Fantasy Fishing: Change of pace at Martin

Written by

Pete Robbins

Is it too soon to start thinking about AOY?

What about getting relegated?

It’s never too early for either, because the Elite Series season fires at KVD-slinging-a-jerkbait speed. Blink and you miss it.

And the first two events, held back-to-back, will look very little alike. One was on Guntersville, which is chock-full of 3- to 5-pounders and produces big catches no matter what. And the next one will be on Lake Martin, where one or two of those same fish will be difference-makers. While the lake is loaded with bass, most of them are smaller spots. Two 5-pounders in a day and you’ll vault up 20 points. Fail to catch even a few largemouths and there’s a pretty good chance you’ll be working the expo or heading home.

Of course, the real change week-to-week will be the return of el scopo. Love it or hate it, it’s allowed this week, and it’ll matter big-time. So, pick guys who excel with forward-facing sonar and/or spotted bass and have the discipline and talent to get five decent ones every day before chasing a kicker.

Here are my picks:

Bucket A: The Little Ball of Hate

Spot Master – If a tournament is in the state of Alabama, you can bet that Wes Logan will be in the top quarter of the field. That’s what he showed at Guntersville this past week on big largemouths, but he’s a Coosa River native which means he knows spots inside and out. This is how and where he wanted to start the season – and while he’s not a huge fan of the scope, his deep spotted bass history will make that irrelevant.

Solid Second Choice – Brandon Cobb has a mixed record in Alabama, but it includes a number of top 20s and even Top 10s. But like Wes Logan, he’s one of those guys you can’t pigeonhole – he’s just as likely to win at giant Lake Fork largemouths as he is on a mix of spots and largemouths at Hartwell. That versatility will serve him well at Martin, and we could see a repeat of his 2019 Hartwell win, where he produced a nearly 4-pound margin of victory.

Bucket B: Not Quite Smallmouth Disneyland, But Still an E-Ticket Ride

Spot Master – This one is right in Taku Ito’s wheelhouse, a week after he proved the haters wrong with a 24th place finish at Guntersville without his FFS. He told me he ate steak every night this offseason to bulk up, so when it’s time to switch off the spots and go giant hunting, he’ll be prepared.

Solid Second Choice – Among the Surge Squad members, Andrew Loberg is perhaps the least well-known, but in his short professional career he already has an Open runner-up finish and one in the Elites. If you’re looking for a low-player percentage, high-reward pick, any of his brethren could be a solid choice, but he’d be my gamble this week.

Bucket C: Perpetual AOY Hunter

Spot Master – Patrick Walters catches ‘em just about everywhere, from Fork to the St. Lawrence, and he was also one of the first to fully exploit the FFS advantage. He started off with an uncharacteristically poor (55th place) finish at Guntersville, so if he’s going to claim the AOY award he’s threatened to win since the beginning of his career, he can’t miss another top finish, let alone a cut.

Solid Second Choice – Another top AOY contender – he has two of the trophies to prove it – is Idaho’s Brandon Palaniuk. By his standards he’s struggled the past two years, although he snuck into the ’26 Classic after the season officially ended. He needs to get the ship righted asap to avoid putting his fate in others’ hands again.

Bucket D: Logan’s Run

Spot Master – I picked one Logan (Wes) from Alabama in Bucket A, so why not add another (Parks) in Bucket D? Despite struggling at Guntersville, he’s s check-cashing machine. At one point last year Logan Parks earned five in a row, so don’t expect his two derby skid (Upper Mississippi in ’25, Guntersville in ’26) to last long.

Solid Second Choice – I always struggle with whether to pick Steve Kennedy, who seemingly either finishes in the Top 10 or does something crazy and struggles mightily. This is his home pond, and he’s likely to go all-in on the big baits. Take that as you will. I for one will be especially frustrated if he wins and I haven’t picked him.

Bucket E: Double Dipper

Spot Master – Despite having loads of experience on Guntersville, two-time Classic champ Jordan Lee fell apart on Day 2 this past week. He has tons of experience on Alabama’s spotted bass lakes, tons of tricks up his sleeve, and is unlikely to miss two cuts in a row in his home state.

Solid Second Choice – Kyle Patrick is back from a health scare, but won’t be fully back until he’s fishing on a Sunday. His Bassmaster Top 10s have been everywhere from Fork to tidal rivers to Smith Lake, an Alabama spotted bass factory. He’s not exclusively a scoper, but he’s really good at it.