By Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin 

The months of May and June on Logan Martin can sometimes leave fish in a post-spawn funk, but maybe these tips can help you catch a few more bass during this time frame.

In early May, you can find shad spawns early in the morning. You’re going to find shad spawning around docks and seawalls. You will know when you see one because shad will be running up and down dock posts and seawalls.

Watch for bass schooling and eating these baitfish. My favorite baits for a shad spawn are a spinnerbait and topwater walking bait.

Once the sun gets up, the shad spawning action will end, and fishing usually tends to slow down. I will still fish shallow docks with either a jig or wacky rigged stick bait.

Once we get into the month of June, I will start my search out deep. Fish will tend to school up offshore on long points and river ledges.

My main two baits out deep are a deep diving crankbait and swimbait. Having good current flow is key for this bite as well. This helps the fish group up and feed.

If you can find an active school, you can load the boat quickly. 

Neely Henry 

Neely Henry in May and June are some of the best times to fish this lake.

I keep it super simple when it comes to fishing Neely Henry these two months. In early May, you can still find a shad spawn on seawalls and grass.

A white swim jig is a deadly bait around these areas where shad are spawning. The swim jig allows you to cover a lot of water fast in order to find active fish.

Once the sun goes up, I tend to stay shallow at Neely Henry in both months. I will target grass and docks on the mid to lower end of the lake with a finesse jig and chatterbait. I keep these two baits locked into my hand until I find the active fish that are feeding.

A lot of fish will live shallow on this lake year round. It might be a grind-up shallow, but that is where you’re going to find your bigger bites.

Editor’s Note:

Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate championand 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.

Newlyweds embrace lake life, life together a perfect recipe

Story by Scottie Vickery | Photos by Kelsey Bain

Mealtime at William and Lindsey Weller’s Logan Martin Lake home takes a lot of planning. It’s not so much the menu that requires extra thought; it’s more about logistics.

She works three nights a week as a labor and delivery nurse in Birmingham. He works days as an aortic clinical specialist and travels all over the state, so the young newlyweds are constantly juggling crazy schedules. That’s why, on several weekdays, they often rely on a meal kit home delivery company so they can sit down each night and share a meal together.

“It’s just so easy,” William said of the meals that arrive with pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. “You don’t have to worry about going out or going to the grocery store, and it’s pretty healthy. I don’t mind cooking; I just don’t like figuring out what to cook.”

When they do have a little more time, they love sharing the duties in the kitchen. “I’m more of a recipe follower, and he’s more of an eye-baller,” Lindsey said, and William agreed. “I’m a dash of this and dash of that, and it works out most of the time,” he said. “If it tastes good, it worked. If it doesn’t, I know not to do it again.”

One meal they’ve mastered, seared ahi tuna and twice-baked potatoes, has become a favorite. “It’s our go-to,” William said. “It’s super easy, and it doesn’t take long at all. It’s what we made on Valentine’s Day.”

Saying “I do” to lake life

The Wellers, who married last August, are still new to lake life. William, who grew up in Trussville, and Lindsey, who is from Hayden, started dating in March 2020 and were engaged eight months later.

“I’ve always been the kind of person who takes things slow – and then I met him,” Lindsey said.  William moved into their Logan Martin home last April, and she joined him after their wedding in August. Since then, they’ve been settling in to married life, entertaining family and friends and enjoying their own little piece of paradise that’s not far from Lakeside Park.

“We just love waking up and seeing the view,” William said. “We bought a boat last August, so we’re looking forward to our first summer with it.”

In the meantime, they’ve hosted weekend barbecues, Memorial Day and Fourth of July parties, bridal and baby showers, as well as family Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations. “There’s always something going on here,” William said.

“We’re both big family people,” Lindsey added. “We have 10 girls in the family, and every Christmas we have a whole day of baking. It’s so much fun, and we had it here last year. I’m more of a baker than I am a cook.”

Their home, with its open floorplan, is perfect for entertaining. The kitchen, which has a gas stove and butler’s pantry, features leathered quartz countertops with seating for four at the island as well as a table for six. There’s concrete flooring throughout the main level, and the living area boasts wood beams, a brick fireplace flanked with open shelving and a beautiful view of the lake. They especially enjoy the patio that’s just off the living area, and Lindsey said they hope to add an outdoor fireplace and kitchen soon.

William handles most of the grilling duties when there’s a crowd, cooking everything from hamburgers and hotdogs to ribs and Boston butts, while friends and family pitch in with side dishes. He’s also mastered the art of cooking a big breakfast – pancakes, eggs and bacon – on the flat top grill.

“In the summer, there’s people here almost every weekend,” he said, adding that they have the best of both worlds. “It’s always lots of fun, and as much as we enjoy hosting and doing things with family and friends, we love our alone time, like movie nights, too.”

Cooking up fun

Lindsey works three 12-hour shifts a week, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. She comes home in the morning, goes to bed around 8 a.m. and wakes up about 4 p.m. “While I’m sleeping, he likes to start the Home Chef, and then when I get up around 4, I help him with it,” she said. Those evenings, they usually eat about 5:30, and William has been known to grab a bowl of cereal or something around 9 p.m.

The other days, Lindsey tries to be up by noon. “I hate wasting my day,” she said. Since they have more time, they may cook out those nights or try new recipes. Although most meals are winners, there have been a few that haven’t turned out quite as expected.

No matter the outcome, though, they have a lot of fun. “We laugh at each other all the time,” he said. “She was making broccoli seasoned with ranch dressing one time, and it called for 2 tablespoons, but she put two packets of seasoning in. It was so salty, and I was guzzling water, but I could tell what it could have been. I tasted the potential.”

Although he likes to boast that he never uses a timer, Lindsey is quick to point out that he probably should. “How many Home Chef meals have you burned?” she asked with a laugh. “It’s only the glazed meals,” he replied. “I made that mistake like twice, and now I know better than to walk away while it’s cooking.”

One thing they never joke about is how much they love the life they’re building together. “It’s pretty great,” William said. “We’re pretty lucky.”

Seared Ahi Tuna

• Ahi tuna steaks
• Coconut oil
• Everything Bagel seasoning
• Sriracha mayonnaise

Season tuna steaks with Everything Bagel seasoning. Add about 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to the pan and preheat for 3-5 minutes. Add tuna and sear 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove steaks from pan, drizzle with Sriracha mayonnaise and serve.

Twice Baked Potatoes

• 4 large russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed
• Olive oil
• 1 cup plus 4 oz. shredded sharp cheese, divided
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 strips bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
• Salt
• Pepper
• Chopped scallions, if desired

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly rub each potato with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes, evenly spaced, on a baking sheet.

Bake the potatoes 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove potatoes from the oven, let them cool about 10 minutes before cutting them in half, lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the potato flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving a 1/8-inch to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh in each shell.

Return potato shells to baking sheet and cook at 400°F for about 10 minutes.

Combine sour cream, milk, half the cheese, half the butter, half the bacon and half the scallions (if desired) with the baked potato flesh. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix together until smooth.

Remove potato shells from oven and set oven to broil. Fill each shell with the potato mixture until it’s rounded in the middle. Top with remaining cheese, bacon, butter and scallions.

Broil potatoes about 5-10 minutes until cheese has melted. Watch closely.

Allow them to cool about 10 minutes before serving.

How the ‘Ten Island Three’ preserved Alabama history

Story by Katie Bohannon
Submitted photos | Archived photos

While prominent names like de Soto and Jackson might eclipse the countless individuals affiliated with the Ten Islands, their experiences, along with the incredible historical foundation planted before them, might have been submerged with the islands if not for the commitment of three local women.

Together, avid researchers Patsy Hanvey, Bette Sue McElroy and Charlotte Hood advocated for the recognition of the Ten Islands in the early 1990s, negotiating the area’s preservation with Alabama Power. The group, who called themselves ‘The Ten Island Three,’ convinced Alabama Power to finance The Ten Islands Historical Park.

“We just started kind of pulling things together,” Hood told The Gadsden Times Staff Writer Cindy West in a 1991 article. “We realized then how unique this history is. It’s just a complete cycle of humanity, from prehistoric to contemporary.”

Commercial art and anthropology-focused Jacksonville State University graduate Hanvey was recognized by the state of Oklahoma as Cherokee by birth. Throughout her life, she traveled across the U.S. until retiring near what was once the Cherokee Nation capital on the Coosa River in North Gadsden, where her ancestors lived.

A recipient of the Annie Forney Daugette award for most outstanding graduate in academics, talent and character, Hanvey overcame dyslexia and frequently reproduced prehistoric and historic Southeastern Cherokee pottery in traditional form. She dug her own clay, keeping dried chunks in various colors in baskets in her workroom and created paints from natural resources.

Hanvey’s archeology professor introduced her to fellow scholar McElroy, who shared her interests. An Auburn University graduate, McElroy taught at Disque Middle School and Episcopal Day School, giving private art lessons to students before becoming the archivist at the Gadsden Public Library. McElroy’s daughter, Mary Ann Watkins, recalls her mother as a lover of life and people, who treasured stories from all generations and discovered value in each moment. McElroy’s immense passion for learning sparked her intrigue in The Ten Islands, which led to her eventual crossed paths with Hanvey and Hood.

Hood studied piano at DeShazo College of Music in Memphis, Tenn., attending both Gadsden State Community College and Jacksonville State University to specialize in early childhood education and music. A 1991 Gadsden Times article detailed Hood’s discovery of an oddly shaped natural artifact at the Ten Islands area, which she found with her husband, an Alabama Power executive. Upon showing the rock to JSU archeology specialist Harry Holstein (Hanvey’s professor), Holstein connected Hood with Hanvey and McElroy, writing a new chapter in history with formation of ‘The Ten Island Three.’

“They were really good friends,” said Watkins. “They were all so passionate about their work.”

Former Gadsden Times writer Bill Thornton recalled a 1993 interview with the women during the official reveal of the historic park. Thornton, who was 22 years old and fresh out of school at the time, remembers them as a hoot – an enthusiastic and unforgettable bunch whose commitment and caring natures were evident.

“It’s been really exciting to see this come together,” Hanvey told Thornton. “The information on this place came together so quickly. It was like someone took us by the hand.”

“People need to know this is a wonderful place, with adventure coming out of every tree,” said McElroy in the same article.

Though Thornton only wrote one article about them, he noted Hanvey, McElroy and Hood made an impression on him that withstood the test of time.

“There are certain people who have been together so long they can finish each other’s sentences,” said Thornton, sharing the trio were those people. “They had a ball with what they were doing – with this shared knowledge they could tap into. This matters (what they did to preserve the Ten Islands). When you think about Alabama history, Alabama is still a rural place in many areas where the past is still very much alive. That was their work. They stayed on my mind so long because of the kind of rare people they were. I can’t remember what I wrote last week, but I remember them.”

Hanvey’s son, Mike, described the trio as a relentless group determined to ensure history is not forgotten, who taught him the importance of Native American culture and influence. He recognized the specific areas of unique expertise each woman possessed, bringing her beneficial talents to the table in a collaborative effort to protect land cradling generations of valuable lessons and intriguing stories.

“The ‘Ten Island Three’ did not want the area to simply be lake covered and forgotten, as thousands of people today are fishing and swimming right above where Hernando de Soto, Andrew Jackson, Davy Crockett and Sam Houston once crossed the wild-flowing Coosa River,” said Mike. “Patsy Hanvey, Bette Sue McElroy and Charlotte Hood might not be remembered by their work but will always be remembered by the millions who will pass through and enjoy the Ten Islands Historical Park for eternity … but that’s all they wanted from the start.

“Man has the ability to build on top of things – to build dams and create lakes without a memorial to remind us the importance of preserving historic locations that came before. Things can easily be forgotten, and that takes special people with special talents to remind us of that importance. In this case, Bette Sue McElroy, Patsy Hanvey and Charlotte Hood were those people … ‘The Ten Island Three.’”

An excerpt written by Hood, McElroy and Hanvey for The Alabama Historical Association culminates the connection between the past and future ‘The Ten Island Three’ strove to protect and preserve. While ancient eras dwindle and new generations arrive, rising and falling with the transformation of the land, passionate individuals like them remain constant throughout the centuries. They act as dedicated gatekeepers of the lives, stories and history submerged in the modern world, luring lost chronicles to the surface. 

“On certain days in the winter, when the river is at a low level, and no units are generating, it is still possible to walk across rocks and mud below the dam,” reads the concluding paragraph of the Ten Island Three’s 1995 submission to The Alabama Historical Association. “There you can see the prehistoric fish weir and walk around the bottom of Lock Three. But the days of wading the shoals, crossing on a ferry, walking a railroad bridge, or flagging a train to ‘get to the other side’ of the river are gone forever. As water flows through the dam, the electricity produced by Alabama Power Company lights the way for future generations.”

Ten Islands spans centuries of history

Story by Katie Bohannon
Submitted photos | Archived photos

Ages before Etowah County’s Southside bridge connected cities or Alabama Power Company’s H. Neely Henry Dam furthered the development of the Coosa River, a series of 10 islands speckled the water of Northeast Alabama, one mile west of present-day Ohatchee.

The Ten Islands, coined “Oti Palin” by the Creek people who would settle there, traces back to 10,000 B.C., where a land enriched with natural resources such as shoals, river crossings and pathways flourished. Numerous historical incidents occurred on the collection of islands, linking the past to the present in significant ways.

According to John A. Walthall’s Prehistoric Indians of the Southeast, the islands were abundant with animals, including deer, raccoon, gray fox, turkey and quail, whose remnants join a collection of others proving their existence alongside pre-historic hunters and gatherers.

Earliest Ten Islands settlers built fish weirs and stone, reed or wooden traps placed within stream channels to capture fish swimming along currents. Today, one of these fish weirs – along with other artifacts – remains visible below the southernmost island.

The arrival of Hernando de Soto in 1540 altered the first-existing civilizations and charted a different course for the Ten Islands as he crossed the Coosa River, paving the way for other Europeans to follow his footsteps.

The late 1600s established a trading center for Ten Islands inhabitants, with a Frenchman named Bonnefoy journaling his voyage of the Chickasaw or Creek Path which led him to “the river of the Alibamons,” or the Coosa River. Archaeologists later discovered evidence of a town at Ten Islands, with burials revealing French, Spanish and British trade objects at the edge of Bonnefoy’s Creek Path toward the Coosa. Years following Bonnefoy, George Wood claimed the land where the town resided and named it Wood’s Island, a title it carries since 1821.

Andrew Jackson, who would become president of the United States, traveled to the Ten Islands region as a general during The Creek Civil War of 1813, marching forces from Tennessee to Gunter’s Landing (present-day Guntersville) down the Creek Path toward the Ten Islands.

Well-known historical figures served under Jackson’s command, including frontiersman Davy Crockett, future Sec. of State John Henry Eaton, former Texas Gov. Sam Houston and military general (and Jackson’s nephew) John Coffee.

Notable citizens of the Cherokee, Creek and Chickasaw nations fought with Jackson, including Cherokee citizens Richard Brown, Major Ridge, John Lowery, John Ross and the Pathkiller; Creek citizens James Fife, Spoke Hadjo, Chinnaby the ‘Great Natchez Warrior,’ and his two sons Selocta and Sarlotta Fixico; and Chickasaw leader William Colbert.

During this time, Jackson established Fort Strother at the Ten Islands, which became the destination of Coffee, Crockett and other men after winning the Battle of Tallasahatchee. As the war progressed, supplies dwindled and soldiers grew weary, an altercation between an officer and recent recruit John Wood prompted Jackson to order an action that would garner opposition for his presidential campaign. Following a confrontation where an officer required Wood to clean his untidy barracks rather than return to his post, which Wood refused, a court martial found Wood guilty of mutiny. The 18-year-old Wood was executed and buried at Fort Strother, along with many other soldiers whose graves remain there today.

Fort Strother served as the link between several significant battles in the war, including the Battle of Talladega and the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, which largely brought about a conclusion to the Creek Civil War.

 After Jackson’s arrival at the Ten Islands, a series of events occurred – from the land serving as a survey point between the United States and Cherokee and Creek nations to the enforced relocation of thousands of Creek citizens from the Ten Islands region across the Coosa River to Gunter’s Landing. Walking in exile, the path they forged decades before was known as the Trail of Tears.

Throughout the eras, the Ten Islands proved the launching site of the first steamboat on the Coosa River and the site of the Civil War’s Ten Island Skirmish – during which Union Gen. Lovelle Rousseau and his forces defeated Confederate opposition and destroyed Cane Creek and Janney furnaces.

Locks intended to grant riverboats easy access through the shoals were constructed along the Coosa, beginning near Greensport and ending below Wood’s Island, after which a railroad bridge was built.

After Alabama Power Company introduced hydroelectric plant H. Neely Henry Dam in 1962, only two of the original Ten Islands remain – Wood’s Island and a small rock projection visible north of the dam.