Brent Chapman's Pattern, Baits & Gear

Brent Chapman went south of the launch in Montgomery, Ala. on the first 2 practice days and fared okay, but he wasn't approaching the 20 pounds per day that running mate (and eventual 11th-place finisher) Randy Howell was reporting from up north. Howell had already determined that he was going to focus on the Bouldin Dam Canal, so he spent day 3 helping Chapman in the area below the Jordan Dam. "We went up there together and he was the one who figured out the spinnerbait deal," Chapman said. "He told me to make sure I hit this one little eddy, but at the time he didn't realize just how good it was. I found that out on the first day of the tournament." He averaged nearly 20 pounds a day over the first 3 days while doing most of his damage from that one small break in the rampaging current. Most of the fish took the blade, while some were enticed by a wobble-head jig or a hollow-belly swimbait. He opted not to make the treacherous trip up there on day 4, after the flow had receded dramatically, and regretted that decision when Evers ended up surpassing him.

Spinnerbait gear: 7' medium-heavy Wright & McGill Rick Clunn Signature Series rod, Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Victory 621 casting reel (6.2:1 ratio), 40-pound Gamma Torque braided line, 3/4-ounce War Eagle spinnerbait (spot remover). He used a variety of other spinnerbaits as well, some as heavy as 1 ounce.

Swimbait gear: 7'6" heavy-action Wright & McGill Skeet Reese Signature Series swimbait rod, same reel, 20-pound Gamma fluorocarbon line, generic 1/2-ounce jighead, generic hollow-belly swimbait (threadfin shad).

Jig gear: Same rod, reel and line as swimbait, 3/4-ounce Mesu Baits Wobble Head, TightLines UV Beaver (black/blue).

Main factor: "Committing to that area and making those runs."

Performance edge: "By far the most important thing was my Odyssey batteries for allowing me to hold in that current and withstand it all day long."

Alabama River 2-5 Patterns Bassfan 5/15/13 (John Johnson)

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