Visit Anderson's Brandon Cobb Leading Forrest Wood Cup

By Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

Brandon Cobb, who is sponsored in part by Visit Anderson S.S., is in the lead after day two the Forrest Wood Cup, where 53 anglers battled to make into the championship round Sunday. Cobb has 39 pounds of fish after two days out on the water.

Brandon Cobb started fishing with his dad, Doug Cobb, when he was only four years old, and by the age of seven he had his future cast before him as he participated in his first tournament.

While he did not win the father-son benefit competition on Lake Greenwood, he did finish with an experience still alive in his live well of memory.

“I caught a three-pounder,” Cobb said. “And I remember I caught it with a red-and-white ‘Tiny Torpedo’ (lure). I’ll never forget that.”  

Brandon continued to fish with his dad, who always supported his fishing aspirations, until he was 14, when he got his license to pilot a boat. 

After high school, Cobb attended Clemson University, where - with the help of several other students - he helped revive the fishing club into a legitimate sports team.

“Back then we didn’t fish in that many college tournaments,” he said. “There was just no funding for us at that time.”

But it did introduce him to the the Bass Fishing League (BFL) and the Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) and when he graduated in 2008 with a degree in wildlife and fisheries biology, he began pursuing a career in fishing.

He considered using his degree to join the department of natural resources, possibly as a forest ranger, but his success fishing in the Southern Opens led to him being named a BFL All-American, and to his decision to follow the path of a professional angler.

Six years later, the 28-year-old from Greenwood has no regrets. Cobb has fished in 97 total events, winning two and finishing in the top 10 in 28 tournaments, along with nearly $300,000 in earnings.

During his time on the tournament circuit, Cobb said he’d continued the same fishing strategies that had always been successful for him. 

“There are not many secret places when fishing a lake. If there is a spot where there are fish, somebody’s fishing it.”

Cobb said that’s why professional anglers rarely spend very long anywhere on the lake if they don’t get any bites in the first few minutes. 

“It’s always been my style of fishing,” he said. “I pull up and move on when they are not there.”

Cobb’s sticking to his methods includes bait.

“A lot of people think fishing is about the bait. I’m not a huge bait switcher. I am more of an area switcher, if they are there, you will catch them.” 

He also said there is a lot more to professional fishing that casting a line on the lake.

Cobb said it requires a lot of effort to maintain efforts with marketing, sponsor relations and researching various lakes around the country which host tournaments. For now he will continue the work, working as hard to get more exposure to establish himself as one of the major names on the pro circuit.

He maintains a strong presence on social media, with a fan page on Facebook, a YouTube Channel and an Instagram account.  

Cobb said Visit Anderson, has been a big help in his career.

“Hartwell Lake is my favorite place to fish, and I have been fortunate to work with (Visit Anderson Executive Director) Neil Paul. He’s helped me more than I could even imagine, including helping me build relationships with other sponsors.”

When he’s not fishing, Cobb helps out in the family business in Hodges. Barrett’s store was founded by his late grandfather John Barrett, who never fished, but whom Brandon said was one of his biggest supporters when he was starting out.  The store, which sells everything from tires and gas to convenience store items is perhaps most famous for its BBQ and hot dogs.

But today he will start the finals of the Forrest Wood Cup as the leader, as the boats leave the docks at Dreher Island State park with Palmetto State products in the running for the title. The final weigh-ins will be at 5 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena.