JASPER, Ala. — Talented kayak anglers from around the country take to the waters of Lewis Smith Lake in Jasper, Ala., on May 21 for the fourth regular-season stop of the Yamaha Rightwaters Bassmaster Kayak Series powered by TourneyX season.
Competition Saturday starts at 5:30 a.m. CT, with lines out at 2:30 p.m. An award ceremony will be held at the Jasper Civic Center at 4:00 p.m.
Located just northwest of Birmingham, Lewis Smith Lake has played host to multiple major Bassmaster events over the last couple of years, including last month’s TNT Fireworks B.A.S.S. Nation Southeast Regional and a 2021 Bassmaster Open won by current Bassmaster Elite Series pro Jacob Powroznik in 2021.
Sitting atop the field with 729 points in the Old Town Angler of the Year race is Garrett Morgan of Conway, Ark. Morgan took the victory in the season’s first tournament at Lake Fork and holds a three-point lead over event No. 2 champion Justin Largen of Roanoke, Va.
Instead of a standard weigh-in that requires scales measuring pounds and ounces, anglers will practice “catch, photograph and release” to determine the kayak tournament standings.
When an angler catches a bass, he or she will photograph it lying on an approved measuring board and submit the photo through a special mobile app provided by TourneyX. The boards will measure each bass in inches down to a quarter of an inch, and the angler with the longest five-bass limit will win.
The tournament was hosted by the Chamber of Commerce of Walker County.
