2025 Alabama Bass Trail 100 Opens at Lake Guntersville with Big Catches and Fierce Competition

2025 Alabama Bass Trail 100 Opens at Lake Guntersville with Big Catches and Fierce Competition

Lake Guntersville, Alabama, hosted the highly anticipated opening event of the 2025 Alabama Bass Trail 100 season, where 100 elite teams competed for a total purse of $100,000. Recent catches of over 30-pound bags set high expectations, but changing weather conditions created a challenging day for competitors. Rising to the occasion, the team of Matt Adams and Jason Whitehead secured an impressive victory with a total weight of 28.49 pounds.

Adams and Whitehead’s Strategy Leads to Victory

Matt Adams shared their strategic approach, explaining:

“We came here to fish our way. We wanted to fish deep and utilize the Live Scope. Jason is probably the best on the lake when it comes to using the Live Scope; he’s out here every day guiding. I was here three or four times a week leading up to this event. Our practice was very productive, and we found the fish setting up as expected.”

The pair focused on the south end of the lake, an area they typically don’t frequent, after Jason Whitehead discovered a significant school of fish during practice. Adams continued:

“The skies were overcast, and a major cold front was expected to move through the area the day before. Our game plan was to stick with what we discovered during practice. The fish were much different today than during practice. While they were still in the area, they had set up differently.”

Despite these challenges, their perseverance paid off, starting strong with a 6.68-pound catch on their third cast. Using the 6th Sense Whale Swimbait, they consistently caught fish throughout the day, ultimately landing around 40 catches and finishing with 28.49 pounds to claim the $25,000 prize.

Swindle and Gault Fight Through Adversity for Second Place

In a dramatic turn of events, the team of James Austin Swindle and Elliott Gault overcame mechanical issues to secure second place with 27.63 pounds. Early in the competition, their motor went into guardian mode, limiting their speed to 30 mph. As a result, they abandoned their original plan and adapted to find new fishing areas closer to the takeoff point.

Swindle and Gault faced significant challenges but stayed persistent.

“At 10:15 AM, we hadn’t caught a single fish, and many of the fish we spotted on our Live Scope turned out to be drum or rocks that resembled fish on the bottom,” they explained. Their perseverance paid off when they landed a crucial 6-pound fish just 20 minutes before weigh-in, pushing them to second place. They attributed their success to targeting grass clumps in deeper water and using the Bass Mafia 6-inch Daingerous Swimbait.

Bussey and Webb Showcase Their Skills for Third Place

Justin Bussey and Ben Webb, the reigning 2024 Alabama Bass Trail Anglers of the Year, delivered a strong performance with a 26.03-pound bag, earning third place and a $10,000 prize. The team had high expectations after a productive practice but had to adapt to changing weather conditions on competition day.

Bussey explained:

“Technically, it is pre-spawn conditions, and the big females like to move higher in the water column when the sun is shining. But when it’s cloudy and overcast, it gets darker, and they tend to stay deeper, making it difficult to get a reaction from them. Every day is different when fishing here, so you have to go find the fish and make adjustments.”

The team relied on plastic minnows as their key bait and demonstrated adaptability and skill to secure a strong start to the season.

Looking Ahead

The next event in the Alabama Bass Trail 100 series will take place at Lake Eufaula on June 7, 2025.

Top 5 Standings

  1. Matt Adams and Jason Whitehead – 28.49 pounds
  2. James Austin Swindle and Elliott Gault – 27.63 pounds
  3. Justin Bussey and Ben Webb – 26.03 pounds
  4. [Insert Team Name and Weight]
  5. [Insert Team Name and Weight]

For the full list of standings, visit: https://www.alabamabasstrail100.org/lake-guntersville-results/

Stay Updated with the Alabama Bass Trail Podcast

Stay in the loop with the latest news and updates from the Alabama Bass Trail by tuning into the ABT Podcast, available every Tuesday on your favorite podcast platform.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

The 2025 Alabama Bass Trail is proudly supported by:
Phoenix Boats, AMFirst, Landers-McLarty Chevrolet, McGraw-Webb Chevrolet, Rapala, VMC, Crush City, Buffalo Rock, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Jack’s, Garmin, Alabama State Parks, Halo Fishing, Snag Proof, NetBait, Bait Fuel, TH Marine Supplies, Power-Pole, Pro Guide Batteries, American Trailer Rental, Yamaha, Anheuser-Busch, American Baitworks, E3 Sports Apparel, FishAlabama.org, Sweet Home Alabama, and Alabama Mountain Lakes.

Alabama Bass Trail

Download and listen to the ABT Podcast on your favorite Podcast at Alabama Bass Trail Podcast.  The Podcast is released each week on Tuesday.

The sponsors of the 2023 Alabama Bass Trail 100 include: Phoenix Boats, Academy Sports, Alabama Power, America’s First Federal Credit Union, American Trailer Rental Group, BAJIO, Big Bite Baits, Bill Penney Automotive, Black Rifle Coffee Company, Anheuser – Bush, Inc., E3 Sports Apparel, Fish Neely Henry Lake.com, Garmin, Jack’s, Lew’s, Mtn Dew, Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, Power-Pole, Strike King, Sweet Home Alabama, T-H Marine, Yamaha, YETI Coolers.

For information about Alabama Bass Trail and for complete tournament standings visit www.alabamabasstrail.org.

See more tournament news here

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Source: https://bassanglermag.com/2025-alabama-bass-trail-100-opens-at-lake-guntersville-with-big-catches-and-fierce-competition/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=2025-alabama-bass-trail-100-opens-at-lake-guntersville-with-big-catches-and-fierce-competition

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