The top anglers on the Bass Pro Tour and several qualified through other events with Major League Fishing will convene in Huntsville, Alabama, for REDCREST. This premier event, now the sixth edition, will be held on Lake Guntersville. The famed lake has hosted many big events, including the Bassmaster Classic, but this will be the first REDCREST on the popular fishery.
Among those competing will be Arkansas pro Dylan Hays, who also competed last year. He had a difficult time last year and finished 43rd, but he hopes to have a better showing this time around. Hays expects big things from the "Big G" and is preparing for anything as he gets ready to hit the water for practice.
Hays shared some insight on the lake, how he plans to fish it, and what he expects for this event.
Hays On Guntersville
Although Hays lives in Arkansas, he keeps tabs on all of the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) lakes and watches what is happening in tournaments. He believes the fishing should be excellent based on everything he has seen and read about the fishery in recent months.
"It's fishing really strong, and I think it's as healthy as it's ever been," Hays said. "The other good thing, looking at the weather, is that we will have some stable conditions, which is what you want for any springtime event."
Because of the steady weather and warming conditions, Hays thinks it's setting up to be a sight fishing shootout. "I think it will be a full-blown spawn event, maybe with some fish that haven't quite moved up yet," he said. "There's also a chance for some post-spawn fish, but probably not much of that this early in the year."
How Hays is Preparing
With fish in all stages of the spawn, the door is open to many different techniques. This is good, as Hays and the other anglers can likely catch them with just about anything.
"You should be able to catch them however you like, which is always fun because you can fish your strengths and still have a chance to do well," said Hays.
With so many options, Hays plans to go with a few spring staples when he launches his boat and takes on Guntersville. "The first one that I expect to be a player is either a wacky-rig or Neko Rig," he said. "Both are must-haves anywhere we go in the spring, and I expect that a lot of anglers in the field will be using them, and they'll catch a bunch of bass. That could be for spawning fish or those staging to spawn and relating to hard cover."
Hays is a fan of the Mustad TitanX weedless wacky rig for both rigs and says a 1/O size is great for your favorite soft stickbait.
Another option is a Texas-rigged creature bait. "That's going to be my choice when flipping or bed fishing," he said. "I really like the new Mustad Alpha Grip Flipping hook because it holds the bait so well and has such a sharp point," added Hays.
Hays believes the next group of baits will be a factor is moving baits that can be fished quickly and around vegetation. These will allow him to cover water as he searches for groups of bass or the next bass locked on a spawning bed.
"There should be a lot of fish in the grass, and I always have a ChatterBait rigged up anytime I'm fishing a lake like Guntersville, which has a lot of vegetation," he said. "Another good bait is a lipless, which Lake Guntersville has always been known for. On those, I swap out the treble hooks to #4 Mustad Round Bends because I feel like it hooks them great and keeps them pinned much better."
Finally, Hays thinks a soft swimbait may be the way to catch better-than-average bass. "A shallow swimbait like a Megabass Magdraft will definitely be a player," he said. "This is the perfect time of year to throw those, and Guntersville sets up well for a swimbait because it's got so many quality bass in there. I swap out the treble hook on those style of swimbaits to a #2 Mustad Round Bend."
The fishing should be lights-out on Lake Guntersville when REDCREST begins, and there should be no shortage of action for those watching. The lake has always been a good one, but it's on another level right now, and Hays and the rest of the field will have to catch them early and often if they want to keep pace.
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