When I attended the 2008 Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell, I knew nothing about Greenville, South Carolina. We might have even had to look it up on a map. Yes, we owned and used paper maps back then.

But nearly 20 years later, maybe I’m less naïve or more likely Greenville has grown in the national consciousness. As we wife Hanna and I think about post-retirement life and where to live, Greenville is one of our most frequently heard suggestions. All sorts of friends, from all corners of the globe and all walks of life sing its praises on a regular basis. 

I’ve been back to Hartwell multiple times since that first Classic. There have been three more Classics, plus some other tournaments and media events. Next year we’ll return for a fifth Classic, the most for any fishery. I know that some of the naysayers think it’s too many, that we should try out some new venues. I’m not opposed to that. In particular, I’d love to attend a March Classic on Lake Mead, the Cal Delta or Sam Rayburn, but I also know that there are limitations on where we can go. The weather is one limiting factor. The city needs to want a Classic, which means putting up beaucoup dinero, and there needs to be adequate convention bureau space. That’s not an easy recipe.

Even among the places that are anxious to hold a Classic and willing to put up the bucks, some are better than others. We’ve visited some great venues where the lake is 60 or 90 or more minutes away from the weigh-in site. We’ve been to others where the fishing is subpar. One nice thing about Hartwell is that there’s always some sort of bite going on. I’ve been there in September, when many waters in the mid-south suck, and the fishing is still good there. You may not catch many true giants, even in March, but those numbers are picking up, too. They had some atypically large spots and largemouths show up in early season tournaments in recent years.

But Hartwell and Greenville also make a great team because everything is so close together. The weigh-in and Expo are both in town and the launch, while not as close as it is in for example Knoxville, isn’t far at all. It’s also about what it’s close to. Within 2 hours you have Columbia and Atlanta and Charlotte. Knoxville is about 3. Birmingham and Chattanooga and Raleigh/Durham are 4. This is a great place for people to gather, and it’s easily-accessible – even from the deep south, the northeast or Midwest. Do I want a Classic there every year? No, but I wouldn’t be mad about it if they penciled in #6. The BASS staff should take some slight risks with venues, but that doesn’t mandate passing up on sure things.