Category: Logan Martin Lake

A lifelong love of fishing has Springville’s Walker climbing in pro fishing circles

Story by Paul South
Submitted photos

Like most anglers, from weekenders to tournament champions, Jacob Walker’s love affair with fishing brings with it a creel full of family and friends who taught him the art and science of the sport.

Like a teenage boy smitten by  the homecoming queen, Walker fell fast and hard for angling. Even as a small boy, from the Warrior River to Logan Martin Lake, fishing and family were his Alpha and Omega.

He and his friends even engaged in a little truancy to take to the outdoors. “We didn’t skip school to do bad things,” he said. “We skipped school to go fishing and hunting.”

After high school, he enrolled briefly at UAB. But boats and tackle, not books and tests, won out. While working at Mark’s Outdoors, a Vestavia store, Walker’s fire for fishing – sparked as a small boy by his grandfathers, father, Geoff Walker, stepfather, Dexter Laird, and friends – only grew.

One grandfather owned a place on Logan Martin Lake. “When I was little, my grandfather took me to Logan Martin all the time,” Walker said. “It seemed like we got up at 1 in the morning when we’d get up early and get out on the water.

“They would never see me from the time we got there until it was time to leave,” he recalled. “I was walking around, fishing. I’ve been doing it my whole life, man. It’s crazy.”

From those earliest days, Walker began to craft his own style of fishing. Now on the Major League Fishing Circuit, that style has served him well.

In 2024, he captured his first MLF tournament title in a weather-abbreviated event at Lake Champlain, N.Y.  On the circuit, he carries counsel from his early teachers in his mind and heart: Find your own style – from water depth, to location, to lures – and strive to be the best.

“You can’t beat everybody at their technique. You can’t always be the best at every technique. So, when I was growing up fishing on the Warrior River, I spent a lot of time fishing in shallow water… around a lot of  grass and logs and lily pads and stuff. What’s really got me (to the pros) is shallow fishing.”

What advice would he offer to someone dreaming of a pro career?

“Try to do it all. Try to learn everything. But do what fits you. Don’t try to copy someone else’s style. Try to find a style that’s going to work for you. Sometimes, that’s not going to work out. But when it does, it’ll pay off.”

That philosophy has worked in Walker’s brief tournament career. According to the MLF website, in 12 tournament appearances he has five top 10 finishes, including the Lake Champlain title, earning more than $150,000.

Tournament fishing, like the rest of society, is increasingly technology driven. But even at 26, Walker considers himself “old school.” Sure, he uses tech gadgetry, but his fishing is driven by attributes as old as fishing itself.

“There are a lot of younger guys coming out of high school and college, I would say 24 and under. Those guys are very, very good at technology … But the guys like me who are between 25 and 35, we grew up fishing the old-school techniques, not a lot of technology. The really good technology we have now, we go to watch it advance.”

He added, “A lot of guys like me, we grew up learning from the old school fishermen. No technology. They would just go off their eyes, their hearts, their instincts. (Younger tourney anglers) don’t really know the old-school techniques – fishing off your instincts and reading the water.”

So he holds fast to the old ways, even In these modern times. Shallow water. Fishing around cover and around docks. For Walker, style matters, but so do the old ways.

“Luckily, I’ve got the old-school instincts. But fortunately, I’ve been on board with the technology. So I can do both.”

He calls that period for fishermen between the mid-20’s and mid-30’s  “the magic number.” And Alabama is loaded with talented anglers, buoyed in part by the state’s diverse waters with different depths and stains and currents.

“The Coosa River, all these rivers, there’s all kinds of styles of fishing you can learn. So I was  very fortunate to grow up fishing here. It’s taught me everything.”

And that knowledge along with the support of his wife, Alyssa, and other family, friends and corporate sponsors have driven his dream. He knows his career will involve fishing. What form that professional life will take is the great unknown.

He’s a brand ambassador for NSR Fishing, Coosa Cotton apparel, Phoenix Boats from Stateline Marine in Lanett, Mark’s Outdoors, Megabass, Deps lures and Dirty Jigs Tackle and other firms and individuals. Walker has a long list of supporters.

“Part of the reason I decided not to go to college was I knew I wanted to pursue fishing as a career. Whether it’s fishing in tournaments, or being in the industry, I still don’t really know 25 years from now what I’ll be doing. But I know I want it to be  (fishing) industry related. Working  at Mark’s Outdoors gave me that golden ticket.”

His tournament career began in the pandemic year2020 in the Bassmaster open series. He finished second in his first event at Lay Lake, winning more than $18,000. In the next year, he narrowly missed qualifying for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“I was confident after that. I know I could do this.”

After moving to MLF in 2023, Walker, now the proud father of a new baby, fished closer to home, but managed to finish sixth overall.

He credits Alyssa for her support and keeping the waters steady at home. Thanks to his job and the support of corporate and personal sponsors, he’s been able to compete in tournaments that carry with them $5,000 entry fees.

“It’s been a great year,” he said. “I finished  seventh overall. I fished in six tournaments. I got a check in five, including Lake Champlain.

“It’s crazy that a guy from way down in Alabama could go all the way up there close to the Canadian border and win,” he said. “That was such a cool experience.”

High winds that made waves treacherous on a lake that features an “inland sea” cut the tournament short. In the joy of winning, something gnawed at Jacob Walker’s heart. It didn’t feel like a full-fledged win. That led to an unusual victory celebration. There was no  cracking open a bottle of champagne, no lighting a victory cigar. He had to settle his mind and know that had the tournament not been cut short, he still would have won.

But it seems his celebration would have been a hit with family and friends who stoked his passion for fishing when Walker wasn’t much bigger than his rod and reel.

“I went fishing,” he said. “After that, I got to prove to myself I would have won anyway. It was a ball.”

And if there is a takeaway from Jacob Walker’s story, it’s thankfulness, family and friends.

“I’m very thankful to the people who took me fishing when I was a kid. I’m very thankful to my sponsors and to my wife, too. Without them, I wouldn’t be here.”

Paddle, pedal and have fun on the water

Story by Roxann Edsall
Submitted photos

Sitting out on the dock sipping your first cup of coffee, you watch the morning sun begin to cast a pinkish-orange glow on the water. Absorbed in the majesty of the morning, you startle as you catch the movement of the boat as it silently glides by just yards away.

 Silent, that is, until the snap of the line as it is cast again, all the while drifting past the dock.  Almost immediately, he jerks the line and reels in the prize. After a moment to inspect and admire his catch, the angler releases the fish off the side of his kayak.

Kayak fishing has exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks to huge improvements in materials, technology and available accessories. Fishing tournament organizers have even created competitive tournament series specifically designed for kayak anglers. Since having no live well makes transporting live fish to a weigh-in problematic, new rules were created for kayakers.

Kayak-specific tournaments and most tournaments with kayak divisions use cumulative length, rather than weight, as the unit of measure. Competitors in kayaks are often governed by the CPR (Catch, Photograph, Release) Rule, which includes catching, photographing the fish on a special measuring “ketch” board, then immediately releasing the catch.

The evolution of the kayak from simple shell to tricked out vessel, loaded with fish-finding tech and gear storage has helped to define the growth of the kayak fishing industry. Technology and electronics originally developed for bass boats have been redesigned, and in some cases, retrofitted for use in kayaks. Live scope electronics can be added to fishing kayaks, too.

Arguably, the biggest development propelling its popularity has been the application of pedal drives to the hull, allowing the kayak to be moved through the water without the need for a paddle. The hands-free option allows anglers to cast and reel without having to switch to a paddle to maneuver the kayak.  As anglers are known to say, it’s a numbers game. And more casts equate to more fish.

“There are so many options when choosing a kayak,” says Allen Norris, co-owner of Cropwell’s Yak Shak and veteran kayak angler. “When you see something labeled fishing kayak, lights should go off to let you know it’s going to be more comfortable, more stable, and be able to carry more gear.”

He and Jessica, his co-owner and wife, ask a lot of questions of potential buyers to make sure they get them into the right kayak. Buyers will likely need to do a bit of research to be prepared to answer those questions, which would likely begin with what you want to do in your kayak and whether you’re looking for a sit-in or a sit-on type design.

The sit-on design, according to Norris, is more stable and many models are large enough to allow stand-up fishing. Also, with sit-on designs, there is no worry of taking on water, as they are designed to allow water to flow over the top and to drain through scupper holes.

After having the pedal/paddle, sit-in/sit-on, stand up/sit down discussion, then comes the question of motor versus muscle. Fishing kayaks can be fitted with small trolling motors, if desired, although Norris admits to being a bit of a purist. “When I’m kayak fishing, I want to be as tactical and stealthy as possible,” he says. “I don’t want to put more in the water than I have to. If you’re into lots of vegetation and stumps, you can’t use the motor anyway.”

In a sit-in kayak, be prepared to use a different set of muscles while casting, as opposed to those you’d use performing the same activity while standing. “Casting and aiming are very different when you are sitting,” says Norris.

 “It’s very strenuous.  A lot of people would describe kayak fishing as intense.” Being so close to the water and to the fish adds to the intensity of the fishing experience, Norris explains. “You can get close to the nooks and crannies that boats can’t, places where the fish really are.”

Adding to the excitement, he says, “You feel every movement on a catch in a kayak. You can also see the movement of wildlife and fish along the shore as you move through the shallow areas in coves and among boathouses and piers. Kayaks are perfect for wildlife photography, for exercise, and for just getting out and enjoying the water,” he adds. “The tranquility and therapy are very real.”

Josh Tidwell agrees wholeheartedly. He’s a huge fan of kayaking and fishing. He’s combined the two for more than 25 years and now runs a kayak rental and tour company at Big Wills Creek, a tributary to Neely Henry Lake. “It’s quite a bit of fun,” he says. “You get to be out in nature and even if you’re not catching, you’re still enjoying nature.”

Tidwell, an accomplished tournament fisherman, began fishing nearly three decades ago from creeks and riverbanks, either wading or by canoe. Kayak fishing made it easier for him to get to the tight places he wanted to fish. “Bass boats can’t get to where I go,” he says. “I like to fish smaller waters. I don’t want to look at the back of somebody’s house, when I could be looking at cliffs or waterfalls.”

Although he says he likes small water fishing, he says, kayaks are not just for lake fishing. He took his kayak to Gulf Shores a few years ago and hooked a 6-foot shark. His brother-in-law caught a 150–200-pound tarpon.  For reasons which seem obvious, they did not try to bring it aboard their kayaks. “We got dragged all over the place. That’s part of the appeal,” he laughed. “You just have to prepare for it. And don’t go alone!”

The Coosa River system offers a variety of fish, from crappie to catfish, to several species of bass, including the Alabama bass. “On Logan Martin, I’ve pulled in a 15-pound channel catfish in my kayak,” says Norris. “I’ve seen a 50-75-pound catfish pulled in, unfortunately not by me.”

Strategies for success in kayak fishing are somewhat different, Norris explains. “We attack fishing in a very different way. We don’t fish the open waters as much as we do the tighter places. Where the bass boat world is launch as fast as possible, get to your spots as fast as possible, and cover lots of water. We might launch and stay near that launch fishing the harder to get places and cover only a mile or two.”

No matter what type of vessel you use or how you fish, all nautical rules apply. Kayaks are no exception. Before sunrise and after sunset, kayaks must have a stern light. The same holds true for red and green navigation lights. These are especially important for kayaks, which sit lower in the water and are harder to see.

Equipment add-ons for safety and for convenience and comfort make kayaking an activity perfect for anyone ages 5 to 95. Your grandpa’s kayak may have given you the inspiration to learn, but it is definitely not the only design option anymore. Today’s kayaks are lighter and stronger. They offer options in how they are propelled, how you fit into it and how you maneuver it. They can be outfitted for whatever activity you want to do on the water.

A final reminder that whatever fun you’re having in a kayak, be sure to remember safety is paramount. Alabama law requires all boaters, including kayakers to have a personal floatation device onboard for each occupant.

While it’s not required that boaters wear them, it’s a good idea. It’s also a good idea to always include water, a hat, and sunscreen in your float plan.

You may catch a beautiful sunrise, too, so don’t forget your camera. And give a wave to the lady sipping coffee on the dock as you drift by.