By B.A.S.S. Communications Staff
SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. — Temperatures are warming up around central Alabama just in time for the Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lay Lake, and for Sylacauga, Ala., rookie Will Davis Jr., that means the bass on the Coosa River impoundment should be feeding up after a tough spawning season.
“It is setting up to be a catch-fest, I believe,” Davis said.
Although it has hosted four Bassmaster Classics, this will be the first Elite Series tournament ever on Lay Lake. Since 2010, the last time Lay Lake hosted the Classic, there have been several Bassmaster events here, including a Bassmaster Open won by Keith Carson in 2020 and a College Series Wild Card tournament in 2021.
Tournament days are today throught Sunday. The full field of 104 anglers will compete the first two days before it's cut to 50 for Saturday. The Top 10 anglers will compete on Sunday for the top prize of $100,000. Anglers will launch from Beeswax Creek Park starting at 6:30 a.m. CT every day and return to the park for weigh-in at 3 p.m.
Lay Lake isn’t the biggest fishery, covering just 12,000 acres, but Davis believes anglers will be able to spread out and find spotted and largemouth bass throughout the system. While there may be some lingering spawners, Davis anticipates most of the bass will be postspawn and moving toward their summer feeding areas.
“The fish down the lake usually do their deal quicker. They spawn in late February and March,” he said. “(The spawn) works its way up the lake. Around midlake, (the bass) are more in a funk this time of year. But any part of the lake can play a factor. It won’t be just one section.”
The threadfin shad and the bream spawn, meanwhile, will likely be in full swing, with the full moon having arrived a few days ahead of official practice. The gizzard shad spawn will also be in play, and anglers who are able to dial in on that bite will be one step ahead of the game.
“The shad will be spawning for sure and there will be bream beds,” he said. “In the morning, you really have to capitalize on that because after that, it can be a grinder.”
The top end of the lake features a little dirtier water, and current will be a dominant factor. On the bottom end, anglers will find clearer water, standing timber and brushpiles. Forward-facing sonar will be an important tool for fishing those pieces of cover, and jerkbaits and crankbaits will be prominent.
Much of the shallow bite revolves around the willow and bank grass, Davis said. There is a little bit of milfoil growing in the lake too. Swim jigs, frogs, buzzbaits and soft plastics are some of the more productive presentations for anglers fishing around vegetation.
Davis said the key to the grass bite will be finding areas that have not been sprayed by lake management.
“If they go in an area and spray, you can hang it up for a long time,” Davis said. “They don’t live in that dead stuff.”
Along with the shallow grass, docks will come into play, especially if sunny skies and high pressure prevail. But looking ahead at the forecast, for what it’s worth, there is a chance of showers and storms each day during the tournament.
“If it muddies it up, that will make it a little tougher,” Davis said. “But current always helps on the Coosa River.”
While Davis believes there will be several 20-pound bags caught, he thinks it will take around 17 pounds per day to have a chance at taking home the blue trophy. He added that the winner will almost certainly have to catch both spotted bass and largemouth.
“I don’t think you will be able to win on all largemouth,” he said. “I think you will have to weigh in one or two spots a day. Or, maybe catch 20 pounds of largemouth one day and 17 pounds of a mixed bag the rest of the tournament. I don’t think a guy can weigh in strictly largemouth for four days and win. That’s just me, but they might surprise me.”
