NEWS

Weiss Lake Finale Awaits as North Division Closes Out Regular Season

By Jason Duran

Weiss Lake has a history of rewarding anglers who find something a little different, and that challenge will be front and center when the Alabama Bass Trail North Division wraps up its 2026 regular season on June 20.

With one final opportunity to improve Angler of the Year standings, secure championship positioning, and build momentum heading into the ABT Championship, teams will spread across one of the most diverse fisheries on the schedule. From shallow grass and river flats to offshore structure and current-driven areas in New Lake, Weiss offers multiple paths to success, but rarely makes it easy.

One team familiar with the challenges and opportunities Weiss presents is Nolen Spencer and Jonathon Reese. The pair enters the final event of the season sitting fifth in the North Division Angler of the Year standings, just 24 points behind leaders Elliott Gault and James Swindle. While the gap may be a lot to make up in one event, a strong finish at Weiss could quickly change the pressure around the top of the standings.

Spencer and Reese also bring history to the conversation. In 2018, they won at Weiss with 26.84 pounds, one of the biggest bags in recent ABT history on the lake. Last season, they won again with 20.44 pounds. They also finished fifth in 2019 with 17.87 pounds.

That track record does not make Weiss predictable, but it does give them a clear understanding of what the lake can produce when the right area and the right bites come together.

“We’ve been here several times in June,” Reese said. “Typically you’ve got shallow fish around grass, willow grass, primrose, and all of that. But when I was there recently, the grass looked behind compared to what we’re used to seeing.”

That observation could become an important factor for a field of 225 boats searching for productive water across a lake that often fishes smaller than it appears.

Recent history backs up how tight Weiss can be. In 2025, Spencer and Reese won with 20.44 pounds, but second place was close behind with 19.13, and the top six all weighed more than 17 pounds. In 2022, Mitch Mitchell and Candler McCollum won with 19.96 pounds, while the top nine teams all topped 16 pounds. In 2021, 18.29 pounds won, and in 2020, Mark McCaig and Tim Hurst separated from the field with 22.60 pounds.

The pattern is clear. Weiss does not always require a giant bag to win, but it almost always demands quality. A team that misses one key bite can slide several spots. A team that catches one big fish can change its entire day.

The recent stretch of rain across portions of Alabama has added another variable heading into tournament week. While Weiss often responds to changing water conditions, Reese believes much will depend on how water levels and current are managed leading into the event.

“If there’s color in the water and some current, it can definitely change things,” he said. “Current positions fish no matter where you’re at.”

Despite the changing conditions, anglers should have no shortage of options. Weiss remains one of the more versatile fisheries on the schedule, offering everything from shallow grass and shoreline cover to offshore bars, docks, creeks, wood, and current-driven structure.

The upper river section features flats, wood cover, and productive creek arms capable of producing tournament-winning fish. Moving toward the main lake, anglers encounter a mix of offshore structure, docks, grass, and deeper water. New Lake remains a perennial player thanks to strong current flow and areas that consistently position fish throughout the summer months.

Because of that variety, Reese believes anglers can find winning fish throughout the system.

“I think this tournament can be won from Georgia all the way to New Lake,” he said.

Finding fish may not be the challenge. Finding fish that have not already seen pressure could be the deciding factor.

With 225 boats competing across the fishery, productive areas often receive attention quickly. Reese believes success may come down to locating something overlooked.

“The key is finding something that’s a little different that’s not getting beat on all week,” he said. “If you can find that magic stretch of grass that’s been overlooked or an offshore spot that’s not getting pressured, that’s usually how you win.”

As always on Weiss, anglers will have a wide range of techniques on deck. Swim jigs, frogs, buzzbaits, and walking topwaters are expected to play early, while offshore anglers will likely rely on forward-facing sonar, swimbaits, crankbaits, and shaky heads once the sun gets higher.

One thing Reese expects to remain true is the importance of a single quality bite. “This lake is probably more about one big bite than any lake we fish all year,” he said. That reality could become especially important considering the Angler of the Year race.

Gault and Swindle

Chris McGregor and Smith McGregor

Gault and Swindle enter the finale with 808 points. Chris McGregor and Smith McGregor sit second with 803, while Michael Wooley and Kyle Lewellen are third with 802.

Trey Swindle and Sam George

Trey Swindle and Sam George occupy fourth with 785 points, followed closely by Spencer and Reese with 784.

With only 24 points separating first from fifth, the race remains open entering the final event of the season. The biggest pressure may fall on the top three, where only six points separate first from third.

When it comes to winning weight, Reese expects another strong showing from the North Division field.

“I think around 20 pounds wins it,” he said. “But these guys surprise us everywhere we go.”

The history supports that number. Over the last several ABT stops at Weiss, winning weights have ranged from 18.29 to 26.84 pounds, with multiple events requiring around 20 pounds or better to take the win. Reese also expects the check line to land somewhere around 13 to 14 pounds, though recent history shows it could climb higher depending on conditions.

Whether the winning fish come from shallow grass, offshore structure, current breaks, or an overlooked stretch of water somewhere in between, Weiss Lake appears ready to provide another fitting conclusion to the North Division regular season.

The North Division ABT Tournament Series

Weiss Lake Tournament

June 20, 2026

Launch & Weigh-In

Leesburg Landing Harbor

1085 Riverside Street

Leesburg, AL 35983

Blastoff will be at 6:00 A.M. or safe daylight.

First flight due in at 2:30 P.M.

Fish Size Limits: 12 inches on Largemouth and Spotted Bass

Fans can watch over four hours of live on-the-water coverage and the weigh-in on the Alabama Bass Trail Facebook page, YouTube channel, and website.

The Alabama Bass Trail is made possible through the support of its outstanding sponsors: Phoenix Boats, AMFirst, Larry Puckett Chevrolet, 13 Fishing, Rapala, VMC, CRUSHCITY, Buffalo Rock, Academy Sports and Outdoors, Jack’s, Garmin, Thompson Tractor Company, PiranhO2, Alabama State Parks, Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, NetBait, BaitFuel, Alfa Insurance Thomas ALFA MAN Shelton, TH Marine Supplies, Power-Pole, Pro Guide Batteries, Yamaha, SCUM FROG, E3 Sports Apparel, FishAlabama.org, Sweet Home Alabama and Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.

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