TAKEOFF
IN SEASON
Seasonal tips and tricks
other odds and ends
By Paul Strege
BEHIND THE LENS — JUSTING ATKINS’ FAVORITE TINTS
2017 forrest Wood cup
champion and costa pro
Justin atkins relies on a
system of sunglasses,
organized by lens color, to
maximize his visual acuity.
• Blue Mirror – atkins
uses this lens primarily for
offshore fishing on bright,
sunny days. the darker tint
provides maximum damp-
ening in full sunlight.
• Green Mirror –
features a lighter, copper
base that is versatile under
a wide variety of light con-
ditions, from clouds to
bright sun. this is atkins’
preferred lens color.
• Copper – similar to
Green Mirror, the copper
lens enhances contrast, a
benefit when sight-fishing.
this is atkins’ backup to
the Green Mirror lens.
• Sunrise Silver Mirror
– this lens color is atkins’
choice for cloudy, low-light
conditions as well as early
mornings on the water.
atkins notes that the yellow
lens is not so bright that it
can’t be worn if the sun
comes out.
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24
DID YOU KNOW?
SMIth lAke’S SUNkeN CIty
IMAGe CoURteSy oF AlAbAMA poweR CoMpANy CoRpoRAte ARChIVeS
PRO’S CHOICE:
POSTSPAWN
PRODUCERS
1. Brandon McMillan
4x4 Bass Jigs Swim Jig with
Bruiser Baits Super
Swimmer
“coming off their beds, bass
spread out to feed, and a
swim jig can cover a lot of
different types of water. i
prefer black/blue and green
pumpkin colors in a 1/2-
ounce size.”
2. Scott Canterbury
4 1/4-inch Bagley Knocker B
“postspawn fish are looking
up and guarding fry, and a
walking bait is really, really
good in that situation. i like
bone, chrome and shad col-
ors, depending upon water
clarity.”
southern impoundments
commonly hide historic relics
such as roads, cemeteries,
buildings and bridges deep
beneath their surface. lewis
smith lake, the fifth stop of
the 2018 flW tour, contains a
submerged town named falls
city. the remote town once
included a post office, church,
railroad, bridge and even
waterfalls. the twin waterfalls
of clear creek were the town’s
main attraction for area visi-
tors up until the lake’s creation
in 1961.
3. Jimmy Reese
White Livetarget Hollow
Body Frog 65T
“i always have a frog on my
deck after the spawn. i’ll use
the popping version if the
wind is strong enough to put
a bow in my line.”
FLWFISHING.COM I APRIL 2018