Healthy bass and a good blueback herring population await anglers at the Strike King Bassmaster College Series at Smith Lake presented by Bass Pro Shops Feb. 26-27.
Photo by Craig Lamb/B.A.S.S.
Feb. 19, 2025
Smith Lake primed to shine during Bassmaster College Series event
CULLMAN, Ala. — Smith Lake is as healthy as it’s ever been, according to guide Logan Johnson, which is good news for teams looking to make a splash during the Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops event.
“Really and truly, the lake as a whole health-wise, the population of the fish, is exponentially better than it has been in a while,” the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN pro said. “Every bass you catch is fat, round and happy as they can be. They are healthy. And the clouds of blueback herring seem to get bigger and bigger.”
Tournament days are scheduled for Feb. 26-27 with daily takeoffs at Smith Lake Park in Cullman at 6:30 a.m. CT and weigh-ins to be held back at the park at 2:30 p.m. The top 10% of the field will punch a ticket to the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster College Series National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops and all teams will earn points toward the Team of the Year race in the Legends Trail. The Strike King Bassmaster High School Series and Bassmaster Junior Series events will follow on March 2.
Located in north-central Alabama, Smith Lake sports an impressive population of big spotted bass as well as lunker largemouth. Last year, the Bassmaster Elite Series showcased that when they took on the Black Warrior River impoundment in early July. Taku Ito won that event thanks in part to a 5 1/2-pound spotted bass he landed on the last day.
Barring a major freeze or flood, Johnson anticipates the lake to be close to full pool with both the spotted bass and largemouth in the prespawn stage. If there is a really impactful warming trend, there might be a couple of bass that find their way to the bank to spawn.
On the whole, though, Johnson expects there to be a lot of offshore fishing using forward-facing sonar.
“There will obviously be a lot of ’Scoping,” he said. “But whoever wins that event will have to have one or two big largemouth every day. You won’t be able to win on straight spotted bass. You can win on straight spots all winter, but once spring arrives, you have to have one or two largemouth.”
Much of the spotted bass population will be chasing blueback herring. Ditches just off the main-lake channel are the best areas to find herring chasers this time of the year, but Johnson says finding the right areas requires a lot of scanning.
“Herring are a little bit unpredictable,” he said. “It takes a lot of seat time and finding as many areas with good herring in them as you can, because they will move on you in a heartbeat.”
Jighead minnows will be key baits for these bass as well as a medium-diving crankbait like a Strike King Gravel Dawg or a Spro RkCrawler. A big glidebait could also come into play if the correct conditions present themselves.
Meanwhile, the largemouth will gravitate to the back thirds of the pockets and secondary points leading into the spawning coves. Isolated rock and wood will give those bass a place to stage. Moving baits like ChatterBaits will be key for getting big bites.
Visit Cullman will host the tournament.
2025 Bassmaster College Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2025 Bassmaster College Series Presenting Sponsor: Bass Pro Shops
2025 Bassmaster College Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2025 Bassmaster College Series Premier Sponsors: Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster College Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2025 Bassmaster College Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
