Tournament Series Feature Story
Lake Eufaula Feature with Brian Adamson and Ryan Lloyd
By Jason Duran
Lake Eufaula has been in the spotlight since last year when it produced 24 bags over 20 pounds in the final ABT tournament of the season. In recent months several pro tours held events on Eufaula where numerous fish in the 6-8 pound range were caught. Since the scales closed last year, ABT anglers have been itching to get back and give it another try. Their chance comes this weekend when the ABT South rolls back into town.
The team of Brian Adamson and Ryan Lloyd are looking forward to this event. Brian said, it is going to be a “smash fest for most. We expect to see big weights, and it’s going take a lot to get a check just like last year.” Lake Eufaula is one of the best lakes in the country right now which may hurt some of the fishermen. Brain said, “these fish have really seen a lot of pressure not only from tournaments but from more and more anglers getting back out on the water.”
The question this weekend is… will it be won shallow or deep? This lake is full of hundreds, if not thousands, of brush piles. The team said, “the brush piles have been hit really hard out deep causing some fish to move up shallow.” The shallow bite has really produced in recent tournaments. Ryan said, “some teams will do well shallow, but I don’t think they are going to win there.” Teams will have to focus on finding the right brush pile that holds a good school of fish. “Finding that one mega group of fish could make someone’s day.” Ryan and Brian plan to hit about 15-20 spots in rotation. “When you pull up on a spot it only takes a couple casts to know if the fish are active, so if they aren’t, you move on to the next spot.”
Both feel, “the biggest key is not getting a bad rotation and fishing behind someone and finding some sneak holes that haven’t been getting hammered the last few weeks.” The morning bite will also be key thus an early boat number will be very important. Due to the expected heat, weigh-in has been moved earlier with the first flight due in at 1pm. Unfortunately, this will probably affect the afternoon bite teams look for when the current is typically turned back on at 1pm. The earlier weigh-in should also help teams protect their fish since the scales open an hour before weigh-in starts. Brian and Ryan agree fish care is one of the most important things this weekend; “protecting that catch and helping them make it back safely to weighing.” The team recommends “filling those live wells up early when the water is cooler, keeping them on all day and adding live well treatment like T-H Marine G-Juice can also help.” The baits that seem to do well this time of year are big crankbaits, big worms and swimbaits.
Brian said he is thankful this year for Eric Morris and the service team and Wedowee Marine who help keep their Phoenix boat serviced and ready for the water. They are currently in 13th place in points and hope to make the BASS team championship this year. Eufaula can be a difference maker for them. They said, “this is our tournament to do well and hopefully get a little cushion in the points going into Lay Lake.”
This tournament will continue to operate with social distancing guidelines. All anglers should make sure they have checked text messages and emails for the latest information and changes made to keep everyone as safe as possible during this time. There will be no pre-tournament meeting for this event. There is a virtual meeting on the ABT Facebook Page that was posted this past Monday night. All friends and family are welcome to attend this event, so bring a lawn chair and watch some of the best fishermen in the southeast. Everyone can watch the live weigh-in and live coverage on the ABT Facebook page and the ABT website. The launch and weigh-in location is Lakepoint State Park located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula, AL.
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.
