All eyes on South Carolina

By Staff
Kevin Stone
Franklin County Times
Feb. 3 was the Super Bowl, last weekend was the Daytona 500 and this weekend is the biggest event in bass fishing.
The Bassmaster Classic will be held in Greenville, S.C. Feb. 22-24. The event will take place on Lake Hartwell, which is located on the Georgia and South Carolina border. Fifty of the world's best anglers will compete for the most coveted trophy in professional bass fishing.
Last year I had the opportunity to attend the final weigh-in in Birmingham, and for any sports fan, it's an awesome experience. The opportunity to meet the anglers and see my childhood angling heroes like Bill Dance, Hank Parker, Ray Scott, Forrest Woods, Roland Martin and Jimmy Houston, just to name a few, was worth the trip itself.
The outdoor expo provides the chance to see the hottest new fishing equipment. It's like being in a mall built just for fishermen. The day ends with the excitement of the final weigh-in and thousands of fans cheering the crowning of a new champion.
There are several fans from our area making the trip to South Carolina to support our local pro fisherman Timmy Horton. Tim will be fishing in his ninth consecutive Classic (the longest current streak behind Kevin VanDam), and we all wish him good luck and hope that this year he can bring home the title.
ESPN will be covering the Classic so check the listings for coverage times. I probably won't be fishing this weekend so that I can stay close to a TV or computer and watch for updates and see the weigh-ins.
Hopefully Tim will make the Super Six and fish on Sunday. If that happens, we may be heading to South Carolina.
Kevin Stone is branch manager and loan officer at Valley State Bank and can be reached at (256) 332-3600.