Jasper-Based Angler Reels in Success with Custom-Made Lures for Smith Lake and Beyond
Fishing guide and custom lure craftsman Richard Trae Anderson holds a large Peacock bass he caught in Columbia. Image credit:
Any angler worth their salt knows that their choice in lures can make or break a fishing trip. This is particularly true for those who fish the unique ecosystem of Smith Lake, where the deep water and diverse mixture of species create a challenging environment for even the most experienced anglers. With the right equipment and knowledge, however, the reservoir can be an extremely rewarding fishing destination. This is where Jasper-based fishing guide and artist Richard Trae Anderson comes in with his custom, hand-crafted lures designed to tackle nearly any bass species swimming in the lake and beyond.
Anderson, a proud father, husband, and owner of Reel Time Anglers—a popular fishing guide service based at Smith Lake—took the plunge into lure making after retiring from a lengthy career in the U.S. military. These days, when not guiding clients, he toils away diligently in his home workshop in Jasper, making lures for a growing number of customers around the country. Recently, Cullman’s famous Mary Carter Store (notably mentioned in Hank Williams Jr.'s 1980 song, 'I've Got Rights') and Van’s Sporting Goods have both started carrying his lures. Anderson has also been featured on several major YouTube channels.
Honing the craft of lure making for three years before selling them to the public, Anderson experimented with various techniques and paints to create an elegant yet highly durable product. Once he was happy with his results, it didn’t take long for his business to pick up steam. So far, he has sold to customers in at least 20 different states. And though he has been asked not to mention any names—because a good fisherman always keeps their secrets—Anderson’s lures have been in the arsenal of at least 15 professional anglers, and several more anglers in the Bassmaster Elite Series.
“Painting lures is an art, and every artist gets better over time,” he says. “I can definitely say my lures have a 10-times better color and quality than when I first started.”
While the majority of his lures are designed with the highly sought after spotted bass - the main target of professional anglers who fish Smith Lake - in mind, Anderson makes an eye-catching lure that will entice just about any bass species, including the lake’s famous striped bass, which can grow to more than 40 pounds, as well as exotic species like peacock bass, which Anderson has started fishing for on guide trips to Columbia through Reel Time Anglers.
As someone with years of success as a professional fishing guide on Smith, he knows the common prey and behavioral patterns of all the lake’s sport fish - knowledge that is directly translated to the designs of his custom lures and the colors of paint he chooses for them. Crayfish patterns, for example, are among his favorite designs for autumn months when the crustaceans mate and draw out hungry bass.
Another popular lure design mimics the appearance of the blueback herring, making it an extremely valuable asset for anglers targeting striped bass, as well as spotted bass. This is because the striped bass primarily feed on this species of herring, but it is illegal to use them for bait in tournaments, presenting a unique challenge for competitive anglers. For this reason, Anderson’s lures that successfully capture the herring’s attributes essentially serve as a tournament legal work around to accessing the schools of trophy-sized fish that migrate around the lake.
“The number one thing about lure selection is to ‘match the hatch,’” Anderson says. “It means, for example, if the fish are keying on 3-4” blueback herring on Smith Lake in the fall, that’s what your bait should look like. If you're on Lake Guntersville, where there are 5-6” gizzard shad schooling, that's what your bait should resemble.”
The main categories of lures Anderson currently makes are as follows:
Jerkbaits - A favored choice of many skilled anglers, these long, tubular lures make a unique horizontal movement when retrieved, typically with a jerking motion. These baits usually have three treble hooks, as opposed to just two, and have an angled bill that allows them to dive when pulled. Jerkbaits—whether floating, suspending, or sinking—can catch an incredibly diverse array of species, and are not just limited to Smith Lake. As Anderson points out, he’s landed everything from local lunkers to fish in the Florida Keys on these lures. He even caught crevalle jack, cobia, and redfish on them. For durability in saltwater, he uses 3-ply, rust-resistant hooks on his lures.
Crankbaits - A tried-and-true staple for any tackle box, these lures are designed to dive to a specific depth to reach bass and mimic their wounded prey, whether that be a silvery shad or a bright red crayfish. In the deep waters of Smith Lake, these baits are invaluable, especially during post-spawn periods when the fish retreat from the surface. There are deep-diving, shallow-running, and flat-sided variants of this bait. The larger the bill on these lures, the deeper they dive. He also makes square-bill crankbaits, which function just like traditional crankbaits but have a shorter, flat bill that keeps their movement confined to a shallower depth, usually between 1-4 feet. They are effective in very shallow water or when the bass are lurking near the surface, particularly in late fall and early spring.
Topwater Plugs - As their name suggests, topwater plugs are designed to draw fish to the water’s surface, where the lure makes an enticing presentation designed to mimic the movements of a bass’s natural prey. Everything about them spells excitement, from their vibrant designs to their water-displacing effect upon retrieval, to the explosive sound created when an aggressive bass breaches the surface to engulf them. They are best utilized during low-light feeding times—morning and evening—when the fish hunt near the surface.
Swimbaits - These weighty, lifelike lures are used mostly for striped bass and big spotted bass in Smith Lake. Due to their versatility, they are a solid choice throughout the year, especially in clear-water conditions where the realistic detail of these baits can be in full display for discerning fish. Swimbaits with joints are among the most tedious lures for Anderson to paint, but savvy customers know they are well worth the time spent to prepare them.
Wakebaits and Glide Baits - Shining brightest in the springtime during spawning season and fall, wake baits resemble traditional crankbaits, but these lures make a special V-shaped wake when retrieved just under the surface. In contrast, glide baits are typically larger variations of jointed swimbaits that make a side-to-side motion when retrieved.
Anderson’s guide service regularly offers outings on Smith Lake for bass, and the upcoming fall season is a great time to book a trip.
“The guide service always picks up during the fall because the lake is less populated with pleasure boats, and less traffic means the fish are less timid,” Anderson adds.
However, as previously mentioned, Reel Time Anglers has recently started offering trips to more exotic waters, notably in the Colombian Amazon region. He hopes to have more sign-ups in the future with any anglers interested in chasing down trophy peacock bass.
Anderson sometimes attends events to showcase his lures. If you want to catch him soon, he will have a booth this year on September 6-7 at the annual Bernard Blues and BBQ event held at St. Bernard Prep School in Cullman, Alabama. Afterwards, he plans to attend two more events this month.
To view Anderson’s current inventory of lures and keep up with the latest news, follow Reel Time Anglers on Facebook and Instagram (@reeltimeanglers). For more information about booking a guided trip or purchasing custom lures, you can call 205-657-2844 or email ReeltimeAnglers@gmail.com.
*This is an updated version of an article that was first published in the November 2022 issue of The Lakeside Life magazine.
