LAKELIFE – Page 4 – LakeLife 24/7 Magazine

In the Kitchen with the Pappas family

Love of cooking, heritage celebrated on the water

Story by Scottie Vickery
Submitted photos

Carol’s apron says it all. Greek to you? Translation: Good Appetite!

Carol Pappas was in elementary school when a teacher asked the students which food they would want if they were marooned on a desert island. While the other kids’ answers were fairly predictable – pizza, hamburgers or chicken fingers – Carol’s answer was a little different. “I said I would want Greek salad,” she said.

A descendant of Greek immigrants, Carol said the salad, complete with olives and feta cheese, was a staple in their Birmingham home during her childhood. Although her love of Greek cuisine remains a vital part of her identity, her taste in food is not the only thing influenced by her Greek heritage. Her appreciation of community and life on the water stems from her family, especially her father’s side, as well.

“My dad was born in Kastoria,” a city in northern Greece built on Lake Orestiada, she said. “It was fate that I ended up here.”

“Here” is her lakefront home in Logan Martin Lake’s Pine Harbor, the neighborhood she’s called home for nearly four decades. Her love of life on the water, Pell City, and St. Clair County is so ingrained, in fact, that she is the editor and publisher of two magazines that celebrate all the area has to offer, Discover St. Clair Magazine, and this one, LakeLife 24/7®

“I tell everyone that I was born in Birmingham, but Pell City and St. Clair County is my home,” she said.

A reporter for 40 years, Carol is much more comfortable being the writer, rather than the subject. It seems fitting, however, for the person who has penned so many stories about St. Clair County and its people to finally share part of her own. In the spirit of sticking to the truth, Carol’s principle for her career in journalism, it’s important to note that the original story planned for this feature fell through at the last minute. So after a little bit of arm twisting (okay, a lot), Carol agreed to share some of the things that define her: her Greek heritage, her love for family and friends, casual gatherings on the water, and the Greek style of cooking, which will always be her favorite.

“My (maternal) grandmother was a big influence in our kitchen and so was my mother,” Carol said. “Everything had a Greek flair to it. If we had baked fish, it was Greek style with lemon and olive oil. We had Greek salad nearly every night, and Sunday dinner was usually chicken or roasted lamb.”

Celebrating roots

Carol’s father, Ernest Pappas, emigrated to the United States with his father when he was 13, and he settled in Birmingham where they had relatives. Her maternal grandparents, Tom and Kaliopi Pappas, had emigrated, as well, and were raising their family in Indiana. Although the families were not related, they share the common Greek surname.

Vickie with one of her specialties, Baklava

After graduating from Auburn University and serving in World War II, Ernest returned to Birmingham “My father was on his way to a wedding in Chicago, and someone told him, ‘There’s this nice Greek family in Fort Wayne, Indiana. You should stop and visit them,’” Carol said. “It sounds strange, but that was the way of life for Greeks at the time.”

Ernest did, he met the family’s four daughters, and fell in love with Blanche. After they married, they made their home in Birmingham’s Crestwood neighborhood, and Ernest served as general manager and a shareholder with Home Baking Company.

They took pride in their Greek heritage and instilled it in their children. Carol and her siblings, Greg and Vickie, still hold the culture and traditions dear. Greg, in fact, owns Pappas’ Grill in Vestavia Hills, which he opened in 1992 after working at and managing other restaurants.

The restaurant’s sole chef, Greg cooks up favorite Greek classics such as Pastichio (Greek Lasagna), Moussaka and Stuffed Grape Leaves. Many are his family’s favorite dishes, while others are recipes he developed and perfected.

Although Vickie and Carol aren’t in the restaurant business, they both love to cook and are inspired by the meals that marked their childhood. “My mother made the best Greek Snapper,” Carol said. “It just melted in your mouth. I’ve never tasted anything like it.”

The dish was such as family favorite, it became known to the grandchildren as “Fish a la Yia-Yia,” since yia-yia is a common Greek term for grandmother. “I make it, but it’s not anything like hers,” Carol said.

Vickie mastered Spanakopita, a Greek pie with layers of dough to form the crust and filled with spinach and feta cheese, and she recently taught Carol to make it. “We made the crust from scratch, and the recipe was handed down from my grandmother to my mother,” she said. “I had helped my mother with it, but I had never cooked it myself.”

In addition to stews and fish dishes that were mainstays during her childhood, the family often enjoyed three different whole chicken meals. There was the Greek style roasted chicken, one with tomato sauce, and one stuffed with sauerkraut and rice, which was Carol’s favorite. “I later adapted that recipe because I wasn’t going to cook a whole chicken,” she said with a laugh. “I use chicken breasts and serve it over a bed of sauerkraut and rice.”

Carol said her mother helped start the Holy Trinity-Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral Greek Food Festival, which recently celebrated its 51^st year. One of Carol’s favorite cookbooks, The Greeks Have a Recipe for It, was compiled by the ladies in the church, including her mother and the mothers of her friends. “They’re all the Greek people I grew up with,” she said.

It’s a tattered binder filled with recipes that is among her most treasured possessions, however. One Christmas, she had it reprinted and bound and gave it to members of her family. It features Greek foods based on the Mediterranean diet of fish, chicken, fresh vegetables, and olive oil.

“It’s a very healthy way to eat,” Carol said. “We never had a lot of fried food growing up; everything was baked or broiled. We never used any kind of batter. I didn’t have fried okra until I was in high school, and I had fried green tomatoes for the first time in college. It was a whole new discovery for me.”

A mother’s influence

Just as her mother was a big influence in the kitchen, Blanche Pappas also played an important role in Carol’s career path, which led her to St. Clair County. “I wrote a book report in high school and Mother read it,” she recalled. “She said, ‘You’re a really good writer. You should go into journalism.’”

Since the most common professions for women at the time were teaching and nursing – neither of which seemed like a fit for Carol, she took her mother’s advice. After graduating from Auburn, she took a reporting job with the St. Clair Observer, a weekly newspaper published in Pell City that later was sold and merged into the St. Clair News Aegis. After working in Birmingham for a few years, she joined the staff of The Daily Home as a reporter and became the Pell City bureau chief about five years later. She remained with the paper for 28 years, rising through the ranks before retiring in 2010 as editor and publisher.

Carol soon started Partners by Design, a multimedia marketing and graphic design firm, and serves as president and CEO. Graham Hadley, who was managing editor for The Daily Home, joined the venture and is vice president of the creative division and chief operating officer. In addition to publishing Discover St. Clair Magazine and LakeLife 24/7 Magazine, the company provides consulting, graphic design, photography, social media and marketing services.

The great room at Carol’s, which opens to the kitchen

One of the best parts of her journalism career, according to Carol, is that it brought her to Pell City, the community she is proud to call home. “Pell City was very welcoming to me from the very beginning, and I found that to be true of all of St. Clair County,” she said. “I never thought of myself living in a small town, but it’s been wonderful. Everybody watches out for one another, and it just has a good feeling.”

She moved to the area in 1985 and was fortunate to be able to rent a home on the lake. The water had been an important part of her father’s childhood in Greece, and Carol inherited her love of it from him. She visited Logan Martin often with friends during high school and college, and she has wonderful memories of her father teaching her to fish at Lake Purdy, near Birmingham.

“He missed the water, so they came up all the time,” she said of her parents. “Crappie runs through here, and he would sit and fish for hours. One day we were on the pier, and I told him about a house down the street that was coming on the market. Before I could ask him what he thought about me buying it, he said yes.”

In addition to giving his blessing, her father helped buy the first boat, Carol said. “We called it a recreational partnership,” she added.

Carol said it took five years to afford to renovate the house, but the result is a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath home with a with two-tiered deck, a screened porch, and a stunning view of the water.

It’s a favorite gathering place for family and friends, especially for Auburn football games in the fall. “I used to have a bar towel that said, ‘You never know how many friends you have until you have a lake house,’” Carol said and laughed. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Carol is active in the adopted community she loves. She served as board chair of the Pell City Center for Education and the Performing Arts and was on the board there for 11 years and is a member of the Pell City Rotary Club. She is also president of the Museum of Pell City, housed in a 4,000 square foot suite in the Municipal Complex. The museum is a celebration of the city’s history, as well as the history of St. Clair County and Alabama.

Lasting legacy

It’s a fitting role for someone who has been shaped by her own heritage and family history. Although her parents are gone now, Carol said she would always be grateful for the values they instilled in their children and for her Greek heritage, which places high value on family, friends and community.

It’s why she shares her love for St. Clair County and its people through Discover St. Clair Magazine and her love for the water inspired LakeLife 24/7.

It’s also what helped to lead her home – to a house she loves with a view she cherishes and neighbors who have become family.

“Now that I’ve lived on the water, I could never live anywhere else,” she said. “No matter how bad the day might get, when you get home and look out on the water, it’s like being on vacation all the time. The sunsets are breathtaking, the water is calming, and it just fills me with peace. It’s a beautiful place to call home.”

GREEK SALAD

Dressing:
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ cup wine vinegar
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano

Place all ingredients in a covered container and shake well. Set aside until ready to serve.

Salad:
In a bowl, place the equivalent of one head of lettuce or assorted greens

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cucumber sliced
3 scallions chopped or the 2 thin red onion slices cut in half rings
½ cut pitted Kalamata olives
½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled

Add dressing and serve.
Serves: 4

TIROPETES (Cheese Triangles)

3 eggs
3 oz. cream cheese
½ lb. Feta cheese
½ lb. melted butter
½ lb. cottage cheese
1 lb. Phyllo pastry sheets

Combine cheese and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time.
Cut each pastry sheet into 3-inch strips. (The pastry sheets come in a roll, so you can cut the roll into sections with an electric knife and then roll out section of strips as need. Keep a damp cloth over the unused portions to avoid drying.)
Brush the strip with melted butter. Place one teaspoon of the filling on one end of strip and cover over to make a triangle. Continue folding from side to side in the form of a triangle. (Like the paper football from childhood)
Proceed this way until all pastry strips are used. Place the triangles on a buttered cookie sheet. Brush tops with melted butter. Bake on 350 degrees until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.
Makes about 75 pieces.

Notes: Uncooked triangles store well in a tight container in freezer with layers of wax paper in between each row. Simply pull out what you need, bake and you have a great appetizer for company! You can add thawed, frozen spinach to mixture halfway through and make Spanakopites for the remainder.

Speed on the Water

Drag boats add another racing venue to region

Story by Paul South
Photos by Mackenzie Free
and David Smith

Indy, hit the bricks. Daytona, Schmaytona.

When it comes to racing fast boats and fast cars, this Alabama city of 6,845 may be –at least per capita – the speediest town in America.

After all, Lincoln is home to the Alabama Superspeedway. And in November, the city’s picturesque Lincoln’s Landing on the waters of Logan Martin Lake, hosted its first drag boat race.

Think drag racing on the water in sleek, low-slung boats. The premier category of drag boats, Top Fuel, can pierce the water at up to 270 mph.

These boats look fast even when they are not moving

The city’s inaugural drag boat event was a success. Even though attendance was hampered by rainy weather, Lincoln has gone throttle up, making a pitch for drag boat racing’s world championship later this year.

The November race was an effort for Lincoln to get “a foot in the door” in the sport, with an eye toward hosting the world championship, Les Robinson, director of Lincoln’s Landing says.

“That’s kind of the way we looked at it and how we approached it,” Robinson says. “It was a new venue for these guys as well. It’s never been done on this part of (Logan Martin). I don’t know if it’s been done on any part of the lake.”

Drag boat race organizers traveled to Lincoln two or three times to evaluate the site, Robinson says.

“We felt like the venue that we have here would be more than adequate for what they were looking for. We came up with an idea for where the course needed to be.”

Rain and cold put a chill on the turnout, but the racing continued.

“They still ran. They contemplated calling it off. But they had people come from all over the United States and Canada to be here and they wanted to do it,” Robinson says.

Most of the Outdoor Drag Boat Association’s regional points race was visible from the grand pavilion at Lincoln’s Landing, where race fans warmed themselves by a roaring fireplace. Boaters from 42 teams competed in a variety of classifications.

If the city lands the world championship, it will be held the weekend before the Lowe’s RV Stop 250 and the 2024 Fall Xfinity Series Playoff Race on Oct. 4 and Oct. 5 respectively.

The NASCAR 2024 Yellawood 500 is set for Oct.6, and Lincoln officials want the race to coincide with Talladega’s autumn speed week.

“That was the plan,” Robinson says. “It’s not etched in stone that they’re coming, and it’s not etched in stone for the date. But that’s the plan.”

The ODBA teams arrived at midweek prior to the November race, filling nearby motel rooms and boosting the local economy.

The Lincoln’s Landing staff conducted a post-race review, and the venue and personnel earned high marks.

“The facility and the way the park is laid out was perfect for what (the ODBA) was doing,” Robinson says. “There was one situation where we could have had a little bit better flow where they were weighing the boats and where they were taking the fuel samples … But the park layout was great for the racers as well as the spectators.”

Watson and Robinson praised the work of Lincoln’s first responders – law enforcement, fire and EMTs, a veteran force familiar with staffing these types of events.

“Most of these folks have been with us a long time. This is part of their training. It’s their training and their dedication to the job. It’s the whole team,” Watson says.

The only downside – the park had to be closed for fishing on race day because of the course layout. And there is noise.

“(The boats) do create a bit of noise, but we did put that on Facebook that they would be running from 9-5 every day.”

As far as the city’s pitch for the 2024 ODBA world championship, Lincoln’s Landing did the talking.

“I think the park did all the pitching we need,” Robinson says. “I think our facility gave them the idea that ‘This is where we want to be.’ We hope that’s the case. I’m hoping for a positive outcome.”

Mayor Carroll “Lew” Watson agrees.

“We have facilities that aren’t matched by anybody else,” Watson says. “Our facilities are really the top of the chart. We may have to add viewing stands to attract more visitors so they can sit and watch. We have good sites, so that probably will be something for the future.”

Watson thinks city officials should travel to the sites of similar events to learn how those communities prepare and execute those events.

As for Lincoln becoming a racing capital, Robinson says, “If we’re fortunate enough to land this, and we’re pretty confident the races aren’t going anywhere at Talladega (speedway), (ODBA World Championship) could become an annual event for us, I like the analogy.”

If the city gets the world championship, what about the idea of Lincoln becoming a racing capital.

“It would certainly suggest that,” Watson says.

On drag boat racing, Watson says, “I never even knew such an animal existed. But it was interesting to watch. It came off very well. When you go see a drag race, it’s not much different, except one’s on the road and one’s on the water.”

The race and other events are evidence that Lincoln officials are using the landing for more than just a fishing spot.

“We’re capitalizing on what we’ve got, and we’re making the most of it,” Robinson says. “We’ve had three world class fireworks shows out here attracting thousands of people. We never thought that was anything that could be done at the landing until we tried. Everything we’ve done, we had to work really hard to make it happen.”

And the staff had to weather tornadoes and floods, cold and snow to pull off events.

“My staff and I joke, ‘What are they going to throw at us next?’” Robinson says.

The new year is setting up to be a good one for Lincoln’s Landing, which opened in 2020. Fireworks, bass tournaments, a kayak fishing tournament and other events – and a possible world championship – are on the calendar for 2024.

“No matter whether they’re fishing in a bass boat, a kayak or driving a drag boat, they’re all contributing to the local economy. That’s what this place was built for – to bring in events and bring in revenue.”

Remember When: General Lee Campground and Marina

50 years and counting on Logan Martin

Story by Roxann Edsall
Submitted photos

Ask just about anyone who lives or plays on Logan Martin Lake for directions to General Lee Campground and Marina, and they’ll point you toward Treasure Island, across the water from St. Clair Shores.

The 16-foot-tall orange and blue Gulf sign easily identifies the campground and serves as a beacon for sunbaked campers coming home from a day on the lake.

Ashley Morton has never known a life that wasn’t heavily influenced by the campground, both the business end and the people who make up the community. She was born into the business, and it has matured alongside her. Now she and her husband, Scott, have continued what her grandparents and great grandparents built, managing the day-to-day operations of the campground at General Lee.

Craig, Ashley and Scott in front of a classic Gulf sign

Ashley grew up around the campground, spending most afternoons and summers helping her grandparents, Jean and Sonny (Floyd) Goodgame, with chores around the property. Jean made sure Ashley learned life skills while in her care. “Grand momma taught me what I know about handling money and running a business,” says Ashley.

“In the store, we played what we called ‘grocery games,’ where she would give me a $10 budget and tell me to bring as much food as I could buy with it. But I had to figure in taxes as well. We had fun and learned a lot.”

“My family lived really close to the campground, so my cousin, Blair (Goodgame), and I would ride our bikes to the campground to play,” continues Ashley. “It was so much fun that Blair and I would hide under a pier when they called us to go home. We didn’t ever want to leave.” To this day, summers at the General Lee are teeming with children. It’s a tradition of summer fun that Ashley hopes to share with her own two girls, 3-year-old Aspen and 9-month-old Presley.

Grand momma Jean made things fun for her grandchildren, but she also made sure they learned and practiced the right way do chores, like raking leaves. “Grand momma taught us that you don’t rake them into piles,” Ashley explains. “Of course, we did a little bit, so we could jump in them. But she taught us to rake them into lines so we could burn them safely.”

Leaf raking was, and still is, a never-ending need at the campground. The beautiful trees that provide much-needed shade in the summer relentlessly cover the roads with leaves in the fall and winter months. It is those trees around which the children ride their bikes and conduct squirt gun battles and play hide and seek games in the thick of the summer heat.

And around those trees are nestled the campers and tents that house visitors in spring, summer and fall. There are 111 camping spots, some with full sewer hookups, and others with just water and power. A bathhouse, store with bait and covered storage round out the amenities.

People have been enjoying the amenities at the General Lee since just after the impounding of the Coosa River, which created Logan Martin Lake in 1965. Jean and Sonny, along with Jean’s parents, Clarence and Pauline Lee, built the campground and marina, which opened in 1966, originally selling Chevron gas. Shortly thereafter, they changed to Gulf brand gas and erected the sign, which, though the oil company went out of business in 1985, still stands today.

For people around the lake, that sign has become a landmark. “People tell me all the time that they find their way here by looking for that sign,” laughs Ashley. The marina no longer sells gas, offering only a boat launch and dry boat storage.

“My parents and grandparents built the campground together,” said Craig Goodgame, Ashley’s dad, and owner of the campground. “I was just three when they opened, so, like Ashley, I grew up helping and learning about the business my whole life. It was a great playground. I remember having a good time with the kids who were here at the campground, playing our made-up games of crow and snake.

“When I was a bit older, I used to work all day on the gas island,” he adds. “I’d lather up with suntan oil and lay out on the island until a boat came up for gas. Then when they left, I’d get back to sunning.” He also admits to slipping off while he was supposed to be working, on occasion, to ski with whoever was running a ski boat nearby.

In those days, the campground was run by Jean, Craig’s mom, and Ashley’s grandmother, along with Jean’s best friend, Nita Staggs. “Nita and Grand momma did everything that was needed, from pulling out trailers to launching boats. They had an old Willys jeep to pull things in or out,” remembers Ashley. “Everyone thought they were sisters because they were always together. When Nita passed away from cancer in the late `90s, Grand momma ran it alone. She worked seven days a week.”

“Mom was a very, very hard worker,” said Craig. “There used to be a game room and a hot dog hut and an ice cream counter. Then, later, when they sold the hot dog hut, they added an ice cream hut. We still rent kayaks and canoes, but we also used to rent tubes. My mom ran all of that.” These days, the hot dog and ice cream huts are gone, replaced by a picnic area that doubles as an entertainment space that often features live music.

David Burrage has been camping at the General Lee for 54 straight years. He is from Hueytown and camped and fished at the General Lee every summer with his family as a young boy. “I remember my dad would go to work from the camper, and my sister and mom and I would spend our days playing on the lake,” Burrage said. “I brought my own kids here every summer, too. Now that they’re grown, they still come some and bring my grandkids. It’s very family oriented. Everyone watches out for each other.”

Providing a place to make family memories are what Ashley and Scott Morton hope to continue to offer at the General Lee Campground and Marina for many years to come.

And, in case you were wondering, the General Lee is not named after the noted Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The general in this name is Ashley’s great grandfather, Clarence Lee, not a military general, but a man, his family says, who had many of the leadership qualities of a general and ran his world with similar decisiveness.

Catchin’ the Coosa January 2024

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

Logan Martin

Logan Martin in the winter can be your best chance to catch the biggest ones in the lake. Last February, I caught my personal best bass on Logan Martin. It was a once of a lifetime fish for Logan Martin, but during these two months, this could easily happen for anyone.

The water temps usually vary this time of year, but here are a few ways I approach to catch fish during this time on Logan Martin. Water temps can vary from as low as 48 degrees to as high as 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

Typically, when you read any article on fishing in the winter, it’s going to include fishing deep most of the time. I’m not saying you cannot catch fish deep on Logan Martin in the winter, but usually, a lot of my bigger fish come out of shallow water – even in the winter – especially if the weather is on a warming trend and the water temps are in around that 55-degree mark.

Cold weather is great for spectacular catches

I’m still going to start around the main river areas. There’s a couple ofthings I look for in order to feel like I’m fishing the most productive waters. First, there must be some type of baitfish in the area. Second, I’m looking for more vertical structure this time of year.

The baitfish change daily on what part of the water column they might be in. Vertical structure allows fish to move up and down easily with them. A couple examples of this might be deeper docks or steep river banks with rock and laydowns.

A few of my favorite bait choices would be a flat-sided crank bait, spinnerbait and jig. I’m going to throw some type of red or crawfish color pattern on the crank bait. This is one of the better baits to use if the water is colder than 60 degrees. The flat-sided crankbait is a great way to get those fish to react in cold water.

If the water has a little stain to it, a spinnerbait can be a killer on warmer days. The spinnerbait works best slow rolling it on the bottom, and I’ll use a 1/2oz spinnerbait with a single Colorado as the blade.

With the jig, it really depends on water color. If it’s dirty, I will flip a black and blue jig. If it is a little clearer water, I’ll stick with the more natural colors, like green pumpkin. A jig is a great way to get really big bites this time of year.

Another way to target fish in these winter months is in the creeks. Same as the main river, I’m looking for baitfish. If I do not see baitfish on my electronics, I usually will not fish in a particular area long.

Bass are heavy on shad this time of year. Their metabolism is slower. That’s why the bass get very fat and lazy. Slow rolling a single swimbait like a Rage Swimmer 3.75-inch is great way to get bit. Another is using a damiki rig, which is just small minnow type bait on a jig head.

Using forward facing sonar helps with this lure. If you don’t have it, you can still catch fish without it. Just make long cast across points in the creeks and slowly bring them back to the boat. Make sure to wear proper clothing and get out there on even those coldest days of the year.

It just might reward you a fish of a lifetime!

Neely Henry

Neely Henry historically is one of the better lakes on the Coosa River for winter time fishing. It is because it is set up really well for winter time fishing.

Neely Henry is full of rip rap banks and vertical bluff walls in certain sections of the lake. This allows bass to really pull up and down with ease according to the weather and water temp.

It also has a lot of docks and flat clay points which are another wintertime hot spot.

On the rip rap, I’ll first reach for a square bill crank bait. I keep colors fairly simple. Either I’ll throw a red or some sort of shad pattern.

Boat positioning is a big key to success with the crankbait as well. I will hug the boat fairly tight and make parallel cast with the bank. This allows me to cover more water efficiently and keep my bait in the strike zone longer.

The next bait would be a jerkbait. A jerkbait can be killer if the water is a little clear. I’ll fish it around clay points and deeper docks in creeks.

Lastly, the jig can probably be one of my favorites for Neely Henry. The reason I like the jig is because I can fish it around a lot of things, such as around rock, docks, or lay down trees.

If the water is below 60 degrees a jig will always be in the back of my mind when fishing Neely Henry. Creeks are some of the places I check first. This really depends on how cold the water is.

Most of the time the creeks can be three to four degrees warmer than the main river. This warmer water will most of the time attract the baitfish, which in turn, the bass will follow.

If the water is up around that 60-degree mark, I’ll focus on the main river, especially if the current is on.

Just fish the conditions whenever you’re on the water this winter. Stay around the baitfish and warmer water, and you will find success on Neely Henry!

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.

Storms, Sports and Sunsets

The fine art of drone photography

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Richard Rybka,
David Smith, Joe Paul Abbott, Mike Callahan and Heath Lollar

If you live on or near Logan Martin Lake or Neely Henry, you know that both offer endless opportunities for breathtaking pictures. Whether you’re shooting a closeup of one of our hundreds of bird species, an awe-inspiring sunrise or yet another breathtaking sunset, we live in a place rich in photographic potential. Getting that perfect picture is an art form.

There are a few local photographers who have taken it a huge leap above for a different perspective. They have received acclaim for their photography in and around the lake and beyond. They are producing comprehensive coverage of sports programs. They are chasing storms to help forecast and cover weather events. They’re bringing smiles to our faces with a different perspective of those amazing sunrises and literal birds-eye views of our local wildlife. And they’re doing it from 400 feet in the air.

Pioneering drone photography

David Smith is a certified pilot and a professional drone operator. Because he was already a pilot, he was among the few who could fly a drone commercially before 2016, when the rules regarding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were reevaluated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). After that, extensive training was required to be a licensed drone operator, but not to the extent of full pilot certification.

Smith grew up loving radio-controlled planes and had been flying them since he was 15 years old. From RC planes, he graduated to the latest when drones became available beyond their military origins. The first mass-market drone was the DJI Phantom, hitting the market in 2013. “When drones were brand new, I knew I wanted to be a part of that. I wanted to take photos and videos.” His DJI Mavic 3 Cine is just one of seven he currently owns.

Until very recently, Smith worked for ESPN’s College GameDay and Baseball Tonight on the Road as a drone videographer. He was the network’s first drone pilot, retiring just this fall. His drone footage added visual interest to the shots of the set and showed crowds of students at the highlighted university. He also shot additional footage around campus that the directors used before going to commercial breaks.

Smith’s impressive resume also includes serving as chief drone pilot for the 2020 World Games held in Birmingham. “It was a truly incredible experience,” says Smith. “My video was seen all over the world. As chief pilot, I was the only one flying live. Other pilots shot extra video to add to the live broadcast.”

That experience ended up leading to being a part of a search and rescue closer to home. On the way home from shooting some early footage for the World Games, he followed some first responders to the area of Logan Martin Dam. He had all his equipment in the car from the day’s work, so he offered to assist the New London Volunteer Fire Department in their search for a missing woman lost while canoeing.

“I put my drone into the area and flew around. I was able to locate her and to let them know where she was and that she was still alive,” Smith said. “The chief was amazed at how quickly she was located with the drone. They didn’t even have to put their rescue boat in the water.”

These days, Smith is enjoying time with his family. “I used to be gone most of football season,” he says smiling. “Now I have time to pursue some other things.” One thing that is bringing him joy is sharing the love of drone flying with his grandson, 11-year-old Calvin. “We fly almost daily. He’s kicking my … well, I can’t keep up with him.” (Editor’s Note: For more on Dave Smith, see sidebar.)

Taking photography to new heights: Mike Callahan

Mike Callahan says fun is what keeps him flying his drone. Every session he has with his drone is the best, he says. “I keep it under 400 feet, but at that height, what you see is from a totally new perspective,” says the Pell City native. He’d been a photographer for many years before deciding to add a drone to his options.

His specialty is nature shots like waterfalls, mountains and wildlife. He enjoys taking his DJI Mini3 Pro into the Talladega National Forest and around Logan Martin Lake. One of his favorite shots is an amazing up-close view of an eagle sitting in its nest.

“You have to be careful with drones around wildlife,” Callahan quickly adds. “I was attacked by an Osprey once and lost my drone. Ospreys are very aggressive.”

He takes that cautionary tale to heart in his work these days. There are guidelines for keeping safe and there are hard and fast rules dictated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) specific to drone piloting under their Part 107 certification. Among those very strict requirements is that pilots cannot fly their drones above 400 feet and they cannot fly over people without a special waiver.

While flying, he is also required to always have his drone in his sight.

Flying over open water to capture beautiful sunrises and sunsets is the specialty of Joe Paul Abbott, another of Logan Martin’s drone photographers. His work is seen frequently on the Love Logan Martin Lake Facebook page. He gets up every day at 4:30 to be sure he gets his DJI Mavic Air 2S ready to start shooting from the back deck of his Cropwell home before the sun gets above the horizon. At other times, he’ll take the boat out and have the drone tracking him and grab action shots around the lake using his remote monitor.

A different perspective: Joe Paul Abbott

Abbott picked up photography in the late ‘90s after the birth of his first son with the goal of learning to shoot better family photos. Eventually, he upgraded to digital format, but soon tired of that, too. “I’m a gadget guy,” he admits. “When drones came out, I couldn’t wait. My wife got me my first one.”

He’s been able to use his drone in his work as an independent insurance agent, recalling times when he needed to inspect a house for fire, storm or other damage, but was limited due to an aggressive dog or other challenge. On those occasions, he uses his drone to fly over those challenges.

“When I shoot from my drone, I become 400 feet tall with a wide-angle lens,” Abbott laughs. “You definitely see things up at that height you just don’t see from the ground.” Even local weatherman James Spann is a fan and has aired many of Abbott’s shots on the weather segment of the local news.

Eye on the storm: Heath Lollar

Severe weather is what drove professional storm chaser and drone pilot Heath Lollar into his business. The 2003 Pell City High School graduate was working in graphic design several years after graduation. A customer asked him to work on the design for a truck wrap. They worked together on a couple of jobs for the truck and started talking.

The customer was storm tracker and meteorologist Brett Adair, and the two began sharing their love of all things weather. Adair promised to take him storm chasing, and Lollar has been hooked ever since.

Lollar’s enthusiasm and natural abilities landed him a job as an in-truck videographer and mobile mechanic for Adair’s company, Live Storms Media. He worked with Adair for almost two years before sending a drone into a storm.

“People wondered if drones could handle the winds,” said Lollar. “Turns out, they can. We can take a drone up and look at the wind patterns in the trees. We can tilt it up and time lapse and focus on what the elements of the clouds are doing that we could never see from the ground.” He hasn’t lost a drone to the winds yet, but he knows a pilot who has already lost four drones doing storm work.

Just this year, on Jan. 12, Lollar captured drone video of his first tornado. “We were set up in Old Kingston, Alabama,” recalls Lollar. “That one was an EF3 that ripped an 82-mile path through Selma and Autauga County. It was bad. There were three fatalities where we were, but seven over the path of the storm.” He describes the video he took of trees twisting together and being sucked up into the air. “After we watched it cross the road, it started throwing trees, houses and cars across the field.”

Drones are essential tools for assessing the damage following a storm, but they can also be used to assist in early search and rescue efforts. Drone pilots can help find safe ways for emergency personnel to get to victims. The information that can be gathered during storms from the heights drones can go is invaluable to forecasters in alerting people to what the storm is doing and where it might go next.

Drones also give GPS placement of the storm and play a crucial role in assessing the accurate path the tornado took.

While Lollar enjoys working for the Emmy-nominated team at Live Storms Media, he doesn’t do it for the kudos. He is genuinely concerned for the people who face these storms and wants to do what he can to help.

When he is in town and there is a storm on Logan Martin Lake, where he lives, he immediately sends out his drone to take video to warn lake residents. You can see his posts on Facebook’s Love Logan Martin Lake page.

Lake life is indeed better thanks to our drone photographers who readily share their photographic finesse from 400 feet and below.

Nothing to chance

David Smith’s mantra to successful drone photography

Story by Roxann Edsall
Photos by Richard Rybka
and David Smith

Dave Smith doesn’t believe in chance, in fact, his favorite saying is “Nothing by chance.” A man of faith, he believes there is a far greater purpose for everything that happens. That’s why, when he was laid off from his job this fall, he took it in stride and chose to count his blessings and focus on the “ride of a lifetime” he has been on.

If you watch football, specifically College GameDay on ESPN, you’ve likely seen some of Dave Smith’s drone work. BamaDave, as he is known, tells of getting the call to help the show by setting up satellite equipment at Legion Field for the Alabama versus Tennessee game in 1995.

“That one weekend of work ended up working out so well that they asked me to stay on with them and travel all over doing the show as a videographer,” says Smith. “Lee Corso gave me the name. When we first met before that game, he asked me where I was from and when I told him, he said ‘Nice to meet you, BamaDave.’ It stuck.”

It was over 20 years later that the show started incorporating drone photography. “In March of 2017, I got a call from the network’s senior vice president, asking if I wanted to be a pioneer for ESPN, if I wanted to be their first drone pilot,” tells Smith. “I thought about it for all of five seconds before saying yes!”

Since then, he has spent countless hours traveling to College GameDay host universities, shooting campus footage and adding to the show itself. He was the first crew member to have a child enrolled in the school where the show was being hosted (at Auburn University).

He has also worked on ESPN’s Baseball Tonight on the Road. Between the two shows, he’s been a part of 401 shows and has won several Emmy awards. He’s met hundreds of celebrities, from within the sports world and beyond.

Of all the celebrities he’s met, his most cherished meeting was with former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. “What started as a weekend gig turned into a lifetime of memories,” Smith says with a smile.

During this year’s Alabama vs. Texas game, College GameDay was in Tuscaloosa, and he was invited back to say his farewells to the crew. “They had a cake for me, and we all sat around and shared stories and a few tears,” he said.

Smith is forever grateful for his wife, Renee’s, support and looks forward to spending more time with his family. He grins as he talks about getting to enjoy doing more woodwork and exploring other hobbies, adding, “Now it’s time to ride off into the sunset and make more memories!”

In the kitchen with the Nelsons and McLaughlins

Food, family, fun always on the menu

Story by Scottie Vickery
Photos by Mackenzie Free

There are a few givens whenever the Nelson/McLaughlin family gets together, often gathering at Logan Martin Lake. First, there’s gonna be food – and lots of it. Second, laid-back, casual fun is always on the agenda. And third, they’re going to blow the myth that “too many cooks spoil the broth” (or the sauce, in the case of this close-knit Italian family) right out of the water.

For this crew, a great celebration means all hands on deck, whether it’s in the kitchen, out by the grill, or wherever the magic is happening. “We’re a big Italian family, and we all grew up cooking,” said Nicole Nelson McLaughlin. “Nobody shows up empty-handed.”

Cooking whole hogs is a great way to feed a crowd.

Everyone has his or her own specialty, but while they all may be professional grade cooks, Nicole is the only one who made a profession out of cooking. The culinary producer for Allrecipes.com, she stars in the Get Cookin’ video series, demonstrating cooking techniques and sharing food tips and recipes with her ever-growing group of followers.

Recently, her job took her to New York City and the Today show, where she cooked up some favorites with hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. Her hope is that more families will discover the joys of cooking – and eating – together. “Every memory we have centers around food,” she said. I don’t understand people who eat to live because we definitely live to eat.”

Food isn’t the only thing that evokes memories for the family. Nicole and her brothers, Freddie and Mark Nelson, spent an enormous part of their childhood at the Logan Martin Lake home in Mays Bend that their parents, Fred and Gloria, still own. About three years ago, Freddie and his wife, Leigh Ann, bought a house in Pine Harbor, and other family members also have homes on the lake. That’s why, more often than not, a family gathering includes a beautiful view of the water.

“I’d rather be here than anywhere else,” Freddie said. “I grew up on this lake. Boating, skiing, fishing. We love everything about it.”

They especially love entertaining. He and Leigh Ann recently hosted a pre-wedding celebration for her brother, Alec Priola, and his fiancé, Mary Katherine Barrett. Freddie cooked up a big pot of jambalaya, family and friends played Bucket Golf on the lawn, and the guests enjoyed music and the beautiful backdrop the lake provides. “We do a lot of outdoor cooking,” Freddie said. “We love getting out the propane cooker for crawfish boils or jambalaya, and nary a weekend goes by without firing up the Big Green Egg or pit grill at the water’s edge. Life’s just simpler here.”

Get Cookin’ with Nicole

Although she’s always enjoyed cooking, Nicole decided to take things to the next level when she went to The University of Alabama to pursue a bachelor’s degree in restaurant and hospitality management. “The Food Network was getting big about the time I was going to college, and it just looked so glamorous,” said Nicole, who lives in Hoover with her husband, Thomas, and three children.

After college, she earned a culinary degree from Johnson and Wales University in Charleston. “I always wanted to be a chef, but I didn’t want to work nights, weekends and holidays,” she said with a laugh. “That wasn’t really going to work.”

Instead, she started freelancing as a food stylist and helping with photo shoots for various magazines. “One thing led to another, and now I’m making videos,” said Nicole, who works at the Birmingham office of Dotdash Meredith, the country’s largest digital and print publisher. In addition to Allrecipes, Dotdash Meredith is the parent company for brands such as Southern Living, Better Homes & Gardens, People, and Entertainment Weekly.

“I started doing hands-only videos, and I was OK with that because only my hands showed,” she said. “I eventually got on-screen because my boss, who knows me well, wanted to give me a challenge. Gradually, I built a following.”

In the Get Cookin’ videos, she helps viewers unlock the mysteries of everything from grilling the perfect kabobs, to making an easy breakfast casserole, Beef Bourguignon, no-bake cheesecake or lemon squares. “My point of view is about budget and a very realistic approach to cooking,” she said. “I think people would say I take the intimidation out of cooking.”

Developing recipes is one of her favorite parts of the job because she gets to be creative. She’s a big fan of one-pot dishes because they serve a lot of people, and cleanup is easy. “I like cooking anything savory, and I love the ease of one-pot dinners and the way the flavors build upon each other,” she said.

The secret’s in the sauce – and the sausage

Nicole also likes to share some of her family’s favorite Italian recipes, including sugo, which is Italian for “sauce.” Some people call it Sunday sauce, while others say Sunday gravy, but regardless of the name, “if you come to our houses on Sunday, this is what you’re going to smell,” Nicole said. “We all make our own version, and none of it tastes the same even though we use the same ingredients.”

One thing that remains a constant, though, is that they always use Arnone’s Italian Sausage. Available at most Birmingham-area Piggly Wiggly stores, it’s made from the recipe their grandfather, Anthony Arnone, perfected.

“He was the head butcher at the Piggly Wiggly in Midfield, and he would bring home the trimmings and made his own sausage,” Nicole said, adding that the sausage was eventually sold at the store. Before he passed away, Anthony gave the recipe to his son and sons-in-law, who made batches at Christmas for family and friends. Eventually, they brought it back to the retail market, and now “it’s a staple in our recipes,” Nicole said.

Better at the lake

Another staple for the family is a love for Logan Martin Lake. Freddie said his parents bought the Mays Bend home in the early 1980s, and he and Nicole agree it’s been a preferred gathering spot ever since. “It’s my favorite place,” Nicole said. “There are fewer distractions, and you spend the entire day – from the time you wake up until the time you go to bed – outside.”

Now that they’re all grown, Freddie, Nicole and Mark want the same experience for their families. That’s why they all head for the water whenever possible, even though they already spend lots of time together. Mark and his wife, Erin, and their two kids live in Hoover, not far from Nicole and her family. Freddie and Mark work with their father and two cousins at Nelson Glass, the family business started by Fred and his brother-in-law, Frank Dickinson.

Although they enjoy getting together wherever they can, the family knows that life is always better at the lake. That’s because the focus is on simple pleasures like good food, good company and good fun.

The shrimp is the final addition to Freddie’s jambalaya

“We all have our roles, but Mark’s in charge of entertainment,” Nicole said. “We call him Funcle Mark because he’s the fun uncle. He takes the kids on the boat and takes them tubing all the time. We all want our kids to have the same kind of memories that we do.”

Freddie said he and Leigh Ann love lake life so much, they decided to look for a place of their own about three years ago since their boys love being on the water and fishing. After hearing about the 3-bedroom, 2-bath home from Leigh Ann’s sister and her husband, who also live on the lake, they decided to take a look.

“We pulled up in the boat one Monday, and I didn’t even have to see the inside of the house. I saw all this,” he said, gesturing at the lawn and outdoor living space the lot with 160 feet of waterfront offers. “I knew this was where we wanted to be.”

Now they come pretty much every weekend and spend as much time at the lake all year long as possible. “As soon as we pull up in the driveway, any stress from the week goes away.” Freddie said. “Immediately, I can breathe. I even love coming and just doing yard work or tinkering on our boats or around the house. It’s not work with this view.”

The home has also become one of their favorite places to entertain, and more often than not, Freddie takes on the cooking. “He probably cooks more than I do, and I cook for a living,” Nicole said.

Leigh Ann said she’s happy to turn it over to him. “Before we got married, I would have my friends over a lot, but I have to use my tried-and-true recipes and follow them exactly. Freddie just has a way of making it better,” she said. “He can take whatever’s in the kitchen and make something amazing.”

Freddie said he loves to grill, as well. Ribs and chicken wings are favorites, as are Boston Butts, Cornish game hens, and brisket. They’ve cooked whole hogs and hosted an oyster roast, too.

In addition to wonderful food, Freddie can provide the perfect playlist of music and often the perfect cocktail to accompany the meal, according to Leigh Ann.

“He makes it an experience,” she said. “I was at a Pampered Chef party, and they asked us to describe ourselves in the kitchen in one or two words. Sous-chef instantly came to me. I love being his backup.”

Family time

Although Leigh Ann said the family has been known to fight over who gets to host a particular celebration, the most important thing is that the family is together. That’s 15 people when it’s just the siblings, their parents, spouses and kids. For larger events like Thanksgiving or Christmas, the number can grow to 45 people or more.

“Everyone makes something, and we always have two or three appetizers – the meal before the meal,” Nicole said. “Then we have the huge meal and dessert. We like to stretch it out and make everything an event.”

Most events become traditions. “My husband is from South Carolina, and they have low country oyster roasts every winter,” Nicole said. “Now we have one every year at the lake. My mom started it about 15 years ago, and we’ve had it ever since.”

Whatever the occasion, laughter and love are sure to be on the menu. “My son recently had a birthday, and he called his grandmother and said, “I want dinner to be at your house, and I want pasta and meatballs and banana pudding,” Leigh Ann said.

“We had everyone all together for the first time in a while, and when I say ‘a while,’ it had only been about a month,” she said. “We were laughing and having fun, and I thought to myself, ‘There is nowhere on earth I would rather be than right here.’ ”

Italian Sunday Sauce

From Nicole McLaughlin, Allrecipes

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork neck bones
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 ¼ pounds Italian sausage links
1 ½ cups finely chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 (12 ounce) cans tomato paste
1 (28 ounce) can tomato puree
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
7 cups water
1 tablespoon white sugar, or more to taste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
· 12 large cooked meatballs (recipe below)

Directions:
Sprinkle neck bones on all sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place neck bones in the pot and cook for 6 minutes, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate. Add sausage links to the drippings and brown for 3 minutes on each side, adding remaining oil as needed. Set aside with the pork. Add onion to the drippings and season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add tomato puree and crushed tomatoes, then add water and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until smooth. Add bay leaf. Rub basil and oregano between your fingers to release the aroma and add to the sauce. Slice sausages into large chunks and return to the pot with the neck bones. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours. Remove neck bones and bay leaf. Remove any meat remaining on the bones, shred, and return to the sauce.

Best Easy Meatballs

From Nicole McLaughlin, Allrecipes

Ingredients:

cooking spray
⅓ cup minced onion
⅓ cup Italian bread crumbs
⅓ cup half-and-half
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
1 ¼ pounds ground round beef
½ pound ground Italian sausage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 (24 ounce) jars marinara sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and spray foil lightly with cooking spray. Combine onion, bread crumbs, half-and-half, Parmesan cheese, eggs, egg yolk, garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano in a large bowl; stir until well combined. Add ground round and sausage and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Mix well until just combined. Dampen hands with water and form mixture into 18 golf ball-sized meatballs. Arrange meatballs on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer meatballs to a large pot and add marinara sauce. Simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours before serving.

Pine Harbor Jambalaya

(feeds a crowd)

From Freddie Nelson

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
2 pounds andouille sausage, cut into small pieces
1 pound alligator & pork sausage, cut into small pieces (find at seafood or butcher shops or use pork sausage)
1 pound smoked ham, cut into small pieces
4 white onions, chopped
3 green bell peppers, chopped
1 head celery, chopped
1 1/2 heads garlic, chopped
1 (23-ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
5-6 bay leaves
4 quarts chicken broth or stock
4 pounds jasmine rice
2 bunches flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 bunches scallions, chopped
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
3-5 tablespoons Cajun Two-Step Seasoning (or other Cajun or Creole seasoning,) divided
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot sauce to taste
2 pounds peeled Gulf shrimp
Additonal chopped scallions for garnish

Directions:

Cook in a 5-gallon pot. Brown sausages and ham. Remove from pot. Lightly season chicken with Cajun seasoning. Brown and remove from pan. Sauté all vegetables for 5 to 10 minutes until softened. Season with salt to taste. Add broth or stock and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients except rice and shrimp. Add meat back to pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add rice and stir for several minutes. Cover and simmer until rice is tender. Lightly season shrimp with Cajun seasoning and add to pot for final 5 minutes. Garnish with scallions and serve.

Catchin’ the Coosa November 2023

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

Logan Martin

Finally, cooler weather has dropped the water temps on Logan Martin, and the fish are beginning to fatten up for the winter. The months of November and December can be some of the best times to fish and are two of my favorite months to fish on Logan Martin.

There are a few things happening during these months on Logan Martin. First, the lake should be at winter pool. Winter pool for Logan Martin now is three feet lower than summer pool, unlike previous years when it used to be five feet lower.

Cooler weather can mean better fishing on the lakes

The new winter pool has changed a little on how I now fish Logan Martin from previous years. Some places are not as shallow now with the extra two feet of water, and the fish have adapted quickly.

Another thing that happens during these months is the fish are feeding up for the winter months. What that means is that they are heavily feeding on shad most of the time.

Finding suspended fish in the creeks is one my favorite ways to catch them. It’s an easy equation. Go find the baitfish, and the bass will not be far behind. A small damiki rig and deep diving jerkbait are some of my favorite ways to find them.

Also a square-bill and spinnerbait are a couple of great choices when wanting to cover some shallow points or channel swing banks. I will mainly focus on the main river with these two baits and typically look for the banks with deeper water nearby.

Now, one of my favorite ways to get a bigger bite is with a big pig and jig. This is especially true in the latter part of December when the water temp is below 55. It also helps a lot if the lake has one foot of visibility or less.

During these two months on Logan Martin, anglers have a lot of options to catch fish with a ton of techniques available. The fish are getting fat and there is less boat traffic, so go enjoy some fish-catching action.

Neely Henry

Neely Henry is a great late fall/early wintertime of year lake. I mainly focus on the bottom end of the lake during these two months.

There are a lot of bluffs, docks and rip rap in this region of the lake. Where I spend most of my time during these two months fishing is relative to how much rain we receive. If there has been a lot of rain, Alabama Power will run more current in the system. This is when I will focus on main river points and docks.

A couple of baits I always start out with is either a bladed jig or square-bill crankbait. The current should have the fish set up and ready to bite whatever eases past them.

Now, once the water temp gets below 50 degrees, that’s when I will ease my way into the creeks. Typically, I want to be in the region of the creek where I feel like most of action is. What I mean by that is either I’m seeing bait fish on my electronics or maybe a slight degree or two difference in water temp.

Once I find these scenarios, I will be heavily dependent on my forward-facing sonar and pick off bass that are maybe chasing bait in channel bends of the creek or just off the banks.

I’ll use either a damiki rig or jerkbait depending on where the fish are in the water column. Keep your lure choices simple and keep moving during these two months. The fish can change by the hour or even every few minutes!

A moveable feast

September events offer a buffet for tastebuds, heart and eye

Story by Paul South
Submitted Photos

The American standard “September Song”, sung by the late, great Tony Bennett, Nat “King” Cole and countless crooners, reminds us that days grow short, dwindling to a precious few, when the calendar flips to the ninth month.

Three events in the month – the Alabama Wine Festival, Art on the Rocks and A Taste of Northeast Alabama – make the precious – and prayerfully, cooler – days more wonderful.

Here’s a brief look at three events set for the Neely Henry Lake region of the Coosa River:

The Alabama Wine Festival

Wine lovers will sip the traditions of Europe crafted here by Alabama vintners. The third annual Alabama Wine Festival, hosted on the grounds of Duck Springs’ Wills Creek Winery, celebrates the state’s growing winemaking industry.

The festival is set for Sept. 16 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets for the adults only event are $30 per person. Designated driver tickets are free. Designated drivers must be 21 or older. Identification is required.

Eats will be available from local food trucks, and wine will be available to sample and purchase. And festivalgoers will be serenaded by live music.

Jahn (cq) and Janie Coppey own Wills Creek Winery. Born in Switzerland and a former NASA engineer, Jahn is a dual Swiss-American citizen, as is his American-born bride, Jamie.

Fitting for the makers of wine, romance is at the heart of the Wills Creek story. When Jahn Coppey came to America in 1971 to work in the space program in Huntsville, he spoke four languages – French, German, Spanish and Italian. He moved to London to learn English, but by his own admission, his understanding was “very poor.”

When he came to Alabama, he was introduced to a teacher who spoke some French. She was tasked with growing the young mathematician’s English fluency. The language of love took over, and a year later, Jahn and Janie Coppey were married.

That was 51 years ago.

Jahn and Janie opened Wills Creek Winery in 1996. And while at first blush, the journey from working on the space program to owning a winery may seem a giant leap, Jahn is a third-generation vintner, with roots in Switzerland’s breathtaking Rhone River Valley. Wine has been made in the region since the time of the Romans.

There’s also some heritage in Janie Coppey’s family, which has called Duck Springs home since the 1830s

Since Wills Creek opened, the couple has worked tirelessly, not only to grow the state’s winemaking industry, but also to advocate for a change in Alabama’s antiquated liquor laws. The Alabama Wine Festival’s aim is to grow the industry and deliciously make visitors aware of the state’s wine business.

Interestingly, Alabama’s soil is one of two places in America perfect for growing exclusive Pinot Noir grapes. The sweltering, unpredictable Southern summers aren’t cooperative. Still, native Muscadine grapes and their more than 100 varieties thrive here, and the Coppeys craft wine from Alabama Muscadines and other fruits found across the globe.

When Wills Creek opened, there were only three wineries in the state. Now there are 37 federally permitted wineries in the state, but less than half are working wineries.

Last year, 11 Alabama wineries participated in the Alabama Wine Festival, attracting 300 people from 15 states.

Jahn Coppey sees vintage years ahead for the wine festival and the growth of the winemaking art in Alabama. But people still ask the same question.

“We’ve been in business 22 years, but people still ask if we’re legal,” Jahn says.

They also have to endure some skepticism from Jahn’s family across the Atlantic.

“They say I’m crazy,” he says. “But what I tell them is I can sell my wine. You can’t.”

And the Coppeys hope to take a page from a small Swiss village near Lake Geneva, that conducted its first wine festival 30 years ago. “They have grown so much,” Jahn says. “They have built some hotels. They’ve built some Air B&Bs all around. Now 30,000 people have been coming to that event.”

The festival benefits neighboring cities and towns, like Gadsden.

“Anytime somebody comes like the wine festival – even though it’s not located in Gadsden, typically they’ve got to stay in Gadsden, John Moore, the city’s director of commercial development, says. “So, it always helps us with our tourism dollars. Even though it’s not in Gadsden, we will help support it. No matter who comes to Etowah County, as long as it’s in Etowah County, Gadsden’s going to benefit.

And the Alabama Wine Festival is catching the public’s attention.

“It’s the thing to do. People want to come and drink wine and have a good time. We have a lot of property here. We can expand and do a lot of things.”

Tourists, including some in RVs are discovering Wills Creek and Alabama wines. The Alabama Wine Festival hopes attract more wine explorers. “We have people driving from New York to New Orleans, and when they’re on the way back, they stop again … It’s beautiful.”

For more information on the Alabama Wine Festival, go to willscreekwinery.com.

Art on the Rocks

Beauty is at the heart of one of Alabama’s great natural wonders, Noccalula Falls. On Sept. 16 and 17, the banks of falls and that part of the Coosa River will come alive with artists, craftspeople and artisans, with everything from paintings to homemade pottery, candles and farm-raised jars of sweet honey and homemade jellies and jams. Woodcarvers and homemade soap makers are among the cornucopia of craftspeople.

Art on the Rocks happens twice annually, this year in April and September. A mainstay on the Alabama festival calendar for nearly two decades, creative folks from across the Southeast come to Noccalula Falls to show their wares. And those items must pass muster, Moore says.

“The coolest thing about what we do is – that not everybody does – is that we vet every single vendor to ensure that their arts and crafts are all handmade,” Moore says. “I don’t think that every arts and crafts festival does that. We’re ensuring that every single vendor out there has homemade arts and crafts.”

The setting adds to the joy of Art on the Rocks, with cool breezes easing the summer heat. Vendors are spread throughout the park, giving visitors a real taste of the outdoors. And food vendors are also at work during Art on the Rocks.

“The setting of it is in Noccalula Falls and it is in the fall so you get a little bit of a taste of the whole area,” Moore says.

September events like Art on the Rocks mean hundreds of thousands of tourism dollars to the local economy, Moore says.

“You’re talking about 2,000 people that are coming into Etowah County to spend their money,” Moore says.

“I preach the fact that we always want to put out a good product,” Moore says. “Because if we put out a good product, we can build on that.”

For more on Art on the Rocks, visit noccalulafallspark.com.

A Taste of Northeast Alabama

One of the newer events on the Neely Henry Lake region’s festival calendar is a foodie’s Nirvana.

Now in its second year, A Taste of Northeast Alabama features restaurants and caterers from all over Northeast Alabama, clear to the Tennessee line.

The Venue at Coosa Landing in Gadsden is home to the culinary celebration, held this year on Sept. 21 from 5 to 8 p.m. Only 500 tickets are available at $20 each. Some 40 to 45 caterers and restaurants will be on hand, serving up their kitchen magic. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Altrusa of Gadsden, an international service organization made up of local clubs.

Visitors can leisurely stroll and taste the best the region has to offer.

The bounce of the festivals, whether for wine, or food, or arts and crafts is that people come to the region, stay in local accommodations, eat locally and shop in local stores.

“It’s huge for us,” Moore says.

And from Gadsden to Duck Springs and across Etowah County, local communities benefit from the natural beauty.

“Most communities would give their left arm to have a natural falls with a huge gorge that sits in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, or a city would give their left arm to have a Coosa River running through their town, or to have a thriving downtown Broad Street like we have, Moore says. “And to have all three of those, that’s what we capitalize on. That’s our strength here in Gadsden.”

The September festivals are part of a concerted effort to transform the region into a tourist destination, not a quick stop on the way to Atlanta. Think concerts at the Depression-era Mort Glosser Amphitheater, an entertainment district, more campgrounds, recreation and more.

“We want Gadsden to be known as ‘Fun Town,’” Moore said.

For more information, visit A Taste of Northeast Alabama at greatergadsden.com.

Town and Country Texaco

Food, fun, friends make for special Saturdays

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Mackenzie Free

It’s an August morning at Town & Country Texaco, a view of Logan Martin setting the scene as a backdrop in the distance. Boaters line up at the pumps to fuel their day ahead on the water. Dozens of anglers put in at the boat ramp just as the sun comes up, readying for today’s big catch.

Cars and trucks stream in and out, almost as if the parking lot were encased by a revolving door. Folks clad in everything from suit and tie to shorts, tank tops and flip flops head into the store and out again. It’s the hurried comings and goings of yet another Saturday at Town & Country.

You might say the establishment itself is quite the attraction, and you would be right. Ask Kurt Russell and the set crew of Rivals of Amziah. They filmed there in July.

But if you look to the left, smoke wafting from a nearby tent with a tantalizing aroma of Boston Butts, ribs, chickens and wings emanating from oversized smoker ovens, you’d know you had arrived at so much more.

Under the tent sits Gerry Richey, a retired coach, who set up shop there nine years ago when Craig Goodgame opened the new Town & Country. He had been cooking for the high school baseball team for 20 years, and the culinary expertise he brought to that tent nearly a decade ago simply “took off.” The evidence is seen in the growing volume of customers awaiting his creations every weekend.

Of course, the tent has expanded since then. So have the ovens – double deckers – the crowds of customers and the gathering of locals who swap stories, settle the woes of the day and just plain ‘hang out.’ Of course, if they see a need, they’re right there, too. “If our friends see we’re busy, they jump right in taking money, boxing stuff up,” said Richey, who handles the operation along with Wade Graham.

On holidays, the pace is hectic. They average cooking 180-220 butts on holidays like Labor Day and July 4. “We couldn’t make it on holidays without help,” Richey said. Holidays have three grills going continuously.

He and Graham bought the first oven nine years ago when they opened their fledgling business under a pickup tent. Now, it’s a tradition for locals sharing ‘quality time’ on a Saturday morning.

History lessons abound about the river and days gone by. “You learn a lot of history,” said Erskine Funderburg, a lawyer in town.

The conversation tends to go a bit like this:

“Me and Daddy used to quail hunt at Lock 4,” Richey recalls, referring to a lock near Riverside and Lincoln no longer in use once Logan Martin Lake was created in 1965.

“We used to rabbit hunt at Catatoga,” he said, pointing in the direction of a lakeside subdivision a stone’s throw from Town & Country.

Blake Nixon, Danny Abbott, Funderburg, Bob Thomas and Richard M. “Doughnut” Nixon are usually in the mix of Saturday regulars, although not all were there this particular Saturday. On this day, there’s Richey, Jerry Howard, Craig Goodgame, Graham, John Otwell, Jerry Bowman, Terry Castleberry, Spike LeMaster, Funderburg, Thomas and Nixon.

Funderburg dubbed it the equivalent of “our men’s beauty shop.” He comes nearly every Saturday for “personalities and conversation.” To him, “It’s definitely a men’s beauty shop – lots of lies and a little bit of truth.”

“It may get a little different when you leave,” Terry Castleberry interjected with a nod toward being respectful of the woman present. Knowing laughter from the rest of the assembled group immediately followed.

“Don’t pay attention to him,” one of the ‘beauticians’ said as Spike LeMaster joined the group. He’s another regular, who enjoys the camaraderie, he said.

Conversation again turns to the beauty shop reference for a moment. “Is that a permanent?,” one asks Frunderburg, who has curly hair peeking out from under a baseball cap. Funderburg retorts, “It’s only right to come here and get abused every weekend. I do the abusing (as a lawyer) all week long.”

The scene is much like the mechanics of a pinball machine, bouncing from one subject to another.

Talk briefly turns to the lottery, where the $1.4 billion pot was still intact from the drawing the night before. A couple of them had tickets with four of six numbers plus the Powerball. “So close,” they lamented.

Kurt Russell and staff of Town & Country Texaco

“Here comes the plumber,” said another, alerting the rest of the group to the arrival of Jamie Gipson from Trussville. He comes every Saturday for ribs, they boast. When he arrives at the tent, Gipson explains as best he can. “I don’t know what they do with the ribs, but every Saturday morning, it’s my ritual. When you get hooked on something, you stick with it.”

What about the movie filmed there a couple of weeks before? Craig Goodgame, owner of Town & Country, is part of the group, and he sets the scene. “This guy stopped by. He said he was a scene director, and he asked if I would be interested.” Goodgame obliged. The original ask was for two days of shooting, but it only took one. “They showed up at 7 p.m. and left at 2 a.m.”

Although Russell was a star, Goodgame said, he was approachable, talking to him and the staff the whole time. “He was extremely friendly – a nice man.” While Russell and his movie star wife, Goldie Hawn, have been together since the 70s, he told him and the staff they just got married six months ago. “He told us that story,” Goodgame said. “He said they were finally old enough to get married.”

The tent operation supplies the convenience store, too – at least 20 butts a weekend. “Can’t get caught up in there,” Richey said. “They take the butts and make sandwiches. They can’t keep them,” he said of their apparent disappearing act as the comings and goings of the day wear on.

Wings, butts and whole smoked chickens are the order of the day, especially during football season, where a single customer may order 100 wings for a game day gathering.

Customers come from all around the lake and out of town, too. Regulars stop in from Trussville, Moody and Vincent. He has one customer from Atlanta with a lake place, and he stops to take meat back with him to Georgia.

When do they close? Simple, said Richey. “When we run out – usually run out every Saturday.”

The day for him actually starts the day before. He puts the butts on to smoke overnight at about 6 p.m. on Friday. At 3 a.m., he’s back to smoke the rest and put the finishing touches on. “By the time people get here, everything’s ready. If we’re not ready, people would get ill at us.”

They’re only open on Saturdays, but holidays see them expand to a three-day weekend – Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

As the conversation slowed a bit, Richey checked on the wings, toting a nondescript bucket with a mop. He’s ready to baste. He says what he’s holding is the key to their success. “This is what makes our butts so good.” He didn’t wait for the obvious question. “No, I can’t tell you what’s in the bucket. It’s a secret – the secret sauce.”

Perhaps the secret comes from the days his family owned a café when he was young – the Ranch House. Or maybe it’s learned from decades of grilling for the baseball team.

“It must be pretty good. People still come,” Richey said, not specifying whether it’s for the food or the company.

As another crowd gathers under the tent on Saturdays, it’s easy to conclude it’s both.