Dobbins Take Jordan Win

WETUMPKA, Ala. – Patrick K. Dobbins won the Boater Division in the American Bass Anglers Open Series, Presented by Caymas Boats, Alabama South Division 2 season opener, held Feb. 5, 2022, on Lake Jordan.

With temperatures well below freezing, the anglers launched at Jordan Lake State Boat Ramp in Wetumpka, Ala. Most of the anglers stayed fairly close to the landing rather than make long runs in the frigid temperatures. 

Dobbins from Opelika, Ala. concentrated on fishing the middle of sloughs where he could find clear water after recent rains muddied the chilly 6,800-acre Coosa River impoundment. He landed one of only six five-bass tournament limits to bring in 13.85 pounds. Dobbins capped his catch with a 3.43-pound bass for an average weight of 2.77 pounds. 

The winner stayed close, burning less than a gallon of gasoline. Using his electronics, Dobbins sight-fished, tossing a small swimbait at suspended bass he spotted cruising the middle of the channels.

“I fished a creek close to the marina and a couple pockets not far away,” Dobbins advised. “I caught fish all day. I caught about 13 fish with the smallest bass weighing about two pounds. I weighed in one largemouth, but the rest were spotted bass. I just hunkered down and fished. It was tough conditions.”

In second place was Cole Williams from Birmingham, Ala. also landed his five-fish limit. He placed 11.66 pounds on the scales with a 3.33-pound kicker. 

“I had my weigh fish before the sun came up,” Williams stated. “I caught my fish throwing a crankbait and a Chatterbait. I tried a worm, but didn’t do anything with it. We stayed close to the marina most of the time, but we did run up river.”

Daniel F. White of Prattville, Ala. found five keepers for 11.59 pounds and the third-place position. He also stayed close to the marina.

“I didn’t burn much gas,” White said. “I fished secondary points with larger rocks on them. I caught my fish on a crankbait. I couldn’t get much on worms or jigs, but I did catch a key fish flipping at about noon.”

Taking fourth place for the boaters, Russ Haughton brought in five bass for 11.15 pounds. He anchored his bag with a 3.61-pounder.

Rounding out the top five boaters on a tough fishing day, John A. Burt of Pike Road, Ala. found three bass going 10.86 pounds. However, one of them weighed 3.93 pounds, the largest fish brought to the scales on this frosty day. 

“I found a good spot, but too late,” Burt recalled. “I fished all over the place and lucked out at about 1 p.m. when I caught my first and biggest bass. I caught two more shortly after that. I was swimming a swimbait through the middle of a creek when the big one hit. I thought I was hung on a rock or something, but I set the hook and it took off running. It took about five minutes of fighting that crazy spotted bass, but I got him.”

In the Co-Angler Division, Samuel R. Rowlin entered his first tournament ever and did quite well for himself. The Montgomery, Ala. angler won with the only three-bass division limit brought to the scales on this icy day. His bag weighed 5.99 pounds. Rowlin also landed the largest bass caught by a co-angler, a 3.17-pounder.

“This was a great experience fishing my first tournament,” Rowlin remarked. “I caught my fish on Chatterbaits and crankbaits in about eight to 12 feet of water. I was slow-rolling that Chatterbait. We ran all over the lake.”

In second for the co-anglers, Michael Donaldson from Thorsby, Ala. found two keepers for 4.70 pounds. One of them weighed 3.10 pounds. Despite the difficulties of the day.

“We fished about a half-mile across the lake from the landing because we couldn’t go anywhere else,” Donaldson revealed. “An ear off the prop broke and that’s all we could do. We went into a cove and stayed there, just going around and around that cove. I caught my fish on a shaky head.”

William B. Wood of Sylacauga, Ala. took third place among the co-anglers. He caught two keepers for 3.30 pounds.

“We fished the mid-lake area,” Wood said. “I caught my fish on a shaky head. We were sitting in eight to 10 feet of water. I was throwing the bait to the bank and dragging it off the bottom. It was slim pickings today.”

In fourth place among the co-anglers, Kenny D. Moore of Salem, Ala. brought in two bass for 2.81 pounds. Michael D. Taylor from Navarre, Fla. followed with one bass going 2.47 pounds.

The division next heads to Lake Mitchell on March 12, 2022. The anglers will run out of Higgins Ferry Park, located at 11161 County Road 28 in Clanton, Ala. To register for this event Click HERE.

Each ABA Open Series division offers four one-day qualifying events in a boater/co-angler format. Boaters pay an entry fee of $210 for each event while co-anglers pay $105. The top 20 percent of registered anglers in each tournament receive cash payouts based on the total number of entries. If at least 60 boaters enter the tournament, the Boater Division winner will receive a minimum of $5,000.

In addition, anglers may qualify for bonus money offered by such tournament sponsors as Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, the T-H Marine Atlas Awards program, MotorGuide, and Power Pole. Anyone who qualifies for Caymas Cash rewards could receive up to $7,000 for winning any ABA Open Series event. If the winning boat carries a Mercury motor, the angler could receive an extra $1,000 in cash from Mercury Marine. If that boat comes with a MotorGuide Trolling Motor, the angler could win an additional $500.

See each manufacturer’s website for details, rules, and qualifications for more information on their contingency programs.

The top anglers could also earn invitations to fish area championship tournaments with a guaranteed $6,000 to the winning boater for a field of at least 60 boats. If 100 or more boaters participate, the winning boater in a championship event will take home a guaranteed minimum of $10,000.

For more information about this tournament, call Tournament Director Billy Benedetti at (256) 230-5632. For more information about any American Bass Anglers tournament series, visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call (256) 232-0406. To submit articles of interest email info@americanbassanglers.com.

American Bass Anglers is sponsored by Caymas Boats, Mercury Marine, T-H Marine, Garmin Electronics, Power Pole, Lucas Oil, Monster Energy, REKS Sunglasses, Optima Batteries, Hotel Planner.com, and LurePartsOnline.com.

This story was written by ABA staff writer John N. Felsher. To submit articles of interest email info@americanbassanglers.com.