2026 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Includes First Ever Event at Legendary Lake Hartwell and Other Top Stories

The Starting Spot Daily Bass Fishing Headlines are the perfect way to start your day with some of the top bass fishing articles on the internet.

Today on The Starting Spot: 2026 Bass Pro Tour Schedule Includes First Event at Legendary Lake Hartwell; Never Compare Your Bass Fishing Journey to Anyone Else's; and the Best Baits for the Drop Shot Rig | Photo by Julie Mazurek

In this edition of The Starting Spot:


-South Carolina’s Lake Hartwell is a classic bass tournament destination with decades of history. Shockingly, it’s never been on the Bass Pro Tour’s schedule…until February of 2026.


-Being a bass angler can mean different things to different people. But no matter what it means to you, don’t feel like you need to compare your current bass angling status with anyone else. Remember, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.



-For decades, the drop shot rig has been one of the most effective ways to finesse wary fish into biting. This article shares some great tips on the best baits and how to use them.

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Legendary Lake Hartwell to make Bass Pro Tour debut at Stage 2

by Mitchell Forde

From an article on MajorLeagueFishing.com: Any list of the most famous tournament fisheries in the U.S. has to include Lake Hartwell. The Georgia-South Carolina border reservoir has hosted four Bassmaster Classics and 92 MLF/FLW events at just about every level of competition, including two editions of the All-American. 

The one exception has been the Bass Pro Tour. Major League Fishing’s top circuit will finally rectify that when it visits Hartwell for Stage 2 of the 2026 season, set for Feb. 19-22. 

Since Hartwell has never hosted a BPT event, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there’s also never been an every-fish-counts tournament at this level held there. That should make for an interesting new twist on the fishery and, weather permitting, perhaps some gaudy weights as it usually doesn’t lack for numbers of bass…MORE.

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If you feel behind in bass fishing, read this

by Laura Ann Butts

From a story on Bassmaster.com: I’ve been fishing tournaments out of a boat since my sophomore year of high school, and even with that background, I still know exactly what it feels like to stand on the water and wonder if I know enough, if I belong or if I’ll ever truly be “good.”

My very first impression of fishing wasn’t competitive at all. It was simple.

As a kid, I would fish off the dock at my grandfather’s house in the fall, bundled up in a jacket around Thanksgiving, catching catfish. I remember the excitement of catching so many fish and the praise that came with it — so much so that I ran all the way up to the house to show the women in the kitchen what I had caught. That night, we cleaned and cooked our fish and ate it together. Fishing felt natural, rewarding and joyful.

My second impression of fishing was very different…MORE.

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Top Dropshot Baits and How to Fish Them

by Nick Petrou

From a story on Wired2Fish.com: Finesse fishing has taken the bass-fishing scene by storm. Fish are becoming a lot harder to catch, with more anglers on the water seeing every possible bait thrown in front of them. But even with so many different finesse techniques that work for pressured bass, one stands out from the rest: the dropshot rig.

The dropshot seems so simple, yet its effectiveness makes it a top player in anglers’ arsenals all over the country—and even the world. You can put any baits on a dropshot and make them look like a perfect snack for a bass. 

But with so many different options on the market, how do you choose which one to use?…MORE.

Thanks for starting your day with Fishing On SI. Lines in!