NEWS

2016 Weiss Lake Tournament Feature Story

Decatur, Ala. June 16, 2016 – The final event of the ABT Northern Division is upon us.  After four tough events, there are several things left to be decided this Saturday at Weiss Lake near Centre, Ala.  By the time weigh-in is over on June 18, the Northern Division and ABT Angler of the Year titles will be decided, as will the roster of the teams that will compete in the ABT Championship at Lake Eufaula in October and the Bassmaster Team Championship this winter.

With so much to be decided, it seems appropriate that the final event will be held on a lake that has yet to make an appearance on the Alabama Bass Trail schedule, and has fewer numbers of anglers familiar with it than any other lake on the schedule.

We spoke to Jamie Smith, who along with his partner Mike Rains are currently holding on to sixth place in the North Division AOY Standings.  Smith has fished Weiss Lake for the majority of his life.  “The first fish I ever caught was a crappie on a minnow at Weiss Lake,” said the 46-year-old Smith.  “My dad said I was standing in my playpen when I caught it, so that’s been a long time.”

With that much familiarity with the lake, Smith was the perfect person to discuss the upcoming event.  “I think Weiss Lake offers the field a lot of different opportunities,” he said.  “The tournament could be won fishing shallow for largemouth or offshore for spotted bass; any of it could play a factor.”

Smith said that he expects the tournament to be won with 17 to 18 pounds of predominantly spotted bass, but also said that there is a chance that a team could get around a bunch of largemouth and end up with 20 pounds.  “I would expect that there will be a topwater bite early around the river grass,” he said.  “After that, I would expect jigs and crankbaits in 12 to 15 feet of water are going to be what most of the field will be doing.”

Anglers are expected to register on Friday night at the Gadsden State Cherokee Arena located at

801 Cedar Bluff Road, in Centre, Ala. beginning at 5:00PM, and the takeoff and weigh-in of the fifth and final stop of the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail Northern Division will be held Saturday at Leesburg Landing
100 Riverside Drive, Leesburg, Ala.

The sponsors of the 2016 Alabama Bass Trail include; Bill Penney Toyota, Phoenix Bass Boats, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Wind Creek Hospitality – Wetumpka, Wind Creek Hospitality – Montgomery, Alabama Tourism Department, SCA Performance, Mt. Dew, Boat US, T-H Marine Supplies, AllState, TVA, Alabama Power, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Lew’s Fishing, Frogg Toggs, Crossed Industries, Alabama Foundation Specialist, Costa, YETI, Leer, E3

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.