Gearing Up For Neely Henry
Skeeter pro Harold Allen knows Neely Henry Lake will provide a tough test in August. (PAA: Chris Dutton)
PAA Communications
GADSDEN, Ala. – Despite living just a couple of hours from Neely Henry Lake, don’t count on Bass Minder pro Steve Wisdom to have a home-field advantage.
The Alabama angler lives in Birmingham but just recently visited the Coosa River impoundment in preparation for the final stop of the Bass Pro Shops PAA Tournament Series presented by Carrot Stix. The tournament will be Aug. 18-20 and based in Gadsden going out of Coosa Landing.
“I’ve never been there and went over one day a few weeks ago,” Wisdom said. “All I did was ride around looking at a lot of different stuff for about seven or eight hours. I never picked up a rod.”
Neely Henry is no stranger to tournament action, with local and regional events held there throughout the year. The last major event was in April 2009 when the PAA Tournament Series stopped there, with several of the pros in that derby entered in next month’s season-finale.
But the seasons, obviously, will be different. This time around, the oppressive Alabama summertime heat will be a challenge. Any current generated in the river by Alabama Power Co. will be welcomed, too.
BassMinder pro Steve Wisdom of Alabama. (PAA: Chris Dutton)
“I spent two days over there looking around and found a few things I liked,” said Skeeter pro Harold Allen. “Getting a little current generated will be a big help, no doubt. It’ll be typical summer fishing and should be a good tournament. I like the tough ones like this, and it’ll be tough.”
Early estimates from Allen and other pros pegged the 12- to 15-pound range for daily limits as a good day. The Coosa River is famous for its aggressive spotted bass but the field will have a shot at largemouth bass, too, in the mid-lake creeks and some smaller tributaries with docks and cover.
Top 10 weights in a June BFL tournament ranged from the winning 16 pound, 9 ounce catch to 11-12. The winning weight during a May Bassmaster Weekend Series event was 17.82 pounds. Weights in August could be a smidge lower, but nothing ever is certain with the skills of the pros and the right bite, whether shallow or deep.
From the Coosa Landing launch in Gadsden, anglers can head upriver in the narrow Coosa to where giant boulders and rapids halt their progress. On the way are several small backwater hidey-holes along with channel ledges. Downriver, the options abound with Canoe Creek, backwaters in Minnesota Bend, and Bridge, Shoal, Ottery and Beaver creeks. Rocky points near Neely Henry Dam also could come into play.
“I’m sure there will be some guys staying shallow, even with the heat, and others going deeper upriver and down toward the dam,” Wisdom said. “From what I could tell there will be some options to choose from. I have an idea of what I want to do but I won’t make a decision until tournament week when we get some practice days on the lake.”
The pros will be looking to make significant moves, or hang on to their positions, in this final event, too. At stake is the PAA Angler of the Year title along with points for qualification to earn invitations to the Toyota Texas Bass Classic in October.
The top 15 in the PAA Tournament Series point standings will earn invitations to the TTBC, set for Oct. 28-30 on Lake Conroe. They will be joined by the top 15 from the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour point standings, along with four exempt invitees and 2010 defending champ Brian Snowden.
Gene Larew pro Tommy Biffle of Oklahoma is the defending PAA Angler of the Year. He currently is in second place in the standings behind Ranger pro Todd Auten of South Carolina. Hefty pro Mike McClelland of Arkansas is third, and only eight points separate the three.
“I’d sure like to win it again, no doubt,” Biffle said. “But those are two pretty good anglers right there at the top, and the tournament’s going to be a tough one. Anything could happen.”
