light traffic at the lock
S ometimes the “ out of the way ” spot isn ’ t out of the way at all . Just ask Alabama pro Justin Lucas , who parked his Phoenix on the northeast wall of the lock at Watts Bar Dam during Day 2 of Bass Pro Tour Stage Five on Watts Bar Lake .
With over 770 miles of shoreline , ample docks and an almost limitless number of offshore breaks and ledges to choose from on this impoundment of the Tennessee River , the 2,900-foot dam sticks out like a painfully obvious sore thumb on a Watts Bar fishery that most of the Bass Pro Tour field had never competed on prior to this early June event . But even though Alabama pro Ryan Salzman would eventually win the event along the face of the dam ( less than 300 yards away from the lock ), the six-day competition saw surprisingly few boats spending much time on the dam . Especially the lock : Lucas was the only angler that MLF photographers spotted there all week , quietly casting a dropshot along the south / southwest corner , in front of the lock gates .
“ It was super deep in there except right in front of the gates ,” Lucas said . “( I was just fishing ) manmade structure : concrete .”
It paid off pretty well for Lucas early in the week . He flirted with the lead fishing the lock the morning we pulled up on him here , and would eventually finish eighth in his qualifying group thanks in part to the fish he caught in two days parked along the lock wall .
PHOTO BY JOEL SHANGLE
AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 79