Bryan New has lived his 32 years on Earth within a 90-minute drive of Lake Hartwell. He said he’s been fishing here since he was 14 years old. But New came into the Classic with a brand new plan, after finishing 44th in a Bassmaster Open here in September 2020.
“I realized what I was doing wrong,” he said. “I’ve approached it completely different this time. I was fishing the whole lake and the two rivers. That’s a lot of water. You can win this tournament anywhere on the lake. You’re never out of it. I’ve just kind of hunkered down in one core area. I feel good about it.”
New is definitely feeling good today. He moved into first place on BassTrakk with a pair of 4-pounders within an hour as noon approached. His limit weighs an estimated 15-10.