By Chase Holmes, News Reporter
TRUSSVILLE – A Trussville man has completed the Mobile Basin Redeye Slam in a single day on Saturday, June 24.
Clint Smith found himself on a trip to remember when he set out fishing on Saturday morning. The challenge involves catching a redeye bass from all four of Alabama’s watersheds. That includes the Cahaba, Tallapoosa, Warrior and Coosa.
Smith set out for a tributary river of the Coosa at 5:30 a.m. After a morning to forget, Smith had coffee with his mother and father. Smith held a strategy session with his father and then he was ready to get back out there. He eventually got a break and caught his first fish at 10:30 a.m. After making his way to the Warrior River, he secured his next redeye on his second cast.
Then, it was off to Trussville to catch a redeye out of the Cahaba. Smith said he had to change to a smaller fly to reel that one in at around 1 p.m.
For the last stretch, Smith was joined by his brother for the Tallapoosa River in the Wedowee area. After some help from a fellow friendly angler, Smith found the area and it was love at first sight. He said when he saw the spot, he just knew it was the one. Pools and fast running water lured him in and by the time he was done he had cast his reel into every single pool he could see. Finally, he cast into that magical final pool and reeled in the final bass at around 4:30 p.m.
Smith said the experience made him realize just how many natural wonders Alabama possesses and reinforced the need to protect them.
“I have fished all over. We have some of the most beautiful waterways and the best fish I have ever caught,” he said. “When I left that first spot, I realized there was a lot of new construction and I felt like it was silted in. That is habitat that’s being destroyed with pollution and everything else. We need to protect these waterways.”
Smith is proud of his achievement but said he had some help picking out his equipment. The reels he used to catch all of his bass were bought by his twin six-year-old’s, Carly and Harrison.