ANDERSON, S.C. (March 14, 2025) – The weather was perfect on Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Tournament on Lake Hartwell, and the fishing matched it. In total, five pros caught more than 20 pounds on the day, and it took 19 pounds to make the Top 10. Leading the way, longtime Hartwell hammer Jayme Rampey dropped 22-13, including a 7-pounder, to get out in front by 10 ounces. In second, Dustin Smith scrounged up 22-3 in the dirt and Chad Mrazek ‘Scoped up 22-2 for third.
With forward-facing sonar off for Day 2 and a lot of wind in the forecast as a powerful front moves eastward, the tournament is setting up to be pretty fascinating. Competitors will conclude the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 30 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament features pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and valuable points to qualify for the 2025 Championship in September.
With five Bass Fishing League wins to his credit on Hartwell alone, Rampey is renowned in the Carolinas, and he’s got plenty of high-level experience as well. He made the Top 10 twice in three years on the FLW Tour, and he’s finished in the top five twice in the BFL All-American. Suffice it to say, you don’t want to spot Rampey a lead on Hartwell.
Today, after a quick start with five keepers, Rampey culled up.
“I started off in a little schooling spot, caught a quick limit, 12 or 13 pounds, and then went down the lake and kept catching the same size fish,” he said. “I made an adjustment about 10, lost a couple big ones, got it back together, and caught those two big ones. And I think I can catch some more of those same size fish.”
After weighing two largemouth and three spotted bass, Rampey said that this week could be a special one on Hartwell.
“It's been putting out weights like this for the past year or so,” said Rampey. “This spring – early spring, late winter – it has been putting out giant bags. It's definitely pumping them out. ‘Scope, no ‘Scope, whatever. The fish are healthy. The lake's healthy. The bait's healthy, and all that combines for really good fish.”
Rampey doesn’t seem particularly worried about fishing without all his electronics on Day 2.
“I spent two days not ‘Scoping out here, and one of those days was my best day of practice,” said Rampey. “I ‘Scoped the majority of the day today, but I did weigh in a fish or two today not ‘Scoping. I’m optimistic. I'm ready to cut that thing off and go fishing.”
Somehow a rookie, Smith wasn’t even signed up for the whole season a few weeks ago, yet ended the day in second and is now trying to hunt down his second cut of the year and maybe more.
“This is my fifth time here – I know that when I go down by the dam, it’s not for me,” said Smith.
For anyone unfamiliar, Smith doesn’t have any forward-facing transducers on his boat and still runs a Fortrex – you’re not going to see him out running cane or ‘Scoping in timber.
“When the schedule came out for the Invitationals, I thought ‘Dang, that is a bomb schedule,’ I thought it was really, really good,” he said. “And then taking the ‘Scope away for one day, I thought ‘Alright, I might have a shot.’”
So far, it’s looking like he’s got a good shot, and a hopeful practice translated to a great Day 1.
“I had a couple big bites, but a lot of bucks,” he said. “But the females showed up today. It was pretty good; I had to depart and check some other things that I want to fish tomorrow.”
The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 22-13
2nd: Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 22-3
3rd: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 22-2
4th: Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., five bass, 21-15
5th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 21-5
6th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 19-15
7th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 19-12
8th: Hayden Marbut, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 19-9
9th: Joseph Webster, Hamilton, Ala., five bass, 19-6
10th: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Penn., five bass, 19-4
11th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 18-9
12th: Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., five bass, 18-4
13th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 17-15
14th: Cody Petit, Arundel, Maine, five bass, 17-8
15th: Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., five bass, 17-0
16th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 16-13
17th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 16-10
18th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 16-8
19th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., five bass, 16-2
20th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 16-1
20th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., five bass, 16-1
Pro Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces.
https://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_123/mlf-hartwell-31425.html
Major League Fishing (MLF) Archive