Where and How To Catch December Bass at Lake Wedowee with GPS Coordinates

December Bass at Wedowee

with Lee Byrd

     Many bass fishermen get so involved with the holidays they don’t think much about fishing from Thanksgiving to Christmas.  That is a mistake.  Some of the best bass fishing of they year is in late November to the end of December and Lake Wedowee is one of the best lakes to catch heavy stringers this time of year.

     Wedowee is the newest Alabama Power lake and is officially known as R.L. Harris Reservoir.  Completed in 1983, it was formed by damming the Tallapoosa River.  It covers 10,660 acres and has 270 miles of shoreline and most of the upper lake on both the Tallapoosa and Little Tallapoosa Rivers are winding channels and steep banks.

     Spotted bass are very common in the lake to the point the Alabama DNR has places a special slot limit on largemouth only.  You must release all largemouth between 13 and 16 inches long.  When first implemented this slot limit also applied to spots but they were removed two years ago and it only applies to largemouth now. Anglers are encouraged to keep spots of all sizes, especially the smaller ones.

     Lee Byrd grew up fishing in Georgia with his grandfather. He says they went “junk” fishing for anything that would bite.  He started concentrating on bass when about 12 years old and joined the Marietta Bass Club, one of the best clubs in Georgia the week he turned 18. That was natural since his father Bill Byrd was a member and a well know bass fishermen throughout the state.

     Lee moved to Birmingham 12 years ago and now concentrates his fishing on Alabama lakes. He is in the Birmingham Bass Club and fishes the Bama BFL and plans on fishing the Weekend Series this next year. He also competes in some local tournaments.  He is on the Grammer Marine fishing team and is sponsored by Champion Boats.

     Lee started fishing Wedowee in the mid-1980s, as soon as if filled.  Then four years ago a friend, Bill Roberts, from the Washington, DC area started visiting in late November for some fishing and they chose Wedowee as the best lake for this time of year.   Each year they catch a lot of big bass. Last year the first day of their trip Lee’s best five weighing 27 pounds.  The next day his best five weighed 23 pounds.

     There are some quality largemouth in Wedowee and Lee tends to focus on them. That is a results of his tournament fishing where largemouth usually weigh more than spots.  He does catch a lot of spots, too, but most of the better spots weigh two to three pounds.

     Lee says the bass are easy to pattern in late November and all during December. He concentrates on three types of structure, all related to deep water and channels.  Points where the channel swings near them, bluff banks on the main lake and creek banks where the channel swings against them all produce bass this time of year. 

     You can catch fish on almost all such places right now but Lee refines his fishing more. He looks for transitions. Changes hold bass so he wants to find a point of bluff where the rocks change to clay or where the water color changes.  Temperature changes can be just as important. Lee says he will often run up a creek and watch his temperature gauge.  If there are two bluff banks where the temperature is 58 then the next three show lower temperatures, around 51 or so, he will concentrate on the second and third bluffs where the temperature changes.

     A variety of baits work well and temperature controls what Lee throws to some extent. If the water temperature is still in the upper 50s he sticks with more active baits like crankbaits and spinnerbaits. When it hits the low 50s he relies on a jig and pig to catch most of his fish at Wedowee.

     Crankbaits with a tight wobble are Lee’s choice and he likes them in shad colors.  A Baby Little N or a Suddeth work well and have the wobble he likes.  Wooden baits are good and seem to do better, especially if the fishing is tough. Also, as a change-up, he will throw a bright chartreuse crankbait. That will sometimes produce hits when the shad colors are not drawing attention.

     Lee makes his own jigs and likes a three-eights to one–half ounce jig.  He will throw a quarter ounce jig if the fishing it tough and he wants a slower falling bait.  When the sun is out he fishes a brown or green pumpkin jig with a Zoom Super Chunk in green pumpkin or blue.  On cloudy and rainy days he uses a black jig and blue trailer.  Black and blue works better in off-color water.  For some reason Lee has found black and blue is good in very clear water, too.

     The bass are usually holding eight to 25 feet deep this time of year so Lee works those depths until he zeros in on a more specific depth.  If you are regularly catching fish at a set depth, concentrate on it.  Sunny or cloudy days don’t really affect the bite much other then which color Lee throws. He says a little wind helps move the baitfish so wind blown banks can be better.

     Lee concentrates on the upper one-third of the Little Tallapoosa and Tallapossa Rivers but there are some good areas down the lake, too.  You can pick and area to launch and stay nearby, there is no need to run all over the lake to find fish.

     The following ten spots are some of Lee’s favorites.  They are on different parts of the lake so some will be near you wherever you launch. Check them out and you will find many similar places nearby.

     1. N 33 21.098 – W 85 30.851 – Just upstream and across the river from the mouth of Wedowee Creek is an excellent example of the kind of  point Lee likes to fish this time of year.  It is on the upstream side of a cove that has a single small dock with a tin roof way back in it.  There are no houses on either side of the cove that you can see and both points are natural woods.

     The upstream point is at the end of a bluff wall and is a transition from a steep rock face to a flatter clay and rock bottom.  The channel runs right along the outside of the point but it is flatter on top and the point runs out shallow across the mouth of the cove for a short distance.

     Start with your boat on the river side and cast a crankbait across it, fishing it shallow to deep.  Fish all the way around the point making fan casts to cover all of it.  You can do the same with a spinnerbait if the water is in the upper 50s. Try hopping a jig and pig down the point from all angles if the water is in the lower 50s.

     2.  N 33 20.544 – W 85 30.572 – Run into Wedowee Creek and the channel makes a sharp bend to the right.  On your left you will see a white dock at the start of the sheer rock bluff.  Start fishing at this dock and work down the bluff, past a deck that is just above the full pool mark.   Not far past the deck is a small cove. Fish around it past the small gray house sitting on top of a concrete vertical foundation.  There is a fish feeder at it and you will see some small pine seedlings in the gutter.

     Keep your boat parallel to the bluff and work your crankbait and spinnerbait parallel to the rocks.  Cast right to the bank and fish the bait at an angle that keeps it close since the bottom drops off very fast.  Also try hopping a jig and pig down the face of the rocks.

     3.  N 33 20.523 – W 85 30.692 – Across the creek there is a point and a bluff wall where the creek makes a bend back to the left.  Start at the wooden dock on your right on the point.  It has a shingle roof and the house up on the point has a big deck around it. It is near where the bottom changes from a flatter clay area to a sheer vertical rock wall.    

     Fish all your baits along this bank, trying different speeds and depths.  You can fish all the way around past the five docks to the next transition where the channel moves to the left and the bottom flattens out a little more.  All along here watch for changes – a tree in the water, a change in water color or even the shadow from the docks to fish hard since the bass will hold on any change.

     4.  N 33 19.577 – W 85 32.117 – Headed down the river the channel makes a big “U” turn, swinging to your left then back to your right. On the outside of the “U” two coves cut back in offering a change.  Start fishing on the downstream point of the upstream cove.  It has some big rocks out in the water off the bank so stop way off it and ease in until you learn how far out they go.

     You will see two big whitish rocks at the top of the rock wall just downstream of the point. They sit right at the high water mark.  This point makes a change from big rocks under water to a steep rock bank.  I caught a chunky two pound spot just downstream from the point in early November on a jig and pig.

     Fish from the point down the bank, staying on the outside of it.  Fish the rocks on the point with a variety of baits then fish down the rock wall to the floating dock with a yellow slide and blue diving board on it.  On the downstream side of this dock is some brush that will still be in the water if it is not too low. The brush makes a nice change to fish and it holds bass.

     Fish on down past the deck at the high water level working crankbaits and spinnerbaits parallel to the rocks and hopping a jig down them.  When fishing a steep wall like this cast your jig and pig to the bank and let it hit bottom. Work it back with tiny hops of your rod tip, barely moving your rod tip. The jig will fall several inches to several feet with just a tiny movement of your rod tip.

     5.  N 33 19.451 – W 85 32.250 – The point at the end of the bluff wall in hole #4 is another good transition.  The bluff bank stops and a flatter point extends out, dropping off fast on both sides but with some shallow water on top. There is a floating dock attached to a dock on post with lattice around it. There is also a yellow boat house with a wooden ramp in front of it.

     Back off the point and make long casts with a crankbait and spinnerbait to cover the water from the top of the point down. Fish all the way around it, hitting it from all angles. Then go back around it with a jig and pig. You can make bigger hops here since the bottom does not drop quite as fast.

     6. N 33 17.703 – W 85 37.674 – If you put in on the lower lake the banks look very different but the channel swings still hold bass. Go in behind the big islands on the north side of the lake.  Be careful in this area there is lots of standing timber here. With the water down you can see most of it and know where to keep your boat.

     If you are coming downstream and go in behind them on the upstream side you will see a hump on your left with a danger buoy on it. With the water down it will be lying on top of the hump. All around the hump is standing timber. Across from this hump the channel makes a sharp turn to your left and there is another marked hump on your right. 

     Ease over to this hump that marks the end of a long point. The channel swings in on both sides of it, making it an excellent place to catch bass.  The best areas are where the channel swings in closest and the bottom makes the steepest drop.  Work all around this hump and point, keeping your bait out in the timber and fishing back.

     The bass might be holding suspended down along the tree trunks so fish your spinnerbait and crankbait through the timber as well as working the bottom.  It is harder to fish a place like this but it often pays off in bigger fish.

     7. N 33 17.961 – W 85 38.141 – Shad move into the creeks when the water temperature is below 60 degrees, according to Lee, and the bass will follow them.  Run into Fox Creek past the ramp and power lines.  The creek makes a fork and the point between the two arms is an excellent point to fish.  As you go up the creek one arm goes ahead and to the left and another makes a sharp turn to the right.  On top of the point is a dead kudzu field and a dirt track comes down to the water on the left side facing it and goes up the right side where people come to the bank to fish.

     Start fishing on the left side of the point facing it and work around it.  There are smaller points sticking out from the main point and some rock piles on them.  All make transitions where the bass hold. On the upper side the channel swings in then back out, making another transition area to fish.  Crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jig and pig are all good here.

     8.  N 33 20.313 – W 85 35.855 – Up the Tallapoosa River are some good spots, too.  There are fewer houses up this way and the channel is actually narrower then the Little Tallapoosa.  There is also a lot of standing timber along the banks.

     Run up past Indian Creek on your left and watch for a cove on your right.  The upstream point of the cove is the end of a bluff wall.  There is a sign nailed to a tree standing in the water across the river from the point advertising “Camping and Restrooms” with a phone number and arrow pointing upstream.  The fish often stack up on the point and they will also hold along the bluff bank upstream of the point. Work around the point with all your baits then fish up the bluff bank some, too. 

     Lee says the fish change year to year and even day to day.  If you found fish on the point the last time you fished there is a good chance they are still there, or on structure nearby. Vary your bait color, speed and depth of retrieve until you find them.

     9. N 33 21.174 – W 85 34.994 – Up the river on your right is a cove with a sign on a point back in the middle of it saying “Ratley’s Cove.”  The upstream point of the cove had a bunch of mallard decoys on it when I was there and there are big orange balls floating in the water off both points of the cove.

     Fish the bluff wall starting at the upstream point and working up. There are a lot of docks along this bluff wall and you should try all your baits, fishing all the way to the next cove. Watch for anything that is different and make casts to it.

     This bank as others on the east side of both rivers will stay shady for a good while during the day. Shade can also be a transition area and sometimes the bass like to hold in shady areas go check them out.

     10.  N 33 22.241 – W 85 35.873 – Head upstream to where the channel makes a sharp bend back to your right. There is a creek entering here and the mouth if full of standing timber. There are two big trees standing out in the water and one of them has an osprey nest in it.  A bluff bank runs above and below this creek. Fish both sides along the bank, working your baits on the rocks as well as in the trees.

     Here and in the other bluff banks Lee says to keep your boat in 25 to 40 feet of water when fishing a jig and pig. Make short casts ahead of the boat and hop your bait down the bank. Don’t get in too close. Let your jig fall on a slack line so you don’t pull it away from the bottom on each hop.  Let is sit a few seconds them make another small pull. Your jig will fall several feet even on slack line on a very small pull of your rod tip.

     These ten spots show you the kinds of places Lee likes to catch Wedowee bass this time of year.  Try them, see what he is talking about and you will find many other similar places all over the lake to fish.

BROOK TROUT RECORD BROKEN FOR THE THIRD TIME IN 2022

Brook Trout Record Broken for Third Time in 2022

LAKE CITY, Colo. – As Colorado Parks and Wildlife celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2022, it may be long remembered as the year of the brook trout.

Only five months after CPW certified a new state record brook trout for the first time in 75 years, the record was again reestablished by Matt Smiley of Lake City. He caught an 8-pound, 9-ounce brook trout on Oct. 8 from Waterdog Lake, located on the east side of Lake City in Hinsdale County within the Uncompahgre National Forest.

The fish measured 26.25 inches in length and had a girth of 16 inches.

“The experience of this catch has been surreal, and it took a few days to soak in. It’s a really special fish,” Smiley said. “The toughest thing for me with this whole deal was deciding to keep the fish. I’ve released so many over the years, but it was one of those deals where I made a quick decision and wanted to give this fish the recognition it deserves.”

In May, Tim Daniel of Granby reeled in a 7.84-pound brook trout from Monarch Lake in Grand County. That fish, measured at 23.25 inches with a girth of 15.375 inches, broke the previous state record of 7.63 pounds from a brook trout caught in 1947 out of Upper Cataract Lake in Summit County. That had been the longest-standing fishing record in the state.

Since Daniel’s catch May 23, the record has actually been broken twice, with both caught at Waterdog Lake.

The weekend before Smiley’s triumph, Larry Vickers of Lake City had caught an 8.22-pound brook trout. While Vickers knew he had a record fish, he opted not to go through the certification process and decided to eat it to not let the meat go to waste. CPW aquatic biologist Dan Brauch was notified of the catch, and word spread across the region.

Smiley, who sells tackle for the company Favorite Fishing, has chased large brook trout in lakes across Colorado for a decade. He was eager to get in the high country for some fall fishing, and Vickers’ catch was stuck in his mind. So, he set up the Waterdog Lake trail with a 3.9-mile hike and 2,400 feet of elevation gain between him and the lake nestled in the timberline bowl beneath Mesa Seco at 11,130 feet.

After a day of catching smaller fish, Smiley was about ready to pack up and head home to watch college football. But 20 seconds after he had that thought, he felt the tug of a large fish on his Favorite Fishing Jackhammer rod and set the hook on his artificial lure.

“After fishing for a bit and only seeing smaller fish, I thought I wasn’t going to see any real good ones,” Smiley said. “But then the rod got heavy, I set my hook and could tell I had a really big fish.

“When it surfaced and I could see it, all I could think was, ‘Wow.’ I’ve caught big brookies in the past around the state, but when I saw this one, it was just different. It had way more length than any of the big ones before.”

Smiley battled the fish and waded into the water to try to get it in his net. He was able to net it, but with one forceful roll, the trout was free of the net and the fight resumed. It once again took his line out to the middle of the lake.

“I went into the, ‘I can’t lose this one’ mode,” Smiley said. “She pulled and rolled and was doing crazy things. My heart sank when she flopped right back out of the net, but she stayed hooked up and I brought her in a second time. It was a wild, crazy deal.”

Finally with the trout in his hands, Smiley had another 3.9-mile hike down the steep trail with the fish in his backpack.

He took it directly to the Lake City post office where it was weighed by Emily Dozier, who happily obliged Smiley’s request to have the fish weighed.

After further inspection from Brauch, the local CPW aquatic biologist, it was declared the new state record brook trout.

“Having sampled that water, I know the shoreline is loaded with scuds,” Brauch said. “So I am not too surprised this fish came from that lake, but it is a smaller body of water. It’s not a lake that handles a lot of use or fishing pressure and is difficult to access. Seeing two record fish in one week caught from there, it’s a cool story.”

Smiley thanked Brauch for meeting him over the weekend to inspect and certify the fish as well as his friends who helped get him in contact with CPW.

The brook trout, introduced to Colorado in 1872, is a member of the char genus of the trout and salmonid family. It is a beautifully colored fish with pink or red spots surrounded by blue halos along the sides and a distinctive marbled pattern over an olive-green back. Brook trout, which are native to Northeastern United States, often grow anywhere from 11 to 23 inches in length.

Smiley and a friend have enjoyed fishing for brook trout around the state together. Smiley said they have run into plenty of large fish over the years.

“We’ve been doing this for 10 years pretty hard across Colorado. We just love backcountry brook trout,” Smiley said. “There are several lakes with really good fish in them, and we’ve been close a few times. My friend got one five years ago that would’ve broken the record, and on the spot he released it. He had one earlier that day he lost that was even bigger. The way lakes cycle, a couple of years go by and there are no big brookies left in it as things change.”

Smiley said the decisions to keep the fish, certify it as a record brook trout and have it mounted were all difficult.

“I’ve let some really big ones go, and then you see them later and age has not been kind to them as they’ve regressed and gone the other way when they aren’t getting the nutrients they need to maintain that size,” he said. “This one, it was in peak condition, and I made the decision to give that fish the recognition it deserves. But it’s been the toughest thing for me with this whole deal. We learn none of them live forever, but it’s just a crazy deal when it all happens at once and you have to make that quick call.”

Now, the oldest fishing record in Colorado is for white bass, dating back to 1963. The oldest trout record in the state is for native cutthroat, dating back to 1964.

To see the full list of state record fish by weight in Colorado, go to: https://cpw.state.co.us/learn/Pages/RecordsbyWeight.aspx.

Also see Trout Fishing in Georgia

Where and How to Catch November Bass at Seminole with GPS Coordinates

November Bass at Seminole

with Mike Prindle

     Already dreaming about the explosive topwater strikes you had during the summer and wishing bass were still hitting on top?  That excitement is not necessarily over for the year. Head down to Lake Seminole where they are blowing up on frogs around the hydrilla and will be on that pattern most of November.  Seminole is hot this year with lots of chunky three to five pound bass actively feeding in the shallow water right now.

     Seminole is far enough south that the water stays much warmer than most other lakes in the state.  Formed by the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and fed by Spring Creek, it offers a variety of water clarity, cover and structure.  November is a good time to take advantage of the more active bass and enjoy fishing that is gone from most lakes until next spring.

     Seminole is a 37,500 acre Corps of Engineers lake that was filled in the 1950s.  It is famous for its bass fishing and is full of grass beds, standing timber, stump fields, creek and river channels and flats.  It has more “fishy” looking water than most other lakes but that can make it hard to pattern.  Anywhere you look seems like a good place to catch a bass.

     Mike Prindle moved to Lake Seminole near Wingate’s Lunker Lodge four years ago. He had a job opportunity that allowed him to pick a place to live and he chose to live on Seminole because of the great fishing. The first time he saw the lake he fell in love with it.

     He spent many hours learning the lake and now guides out of Wingate’s.  Mike also fishes several of the local pot tournaments and has done well on the BFL and other tournaments there.  After fishing with some big Florida clubs he is one of the founding members of the Hydrilla Gnats, a local bass club that holds most of its tournaments on Seminole. 

     When the Georgia Federation Nation started up a few years ago Mike was the first state tournament director, a job he held until a few months ago. The first year of the Federation Nation Mike made the state team, placed first on the team at the regional tournament and made the Federation Nation National tournament.  He now wants to focus on fishing the BASS Opens next year and is preparing for that trail.

     Mike’s catches at Seminole would make any bass fisherman jealous.  Last year he landed 16 bass over ten pounds each.  His best five fish in a tournament pulled the scales down to 27.04 pounds and he has caught five shoal bass weighing 24 pounds.   

     “Cooler water coming down the rivers in October moves the fish shallow around the grass,” Mike said. He expects to find large numbers of quality fish schooling up around grass beds near deeper water where they spent the summer.  They are aggressive and feed heavily most days, offering you a good chance to catch large number of fish.

     Early each morning Mike starts with topwater baits and likes a Culprit frog fished over and through the abundant grass beds. As long as the bass keep hitting Mike will keep throwing the frog, and that bite may last all day on cloudy or windy days.  He will work a frog with a Deep South rod and Revo reel spooled with 60 pound Power Pro Braid. He fishes the frog fast, working it over the hydrilla mats near drops.  

     When the bass stop hitting on top Mike switches to a lipless crankbait like the Xcaliber XR 50 or XR 75. He chooses the size based on the size baitfish the bass are eating so it is important to pay attention to any shad you see.  If you don’t know which size to fish, try both until the fish let you know.  Mike fishes the baits on a Deep South Rippin’ Rod he helped design and spools his reel with 50 pound Power Pro.

     If the bass are not active and want a slower bait Mike will throw an Ol Nelle spinnerbait and fish it over the grass. He uses the same rod and reel as with the lipless bait and says you need a heavy rod and braided line to get fish out of the grass.

     As the grass dies off and the mats on top disappear you can still fish a frog over them but ripping a lipless crankbait through them becomes more and more effective.  If a cold front puts the bass deep in the cover Mike flips a jig and pig into holes in the grass.

     Mike showed me his patterns and marked the following holes in early October.  The bass were just beginning to move up onto them after the first cooler weather we had and they will be strong on them by now.  Mike concentrates on the Flint River side since he guides out of Wingate’s but he catches bass on this same pattern up the Chattahoochee River.

     1. N 30 47.473 – W 84 40.234 – Just downstream of the creek with Faceville Landing in it the river makes a slight bend to the right headed downstream and several small creeks enter the river. There are several islands between the creeks and main channel and the river side of them has good grass beds. There is deep water here and the grass forms a wall of grass with some scattered clumps out from it.

     This is a good place to start in the morning.  Mike usually runs up past the last gap between the creeks and river and starts working downstream, throwing his frog up onto any grass mats still on top and working it back. He moves the frog fast looking for a reaction bite, which often comes right at the edge of the grass.

     Fish this grass line for several hundred yards. If you catch a fish concentrate on that area.  Bass are schooled up pretty good right now so you should catch several where one hits.  If you go through an area where you get several bites it is a good idea to turn and go back over it again.

     2.  N 30 47.338 – W 84 41.909 – Just downstream across the river where the channel swings to the north you will see some stumps sticking up way off the bank. One of them was marked with a white PVC pipe when we were there and several more stuck above the water with it down about a foot.  This timber is along a ditch that runs parallel to the river channel. There is a good grass bed on the ridge between the river and ditch and more on the bank side of the ditch.

     Mike especially likes places like this one.  During the flood of 1994 current washed out ditches on some of the flats and they make an excellent place for bass to hold and feed. They can come up the ditch and feed on either side of it or stay in the river and feed on that side. Mike usually fished up the ditch since there is a lot of grass on both sides.

     Work it early with a frog then switch to a lipless crankbait and work over and through the grass. When the bait hangs up in the grass rip it free to draw a reaction strike. Key on little points and cuts in the grass with all your baits.  Hit anything that looks a little different. Fish all the way to where the the ditch rejoins the main river.

     3.  N 30 46.977 – W 84 43.755 – Run down to where the river channel makes a big swing to the right near channel marker 13.5 and you will see a small island. Go in behind it and you will be on a big hydrilla flat that runs all the way past Wingate’s.  Bass will hold all over this flat but there are key areas.  The first is a point that runs out from the small island toward the bank. You will be just upstream of the first houses you can see on the bank.

     Keep your boat out in deeper water off the grass and cast up on top of it, hitting anything that makes a change. Try frogs and lipless crankbaits, but also run a spinnerbait over the grass.  You can fish it slower than the other baits and let it fall into holes in the grass.  Try to match your blades to the size baitfish the bass are feeding on.

     4. N 30 46.678 – W 84 44.445 – You can fish all the way to this spot or idle down to it. Another long point of hydrilla runs out toward the river across the flat out from a brick house.  You will see a post or two marking the channel in to the little creek where there are houses.  Start on the upstream side of the point, upstream of the post, and work all the grass in the area.

     Mike says current coming down the river hits these grass points and moves bait fish across them, creating a good feeding opportunity for bass. On one of his best days in this area he caught five bass weighing 25 pounds in 15 minutes.  When you find a good school of bass feeding you can load the boat in a hurry in this area.

     5. N 30 45.957 – W 84 45.845 – Head downstream past Wingate’s and you will see some houses on the bank. Just out from the seventh one, a white house with a tin roof, another of the flood ditches runs parallel to the bank. The ditch is about ten feet deep and there is grass on both sides of it to fish. 

     Start fishing where the ditch opens off the river and stay in the ditch. Work it until the grass gets solid or you get back to the river channel. The spots like this one where the ditches offer multiple grass edges are usually best.

     Mike will work a topwater frog until the water temperature drops below 68 degrees.  If the water is colder than that he concentrates on the spinnerbait and lipless crankbait, but it is worth a few casts to see if they are still feeding on top. As the grass dies off and breaks up the mats are harder to find but it is worth a few casts to any you find.

     6. N 30 45.918 – W 84 47.996 – Be very careful any time you get out of the marked channels, especially if you don’t know the lake. But at green channel marker 7.5 you can run across to the opposite side of the river to the islands and grass between the Flint Rive and Spring Creek. Watch as you go across because a big field of standing timber will be just downstream of where you go across.

     Stop way off the bank as soon as you start seeing hydrilla, about 75 yards off the stumps between the river channel and the bank.  Beds of grass run way off the bank here.  Start working them as soon as you hit them and fish downstream.   Fish all your baits here.

     Mike uses shad colored lipless baits in clear water and red or chartreuse in stained to muddy water.  In clearer water he likes colors like Copper Perch and Citrus Shad.  In Red is a very good color in stained water this time of year.  Depending on the amount of rain up the river the water can range from very clear to very muddy.  It will be muddier up the river and clearer the further down you go as the grass filters out some of the mud. And the Spring Creek water entering also make for clearer water further downstream.

     7. N 30 45.993 – W 84 48.621 – You can fish all along here or idle down to the first gap where the solid bank ends and the series of islands start between Spring Creek and the Flint River.  There is a hump here between two washout ditches with a lot of submerged hydrilla around it. You can see the grass under the water if the sun is out and the water is not too stained.  You will feel it as you work your lipless crankbait or spinnerbait over it.

     Fish all along this grass.  Some wind blowing across it helps stir up the baitfish and break up the water surface, making your artificials look more like the real thing.  Here and in all other spots look for schools of shad on your depthfinder or near the surface.  Concentrate on areas with baitfish. The bass follow them and stay around them this time of year.

     8.  N 30 46.041 – W 84 48.987 – On downstream you will see an island surrounded by hydrilla with a sign on a post on the downstream side of it.  The sign marker the boundary of the waterfowl refuge and this is a excellent area to fish. Mike and I caught seven or eight bass here the day we fished.

     Start out from the sign and work downstream.  There is a good wall of hydrilla that stops in a shear drop and then there are sparse clumps of hydrilla out from it. Bass will feed in the grass the move out to the wall to hold and feed. Mike says he often catches bigger bass holding out in the deeper water around the clumps set off from the thicker bed.

     Fish across the tops of mats and over submerged hydrilla.  Work your lipless crankbait along the edge and through the clumps. Cover the whole area, hitting anything that is different. Bass look for those different spots to hold.

     9.  N 30 45.376 – W 84 51.208 – As you go downstream you will see the red channel markers come toward the mouth of Spring Creek where it turns in that direction. About even with red marker 7.7 there is a small island on the creek side, about even with the mouth of Fish Pond Drain. 

     Just upstream of this island a 14 foot deep hole in the flat has two ditches feeding off it, one going toward Spring Creek and one going toward the river. A good grass bed runs along the one going toward the river. Fish along it, working the grass with all your baits. 

     10.  N 30 43.121 – W 84 51.576 – Go out to the river channel and head toward the dam. After you go around the bend you will see an open area on the bank and a campground just upstream of the Corps of Engineers offices. Go toward the campground, staying way out. White poles mark a shallow roadbed or ridge running parallel to the bank so stay out away from it.

     After you pass the poles and get even with the campground you will see hydrilla.  This huge flat was crossed by service roads and holes dug for fill dirt when the dam was being built and it a good place to catch November bass.  Out from the cqampground you can stop in 22 feet of water and the bottom will come up to five feet deep way off the bank.

       There are grass lines and clumps to fish here.  Work them like the others. Mike says this is a big shad congregation area in the fall so watch for them and concentrate where you find the baitfish.

     Check out Mike’s spots then you can find many others like them.  Seminole is an excellent lake this time of year. Plan a trip there to catch some chunky fall bass. 

  

Fishing Industry focuses on females – and Florida

The fishing industry contributed 49.8 billion dollars to the US economy in 2018 (most recent report available). That spending contributed $63.5 billion to the National GDP and total economic impact, including all multiplier effects was nearly $126 billion in 2018 according to this report https://asafishing.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Sportfishing-in-America-Revised-November-2018.pdf

Female anglers spend billions of dollars each year, creating tens of billions in economic impacts.

Female fishing participation on rise

Florida data for fishing:
Florida ranks number one for numbers of anglers. One out of every four trips in the U.S. occurs in Florida and 60 percent of recreational fish caught in the U.S. are caught in Florida.

The highest region for female participation is the South Atlantic. Its share has the strongest three-year annual growth rate overall.

Female Participation over Time
While female fishing participation fell slightly in 2021 from its 2020 all-time high, in 2021 there were 2.8 million more female anglers than five years prior, and 3.8 million more than in 2011.

Female activities outside of fishing
In addition to fishing, nearly half of all female participants walked to stay fit. The next most popular activities were camping, hiking, bowling and bicycling.

This information is provided by Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing (LLGF), according to statistics from RBFF, NMFS and other sources. The goal of LLGF is to activate, recruit and retain new anglers through educational programming and communications, aligning with the mission of the American Sport Fishing Association’s R3 endeavor.

Featured on national network television and more, the series is supported by major partners including Recreational Fishing and Boating Foundation, Take Me Fishing, Vamos a Pescar, Mercury, Magic Tilt trailers, Shearwater Boats, Power-Pole, Penn, TACO Metals, Lowrance, Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida and Fish Florida. Largest Annual Sponsors are Freedom Boat Club, ICOM America, CCA Florida STAR, Bob’s Machine Shop, AFTCO, Costa, Smith Optics, Frogg Toggs, Hubbards Marina, Star Brite and Future Angler Foundation. Other sponsors and donors are listed on the website.

For the 2022 Special Report on Fishing from RBFF visit takemefishing.org.

Fishing Industry statistics from 2021 or most recent available according to the Special Report on Fishing:
54.4 million Americans ages 6 and over went fishing

Women now account for 37 percent of anglers in the U.S.
3.7 million were first-time participants, of that number, 43 percent were women
Nearly 41 million Americans ages 6 and over freshwater fished
13.8 million fished in saltwater
19.4 million female anglers fished
2.8 million more female anglers than five years prior, and 3.8 million more than in 2011.
1.6 million female participants were first-timers
7.9 million children ages 6 to 12 fished
5 million adolescents ages 13 to 17 fished
4.7 million Hispanics ages 6 and over fished
17 percent of the American population went fishing
More Americans fish then play golf and tennis combined in 2016, no new data available
Income brackets, females participating in fishing:

25% Income of over $100,000
24% income 25K to $50K
19% $50K to 75K
Fishing and the economy:
Fishing contributed 49.8 billion dollars to the US economy in 2018 (most recent report available). That spending contributed $63.5 billion to the National GDP and total economic impact, including all multiplier effects was nearly $126 billion in 2018 according to this report https://asafishing.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Sportfishing-in-America-Revised-November-2018.pdf

Female anglers spend billions of dollars each year, creating tens of billions in economic impact dollars.

Story and images provided by Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing

About Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing
The Ladies, Let’s Go Fishing Foundation (LLGF) is a national charitable 501C3 organization dedicated to attracting women and families to fishing and encouraging conservation and responsible angling. LLGF promotes networking among women anglers and emphasizes mentorships. Founded in 1997 by Betty Bauman, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, LLGF has over 9,000 graduates and is the largest organization in the world whose objective is to introduce women and families to fishing. In addition to fishing education and hands-on practice, most events offer a fishing experience depending on venue, from charter boats to land-based fishing. The mission is supported by sponsors and donors. Both Bauman and the University series – dubbed “The No-Yelling School of Fishing” – are known nationally in the fishing and marine industries. The organization has earned rave reviews from media including Inside Edition, The Early Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS, Good Morning America, Outdoor Life Network, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Southern Living and more.

ABOUT Future Angler Foundation
The Future Angler Foundation (FAF) is an incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation formed in April of 2012. The FAF’s mission is to “Create New Anglers and Boaters” through its support of angler education and boating safety programs hosted by passionate, knowledgeable volunteers throughout the U.S. and through its “Getting Families Fishing” initiative, a series of free source digital educational programs developed to engage young anglers and boaters as they educate them about angling in an exciting, informative, and effective manner. More information about the FAF can be found online at www.futureangler.org.

UPDATE – Eco-worthy Lithium Battery Review – UPDATE!!

I wrote the review below about a month ago – tried to work with them but I am done with this battery now. Don’t waste your money!

Last weekend the LiFePO4 12V 30Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery was fully charged Saturday morning. Due to tire problems I never got to launch my boat.

Sunday morning in my club tournament the Garmin went dead in less than one hour!!

Fortunately, the wires to my cranking battery were not hooked up but still there. I took about 15 minutes of tournament time hooking the Garmin to those wires then hooking to the cranking battery.

Eight hours later I still had 12.4 volts on my AGM cranking battery.

I am done with this battery messing my fishing up!

Fast service, works well most every trip

I ordered a 5A 12V Automatic Smart Battery Charger and Maintainer with LCD Display for Lead Acid and Lithium (LiFePO4) Batteries and a LiFePO4 12V 30Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery on Friday, June 25, 2021 at 10:09 AM – Order #7467 confirmed

I received the battery and charger quickly and hooked up my Garmin Panoptix system to it. The Garmin system, head unit and black box, is the only thing on the battery. That system had been pulling down my battery for other electronics too fast to last an eight-hour tournament day.

The first time I used the system with the Ecoworthy batter it was still running after nine hours, and all my other electronics were still running. It did exactly what I wanted it to do.

I hooked up the charger with the included battery clamps and it did fine for several months. Then it seemed the battery would not take a full charge, running down below 11.3 volts needed to run the Garmin system within a few hours. One time the Garmin went out after only 30 minutes, even though it had been on the charger for a week.

Several times I noticed the charger would not reach a full charge, showing 12.3 volts maximum. And the charger jumped from 1.3 to 3.8 amps and many numbers in between, with no consistency, even after being plugged in for 24 hours.

|I switched the battery charger to the screw on clips and it seemed to help, but sometimes my Garmin stills goes out in less than eight hours at times.

I contacted support and they quickly responded, trying to help me isolate the problem. They have responded quickly to all my emails and were very supportive.

I am mostly happy with the battery and charger and if I can make it consistent on every trip will be extremely satisfied.

Ronnie Garrison

Captain Mack’s Lake Hartwell Fishing Report

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Reports

Lake level is down -5.52’
Surface temp is 66


While the weather cannot
seem make its mind up this
week, we are still in that fall
turnover pattern on the
water. The line sides are
definitely on the move and
headed back in the creeks in
search of bait and water
quality. It is still a grind but
good fish and numbers can be
caught using a number of
techniques. Long points and
humps are really coming into
play now as the fish are
roaming more shallow. These
areas in the middle and back
portions of the creek have
been getting better as we get
deeper into the fall pattern.


Planer boards and free lines
have been my staple pattern.
As I mentioned in my last
report, I will discuss my
standard set up in this report.
A Captain Mack’s Mustard
Stick paired with an Okuma
line counter reel is my go-to. I
like to be spooled with 17 lb test mono and a 10-12# Sunlike Sniper Fluorocarbon leader approximately
8’ long. I use a #2 Gamakatsu Octopus hook for the Blueback Herring. I use the line counter reel to let
30-40’ back before I clip the Perfect Planer on and then let the planer back around 80’ on my outside rod
and then 50’ on my inside rod when running 2 rods per side. Set your reels drag loose enough the fish
will pull drag slightly on that initial run but tight enough to get a solid hook set. This is my standard setup
but you can vary it to your style. Braid works just fine as a main line and hook sizes need to match the
bait you are pulling.


Trolling Captain Mack’s umbrella rigs over these same points and humps in 25-35’ will definitely add
more fish to the boat and also the best way to scout out new areas when searching a creek arm. 90-125’
behind the boat is ideal doing this method. Keep a Super Jig (white with mylar or white chart) or top
water bait tied on for the surfacing fish.


Captain Brandon Davis
Bent Rods Charter Company

How and Where To Catch September Bass at Logan Martin with GPS Coordinates for Ten Good Spots

with Brian Randall

     September can be a mean month for bass fishermen. The water is as hot as it gets all year and the oxygen content is at its lowest level. Bass are often sluggish and not feeding much. But some lakes like Logan Martin give us a chance to have good catches even now.

     Built in 1965 by Alabama Power on the Coosa River east of Birmingham, Logan Martin is 48.5 miles from dam to headwaters and has 15,263 acres of water filled with river ledges, grass beds and docks.  Water releases and power generation at the Logan Martin dam as well as from the Neely Henry dam upstream create current that helps make the bass feed.

     There is a good population of largemouth in the lake but spotted bass seem to dominate tournament catches.  In the BAIT survey for 2007 Logan Martin ranked first in percent of angler success and third in bass and pounds landed per angler day.  The average bass weight and hours to catch a bass over five pounds ranked 19th.  So expect to catch a lot of keeper bass but bigger bass are harder to come by on Logan Martin.

     Brian Randall grew up in Tuscaloosa and is a fire fighter there now.  He is also sales manager of Grammer Marine in Vance and sells Champion, Blazer and Express boats on the days he is not on duty at the fire station.  He has fished Logan Martin all his life.

     In the mid 1990s a friend got Brian started tournament fishing and he has done well.  In 2001 he won the Neely Henry BFL and the Bama Division point standings for the year.  In 2002 he fished the Stren Series and finished 8th in his first tournament on that trail and then finished 15th at Eufaula after leading on day two.  He got married the next year and took a year off from tournament fishing but is getting back into it now, fishing the Dixie BFLs, where he is in 10th place overall for the year, and the Grammer Marine trail.

     Brian took me fishing on Logan Martin the last day of July, showing me how to catch bass there.  He said the bass are on their summer patterns from now on through most of September and you can catch them on ledges, brush piles and docks.  Near the end of September the bass will follow the shad back into the creeks and coves but you can still follow them and land them from docks and grassbeds.

     Logan Martin is a very versatile lake where you can always catch bass shallow, according to Brian.  The abundant cover and shallow structure mean bass don’t have to go real deep and current helps keep them in easier to fish areas. From now to the end of September Brian expects to catch bass 10 to 15 feet deep during the day on ledges.  He also catches fish on top early each morning and around docks during the day.  Those three patterns will serve you well.

     For topwater fishing Brian had a Spook, Jr., a Rico popper or a buzzbait tied on. He fishes them around grassbeds, rocks and docks until the sun get on the water.  Cloudy days will hold the fish shallow longer and fish will hit topwater around docks later than they will on open grassbeds or rocks.

     For ledge fishing Brian likes a big crankbait like a Norman or Poes. For the shallow ledges 10 to 12 feet deep he goes with a Deep Little N then switches to a DD 22N for deeper fish.  He says the Poes is a forgotten crankbait that will still catch bass and he likes it on the more shallow ledges.  All his crankbaits are shad colored with gray backs, like the citrus shad or gray ghost.  The gray back is a key for all his crankbaits.

     Crankbaits are thrown on 10 pound P-Line spooled on a bait casting reel. All his rods are Castaway Rods, one of his sponsors.  He makes long casts and the 10 pound line helps the plug get down deeper.

     A Castaway spinning rod with a reel spooled with eight pound PLine Fluorocarbon line is kept ready with a shaky head jig and a Net Bait worm for fishing brush when the fishing is tough.  He will also throw the shaky head around docks.

     Sometimes the fish on the ledges just don’t seem to want a crankbait and Brian will throw a Net Bait worm on a Caroliana rig to them.  He will also keep a football head jig ready to drag on the ledges for those tough days.

     The following ten spots will hold bass for you this month. Brian and I fished them and caught about 15 bass, all but two were spots. Brian’s best five that day weighed 13.5 pounds and included a 4 pound, 1 ounce spot.  We quit early in the afternoon and missed some of the good bite, but it was still a very good day.

     1.  N 33 31.765 – W 86 17.015 – In Cropwell Creek the peninsular that separates the cove at Lakeside Landing and the creek itself is a good place to start early in the morning. Run around to the creek side and you will see a series of seawalls and small coves. Start fishing on the point between the creek and the cove in front of the brown house with a weather vane on top and work up the creek side at the seawall. 

     This rock seawall runs along the bank and there are rocks out from it. You will fish a variety of seawalls, docks and cuts with some grass. Fish all the way up to the point that runs way out, Be sure to cast your topwater right to the seawall and work it out.  When you got to grassbeds throw a buzz bait in them, working all through them.  Fish along the outside edges of docks, too.

     2.  N 33 30.862 – W 86 17.767 – Run down past the opening to the river, staying inside the creek, and watch on your right for a long dock running upstream on a point.  The dock is on an island that has a causeway to it and is in front of a white cabin with a screen porch and a chain link fence. Start on the back side of the island near the causeway and work toward the point, casting topwater right on the bank. Fish this side, hitting the docks there and the  brush in the water.  Work around the point and fish the dock on it.

     As you round the point you will see a big cement ramp. Fish it and then start working the docks down this bank.  We missed several fish here and Brian got a solid spot that weighed just under three pounds and I got a two pound keeper spot.  We also saw some schooling fish here.

     The first dock past the ramp has a lot of brush around it.  Fish over it with topwater and work on down the bank until the fish quit hitting on top. Fish between the docks, casting near the bank and working back along the edges of the docks. Be sure to cast to any rock or grass on the bank between the docks.

     After fishing the docks go back to the brush around the first dock and try your shaky head or Carolina rig. Brian likes a light jig head to work through the brush without hanging up, and be ready to set the hook and reel hard to get the fish out of the brush.

     3.  N 33 32.202 – W 86 16.522 – Head to the back of Cropwell creek and you will see some ball fields right in the back. To the left of the fences you will see a roadbed entering the water. That roadbed runs down the creek and makes a perfect ledge with cement rubble on top. Brian runs back to the little island on the left across from the area they are clearing for a new subdivision on the right bank and starts fishing.

     You will see two danger markers ahead of you, toward the back of the creek. Keep your boat on the outside of the roadbed in about 10 feet of water and work toward the back of the creek. Stay where you can cast all the way across the roadbed and bring your bait up one side, across the top and down the other.

     Brian fished a Norman’s Deep Little N here and warned you will get hung a lot on the rubble from the road. He keeps a spark plug with a clip on it to drop down his line to shake the plug loose and also keeps a Hound Dog type plug knocker with short small ropes on it to run down his line to pull his plug off hang-ups.

     I caught a two pound spot on a Texas rigged worm here and Brian got a slightly bigger spot on his crankbait the day we fished.  Both of us missed several hits but we did not stay very long.

     4. N 33 29.720 – W 86 14.641 – Run out of Cropwell Creek and head up the river.  Go through the big “S” bend past Powell’s Campground and watch for another area that is being cleared for a new subdivision on your left.  In front of it is a cove with an island on the upstream side. Stop out off the downstream point of this island in about 21 feet of water. A ledge runs along the island and the downstream side of the point and comes up to about 14 feet deep. Stay out and cast up on top of the ledge and work a deep running crankbait, Carolina rig or football head jig back down the drop.

     This ledge is a hard clay bottom without much cover on it so you won’t get hung up much. Fish from the middle of the cove upstream until you are even with the island.  Make very long cast so your bait has a chance to get down deeper.  You need to hit bottom for the best results, and Brian will sweep his rod when his plug hits bottom, making it dig along and draw a strike.

     Brian likes to sit deep and cast up shallow on all the ledges he fishes.  He is looking for active fish that have moved up to feed and thinks he does better fishing in that direction. He says he is also less likely to get hung up fishing from shallow to deep.

     5.  N 33 30.353 – W 86 13.605 – Heading upstream around the next bend you will see the bridge ahead of you, a house on a steep cleared hillside with a big cement wall between it and the water on your right, and a small creek entering on your right upstream of the house.  A roadbed crosses the mouth of this creek, creating a ledge, and it has concrete rubble on it from the old bridge or a house foundation.

     Stay out in 20 feet of water and cast up onto the roadbed that tops out about eight feet deep.  Brian will break off rather than go get his bait in a tournament because he feels getting on top of the shallow water spooks the fish. If you need to get your bait, or if you want to idle over the spot to see how it looks, it is a good idea to leave and come back later to fish it.

     6. N 33 33.732 – W 86 10.774 – Run up into the mouth of Choccoloco Creek, staying in the channel past the islands on your left. Straight ahead is a steep bank where the creek runs right by the shore on and outside bend.  There is a big house up on the hillside with several turrets and roof pinnacles.  There are some big white rocks on the bank on the left side when you are facing it and granite riprap on the right.  Stop out in front of this house. 

      Here you want to fish the ledge on the inside bend of the creek channel. Keep your boat in the channel and throw your baits downstream toward the river.  There is a shallow point just to your left if you are facing out from the big house and dock and you will be casting up into about 12 feet of water while sitting in 25 feet.

     Work all along this ledge.  Brian keeps a marker buoy on the edge of his casting deck and kicks it over the side as soon as he hooks a bass to mark the spot. That way he can go back to the exact same spot. That is important because bass stack up on these ledges in small areas and you should catch several anywhere you get one.

     Brian told me he caught a bunch of 1.5 pound fish here in the recent BFL and finally just gave up and left biting fish because they were not culling anything he had.  He caught three here on crankbaits the day we fished, all about 1.5 pounds.

     7.  N 33 33.533 – W 86 10.215 – Go up the creek around the bend and the creek runs straight for a long way.  Stop about even with the point on your left out in 25 feet of water and start casting toward the bank on that side, fishing up the creek. You will be downstream of a white house with red shutters. There are a lot of stumps along this creek ledge.

     Work up the creek, casting up into six feet of water. Brian says he thinks this was the area some of the pros caught fish in a big tournament and he landed the 4 pound, 1 ounce spot here. It hit his Deep Little N crankbait.

     Fish all the way up to the last dock on the point where the creek makes a bend again. This is over 200 yards of ledge to fish and they may be holding anywhere along it.  You will get hung up on all the stumps but they are why the fish are here.

     Brian will start fishing this ledge and others making casts across it at a 90 degree angle. Then, especially if he catches a fish or two, he will move in and change the angle he is fishing a little, casting up or down the ledge and coming across it at a different angle to show the fish something a little different. This will often trigger more strikes.

     8.  N 33 34.451 – W 86 12.834 – Heading up the river you will come out of a fairly  narrow stretch of the river and Dye Creek will open up on your left. Ahead you will see a power line crossing. On the left will be a danger marker sitting way out from the bank.  This hump has rocks on it and it a good place to fish a crankbait, Carolina rig or football head jig.

     Work all around this hump probing for rocks and bass. When you catch one mark it and fish that spot hard. If the current is running the downstream side of the hump is usually better.  Current and wind blowing across this spot make the fish bite better since both move bait across the hump.  Both help on any of these spots.

     9.  N 33 34.989 – W 86 13.120 – Go up to the power line and stop out from the small island with the power line tower on it on your right. A good ledge starts just downstream of this pole and runs up to the island on that side. It is a sloping ledge without a steep drop and Brian says it is usually better in the morning. Most sloping ledges seem to pay off for him better in the morning.

     Fish from the power line tower upstream, working crankbaits, Carolina rigs and football head jigs from shallow to deep.  Bright sun actually helps this and other ledges.  Cloudy days seem to make the fish scatter more and Brian says he does better on them when the sun is bright. It positions the fish in one area and they are easier to catch.

     10. N 33 36.943 – W 86 11.362 – Run up the river above the three bridges and watch to your left. There is a small creek with some houses on the downstream side and one of them has a tower. There is a green roof and an orange roof dock in front of these houses.  On the upstream side of the small creek you will see a white post of some kind in the water near the bank.     

     Start fishing out from the upstream point of the pocket and fish up past the white post working upstream. This area of the river has steep ledges and drops fast. There are a lot of stumps along this ledge. I hooked two small largemouth here, the only two we saw all day. Both hit a worm.

     11. N 33 37.348 – W 86 10.160 – A little further upstream you will see a brush top out way off the bank on your left. A good ledge runs along this side from the brush top all the way to the next creek entering on that side.  It is covered with big stumps.  Fish it the same way as the others, casting crankbaits, Carolina rigs and football head jigs from deep to shallow. 

     Give these spots a try to see the kinds of places Brian fishes this time of year. Once you get the idea you can find many other similar spots all over the lake. Catch bass on these then find others all your own to catch bass.  It is hard to beat Logan Martin this time of year.

Water levels http://www.weather.gov/view/prodsByState.php?state=al&prodtype=hydro

Water release info – 1-800-525-3711

CAN YOU CATCH MORE FISH WHEN THE WATER IS SPINNING?

Can You Catch More Fish When the Water Is Spinning?

New study sheds light on how fish use spinning water masses as habitat.

Picture the open ocean in the North Pacific: nothing but blue water as far as you can see, both out to the horizon and below you. The underwater environment may seem as uniform as it looks from above. Yet a new study shows that there are actually hotspots of biological activity which are shaped by small-scale ocean circulations.

Eddies are slow-moving swirls of water, or circular ocean currents, that can be tens to hundreds of miles across. They can rotate clockwise or counter-clockwise. Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center scientists Dr. Phoebe Woodworth-Jefcoats and Dr. Donald Kobayashi contributed to a new study showing that catch rates in Hawaiʻi’s longline fishery are higher in these clockwise eddies than elsewhere in the ocean. The study suggests that these eddies have a higher abundance of prey across the food web—from phytoplankton to fish.

To investigate this relationship, scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Washington worked with Woodworth-Jefcoats and Kobayashi. They paired 23 years of Hawaiʻi-based longline catch records with satellite data showing the eddies’ locations. Of the 14 species examined, 11 had higher catch rates in clockwise eddies than in counter-clockwise eddies. These species included bigeye tuna, the fishery’s target species, and striped marlin. Striped marlin are both overfished and experiencing overfishing in the western and central Pacific Ocean. Billfish and other tunas were among the species more likely to be caught in anticyclonic eddies than outside them.

This conceptual figure shows how prey abundance inside and outside of eddies may affect predator abundance. Net primary productivity (NPP), or phytoplankton growth at the base of the food web, is greater in anticyclonic eddies than elsewhere. This productivity may attract abundant prey in anticyclonic eddies, in turn attracting predatory fishes to these features. Prey availability differs during daytime and nighttime. During the day, prey escape to deep, dark depths where only deep-diving predators (like bigeye tuna) can catch them. During the night, prey migrate up to the dark surface waters to feast on phytoplankton and other organisms at the base of the food web, making them accessible to a greater number of predators, too. Fish illustrations: Les Gallagher Fishpics® & IMAR-DOP, University of the Azores.

This information benefits fishers and scientists alike. Knowing where different species are likely to congregate helps fishers target their fishing effort, possibly saving them time and fuel. More efficient fishing operations could also improve fisher safety while reducing incidental bycatch, interactions, and fishing gear loss. Understanding how ocean conditions shape fish abundance helps scientists understand dynamic habitats. That’s a term we use to characterize the places where organisms live in the ocean with ever-changing conditions in both space and time. This paper also sheds new light on what influences predator abundance and ecosystem structure in the seemingly featureless open ocean.

Dr. Kobayashi summarizes this research, “The more we study the ocean, the more we find physical features large and small that can have profound impacts on marine life, including the species important to humans and key players in the ecosystem. Eddies are a medium-scale feature that can be easily overlooked because they are challenging to identify on the water or in the data fields, and so very ephemeral in time and space. But, as this study demonstrates, eddies are incredibly important to marine life!”

Where and How To Catch October Bass at Guntersville with GPS coordinates for Ten Spots To Fish

with Captain Mike Gerry

See Captain Mike Gerry’s weekly fishing report here

     October is a great month for catching bass all over Alabama but Guntersville is hard to beat.  The lake is full of big bass in shallow water that will hit a variety of baits right now.  And you can be more comfortable fishing for them all day now that cooler weather is here.

     A dam 94 feet high and 3929 feet long was completed on the Tennessee River in 1939 to form Guntersville.  The lake has 67,900 acres of water and 890 miles of shoreline, but the average depth is so shallow that most of the lake holds bass in easy to reach cover. 

     The water level stays stable to provide a navigation channel, fluctuating only two feet between summer and winter pool.  This allows different kinds of grass beds to grow and get thick most years, and the bass use them for cover all year long.  A 15 inch size limit insures a good population of smaller bass that grow into bragging size fish.

     In the 2007 Alabama Bass Anglers Information Team report Guntersville had the highest average weight for bass caught in tournaments of all reported lakes, and it took less time to catch a bass over five pounds at Guntersville than any other Alabama lake.  Numbers of bass caught were not as impressive but the 15 inch size limit makes it harder to catch keepers.

     Mike Gerry moved to Alabama in the early 1970s and coached high school football for many years.  He loved fishing the area and participated in many tournaments, fishing on Guntersville starting in 1974. After a boating accident while fishing a night tournament and three tough years of rehabilitation he started guiding on Guntersville full time in 1997.  He lives on the lake near the ramp at Waterfront Grocery and Tackle and is on the lake about 200 days a year now.

     Mike netted the lake record 14 pound, 8 ounce bass for his partner Charlie Betus several years ago.  His personal best from the lake is an 11 pound, 2 ounce hog most of us can only dream of catching.  And his best five fish limit weighed 27 pounds.  He catches lots of bass and big ones.  He won the Guntersville Civitan Big Bass contest this past  June with a 7 pound, 4 ounce largemouth and got his best of the  year, an 8 pound, 14 ounce beauty, in mid August.

     Mike says this is an unusual fall for Guntersville because the grass mats are not as common and thick as normal.  Last February was real cold so the grass did not get a good start, and unusually strong winds all summer kept it broke up.  The rat bite is usually one of the strongest patterns on Guntersville in October but it will not be as good as usual this year.

     The water started cooling early this year and the bass started moving into the creeks and coves. Mike says they follow mussels and baitfish. The mussel beds offer a variety of foods for the bass as do the baitfish. Most of his fishing this time of year is from the mouths of creeks back in them.  He started catching good bass on this pattern this year in mid August and the 8-14 came on it.

     Early each morning Mike likes to start with topwater baits and says a fast moving bait like a buzzbait is his choice.      He will run it over hydrilla and milfoil that is not covering the surface, trying to draw an active bass up and out of the grass to feed.  If he finds a solid patch of grass on top he will fish a rat or frog on it.

     As the sun gets up Mike switches to crankbaits, spinnerbaits, a jig and pig and a Texas rigged Paca Craw.  He fishes the shallow running crankbait or a Punisher Lures spinnerbait over grass that is several feet below the surface, concentrating on edges where channels or ledges drop off and the grass stops.

     If the bass won’t chase the crankbait or spinnerbait he will make short pitches with the other two baits, let them fall to the bottom, then pop them up two to three feet and let them fall again.  He only pops them up one time since he gets almost all his bites on the initial fall.

     To get down through the grass he uses a black and blue one-ounce Tightline jig with a black or blue Paca Craw trailer.  He will go lighter for a slower fall with a Paca Craw rigged with a one-half ounce sinker if the fish seem to want a slower falling bait.  Both baits are pitched about 20 yards from the boat then reeled in for another pitch after one hop.

     The following spots have been holding bass for several weeks now and they will get better and better as the water cools more.  Give them a try to see the kinds of spots Mike looks for this time of year.

     1. N 34 31.400 – W 86 10.327 – Beshart Creek is the first creek on the west side upstream of the ramp at Waterfront Grocery and Tackle. It goes in and turns and there is a big bay with the Highway 79 causeway running along the west side. The bay is shallow and full of grass with a good channel running through it and Mike likes to start here with topwater baits in the morning.

     Run into the creek and you will see the causeway ahead of you. It is broken by an island with trees on it and you want to stop out in the middle of the bay about even with the island.  Watch your depthfinder and you will see the creek channel snaking across the flat running about nine feet deep. It has hydrilla on the edge of it forming a good grassline to fish.

     Keep your boat in the channel and make casts up to the shallow grass and run a buzzbait over it. There are some solid mats here to work a rat on, too. Fish the rat pretty fast to draw a strike.  Work along the channel from even with the island all the way to where it makes a turn toward the bridge.

     If nothing hits on top try your jig and pig or Texas rig, dropping it into holes and popping it up.  Mike uses Suffix monofilament 20 pound test on both jig and Texas rig. The mono is better in the clear water but you need heavy line to pull the fish out of the grass.

     The water in here is normally very clear and it is due to the hydrilla.  Hydrilla filters sediment out of the water more than milfoil so you can expect to find clearer water where hydrilla is present.  We caught four or five bass here on top early the day Mike showed me these spots a few weeks ago.

     2. N 34 29.787 – W 86 09.740 – Come out of the creek and head downstream across the lake, staying on the downstream end of the big hydrilla bed and shallows in the middle.  You will see two long riprap points running off the east bank where they used to fill barges with coal.  Upstream of the upstream one is a cove with a small island in it that Mike called Murphy Hill.  The downstream point of this cove has a good grass flat running out from it.

     Stop on the outside of the point and start fishing with your boat in about 13 feet of water, casting up onto the shelf that is four to five feet deep on top.  Work over it on top and try your crankbait and spinnerbait along the drop, too.  Work all the way around the point back into the cove then fish back around it, dropping your jig and Texas rig into the grass. You may need to get in closer to fish those baits.

     Mike says wind blows onto this point and pushes baitfish up on it, making it better. Some wind blowing into grassbeds helps concentrate baitfish and bass this time of year.  Current moving across them helps, too.

     3. N 34 30.162 – W 86 08.723 – Go upstream around the island and point into the next big cove. Mike calls it Church House Cove and you will see a pocket filled with big lily pads on your right as you round the point.  There are big stumps mixed in with the pads and grass that grows way out from them here.

     No matter what time of day, if Mike sees any movement in the pads from baitfish or bass he will work a frog or rat through them.  He throws it on 50 pound Power Pro braid to get the fish out of the thick stuff.  You can work all around this whole cove fishing pads if the fish are up in them.

     If not, start on the point staying out from the pads and pitch your jig or Texas rig into the grass.  Remember to fish fast, dropping the bait into holes you can see and popping it up high. Be ready to set the hook if you feel a bass as you start your pop, they will often grab the bait when it hits bottom and hold it, and you won’t feel them until you start to move it.

     If you hit a stump cast back to it again once you have it located. Big bass love to hold on the stumps surrounded by grass.  You can fish this whole area since it is filled with cover. Bass will often get in small areas within a big flat like this and you have to find where they are located, then you can often catch several.

     4. N 34 31.980 – W 86 08.562 – Back across the lake, again avoiding the shallows in the middle, go upstream to the Daylight Marker 373.2 on an island on that side.  Just upstream of this marker there is a cut running behind the island and the upstream point is clay.   You will see a big standing dead tree on the inside of this point and another one lying on the bank.

     If you idle across the mouth of this pocket the bottom will drop off to 14 feet then  come back up on a hump five or six feet deep. Baitfish and bass often stack up in the cut between the two and run up on the point to feed.  Current coming down the river will also make a good eddy here that attracts bass.

     Start out off the point with your boat in 14 feet of water and fish the top of the point with all your baits.  Mike says he usually finds bass here in the first 30 yards going into the cut so he usually does not fish all the way back unless he is catching fish.  This is a good schooling spot so start with a crankbait.  Work in with one bait then work out offering them something different.

     5. N 34 31.924 – W 86 07.354 – Back across the river there are a series of islands on the upstream side of the mouth of South Sauty Creek.  Stop downstream of the first small island off the willow grass point and fish upstream.  The point of the first island runs out shallow but there is a “U” shaped pocket between it and the next big island upstream. These “U” shaped pockets are a key to what Mike is looking for.

     Mike says a good depthfinder and GPS are essential for his type fishing and he uses Lowrance products, one of his sponsors.  Watch your depthfinder as you work upstream and you will see the bottom drop from about six feet deep off to 10 or more then come back up. This area has good access to deeper water and Mike says it is a good spot hole.

     Fish all the way up to the outside of the big island, working all your baits over different depths and through the grass here. Watch for schooling bass, too. I got a bass here on top right in the middle of the day when a small school busted shad within range of my popper.  Have something ready to throw to schoolies if they come up.

     6. N 34 31.863 – W 86 06.790 – Go around the islands into the mouth of South Sauty and there is a big bay to your left. The creek channel makes a sharp bend on this side and there are flats and humps all around the channel.  This is a huge area that holds bass this time of year.  Get your boat in the channel and work the edges as it cuts across the flat. Concentrate on the outside bends in it.

     Be careful as you go across this area with your big motor. Some of the spots come up to a couple of feet deep.  Use your trolling motor to fish the area until you learn where the drops and high spots are located.  You could easily spend a whole day fishing this area, starting on top then pitching jigs and Texas rigs into the grass.

     7. N 34 32.116 – W 86 06.197 – If you look up toward the bridge in South Sauty you will see a point to the left of it with houses on it. There is a cove to the left of this point that has grass in it that comes out then drops off into about seven feet deep.  On your right will be a gray double door boat house with a screen room on it and on the left point of the cove you will see a duck blind.

     Start out even with the dock and fish across the mouth of the cove, keeping in about seven feet of water and casting a crankbait up shallow and working it back. Mike got a nice 5.5 pound bass here on a crankbait the day we fished and another bass on the very next cast.  He was throwing a Bagley square lipped shallow running crankbait that stayed over the grass.

     Work across the mouth of this cove with the crankbait then try your other baits while fishing back across it. If you catch a fish make multiple casts with different baits to the same area.  You might get an active bass on the crankbait then pick up some other less active fish from the school on a jig.

     8. N 34 32.324 – W 86 06.227 –  On the other side of the point with the duck blind on it is a good example of the kind of “U” shaped cove Mike looks for this time of year.   The bottom contour swings back forming a pocket that drops off into the middle.  They show up on a map or GPS like a horseshoe.  Wind blowing into these kinds of pockets concentrates the baitfish and bass move in to ambush them.

     Work across the mouth of this pocket just like the one beside it. Keep your boat in about seven feet of water and follow the contour, throwing your baits up from deep to shallow.  Fish all your baits here before leaving.

     9. N 34 31.144 – W 86 06.335 – Head to the right point on the downstream side bridge in South Sauty.  A point runs out downstream from the end of the riprap and bass stack up on it, especially when it is cold, according to Mike.  It is six feet deep on top but quickly drops to 25 feet deep.

     Start out deep and throw your crankbait across the top of this point.  Work all around it with a crankbait then try a jig or Texas rig on the bottom.  Any current coming under the bridge when they are pulling water creates an eddy around this point that makes it even better.

     10. N 34 30.107 – W 86 06.524 – Go under the bridge and run up to the mouth of Yellow Creek where it splits off to the right.  Be careful here, the creek channel swings in near the bank and there are rock piles and shallows even out in the middle of the creeks.  Stop way out off the point where you see a grassbed on the bank in the edge of the water with your boat in 10 to 12 feet of water.  The ledge between the creek channel and bank comes up to four to five feet deep on top.   

     You can work this bank all the way back to the bridge.  There are a series of humps and shallow flats off the bank between it and the creek channel.  Mike says this is an excellent place in the fall to sit deep and throw a spinnerbait or crankbait up on the flat and work it back across the drop.  There is usually a lot of bait here in October to bring the bass in and hold them.

     Check out these spots then look for similar places to catch Guntersville bass this fall.  These spots hold bass but similar places all over the lake are good, too. Once you get the pattern you can find many more to fish.

     Contact Captain Mike Gerry at or visit his web site at to set up a guided trip to see first hand how he catches Guntersville bass.

SLOW-PITCH JIGGING; IT’S MORE THAN A TREND

Rush Maltz, Co-Host of Local Knowledge
from The Fishing Wire

Over the past several years, no technique in the saltwater scene has been talked about as much as slow-pitch jigging. What started as a super-technical way to catch fish in Japan nearly two decades ago has become a phenomenon in America in recent years. It all started in the states, with the epicenter being South Florida, with a handful of anglers using it with great success before word spread. It’s now being used across the country, proving itself as a valuable tool for countless species.

Among the fans of the emerging technique are California’s Ali Hussainy and Florida’s Rush Maltz of the Local Knowledge Fishing Show. They each find success with the method on home waters and when traveling to film their show.

Vertical Jigging versus Slow-Pitch Jigging

Metal lures jigged beneath the surface have been used as long as anglers have been fishing, but the differences between the vertical jigging method, also called “speed jigging,” and the newer arriving slow pitch mainly comes down to how they are fished. Fishing vertically, many anglers drop their jigs to the bottom and quickly retrieve them while ripping their rods up to imitate a fleeing baitfish when speed jigging.

On the other hand, slow-pitch jigging is a way to get the jig to flutter and fall like an injured or dying baitfish. Both methods work, but slow-pitch jigging has gained a foothold in the fishing world because of its uniqueness and effectiveness in catching various predatory fish. Even species on the bottom that are accustomed to their food falling to them are fair game with this technique.

“We do a ton of jigging in Florida,” said Maltz. “The main difference between slow pitch and what I typically do more of, speed jigging, is the tackle used and how you jig. Standard vertical jigging is violent and much faster to get the fish to chase, while slow pitch is much more rhythmic and the jig flutters and falls to the fish.”

Slow-pitch rods are specialized, much lighter and designed to work the jigs and allow them to flutter downward. Vertical jigging requires beefier tackle, according to Maltz. “It’s mainly due to the species, where vertical jigging appeals to hard-fighting fish like jacks, tuna, kings, and bonita,” he said. “You can still catch them slow pitch jigging, but the style of fishing closer to the bottom opens it up to more fish species, including grouper and snapper species.”

While everything about the two jigging methods has opposing styles and gear, Maltz uses the same line for both.

“No matter how you are jigging, having a good quality braided line is very important as it will cut through the water better and give you better control of your jig,” he said. “I use 50 lb Threadlock Hollow Core because of how thin and strong it is. If I’m slow pitch jigging for bottom fish, I like 60 lb Gold Label fluorocarbon. It has the strength to prevent chaffing from the teeth of the bottom fish and because you are fishing the jig slowly, the thinner diameter helps keep your line less visible to the fish.”

Maltz’s co-host, Ali Hussainy agrees on the gear differences between the different jigging methods. “Standard vertical jigging rods are shorter, thicker, and very parabolic,” he said. “Most are between 5 and 6-feet long, a longer rod would break your back fighting big fish. Slow pitch jigging rods are specialized, very thin and a little longer.”

Slow Pitch California Rockfish

Ali Huisanny, Co-Host of Local Knowledge

With the Local Knowledge TV show, Hussainy travels to fishing hotspots chasing the best species in the prime times. Still, fishing for rockfish out of San Diego, California, is one of his favorite pastimes.

“A lot of guys overlook the great rockfish bite and focus on the glory fish like tuna,” he began. “From about Halloween until May, the rockfish bite in California and Baja California is hard to beat and slow pitch jigging is a great way to catch them. With the many different rockfish species we have, it’s so much fun to fish for them and their meat makes the best fish tacos.”

Generally, Hussainy and crew search for water between 125 and 425 feet where rock and sand meet. Hard bottoms and rock patches are critical for the variety of rockfish species in his region. The gear used is part of why he likes to use slow pitch jigging for vermillion and copper snapper, lingcod, and other species.

“You are using light rods, reels, and lines and it’s very effective and they put up a great fight on that gear,” said Hussainy. “We use Penn Fathom reels in the 8 and 10 sizes and the Fathom 400 low profile reel on a Penn Battalion II Slow Pitch rod.”

Hussainy spools the reels up with 50 lb Seaguar Threadlock Hollow Core braided line with a leader of 40 lb Gold Label fluorocarbon, citing the thin diameter of both lines as crucial for the technique.

“You’re most often fishing 225 to 300 feet deep and the thin diameter of those lines cuts through the water much better,” he said. “You get more action on a small jig in relatively deep water. Threadlock is incredibly strong, and so is Gold Label; it’s my go-to combination for the light stuff.”

Speaking of jigs, the Sea Falcon is a popular option for slow pitch fans, along with the Williamson Kensaki and Koika that Hussainy likes, mainly in the 6-to 10-ounce range, varying it depending on the depth and current. Color, according to Hussainy is not as important as getting it in front of fish in many situations.

“We gently lift the rod and let the jig sweep back down with your rod doing the work,” he said. “That makes this technique so deadly; it’s a way to imitate a dying baitfish. You can also wind up four or five cranks and let them fall back down to get them to bite. It’s so much fun and we’re all still learning about the technique, but there are some real gurus with the technique like Benny Ortiz down in Florida who helped pioneer the fishing style in America.”

Slow pitch jigging has taken the fishing world by storm and as more anglers learn how effective it is, anglers who give it a shot will catch more fish with the technique. It’s something that’s still evolving and we’re sure to hear more about it as more anglers use it in our fisheries.