advancement and promotion of safer boating through education, outreach, and training. For more information about NSBC programs and professional development opportunities, visit www.safeboatingcouncil.org." 

The important National Safe Boating Week happens annually the week prior to summer kick-off, which is before Memorial Day weekend.  The reason?...because many more boaters are out on the water in late spring and all summer than any other time of the year.  NSBC simply asks the public to celebrate the annual event by doing a few things to help raise awareness.  

• Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day  - anytime is great, but their official day is Friday, May 17, 2024.  Head over to the Safe Boating Campaign page for info and instructions about this special day.
• Observe National Safe Boating Week in some way.  This could be through posts on social media to more hands-on community activities - just check out the NSBC page for guidance on this. 
• NSBC encourages boating enthusiasts to share information with their local community about responsible boating via social media, launch point reminders, outreach events, vessel safety checks, and more.  It's so easy, they supply you with everything you need on their website.

​They offer a great toolkit that includes a selection of resources: talking points, daily social media posts, template press announcements, fact sheets, videos, images, and more!  Just grab something and help spread the word.  
​
Visit their official resources page for additional resources that YOU can do to help the campaign and raise national awareness.

Always file a float plan - File a float plan with someone you trust that includes details about the trip, boat, persons, towing or trailer vehicle, communication equipment, and emergency contacts.
Use an engine cut-off switch – it’s the law - An engine cut-off switch is a proven safety device to stop a powerboat engine should the operator unexpectedly fall overboard
Always follow navigation rules - Know the “Rules of the Road” such as operator’s responsibility, maintaining a proper lookout, safe speed, crossing, meeting head-on, and overtaking situations. Know what’s going on around you at all times, and always travel at safe speeds for the environment. 
Don’t drink while you boat - Where the primary cause was known, alcohol was listed as a leading factor in boating-related deaths. Always designate a sober skipper. 
Beware of carbon monoxide poisoning - Gasoline-powered engines on boats, including onboard generators, produce carbon monoxide (CO), a colorless and odorless gas that can poison or kill someone who breathes too much of it. Be sure to install and maintain a working CO detector, never block exhaust outlets, and always dock, beach, or anchor at least 20 feet away from the nearest boat that is running a generator or engine.
Keep in touch - Communication devices can be the most important piece of emergency equipment on board a vessel, especially in case of emergency. Be sure to have at least two communication devices that work when wet, such as satellite phones, emergency position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB), VHF radios, and personal locator beacons (PLB). And, know how to use it.

Bottom line... BE INFORMED, GET LICENSED, FOLLOW BOATING RULES, BOAT SAFELY, and HELP SPREAD THE WORD about boating safety and etiquette in your community.  

Date of original article:  4/5/22
Updated:  5/5/25

Anglers of all ages have been invited to participate this spring and summer in a unique fishing event being held for the first time at Smith Lake, lasting from April 1st until July 4th, 2024.  The prizes will be awarded Sunday, July 14th, 2024.  (Venue to be announced – all winners must be present to claim prizes.)
 
The event, Crank 4 Bank, hosted by OGS Tournaments, lets anglers register and purchase a $120 ticket to have a chance at catching tagged spotted and largemouth bass and crappie worth $1,500 dollars each, along with a chance at being drawn to win one of four $60,000 prizes: a Bass Cat from Russell Marine, a Nitro bass boat from Sylacauga Marine, a new pontoon boat from Trident Marina, and a new Chevrolet truck, from Alan Embry of Step One Chevrolet of Bessemer. Ticket holders are also eligible to win prizes through the first ever virtual fishing tournament on Smith Lake that runs concurrently with Crank 4 Bank.
 
“This is the first time we’re doing it on Smith Lake,” says Vivian Autry, who owns Crank 4 Bank and OGS Tournaments alongside her husband Mike Autry. “We call it a tagged fishing event and a virtual tournament. It’s two separate things for one entry fee, and $120 gets you both.”
 
Vivian says the idea behind the virtual tournament is that as you try to fish for tagged fish, you’re likely going to catch a lot of non-tagged fish. With the Fishing Chaos app that you need to download and use to register, you simply take pictures of the length of your fish on an approved bump board (no tape measures), upload it, and the system will automatically cull your top five fish. At any point in time, you can see who’s winning. 
 
“We give out various weekly prizes for bass and bi-weekly prizes for the longest fish of the week, and the longest crappie of the week or every other week,” she says.

The tagged fish for the event include 75 crappie and 200 largemouth and spotted bass.
 
“They’re dispersed all over the lake, in Winston County, Walker County and Cullman County,” Vivian says. “It’s a lot to put them all out like that, but it’s the only way that it’s fair. If you dumped them all at Big Bridge or somewhere, that’s just not fair. You want to make it where they’re all over the entire lake. Although they swim, and you can’t say ‘fish stay’ by any means, you can still think and hope that they are staying within the vicinity of where we put them out.”
 
There will be a separate but identical Crank 4 Bank tournament held simultaneously on Lake Martin, where the event has been held for 4 years.
 
“Just for context, we had 16 winners on Lake Martin last year, and the same amount of fish were tagged as this year,” Vivian says. “We had 35 caught, but only 16 were registered. A couple of years ago, we had somebody win one of the bass boats. It’s 100 percent doable, it’s just a matter of getting out there and getting registered.”
 
Luckily for anglers with a busier schedule or from out of town, a registration deadline is not an issue for those who wish to participate.
 
“I think the biggest thing we need to tell people is that they can register all the way up to July 3, 2024 if they want to, because the whole idea is that some people - especially at Smith Lake because you have lots of rentals (Vrbos and Airbnbs) - will come in just for a weekend with their family,” Vivian says. “If they’re fishing off the dock or somewhere else, and they register and catch one, they may not come but one time, so we just want people to know.”
 
At the end of the Crank 4 Bank and the virtual tournament, prizes for first place, second place, and overall big fish for both crappie and bass will be awarded on July 14th. All tagged fish winners and virtual tournament winners will be subjected to a lie detector test with questions to validate the legitimacy of the catches. At the time of this article’s publication, the weigh-in location is still to be announced, but a spacious venue is currently being secured. 
 
“One of the things that’s cool to mention is that it’s outdoor friendly, something to get you outside and fishing on your beautiful lake, and that it’s something fun you can do as a family together, no matter the age” Vivian adds. “You don’t have to have a boat, either. You could fish off your dock or off the shore, and you can use live bait.”
 
As for the rules, participants will need a valid Alabama freshwater fishing license, fish must be caught using a traditional rod and reel (no trotlines, snagging, hoop nets, shocking, etc.). Only the angler who first hooks and lands the prize-winning fish will be eligible to submit the fish. No transfer of the rod during or after the landing of the fish from a non-registered angler will be allowed, and anglers must be registered on the Fishing Chaos app and entry fees must be paid for two full hours prior to landing a prize-winning fish to be eligible to submit a catch.
 
For more information on this growing event, including a comprehensive list of tournament rules and regulations, and contact information, visit crank4bank.com. Also, stay tuned for the location for the July 14th event to give out prizes to the winners!  The venue and time will be announced on the event’s social media pages.  ​

Updated:  April 1, 2024
Writer:  John D. Palmer

In its 13th year, Hangout Music Fest 2024 was more than a 3-day concert, it was a music lover’s paradise. The annual event is hosted on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Hangout serves as the ultimate kickoff to summer, with equal parts high energy party and relaxing tropical vacation, where the top artists of the moment descend upon a stunning setting that boasts seaside beach clubs and in-ground swimming pools at the main stage, plus delicious food, luxury VIP options, and more for their fans to enjoy. Gulf Shores is just a short drive from the Smith Lake area (and very convenient to the Pensacola, FL and Mobile, AL airports) and offers an array of lodging packages that include beach houses, condominiums and hotels, making it the perfect destination for road trippers and group travelers. Hangout has been awarded as Pollstar’s “Music Festival of the Year” and is continuously recognized as one of the best festivals in the US. The festival also adds over $40 million into the local economy each year.

Hangout Music Festival was excited about its 2024 lineup, featuring an eclectic group of artists who performed on the white sand beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama May 17-19, 2024. Its thirteenth edition, Hangout had already become a state of mind where life is a party, a happy place with good vibes only, and a beachside daydream where sun-drenched lifelong memories are made. The 2024 lineup will showcased a slew of leading names in varying genres from pop and country, to electronic music, rock, alternative, rap, and beyond.

 Super VIPs can take in the sights and sounds from their viewing area and elevated deck at the Hangout Main Stage, zip around on golf-cart shuttles between stages, and enjoy complimentary gourmet meals prepared by award winning chefs throughout the weekend.

​Those looking for unparalleled access paired with utmost convenience should look no further than Hangout House, where views of the festival can be enjoyed from the privacy of your own balcony. Hangout Lodging Packages conveniently bundle festival tickets with local lodging, are on sale prior to each event; no registration is required to purchase.

For 2024, all ticket types were bundled into 4-packs  and paired with shuttle passes or event merchandise for a discount, if they were added at the time of initial purchase. The Hangout team is also standing by to accommodate large groups looking to build custom vacation or staycation lodging packages for fans near and far.

​As part of Hangout’s efforts to support the local community, the festival launched its Earn-A-Ticket Program (in partnership with Propeller) in 2023, encouraging interested festival-goers in the Gulf Shores area to take action online and volunteer their time in exchange for festival tickets and additional prizes. Over 75 volunteers attended Hangout’s Beach Cleanup with the Alabama Coastal Foundation and Fort Morgan Civic Association, collecting a total of 3,860 pounds of trash along four beach locations in the Fort Morgan area. Details for Hangout’s future Earn-A-Ticket Program can be found on their site . 

We hope the checklist above helps you get ahead and geared up for a great boating season.  A little work on the front end of the season saves endless needless headaches, stress or worst yet, unnecessary and unwanted citations.  Again, we stress this emphatically, be sure to follow all instructions from the ALEA website first and foremost, and use our suggestions only as additional advice.  Here’s the link again:  Alabama Law Enforcement Agency – Alabama Marine Patrol Division:  https://www.alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol.  

Other Links that you should check:

• Boating Rules & Regulations from Alabama Law Enforcement Agency: https://www.alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol/boating-rules-and-regulations
• Safe Boating – Wear Your Life Jacket:  https://www.alea.gov/dps/marine-patrol/safe-boating​

Be sure to check our other lists on our blog and through our magazine - samples below.  (these will soon be linked for ease of navigation...)

• Boater’s Bag Check List
• Boat Tote Check List
• Friendly Boating Advice (from a previous magazine issue)
• No Alcohol while boating on Smith Lake (from a previous magazine issue)
• Boating on Smith Lake – recommended DO NOTs (from a previous magazine issue)

Contact, message, or comment if you'd like us to add anything specific to the list or if we need to revise or repair a broken link.  We'll be updating the list annually.  Thank you!

Updated:  01/01/2024

Smith Lake Hat Company opened for business in the summer of 2023 with the idea of creating a staple source for quality custom headwear for the lake community.  They started simply with what they felt was the best symbolic beacon advertisement for Smith Lake Culture:  "the hat."  Our team first began to see the hats on Instagram, then Facebook, and soon we found them in a local store.  

Young owner and entrepreneur Jase Glasscock is excited to give the local market something new to check out in their shopping experience.  He has taken all the proper steps to be sure that his brand is one you'll be proud to wear.  He formed his LLC, procured the development of the first logo, selection of products and materials, and has started with a logo developed for the first run for 2023.  He tells us he is leaving the door open to change up the look and feel of his logo and designs to keep up with changes in styles and fashion as the passage of time requires and as he feels necessary.

The company seeks to grow from hats to other apparel items.  Since our team first began watching them online in summer 2023, they have already gone from offering the traditional baseball style hat with open weave back and front leather patch with embroidery on the sides, to a summer straw surfer-style hat, then to heavier materials for the fall and winter season for warmth, and have even added another straw "gambler" hat, as well as a hat for the ladies, and a line of sunglasses we have recently found on the website.

The company is excited to provide a branded experience of Smith Lake culture with fashionable headwear styles that exude a pride of the lake for locals and visitors alike. Their hats will include patches (leather patches, color leather patches, etc.), embroidery, print and even some new styles of PVC.  You'll have to watch as they slowly roll out the lines over time.

​They intend to provide the highest quality end product for their customers. They take great pride in every hat that ships out or sells in a local retail store.  At current, you can find them not only online to order for shipping, but also at the following retail stores:

• The Lake House Store - Arley, AL
• Sweatmon's Produce - Crane Hill, AL

Join in to support this ambitious new local company.  Find all the contact information below, and be sure to follow them on both Facebook and Instagram to keep up with company news and merchandise announcements.  ​

The dawn of a new lake season arrives with an official kick-off around spring break each year. The fact that many schools start spring vacations annually at the end of March means the lake gets busy well before summer.  Those of us who live on Smith Lake full time have the good fortune to be able to enjoy a very calm and serene lake during the many months off-season, but the inevitable long on-season period often lasts from late March well into October, sometimes later depending on weather in a given year.  There are years when our family can remember waterskiing, kayaking or paddleboarding into early December, but it's not every year that happens.  

Early spring is a good time for all of us to reflect on how we’ll react to the rush of more people, boats and activity overall.  The words we cherish most are TOLERANCE and RESPECT.  Every single one of us has a different way that we experience lake life.  But that is not to say that we cannot appreciate the ways that others enjoy their lake experience in their short summer season of primarily late May through early August.  Everyone is doing their own thing, in their own way, and it’s all good.  We like to think that collectively, we simply make a silent pact as a community to stay drama free and tolerant of one another.  Having respect for others is the key to making sure we can keep that pact intact.
 
It’s simple, and listed below are just a few ways to exhibit respect showing basic good boating etiquette, and therefore earning tolerance from others as we all enjoy lake days in our individual ways.

​Don’t be “that guy” - get your good boating etiquette hat ON well ahead of season!

Again, these are all just some favorite community ideas collected from our surveys in the Smith Lake Community Facebook group about how to have a wonderful time on Smith Lake while being conscious of community etiquette.  

Written by The Lakeside Life Team
Photography by Terry Turner

Updated:  5/16/25
​Original Article Date:  3/1/19