Liberty pro takes 10-ounce lead into second day of competition Saturday
ANDERSON, S.C. (March 14, 2025) – The weather was perfect on Day 1 of the Major League Fishing (MLF) Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 2 Presented by Suzuki Marine on Lake Hartwell, and the fishing matched it. In total, five pros caught more than 20 pounds on the day, and it took 19 pounds to make the Top 10. Leading the way, longtime Hartwell hammer Jayme Rampey dropped 22-13, including a 7-pounder, to get out in front by 10 ounces. In second, Dustin Smith scrounged up 22-3 in the dirt and Chad Mrazek ‘Scoped up 22-2 for third.
With forward-facing sonar off for Day 2 and a lot of wind in the forecast as a powerful front moves eastward, the tournament is setting up to be pretty fascinating. Competitors will conclude the two-day opening round on Saturday, with only the top 30 pros based on their two-day cumulative weight advancing to Championship Sunday. The three-day tournament, hosted by Visit Anderson, features pro anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and valuable points to qualify for the 2025 Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Championship in September.
Link to Photo Gallery of Day 1 on-the-water Highlights
Link to Video of Fish-Catch Highlights of Day 1 from Lake Hartwell
With five Phoenix Bass Fishing League wins to his credit on Hartwell alone, Rampey is renowned in the Carolinas, and he’s got plenty of high-level experience as well. He made the Top 10 twice in three years on the FLW Tour, and he’s finished in the top five twice in the BFL All-American. Suffice it to say, you don’t want to spot Rampey a lead on Hartwell.
Today, after a quick start with five keepers, Rampey culled up.
“I started off in a little schooling spot, caught a quick limit, 12 or 13 pounds, and then went down the lake and kept catching the same size fish,” he said. “I made an adjustment about 10, lost a couple big ones, got it back together, and caught those two big ones. And I think I can catch some more of those same size fish.”
After weighing two largemouth and three spotted bass, Rampey said that this week could be a special one on Hartwell.
“It’s been putting out weights like this for the past year or so,” said Rampey. “This spring – early spring, late winter – it has been putting out giant bags. It’s definitely pumping them out. ‘Scope, no ‘Scope, whatever. The fish are healthy. The lake’s healthy. The bait’s healthy, and all that combines for really good fish.”
Rampey doesn’t seem particularly worried about fishing without all his electronics on Day 2.
“I spent two days not ‘Scoping out here, and one of those days was my best day of practice,” said Rampey. “I ‘Scoped the majority of the day today, but I did weigh in a fish or two today not ‘Scoping. I’m optimistic. I’m ready to cut that thing off and go fishing.”
Somehow a rookie, Smith wasn’t even signed up for the whole season a few weeks ago, yet ended the day in second and is now trying to hunt down his second cut of the year and maybe more.
“This is my fifth time here – I know that when I go down by the dam, it’s not for me,” said Smith.
For anyone unfamiliar, Smith doesn’t have any forward-facing transducers on his boat and still runs a Fortrex – you’re not going to see him out running cane or ‘Scoping in timber.
“When the schedule came out for the Invitationals, I thought ‘Dang, that is a bomb schedule,’ I thought it was really, really good,” he said. “And then taking the ‘Scope away for one day, I thought ‘Alright, I might have a shot.’”
So far, it’s looking like he’s got a good shot, and a hopeful practice translated to a great Day 1.
“I had a couple big bites, but a lot of bucks,” he said. “But the females showed up today. It was pretty good; I had to depart and check some other things that I want to fish tomorrow.”
The top 20 pros after Day 1 on Lake Hartwell are:
1st: Jayme Rampey, Liberty, S.C., five bass, 22-13
2nd: Dustin Smith, Trussville, Ala., five bass, 22-3
3rd: Chad Mrazek, Montgomery, Texas, five bass, 22-2
4th: Cole Breeden, Lebanon, Mo., five bass, 21-15
5th: Drew Gill, Mount Carmel, Ill., five bass, 21-5
6th: Mitchell Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 19-15
7th: Marshall Robinson, Landrum, S.C., five bass, 19-12
8th: Hayden Marbut, Birmingham, Ala., five bass, 19-9
9th: Joseph Webster, Hamilton, Ala., five bass, 19-6
10th: Ken Thompson, Roaring Springs, Penn., five bass, 19-4
11th: Ethan Greene, Eufaula, Ala., five bass, 18-9
12th: Samuel Fish, Chelsea, Ala., five bass, 18-4
13th: Emil Wagner, Marietta, Ga., five bass, 17-15
14th: Cody Petit, Arundel, Maine, five bass, 17-8
15th: Jacob Walker, Springville, Ala., five bass, 17-0
16th: Troy Stokes, Trenton, Mich., five bass, 16-13
17th: Brody Campbell, Oxford, Ohio, five bass, 16-10
18th: Kyle Cortiana, Broken Arrow, Okla., five bass, 16-8
19th: Brett Carnright, Plattsburgh, N.Y., five bass, 16-2
20th: Marty Robinson, Lyman, S.C., five bass, 16-1
20th: Flint Davis, Leesburg, Ga., five bass, 16-1
Complete results for the entire field can be found at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
Pro Mark Rose of Wynne, Arkansas, earned Friday’s $1,000 Berkley Big Bass award with a bass that weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces.
In Tackle Warehouse Invitationals competition, the full field compete in the two-day opening round on Days 1 and 2 in a five-fish, weigh-in format. Only the top 30 pros, based on their two-day cumulative weight, advance to the final round on Championship Sunday, where they will compete for the grand prize of up to $115,000. The winner of the Tackle Warehouse Invitational Stop 2 at Lake Hartwell Presented by Suzuki Marine will be determined by the heaviest three-day cumulative weight.
Anglers will launch at 7:30 a.m. ET each day from Green Pond Landing, located at 470 Green Pond Road in Anderson, South Carolina. Weigh-ins will be held at the landing and will begin at 3:30 p.m. Fans are welcome to attend all launch and weigh-in events and also encouraged to follow the event online throughout the day on the MLFNOW! live stream and coverage at MajorLeagueFishing.com.
The MLFNOW! broadcast team of Chad McKee and Rob Newell will break down the extended action live each day of competition from 8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET. MLFNOW! will be live streamed on MajorLeagueFishing.com, the MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) app and Rumble.
Television coverage of the MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals Stop 2 at Lake Hartwell Presented by Suzuki Marine will air as a two-hour episode, premiering at 9 a.m. ET, on Saturday, Oct. 11 on CBS Sports Network.
Proud sponsors of the 2025 MLF Tackle Warehouse Invitationals include: 7Brew Coffee, Abu Garcia, Athletic Brewing, B&W Trailer Hitches, Berkley, Bubba, Deep Dive App, E3 Sports Apparel, Epic Baits, Fishing Clash, Grizzly, Humminbird, Lew’s, Mercury, Minn Kota, Mossy Oak, Onyx, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Phoenix Boats, Polaris, Power-Pole, Precision Sonar, Strike King, Suzuki Marine, Tackle Warehouse, T-H Marine, Toyota, VOSKER, WIX Filters and YETI.
For complete details and updated information visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For regular Tackle Warehouse Invitationals updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow the MLF5 social media outlets at Facebook , Instagram and YouTube.
