Goodfellows Take Win on Hartwell
On March 11, 2023, the American Couples Series South Carolina Division 11 tournament, was won by Don and Martha Goodfellow of Simpsonville, SC. The tournament was held at Gum Branch Mega Ramp near Hartwell, GA. Don and Martha’s five bass weighed in at 17.59 pounds, with the heaviest weighing 4.23 pounds. As the winners, they received a check for $1,020.
Don and Martha were surprised by their win, which marked their first regular season victory. They employed a pre-spawn pattern and fished lower lake rocky points from 3 to 8 feet deep. Martha used a 1/4-ounce shakey-head with a green pumpkin trick worm, while Don used a 1/4-ounce Texas rigged watermelon baby brush hog. All of their fish were caught on these two baits. They expressed their gratitude to their sponsors, Kissel Kraft Rods and Lew’s baitcasting reels, both of which are affiliated with the South Carolina Couples.
Brian and Nicole Tidwell claimed second place with five bass weighing a total of 16.59 pounds, earning them $510 in prize money. Brain mentioned that they caught all of their fish sight fishing in the mid-lake region, appreciating the opportunity to spend time together as a couple.
Ben and Ashley Sutton took third place with five bass weighing a total of 15.74 pounds, earning $383 in prize money. Although they had a poor practice, they managed to find a point with good fish and caught their limit on brush before upgrading with a 5-pounder and another 3-pounder.
The new team of Sam and Dina Benson took fourth place with five bass weighing a total of 15.10 pounds, earning $255 in prize money. John and Jordan Lanier, another new team, took fifth place with five bass weighing a total of 14.66 pounds, earning $203 in prize money.
John and Susan Mills won the $100 G-Line Bounty for being the highest finisher powering the trolling motor with a G-Line Lithium Battery. Logan Geisler was the recipient of the Berkeley Outdoors $50 Smallest Limit Award with 5 bass weighing 7.14 lbs.
| PL | Angler | Fish | Big Bass | Total | Points | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Don Goodfellow-Martha Goodfellow | 5 | 4.17 | 17.59 | 200 | 1020 |
| 2 | Brian Tidwell-Nicole Tidwell | 5 | 4.33 | 16.59 | 199 | 510 |
| 3 | David Sutton-Ashley Sutton | 5 | 5.87 | 15.74 | 198 | 383 |
| 4 | Sam Benson-Dina Benson | 5 | 15.10 | 197 | 255 | |
| 5 | John Lanier-Jordan Lanier | 5 | 4.68 | 14.66 | 196 | 204 |
| 6 | John Mills-Susan Mills | 5 | 3.70 | 14.44 | 195 | 179 |
| 7 | Ryan Shoaf-Cherie Shoaf | 5 | 3.77 | 14.42 | 194 | |
| 8 | Craig Sahms-Mary Sahms | 4 | 14.35 | 193 | ||
| 9 | Mike Blalock-Deanna Blalock | 5 | 14.12 | 192 | ||
| 10 | Jonathon Foster-Rebecca Foster | 5 | 2.93 | 12.15 | 191 | |
| 11 | David Lanier-Candace Lanier | 5 | 11.84 | 190 | ||
| 12 | Robbie Hoover-Debbie Hoover | 5 | 5.30 | 11.81 | 189 | |
| 13 | Thomas Bancroft-Melissa Bancroft | 5 | 3.04 | 11.72 | 188 | |
| 14 | Ryan Coyle-Alyssa Madron | 5 | 3.52 | 11.53 | 187 | |
| 15 | Edward Ragsdale-Amanda Houser | 5 | 3.69 | 11.26 | 186 |
The next tournament for the South Carolina Division will take place on March 25th on Lake Keowee, launching from Mile Creek. Interested parties may contact local directors Tom Bancroft at (843) 697-6232 or Missy Bancroft at (843) 697-3441 or visit www.americanbassanglers.com for further information.
American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, RT Outdoors, Atlas Hydraulic Jackplate, Power Pole, Optima Batteries, HotelPlanner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.
About American Bass Anglers: American Bass Anglers is committed to providing low-cost, close-to-home tournaments for the weekend angler and, at the same time, offering each competitor an upward path for individual angler progression.
For more information about American Bass Anglers, the Open Series, the American Fishing Tour, the American Couples Series, the annual Military Team Bass Tournament, and the Top 150 Solo Tour, all presented by Caymas Boats, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406
