Opinion: Green Pond Catches a String of Winners with Gracious Folks at FLW Tournament

By Greg Wilson, Editor/Publisher

As a grinning Professional Angler John Cox hoisted the FLW tournament trophy over his head Sunday afternoon, it was clear there was another big winner from the fishing event - Anderson County.  

I attended all four days of the event, and heard nothing but praise for Anderson, Green Pond and Hartwell Lake in the comments from the 168 anglers and co-anglers who took part in the event. 

“Hartwell Lake is a great place to fish,” said Cox after day three of fishing.  

Cox’s words were echoed throughout the tournament by his fellow anglers. Comments on the sheer number of big fish, the clear water, the mammoth size of the lake were the talk of all four days at the event when the pros returned from a day of fishing.

FLW and its pros were gracious and put on a strong, family friendly event all four days. I never saw one of the FLW professionals walk past a kid or family watching them return from a day a fishing who was not gracious to their fan base. From giveaways to praise from the stage, this was one bunch of professional athletes who seemed to appreciate their fans.

This was also clear from the events leading up to the FLW tournament at churches, sporting goods stores and other venues where pros were on hand to get to know the community outside a boat. 

Saturday’s FLW Foundation Fishing Derby for Special Olympic Athletes and kids was particular highlight of the week. I talked to Cody Meyers, who had the idea for the derby which he now takes to every FLW venue, and he one of his greatest joys on tour was being able to give back to the kids in the communities which host events. 

On of the few women on the FLW tour, Nicole Jacobs, agreed and spend her Saturday morning at Chris Taylor Park baiting hooks, encouraging those reeling in sticks to keep fishing, posing for pictures and hugging the special athletes who came out for the derby. 

Local Pro Roger Metz joined Myers and Jacobs, measuring each fish caught and walking the shore with encouragement. His enthusiasm was greeted with great delight.

This free event will be remembered by those who participated in the derby and their families, far longer than the big boats catching big fish in Hartwell Lake last week. 

It’s always good for the local economy when we bring in national events such as the FLW tour, which in just over a week pumped millions into Anderson County. But it’s much better when the investment by those groups coming is also felt in the community. FLW’s derby did exactly that.

I overheard the conversation of three pros, whose accents hinted they were not from the South,  walking to their trucks after day two of fishing, and one of theme said “I just love this lake.” 

We do too, and as word spreads, the lake will continue its rapid rise as one of the top bass fishing spots anywhere. 

And we all need to say thanks to FLW for not only running a wonderful tournament in Anderson, but for how you and your pros did it. We hope you’ll come back soon.

Neil Paul of the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau, who put together the FLW event this year, gets credit for a stellar job making sure the host facility left a good impression. Mission accomplished. Every FLW official I talked to expressed thanks for Paul for making the tournament run smoothly. 

And all of this is happening because there was a vision among Anderson County leadership to develop Green Pond into something more than just another a boat ramp. It worked. In the months ahead Green Pond will move into future phases of development and construction, making it an even more desirable national outdoor attraction. 

Such attractions are key to economic development efforts, where quality of life issues rank high for international companies looking for a place to locate in America. It is also a part of why Anderson County is first in the state in international investment with 50 companies from 23 nations already.

So the next time you hear someone ask why the county is spending so much time talking about Green Pond, you can tell them they are catching jobs.