Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/510660
7 Shor e l i n e S | 2014 Vol :4 The inaugural season of the highly successful Alabama Bass Trail (ABT) Tournament Series has closed out 2014 and fishermen are already champing at the bit for an expanded season with bigger paydays next year. Alabama Power lakes will play a major role in the state-sponsored bass fishing trail once again in 2015. The first season came to an end Oct. 10-11 with a pair of Smith Lake regulars using their home- lake advantage to win the overall championship. Jackie Flack and Craig Daniel weighed in a two-day catch of 32.48 pounds on the 21,000-acre reservoir to win the Alabama Bass Trail state title. Both men are from Cullman. Their catch allowed them to edge second-place anglers Josh Aaron and Derrick Roberts by less than a pound. Flack and Daniel won a $43,000 Phoenix bass boat plus several thousand dollars in bonus money for using certain products in their win. The pair led wire to wire in the tournament that decided Alabama's best angling team. They weighed in a total of 17.74 pounds on the first day. Flack and Daniel were the odds-on favorites going into the tournament. The pair has fished tournaments as a team for more than 30 years on the deep, clear lake. Flack learned to fish on Smith as a child. "I grew up in Cullman and I have fished Smith Lake all my life," he said. "I learned to fish on Smith Lake. I literally fished the lake with a stick and a string when I was young. "Craig was the same way," Flack said. "We have been friends since elementary school." Left: Photo courtesy of alaBama Bass tr ail — Anglers set out on Smith Lake for the Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series championship. FISHING For Success A F T E R A S T R O N G I N A U G U R A L Y E A R , T H E A L A B A M A B A S S T R A I L T O U R N A M E N T S E R I E S P R O M I S E S T O B E E V E N B I G G E R A N D B E T T E R I N 2 015. "I LEARNED TO FISH ON SMITH LAKE. I LITERALLY FISHED THE LAKE WITH A STICK AND A STRING WHEN I WAS YOUNG." – J ACK IE FL ACK , W H O W I T H CR A I G D A NIEL WO N T HE IN A U GUR A L A L A B A M A B A SS T R A IL CH A M P I O NSHIP O N S M I T H L A K E.