Recap Story

By Jason Duran

The Alabama Bass Trail North Division recently held its third tournament on the Coosa chain at Neely Henry Lake in Gadsden, Alabama. Leading up to the event, teams reported that practice was challenging, as Neely Henry is known for its unpredictable fishing conditions that can vary significantly from day to day. What works one day may not be effective the next, and this week, that idea was proven true.

In recent weeks, Neely Henry has produced impressive catches, with winning weights exceeding 20 pounds in previous tournaments. However, the lake has also seen a considerable amount of tournament traffic in the past couple of weeks. As this is the midpoint of the season, the Angler of the Year (AOY) points race is becoming increasingly important. Teams aiming for a top position in the AOY standings are eager to perform well to qualify for the team championship as one of the top 75 teams.

Neely Henry Lake covers over 11,000 acres and features 339 miles of shoreline, providing anglers with numerous opportunities to catch both spotted and largemouth bass. Depending on their location on the lake, bass can be found in various stages of the spawn, from pre-spawn to post-spawn. These varying conditions can play to an angler's strengths, but some may find them challenging.

The team of Todd Beaty and Ethan McDonald was able to navigate these conditions successfully and secure a winning bag. They were the second team to weigh in during the tournament and had to wait for all 221 teams to complete their weigh-ins. They were confident but nervous that their weight of 19.40 pounds would hold. With a favorable boat number, they made the strategic choice to head to a community hole near the golf course, where they had previously found key fish during practice. They felt certain about their prospects as they noted the fish surfacing to take their bait. They paid careful attention in practice not to hook any of those fish with hopes they would bite on tournament day. Their floating worm presentation in this area targeted fish they believed were spawning.

Additionally, they pinpointed another productive area down the lake during practice, and focused on skipping a Senko around docks and successfully caught 60 to 70 fish in practice. The key to their success was seeking out the shallowest boat docks. They raised their trolling motor as high as it would go, thoroughly exploring these shallow waters with Gary Yamamoto's Green Pumpkin Magic Senko. In practice, they also identified one last area they planned to hit on their way back from fishing down the lake. It was more of a “just in case” spot as they headed back to weigh in.

On tournament morning, they executed their practice plan perfectly, returning to the golf course area where they caught two fish on different baits than they had used before. They brought in these first two fish using a jig and a buzzbait, weighing in at 1.12 and 1.10 pounds. They found fish but knew at that point they needed bigger ones to win.

Next, they stopped in the Canoe Creek area, using a square bill and a buzzbait around the docks to upgrade their catch to an impressive 10-11 pounds. Fueled by this success, they decided to make a strong push for the win. They ventured into shallow waters and managed to catch a four-pound fish on a Senko. In a stunning last 20 minutes of the day, they landed two 4.5-pound fish, with one coming on the final cast using the Senko.

Their key baits were a bubble gum floating worm and the Yamamoto Senko in Green Pumpkin Magic. They fished these baits around bedding fish, wood, and docks, making calculated fan casts throughout the area. They confidently adjusted their practice plan, understanding that adaptability is crucial at Neely Henry when teams find fish but struggle to entice them on tournament day. Their strategic adjustments paid off.

In the end, after all 221 teams weighed in, their weight held strong, securing first place. With this victory, they not only earned a spot in the ABT Championship later this year, they also cashed a $15,000 check and took home the first-place hardware.

The second-place team of Lee Pitts and Steve Ingle caught 17.57 pounds of bass at Neely Henry. They are two-time winners of the Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) at this venue. Lee and Steve have spent considerable time on Neely Henry over the years, with Lee also working as a guide in the area. They dedicated one day to practice for this event, utilizing their extensive knowledge of the lake.

Lee and Steve shared, “We knew today would be about fishing the way we like to fish. The bass are in spawn mode, which brings them up shallow. We fished tight to the bank in grassy areas with wood and other structures mixed in. We identified some spots that had fish, so we spent a little time practicing without over-stressing those fish before tournament day.”

Steve mentioned that the key baits for them were a white jig and a buzz bait, which they fished in and around the grass. Lee noted, “I felt that some fish were in the spawn, while others had already spawned out. I could tell that the bites we had today were primarily from spawning fish.”

When asked about the challenges of fishing at Neely Henry, Lee commented, “The fishing pressure here is intense, and we've faced a lot of weather issues that have caused fluctuations. This explains why fish can be caught one day but not the next. When you come to Neely Henry, you can have a game plan, but you must be willing to adjust it and sometimes do something different. Personally, I enjoy flipping and punching, but that doesn’t always work here.”

Their two biggest fish came from wooded cover—one was caught on a jig and the other on a buzz bait. Lee added, “When these fish bit, you knew it was a solid bite. We had a lot of fish today that just came up and kissed the buzz bait, and most of those were smaller fish. However, this helped us reach a total weight of 17.57 pounds, which was enough for second place and earned us a check for $7,500.”

Lee shared a preview to Weiss Lake, which is the next stop for the North Division. He said it will all come down to the water level. If the water drops 3-4 inches, that grass bite will really change and the fish will move out, suspend, and almost be uncatchable. However if we have a full pool lake level and the sun comes out, it could be on when we go to Weiss. The are making their plans and hope to do well on the home pond.

The team of Wesley Sams and Crag Daniel finished third. They weighed in 16.48 pounds. The team shared “We ran a shad spawn early with a swim jig and flipping a Reaction Innovation Sweet Beaver. We caught our biggest one (4-pounder) and one other keeper. That bite died about 9:00. We had several found on the bed and caught them on a Reaction Innovation 6-inch flirt worm. We probably caught 20 fish throughout the day but got lucky with two four-pounders.” They were surprised that their weight held up to finish in third but they are happy with the $6,000 payday

This is the point in the season when teams start paying attention to the points race. Listed below are the top 10 teams after 3 events. The top 75 teams will go to the ABT championship, and the first-place team will be crowned Angler of the Year.

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

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for "Alabama Bass Trail Podcast."  The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

For Live coverage of this event and others visit https://www.youtube.com/@alabamabasstrailtv

The 2025 Alabama Bass Trail Sponsors Include: Phoenix Boats, AMFirst, Landers – McLarty Chevrolet, McGraw – Webb Chevrolet, Rapala, VMC, Crush City, Buffalo Rock, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Jack’s, Garmin, Lew’s, Strike King,Southern Protection Agency, Alabama State Parks, Halo Fishing, Snag proof, NetBait, Bait Fuel, TH Marine Supplies, Power-Pole, Pro Guide Batteries, American Trailer Rental, Yamaha, Anheuser-Busch, American Baitworks, E3 Sports Apparel, FishAlabama.org, Sweet Home Alabama, and Alabama Mountain Lakes.