Durham exploits conditions
By Greg McCain

For Joe Durham, the Alabama B.A.S.S. Nation (ABN) qualifier Saturday (March 22) was a tale of two lakes.

In the words of another ABN competitor, the upper end of Lake Eufaula was “chocolate milk” while areas south on the Chattahoochee River impoundment were shockingly clear by comparison.

Durham, who lives across the river between Albany and Georgetown, GA, took advantage of both situations to build the winning weight in the second ABN qualifier of the year. He weighed a five-fish limit that pushed the scale to 26.29, edging second-place finisher Zeke Gossett by about 1½ lbs. Gossett netted 24.62.

Durham (Wiregrass Bassmasters) boxed five quality Eufaula largemouth in the five-lb. range and claimed his first ABN title.

“Twenty six whatever it was without a six-pounder,” Durham said. “I kept hunting for a big one all day, but it was just one of those days when I was really blessed. I caught a bunch of fish and a bunch of quality fish.”

Chris Marler (Shotgun Sports Supply), of Weaver, won the co-angler title with an impressive three-fish limit that weighed 13.49. The win was Marler’s third as a co-angler in ABN competition. He took back-to-back qualifiers on Lay Lake in 2016 and ‘17.

Mark Black (Wiregrass), of Selma, topped the Academy Sports + Outdoors Big Fish standings with a 6.90 largemouth. He caught the big largemouth punching a Spicy Beaver under a one oz. Woo Tungsten weight. Black said the trophy put on a show, jumping three times, before finally coming to the net.

For Durham, the day started in the muddy waters of the upper lake near the launch site at Lakepoint State Park in Cowikee Creek.

“I started off cranking some pre-spawn creek ledges using a special custom-painted (Strike King) 6XD that a gentleman named Kyle Sellers paints. I pulled up and had a limit that weighed about 20 with three or four doubles. It was really just one of those shocking days.”

Durham said he found the ledge fish in practice Friday. He said the custom paint job by Sellers – bright chartreuse and orange – on the crankbait was a key.

“I found those fish yesterday,” Durham said. “They had just pulled in. When they first pull in, it’s nice, kind of easy to catch sometimes.”

The early limit only pointed toward better things to come.

“I caught those and then later in the day moved down the lake looking for a little better clarity,” Durham said. “I got up shallow in the grass throwing a Zoom Trick Worm on a 1/16 weight. Because of all the pressure and traffic, that was a key.

“Credit another local fisherman, Carson Maddux, who gave me the trick worms this morning because I didn’t have any.”

By the end of the day, Durham said he had “two heavy 4s and three over 5” in the livewell. His big fish weighed 5.64.

Durham said his knowledge of the lake was a major plus in finding quality fish under sharply contrasting conditions.

“It’s really muddy here,” he said. “Then it clears up and then gets really muddy again where it’s pouring out of Pataula (on the Georgia side) and all the Alabama creeks. So I had to hop around, and that’s where being local really helped. I was able to find those clear creeks and catch fish with the trick worm.”

Unlike Durham, Marler said his boater, Lee Caston (Neely Henry Bassmasters), made a “very, very long run” to start the day. Within minutes, Marler had two fish in the boat that weighed about 10 lbs, one of them before Caston ever made a cast.

“My partner didn’t have a rod out and had it on spot lock when I caught the biggest one on about the third cast,” Marler said. “We went down to a point, and there was a boat sitting there, so we turned around and I caught the second-biggest one.”

Marler caught both fish on what he called a tricked-out “headknocker” white buzzbait.

“About 2, we ran back up here, and I caught about a three-pounder on a green pumpkin trick worm right over there by that (Cowikee Creek) bridge,” Marler said.

Following Durham and Gossett in the boater standings were Shane Powell (Wiregrass Bassmasters) 22.57; Maddux (Wiregrass) 20.24; Donald Griffith (Wiregrass) 20.04; Jack Tibbs (Wiregrass) 19.42; David Pair (River City Anglers) 16.00; Joe Lay (Lake Tuscaloosa Bassmasters) 15.80; Sellers (Wiregrass) 15.76; and Lee Byrd (Birmingham Bass Club) 15.53

Other top finishers among co-anglers were Tim Fox (Wiregrass) 12.97; Skip Jackson (River City Anglers) 12.63; Jonathan Barnette (Carbon Hill Bass Club) 11.42; Lee Fowler (Birmingham Bass club ) 9.94; Black (Wiregrass) 9.55; Dale Westmoreland (New Line Bass Club) 9.46; Wallace Williams (Birmingham Bass Club) 9.21; Jacob George (Birmingham Bass Club) 8.32; and Charles Rosato (Birmingham Bass Club) 8.01.

In the team competition, Powell and Fox combined for the top total boat weight with 35.54. Teams compete for spots in the ABN state championship in the fall. Top finishers there earn berths in the B.A.S.S. Nation Team Championship later in the fall. Following Powell and Fox were Tibbs and Barnette (30.84), Gossett and David Mims (29.29), Pair and Jackson (28.63), Donald Griffith and Cole Griffith (27.64), Durham, and Bruce Sargent and Williams (24.50).

In addition to his second-place finish, Gossett also earned money with the Airport Marine Fishin’ 4 A Cure top prize, the AmFirst BassCash bonus, and Triton Gold Bonus. Williams won the Academy Sports + Outdoors drawing.

President Eddie Plemons thanks all the sponsors who support the ABN schedule. In addition to Academy and Airport Marine, they include Fish Life Fish Care Products, Impulse Lithium batteries, AmFirst BassCash, Office Partners, 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.

The ABN season continues April 12 on Lake Neely Henry on the Coosa River. The final qualifying stop will be Wheeler Lake in June. The ABN will be back on Eufaula in early November for the two-day state championship.

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.