Goldendoodle Sisters on the water

Author brings beloved characters to Logan Martin Lake

Story by Paul South
Photos by Bob Crisp
and submitted photos

A pair of precocious, real-life Goldendoodles are leaving their paw prints on the children’s literary landscape, thanks to Pell City High School engineering teacher Dr. Jeffrey R. Samoranski.

The loveable canine siblings born six months apart, Lacey Jo and Savannah, are the stars of books targeting young readers ages 3 to 8. With six titles in print, the sisters are bringing tail-wagging joy to young readers and getting attention across the country.

The heartwarming books have been featured in The Des Moines Register and other outlets. And this fall, Samoranski will be at a book signing for his work at the Barnes & Noble in New York’s Times Square. He’s appeared on Birmingham’s regional television show, Talk of Alabama. He’s also working with local libraries in Alabama, doing presentations and readings. The books have taken on a life of their own, Samoranski said. His publicist is promoting the books for a national audience.

“I was just writing because I like to write. I like to read, and I like my dogs,” Samoranski said. “Everything is kind of happening.”

The sisters love the park

But his goal isn’t fame and fortune; it’s teaching positive life lessons and igniting a love of reading at a critical time in kids’ lives.

“I didn’t get into this thinking, ‘Hey, I’m going to sell a million books. I’m going to retire a millionaire.’ My intent is just to tell stories about my dogs that were relatable to things that siblings go through, that kids go through.”

It seems the retired Navy Chief Petty Officer caught literary lightning in a bottle. After all, his books began publication last December. It seemed an unlikely path for someone who grew up the son of a pianist and followed his two older brothers into the Navy, where he was drawn to engineering.

“Growing up in New York, I was maybe a little bit of a nerd. But I participated in all the sports and stuff,” he said.

After an engineering-focused military career, he moved to teaching with an emphasis on engineering and science. He holds degrees from Samford University, and graduate degrees from Jacksonville State and Liberty University (Educational Specialist and Doctor of Education degrees).

Growing up, a love of music – classical and classic rock – and of reading were his earliest influences, perhaps planting the seeds for a budding author.

“As a product of the 1980s, we didn’t have the things that we have today,” he said. “We didn’t have the internet. We grew up outside.”

But when harsh winter weather hit, things changed. “Being from the North…when we were in the house during those long winter months, we were forced to play our instruments and read. I was a reader.”

Samoranski fears that a passion for books may be lost, one that impacts classroom performance.

“I see that far too often,” he said. “The problems that a lot of these children have these days is because they don’t read. That is the stem of a lot of the academic issues that we have with these kids. They’re so interested in instant gratification with cell phones and social media that they don’t know how to read more than two or three sentences. They don’t know how to visualize stories in their minds as they’re reading the words… That hurts.”

Samoranski hopes the Lacey Jo and Savannah Adventure series will change that.

“When all of this happened with the dogs … As a doctor, I’ve done a lot of writing. With my love of reading and my propensity for writing, it all just came together.”

Seven grandchildren and two daughters – all who love reading – also helped ignite the series.

“I want to provide reading materials and stories that my grandkids are going to enjoy,” he said. “It just all came together – the love of reading and the writing and the grandkids and the dogs.”

As for the Goldendoodle sisters, a medical setback for Lacey Jo – the oldest – prompted the books.

In August 2025, “She started pawing at her eyes,” Samoranski said.

Dr. Samoranski walks the real Lacey Jo and Savannah in the Lakeside Park loop he references in book

Two days later, after a visit to the vet and treatment with eye drops, Lacey Jo was still pawing at her eyes and bumping into things. A specialist determined she had inflammation that, if untreated, would lead to glaucoma.

Within four days, Lacey was blind in her right eye and had only 25 percent vision in her left eye. It was a heart-wrenching time. Goldendoodles do not generally get glaucoma, and other breeds that develop the condition don’t do so until they are 13 or 14 years of age.

“For her to be five years old and to have this condition was devastating for us. I needed a coping mechanism,” Samoranski said. “And that mechanism was the writing of the books. We have thousands of pictures and all of these stories and all these different things that had happened, so I decided I was going to start writing the books and gear them obviously toward kids.”

The books explore themes that kids deal with on a daily basis – understanding teamwork, sharing, helping, and supporting others, for example – are issues Samoranski sees in the pups. Artificial intelligence was used to help transform family photos of Lacey Jo and Savannah into lively, colorful illustrations on the printed page.

“There are a lot of things that happen with kids and with siblings, but here it’s happening with my dogs,” Samoranski said. “As their relationship and their bond continued to flourish, and they would have these adventures, it struck me that these are the same things that happen with toddlers and with younger kids. So I just started writing.”

He added, “The books are perfect for bedtime stories, grandparents and parents reading to early readers. I start from the point of ‘What are the girls doing?’ That natural engagement, that kind of shows us a story in action, an emotion, and how can that relate to kids?”

His seventh title will be in bookstores and online soon. But Samoranski, who’s been teaching since 1992, has completed 18 stories so far. So, Lacey Jo and Savannah will be romping through childhood imagination for years to come.

“Everybody has a side hustle,” Samoranski said, “and I guess (the books) have turned into that for me.”

For more information about the adventures of Lacey Jo and Savannah, visit www.goldendoodlesisters.com.

Veterans taking veterans boating

Finding fellowship on Logan Martin Lake

Story by Paul South
Submitted photos

Patriotism filled the air and boat wakes cut across Lake Logan Martin as veterans came together, not for duty, but for fellowship, gratitude and a day of well-deserved appreciation.

Houston Project, a veterans assistance program based in Pell City, hosted the Second Annual Veterans Taking Veterans Boating event on May 20.

Five boats captained by Navy, Air Force and Army veterans took 19 residents from the Col. Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home out on the water for a morning filled with sunshine, laughter and connection.

“Their smiles said it all,” said Michelle Tumlin, founder of Houston Project. “We could tell they were making wonderful memories.”

Dawn Lovell, a Navy veteran, talks with fellow vet at lunch

Houston Project was founded in honor of Tumlin’s son, Houston Tumlin, an Army veteran who died by suicide in 2021. The non-profit organization provides financial assistance, connects veterans with critical resources and raises awareness about PTSD, depression and suicide.

“A main focus for us is to love on veterans as much as we can,” Tumlin said. “We want them to know they are not forgotten once the uniform comes off. Too many struggle in silence, and if we can bring even a few moments of joy, connection or hope, then we are doing exactly what Houston would have wanted.”

The Veterans Taking Veterans Boating event was founded by Dawn Lovell, a Navy veteran and a member of the board of directors for Houston Project.

“I started this event because I wanted veterans to have the chance to connect with one another in a peaceful, uplifting environment,” Lovell said. “There is something healing about being on the water, and when veterans are serving veterans, it creates a bond that words can’t fully describe.”

After a few hours on Lake Logan Martin, the veterans, staff members from the Veterans Home and Houston Project volunteers fellowshipped at Lakeside Park with a lunch of smoked pork chops, chicken, macaroni and cheese, baked beans and banana pudding catered by Russell and Cindy Howard.

Michelle Tumlin, founder of Houston Project

“We are incredibly grateful to the staff at the Veterans Home for the love and care they give every day, and to the volunteers who showed up and worked tirelessly to make this event possible,” Tumlin said. “This truly takes a village, and ours is full of people who deeply care about our veterans.”

Organizers said the timing of the boating event was intentional – held in the days leading up to Memorial Day.

“We hold this event so close to Memorial Day because it reminds us that service does not end when someone leaves the military,” Lovell said. “It’s a way to honor those who served and those who never came home while still celebrating those who are here with us.”

As Memorial Day approached, Tumlin also reflected on the families who carry the loss of their loved ones.

“Memorial Day is not just about remembrance,” she said. “It’s a day for gratitude and grief to exist side by side. We honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice, and we also honor the families that continue to carry that loss every single day. Their sacrifice lives on, and they should never be forgotten.” l

Editor’s Note: For more information about Houston Project, go to www.houston-project.org or visit Houston Project headquarters at 1916 Cogswell Ave., Pell City.

River Relics

Lake treasures tell storied history of the Coosa and its people

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by David Smith and Courtesy of Archaeological Research, The University of Alabama

Have you ever found an arrowhead or broken pottery on your property and began to wonder about the history of the place on which you stood?

Maybe you started picturing a Native American encampment near the banks of the river. You might have even imagined what the river might have looked like thousands of years ago when the first Native Americans arrived in North America and the American Mastodon and giant ground sloths still roamed Alabama.

Without a doubt, there is much notable history documented around Logan Martin and Neely Henry lakes. For thousands of years the ancestors of the Mvskoke (Creek) people inhabited the area and left behind pottery sherds, arrowheads and other projectile points. Building towns and cities, these people raised their families along the banks of the river and traded their available goods for those they needed.

Protecting and preserving items that surface on the edges of Logan Martin and Neely Henry is coordinated through the efforts of Alabama Power’s Environmental Affairs department. Bill Gardner has worked for over 20 years in environmental affairs for the company, and he shared with members of the Logan Martin Lake Protection Association examples of items that have been found in and around the lake over the last several decades.

Sampling of various kinds of projectile points found along the Coosa

“Around the Coosa, we’ve found pipes, soap stones, nutting stones, grinding bowls, round scrapers, fishhooks made of bone, and lots of pottery,” shared Gardner.

“While most of the items collected by our archaeologists are safely stored for use by researchers and future generations, we often make reproductions of projectile points and vessels so we can share with people what they would have looked like and discuss how they would have been used. Tammy Beane, a Ft. Payne artist, recreates the pottery vessels based on her extensive research into the manufacturing techniques and designs created by the original indigenous artists.”

Most of the original artifacts are stored at the Erskine Ramsay Repository in Moundville, Alabama.  The center is run by The University of Alabama Museums. The museum’s Office of Archaeological Research is one of the contractors Alabama Power Company uses to help protect cultural resources around their lakes.

Matthew Gage, Ph.D., RPA, is director of the program and explains that in the time since human occupation around the Coosa River began roughly 13,000 years ago, there have been many different types of finds, and their discoveries reveal how the land was used in various time periods.

“There are very few Paleoindian artifacts in the Coosa River drainage, but in subsequent millennia, other people left behind projectile points, stone knives, grinding stones, soapstone bowls, stone axes and celts,” explains Gage. “Pottery began to be made in the Coosa Valley sometime around 600 BC.” 

By 1400 AD, the Coosa Valley was occupied by the Mvskoke people (Muscogee), who were known to be heavily involved in the European fur trade. “Artifacts from this period include everything from beads traded or given as gifts by the Hernando DeSoto expedition to gun flints and brass buckets.

“Later, the establishment of ferries across the river and river boat travel are incredibly interesting and left behind unique artifacts from boilers to forged barge nails,” said Gage.

Several earthworks have been found all along the river at various crossing points due to the region’s involvement in the Civil War. The establishment of river towns and communities dependent on access to the river for shipping of their agricultural products left behind remnants of shipping wharves and farming implements.

One of the interesting cultural sites found on the Coosa included remnants of a large Mississippian village dated to around A.D. 1150. “It had two moats dug around the outside and a palisade of vertically set posts that surrounded the village on all but the river side,” describes Gage.

Roasting pit with fire-cracked rock exposed on shoreline

“Several of the sites in the area from this time period are fortified and are likely reflective of the changing times when people were migrating into the area and those already in the valley were trying to protect themselves from invaders. We know that the Cherokee were working their way down from the north and may have been conducting raids on the Mvskoke inhabitants of the area.”

There are hundreds of archaeological sites that have been identified along the Coosa River. Investigations on many of them continue today. The archaeologists working with Alabama Power access the sites from boats. Well identified as researchers, these archaeologists will readily offer their credentials to landowners concerned about their work along the shoreline.

One of those boats appeared near the home of Naomi Kircus about 10 years ago. She lives on the Talladega side of Logan Martin Lake and witnessed an archaeological dig in front of her home. That site produced several pieces of broken pottery. “There were two guys in a boat, both archaeology students,” Kircus recalls. “They found where there had been a fire pit next door to my house.”

Artifacts found around the lake are fascinating to find and help to tell the story of those who enjoyed these waters before us.

Residents finding and keeping arrowheads from their own property is not an issue. Things found in the water, at water’s edge, and in the lakebed at drawdown levels are the issue. Alabama Power does not own the river channel but does own land outside of the channel to differing levels on each lake. Alabama Power ensures the protection and preservation of these artifacts and archaeological sites as part of the National Historic Preservation Act.

As exciting as it is to find relics and artifacts, their part of the story is diminished when residents collect and keep them. “Artifacts tell the story of our past,” says Gage. “Their context is just as important as the items themselves.”

Gage uses the analogy of a book to further explain what happens when people collect artifacts from a site. “The artifacts and features are like the words in a book,” he says. “When they’re all there, it’s easy to read and understand what’s going on. But every time you take away one of those artifacts or destroy one of the features, it’s like taking away the words.” The fewer the words, the harder the story is to understand.

If you do stumble across what you believe is an artifact or incidents of artifact looting, contact your Alabama Power Shorelines office. Leave the item or feature undisturbed. Document its location and photograph the find. And finally, avoid the possibility of further looting by not publicly sharing the location of the artifact. Enjoy the moment and the find, but allow the artifact to tell its true story in context.

Restock Alabama

Working to preserve our lakes and their legacy for generations

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

For anyone who’s ever wet a line on the Coosa, landing a big bass is the dream. The odds for hooking a trophy fish will improve in a few years, thanks to the work of local boat dealers, private businesses and Auburn University in an initiative called Restock Alabama. Some 50,000 Northern Strain largemouth bass have been added to the fish population.

Lee Holmes, whose family has owned Sylacauga Marine for 64 years, spearheaded the initiative.

Restock Alabama began its work three years ago at Sylacauga Marine, where the Holmes family, several avid anglers and Auburn researchers began to talk about how to improve fishing on the river and its companion lakes.

“We really thought we should be working toward making our lakes better,” Holmes said. “We’re not saying that the lakes aren’t good right now, because they are some of the best in the world. We just want to make them better than they are.”

For Holmes and that core group, it was about more than boosting the fish population. It’s about sustainability for future generations.

The Holmes family may have the oldest marine dealership in the South, he said. “We’re all getting older,” said the 63-year-old Holmes. “We’ve all got kids, and we’ve all got . grandkids. “We just want (businesses and the high quality of life on the river) to continue. We just want to run businesses and continue to make money off the Coosa River; tournaments and people just going fishing and having fun catching fish. Just to sustain the Coosa to do what it has done for us over my lifetime.”

Tournament anglers helped lead the Restock Alabama charge.

“As tournament fishermen, we knew we could do better at taking care of our fish, that we could do better sustaining the lake by doing some restocking,” Holmes said.

The anglers and boat dealers teamed up with the Alabama Department of Natural Resources and Phil Boozer at America’s First Credit Union to start. America’s First contributed $5,000 in seed money for the five-year Logan Martin Lake restocking project.

“If you do it five (years), our biologist said you make a big difference,” Holmes said. “If you do it one, you don’t know if you’re making much of a difference or not.”

According to its website (restockalabama.com), the organization is a “community-driven nonprofit focusing on restocking bass in Alabama waters. The Coosa is first on the organization’s agenda. But long term, Restock wants to build bass populations in all of the state’s waterways with a long-term goal of creating a statewide network of restoration efforts.

“This isn’t about one business or one person,” according to the website. “This is about the entire community coming together to protect what we love – our waters, our fish and our future.”

Restock Alabama has no paid employees. Every dollar raised goes to the restocking effort. The organization works with certified fisheries and marine biologists to ensure safe and effective fish population building practices.

In year one, the project released 20,000 fish at a cost of about $17,000, all donated by the original core group.

“Nobody has taken one dollar of Restock money and spent it for anything other than a fish,” Holmes said. “That’s all we spend it on. Every dollar buys a fish”

Other boat dealers – the Lumpkin family at Buck’s Island Marine, Ken Hollis at Airport Marine and Steve Navarre at Wetumpka Marine Electronics – joined the Holmes family effort, along with White River Marine Group and every tournament trail in Alabama to support Restock. Now at tournaments on the trails, each team contributes $10 for Restock at every tournament.

For Holmes, it was an easy sell.

“That worked. All those guys wanted to do it. I did not have to argue with a single one. Now, every tournament trail you can think of in Alabama is collecting that $10 per team for Restock at every tournament.”

High school tournament trails soon followed suit, collecting $5 per team. Now, tournament trails from above Birmingham to south of Montgomery contribute to Restock Alabama.

 Major boat brands, Ranger, Triton and Nitro have also joined the effort, contributing $10,000. America’s First has continued to make annual contributions. This year, the organization has raised $45,000.

“We doubled our fish that we were able to put into the lake this year, and we’ll do it again next year,” Holmes said. “That got us up from 20,000 fish to 50,000 in year two. Next year, we’ll do 100,000 fish. American Sport Fish and Auburn contributed fish and expertise.

American Sport Fish, a hatchery that provided the minnows, also made a donation, contributing $11,000 worth of free fish, Holmes said. The company’s hatcheries are located in Alabama and Texas and is one of the largest producers of freshwater fish in the Southeast.

“They’re guiding us down the path of what we should be doing,” Holmes said of American Sport Fish and Auburn University. “That’s why we put in Northern Strain Largemouth.”

Unlike Florida Strain Largemouth, the Northern Strain bass grow faster and thrive in colder waters. Reaching a maximum weight of six to 10 pounds, the fish are aggressive and can thrive in a wide range of habitat, making them a good fit for the Coosa and its lakes. Alabama’s rivers and lakes have long been home to the Northern Strain. There are advantages to hatchery-raised fish.

“It has a lot better genetics in it than one you can get out of the lake that was raised at the lake,” Holmes said. “These are raised to be five-star athletes … and to change Logan Martin into a five-star athlete fish lake.”

Restock Alabama has plans for the entire Coosa River.

“We’re going to do a fish release in conjunction with the City of Gadsden and the Coosa River Team Trail in the fall,” Holmes said. “We’re going to stock Neely Henry again in the fall. We don’t know the number of fish, or the amount of money yet, but we’re going to do a significant stocking there in the fall,” Holmes said.

Lay Lake is benefitting, too. “We’re going to do another one in conjunction with Airport Marine on Lay Lake in the fall. We’re just getting this thing started.”

Restock Alabama is drawing attention statewide. The nonprofit has been contacted by interested parties near the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and Huntsville-area lakes.

“This thing is exploding,” Holmes said.

 Homes described the anticipated impact of the Restock Alabama effort. “I think it’s going to change the size that fish are weighing in. It may be three to four years before they start showing.”

Holmes hopes that one day, Logan Martin and other Alabama lakes will mirror Lay Lake, long regarded as the best bass fishing lake on the Coosa.

“To this day, Lay Lake is still the premier big fish lake on the Coosa River. It truly is,” Holmes said. “You’ve got to have at least 25 pounds to win a tournament down there. I think you will see Logan Martin go into that category when what we’re doing starts taking effect. It’s also going to give people a better opportunity to just catch fish.”

He added, “At worst, we fed all the fish that were in there – 50,000 minnows the other day – at best 30 to 40 percent of those minnows survive, and we’ve got way bigger numbers of our fish in the future. Either way, you won’t do anything but make it better.”

Beyond trophy fish and bass tournament titles, Restock Alabama is about preserving Alabama lakes and rivers for future generations – a legacy of love of the water and fishing.

Holmes remembers the first fish he ever caught while crappie fishing with his Dad on the Coosa. “I never let go of the pole. I’ve tournament fished all my life. I’ve play-fished all my life. Most of my life, I was on the Coosa River. We just all love the Coosa. My family has made a living on it.

“I just don’t want it to end after I’m gone. I want it here for my son to enjoy and my grandson to enjoy. I want everyone to continue to do what we’ve always done.” l

Editor’s Note: For more information, or to donate to Restock Alabama, visit restockalabama.com.

Ohatchee in the spotlight

Visit Calhoun County video series highlights water, history and regional tourism

Ohatchee’s story begins with the water.

That’s the message behind a new Calhoun County Tourism video highlighting the town, its history and its connection to Neely Henry Lake as part of a broader effort to promote communities across the region and state.

Cher Dulaney, Calhoun County tourism director, said the video is part of a series that began in January with aim of exploring the county and sharing those experiences with anyone interested in this part of Alabama..

“We started a series to explore Calhoun County as a whole,” she said.

The Ohatchee video was released just ahead of Memorial Day weekend, timed to the start of summer and built in large part around Neely Henry.

“Neely Henry is a huge asset to the city of Ohatchee,” Dulaney said.

The video, produced by Simply Data Marketing, includes footage shot by boat and drone, with scenes of the lake, dam and areas around Ohatchee. Dulaney was on the shoot with the marketing team. Thomas Shelton, who has an Alfa Insurance Agency in historic downtown Oxford, provided the boat and helped make the lake footage possible.

Shelton also has been active in efforts to bring fishing tournament activity into Calhoun County and the surrounding region and is an avid angler himself.

Dulaney said you have to take a big-picture approach to promoting the lake and the area because lake business does not stop at city or county lines.

The same is true, she said, for other regional draws, including Cheaha State Park and Talladega Superspeedway. Visitors may come for one destination, but their trip often includes hotels, restaurants, gas, groceries and shopping in nearby communities.

For Ohatchee and surrounding communities, the lake has that same kind of spillover impact. People headed to the water may stop in Alexandria, Anniston, Oxford or along the Highway 431 corridor before spending time on Neely Henry.

“It has an economic impact when people are coming in and preparing for their day or weekend on the water,” she said.

Dulaney said the videos are being produced for Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, where travelers increasingly find ideas for day trips and weekend plans. The county also is working through a website redesign, with plans to make the videos available there for people who are not on every social media platform.

The goal, she said, is not only to reach visitors but also to remind residents what is available close to home.

“Sometimes you’re going through your daily life and you don’t really see what we have,” Dulaney said.

That awareness effort extends beyond Ohatchee. Dulaney pointed to Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Choccolocco Creek, Lake Yahou at Ft. McClellan and other outdoor attractions as part of the local story.

“Our region as a whole is so outstanding, and every little pocket of our region has a little something different to offer,” she said.

For Calhoun County Tourism, the Ohatchee video is one more piece of that larger effort — showing the water, history and small-town character that make the community part of the region’s tourism draw. “Awareness is the main vision that we have,” Dulaney said, “to make sure we’re increasing the awareness of what makes these places so special throughout Calhoun County and the region.”

Follow Visit Calhoun County on facebook, Instagram & Tictok and check out their website at visitcalhouncounty.com

Meet Etowah County’s new tourism director

Anna Lindsey-Brown grew up on the family farm in Cherokee County near Centre. Cotton and soybeans were the staples of her formative learning in her early years, so when it was time to go to college, she naturally majored in what was familiar – Agribusiness.

After graduating from Auburn University, her career path began at the Little River Canyon Center in Ft. Payne. The director was looking for someone to run the newly created gift shop for the partnership between the National Park Service and Jacksonville State University.

The director chose her, and she helped build it into a $200,000 a year business that welcomes half a million visitors, wielding an economic impact of $16 million annually.

Recognizing the value of such experience, the Etowah County Tourism Board chose Lindsey-Brown to lead its tourism effort into the future. “A Northeast Alabama native with a strong background in tourism, events, and community engagement, Anna brings fresh energy and a passion for showcasing everything that makes Etowah County a premier destination,” the Board said in naming her executive director.

“I come from a tourist attraction,” Lindsey-Brown said, and she looks forward to putting her experience to work for Etowah County. While in school, she also served another tourist attraction – Jules Collins Smith Museum of Art in Auburn.

Because Greater Gadsden Tourism is a countywide role, she said, “you can make a bigger impact. There are a lot of things going on in Etowah County. I’m excited to be a part of it.”

Her first weeks have been invested in getting to know the community by attending meetings, ribbon cuttings and local events while connecting with leaders, businesses and tourism partners across the county.

Highlights have included the grand openings of the Challenger Learning Center and The Bluff Amphitheater, as well as attending Arts Trail on Broad and many other community events.

As tourism continues its upward momentum across the region, Greater Gadsden Area Tourism is focused on “promoting our unique venues, excellent lodging partners, upcoming events, local shopping and dining and the incredible outdoor adventures that make Etowah County special.”

Lindsey-Brown agreed. “There is so much positive momentum happening across Etowah County,” she said. “I’m truly grateful for the warm welcome and excited to help continue telling the story of our communities.”

Catchin’ the Coosa July 2026

Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin

Logan Martin can be a tricky lake during the months of July and August. However, these two months are still great times to fish if you know where to look.

Specifically talking about July, there are still plenty of offshore fish to be found. Fish may be in offshore brush piles or actual schools. If you find schools of fish, they tend to move around a lot this time year, so you may have to play chase with them!

You must keep an open mind and use your electronics to stay on them. The schools may move from where you previously found them, but they will usually stay within eyesight from where they were.

Once I’ve found a school, I will typically try to catch the active ones first. Usually, the biggest in the school will eat first. My first bait of choice is always a deep diving crankbait. The reason the crankbait is always a good first choice is it allows you to get back in a school more quickly if the fish choose to bite.

If the school doesn’t seem to want to bite, or maybe there’s a lack of current in the system, I will reach for either a flutter spoon or a hair jig. These two baits are a little more subtle than the crankbait and will trigger bites if the fish are not as active.

Transitioning into the month of August, for me, brush piles and docks start to play a major role in catching bass. Once the schools start to break up after being pressured all summer long from being fished on hard, these fish will usually branch off and start getting in brush more heavily.

My favorite depth to target these fish is in anywhere from 10-15 feet of water. A couple of baits you might want to try are a crankbait or a finesse jig. Typically, I let the fish tell me what they want.

If you have a low pressure day (during the week), usually they’ll be more in the mood to chase the crankbait down and eat. On the other hand, the jig is a lot better option if it is slick calm, sunny with a lot of boat traffic.

Give these tips a try during the hottest part of the year, and you might find the dog days of summer are not so bad after all.

Neely Henry

Neely Henry has always been a good summertime lake in years past for me. Anglers can catch fish from a foot of water all the way out to 20 feet of water.

Typically, my better-than-average-size fish will come shallow, especially early in the morning. I will usually target the area from the Highway 77 bridge section down.

Early in the morning, I will always start with either a hollow body frog or swim jig, trying to cover as much water as possible. This allows me to pick off those active fish in the lower light.

I will either look for willow grass or seawalls on the main river to start with. If there is plentiful cloud cover, I will stay shallow either a lot longer or all day if the fish are still showing activity. If the sun does decide to show up, that’s when I’ll move a little deeper.

Typically, in July, there will still be schools of fish to be found. These schools can either be found on roadbeds, long points and ledges. My first cast in these schools – just like Logan Martin – will be a crankbait. Once the school shuts down, I will play cleanup with either a jig or a drop shot.

Once August rolls around, I will still have the same morning routine as July. The only difference is that I will start mixing in a lot more dock fishing. The reason is much like Logan Martin, the schools are broken up from either pressure or maybe even lack of oxygen out deep if there hasn’t been any rain.

I will usually keep my bait selection pretty simple. I start out with either a finesse jig or Texas rigged senko. These two baits will get bit no matter what the conditions might be.

I will usually target docks anywhere from one foot to 10 feet. You have to let the fish tell you what they’re doing on any particular day.

Keep an open mind on the dog days of summer on Neely Henry and let the fish tell you where you need to be.

Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate champion and is now a professional angler on the B.A.S.S. tour circuit and is a fishing guide. Learn more about Zeke at: zekegossettfishing.com.

Coosa River Swim Guide

Jump into Swim Guide 2026! From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Coosa Riverkeeper and our team of Seasonal Employees take to the water to test popular swimming holes, so you can get the skinny before you dip!

What are we testing for? E. coli, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and more! We use a simple stoplight system so you know when is the best time to jump in! Green = low E. coli, yellow = moderate E. coli, red = high E. coli.

Swim Guide helps families and communities make informed decisions on where it is safe to swim, emphasizes the importance of clean water, and where we like to jump in for a swim! All of the data collected from this program is made free to the public all through the summer.

Check out our social media every Friday at noon to see the current status of over 40 swimming sites across the Coosa! We can’t wait to see you on the water!

Follow Coosa Riverkeeper on Facebook & Instagram @CoosaRiverkeeper
For more information, swim over to www.CoosaRiver.org.

Lakeside Live

Music festival and more returning to Logan Martin Lake

Story by Paul South
Photos by Strides Media

Tricked-out cars, tasty eats, talented artists, crafts artisans and red-hot local bands return to Lakeside Park this fall for the sixth annual Lakeside Live Musicfest, set for Sept. 19,

The free event that’s a can’t-miss fall festival in the Logan Martin area, also benefits local charities and celebrates veterans and local first responders.

Musicfest Executive Director Casey Cambron is pumped up for another great family-friendly event, which last year drew some 6,000 people, generating about $25,000 for local charities.

“Our goal every year is to donate at least $20,000 to at least one major charity,” Cambron said. “That’s always a goal.”

He added, “We’re going to help as many people as we can. Our goal is to give back to our community where we can have the most impact. We’re going to donate to multiple charities, of course. Last year we donated to nine organizations. Some were charities, some were organizations like (Pell City) Parks and Recreation to help with park upkeep.”

Battle of the Badges a fierce competition

The festival, put on by the nonprofit Five16 Foundation Cambron founded, helps veterans’ groups and child-focused charities as well.

Food and drink, apparel, arts and crafts will be available for sale. Admittance is free, thanks to the generous support of business sponsors, large and small, ranging from Keith Clements and Lakeside Boathouse, Rodney’s Marine and LakeLife 24/7, to committed small businesses like Reba’s Weiner Wagon.

As an aside, Reba’s enters a muscle car in the Lakeside Musicfest car show each year.

“Every time I walked in the door, whether it was a small sponsor or a big sponsor, they were in. The community supports it, and we could not have this show without it,” Cambron said. “All of them tied together makes it great.”

Music for every taste – from country to R&B to rock – will provide the backbeat for the festival. The gates open at 10 a.m.

Popular Birmingham-based band Deputy Five will be the headliner, covering tunes by country legends like Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash to Southern rock, like Lynyrd Shynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama.

“We try to have music that hits all the genres that hits home for anybody who comes out,” Cambron said.

As for the festival’s annual car show, some 250 vehicles are expected. Not only does the competition reflect competitors’ pride in their cars and trucks, it also puts community pride on display. The Pell City High School wrestling team helps with logistics of the popular event within an event.

“I’m a car guy. I’ve hosted many, many car shows.” Cambron said. “The car scene really turns out for this event and really, really supports it big. That’s one of the coolest factors of it, seeing a lot of cool cars come out, whether it’s a lifted car or lifted truck, low cars or low trucks to classic cars. It’s all over the place. We raise a lot of money on just the car show side.”

Entry for the car show is $20 per vehicle. It’s a judged show, with 75 or more awards given to winners.

For Denise Olivastri, a member of the Foundation’s board of directors, it’s more than a fun event, it’s a celebration of giving back to the community, supporting local causes in Pell City and across St. Clair County.

“This is more than just a music festival,” she said. “Giving back feels great, because it connects us to something larger than ourselves, and we couldn’t achieve our mission and vision without our generous sponsors, donors, vendors and all (the people) that attend and support us every year.”

Car show a huge draw

And in America’s 250th year of independence, the festival represents the spirit of Pell City and St. Clair County, Cambron said. A big part of the festival, the annual “Battle of the Badges,” a good-natured competition between police and firefighters, helps build bonds with the community, Cambron said. “Usually in town, most people don’t get to know our police and fire department. It’s usually in a stressful situation. It’s fun to get to know our police and firefighters,” he said. “The people get to know first responders in a positive light.”

To celebrate the nation’s birthday at the same time makes it even more spcial. “As a group, we love our community so much. Two-fifty is a cool number for what we do. We love to support our police and fire departments. We love to support our veterans in the area, whether it’s a big year like this one or not. We really cherish what we have here.”

For Cambron, who’s hosted successful car shows across America, the festival says something about the magic of St. Clair County.

“I myself have been a lot more involved in our community with Chamber (of Commerce) events, with Rotary events, and I’ve started to see that Pell City and St. Clair County are unlike anywhere I’ve ever been,” he said. “Nothing has been as successful as the way I’ve done things in Pell City. I think that’s because in Pell City, there’s a different atmosphere. There’s a larger love for community here than I’ve ever seen anywhere else.”

Cambron defines the tremendous response. “Every year, we hope to have a good turnout, and every year we do. It doesn’t surprise us. It humbles us.”

The mission of Lakeside Musicfest and the Five16 Foundation is simply, “to shine a light in the world,” Cambron said.

The event brings “energy, excitement and hometown pride to Pell City and St. Clair County.” Referencing the mission, Olivastri added, “Events like ours shine a positive light in our city, in addition to generating tourism and encouraging economic activity. It’s a wonderful feeling to see the impact it has.”

Pedaling & paddling

Gadsden gives you more ways to enjoy Neely Henry Lake

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

Most days from his house on Neely Henry Lake, while sipping his morning coffee and reading his devotion, Dave Tumlin takes even more comfort in a familiar sight, his neighbors kayaking the glassy calm waters.

Later in the day when four pedal boats at Gadsden’s Coosa Landing – built in the likenesses of a duck, a dragon and two swans – are ready for passengers, Julie Tucker gets ready to smile.

On Neely Henry, there’s a new kayak launch at Coosa Landing, where pedal boats are already wildly popular, giving residents and visitors two more ways to chart a course for fun on the water.

Here’s a gander at each:

A New Kayak and Canoe Launch

For Tumlin, president of the Neely Henry Lake Association, it’s always wonderful at the lake.”

It’s even better when more people are provided with access like the new kayak/canoe launch that includes a new dock. The launch, built in partnership with the City of Gadsden and funded by a grant from the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) 2025 Waterway Enhancement Program, opened May 4. The ASRT sponsors the Great Alabama 650, America’s longest paddle boat race.

The new Neely Henry launch is the second kayak launch spearheaded by the NHLA. The first was built in 2024 in Rainbow City, a project also funded by a grant from the ASRT.

The launch is located at Coosa Landing, on the east Gadsden side of the Broad Street Bridge.

“There’s a big launching area there,” Tumlin said. “There are a lot of fishing tournaments that work out of that area, as well as people who just want to get out on the lake.”

The site also includes signage that includes QR codes that provide directions, as well as information about ASRT, localities and the NHLA. QR  code users also have the opportunity to respond to a short survey and provide feedback.

“It’s really neat to be able to have that convenience now,” Tumlin said.

The NHLA got an unexpected blessing. When the supplier for construction materials learned the association was a non-profit, he gave a discount. The NHLA turned the unexpected windfall over to the City of Gadsden to help offset costs of the new dock at the launch, Tumlin said.

The new launch – and the pedal boats – give residents and visitors an opportunity to take to the water, something they otherwise might not be able to do, Tumlin said. The launch has a lift, making it easier to access the lake for people with disabilities or other mobility challenges.

“Kayaking is a growing sport,” Tumlin said. “The more people you can get out on this water, the better it is. It’s neat to see the paddling sports. It’s eco-friendly. It’s quiet … You’re so close to the water, the shoreline, if you want to be. You’re totally connected.”

Tumlin, a pontoon boat owner whose family has been part of the Neely Henry community since the 1960s, believes the new launch strikes a balance between protecting the environment while at the same time allowing greater access to the lake.

“It’s important to have people out there,” he said. “If you can’t afford a pontoon or any of that other (motorized watercraft), you can do this in a different way that’s less impactful. I love my pontoon … But it’s nice to shut that thing down and just float and get one with (nature). By paddling, that’s a much, much better way to do that.”

A pedal-powered menagerie at Coosa Landing

These ladies are from Ireland and chose to top in Coosa Landing to ride the pedal boats

For the second summer, Coosa Landing is featuring a mini-menagerie of animal-themed pedal boats. For Julie Tucker, administrative supervisor at Gadsden’s growing entertainment district, the small fleet is another source of fun for locals and visitors alike.

“The (boats) are on the same side slough as the kayak lift,” Tucker said. “It’s $20 an hour for the first hour and $15 for each additional hour,” Tucker said. Each boat seats five, but two pedal. Life jackets are required and are provided on site.  The boats are available from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. At least one passenger must be 18 or older.

Weather plays a role in  pedal boat availability. Winds have to be less than 10 miles per hour. There can be no lightning, thunder or storms in the area.

The boats may be moved to a side slough – on some fishing tournament Saturdays, if the event of an especially large competition. “So far, that hasn’t happened, Tucker said.

The boats were extremely popular in their first year. But powering the boats is “a lot of work,” Tucker said.

“I can’t tell you how many calls we get every day about the pedal boats,” she said. “They are a safe thing to do. We’ve never had one to turn over. For the most part, we have a lot of respect. When a  (motorized craft) sees a pedal boat, they try to move away from them  and leave them alone. They know it’s just a family having fun.”

The boats have rightly earned rave reviews.

“People see them; they love them. People will see them when they’re driving down the road and come in and say, ‘Hey, what have I gotta do?’ They’ll have fun.”

The pedal boats fit neatly into Gadsden’s plan to turn the city into a fun destination.

“The thing I’ve noticed about Mayor Ford is that he loves to see families have fun,” Tucker said. “He loves to bring in opportunities for families to have fun. He’s all about giving Gadsden something to do. You know, it’s exercise.”

She added, “People love to see these boats going up and down the lake and for  Gadsden to have fun things going on.”

Children love the pedal boats. In fact, Tucker’s grandkids are big fans.

“There’s not a kid that comes through here that doesn’t want to ride the pedal boats,” Tucker said.

Tucker’s reward comes in the form of big, toothy grins, the same ones  sparked by the ice rink, bumper cars and Christmas tree during  Gadsden’s season, or the Lantern Festival at Noccalula Falls, for example.

“It’s almost like a Six Flags ride,” Tucker said. “(Pedal boat passengers) are tired. They’re hot. But they’re smiling. It’s something about being out on the water. It makes everything in your life seem a little bit less severe. That’s something I’ve noticed. There’s something about the water.”

Editor’s Note: For more information about Gadsden’s pedal boats, call 256-549-4677.

For more information about the Neely Henry Lake Association, visit neelyhenrylake.org, or call 256-368-5200.