OCONEE, S. C. – Mercury pro Casey Ashley is certainly no stranger to Lake Hartwell, the site of this week’s second stop on the 2026 Bass Pro Tour – O’Reilly Auto Parts Stage 2 Presented by Lowrance. Ashley claimed an FLW Tour title on Hartwell in 2014 and then backed that up with a Bassmaster Classic trophy on Hartwell in 2015.
On the eve of the start of Stage 2 on his home lake, Ashley shared his keys to victory in the gin-clear waters of this Savannah River impoundment, and chatted about a background in music that took him to Nashville and “Amistad to Toho” along the way.