Reprinted with permission from upstatetoday.com

CLEMSON, SC - The latest addition to the Clemson University Football coaching staff has two top priorities for this season. The first is working with Coach Tommy Bowden and the rest of the staff to get the Tigers ready to take the field this season and the second is to learn how to catch Largemouth Bass from Lake Hartwell’s deep water.

Coach Andre Powell (pictured) is set to begin his second season with the Tigers as running backs and special teams coach, coming over from the University of North Carolina. While in North Carolina, Coach Powell spent some time fishing the Wal-Mart Bass BFL trail and the Fishers of Men bass trail. Prior to that while coaching in Virginia, Powell spent three years as a largemouth bass fishing guide on Virginia’s Lake Anna.

“I grew up in the Union-Lockhart (South Carolina) area on the Broad River,” said Powell. “We fished Lake Wylie and even some at Lake Greenwood but mostly on the Broad River.”

Powell said he didn’t waste any time getting to know his home lakes when he was at North Carolina and was featured several times in ‘North Carolina Sportsman’ magazine. He’s looking forward to learning Hartwell, especially after seeing some of the fish that were there during the Bassmaster Classic event held in February.

“I’m getting to know Hartwell pretty well now but that deep water was pretty new to me, and I’ve only been on Keowee twice but I’m looking forward to learning it as well,” he said.

Coach Powell comes to Clemson Univesity with his wife Jody who recently finished her first year as head coach of the Daniel High School girls’ basketball program. As both Powells share a love of bass fishing, it wasn’t long before she came up with an idea to fund the Daniel High School Girls' Basketball Camp this year. Jody Powell announced two upcoming Daniel High School Benefit bass tournaments to be held this May and June.

The first tournament will be held May 31 at Mile Creek Landing on Lake Keowee. The second Daniel High School Benefit tournament will be held on Lake Hartwell at Portman Shoals Marina on June 21.

Each tournament will have a guaranteed first prize of $1,200 based on a field of at least 40 boats. Entry fee is $100 per boat with the proceeds from the two tournaments used to support the Daniel High School booster club, which will help send the Daniel High School girls’ basketball team to camp at Coastal Carolina later this summer.

Big fish award winners will win Clemson University football tickets. In addition, a host of sponsors have donated door prizes which will be given away at each tournament. Door prizes will include overnight getaway trips to area resort locations.

Coach Jody Powell hopes to be able to get a good turnout for the two tournaments and has enlisted the help of Daniel High School graduate Barry Wright to help organize the two events. Wright is well known locally for his NSA (No Strings Attached) bass tournament trail.

For more information on the Daniel High School Benefit bass tournaments, contact tournament organizer Barry Wright at (864) 419-3269.

Got Outdoor News or photos you want to share? Contact Phillip Gentry at pgentry6@bellsouth.net.

Photo credit: Jeffrey Thomas