Local knowledge proves valuable at Millers Ferry
By Greg McCain

Local knowledge in bass tournaments can often be a mixed blessing. Competitors experience the positives but all too often the negatives associated with familiarity of a fishery.

For participants in the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation (ABN) qualifier Saturday (May 16), knowledge of Millers Ferry far outweighed any negative aspects. Fishermen who regularly venture to the Alabama River impoundment topped the boater and co-angler standings, and a number of other locals finished among the top 10 in both categories.

Fishing his first ABN event, Tristan Sims, of Thomasville, claimed the overall title with a 13.88 limit on a stingy Millers Ferry. Among the co-anglers, Nathan Williams, of nearby Linden, put together a three-fish limit totalling 8.97 lbs for the win, which also came in his first ABN event.

Following Sims (Wiregrass Bassmasters) at the top of the boater leaderboard were two other local anglers – Joey Mann (Wiregrass) boxed 13.08 for second, and Barry Landrum (Butler Bass Club) finished third with 12.38 – who found success on their home lakes.

(Weigh-in photos can be found at https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCUdaH.)

“Millers Ferry is one of my home lakes that I fish all the time,” Sims said. “I grew up fishing with my dad, and I’ve been fishing here all my life. I got lucky today, and it worked out.”

While practice and the tournament day proved difficult for many in the 63-boat field, Sims acknowledged that “this year is a little different.”

“Some fish are still spawning, and there are some that have already moved to the river,” he said. “All the fish that I caught today were still spawning, still full of eggs.”

His limit was topped by a 4.12 largemouth, one of the few fish of that size caught in the tournament. He caught all of his fish flipping “12-inch deep”  grass with a “big weight and a typical flipping bait.”

“I did not catch a single fish on a moving bait,” Sims said.

Many anglers found the heavily stained waters of Millers Ferry difficult to figure out. However, Sims, who said he fished both directions from take-off at the Bridgeport Landing ramp in Camden, said he liked the water conditions.

“I wouldn’t say it’s muddy today,” he said. “Last week, it was really muddy. It’s stained right now. I like it the way it is now (more) than if it was clear. With it not being so clear, you don’t have to use a finesse bait and can be more of a power fisherman. You can move down the bank and don’t have to slow down.”

Williams (River City Bassmasters of Demopolis) said he and his partner, Tyler Elmore, had a “tough day. We pretty much beat the river banks down, throwing football jigs, crankbaits, just trying to find spots really. We ended up going into a slough and threw a swim jig, and I caught a 4.40. That was the end of my day. I didn’t catch another fish after 1 o’clock.”

The largemouth actually weighed 4.43 and was the Lake Counseling Co-angler Big Fish. He caught all of his other fish on a ½-oz. green pumpkin football jig.

The former University of West Alabama college angler, who was greeted at weigh-in by his wife and newborn daughter, said current was a key.

“You could call your shots pretty much when they were pulling water, either spots or largemouth,” he said. “When they weren’t pulling, they would not commit.”

Don Cox (Belgreen Bass Club) caught the overall big fish in the tournament, the Mark’s Outdoors Big Fish, with a 4.60 largemouth.

Rounding out the top 10 among boaters were Keith Glasgow (Winfield Bassmasters, 12.09); Donald Griffith (Wiregrass, 12.00); Calvin Kluesner (Wiregrass, 11.76); Ferlin Weeks (Belgreen Bass Club, 11.64); Carson Maddux (Wiregrass, 10.83); Danny Grantham (LA PO Boys, 10.43); and Jeff Gilliam (W Ala Bass Fishermen, 10.21).

Trailing Williams in the co-angler standings were Lee Fowler (Birmingham Bass Club, 8.79); Jimmy Inman (Wiregrass, 7.91); Jason Cherry (Lee County Bass Club, 7.54); Joe Dudewicz (Wiregrass, 7.45); Donald Fish (Lee County Bass Club, 6.53); Wallace Williams (Birmingham Bass Club, 6.17); Hunter Travis (Wiregrass, 5.89); Jonathan Barnette (Carbon Hill Bass Club, 5.86); and Johnny Clark (Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters, 5.42).

In the Team (total boat weight) category, Griffith and Cole Griffith finished with 16.80 for the top spot followed by Glasgow and Jake Childers with 16.71. Teams that were not previously qualified earned a spot in the state championship this fall on Lake Martin. Top teams in that event then qualify for the TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Team Championship Dec. 9-12 on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees in Grove, OK.

The top two teams at Millers Ferry were already qualified, but several others earned a spot in the state event. They were Elmore and Williams; Bruce Sargent and Wallace Williams; Darrel High and Jason Cherry; Hunter Odom and Jimmy Odom; Sean Lee and Inman; Matthew Hebert and Fowler; and Cox and Donny Davis.

The Millers Ferry tournament concludes the regular season for the ABN. After four qualifiers, Donald Griffith maintained his lead at the top of the boater Angler of the Year standings followed by Glasgow and George Crain (Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters). Griffith has a 14-point lead heading into the two-day state championship on Martin Oct. 29-30. (The state championship has officially changed locations to Martin after previously being scheduled at Logan Martin.)

In the co-angler AOY standings, Fish moved to the top spot via his sixth-place finish but only leads Barnette by a single point. Childers and Chad Macks are tied for third 14 points behind Fish.

ABN president Eddie Plemons thanks all the sponsors who continue to support the ABN schedule. They include Mark’s Outdoors, Lake Counseling (ABN competitor William “Bill” Weathers), Office Partners, Fish Life Fish Care Products, Impulse Lithium batteries, AmFirst BassCash, Halo Rods, Radicull Culling Devices, Davis Bait Co., George Paint and Body, BassCats Boats, Nitro Boats, Triton Boats, Mercury, Motor Guide, Lowrance, NetBait, Shell, Hammer Rods, Shelby County, Strike Zone Lures, Charlie’s BBQ, the Rod Glove, T-H Marine, Power-Pole, and Alabama Hosting.

For more information about the ABN, including full tournament results, and to register for future tournaments, check out the organization’s website at https://albassnation.org/

Greg McCain is a freelance writer from Russellville, AL, and a member of the Belgreen Bass Club. In addition to producing content for this website, his credits include articles in Georgia Outdoor News, the ACC Crappie Stix blog, the Cornfield Fishing Gear website, CrappieNOW online magazine, and Great Days Outdoors.