Casey Ashley was so excited about the spot he'd found on Lake Guntersville this week that he couldn't sleep Thursday night. And Ashley stayed excited Friday, unlike so many anglers who saw muddy water destroy their preferred spots.
"It's a pocket, it's not a creek," said Ashley, who is tied for fourth with 23-2. "It's protected from the wind. There are lot of fish moving in there. It's where they want to be."
Ashley has been clued into this place for a while. He found it in pre-practice. He caught a 5-pounder and a 7-pounder there during Wednesday's practice day. He didn't have one of the 7- or 8-pound difference-makers Friday — a 5-13 was his big bass — but he knows bigger bass are there.
"I'm fishing really shallow," he said. "I caught everything in 2 to 3 feet. My boat was never deeper than 5 feet of water."
Ashley said only one other Classic competitor was in there Friday, and he didn't fare well. There are plenty of local anglers, but they gave him room to work in an area that he estimated to be 10 or 12 acres in size.
"It's a flat with isolated grass and shallow bars," Ashley said.
And pre-spawn is on in a big way there.