CORP SMT HAS NMAC WITH SMA ON INITIAL CLB WITHIN TCA.

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I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN; SMT; FROM ARLINGTON; TX; TO BAY MINETTE; AL (1R8). MY CLRNC READ: AFTER TKOF TURN TO A HDG OF 190 DEGS FOR RADAR VECTORS; CLB TO 2000 FT; CONTACT DEP ON 120.5 AND SQUAWK XXXX. TKOF WAS ON RWY 16. I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH DEP AND RPTED REACHING 2000 FT. DEP CONFIRMED RADAR CONTACT AND CLRED ME TO TURN L TO 090 DEGS; CLB TO AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT. JUST AS I WAS ESTABLISHING A 090 DEG HDG AND PASSING THROUGH 2300 FT DEP CALLED OUT VFR TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK HDG S. I MADE VISUAL CONTACT AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE ON A CONVERGING COURSE. AT THAT POINT I HAD TO MAKE A QUICK DECISION. A TURN BACK TO THE R WOULD STILL KEEP ME ON A CONVERGING COURSE PLUS I WOULD LOSE VISUAL CONTACT. AN EXTREMELY TIGHT TURN TO THE L MIGHT PUT ME BEHIND BUT AGAIN I WOULD LOSE VISUAL CONTACT. AT THAT POINT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD PASS ABOVE HIM; ALTHOUGH CLOSER THAN STANDARD SEPARATION. I RPTED TO DEP THAT I HAD A VISUAL AND WAS ABOVE THE TARGET. DEP ADVISED THAT WE WERE BOTH INDICATING 2200 FT. AT THAT TIME I PASSED ABOVE AND SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF THE TARGET WHILE STILL KEEPING POSITIVE VISUAL CONTACT. THE TARGET APPEARED TO BE AN SMA. I WISH TO RESTATE THAT ALTHOUGH CLOSE THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT WE WOULD CLR. THE SIT PASSED AND SHORTLY AFTER I WAS HANDED OFF WITHOUT ANY COMMENT FROM DEP. CONSIDERATIONS: OUR CTLRS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB AND I DO NOT WISH TO FIND FAULT. NOT KNOWING AT WHAT POINT DEP HAD THE VFR TFC ON HIS SCREEN MAKES AN ANALYSIS DIFFICULT. IF I HAD BEEN CLRED TO CLB TO 3000 FT AND THEN TURN TO 090 DEGS I WOULD HAVE BEEN WELL ABOVE. OR IF THE TFC HAD BEEN CALLED OUT PRIOR TO STARTING THE TURN I MAY HAVE HAD AN EARLIER VISUAL AND ADJUSTED THE RATE OF TURN AND CLB ACCORDINGLY. HOWEVER; IF THE TARGET APPEARED ON HIS SCREEN WHEN HE CALLED IT OUT; I'M NOT SURE WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO ALTER THE INCIDENT. I DO NOT KNOW IF THE TFC WAS BEING WORKED BY ANOTHER CTLR. WHEN ON AN IFR FLT PLAN GREATER ATTN IS DEVOTED TO THE PANEL; BUT I DO ALWAYS KEEP ALERT FOR TFC WHEN IN VFR CONDITIONS.