“I don’t think the spots (spotted bass) will dominate although it is getting time for them to dominate,”

Gerald said. “ The last tournament two weeks ago on Lake Mitchell they did dominate. Lowell Everett and Lawrence Curd won that tournament with 18 pounds and change. They had a 7-pound, 11-ounce largemouth and the others were spots. They took first place and also had big fish with that largehead.”

Gerald said most everybody who fished at Lake Mitchell weighed in spotted bass and he expects a lot of spotted bass to be caught this Saturday on Jordan, but the tournament probably will be won with largemouth bass.

“We’ve had some warm weather which turns the largeheads on and turns the spots down, so we will just have to see what happens Saturday.”

The unusually warm weather for Thanksgiving week has featured temperatures in the low 80s, he noted.

“It’s supposed to be kind of cloudy and rainy on Saturday which is going to play into catching the largeheads,” he said. “The guys who swim and flip will probably do pretty good and that seems to give an advantage to the largehead fishermen.”

Gerald said participation the fall buddy trail seems to be picking up very well.

“We have been averaging about 35 boats a tournament. The payback is great and the classic is going to be huge. We already have about $5,000 in the classic, not counting the regular payback. This is always a big deal,” he said. “We should have a decent turnout down at Jordan. There was a tournament down there last week and a good many fish were caught.”

The trail began Oct. 1 on Lay Lake and will run through five tournaments before the Classic in January. The rest of the schedule includes: Nov 26, Lake Jordan, Bonner’s; Dec 10, Lay Lake, Beeswax; and the Classic Jan. 7 on the anglers’ choice of lakes.

Entry fee in the Buddy Trail is $100 per boat, with a one-time initiation fee of $50 per angler and an optional big fish entry of $10 per tournament. All proceeds will be paid back in full at the Classic in January. Anglers only have to fish one of the tournaments to qualify for the classic.

Gerald said next year’s fall trail is going to be even better for the anglers.

“We have changed up next year’s trail to where I can’t imagine anyone not fishing it,” Gerald said. “It’s going to be on the Coosa River, Lakes Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchell and Jordan. The entry fee is dropped to $100 and we guarantee $3,000 payback every tournament, paying one in six, which is unheard of – and we may add more to that. The team of the year will get $1,000 in tackle from Rough & Tough in Chelsea, Ala.”

 

Airport Marine EZ Fall Buddy Trail

Sat. Nov. 26, 2011

Jordan Lake – AL

Bonner’s Landing

www.airportmarinetrails.com

Call Flynn Gerald 205-678-9666