Alvarez Wins Bass Fishing League Tournament on Hartwell

April 11, 2022
BFL News Archive

ANDERSON, S.C. (April 11, 2022) – Boater Sean Alvarez of Anderson, South Carolina, caught five bass Saturday weighing 21 pounds, 10 ounces, to win the MLF Bass Fishing League tournament on Lake Hartwell . The tournament was the second event for the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division. Alvarez earned $11,133, including the lucrative $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus, for his victory.

“When we got out on the water we had forecasts for high winds, and I was pretty excited,” Alvarez said. “I’m pretty old-school when it comes to some of my favorite styles of bass fishing. When that wind blows I go right to my spinnerbait, and I knew I was going to be able to do that as long as the wind blew and it would allow me to do it in areas where other fishermen were going to avoid.”

Alvarez, who lives on Lake Hartwell, said he had about 30 spots where baitfish were present that he was keying in on during the week leading up to the tournament. Windy conditions prevailed for three days prior to the competition, so Alvarez felt confident in his approach.

“The second cast of the morning landed me a bass that weighed 5 pounds, 12 ounces,” Alvarez said. “Another dozen casts later, I caught a 4-pounder. It was nice to get two fish out of the same area.”

Alvarez said he was targeting post-spawn largemouth that were feeding on main points outside of spawning areas. After his first stop, he relocated to another main point that produced a 4- and 5-pounder to add to his bag.

“I was just moving around trying to target active fish that were nose into the wind,” Alvarez said. “I never was able to cull up, but fish bit every place I went.”

Alvarez said he caught about 30 keepers during the course of the day on a modified BOOYAH spinnerbait.

“The action was just so fast,” Alvarez said. “It was just net the fish, grab the fish, throw it in the livewell and get back up and do it again.”

The top 10 boaters finished the tournament in:


1st:          Sean Alvarez, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 21-10, $11,133 (includes $5,000 Phoenix MLF Contingency Bonus)
2nd:        Tracy Watkins, Belton, S.C., five bass, 18-11, $2,566
3rd:        Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 18-10, $1,710
4th:         Jody Wilson, Blue Ridge, Ga., five bass, 18-5, $1,998
5th:         Cody Hoyle, Rutherfordton, N.C., five bass, 18-4, $1,027
6th:         Jason Burroughs, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 17-15, $1,541
7th:         Michael Webster, Gastonia, N.C., five bass, 16-6, $855
8th:         Justin Raines, Easley, S.C., five bass, 16-5, $770
9th:         Bradley Day, Anderson, S.C., five bass, 16-4, $684
10th:      Brad Benfield, Demorest, Ga., five bass, 15-10, $599


Wilson had a largemouth that weighed 6 pounds even that was the heaviest of the event in the Boater Division and earned the day’s Berkley Big Bass Boater award of $800. Eduardo Pabon of Gainesville, Georgia, won the Co-angler Division and $2,566 Saturday after catching five bass weighing 13 pounds, 13 ounces.

The top 10 Strike King co-anglers were:


1st:          Eduardo Pabon, Gainesville, Ga., five bass, 13-13, $2,566
2nd:        Dale Ball, Asheville, N.C., five bass, 13-11, $1,283
3rd:        William Chris Bensel, Abbeville, S.C., five bass, 12-10, $955
4th:         Paul Ellis, Cumming, Ga., five bass, 12-2, $599
5th:         Johnny Hancox, West Union, S.C., five bass, 12-1, $513
6th:         Aiden Free, Hodges, S.C., five bass, 11-13, $471
7th:         Chris Wilson, Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-12, $428
8th:         Kevin Henderson, Honea Path, S.C., five bass, 11-7, $385
9th:         Gerald Glouse, Easley, S.C., five bass, 11-2, $342
10th:      Don Meury, Marietta, S.C., four bass, 11-0, $899


Meury caught the largest bass in the Co-angler Division, a fish weighing in at 5 pounds, 13 ounces. The catch earned him the day’s Berkley Big Bass Co-angler award of $400.

After two events, Jason Burroughs of Hodges, South Carolina, leads the Bass Fishing League Savannah River Division Boater Angler of the Year (AOY) race with 494 points, while Chris Wilson of Easley, S.C, leads the Co-Angler Division AOY race with 492 points.