Cox Expands Lead Heading into the Final Day on Smith Lake
MARCH 13, 2021 • ROB NEWELL • TACKLE WAREHOUSE PRO CIRCUIT
CULLMAN, Ala. – John Cox continues to expand his lead in the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit Presented by Bad Boy Mowers event on Smith Lake in Alabama, solely on the strength of largemouth bass. In three days, Cox has weighed in 15 largemouth for a three-day total of 45 pounds, 10 ounces. Today Cox hauled in 12 pounds even, which increased his lead to 5-10 going into the final day.
Smith Lake has long been a thorn in Cox’s side in terms of just missing the brass ring, including two previous runner-up finishes on this fishery. A win tomorrow would finally settle his score with Smith Lake.
“You have no idea how bad I want to win on this lake,” Cox says. “I want to win here worse than anywhere else in the country. It would make a lot of really bad memories disappear.”
Though Smith is known as a deep, clear spotted bass fishery, Cox always targets largemouth up shallow in flooded, woody cover in the backs of creeks. Like his quarry, it’s where he also feels the most comfortable. He has more confidence tracking largemouth through their spawning stages than trying to understand the fickleness of the more plentiful spots.
Cox is Doing What He Does Best
Not many people on the planet understand the nuances of largemouth bass in and around the spawning phase as well as Cox. Over the years, there have been many great sight-fishing specialists on tours, but Cox’s shallow-water savvy extends well beyond throwing to fish on a bed.
To him, there are many more facets to the spawn than just prespawn, spawn and postspawn. Cox breaks it down to another level, describing fish as “cruising, rubbing, sunning, guarding, waking and sharking.” He can look at a bass and tell, almost to the hour, where it is in that cycle. He has the patience to sit and wait for an individual fish to change its mood or shuffle through a ton of water targeting multiple fish that are all in the same mood. This week, the latter has been more of his game plan.
“I’ve actually really tried to stay away from spawning fish this week,” Cox says. “Instead, I’m trying to target fish that have just moved up out of deep water to spawn. Usually when they first come up shallow, they are mad and aggressive. Once they linger around and sun up for a couple of days before the spawn they almost become inactive and neutral. They don’t get defensive and aggressive again until they actually lay eggs and start protecting.”
Tomorrow Cox has a big decision to make in terms of which direction to go. While most would think he’d try to find the warmest water possible, that’s not really the case.
“The area I have been fishing has sort of reached that stage where the fish have been up a couple of days and they’re waiting to go on beds,” he details. “They’re just milling around and not very aggressive. But I don’t think they’re going to spawn in time for me to sight fish for them. So tomorrow I think I actually need to go find some colder water where new fish have just moved up and are not as far along as the ones I’ve been fishing for.”
While looking for colder water in the springtime sounds counterintuitive, Cox simply wants to stay more on the pre-spawn side of the equation as opposed to the spawn side of the equation.
“I’m afraid if they’re not guarding yet, they won’t be ready and I’ll eat my clock up tomorrow waiting on that,” he adds. “I think the better play is to keep covering water with a swim jig in places where they just moved up overnight.”
Extremely patient. Five-to-seven-bite-a-day program. Doesn’t get rushed. Trust the process. That’s exactly how it has played out this week, and tomorrow we’ll find out if it’s Cox’s key to a Smith Lake victory.
Top 10 Pros
1. John Cox – 45 – 10 (15)
2. Tai Au – 40 – 06 (15)
3. Kyle Cortiana – 39 – 13 (15)
4. Cody Meyer – 39 – 09 (14)
5. Zack Birge – 39 – 06 (15)
6. Justin Cooper – 39 – 04 (15)
7. Spencer Shuffield – 39 – 03 (15)
8. Cole Floyd – 38 – 08 (15)
9. Troy Morrow – 38 – 04 (15)
10. Kyle Hall – 38 – 01 (15)