The biggest derby that's ever come to Mark Hardin's home lake will take place next month and he won't be in it. That's a major disappointment, but it pales in comparison to the blessing he received earlier this year.
He had what was probably his worst season ever on the FLW Tour, and he's been a full-time competitor on that circuit since 1997. He finished 105th in the Angler of the Year (AOY) race and, for the first time ever, ended up out of the money in all six events.
He thus failed to qualify for the Forrest Wood Cup, which comes to Lake Lanier Aug. 5-8. The Jasper, Ga. resident has competed in hundreds of tournaments at Lanier and won a bunch of them, and he knows the lake better than anybody on Tour with the possible exception of Tom Mann Jr.
He'd sure like a shot at that cool half-mil top prize ($600,000 for Ranger owners such as himself). But he has more reason to rejoice than despair these days.
Hard Times after Pittsburgh
Shortly after last year's Forrest Wood Cup at the Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Hardin learned that Penny, his wife of 26 years, had breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy during Thanksgiving week, followed by a bunch of chemotherapy sessions that continued through the spring.
The uncertain future undoubtedly had an effect on his fishing, but he won't offer that up as an alibi for his performance.
"I'm not making excuses – I fished poorly this year and things didn't work out," he said. "The fact is that there were other things that were more important."
The procedures worked – there's no more sign of the cancer and Penny underwent the first phase of reconstructive surgery last week. With that type of a scare in the recent past, concerns about any fishing tournament become secondary.
"I hate not having that opportunity (to compete for the Cup), but things happen for a reason and I'm okay with it. I'm much happier knowing that my wife is cancer-free.
"The Good Lord knew what was best for us."
It Won't Be Easy
Hardin said that if he were fishing at Lanier next month, he'd be planning for a low-weight event.
"In all likelihood it's not going to be a real good bite," he said. "I think if a guy can average 12, 13, 14 pounds a day he's going to have a real legitimate shot."
The issue, he explained, is that the blueback herring on which the bass feed continually roam over open water during the hottest part of the year. The bass will suspend in the tops of trees and brushpiles and it becomes very difficult to keep track of them.
He likes Mann's chances because his fellow Georgian knows places where fish are likely to congregate that are off the beaten path – including a lot of brushpiles that he's planted himself. He also thinks a finesse guru like 2008 Cup champion Michael Bennett has a good shot.
"(Competitors) are starting to show up over here now, spending time on the lake and going out with folks and getting all the information they can get. Someone's going to get shown some good stuff and two or three of those guys are going to do well.
"The thing is that Tom's going to have some stuff that hasn't been pounded on all summer by local anglers. It's just been sitting out there resting and gathering fish, and he won't pay attention to it until tournament time."
A wildcard factor could be the grass that emerged during the severe drought that ended a couple of years ago. It's underwater now, out to depths of 10 feet in certain places, and it's begun to play a role in the seasonal movements of the fish.
"After the spawn this year, they hung with the grass longer than usual instead of moving straight out to the brush and getting on the drops. Somebody may come in here and get on something in that grass and really get honed in.
"Other guys might have a good day one day, but they won't be able to make it stay together day after day after day."
