“There should be a ton of fish caught,” said local guide and tournament angler Capt. David Berry of Mascot, Tenn. “The fish are in a post-spawn pattern right now and we are catching them from 2 to 3 feet deep out to 30 feet deep, all over the board and on just about anything you want to throw.”

Berry described Douglas Lake as “more of a highland reservoir, with a lot of cover compared to other lakes. The water is fairly clear to stained. The lake is in real good shape right now, so it should be a really good tournament.”

Douglas holds good populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass and spotted bass, Berry said.

“There are some really nice-sized largemouths with tons of smaller ones. The smallmouth have to be 20 inches and you can get a good smallmouth anytime up there. But it should take largemouths to win the tournament.”

Berry said it has taken 24-plus pounds to win several tournaments on Douglas Lake the last week or two so a 20-pound average per day would not be out of the question for the winner.

“The rains and cold fronts have kept the water temperatures down a little bit this year so the fish are just now starting to get out on their summer patterns. There should also be a lot of shallow fish caught, but I think the tournament will be won fishing deep water structure.”

Berry said a variety of lures will produce on the deep structure, including deep-running crankbaits and jigging spoons.

“The main thing is getting out there, finding a school of those big fish and getting them triggered to bite. You can put a lot of weight in the boat in a hurry.”

Berry said he expects a lot of the anglers will also fish shallow in the Open.

“I think you will see a lot of fish caught flipping and on topwater. The topwater bite has really been consistent recently.”

Berry, who has fished Douglas Lake since he was five years old, also fishes tournaments and is a member of Team Skeeter. He runs his Smokies Angler Adventures Guide Service for largemouths, smallmouth and crappie on Douglas Lake, Cherokee Lake and Norris Lake and also guides for trout in the rivers. He can be reached at (865) 933-3140 or (865) 661-5107, or by email at: [email protected]. Check out the guide service at: www.smokiesangling.com.

The Open on Douglas Lake will also settle the Southern Open Angler of the Year race which appears to have come down to a battle between Gerald Swindle of Warrior, Ala., and Bobby Lane of Lakeland, Fla. Swindle leads Lane by 38 points.

Swindle has been the most consistent angler in the Open field, having won the first Southern Open tournament on the Kissimmee Chain of Lake in January and placing second in the second tournament on Lake Norman in March. Lane finished second at Kissimmee and seventh at Lake Norman.

 

Bassmaster Southern Open

Jun 2-4, 2011

Douglas Lake

The Point Marina

www.bassmaster.com