Clarks Hill Duo Wins Bassmaster High School Series at Smith Lake
CULLMAN, Ala. — Jack Story and Roper Putnam from the Clarks Hill High School Fishing Team leveraged their home-lake expertise to claim victory at the Strike King Bassmaster High School Series on Smith Lake. The duo landed five spotted bass weighing 16 pounds, 12 ounces to take home the championship title.
Their win in Alabama capped off a remarkable two-week run. Just the weekend before, Putnam and Story dominated two tournaments on Lake Lanier, including a Georgia B.A.S.S. Nation event.
“This feels awesome,” Putnam said. “Last year we finished second at Clarks Hill, and it means a whole lot to come back and win this one.”
Strong Competition and Challenging Conditions
The event featured 236 high school teams battling through a chilly morning. Despite the tough conditions, 60 teams managed to land five-bass limits, contributing to a total haul of over 1,250 pounds of bass. However, 61 teams were unable to catch a keeper bass.
Thomas Turnbull and Caleb Miller from Evangel Christian School secured second place with 15 pounds, 4 ounces, while Byrnes High School Fishing Club’s Bryson Osment and Lohgan Gosnell finished third with 14 pounds, 14 ounces.
Home-Lake Knowledge Provides the Winning Edge
Story, who frequently fishes Lake Lanier, and Putnam, who hails from Clarks Hill, used their experience from blueback herring fisheries to develop a winning pattern on Smith Lake.
“(We) caught 24.73 pounds in that tournament at Lanier last weekend and did the same exact thing today on Smith Lake,” Story said.
“It is very similar,” Putnam added. “There are a lot of deep fish, a lot of spotted bass. It is what both of us really love to do.”
Dialed-In Approach Leads to Victory
The winning strategy involved targeting spotted bass chasing blueback herring at two key depths: 10 to 15 feet and 45 to 55 feet. Their bait of choice was a 5-inch Zoom Winged Fluke rigged on a ¼-ounce Greenfish Tackle Bad Little Shad jighead.
“It didn’t fall too fast and didn’t fall too slow,” Putnam explained. “If you throw a lighter head it takes too long to get down there, and if you throw a heavier head they don’t react as well.”
During practice, the duo consistently caught 14 pounds per day, boosting their confidence in qualifying for the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship. However, they weren’t certain they had the quality bites needed for a win.
Key Moment Seals the Win
While they secured a limit early, Story noted that the bigger bites didn’t come until later in the day when wind conditions improved and the sun was higher.
“It went well,” he said. “Once the sun got up, the deep fish started acting right and we started catching them.”
A game-changing moment came late in the day when Story landed a 3 ½-pound spotted bass, pushing their total past 16 pounds. That was when Putnam realized they had a real shot at winning.
“We decided then to get back up the river and closer to the ramp,” he said.
Looking Ahead to the National Championship
With their victory secured, Putnam and Story now set their sights on the 2025 Strike King Bassmaster High School National Championship at Clarks Hill, a fishery they know well.
“I’m going to put in a lot of time out there (in the coming months),” Putnam said. “It is going to be a good one.”
Big Bass Honors
Jesse and Fisher Lancaster from the Triangle Bass Club landed the tournament’s Big Bass, a 4-pound, 8-ounce fish that anchored their 10th-place total of 13 pounds, 5 ounces.
The event was proudly hosted by Visit Cullman.
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Title Sponsor: Strike King
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC
2025 Bassmaster High School Series Youth Sponsors: Seaguar, Shimano
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About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.
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