Hard Labor Creek Reservoir Hosts Jonboat Championship

The ePropulsion Georgia TEC (Total Electric Championship) was held on Hard Labor Creek Reservoir on May 29. There were 72 anglers who competed for the opportunity to earn a  Navy 6.0 EVO 9.9 hp electric outboard motor.

Out of the nine clubs that competed in the state championship, Blake Yarter and Charlie Dick landed the largest five-fish limit of 19.37 pounds.

Blake Yarter and Charlie Dick won the ePropulsion Georgia TEC on Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir.

“We caught fish several different ways from 2 feet of water to 25 feet deep on several different techniques,” said Blake, “Early that morning we caught fish on topwater for the first hour. Then mid morning we got on some schooling fish and started culling up with moving baits. Later in the day from lunchtime on we caught fish dragging plastics around trees and upgraded three of our fish in the livewell. It was truly one of those days where it seemed like everything we threw at them we caught fish on. The Lord just blessed us, and it was meant to be.

“We would like to thank all the many people and companies that make this such a great event. It is an honor to participate in a very competitive and fast growing sport of electric tournament fishing. I personally want to thank ePropulsion for being our primary sponsor with top-of-the-line electric outboard motors and products.”

Hard Labor Creek Regional Reservoir is a 1,370-acre water supply reservoir along the Walton/Oconee county line. The public access boat ramp is located on Social Circle – Fairplay Road, and there is a $10 per day parking permit fee at the ramp.

What makes a State Champion? Is it the ability to overcome all variables while on and off the water? Is it making the perfect cast? Is it being able to win more events than the next angler? After getting to know Blake and Charlie in the past year, I believe without any doubt that these men keep their focus to a higher calling foremost. Keeping God as the front runner in their walks of life will make the unbelievable achievable. With men, this is impossible; but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Five Alive Bass Club won the title as the 2021 ePropulsion TEC Club Champions by netting a total of 61.07 pounds between all their anglers.

Five Alive Bass Club had the most weight at the jonboat championship.

Brett Cummings, founder of Decked Out Jon Boats, won the Georgia 811 Big Fish by landing a 6.26-lb. bass.

“It was truly a day of doing whatever felt right to me at the time,” said Brett. “We caught fish from inches of water to 20 feet. Big fish came on a jig in about 10 feet of water, but we lost a big fish in inches of water on a jig in the last hour fishing brush in shade lines.”

Brett Cummings with big fish.

Electric only fishing popularity continues to gain support throughout Georgia. Jonboat fishing popularity starts at the core of possibly most economical initially. Most anglers can purchase with truly little up-front costs to simply get on the water. With every competitive sport there are also advancements in their equipment (motors/graphs/trolling motors/rods/reels/etc…) that help reduce variables that sometimes can be overwhelming to most anglers. After each tournament, winning or losing will be behind us all. These anglers throughout Georgia have something buried deep inside wanting to flip a switch to power up these all-electric rigs and that is their passion. The bar might be set for now but with time it will continue to rise due to the passion everyone has for the outdoors by keeping them clean and safe to return back for more enjoyment

The grand-prize ePropulsion Navy 6.0 EVO (6kW/9.9hp) direct drive system and natural cooling system is powered by a 48-volt battery system. With running their E175 Lithium battery pack, boaters can expect 3,000 cycles at 80% DOD. Boats running this system on a full charge could go 40 miles on a single trip to the water. The ePropulsion maintenance free electric outboards offer the most technologically advanced available on the market today. For more information, please visit our website at www.eprogatec.com or www.epropulsion.com for a dealer near you.

For full results and angler interviews, visit the website at www.eprogatec.com.

Also check the pages at www.facebook.com/gabasstec and https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNoB_HAAWZH6Sdb_Oj1bRpA.