Most any lake that hosts significant tournaments on back-to-back weekends is going to see a change in weights and fish moods come the second event. How much of change remains to be seen for Neely Henry, as a week after the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Choo Choo Division hits the lake, the Bama Division comes calling on July 20.
Tournament details
Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Bama Division
Neely Henry Lake
Gadsen, Ala.
July 20
About the Fishery
Yes, technically, Neely Henry Lake is a lake, but you’d be forgiven to think more river.
The Coosa River impoundment looks more like a slightly wider stretch of river between Weiss Lake and Logan Martin Lake. And even that is only on the lower end, as the upper two thirds of the lake are primarily the Coosa River channel.
At just over 11,000 acres, the windy fishery is shallower than most of the rest of the lakes in the chain, but it still home the famous Coosa spotted bass (aka Alabama spotted bass). This subspecies of spotted bass is well known for their bigger size and aggressive behavior, which always make them a player in every tournament.
Yet, largemouth have definitely become players in recent years, especially for anglers focusing on shallow cover.
What to Expect
As mentioned prior, the Choo Choo Division will be on Neely Henry the weekend prior to this event. Thus, anglers will have a good idea of what the better weights and patterns should be come this derby.
“The fishing pressure is definitely going to have an impact,” said local pro Jason Nixon. “Neely Henry is not big enough to host back-to-back events like this and it not impact the fishing.”
Most notably, Nixon figures the shallow largemouth will be “picked over” the most. Considering they can be key for that big, kicker bite, that will definitely impact a number of anglers’ game plans.
That said, the deeper spotted bass should still be key players, especially since instead of going for 17 to 18 pounds like the Choo Choo tournament, Nixon figures 15 to 16 pounds should contend.
“The guys using the forward-facing sonar should still catch plenty of spots out deep,” Nixon said. “You get on the right school or even pick off some of the big singles, and you can get to that mark to put yourself in contention even if you don’t have a mixed bag of fish.”