Category: Neely Henry Logan Martin Lakelife

St. Clair dealers dominate
Alabama’s biggest boat show

Story by Jackie Romine Walburn
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

St. Clair-based boat dealers and local dock and boat house builders accounted for about a third of the more than 20 exhibitors at the 49^th annual Birmingham Boat Show, the oldest and largest in the state.

And rightly so. St. Clair is blessed with two lakes and a host of businesses to make the lake season an understandable favorite for getting out on the water and making the most of it.

Exhibiting at the boat show allows dealers to show off the newest in design and amenities in boats they sell – including fishing, pontoon, deck, ski, wakeboard, wakesurf and leisure boats – to thousands of visitors during the four-day event at the Birmingham Civic Center Jan. 23-26. The annual exhibitioon also brings “boat-show” pricing from manufacturers.

Among those showing were Poor House Branch Marina in Lincoln and Rodney’s Marine, Trident Marine Group and Woods Surfside Marina from Pell City and Cropwell. All brought their top sellers for 2020 to show off what’s new and unique, take custom orders and often sell the exhibited boats, too.

“This is not your daddy’s pontoon boat,” says Trident Marine Group co-owner Jeff Tolbert, pointing to the Trifecta 900 hp double-engine pontoon boat, Trident’s most unique offering at the boat show. “There are only three in the U.S. right now,” Tolbert said. The 30-foot fiberglass “tri-toon” with its twin 450 hp Mercury engines can push the luxury ship up to 83 miles per hour.

Armed with lighted speaker systems and matching under lights, front and rear cameras that display on a state-of-the-art touch screen and two deluxe leather captain seats, the new Trifecta combines luxury with horsepower and was boat show priced at about $254,000. Trident had already taken two custom orders for the Trifecta boat, which is being manufactured in northern Indiana. 

Trident’s Cropwell business is one of three locations where they sell Trifecta, South Bay and Berkshire boats, the pontoon boat lines produced by Forest River, a Berkshire-Hathaway company associated with financier Warren Buffett.

Geared toward families, with free admission for children 12 and younger, the boat show dedicates 250,000 square feet of exhibit space to highlighting the latest in boats, motors, boathouses, piers and boat-lift design, plus fishing gear, guides and outfitters.

For local boat dealers, the investment in the boat show exhibits pays off in new and returning customers and brand recognition.

 “The boat-show pricing brings in customers, and the quality of the products often drives customers to our stores,” says Eddie Rush of Poor House Branch Marina and Boat Outlet on Logan Martin Lake. They specialize in Avalon boats, which are manufactured in Michigan.

 “The boat show is also a chance for us to see what customers are looking for,” he says. Most dealers bring top 2020 boats to show and share information about other offerings, including used boats, available at the dealer locations.

The newest Avalon offering – the Avalon WakeToon-Surf series that’s designed as a wakeboard surfing boat – was not on display at the boat show. The new WakeToon is in production and won a 2020 national innovation award from the National Marine Manufacturers Association, says Mark Semino of Avalon boats.

Aside from the new WakeToon, Avalon has made few changes in its design in recent years, Semino says. “We’ve been very successful with our core boat, so there are not many changes,” just new color offerings and the popular addition of a center console pontoon the company introduced in recent years, he says.

Poor House Branch Marina, located on Logan Martin at Lincoln, also offers service and repair, boat storage and boat rental.

Over at Woods Surfside Marina’s boat show exhibition, co-owner Eva Hildebrant pointed out Bennington’s new Bowrider pontoon, which has a step-down U-lounge seating area in the front of the boat. The Bennington Bowrider, available in 20- and 24-foot lengths, also placed in the 2020 national innovation awards.

The new design won an honorable mention for the industry’s first bowrider-style pontoon, with innovation judges noting that “the stadium-like seating increases driver sight lines while providing a sporty and elegant look not seen before.” 

Woods Surfside Marina also brought along Xpress Aluminum fishing boats and highlighted a variety of Bennington Pontoon boats, the No. 1 brand pontoon in the U.S. The 14-acre Marina at Cropwell has more than 300 dry storage stalls and three piers of wet slips, offers full-service gas and a valet boat launch service. Woods Surfside also carries Yamaha and Mercury motors and sells pre-owned boats.

Rodney’s Marine Center in Pell City brought to the boat show Starcraft tri-toon and Silver Wave pontoon boats and Blue Wave and Carolina Skiff-Sea Chaser center-console boats.

 But the star of Rodney’s boat show offerings was the new 300 hp Silver Wave fiberglass tri-toon boat equipped with RGB lights, Bluetooth control and a touch-screen system with forward and back camera. RGB lights are red, blue and green LED lights that combine the three colors to produce more than 16 million hues of light.

 “It ain’t your grandfather’s pontoon,” says co-owner Rodney Humphries. An innovative design allows for expanded passenger seating or playpen room with more space per square foot. The new 24-foot Silver Wave is a top seller and can be customized. “It’s a $100,000 look for $50,000.”

Rodney’s, which is a full-service marine stop with service, sales and storage with valet services, also sells fishing boats, Alweld duck boats and Suzuki engines.

Personal watercraft remain popular at the boat show, with attendees lining up to register to win the show’s grand prize, a 2020 Yamaha Waverunner EX, being given away by Big #1 Motor Sports of Birmingham.

At the Big #1 exhibit, the newest and fastest-selling option in personal watercraft was the SeaDoo Fish Pro, a three-seater designed for sport fishing. Equipped with a Rotax 1630 ACE 170 hp engine and 70-liter fuel tank, the SeaDoo Fish Pro comes with a 51-liter LinQ Fishing cooler with rod holders, a fishing bench seat, watertight phone box, trolling mode, Garmin ECHOMAP Plus 62 cv fish finder, direct access front storage, a boarding ladder, extended rear platform, LinQ attachment points, angled gunwale footrests with a stable and predictable hull. The boat show price for the SeaDoo Fish Pro was $16,000, including a four-year warranty and a SeaDoo trailer.

“We’ve sold some,” Hairston says, noting that by Saturday of the boat show, Big #1 had sold more than 20 personal watercraft – both SeaDoo and Yamaha – to boat show attendees.

Three St. Clair County-based dock and boathouse building companies – Tradesman, Mackey and Lakeside Boathouse – exhibited at the event, showing off their latest designs and meeting new customers.

Specializing in custom boathouses, sun decks, boat lifts, docks and seawalls, Tradesman Company’s exhibit at the boat show highlighted Tradesman’s attention to detail and long-lasting structures. Sales manager Ryan Wooten says Tradesman owner and founder Fred Casey’s original innovative designs for boathouses remain the standard at Tradesman.

“The hipped metal roof, 8-by-8 support beams and braces made of pressure-treated pine” are unique to Tradesman boathouses, he says. He adds that Tradesman is the “only boathouse builder statewide using hand-picked No. 1, 34MCQ pressure-treated lumber from the water level up to the roof.”

Being at the boat show helps in Tradesman’s expanding market, Wooten says. In addition to custom boathouses with single or double slips, boat lifts and sundecks, Tradesman’s offerings include floating piers, seawalls and docks. They also build aluminum boathouses and commercial and residential floating piers.

Today’s boathouses can include all the bells and whistles owners want, including entertainment decks plus boat lifts and storage for personal watercraft, kayaks and paddle boats, says Eric Mackey of Mackey Docks and Boat Houses, a third-generation dock builder.

He says Mackey builds docks and boathouses that last a lifetime. Located in Ragland and in business since 1983, Mackey specializes in high-end boathouses at an economical price. The goal is to build durable structures with low maintenance that meet the needs of folks who live on and enjoy lake and waterfront living.

With standard and custom designs in piers, docks and boathouses, Mackey’s promotional material states, “Even our competition loves our work.”

Serving Logan Martin with dock and boathouse work on most Alabama lakes down to the Florida Panhandle, Mackey’s work includes pile driving, dock and boathouse construction, boat lift installation, seawall construction, and repair of existing shore structures.

Lakeside Boathouses in Cropwell exhibits at the boat show most years, says Lakeside partner Chris Hoover. “We see existing customers and meet new ones,” Hoover says. He notes that Lakeside sees repeat customers and enjoys strong referrals. “That lets us know that we are doing a good job.” Lakeside builds boathouses, decks, boat lifts, piers and seawalls.

“Our philosophy is to do a good job for a fair price and exceed expectations,” Hoover says, noting that word of mouth and outreach at events including the Birmingham Boat Show have helped Lakeside grow its market.

It is expanding services and has completed building projects on lakes and rivers from the Tennessee Valley to the Gulf.

Lakeside also provides staining and pressure washer services, sells Wet Steps and, most recently, introduced a new travel service business. Lakeside also plans to open a new Lakeside Grill at Coosa Island in May 2020.

Hometown hero leads JSU
team to top spot
in college fishing

Story by Carol Pappas and
Bassmaster Writer David A. Brown
Submitted photos
from Bassmasters

When Pell City’s Zeke Gossett began his fishing career, he was only 10. With 35 high school and three college championships plus dozens of opens and charity tournaments behind him, Gossett certainly wasn’t finished with his winning ways.

On March 9, he hoisted the Carhartt Bassmaster College Series Championship trophy high in the air with teammate Lucas Smith of Southside as proof.

They competed in the championship on Lay Lake, and they were presented the trophy for Jacksonville State University on the Classic stage in Birmingham during the Bassmaster Classic festivities.

“I really worked hard for this win, for sure,” Gossett said. “We qualified for this tournament a couple of weeks ago through the college bass tournament on Smith Lake. They took the top 10 from that tournament,” which had 250 boats in the field.

“Getting to weigh in on the Classic stage in front of all those people was amazing and winning on top of that made it that much more special,” he said. “Getting to represent JSU on such a big stage was an awesome thing as well as spreading the word about our fishing team.”

Couple that with winning in his senior year – with a freshman – and the moment was indeed one to savor. “My partner is a freshman this year, so I was happy to win it with him and watch him soak up the experience with me.”

And Gossett isn’t through by any means. When he graduates in December, he plans to fish the Bassmaster Opens and guide around the Coosa River.

Quest for the championship

Despite a slow start, Gossett and Smith capitalized on a morning flurry that yielded a five-bass limit of 17 pounds, 4 ounces, which led the JSU team to victory in the championship tournament presented by Bass Pro Shops on Lay Lake.

Gossett, a senior majoring in parks and recreation, and Smith, a freshman business management major, fished the lake’s south end and targeted main-current seams. Their first half-hour was frustratingly fruitless, but then the bite ignited, and the winners boxed their weight by 9:30 a.m.

“At one place where we actually caught three of our keepers, we ended up catching four more in a row, and we had to stop fishing to cull,” Gossett said. “That kind of hurt us because the school was fired up, but we couldn’t figure out which one to cull.

“We hit a flurry — I caught two in a row, then he caught two in a row. It was crazy. Our biggest one today was a 3-13. Our smallest was barely 3 pounds.”

Gossett and Smith alternated between 1/2-ounce Z-Man Jack Hammer ChatterBaits with Reaction Innovations Little Dipper trailers and those same Skinny Dippers rigged on 1/2-ounce swimbait heads.

“Some places were better for the ChatterBait and some places were better for the swimbait,” Gossett said. “Anywhere the ChatterBait would get hung up a lot, we’d throw the swimbait.”

Smith said being at the right place at the right time was key. Strategic site selection was also an important element of their game plan.

“There were two feeding windows; one at 7 and one about 9:30,” he said. “After 9:30, we didn’t cull anymore.

“The current definitely played a role, for sure. We targeted spotted bass because the current was so strong, and we knew we could catch them in the current breaks.”

Gossett said told reporters the victory was particularly gratifying, given its redemptive backstory. During his sophomore year, his team fell short in what he considered an ideal scenario.

“We had a tournament back in 2016 on Lay Lake in June, which is my favorite time of year, and we absolutely bombed,” Gossett said. “I put in a lot of hard work practicing for this tournament, and it paid off.”

Family tradition
keeps growing on
Neely Henry

Story by Jackie Walburn
Submitted photos

At the family-owned and operated Buck’s Island Pontoon and Bass Boat Warehouse, new for 2020 are the Bentley Pontoon line, the Caymas Bass Boat line, plus three new Skeeter fishing boat offerings and expanding selections – including kayaks and accessories – at The Loft at Buck’s Island, the pro-level tackle store.

Located in Southside on Neely Henry Lake, Buck’s Island is a full-service, new and used boat dealership that specializes in pontoon boats, bass boats and aluminum fishing boats. In business on the Coosa River lake in Etowah County since 1948, Buck’s Island also sells new and used outboard motors and has 18 dedicated service bays providing maintenance, service and repairs on all types of boats. Buck’s also welcomes trade-in boats and offers used boats of all varieties.

An on-site, pro-level tackle store called The Loft carries full lines of reels, tackle and clothing and accessories. Online ordering is available at shopbucksisland.com.

Founded by Buck Lumpkin 52 years ago, Buck’s Island remains in the family, says co-owner Mary Lumpkin, who operates Buck’s Island with husband Tony, Buck’s son. “And we are proud to say that our daughters and son-in-law are going to carry on the business, as the third generation.” Daughter Angela and husband Israel and daughter Katie are already working at the business founded by their grandfather,

The Loft at Buck’s Island, opened in fall of 2018, is geared to professional tournament anglers with a professional buyer helping to stock the tackle store that sees customers from throughout the state, Mrs. Lumpkin says. With a huge selection of tackle, reels and lures, The Loft also carries clothing and hats from all the brands they sell, plus sunglasses and clothing from Costa and Calcutta Outdoors.

Added to The Loft’s offerings in late 2019 were kayaks, the fastest-growing market in boating. The Loft carries Jackson Kayaks, a brand founded by Olympic kayaker Eric Jackson and made in Tennessee, and YakAttack, USA-made fishing gear and accessories for kayaks.

Brand name boats offered at Buck’s Island include Bentley and Crest Pontoon boats, Caymas Bass Boats, G-3 Boats, Polar Kraft fishing boats, Stingray bowrider boats, Falcon Bass Boats, and Suncatcher Pontoon boats by G-3, a Yamaha marine group company. Buck’s also specializes in Yamaha and Mercury outboard motors.

Of the new lines and models for 2020, the Bentley Pontoon “is a lot of pontoon for the money,” Mrs. Lumpkin says. “We’re happy with the line and how it looks, the quality and the pricing.” The same goes for the Caymas Bass Boat line that’s new to Buck’s Island this year.

She says the new tri-toon standard for pontoon boats, with three pontoons and up to 300 hp motors that allow for pulling skiers or tubers, are becoming the preferred family and friends boating option for Buck’s customers. But runabouts, like the Stingray bowrider boats, remain popular. Fiberglass bass boats generally outsell aluminum fishing boats at Buck’s, depending on how customers like to fish, with the new fishing kayaks now in the mix for fishing the Coosa River and its lakes.

Check them out online at bucksisland.com

B.A.S.S. tournament puts
Logan Martin on national map

Story by Carol Pappas
and Bassmaster Writer Thomas Allen
Photos courtesy of Bassmaster

Even the rain couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm on and around Logan Martin Lake as more than 200 anglers from all over the country and Canada launched the inaugural 2020 HuK B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by TourneyX presented by Abu Garcia March 5. 

The historic event, held during the Bassmaster Classic weekend on Lake Guntersville and the BASS Collegiate Series Championship on Lay Lake, chose Logan Martin as its inaugural site for the up-and-coming sport of kayak bass fishing.

Hosted by the Greater Pell City Chamber of Commerce, local officials quickly recognized the impact this national tournament had on the region. “We had over 200 anglers from all over the United States and Canada visit Pell City, stay in our area and patronize our local businesses,” said Chamber Executive Director Urainah Glidewell. “We heard so much positive feedback about how welcoming, warm and accommodating Pell City has been from the anglers. We appreciate being a part of this inaugural event.”

Chamber President Caran Wilbanks agreed. The Chamber, she said, was “honored and proud” to have hosted the inaugural tournament. “Over 222 kayakers, along with some of their families, came here from across the nation and as far away as Canada to fish in our beautiful lake and to shop and dine in our wonderful city.

“The comments and feedback we received from the anglers were all positive and enthusiastic about their Logan Martin Lake and Pell City experiences. We hope this tournament will be the first of many in the years to come.”

City Manager Brian Muenger cited the economic impact of the lake and tournaments like these. “We were extremely pleased at the turnout for the event. The total registration for the event was more than double the initial estimate we received from B.A.S.S., which speaks to the unique appeal of the event,” he said. 

“More than two-thirds of the 222 fishermen came from outside of the area, and most came several days in advance to pre-fish for the event. The lake is a major economic driver for our area, and events that bring in outside anglers for long periods of time help increase that impact even further.”

Chasing the big fish and the trophy

Davis topped the field of 222 anglers with a strong five-bass limit measuring 87 3/4 inches.

Davis’ big fish measured 20 inches to cap off his winning limit, earning him the $10,000 first-place purse.

Logan Martin is the third reservoir along the Coosa River, which begins in northwest Georgia and runs south to the Alabama River. The Coosa River is home to the legendary Coosa spotted bass, one of the strongest fish that swims. However, to win on Logan Martin, a big largemouth or two are necessary.

Davis caught nearly 40 bass during official competition, but his limit consisted of three solid largemouth and two spotted bass.

Clear Creek hot spot for tourney

“I launched in Clear Creek, along with many other kayakers, and spent the day working a short length of bank,” Davis said. “This part of Alabama is saturated, and there was plenty of current rolling through the lake, which helps the fishing. I got on a short stretch of rocky shoreline and literally fished it all day long.”

He said the current was positioning the bass along an edge that seemed to reload with fish by the minute.

“I spent seven hours on that little section and never moved,” he said. “I used a Storm Arashi spinbait the entire time, which is unusual for me because I typically throw a Senko. However, the spinbait was the only lure I had that matched the baitfish I was seeing. The fact that I was fishing from a kayak forced me to slow down and focus on a specific area, and it worked.”

Davis fished out of an Old Town Predator PDL that he’s had for two years.

“I sold my bass boat and bought a couple of kayaks. The Old Town has been incredible,” he said. “I’ll be fishing from a kayak as long as I can. I love it.”

Mark Edwards from Pipestem, W.Va., wrapped up his event in second place after a solid day on Logan Martin where he produced a five-bass limit measuring 84 3/4 inches. Edwards runs a Native Watercraft Titan and attributes his success to its stability and accessories.

“I run a Torqeedo kayak trolling motor, which was critical to covering a lot of water and dealing with the current running through the lake right now,” Edwards said. “I started in Clear Creek on both days of practice. I found fish in the main lake pockets, but in a kayak, I couldn’t cover enough of those pockets to be competitive. So, I focused on the fish I found in Clear Creek and it paid off.”

Edwards’ limit consisted of two largemouth and three spotted bass.

“The spotted bass were schooling all day long in Clear Creek and I managed to catch some nice ones throughout the day,” he said. “This was a great event on a great lake even though it rained nearly the entire day. I’ve been fishing competitively from a kayak for three years and I’m super excited to see it getting national attention from Bassmaster. That’s going to take this community to new levels and I’m proud to be a part of it.” 

Jonathan Lessmann of Madison, fished out of a Bonafide 127 rigged with a Torqeedo trolling motor, YakAttack accessories and a Humminbird Helix 7.

“I launched in Clear Creek and watched the water muddy up as the day went on,” Lessmann said. “But as the current picked up, I was able to catch fish from a mudline on a consistent basis. I threw a custom white spinnerbait with a hybrid skirt in two feet of water or less to catch most of my fish. After several passes, I was able to narrow down the specific area where the bulk of the fish were staging, and it really paid off.”

Lessmann is a disabled Army veteran and found that competitive kayak bass fishing is good medicine for the body and soul.

“I can’t really stand for long periods of time, so a kayak is a natural fit,” he said. “I’ve always been an avid fisherman. Without fishing I don’t know what I’d do. Thankfully, a veteran friend of mine introduced me to the sport, and I’ve been crazy about it ever since.”

Rounding out the Top 10 were Eric Siddiqi (84 1/2 inches) of Ohio, Lance Burris (84 1/4) of Missouri, Dave Sewell (84) of Indiana, Jimmy McClurkan (83 3/4) of Tennessee, Mark Brinkley (83 1/4) of Tennessee, Rus Snyders (83 1/4) of Tennessee and Corey Racer (83) of Texas. 

Most Basssmaster kayak events take place and wrap up in the same day. But because this was Classic week, B.A.S.S. invited the top 10, competing for more than $30,000 in cash, to cross the Classic Stage at the Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center in Birmingham the next day. Organizers thought it would bring more excitement and exposure to the inaugural event.

The B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series continues on Lake Fork in Texas, Tennessee’s Chickamauga Lake, the Upper Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis., and wraps up at Clear Lake in Northern California.

Parks aplenty on
Neely Henry & Logan Martin

Story by Linda Long
Discover Archives photos
Submitted photos

Each year thousands of people flock to one of the public parks on Neely Henry and Logan Martin lakes. Alabama Power operates two of those parks, Ten Islands at the Henry Neely Dam, and Logan Martin Park, now named Double Cove, next to Logan Martin Dam. 

But that’s not all to choose from. Lakeside Park, located adjacent to the Pell City Civic Center and run by the city, is another popular spot.

Josh Yerby of Alabama Power explained that in addition to providing hydroelectric power to its customers, the company also provides all kind of opportunities for recreation, which is why it has begun a new initiative called “The Preserves.”

 “The nature of Alabama Power land holdings lend themselves to extensive green and natural spaces that can play host to and offer a variety of unique outdoor activities,” he said “The Preserves are core to the Alabama Power ideal of merging nature with crafting special places. These lands allow people to enjoy, learn and grow a deeper appreciation of our state’s ecology and natural landscape.

“They allow our citizens to access and enjoy our lakes. They are inclusive and open to all. The Preserves will be located throughout our service territory with varying amenities, such as playgrounds, trails, boat ramps, picnic areas and fishing piers.”

Those amenities are exactly what draw visitors to both Ten Islands and Double Cove. Yerby says the newest addition at Ten Islands is an almost 2-mile nature trail complete with rustic designed gazebos sporting their tin roofs.

“This park is a very popular place for people to go,” said Yerby. “It’s part of the Alabama Birding Trail, which always draws a lot of visitors.”

Double Cove

Logan Martin Park, known as a mainstay of Alabama Power-operated parks was renamed Double Cove by Alabama Power as part of The Preserves.

Yerby says the park offers a two-and-a-half mile hiking trail and a new playground for the kids and is completely handicapped accessible. It’s equipped with a boat launch, swimming area, picnic areas and fishing piers.

Both Alabama Power Parks are day use, free admission and are open from dawn until dusk.

Yerby explained that while Alabama Power is required to provide recreational opportunities for stakeholders, according to their license, “we go above and beyond those requirements with additional facilities and by exceeding the industry standard for recreation sites. Our mission is to create and maintain amenities for people of all interests to enjoy while promoting healthy lifestyles, economic development and adding positive contributions in each community.”

Lakeside Park

Lakeside Park in Pell City is another favorite. Picnic areas and pavilions are available along with an approximately one-mile, non-motorized walking trail and Kids Kastle, an impressive and imaginative playground the community built in a single weekend. 

The park is a popular spot for fishing tournaments, including national and state brands, like Bassmaster Classic, Crappie USA and Alabama Bass Trail. It most recently hosted the inaugural Huk Bassmaster B.A.S.S. Nation Kayak Series powered by Tourney X presented by Abu Garcia. It drew 243 boats and anglers from around the country.

The park itself is 67 acres fronting Logan Martin and features dozens of ways for the entire family to enjoy the outdoors.

From picnics to swimming at the park’s beach to fishing from its docks or launching your own boat, Lakeside Park is quite a destination point for outdoor enthusiasts.

There are four pavilions for rent, an Alabama native plant walking garden, the Wetlands Project with viewing platform, an amphitheater and outdoor exercise equipment.

But arguably the most popular destination point of all is the splash pad. With its 40-plus water features, there’s no mistaking the fun in the sun for kids. It features pavilions for rent for events, like birthdays, and it even has after-hours, private party opportunities.

It’s closed on Mondays for maintenance, and it is open seasonally from May to Labor Day.