Brush likely to be key at Eufaula Invitational

EUFAULA, Ala.– Major League Fishing is set to launch the fourth Invitational event of the season this week at Lake Eufaula in Alabama. Competition days are Friday through Sunday.

The three-day tournament features a roster of 150 anglers competing for a top prize of up to $115,000 and an invitation to compete at REDCREST 2025 – the Bass Pro Tour championship – for the chance to win up to $300,000.

Lake Eufaula, often referred to as the “Big Bass Capital of the World” is a familiar venue for MLF, as the fishery has played host to numerous major bass tournaments over the years, including multiple FLW Tour and Invitational tournaments and REDCREST 2021. In this year’s tournament, expect to see a postspawn event, with most of the fish expected to be caught out of brush, according to Eufaula resident Ethan Greene (pictured), who will be among the competitors on the water.

“This is going to be a postspawn tournament – most of the fish have just gotten off the bed not too long ago and they’re working their way out to brush,” said Greene, who has six Top-10 finishes on Lake Eufaula in MLF competition. “This might make things kind of tough – the fish are moving, and they could be in that postspawn funk.

“But if I’m wrong on timing and the fish are starting to pull out to the ledges, it’s going to be an absolute slugfest,” Greene continued. “When those fish get out on the ledges for the first time of the year, you can throw a bare hook and catch ‘em. I’m just not sure if we’ve had enough warm weather yet to see them in that stage yet, so I think the tournament is likely going to be won fishing brush.”

Greene said that the reason brush will be so popular is because of the shad spawn. He said the shad spawn in the brush, so he expects reaction baits – jerkbaits and moving baits – to be strong choices for competitors, especially in the mornings.

“I think jerkbaits and jigs are going to be dominant,” Greene said. “Another strong player will be Damiki-rigged baits – something like a 5-inch (Deps) Sakamata Shad soft jerkbait over the brush. Everywhere you go, that’s how tournaments are being won right now. And it works. I also think we’ll see guys throwing big worms and shaky-head rigs.”

Greene offered two weight predictions, depending on where the fish are located.

“If they end up moving out and they’re out on the ledges, we’ll see quite a few 20-pound bags. The Top 10 will have 19 to 20 pounds,” Green said. “If they’re still in the transition and in the brush, it’s going to be tougher – 15 pounds is going to be a good limit. That is what is going to set you apart in this event – catching 14 to 16 pounds every day when other guys can’t.”

Anglers will launch at 6:30 a.m. CT each day from Lakepoint Resort State Park, located at 104 Lakepoint Drive in Eufaula. Weigh-ins will also be held at the State Park and will begin at 2:30 p.m.

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