Logan Martin Lake Poker Run
Issues for Neely Henry Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lay Lake and Mitchell Lake. The priority organics (PCBs) for the listed segments of Neely Henry Lake, Logan Martin Lake and Lay Lake will be addressed under a separate report in the future. Logan Martin Lake is located on the Coosa River in east-central Alabama approximately 30 miles east of Birmingham, Alabama. This 17,000 acre Coosa River reservoir was built in 1965 by Alabama Power Company. The Logasn Martin Dam 5K – 2019 To be held at the Logan Martin Dam Run or Walk – It’s Your Race Shirt deadline is May 15th. Hosted by The Unbreakable Fighters, Inc. May 25, 2019 @ 8:00am. Free Kids Fun Run at 9:00. All Proceeds will benefit The Unbreakable Fighters. The lake, nicknamed Lake of a Thousand Coves by locals, has 275 miles (443 km) of shoreline along its 48.5-mile (78.1 km) length sandwiched between Logan Martin Dam on the south and Neely Henry Dam on the north. The depth of the lake is 35 to 110 feet (34 m) with only five feet average water level variance.
Boat docks were the key for Brannon Hurst and Mike Freeman winning Logan Martin Lake
By Jason Duran
The Alabama Bass Trail is back and Covid-19 has made for an interesting time in our country. Stay at home orders, quarantines and social distancing are now all common practice in every home. The lack of social interaction has taken its toll on many people. The Alabama Bass Trail worked closely with the state of Alabama to make things as safe as possible in this new way of life. The ABT team worked hard to adjust everything including: no pre-tournament meeting, required face coverings, limited contact during boat check, a trailered weigh-in for social distancing of anglers and staff, and no crowds at weigh-ins. These adjustments allowed for the Alabama Bass Trail to be back in action and still keep everyone as safe as possible. At the close of scales on Saturday from Lake Logan Martin, Brannon Hurst and Mike Freeman took home the win with 17.64 pounds.
The team of Hurst and Freeman made about a five minute run to fish boat docks in between 1 – 10 feet of water. They were pitching a homemade white Jig on boat docks when they discovered this pattern late in the day while fishing a tournament last weekend, and they were able to build on that pattern this week. Like many other anglers, they were expecting a shad spawn to be a factor in this event, and though they weren’t really targeting the shad spawn, they did catch a fish off one dock that was possibly a shad spawn fish.
The keys for them were “trying to flip as many boat dock piers as they could in a day and skipping the jig as far back into the shade of the dock as they could where the bass were.” They also said “you have to have a lot of places now because there are so many people fishing.” They targeted areas from Stemley Bridge to the dam.
Part of their success came from their ability to “fish well together as a team. For example, they both don’t fish the jig the same way; one might fish it deep and slower while the other will fish a little faster and higher up in the water column.” The team has been fishing together for over 25 years, and for the past four years, they have fished the ABT South Division.
The Dock and Jig pattern produced a mixed bag of spots and largemouth weighing in at 17.64 pounds while fishing docks from 1 foot to 10 feet. They have both fished Logan Martin their whole lives and agree that winning here was “unbelievable and incredible.” Mike said, “it is hard to win against this level of competition, and it really feels awesome.”
Their homemade jig set up was paired with Lew’s Reel, Fitzgerald Rod and 20 lb Seaguar fluorocarbon line. They Claimed the Garmin and Wedowee Marine bonuses which added to their $10,000 pay day.
The first-year team of Rickey Dunn and Trent Davis came in second place. Rickey is Trent’s father in-law, and they have been fishing together for about 10 years. This year they decided to fish the ABT and had a really good day at the second stop. They made a run up to Choccolocco Creek throwing topwater and spinnerbaits and targeting seawall and shallow points in the sun. Like many other anglers, the first thirty minutes of their day was productive. Their second spot was up around Broken Arrow Creek, and from there, they ran small cuts that seemed to produce fish at every stop. Later in the day they worked their way back down river to their final stop on a boat dock where Rickey caught one in practice the previous week. On this dock they both caught a keeper. Trent caught one over four pounds that was possibly the one Rickey caught in practice and released. That four pounder helped them move up enough to secure second place with 15.84.
Logan Martin Lake Poker Runner
The third place team of Todd Murphy and Kopeland Rosser caught a limit within five casts. They made a run upriver towards the I-20 bridge to a spot that Kopeland found in practice. It was a real flurry for about thirty minutes with about 15-20 fish catches with them sometimes doubled up. Todd described this spot as a flat and “can’t really explain why these spotted bass were stacked up there.” That flurry of fish catches lasted about 30 minutes, but they left that spot with a limit of spotted bass- two of them weighing over three pounds. From there they went to another spot and caught two largemouth in back-to-back casts. When the wind picked up later in the morning, they said it helped their fish set up on the cover better.
The baits that were productive for them were a Spook in bone color, black and blue swim Jig, swimbait and a drop shot. They said they stuck to the basics and just went fishing.
Overall, anglers were really excited to see the ABT family back out on the water. Next week the North Division gets back in action on Weiss Lake.
For a full list of results, including the top ten standings, visit the link below.
Logan Martin Lake Poker Runs
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.
The sponsors of the 2020 Alabama Bass Trail include: Phoenix Bass Boats, Bill Penney Toyota, Garmin, Academy Sports & Outdoors, America’s First Federal Credit Union, Sweet Home Alabama, Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, T-H Marine Supplies, Wedowee Marine, Strike King, Buffalo Rock, Mountain Dew, Jack’s, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Alabama Power Company, Lew’s Fishing, Berkley, YETI, Power Pole, Big Bite Bait Company, E3 Apparel and Hydrowave.
For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org
Alabama is fortunate to have a vast, impressive trail network throughout the state. Trails wind through countless wooded areas, within close distance to white sandy beaches, and up to the highest mountains. However, historically there haven’t been many trail options available surrounding the state’s lakes. That recently changed with the addition of The Preserves, an initiative by Alabama Power to create multiple outdoor recreational areas around many of our beautiful lakes. I recently got the opportunity to do some exploring on two of Alabama Power-owned properties that make up a portion of The Preserves—Double Cove at Logan Martin Lake and Fox Creek at Lake Wedowee.
From hiking and biking, to bird watching and lounging, The Preserves are core to the Alabama Power ideal of merging nature with recreational activities. The lands allow people to enjoy, learn, and grow a deeper appreciation of the state’s ecology and natural landscape, and they are inclusive and open to all. The Preserves feature varying amenities such as playgrounds, trails, boat ramps, picnic areas, gazebos, fishing piers, and swim areas. Lakes that currently have completed projects or will have them completed in the next year include Lay Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Weiss Lake, Lake Martin, Lake Wedowee, Neely Henry Lake, Smith Lake, and Lake Jordan.
I decided to run the trails at Double Cove (Logan Martin Lake) and Fox Creek (Lake Wedowee) a few weeks back in order to experience for myself what Alabama Power had developed. Trails at all the different lake locations range from half a mile to close to five miles in length. They vary in terms of difficulty, as I would find out on my runs.
I started with exploring Double Cove at Logan Martin Lake. The land features amenities ranging from a 4,000 square-foot playground to fishing piers and a swimming area. But I was there to run the main loop trail, a nearly 2-mile loop around most of the property. I took off on my run going counterclockwise and was immediately impressed. The trail was very well maintained and markings for wayfinding were great. The trail featured an overlook of the lake about 1.5 miles into my run.
Before I knew it, I was back at the trailhead and lounging by the water. It was very clear to me that this property and trail system will be very popular for lake visitors on any weekend throughout the year. I ended my day with dinner at The Back Porch on Alpine Bay. Appropriately named, this restaurant is the perfect spot to have a drink outside on the back porch while watching the boaters come in from a day on the lake. I’d recommend the catfish, it was delicious!
Next up, I drove to the eastern side of the state to visit Fox Creek at Lake Wedowee. This property features an outer loop trail called Fox Trot and several connector trails in the middle. I arrived at the trailhead and was immediately excited about my run. The trail features include forested single-track, constant views of the lake, and an abundance of silence. What surprised me the most was the amount of elevation change that occured. Despite being right next to the water, the trail was constantly rolling and included a few big climbs/descents.
Similar to Double Cove, Fox Creek is very well marked with trail signage every 15-20 yards. Though leaves had recently fallen and covered the trail, it was good knowing that I wasn’t going to get lost out there. The trail was perfect for runners and hikers looking to test their legs while having scenic views of the lake throughout. Around the 2-mile mark, running counterclockwise, the trail takes you to a newly-constructed gazebo that is perfect for a quick break and a great view. After sitting for a few minutes, I took off to explore the rest of the trail. Soon, I passed an area with soil overturned and realized this is where Alabama Power is adding pollinator plots in the middle of the property. Once completed, this will add some additional beauty to the trails.
With daylight fading, I soon found myself back at the parking lot and feeling quite accomplished. Though the trailhead stated that Fox Trot trail is 3.36 miles long, my watch recorded closer to 4 miles in distance. In need of some food after a hard run, I stopped at Randy’s on the River for a burger and fries. If you go on the right day, they even have karaoke and trivia!
Logan Martin Lake Poker Run Schedule
More information on The Preserves will soon be available on a dedicated website. Be on the lookout for it on our website so you can get out there and log your 100 Alabama Miles Challenge miles!