Wiggins Team Seeking Redemption In Alabama Bass Trail Tournament On Lewis Smith
Jesse and Jordan Wiggins live in Cullman, Ala., just 10 minutes from Lewis Smith Lake, and they are considered a team to beat in the Alabama Bass Trail North Division tournament Saturday on the lake.
“We’ve been fishing the lake for 20 years, ever since we were born,” said Jesse Wiggins.
The Wiggins brothers won the Smith Lake Park Bass Fest on the lake last October 4 with a limit that weighed 18.19 pounds. A week later they finished 3rd in the 2014 ABT Championship on the lake.
And that third place has stuck in their craw ever since because they had a chance to win, and missed it.
“I want some redemption after that third place,” Jesse said. “We had the opportunity to put that thing away – and we did not.”
Wiggins said the bass will be in two stages for Saturday’s tournament. Largemouths will be mostly post-spawn, he said, while spotted bass will be about half and half spawn and post-spawn.
“The largemouths will be in the backs of pockets in brush, on shallower docks and on flooded laydowns,” he said. “The spots will be on the bluff banks and the harder clay, sand-rock points.”
Wiggins said he will probably go with a jig, spinnerbait and crankbait for the largemouths.
“If you can find them they will be in post-spawn, so they will be feeding and you can catch them on about anything. In the FLW tournament they were catching them on a buzzbait and I am sure they were hitting a swim jig, too.
The key to the largemouths, he said, is finding the really big fish.
“You can catch smaller largemouths, but find them over 3 pounds is the hard part.”
As for spotted bass, Wiggins said a Shakey Head worm, plus jerkbaits and swimbaits will produce.
“You can’t go wrong with a Shakey Head on that lake,” he noted.
The brothers’ strategy in practice, he said, will be to try to find the biggest spotted bass on the beds and then try to find bigger largemouths in the backs of pockets.
“The spots on the beds are deep so you really can’t see them so we will try to locate some of them,” he said. “That strategy may change when we get on the lake, but I am thinking that is our main thing for this tournament.”
While a strong showing could boost the duo higher in the points standings, Wiggins said that is not an issue for the tournament on Lewis Smith Lake.
“We are going to be fishing to win, not to make points. We know this is our best chance to win one,” he said, adding, “I know we can catch them.”
Alabama Bass Trail – North Division
Sat, Apr 11, 2015
Lewis Smith Lake
Lewis Smith Dam
Call Kay Donaldson 855-934-7425
