Montgomery Seeks Repeat Win In Bass Southern Open On Lewis Smith Lake
The last time Andy Montgomery fished Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama two years ago this past May he won the Bassmaster Southern Open there, but the situation is a lot different for the Southern Open that begins Thursday on the lake.
“That was in May and the lake is a lot different now. It is way down, 8 to 10 feet down,” said the Blacksburg, S.C., pro.
And, he noted, with all the rain that drenched anglers during practice the first part of the week, the water may be somewhat different, too.
Smith Lake is normally deep, clear and blue, very similar to a lake in the mountain area of Montgomery’s home state. The average depth of the 21,200-acre impoundment on the Black Warrior River is 66 feet, but the sonar can drop to more than 200 feet in some areas.
“It reminds me a lot of Lake Keowee in South Carolina,” Montgomery said.
The change in weather could also cause a change in the fishing, he added. With several days of steady rains, the front that brought the wet weather has cleared out and skies are sunny and bright.
“Fishing in the tournament will probably be a lot different than it was in practice,” Montgomery said.
“The lake has a lot of docks, so there will probably be some fish caught on the docks, but for the most part most of the fish will be related to the baitfish. There has been a lot of schooling and there will be a lot of fish caught deep on a drop shot and stuff like that.”
That is pretty similar to the pattern Montgomery fished in 2010 to win his first Southern Open. In that tournament he used a swimbait, spinnerbait and a swimming jig — each one all white – to take home the top prize of $46,000. For the first two days, Montgomery focused on docks. He caught spotted bass around docks that were in deeper water and largemouth along shallower docks. On the third day the fished changed and he switched to a buzzbait to bring in the winning weight.
In that tournament he moved into the Southern Open points race lead, but that is not an option for the tournament this week. Buried in the points standings, he needs a win to qualify for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic.
“I fished all the Southern Opens and my best finish was 25th on Lake Norman, so I am absolutely looking to win. There is only one place for me – first or bust.”
Bassmaster Southern Open
Oct 4-6, 2012
Lewis Smith Lake
