Gerald Swindle, never at a loss for words about anything, had this to say about the delayed start on his home lake of the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Southern Open.
“In the morning the lake might be so high you can see under it.”
The colorful analysis from this funny man might be serious.
B.A.S.S. cancelled Day 1 of the season’s second Southern Open due to weather concerns. By midday multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms prompted weather officials to post flash flood warnings. Severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes were forecast for the afternoon and evening.
Swindle spends most of his time away from Smith but it’s where he learned to fish, first for fun and then for money. He called the decision to cancel a good idea.
“There’s no safe place for 170 boats to get away from the bad weather,” he said. “At the dam just that one ramp can get crowded really quick.”
Weather woes aside the anglers spent time doing what they do on off days. Some went to the movies. Others worked on tackle. Swindle and house guests Terry Scroggins and Britt Myers did the latter.
All agree one preconceived idea is out for tomorrow. That plan is sight fishing for largemouth.
“Here you get straight runoff because that Alabama red clay just runs off the rocks on the shoreline and into the lake,” added Swindle. “It will really depend on how much more rain we get tonight.”
Swindle knows runoff improves shallow water bass fishing in spring on clear lakes. Under the cover of reduced water clarity the spawning largemouth feed on the bounty of the runoff.
The opposite reaction occurs when the water rises too quickly. That’s what could happen at Smith Lake.
“I’ve seen it jump 15 feet in 24 hours, sometimes 10 feet overnight,” he said.
It’s too soon to tell how much the water will rise, although the level will certainly be up by morning.
David Kilgore is another native who knows how Smith can change overnight given the weather. Kilgore, whose 2014 Open win qualified him for a world championship, spent a frustrating week of practice here.
“It’s not what I expected and the rising water will make it even more challenging,” he remarked. “The fish are all over the place with all phases of the spawn.”
Jimmy Mason, a national pro from the area, agreed with Kilgore’s assumption.
“We are between waves of spawning bass here right now,” he said. “It’s hard to tell what will happen after the front goes through.”
The forecasters know but the fish need time to catch up and adjust to the changes.
Partly sunny skies and a high of 78 are in the forecast. Then it turns chilly overnight with a high in the 60s on Saturday. Spelled out that means a classic case of post-front bass fishing.
Swindle rarely gets to fish here but what he learned early on at Smith benefits him elsewhere.
“Nobody likes to junk fish but it’s how we roll here,” he said. “You do it like I did growing up and it comes in handy.”
Junk fishing on Smith might be a productive alternative for the delayed start of the tournament. After all, nobody knows how high the water will be since the lake was closed to competition today.