Bass Fishing at Lay Lake: Bassmaster Classic's Most Legendary Locations

Remembering the top anglers, biggest wins, and expert strategies on one of America’s legendary bass lakes.

Relive legendary Bassmaster Classic moments at Lay Lake, Alabama. From Kevin VanDam’s dominant victory to Boyd Duckett’s strategy, learn what makes this 12,000-acre lake a legendary destination. / B.A.S.S.

Lay Lake: Legendary Bass Fishing in Alabama

Lay Lake in central Alabama is the oldest impoundment on the Coosa River system, having been created in 1914 to generate hydro-electric power. It is also in a three-way tie with Lake Hartwell and the Louisiana Delta for “most Bassmaster Classics” hosted—1996, 2002, 2007 and 2010.

Legendary Beeswax Creek has been the location for many epic bass fishing battles. / Kurt Mazurek

This 12,000-acre legendary bass fishing destination is well known for its spotted and largemouth bass fisheries, The variety of habitat types like grasslines, channels, shell beds and stumps, create a great environment where fish can thrive and a diverse fishing experience which attract anglers year round.

1996 George Cochran’s Bassmaster Classic Victory at Lay Lake

Two-time Classic Champion George Cochran celebrating his Bassmaster Classic victory with the one-and-only Ray Scott. / B.A.S.S.

Until 2006, the Bassmaster Classic happened in the middle of the summer. The 1996 Classic at Lake Lake in Alabama goes down in history as the hottest ever with temperatures topping out at 96 degrees.

Most people assumed that stifling summer heat meant the winning bass would be caught from deep river ledges. But George Cochran isn’t most people.

As he knew better than anyone, having won the Classic nine years earlier, sometimes it’s the angler who has the confidence to do something contrary to conventional wisdom that goes home with the trophy.

Cochran fished a variety of shallow water baits, but spent the majority of the tournament slow-rolling a 3/4-ounce white Stike King spinner bait through shallow stumps in Bulley Creek.

His 3-day total of 31-pounds, 14-ounces was enough for Cochran to secure his second Bassmaster Classic Champion title. Interestingly, Cochran amassed 10 Bassmaster Classic top 10 finishes and 5 top 5 finishes in his amazing career.

2002 Jay Yelas’ Strategic Win in the Bassmaster Classic

In the background you can see the 200-yard stretch Jay Yelas worked over and over for his Bassmaster Classic victory. / B.A.S.S.

Weeks before the event had even started, popular Texas pro Jay Yelas had already decided on and committed to his plan for the 2002 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake. He picked a 200-yard stretch of shoreline just downstream from the Logan Martin Dam where he found the biggest concentrations of baitfish. His first two days of the tournament produced weights of 18-pounds, 9-ounces and 16-pounds, 9-ounces, proving that he had made a good decision.

But heading out on the final day of competition, Yelas refused to declare victory. He feared that if the Alabama Power Company didn’t release water from the dam, his bite would stop, and he may not catch another bass at all. He also knew David Walker and Aaron Martens were right behind him, just waiting. And they were both catching good fish even when the current didn’t flow.

But the record books show that Alabama Power Company did release water through the Logan Martin Dam that day, and Jay Yelas did catch what he needed for victory. It was far from a perfect day for him, only catching four keepers, but one of them was a 4-pound, 13-ounces big fish of the day. Those four fish weighed a total of 10-pounds, 11-ounces which was enough to earn Yelas his Bassmaster Classic trophy.

2007 Boyd Duckett’s Bassmaster Classic Victory Despite Changing Conditions

Boyd Duckett played the changing weather conditions to perfection for his Bassmaster Classic victory. / B.A.S.S.

The 2007 Bassmaster Classic on Lay Lake was filled with unexpected twists and turns. The weather was making drastic changes with winter’s icy grip during practice changing to spring virtually overnight. Anglers fishing spotted bass looked like they were in contention to win, but so did anglers chasing largemouth. Leaders were catching fish everywhere throughout the 48-mile long impoundment, using everything from tubes and shaky worms to crankbaits and spinnerbaits. The mighty KVD went into the final day with the lead, but didn’t emerge with the win—not something that happened very often in the early 2000s.

But one angler, remained especially calm and used his experience and intuition to practice and fish the tournament where he thought the biggest fish were headed, rather than where they were at the moment or the day before. Demopolis, Alabama angler Boyd Duckett decided not to follow the crowd and it paid off big.

"The lake didn't fish the way it should for this time of year because of the sudden change in weather patterns," says Duckett. "I prepared myself mentally for that and it helped me immensely.”

Ultimately, Duckett started each day with a Rat-L-Trap on secondary points. Once he had a quick limit he had the confidence to spend the rest of the day flipping grass beds for bigger fish. That approach gained him an 8-pound monster on Day 1 and a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass on the final day that pushed him to victory.

Personally, another thing I’ll always remember about this tournament was a remorseful Gerald Swindle, disqualified for reckless driving, on stage, apologizing to his fans and sponsors. It’s been a long time now, but I remember the DQ call as pretty if-y, maybe a bit of an overreaction. But Swindle handled it like a true professional and a good man.

2010 Kevin VanDam’s Domination at Lay Lake

Kevin VanDam and Jeff Kreit: the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. / B.A.S.S.

I remember this Classic as an exceptionally exciting one. I can’t recall if this was one of the first years where technology allowed more live coverage than we had seen before, but I do remember the battle of Kevin VanDam and Jeff Kreit.

As it turns out, Kevin VanDam’s 51-pounds, 6-ounces was enough to best a hard charging, very confident, Jeff Kriet’s 46-pounds, 6-ounces.

I also remember the name Beeswax Creek being being burned into my brain. Many anglers, including all of the top 5, fished all three days in this now legendary location. According to the eventual winner, Kevin VanDam, the cold weather leading up to the tournament didn’t seem to affect Beeswax Creek as negatively as other locations. And as temperatures climbed during the event, more and more bass made their way to Beeswax.

VanDam caught all of his fish on a ½-ounce Strike King Red Eye Shad in plain gold along with a new color, Gold Sexy Shad.

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