
146. Anastasia Patterson    Sumter, SC               1  01-03   55
  Day 1: 1   01-03   
147. Wyatt Wisian           Ardmore, OK              1  01-02   54
  Day 1: 1   01-02   
148. Clint Leonard Jr       Saint Cloud, FL          1  01-01   53
  Day 1: 1   01-01   
149. Nicholas Mandes        North Stonington, CT     1  00-15   52
  Day 1: 1   00-15   
150. William Baker          Ridgeway, SC             0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Ryan Bass              Royse city, TX           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Jason Carpenter        Castle Pines, CO         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Woo Daves              Spring Grove, VA         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Kyle Healey            Almonte CANADA           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Kristian Johnson       Belvidere, NJ            0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Scott Kerslake         Okeechobee, FL           0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Phillip Kroll          Otego, NY                0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. William Kronander      Brownsville, PA          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Cliff Prince           Palatka, FL              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Mikey Weems            Hull, TX                 0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
150. Jason Williamson       Aiken, SC                0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1       116       663      1849-02
----------------------------------
         116       663      1849-02