NEWS

Hunter Davidson and Bryant Fikes’s 29.18 Wins Lake Guntersville ABT

Lake Guntersville, the second stop on The North Division of the Alabama Bass Trail, was a hot spot for teams when they signed up. Everyone knows Lake Guntersville is renowned for its big bass. Springtime at Lake Guntersville can be magical. Driving to the launch site at Lake Guntersville State Park, the redbuds were in full bloom, which often signaled the bass were starting to spawn. Recently, anglers have been winning tournaments at Lake Guntersville, with bags exceeding 30 pounds. However, due to severe weather moving through the area on Friday and Saturday, the tournament was postponed to Sunday. When anglers arrived on Sunday morning, the lake levels were rising, and the water was stained from all the rainfall. Despite the challenging conditions, 225 teams gathered for a heavy-weight battle on a lake that was healthy and ready. It was for sure a heavy-weight battle. When the scales closed, there were 58 teams that weighed in over 20 pounds. Teams cashing a check had to catch over 21 pounds. People often ask if Guntersville is still a good place to go fishing. Today proved that Guntersville is still Guntersville: where big bass are caught in the grass.

The team of Hunter Davidson and Bryant Fikes weighed in an impressive 29.18 pounds of Lake Guntersville bass. With the ever-changing water conditions, they were determined to give it their all and secure a win. “We’re big fans of LiveScope and had tried it out in practice. Hunter even caught a six-pounder, but I couldn’t find anything,” said Bryant. “So, we had to make some adjustments. We grew up fishing on the Tombigbee River, which is known for its muddy waters. We’re used to that kind of environment, so we knew we had to head to the bank and try shallow waters.”

Guntersville is famous for its red rattletrap and chatterbait baits. Davidson and Fikes started covering water, but their practice sessions were a bit lackluster. Their goal was to catch 30 pounds to even have a chance at winning. After practice, they analyzed the areas where they had caught big fish and decided to focus on those spots. They went out to start their day using a JackHammer and headed to their main two areas. In just the first 30 minutes, they caught a 7.81-pounder, followed by a 4-pounder and a few fives.

“Our key bait was the JackHammer,” said Bryant. “I used a Berkley PowerStringer as a trailer, while Hunter used a Big Bite Baits Kamikaze Swimon.” They emphasized the importance of the presentation. They fished it much like a swim jig: jerking and ripping it out of the grass when it got hung. This technique would cause the bait to fall back into the grass, triggering bites. They used the same presentation with the red rattletrap, which was primarily a reaction bite.

However, the wind changed today, and they discovered that the fish had gone even deeper into the mud. They realized that this was a pattern that not many teams were aware of. They caught most of their fish in the mud, which was more like their home lake fishing style. They weighed in early at 3:00 p.m. to avoid any potential delays that could jeopardize their chances of winning. Despite feeling that they didn’t have enough fish, they gave it their all. As team after team crossed the scale, they remained at the top. This victory earned them a substantial $15,000 payday and marked their first win on the ABT.

Cole Wade and Donny Wade, weighing in 29.02 pounds, secured the second-place spot. Although they didn’t dedicate much time to practice, they stumbled upon an area where they caught a big fish, which they decided to focus on as their starting point. They spent the entire day fishing in a shallow, grassy area downriver, staying within a 400-yard stretch. The wind blew in on the area, causing it to become quite muddy. They remained in the same spot and continued to get bites throughout the day. Similar to the first-place team, they discovered that the shallower and muddier the water, the better the fishing conditions. Their key bait was also the Lake Guntersville staples, a red rattletrap and chatterbait. Although they caught approximately 30 fish throughout the day, the most significant catch came early in the morning. An impressive 8.30-pound fish secured them an additional $500 prize, along with the $7000 second-place winnings. After catching the big one early, they found it easier to stay in the area because they were confident that they were in the vicinity of the right type of fish.

Devin Mobbs and Matt Mobbs secured third place with a weight of 27.73 pounds. The team arrived on Wednesday and Thursday to familiarize themselves with the areas and practice moving around. They were aware that the weather would change due to the recent storms. The team began today in an area they found in practice. They quickly found it to be productive and promptly caught a 6-pound fish, which motivated them to continue their strategy. They then explored similar areas, noting that the rising water had caused the fish to move up. However, as they fished in these areas, they observed that more and more fish continued to move up. They found fish in less than a foot of water, with the water temperature around 59 degrees. Throughout the day, they rotated through their four designated spots. This marks their first year fishing the ABT, and securing a third-place finish in just their second event is a strong start. They expressed their gratitude, saying, “Today was one of those rare days where you don’t get very often, no matter where you are. Today, we showed up.”

The top ten standings are below. For a complete list of standings please visit the results page.

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