By Jason Duran
The Alabama Bass Trail 100 kicked of the 2026 season. Winter conditions set the tone at Smith Lake in Cullman, Alabama, as thick fog delayed takeoff by three hours and immediately shortened the fishing day. When boats finally launched, anglers faced cold water, suspended fish, and a lake that demanded patience rather than speed.
With limited time and unforgiving conditions, decision making proved just as important as location. Weigh in was extended by 30 minutes to account for the delay, but the margin for error remained slim. In the end, the teams that stayed disciplined and trusted their preparation separated themselves from the field.
First Place – Trace Antunes & Daylon Milam
15.98 pounds $25,000 + $8,000 Phoenix First Flight Bonus
Trace Antunes of Henderson, Texas, and Daylon Milam of Newnan, Georgia, claimed the Smith Lake Division victory with 15.98 pounds, earning $25,000 for first place along with an $8,000 Phoenix First Flight bonus, pushing their total winnings to $33,000.
Practice was a grind from the start. Smith Lake bass were scattered and uncooperative, forcing Antunes and Milam to approach the week as a learning process rather than a pattern hunt.
“We looked everywhere from one foot all the way out to 80 feet,” they said. “We kind of pieced everything together throughout practice and found a few small places we felt like we could get a bite.”
That process meant cycling through a wide range of baits, including jigs, Neko rigs, swimbaits, minnows, and even some topwater, simply trying to understand how fish were positioning in the cold.
Tournament morning began with a key stop on a dock, where the team picked up early bites and settled into a rhythm that carried them through the day.
“The fish were kind of everywhere,” they explained. “Some were almost on the bank, and others were suspended under docks out over deep water.”
With the fog delay wiping out much of the morning window, Antunes and Milam leaned into the conditions rather than fighting them.
“We didn’t expect a strong morning bite anyway. With how cold it’s been, the fish really weren’t moving early.”
Instead, they focused on steady progress, adding weight throughout the day and avoiding unproductive water.
Much of their success came on moving baits, particularly the 6-inch Stroke Shaker in the 3.3 size and 6-inch Panoramas, presentations that allowed them to work docks and suspended fish efficiently without overworking an area.
The win was especially meaningful, marking their first tournament victory at this level. Just weeks earlier, the team had taken delivery of a Phoenix 721 ZXL, which they ran nearly the entire length of Smith Lake during competition.
“It’s always a gamble out here,” they said. “But we love it, and we’re going to keep fishing.”
Second Place – Austin Swindle & Elliott Gault
15.04 pounds $12,500
Just behind them, Austin Swindle of Parrish, Alabama, and Elliott Gault of Leesburg, Alabama, leaned on a two-pattern approach that required constant evaluation and restraint. Their 15.04-pound limit held strong all afternoon, earning $12,500, but Smith Lake made sure nothing came easy.
Practice initially pointed them offshore, but the quality simply was not there.
“We tried the scoping deal early, but everything was small,” Swindle said. “We realized pretty quick that wasn’t going to win it.”
When the fog delay eliminated the early-morning herring and ditch bite, the duo scrapped their original plan before tournament day ever really got started. Instead, they committed to covering shaded banks and targeting better-quality spotted bass, a decision that kept them in contention throughout the afternoon.
That approach carried them into the mid-teens, but Smith Lake rarely gives away wins without demanding something more.
“At 14.5 to 15 pounds, you know you’re going to have to go find a big largemouth,” Swindle explained. “That’s the hardest part here. You’re leaving fish you’re catching to go chase one bite.”
Late in the day, they made the run to the back of a creek in search of that final upgrade. On the last dock they flipped, Swindle hooked what he believed was a four-pound largemouth before losing it at the boat.
“It was the right call,” he said. “We just didn’t execute the last piece.”
Their primary bait was a Backwoods Custom 3/8-ounce jig in blue and green, paired with a Crush City Bronco Bug, a simple, efficient setup that matched the grinding nature of the day.
Third Place – Matt Green & Chance Perry
14.76 pounds $10,000
Matt Green of Cartersville, Georgia, and Chance Perry of Pike Road, Alabama, rounded out the top three at Smith Lake with 14.76 pounds, earning $10,000 after grinding through some of the toughest conditions of the week.
Practice was brutal by their own admission, with cold temperatures limiting consistency across the lake. Green’s familiarity with similar herring-driven systems proved pivotal.
“There’s just an area of the lake where the fish are built different,” Green said. “They’re fatter, they weigh more, and when conditions are tough, that’s where you need to be.”
Rather than chase scattered bites, the team hunkered down and committed to grinding, boating 15 to 20 fish throughout the day but struggling to cull once the sun disappeared behind lingering fog and shifting winds.
“Once the sunlight went away, so did the bite,” Perry said. “After about 12:30, it was really hard to get them to reset.”
Their best fish came early on a 3/8-ounce jig with a Zoom twin-tail trailer, pulled from brush during a brief feeding window. Forward-facing sonar played a role, but not a dominant one.
“Some of them you could see, some you couldn’t,” Green noted. “Smith makes you fish.”
A Tournament Defined by Discipline
The Smith Lake Division tournament was a clear reminder that winter events reward patience, discipline, and preparation. Between suspended fish, cold water, and a significant fog delay, success belonged to anglers who trusted their decisions and avoided forcing the bite.
As the Alabama Bass Trail 100 season continues, with the next stop at Neely Henry Lake June 6, 2026.
For a complete list of standings please visit:
https://www.alabamabasstrail100.org/lewis-smith-lake-results/
Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast app by searching for
“Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.” The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.
Tournament Sponsors
The 2026 Alabama Bass Trail 100 Series is made possible through partnerships with Phoenix
Boats, AMFirst, Thompson CAT, Thompson Tractor Company, Academy Sports & Outdoors,
Larry Puckett Chevrolet, 13 Fishing, Rapala, VMC, CRUSHCITY, Buffalo Rock, Mountain
Dew, Jack’s, Garmin, Pirnah02, Alabama State Parks, Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, NetBait, Bait
Fuel, Scum Frog, TH Marine Supplies, Power-Pole, Pro Guide Batteries, Yamaha, Alfa
Insurance – Thomas ALFA-MAN Shelton, E3 Sports Apparel, FishAlabama.org, Sweet Home
Alabama, and Alabama Mountain Lakes
The Alabama Bass Trail 100 is run by the Alabama Bass Trail and is a program of the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association.
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