Discover Logan Martin Neely Henry LakeLife Special

Let the Season Begin!

Discover The essence of St. Clair Special Magazine Section April & May 2018

l WHAT’S NEW ON THE WATER: Page 42 l CANOE CREEK PARK: Page 50 l CANOE HARBOR: Page 54 l FISHING SPOTS: Page 64 l LOCAL JOE’S: Page 74 l MODES OF TRANSPORTATION: Page 80 l LAKEFEST: Page 82

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2017

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Take to the Water It’s the age of three pontoons and high technology Story by Graham Hadley submitted photos Each year brings with it a host of new styles and technological breakthroughs that drive every facet of consumer buying, and boats and other watercraft are no exception.

For years, people looking to get out on Logan Martin and Neely Henry Lakes basically had three choices in boats, each specialized in its own way for very specific tasks. You had traditional fiberglass motor boats and ski boats for anyone looking for speed and tow-behind recreation.

Pontoon boats filled the role of floating patio and entertainment area — they could get you around the lake to restaurants or islands and made great swim platforms, but did not get you there very fast.

And then there are the bass boats, designed to get fishing enthusiasts to their favorite spot on the lake in the least amount of time.

But all of that has changed now. While the traditional boats are still out there for anyone who wants them, boating enthusiasts have many more options available to them.

That is driving strong boat sales across the region, from Sylacauga Marine in the south to Buck’s Island near Gadsden.

“Sales have been good. We have seen a continuation from last year. Boat sales are up nationwide across the board — up more than 20 percent in January for our region based on boat registration for the state of Alabama,” said Mark Hildebrant, general manager at Woods Surfside Marina in Pell City.

The Age of the Tritoon

By far, pontoon boats are one of the top watercraft used on local lakes today. And while many people still pilot boats with two pontoons, if current sales trends are any indication, boats with three pontoons — tritoons — will soon rule the water.

Hildebrant says that around 80 percent of their boat sales are tritoons.

Other boat dealers in the area are reporting similar sales, and the key is the versatility of the tritoons. They combine the functionality of both a ski boat and a traditional pontoon boat in one

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2018 SEASON BEGIN

Pontoon control console

Tritoon pontoon boats are becoming top sellers.

Take to the Water Today’s pontoon boats are fast enough to tow behind

package.

“We are having a lot of interest in the tritoon pontoon boats, with 200-plus horsepower engines. That’s a lot of what we have been selling.

“It’s just a versatile boat. They are fast enough now that you can pull skiers, wakeboarders and people in inner tubes. They can do that and still let a lot of people ride in comfort — you get that ‘floating back yard deck’ to entertain all your friends on,” said Rodney Humphries, owner of Rondey’s Marine in Cropwell.

The trick is in how the extra center pontoon ads buoyancy and the design of the pontoons lets the boat ride on top of the water and corner better at high speeds, something most double pontoon boats can’t do as well.

“A double pontoon gets pushed through the water. The tritoon rides on top of the water. It is more stable and can turn sharper because it banks into the turn. A normal pontoon boat leans out of the turns,” Hildebrant said.

Paul Davis, general manager at Trident Marine Logan Martin at Lakeside, said they sell boats from Forest River, including the South Bay line, and the one-piece composite bodies on their tritoons also make a big difference in how the boats perform.

“They are just lighter and faster. It gives them a lot better ride,” he said. “The double pontoons have a nice ride, super smooth, but the tritoons are like riding on air.”

And it’s not just the tritoon boat design that is making the boats so popular. Because they can

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Swingback seating

Pontoon with an overhead bar

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Take to the Water

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ride on plane — on top of the water like a fiberglass motorboat — they also can handle larger engines than their two-pontoon counterparts.

“That is what people are looking for, 150 hp and up — up to 300 hp. The higher horsepower motors are better for pulling skiers and wakeboarders,” Davis said. “That means they don’t have to buy a second ski boat.”

Hildebrant agrees, “People are looking for bigger engines. We even sold one this year at the boat show with two 300-horsepower engines. That’s a 600 horsepower boat. … They are fast; 200 horsepower will get you 40 mph on a pontoon boat.”

Speed comes with a price — a 600 horsepower boat can run in the neighborhood of $200,000.

But all the boat dealers said that is another advantage of the pontoon boats, both the two- and three-pontoon models: There is a price point for everyone, depending on the boat, the size of the engine and what other features you are looking for.

“We start at $28,900 for a boat, trailer and a 115 hp Yamaha motor,” Hildebrant said.

Boating add-ons

While the size of the boat and the motor can be big factors in the price point, so can the amenities and options. And that is true not just of the pontoon boats, but any watercraft.

And like the tritoon, electronic technology is rapidly becoming the king of the water when it comes to boating add-ons.

This year, one of the must-have options, especially on the pontoon boats, are RGB LED lighting packages. RGB stands for the colors red, green and blue — the same colors a TV uses — and can be combined to create millions of colors.

“Our biggest-selling option are the RGB lighting packages. They can change to 13 different colors.

You can set it to one color, have it change to another,” Hildebrant said, adding that you can make the lights flash and move in patterns.

The lighting can run around the inside of the boat, under seating and around cup-holders.

“The LEDs are a big deal,” Davis said. “Now they are putting them under the water, too. You can hook up your smart phone to the lights through bluetooth and make them change colors, strobe, do all sorts of cool things.”

He pointed out that having a boat well lit while stationary at night has some added safety benefits — it makes the boat more visible and makes it easier to see anyone in the water.

“With all the gatherings on the water, lakeside restaurants and bars, you want to be well lit. It’s just safer.”

All the boat dealers pointed out that there are laws governing how the lights are used after dark, especially for boats under way, so make sure you are

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RGB LED lighting under the seats and under the water

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Take to the Water familiar with all the marine boating laws when using the lighting packages.

The RGB lights are not the only cutting-edge technology making its way onto the water in 2018. For years, digital dashboards and touch-screen navigation have been used in cars and are now coming into high demand for boats.

Humphries said Rodney’s Marine has been installing and selling that equipment across all their boat lines.

“This year, we are doing a lot of the more-high-end GPS navigation systems with big touch screens,” he said. “People really want those larger screens on their devices and touch-screen technology,” he said. Some of their new boats come with the equipment already onboard, others they are doing installations on.

And the technology does not stop there, Davis said.

“The dashboards, all the gauges, the navigation are touch screen. It’s becoming like many cars — the old analog dials are being replaced by animated touch screens. They are even putting in rear-facing cameras. You can watch your skier on camera,” he said.

“Some of our boats have recessed cup holders with USB ports, per cushion, so people can charge their phones.”

Beyond technology on the pontoon boats, most of the options are focused on comfort and making the boats more versatile.

Davis said a number of the pontoon boats boast towers on them for pulling skiers. “Some are motorized; you can hit a switch and fold them up and down.”

Hildebrant said they are seeing more demand for something that was growing in popularity last year — the swing-back lounge that folds out across the back of their pontoon boats so people can lounge. For safety underway, there is an extra rail around the back of those boats.

Digital gauges and navigation

LED cup holders and charging station

Beyond the pontoon

Though many people are opting for the increasingly versatile pontoon boats, fishing and other recreational boats are still an important part of the local market.

And like the pontoon boats, versatility is becoming an important part of this market, especially when it comes to fishing boats.

Humphries said traditional bass boats are strong sellers, but he continues to see demand growing for center-console fishing boats, especially since they can be used for recreational boating in addition to fishing. And they can be set up to run on the lake or be towed to the coast and taken out in the intercoastal waterway and, in some cases, even the ocean.

“A lot of people who have been buying these have been fishing the lakes for striped bass and crappie and then taking them down to the coast for vacations and fishing,” he said. “Like the tritoons, they are a more versatile boat. They have more seating so you can go fishing or take people for a ride.”

As bass boats are still the primary watercraft for dedicated fishermen, for people into competition, skiing and wakeboarding have their own specialty boats, with options like computercontrolled ballast that can adjust the wake from a foot all the way up to waves large enough to surf on without a tow rope.

Like the pontoon boats, the price points vary from starter boats — even quality used fishing and ski boats — to the sky-is-thelimit models. And different marine dealers specialize in different lines. Sylacuaga Marine, for example, specializes in Nitro Fishing and Tracker as just two of their boat types. Shop around; there is something out there for everyone. l

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Center console fishing boat

DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2018 SEASON BEGIN

Ariana Crocker, Bobby Crocker and Anna Crocker of Ashville enjoy a spring day of fishing on one of the new piers.

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2018 SEASON BEGIN

Canoe Creek Park

New park haven for anglers, boaters, vacationers on Neely Henry

Commissioner Jeff Brown enjoys seeing the dream come to fruition.

Story by Paul South Photos by Carol Pappas

Though decades have sped by since Jeff Brown’s boyhood growing up near Neely Henry Lake, his memories are as fresh as a newly-baked biscuit, or freshly-caught crappie squirming on a line.

“It’s been a marina forever,” Brown said.

“When I was a kid, I remember running home from school, jumping in the boat and trying to catch some fish,” Brown, now a St. Clair County commissioner, said. But fishing for crappie and striped bass were only part of what hooked Brown on Neely Henry.

His voice cracked with emotion as he recalled camping with family near the lake. “I still remember my Mama making gravy and biscuits when we would be in our camper out there,” Brown said. “I’ve got a lot of great memories there.”

After investing more than $1 million to build the new Canoe Creek Boat Launch on Neely Henry, St. Clair County hopes to create a new batch of precious memories for current and future generations.

For many years, the launch was owned

by Tom Willard, who eventually sold the facility to the county. For years, the county maintained the facility, until it learned of some grant funding available from the Alabama Department of Fish and Wildlife.

In 2008-09, the county was awarded a $750,000 grant. The county came up with the additional funds.

“That got the ball rolling,” Brown said.

The refurbished launch was unveiled last year.

“It’s a great facility,” Brown said.

“We’ve got about 80 parking places for truck and trailer, 85 boat slips, four handicapped accessible slips, a floating dock you can put boats under in inclement weather, two fantastic docks, three lanes wide, to launch a boat from… In 2019, they are going to lower the water some, and the state is going to come in and add another 30 feet to the existing ramps.

You’ll be able to launch in any kind of water then, whether it’s up or down. It’s been a great project.

“There’s also room for fishing off the banks of the lake. You can carry the kids down there and sit on the rocks and fish.

DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2018 SEASON BEGIN

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Canoe Creek Park Covered boat slips and piers for fishing

Aerial shot of parking, launch, piers and covered slips

Boaters already taking advantage of launching facilities.

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It’s a very productive place to fish,” Brown said.

That productivity – waters teeming with bass and crappie – won’t only lure beginning anglers, but the county hopes some of the best fishermen in the world will come to Neely Henry for competitive fishing tournaments. In fact, tournaments may be a part of life at the new launch as early as this summer.

“It’s one of the targets I’d like to see it reach,” Brown said. “I’ve had people contact me already about holding bass tournaments and crappie-thons. I think it’s coming together quickly.”

Public and private efforts on the waters of St. Clair County like the new launch, kayaking, camping and cycling areas, picnic areas and new lakefront residential development, are helping transform the county into a hotspot for environmental tourism, from Logan Martin to Neely Henry, from Canoe Creek to Chandler Mountain.

Gene Phifer, president of the Neely Henry Lake Association, said the new launch has created a positive buzz.

“We have been down there and kept track of the progress. As far as being a functional, nice boat launch, it’s fully functional. There is a lot of excitement about it. It’s a beautiful facility.”

Brown agrees. “It’s a tremendous draw. Pleasure boating is a big thing on our lake,” Brown said. “You can’t just put a pontoon in any water. You have to have a good ramp and good water.”

The Canoe Creek Boat Launch project is close to Brown’s heart. He hopes the place will become special to visitors and locals alike. His own family camped at Evans Marina, only three miles from the new launch.

“I’m teared-up now,” Brown said. “Good times are hard to beat. I have a lot of good memories.

I remember waking up to my Mama’s breakfast cooking. And we had fried crappie for supper a lot of times.”

As for the future of the launch and Neely Henry Lake, Brown is optimistic.

“I just see it continuing to grow. Growth is great as long as it’s done right, and that’s been the case with the private sector and with the county commission and the store owners,” Brown said. “It’s got to help Etowah County and Ragland, too. That’s what I love about the launch. It’s reaching out to a lot of different areas.”

Kelley Taft, engineer on the project, couldn’t agree more. She noted that the design “highlights the quiet lake community as a fishing asset. The marina is ADA compliant and creates inclusive access for people with a range of abilities. County Engineer Dan Dahlke and his staff did an amazing job implementing the design with skilled county construction crews.”

Brown is as clear as the lake water when he talks about the growth on Neely Henry. It’s about being a good neighbor to locals and tourists alike.

“I want to grow in a way that the neighbors are proud of it. I don’t want to be the new kid on the block that runs the neighbors off. I want the neighbors to say, ‘Wow, look at what we’ve got.’” l

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Building a Dream Canoe Harbor to showcase Alabama’s ‘hidden gem’

Story by Paul South Photos by Carol Pappas Submitted Photos From the air, Neely Henry Lake gleams like a liquid sapphire. On the St. Clair County side of this body of water crafted through the teamwork of God and man, fingers and dots of land form lush peninsulas and tiny islands packed with flora and fauna, fruit, pine and pecan trees, deer, ducks and blue heron.

On some 41 acres of land – property once home to a large cattle farm – is the beginning of the first major waterfront residential development on the St. Clair side of Neely Henry in some 50 years, Canoe Harbor. Bursting with beauty, some Canoe Harbor lots offer vistas of both sunrises and sunsets, hand painted by the Creator, different every day.

“It’s the first land that’s been available on this side of Neely Henry in a long, long time, said local Realtor and developer Lyman Lovejoy.

Lovejoy, Realtor Chad Camp, also of Lovejoy Realty, and developer John Freeman of Freeman Land Co. are partners in the Canoe Harbor project.

“It’s some of the best land that’s been available, as far as good lots, level lots, deep-water lots,” he added.

About Canoe Harbor

Canoe Harbor, with its 36 lots, offers easy access. Twenty-eight of the lots are on the water. Parcels range in size from just under a half-acre to more than an acre each. Waterfront lots range in price from $65,000 to $135,000, while off-water lots start at $19,000. A peninsula lot has already sold for $225,000.

“What makes it desirable is the lots are the first land that’s been available on our (St. Clair) side of the lake that’s flat to the water,” Camp said. “Most of everything that’s available on our side

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Canoe Harbor

View from point lot

Lovejoy, Freeman and Camp talk about the amenities of the property.

Some lots are already spoken for 56

of the water around Ohatchee is just too hilly. On our lots, you walk straight out to the water. You don’t have to hike down to the water or up to the house.”

And then, there are the views. Even the lots not directly on the water offer views of shimmering waters of Neely Henry. The physical and visual access to water makes the development unique. There is some 5,500 feet of shoreline in Canoe Harbor.

“We have a peninsula. There are not a lot of opportunities for a peninsula. That means you’ve got water views at your front door and your back door… The people on the peninsula will have a 180-degree view of the lake.”

Neely Henry Lake may not be the best known of the manmade waters created in the push over the last 70-odd years to bring electrification to rural Alabama through a string of hydroelectric dams built by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the north on the Tennessee River and in east central and south Alabama by Alabama Power Co. Built in 1966, Neely Henry Dam was the first in a network of dams constructed on the upper Coosa River. The lake reaches into St. Clair, Etowah and Calhoun counties. The dam is more than 500 feet above sea level and the reservoir covers 11,200 acres, with 339 miles of shoreline in the three counties.

Gene Phifer, president of the Neely Henry Lake Association and a retired Alabama Power manager in its environmental section, gives the development high marks.

He’s lived on the lake since 1966.

“I think developments like that are beneficial to the lake. I know it’s going to be well done. It’s going to add to the value of the property of the lake and not be any type of concern in terms of environmental issues. They’re doing it the right way. I’m sure it will add to (the lake). That’s going to be beautiful.”

A unique feature of the lake, particularly around Canoe Harbor, is that water levels stay pretty much constant. There are no dry seasons. Flooding and fluctuation are not an issue on the pristine waters of the lake teeming with fish.

As for the land, the acreage was once home to a family farm owned by Tracy and Hope Burger. The Burgers and their niece, Donna Henderson, bequeathed the land to the Alabama Baptist Foundation, who later sold it to Lovejoy, Camp and Freeman. Acreage where cattle once leisurely roamed will now be a haven for human relaxation. Proximity to the lake made the Burger farm a rare gem.

These are exciting times in these parts. St. Clair County constructed a massive deep water 80-slip boat launch called Big Canoe Creek Park that’s not only expected to attract recreational boaters and anglers, but also major fishing tournaments. A short distance from the Canoe Harbor development, the park is expected to enhance the county’s reputation as an ecotourism destination. It’s less than a mile from Canoe Harbor.

“People in our subdivision would not have to build their own boat ramp, unless they just want to,” Lovejoy said. “It’s the nicest thing to happen in this county in terms of a boat launch.”

Consider, too, that the development is only about 10 minutes away from Interstate 59, only about 10 minutes from Westbrook Christian School and the same distance from shopping in Rainbow City.

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Canoe Harbor

“You’re not too far out of civilization, “Camp said.

Homebuilders will be able to be creative in the construction of their Canoe Harbor homes, Camp said. The minimum house size is 1,600 square feet. Multilevel homes can be built to 1,200 square feet on the main floor. Each owner can choose their own builder. There is no maximum size, except that governed by county and state regulations.

Building a dream

The lots came on the market in December 2017.

And while the developers will have an architectural review panel, property owners will have freedom in design.

“We’re not saying you have to build a certain style plan. So long as it looks like a nice house, we’re going to allow it.”

A key note: Say a young couple invests in a lot, they can decide when to build. There is no time limit to start construction, Camp said.

“This is an investment opportunity for people who want to build now or in the future,” Camp said.

Canoe Harbor will serve families for generations, Camp said.

“It’s something you can enjoy for the rest of your life,” he said.

And there may not be too many opportunities like Canoe Harbor in the future because of the lack of available undeveloped land. Alabama Power still owns much of the property around the reservoir, Lovejoy said. Too, Camp added, the topography, scenic with huge rock outcroppings, doesn’t lend itself to development.

Too, unlike other better-known Alabama lakes that are often congested with boat traffic, Neely Henry sees few watercraft by comparison.

“It truly is one of the best-kept secrets among Alabama lakes,” Camp said. “It offers a hidden tranquility that you don’t see a lot of places.”

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St. Clair County Commissioner Jeff Brown, who has fished on the lake for years, said the recent construction of a new boat launch, combined with private developments like Canoe Harbor, will make Neely Henry more of a destination location.

“I think it will have a tremendous impact,” Brown said of the developments. “(Neely Henry’s) a hidden diamond. The people who visit it love it.”

Canoe Harbor, he said, will enhance life on the lake, adding more polish to the county’s gem. “It’s a very, very nice place.

They’ve spent a lot of money there and it’s going to be top of the line. The (Big Canoe Creek) launch is so convenient to those people, they’re not going to have to take up part of their lot to build a launch. They’ve got one right down the road. They’re going to work hand in hand.”

Lovejoy purchased a lot on Neely Henry Lake some 40 years ago, one of the first individual property owners on the water.

What he says about Canoe Harbor speaks volumes about the development.

“Chad and I looked at buying a lot for ourselves, even though I’ve already got a lot up there,” Lovejoy said. “We’ve been in the business a long time, and this is one of the gems you rarely run across that enriches the life of St. Clair County. We believe it will be a great asset for the county.”

Environment, conservation and smart development

Phifer hopes the new residential development, combined with the new boat launch, will offer key lessons for how the lake community will approach development, with a heart toward protecting both the quality and quantity of water for generations to come. Development and environmental protection need to work together.

An economic impact study on the lake, currently being conducted by Jacksonville State University, will offer more

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insights.

“You think about it being a jewel, and it is,” Phifer said of the lake. “But what makes it special is, you’ve got to maintain the environmental quality of the water. You’ve got to maintain the ecosystem. High water quality is critical to any body of water, so you want to make sure you keep the environmental water quality as good or better than it is right now. We certainly don’t want to let (environmental quality) slip.”

Much has been made of the “water wars” between Alabama and Georgia, where Georgia is attempting to divert water upstream of Alabama for drinking water for a burgeoning metro Atlanta. While Phifer makes it clear he does not think such disputes will affect Coosa River lakes like Neely Henry, water quantity must be maintained.

“Quality of water can be impacted by loss of water,” he said. “I don’t think we’re going to lose water, but those are things you want to think about. You want to maintain quality and quantity of water.”

Phifer added, “You want to see the new developments that come in to be ecologically sensitive. That’s what you’re seeing. You’re going to see more development on the river system. At the same time, you see people practicing conservation methods in protecting the fishery. Environmental protection and conservation goes together with smart development. You want to see the ecosystem well preserved, well taken care of. Yet you know there’s going to be development, but the developments need to be environmentally sensitive.”

There are as many reminders in the natural world that make the case for protecting Neely Henry. For Phifer, the most powerful evidence comes late in the afternoon, in sunsets painted in colors that artists have tried to match for centuries.

Developers of Canoe Harbor aspire to build a development that celebrates those sunsets. One already-purchased lot on a finger of land offers views of both sunrise and sunset.

“I know you’ve seen the sunsets on Neely Henry,” Phifer said. “Man, they’re something special.” l

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DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2018

DISCOVER The Essence of St. Clair • April & May 2018

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Gone Fishin’

Expert anglers reveal their favorite fishing spots

St. Clair is home to two lakes and plenty of major fishing tournaments.

Riverside and Logan Martin were picked for Cabela’s Crappie USA Classic in February.

Story by Loyd McIntosh Photos by Michael Callahan Submitted Photos Few things in life are as secretive as people who fish often. Seriously, getting a fisherman – or fisherwoman – to give their closely-guarded secrets is like trying to track the whereabouts of Jimmy Hoffa.

However, in this issue of Discover St. Clair, a handful of local fishing experts are divulging their secret fishing holes on Logan Martin, Henry Neely and the Coosa River for the first time in recorded history (may be an exaggeration, if only slight one). Many of them will even tell you about the gear they use to catch fish after fish in our area. Take notes, people.

Zeke Gossett

A former standout for the Pell City High School fishing team and current star on the Jefferson State team, Zeke Gossett is familiar with many areas of Logan Martin but finds particular success fishing the back half of Rabbit Branch Creek in the spring and early summer months.

“There’s just a great population out there. It has a lot of good clay points, with shallower banks,” says Gossett.

The area is really successful for him in April and May due to the abundance of docks. “There

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DISCOVER LakeLife • LET THE 2018 SEASON BEGIN

Winners of Crappie USA proud of their Logan Martin catch

Zeke Gossett

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Gone Fishin’

A good day fishing on Logan Martin nets crappie, prizes.

are a lot of fish coming off the bank, and they like to hang out around those floating peers, so I really like fishing close to the docks in April, especially when it’s sunny outside.”

Gossett also says he really enjoys fishing in the Shoal Creek area on Neely Henry Lake during the spring, especially on the lower end near the dam. However, he says he adjusts his approach depending on Alabama Power’s generator schedule.

“When the water is running on that lake, and I’m going to fish up the lake around the City Dock area up around Gadsden, I would like current toward the bottom end of the lake,” he explains. “It helps, but I don’t need it as much as I do up the river.

“When you go up the river, it turns into a skinnier river about 100 yards across and not even that in some areas,” he adds. “So, current is a big must up the river, that time of year especially.”

Hayden Bartee

Gossett’s partner on the Jefferson State fishing team, Hayden Bartee, is another young and talented competitive angler with loads of experience fishing on area lakes.

Discussing his favorite locations during the first warm stretch of the year in mid-February, Bartee says Cropwell Creek near the city baseball fields has been a productive spot for him as of late.

“It’s been pretty good here the past couple of weeks,” says Bartee. “I caught a big fish out there a couple of weeks ago, and there’s always a good population of bait fish as well as bass.”

Bartee says that area of Logan Martin is great for sight fishing when the water is clear. In this situation, he uses

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Hayden Bartee

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Gone Fishin’ Joey Nania

a bait by Big Bite Baits called the Warmouth on a 7’4 Heavy Duce rod. Bartee also says the grassy areas around Riverside can be productive and has a certain technique that he uses when fishing that area. “You can catch them on a swimming jig,” he explains. “I’ll throw a Big Bite Baits swimming crawl as a trailer for my swim jig with Vicious 60-pound no-fade braid on my 7’4 heavy Duce. That’s another good way to catch them, especially this time of year.”

Joey Nania

Robbey Stanford

A fixture on the BASSMASTER professional angler circuit since 2011, Pell City resident Joey Nania is well-acquainted with the ins and outs of Logan Martin and Neely Henry. Nania also operates his own fishing guide service and has fished in almost every nook and cranny in the area, and says spring is a great time find fish in shallow spots on Neely Henry.

“The key in the spring is the fish are going to be shallow, and so fishing in the grass is important,” Nania says.

“Canoe Creek has a lot of fish that live in it,” he adds. “You go to the back of Canoe Creek, and there’s a ton of grass and a lot of docks, and that can be really good fishing in the backs of the shallow pockets.”

Nania says he prefers to fish in areas on Neely Henry that aren’t disturbed by the currents caused by the generators near the dam. “The backs of the creeks and the shallow fishing areas aren’t really affected as much if the water level stays stable, and they don’t suck the water out and drop the water out of the grass,” Nania says.

While he doesn’t want to give up too much information, Nania will say the hard bottom areas of Logan Martin are good spots to find bass. “A lot of those main lake bluffs are really good,” he says. “Finding hard bottom is really important, like roadbeds, gravel humps, that kind of thing.”

When operating his guide service, Nania takes people all over both Neely Henry and Logan Martin and says his clients are more successful when paying attention to fish behaviors rather than focusing on locations. “People want to learn different patterns, and learning patterns is really more important than individual spots,” Nania says.

Robbey Stanford

A member of the Iron City Kayak Anglers, Robbey Stanford gets a different view of the lakes, creeks and streams in the area. A resident of the Liberty Park community in Vestavia Hills, Stanford’s mother-in-law lives in Riverside, which is where he likes to take his kayak into places the big boats can’t reach.

“I love to fish a lot of the creeks that run into the Coosa River,” Stanford says. “I like to take my kayak up there and paddle into some of those back waters.

“The great thing about fishing in a kayak is you get to go where the bass boats aren’t,” adds Stanford. “It’s just a whole different angle of fishing.”

While fishing from a kayak provides anglers with an unprecedented level of maneuverability, Stanford cautions that safety must be a concern, especially for a newcomer to kayak fishing. “The main thing is always wear your life jacket. It’s not like regular fishing because you’re in a boat that can easily tip over and you can easily hit your head and drown,” he says.

“I’ve seen it happen.”

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Gone Fishin’

Bre Wyatt

Bre Wyatt

Former state champion with the Pell City High School fishing team and now a member of the Faulkner University Bass Fishing Team, Bre Wyatt is one of the first female anglers to earn a scholarship to fish in college. Whether fishing for fun or competition, Wyatt spends a lot of time on Neely Henry and Logan Martin and goes to those tried and true spots any time she’s fishing in the area.

I “have a stretch on Neely Henry about 800 yards long that’s like a rock with docks on it,” Wyatt says, “and we go there every time we fish.”

Wyatt says she likes to fish in the grassy areas around Riverside, as well as near docks and old concrete bridges. She also likes brush piles and finds them to be a good source of bass depending on the current.

“On Logan Martin, if they’re running water, we’ll go upriver and fish the current with spinner baits,” she says. “Downriver, we fish mainly brush piles, but they’re scattered around, but right there in front of Lakeside (Landing) is always good, although that’s pretty much a community hole,” Wyatt says.

Curtis Gossett

Curtis Gossett

hand, it has good creek channels where, if we have a cool snap, they can drop back off to those channels,” Gossett says. “All that together equals some good fishing.”

As for Neely Henry, Gossett does have one spot near the dam. But ever the competitor, he’s not tipping his hand as to exactly where that spot is. “That’s one we don’t talk about much because we don’t want people flooding up there,” he says.

On a serious note, Gossett says some of those areas near the dam can be dangerous for even the most experienced anglers.

“There are shoals all up in there, and we have seen people run up and just ruin boats and their motors,” he says. “It’s really bad in there. You have to know where to run or you’re going to be in trouble.” l

Well-known in town as the head coach of the Pell City High School fishing team, Curtis Gossett has taught many young people not only how to fish, but to recognize where the fish are biting. One of his favorite spots to toss in a line is Cropwell Creek on Logan Martin. “We fish it from spring to summer,” Gossett says. “It’s an area that always holds fish.”

Gossett says he ventures over into the Talladega County side of Logan Martin regularly, particularly in the Stemley Bridge area, although good luck finding out exactly where, since he’s not even sure what many of these holes are called. “There are a lot of sloughs up through there that we fish that don’t really have a name,” he says.

Editor’s Note: Congratulations to the Pell City Panthers One spot that Gossett can point to with certainty is Poorhouse Creek, which he says can be very successful in the spring. “The Fishing team for winning the first ASABFA Regional Qualifier fish move up into that shallow water to spawn and, on the other at Lake Jordan for the 2018 season!

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Local Joe’s added a porch that will soon feature cooking at table side.

LOCAL JOE’S

Eclectic business living up to its name Story by Elaine Hobson Miller Photos by Michael Callahan A man walked into Local Joe’s Trading Post near the Rainbow City/St. Clair County line one day and slammed his hand down on the countertop. “I just found out something about my wife,” he said, startling employees and customers alike. “For the past four years, she has not cooked turkey and dressing at Thanksgiving. She’s been buying it here. She even brings her own casserole dish for you to put the dressing in!”

While Jodie and Karen Stanfield, owners of Local Joe’s, don’t advocate trying to fool anyone, they are happy to supply smoked turkey breasts and all the accompanying fixings for Thanksgiving or Christmas. In fact, they serve smoked turkey, mouthwatering bakery goods, barbecue and four other meats, along with the traditional barbecue sides, all year ‘round. When you combine the food with all the locally-made items on their shelves, you come up with the smells and tastes of a barbecue joint and the feel of an old country store.

“We slow-smoke our turkey, chicken, ribs, pork butt, ham and sausage on site in cast iron smokers that were custom made by HBT Smokers in Guntersville,” says Jodie. “We do it Southern style, with no rotisserie, no fire beneath them and no additives.” He sells 500-600 four-pound turkey breasts every Thanksgiving to people like the anonymous wife above.

It will take all your willpower to pass by Local Joe’s without stopping for a bite when that pit smoke is floating on the breeze. If you could gain weight just by looking at sweets, you would be too big to waddle out after scanning the array of cookies, scones, cake balls and baked pies in the bakery case. While waiting on your order, you can browse through the general store section, with its wide-planked pine floors and walls covered in old-fashioned metal and wooden signs. That’s where you’ll find the local honey and produce, wine jellies and sauces, candles and kitchenware that gave Jodie the idea for the name of his store.

“We named it Local Joe’s because we buy from local-Joe farmers,” Jodie explains. “We buy their produce

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and homemade items. We also make some in-house products, like pimiento cheese from the hoop cheese we sell, and fried pork rinds.”

Karen rattles off a handful of local product examples, like the spiced peaches and hot crackers made by Smokehouse Crackers in Boaz, the Augustine Coffee that is ground in Etowah County, and the cheese straws made in Athens. They also buy seasonal plants such as poinsettias, mums and hanging baskets from the greenhouse of Rainbow Omega, a home for mentally and physically challenged adults in Talladega.

It becomes apparent that “locally” goes beyond the county line. Still, all except a few items are made in Alabama. Jodie likes to support small businesses, including Nancy’s Fudge Company in Meadows of Dan, Virginia.

Although the Stanfields opened Local Joe’s eight years ago, its history and general-store tradition date back to 1940.

Henry Bowling built a two-bedroom house and operated a general merchandise store called H.D. Bowling’s Grocery out of it. He also had a barbershop there, charging 10 cents per haircut, and sold Shell gasoline at pumps in the front, according to his nephew, Henry Jester.

“My aunt told me that when they put the roof on the house, she had saved enough nickels in one year to pay for that roof,” Jester says. “My uncle also cut hair at Camp Siebert, a military base that was located down Pleasant Valley Road near Attalla during World War II. “His merchandise included barbed wire and nails.”

Jester says his uncle cut hair for many famous people at Camp Siebert, including boxer Joe Lewis and movie star Mickey Rooney. “Elvis stopped there at the store and drank a Coca-Cola when I was six or seven years old,” Jester recalls. “It was the year he got out of the army.”

Henry Bowling sold his business in the late 70s to Thomas Peterson, who renamed it Peterson’s. The Stanfields have their pecans cracked by Peterson’s widow. “We also buy from individual pecan orchards,” Jodie says.

Lead caterer Rebecca Killey and cashier Lori Shaw are responsible for the homey feel of Local Joe’s. Enamelware bowls and mugs, metal salt and pepper shakers, wire baskets and wooden signs with sayings such as “Sweet Home,” “Farm to Table” and “Farm Fresh Eggs” are displayed on shelves and hanging from the walls. Herbed soup and dip mixes are showcased in metal bins, and a photo of Lucile Ball as Lucy Ricardo rests on top of a Pepsi-Cola case.

Menus are on the blackboard wall behind the bakery counter.

Karen and Jodie Stanfield are owners and operators of Local Joe’s Trading Post in Rainbow City.

LOCAL JOE’S

“We sell bottled soft drinks, and it’s cool watching a grandpa showing his grandchild how to open one,” says Jodie.

Two signs that bring on lots of giggles are, “Fanny’s Rest Stop, Eat Here and Get Gas,” along with a more modern proclamation, “What happens here will be posted on Facebook.”

The large hoop cheese slicer is more than 100 years old and is still in use. Tshirts are sold bearing the outline of the state of Alabama, with the latitude and longitude of Rainbow City and Alexandria prominent, because there’s a Local Joe’s in each city.

The farmhouse decor includes a table lamp with an oldfashioned electric mixer and bowl at the base, and another one with a replica of a wringer washing machine. Everywhere you turn, there are iron pigs. A customer can buy anything off the walls or shelves, or Karen will refer them to its source. “All of our decor is for sale,” she says. “If it doesn’t sell, it remains as decor.”

The Stanfields employ 55 people at their two locations, including Executive Chef Damon Wynn, often found in the kitchen making Alabama Caviar (black-eyed peas and corn relish). Pit master and chef, Nathan Nolin, is Le Cordon Bleu Culinary-trained and is married to the baker, Hilary McMahon.

McMahon bakes multiples of sweet treats almost every day, including Granny’s Baked Pies. Jodie’s Mom, aka Granny, used to bake the pies herself, and she helped Jodie establish the business. The recipes are a combination of Granny’s recipes and those of local customers. Flavors include apple, peach, blueberry, strawberry, coconut, pecan and s’mores. “They look and taste like the traditional Southern fried pies, but they are baked instead of fried,” Karen says. McMahon also makes a variety of scones, such as white chocolate, orange cranberry and chocolate chip, plus several types of cake balls.

“Damon prepares a Farm-to-Table Dinner using our facilities,” Jodie says. “He buys all his meat and produce locally, sells tickets, and holds them at different venues.” The next one will be at Local Joe’s on the new side porch that has just been built.

Along with adding the porch addition, the Stanfields have been knocking out walls for the past few months and making improvements to add to the customer experience. Most of the remodeling has been handled by Shane Elmore, aka Elmo, who owns S&K Home Improvement.

The tables where customers eat are made of barn wood by a friend, Steven Lang of Albertville, who also made the red planter boxes outside the store.

The former front bedroom of the old Bowling house is becoming a conference room with a six-foot diameter copper-topped table on a wrought-iron base that came from a former Greek restaurant in Homewood. Occasionally, you’ll find customers eating lunch in that room when a catering consultation is not in session.

As catering managers, Karen and JoAnna Duckett are responsible for the 60-plus weddings Local Joe’s caters each year. Because they have the use of the kitchens at both locations, it is not unusual for them to have three or four weddings or other large catering events per weekend.

“Our highly experienced catering staff love what they do, and it shows each and every time they serve anywhere,” Karen says. In the past few years, they have also catered four large community events: The Mayor’s Ball, which benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs of America; The Mardi Gras Magic Party, which benefits the Family Success Center; The Paws for St.

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The Stanfield’s son-in-law, Whitton Bailey, standing, is a manager in training at Local Joe’s.

The hoop that slices this cheese is more than 100 years old.

Paddy’s, which benefits the local Humane Society Pet Rescue & Adoption Center; and The Girlfriend Gala, which benefits the Success by Six program in coordination with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. “We cater at various large manufacturing plants, which employ from 100 to 1,700 people,” states Jodie.

Often Jodie and Karen will have their staff make extra goodies when they cater an event, and serve those extras on Sample Saturday, a special, un-advertised event they hold periodically for loyal customers.

All of these services led to Jodie being named Alabama’s Small Business Person of the Year in 2017, which garnered the couple a free trip to D.C. and a meet-and-greet with the other 53 state winners from across the nation, along with President’s Trump’s SBA Director Linda McMahon, Vice President Mike Pence and First Daughter Ivanka Trump. Local Joe’s also was named the 2017 Retailer of the Year by the Retail Association of Alabama.

“We honestly and truly know where our blessings come from – and we are thankful that God has continued to bless Local Joe’s and allows us to pass on those blessings to our employees and the community,” Karen says. “We are in the people business, but food is what we do.” l

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LOCAL JOE’S

Candles, jellies, sauces, dip and soup mixes are just a few of the items available in the country store section.

Local Joe’s, a family-run business owned by Jodie and Karen Stanfield, has two locations, one in Rainbow City just steps from Neely Henry, and one in Alexandria. Josh Stanfield, nephew of Karen and Jodie, is the manager of the Alexandria location. Their son-inlaw, Whitton Bailey, assistant manager at the Rainbow City store, is in training under Jodie to open a Local Joe’s in Albertville.

The Stanfields also licensed the use of the name to their former catering manager, who operates a store in Cave Springs, Georgia.

These are some of the products they sell, along with their sources: Deep South Coffee Factory, Centre: Ground and whole-bean coffee, craft roasted in small batches in Centre, AL. Spices Catering & Smokehouse Market, Boaz: LJ’s sells their spiced peaches and smokehouse crackers. The latter have quite a kick, according to Karen and Jodie.

Crowe’s Nest Kitchen, Hokes Bluff: LJ’s carries several items from Miss Rosemary, owner, such as dill pickles, chow chow and pepper jellies. “We also use the pepper jellies when we prepare our Bacon Wrapped Smoked Shrimp for special orders and catering,” says Karen.

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Raven’s Original: “We love the Raven’s Original Mulling Spices,” Karen says. “We make mulled apple cider every Christmas holiday season and have it for our customers to sample in both our restaurants.”

Papa’s Peanut and Pecan Brittle: Proceeds from the sale of these products fund a mission trip to Zambia. More information is available from owner Andrew Hughes at aphughes.357@gmail.com .

Carmie’s Kitchen, Wylie, Texas: Dip mixes.

“These products are definitely at the top of the list of our best sellers,” Karen says. “We also use several of these in catering and we recommend them for people who are having parties, etc.” For more information go to www.peppersprings.com.

What’s Cookin’: This is one of LJ’s out-of-state vendors, based in Hot Springs, Arkansas. “We met them at Christmas Village in Birmingham one year, and their products sell like crazy,” Karen says. Purchasers add meat to their soup mixes for a complete 30-minute meal. “If they buy their meat from us, such as the ham for the black-eyed pea soup mix, we chop it up for them,” Karen says. For more information go to www.whatscookineasymeals.com.

Uncle Ed’s Wine Jellies, Hokes Bluff: Six different flavors, including Pinot Grigio with habaneros peppers and curry. “It’s good on cream cheese and crackers,” Karen says. “We use it in our catering business, too.”

Bama Graphics, Gadsden: Designed by Maria Dunn, who, along with business partner Immori Dixon, markets a wide variety of custom shirts.

Dunn also designed the restaurant’s menus.

Augustine Coffee Company, Rainbow City: Ground and whole-bean coffee, craft roasted in small batches at Local Joe’s by owner, Austin Kidd.

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Modes of Transportation It’s not your typical rush hour traffic when it comes to commuting on Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes, but the varieties of water navigation these days are as diverse as the models of cars, trucks and SUVs you find on the interstate.

The difference is these seasoned travelers enjoy the ride!

Sailing on Logan Martin

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Skulling

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LAKEFEST

Popular event set for May 18-19 on Logan Martin Story by Carol Pappas Submitted photos There’s a guiding principle behind the Southeast’s largest in water boat show and festival on Logan Martin Lake each year, and it’s what keeps people coming back for more.

“Every year, we try to make it a little bit bigger and little bit better than the year before,” said Eric Housh, who coordinates the event at Lakeside Park.

Organizers continually ask for feedback on what else festival goers would like to see. One was a greater variety of vendors. Of course, boat and personal watercraft dealers are there to show their latest with opportunities to test drive right there on the lake. Vehicle dealers are there as well. And on the spot financing is available as well through lenders who have set up shop.

Rows of vendors now line the festival area with everything from lake accessory must-haves to lake-themed clothing, to outdoor furniture and all kinds of food and drink.

Musical entertainment is virtually non-stop and giveaways are done hourly.

Housh said their solicited feedback netted Lakeside Park additional boat slips for public boat parking for those who want to arrive by boat. LakeFest, which annually has donated thousands of dollars to charitable causes in the region, funded the additional boat slips for the park this past year along with a variety of nonprofits.

Now in its eighth year, “We continue to grow the event to make it valuable for everybody,” Housh said. “We have new food vendors, new sponsorships, and we’re most excited about expanding our entertainment budget.”

But what he described as “huge news” is the 18-foot Bennington pontoon boat that will be given away. “You have a one in 10,000-chance to win a boat,” said Housh. Those are pretty good odds.

It is a custom “Logan Martin Blue” luxury pontoon boat that Woods Surfside Marina is putting together, valued at over $20,000.

It will be parked all around town leading up to LakeFest to build excitement in what has become a sizable and popular lake event. “It’s something really special.”

In 2017, LakeFest gave away a pontoon boat live, and Christy Bowers wasted no time enjoying her prize, Housh said. She was spotted for her first time on the lake the very next weekend. Winning that boat introduced her to the lake. And “that’s what LakeFest is all about – promoting what makes the lake special – that has been the goal from Day 1. We showcase our lake businesses.”

On Friday night, as is tradition, LakeFest will feature its spectacular fireworks show dedicated to military veterans. The late Jerry Woods of Woods Surfside Marina, who was a co-founder of LakeFest, was “passionate about veterans being honored. We will continue to make that bigger and better.” Veterans from Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City are honored guests at LakeFest, and “they definitely look forward to it,” Housh said.

LakeFest is still accepting vendor applications and available online at loganmartinlakefest.com.

Mark your calendars and head out to Lakeside Park May 18-19. It’s a lakelife tradition that gets bigger and better every year – just like the founders and organizers intended. l

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