with Karen Rae Elkins

    There is something special about Coosa River lakes in June.  The bass, both spots and largemouth, are stacking up in predictable places and feeding.  Neely Henry is one of the best on the chain for a trip this month.

    The Alabama DNR calls Neely Henry “one of the best-kept fishing secrets in Alabama.” Running 77 miles from its dam to the Weiss Dam, it covers 11,235 acres that vary from a river run on its upper end to shallow flats and creeks on the lower end.

    Built in the late 1950s, many of the creeks and ditches are silted in and the shallows are full of grass. It can be a dangerous lake to run since there are few markers and many creeks have stump fields and shallows that will eat lower units.  Be very careful when running this lake.

    Largemouth are in the lake in good numbers in the 15 to 18 inch range according to the Alabama DNR. The DNR also calls the spot population “exceptional” for large fish and the numbers of spots in the 14 to 20 inch range is one of the best in the state.

    Karen Rae Elkins was born in Huntsville but moved closer to Neely Henry Lake when ten years old.  She grew up fishing and loves it. The farm she lived on had five ponds and she would fish for anything that would bite, but one day she got her fathers’ bass fishing equipment, caught some bass and was hooked herself.

    Her father owned The Fishing Hole bait and tackle store in Anniston so she was exposed to a lot of fishing talk. When her father retired he asked her to fish tournaments with him and they competed on the Guys and Dolls and Cartersville Couples Trails, as well as in many local tournaments.

    When the Women’s Bass Tour was started Karen saw how many lakes in her area were on the schedule so she signed up.  She really likes the camaraderie and fun from this trail and says it has made her a better fisherman.  

    This spring Karen agreed to run the Team Trails tournament trail on the Coosa River and is also starting a Youth Tournament Trail in this organization. She fishes the tournaments as well as running them.

    Karen’s best five fish limit came a few years ago on Neely Henry when she brought in 18.18 pounds. And she won a tournament on April 4 this year with five weighing 14.4 there. She likes fishing and likes competition so tournaments are a good fit for her.

    Sponsors mean Karen is able to fish more than she would be able to without them and her sponsors include: Mojo Weights, Reel Grip, Bo’s Jigs, Team Trail Tournaments and JJs Magic.  She also supports the Magic Foundation and Second Chance, to organizations that are very important to her.

    “The bass are feeding in the grass in June and are fun to catch,” Karen told me.  The spawn is over and the bass are hungry.  She likes to start out shallow in the mornings catching these bass, then moves to points, humps and ledges later in they day when water is moving.  And a third good pattern is fishing docks.

    For fishing the grass Karen likes the Mojo rig and says it gives her a slight edge over the more common Texas or Carolina rigs most fishermen use. The Mojo rig gives the bait a little different look.  It is a thin cylindrical weight with a rubber band you insert so you can “peg” it on your line.

    “Start with your weight six inches from the        bait then move it closer if you aren’t getting bites” Karen said. A variety of plastics will work in June and she tries different ones until the fish tell her what she wants.  A Sweet Beaver is always a good choice but she also catches bass on Zoom Finesse Worms and Brush Hogs and Strike King Lizards.

    A few basic colors work well on Neely Henry. Watermelon Red, Junebug and Green Pumpkin are all standard colors.  And Karen always dips her baits in JJ’s Magic, saying that attracts the bass and makes them hold the bait longer.  She will often dip the tails in either red or chartreuse but if she does not want this flicker of color she uses the clear to add scent.

    Around docks Karen flips a Bo’s Jig and really likes the color named for her. The “Karen’s Jig” color has green pumpkin, black and root beer strands in it.  She tips it with a Sweet Beaver or a Zoom Chunk and works the jig under the docks, around all pilings and in any brush around the docks. This works well when the sun is bright.

    If current is moving bass will stack up on points, humps and ledges to feed. Karen likes a crankbait that runs seven to ten feet deep for fishing those areas and her favorites include Lucky Craft CB Square and Jackall Muscle baits.

    Karen showed me around Neely Henry a few weeks ago and the bass were just starting to move onto their June holes.  We put in down the lake and fished early, then took out and went up to Gadsden and fished the river some.  The lake is varied and the patterns can differ.

    The following spots all hold bass this month:

    1.  N 33 53.547 – W 86 06.603 – Back in Canoe Creek just downstream of Canoe Creek Marina you will see some brush tops out in the middle. This brush is on a hump where the channel swings across the creek and grass grows on it in June, too. It is a good place to find bass, especially if there is any current moving down the creek.

    Going up the creek watch for a nice house on your right with a gray dock with a “For Sale” sign on it. Stay on that side of the creek since the shallow hump is out in the middle. When you get near the gray dock look to your left and you should see the brush on the hump. If you get to the marina you have gone too far.

    Karen will start on the channel side and fish all around the hump, pitching her Mojo rigged Sweet Beaver of Brush Hog into holes in the grass and moving it through the thinner areas of grass.  For some reason Junebug with a chartreuse tail seems to work especially well here.

    Drag your bait through the grass and work it slowly and carefully. Be ready to set the hook when you feel any weight or your line moves at all. If there is current try to throw your bait so you work it with the current in a natural movement.

    2. N 33 51.375 – W 86 03.217 – Running down the main river from Canoe Creek you will see the opening to Greens Creek on your left.  Off the upstream point are two small islands.  Idle in to the point but do not go between the islands. There are lots of snags here. 

    When you get to the point you will see an older dock to the left of two cement boat ramps that are side by side. Start at that dock and work around the point, fishing around to the inside of the point.  Fish the grass here with a Mojo rig, work a crankbait over the shallows and pitch a jig and pig to the docks.

    The jig and pig is especially effective if the water is clear and the sun is bright, driving the bass to the shade.  Fish all the cover carefully. Karen says she has caught several five-pound-plus bass on this point.

    3. N 33 50.619 – W 86 04.472 – Beaver Creek is a good big-bass creek and Karen has several types of cover and structure she fishes in it.  As you go into the mouth you will see Greenport Marina on your right.  There is a seawall in front of the store and storage area then a long point runs upstream. There are picnic tables on the point. Off the end of this point is a hump or island, depending on the water level. When we were there it was slightly under water.

    Start near the store and fish the seawall toward the point.  Fish the Mojo rig and crankbaits along here. This is the only place Karen will rig an Old Monster worm on her Mojo rig. The extra big worm attracts quality bites on this spot.  Work from right on the seawall out to several feet deep. There are patches of grass to fish and some other cover.

    When you get out near the end of the point fish the hump and around it into the cove behind it.  Work the whole area carefully but Karen says the best area is the seawall at the store, so pay extra attention to any cover here.

    4.  N 33 50.175 – W 86 05.807 – You can run into Beaver Creek on plane until you see the silo ahead on your right. Stay to the left side going in.  When the silo comes into view it is a good idea to slow down and idle the rest of the way due to stumps and shallows. 

    When you get back about even with the silo on your right you will see a grass point on your left.  There are cattails, rocks, grass and stumps starting at this point working upstream and the channel swings on this side making it even better.  Shallow grass near deeper water is usually better, but keep in mind deeper water here might mean seven feet deep.

    Fish along the left bank working your Mojo rig through the grass.  Try to hit any stumps you can see and also probe for hidden stumps with your weight.  Fish on up this bank and there will be a grass island on your right and some big rocks on your left. There is a spring in the rocks that keeps the water cooler and moving some here.  Fish around the rocks and the island, too. This is one of Karen’s best tournament holes.

    5.  N 33 50.054 – W 86 06.448 – Idle on back into the creek until it narrows down. The bottom back here is sandy and there is lots of grass and stumps to fish. And overhanging trees in some areas provide shade. Work all the cover in the water, including the fence rows running off the bank, with a Mojo Rig and a crankbait. 

    Fish slowly and carefully. Some big bass hold up back here in June.  When you catch one bass work the area hitting every bit of cover, there is often more than one in a spot.  You should go as far back as you can get your boat if you are catching fish.

    Karen says two or three kinds of cover together makes for a hot spot to catch a bass. Look for wood in the grass, combining two kinds of cover.  If there are also rocks or a drop it makes it even better. Fish any combinations of cover carefully.

    6.  N 33 44.973 – W 86 03.559 – Run downstream and watch for a big round point on your right. On the upstream side is a boat ramp and there is a dock on the downstream side. The house has a “For Sale” sign. 

    This point has deep water just off it where the old channel swings by but it comes up quickly with a shallow ledge on the downstream side.   Current coming down the river hits this point and moves across it, creating an eddy on the downstream side.     Fish a deep diving crankbait here, casting up near the bank and working it across the shallow water, making it dig bottom, and then over the drop into deeper water. Fish with the current, moving water makes the fish bite much better here and other spots. Fish all around this point, covering both the upstream and downstream sides.

    7.  N 33 48.742 – W 86 04.032 – At the mouth of Shoal Creek the downstream point is good and all three kinds of cover you want to fish is one it. Current hits this point, too, and there is deep water just off shallow water. There is a wood house with a tin roof and three dormers on it.  AS you go into the cove on the upstream side there is a gray boathouse with turquoise doors on it.

    Start at the dock and flip a jig to it, especially if it is sunny.  Work a crankbait all around the point and the upstream cove. Then fish a Mojo rig in the grass.  Work each as you come to them to cover the area completely.

    Current hitting this area makes it better but wind blowing in helps, too. Wind will create a chop on the water, breaking up the light and making it more likely a bass will hit an artificial bait, and it also moves water, creating a current. Wind is your friend as long as it is not too strong to control your boat.

    8.  N 33 48.634 – W 86 03.764 – Across the river is a big bluff rock wall and a small rock island off it.  The bluff wall is on the upstream side of the opening to a big cove and the water is very deep off it.  Three was an old trotline hanging on the rocks with some dried fish on it the day we fished. It looked like some kind of voodoo charm!  This is a great spotted bass hole and Karen works all around it.

    This is a good spot to rig a Finesse worm on your Mojo Rig and throw it right on the bank.  Move it slowly and let if fall down the face of the rocks. Don’t move it much or it will fall too far, dropping past fish too quickly.

    There is a stump row on the downstream side of this point, too, another combination of types of cover. Fish them with the Mojo Rig but also flip a jig and pig right against the rocks and work it out, trying to hit stump.

    9.  N 33 48.891 – W 86 05.325 – Run back into Shoal Creek and watch on your left for a yellow house with a brown roof and a boathouse with two doors in front of it.  All the way across the creek is a big flat and hump with stumps on it. On the bank on that side you will see a mobile home on the bank. Idle straight toward the mobile home and watch your depthfinder.

    You will be in about 10 feet of water on the flat then it will come up to about five feet deep. You will still be a long way off the bank, in front and upstream of a red door dock in front of the trailer.  There is a stump rod on this shallow hump and a small ditch runs out near it.

    Karen will work back and forth along this drop fishing crankbaits and a Mojo Rig. She will work it a long time because she says you never know when bass will move up on this spot and feed. And it constantly replenishes itself from the deeper water nearby.

    10. N 34 00.816 – W 85 57.072 – It is a long run upstream of the bridges in Gadsden so it is a good idea to trailer up here if you can. Going upstream from Gadsden watch for a rock bluff wall on your left just as you see the trailers at Tillison Bend Park. You will be upstream and the same side of the mouth of a fairly big creek that has a blowdown across it.

    Start at the beginning of the rock wall and fish it all the way past the first three docks, a very long way upstream. Karen says it takes a long time to work this spot correctly and you can spend most of a day on it. It is worth it, this is where she caught the 18 pound limit in a June tournament.

    Karen keeps her boat in close to the wall in about 11 to 12 feet of water and makes three casts before moving up the wall. On cast will be in toward the wall as a slight angle with the Mojo Rig. She then makes a long cast to the wall ahead of the boat and works it back at an angle to the boat The third cast will be straight ahead of the boat and is worked back to the boat.

    Fishing like this covers all the water from the face of the wall out to 12 feet deep or so. To do it right can take hours working along here. When she gets to the docks Karen fishes a jig and pig around them.  Current always makes this spot better. Karen says she does not even fish it if the water is not moving.

    11. N 34 01.170 – W 85 58.766 – Run back downstream and you will see a golf course on your left and more holes across the river on your right.  You are close enough to see the sharp bend back to your left going to the bridges and the water station in the bend.

    Watch for a creek opening on your right that goes back to the golf course. You will see some big PVC pipe going into the water and some smaller pipe running out above the water and dropping down on the river side. As you idle into the creek there is another set of pipes and they are for the pump house you see on the bank that waters the golf course.

    When you get back a ways from the river the creek splits and straight ahead it will go around and under a wooden golf cart bridge.  Go back to the bridge area and fish all the grass and stumps in the back of this creek. Karen will pitch a jig to wood cover in the grass and also run a shallow diving crankbait over the grass that is under the water.

    Another trick Karen uses in this and similar spots is to Mojo Rig a big lizard like the Zoom Magmum or the Strike King 3X lizard. These big baits draw strikes from big bass. Work them through the grass back in this creek in June.

    12. N 33 59.205 – W 85 59.855 – Run downstream past the bridges and watch for a big three story yellow house with white roof and trim on your right. The house sits on the beginning of the upstream point of Big Willis Creek on that side and looks like it is in a park.

    Across the river from the house is a small ditch that is not real noticeable as you run by. You will see the bank flatten out and go back a little. This old ditch has filled in but it creates a shelf in front of it that holds good fish.

    Keep your boat out from the bank and cast a crankbait to the bank. Dig the bottom coming out the shelf to the edge of the drop. This is a good spot that does not get a lot of pressure since it is not real noticeable.

    13. N 33 58.493 – W 85 59.664 – Run down the river past the old closed park on your left and watch for a small creek opening on that side. There are to white PVC poles on either side of the opening and a pasture or field on the downstream side of it. The poles mark two big stumps.

    Karen fishes the mouth of this creek and works the stumps with her baits. She fishes on down the bank a hundred feet or so, fishing the grass and wood cover. Bass often stack up here and current helps.

    Also work into the small creek. There are stumps, fence rows and grass beds to fish in it.

    14.  N 33 57.190 – W 85 57.768 – Run down the river until you see a long narrow island well off the left bank. This small island sits in front of a river ledge with trees on it that separates the river from a big slough behind it.  There are houses and docks in the slough and a bunch of wood duck nests, especially on the downstream end around the docks there.

    There is a small opening on the upstream end of this slough and Karen often starts there in the morning, fishing into the shallows, working grass and stumps. When you get to the other end where it opens back up there are two PVC poles, one with green paint on one side, that mark the channel going it.

    Karen will fish the edges of this cut and the area around it, probing for stumps and trash. She will also work up the river side of the ledge, it drops off pretty quickly and is hard clay. Bass hold all along it.

    These 14 spots offer a wide variety of kinds of places to fish, with some on the main lake and more up the river. There are many more similar spots. Check these out to see Karen’s patterns then explore to find more, just be careful.

   

with Damon Abernethy

     Catching spotted bass weighing three or more pounds is a thrill anytime.  When they hit in the dark it is even more exciting.  Jordan Lake just might be the best lake in Alabama to catch a big spotted bass at night right now and it is accessible to most fishermen in the state.  Plan a May trip to Jordan for some fast action.

     Jordan is a 6800 acre Alabama Power lake on the Coosa River 25 miles north of Montgomery.  It backs up to the Mitchell Lake dam and connects to Lake Bouldin with a short canal.  Jordan was built in 1928 and Bouldin added in 1967.  Bouldin is a good largemouth lake but the big spots live in Jordan and are the target of most bass fishermen.

      Since Jordan is very fertile there are excellent populations of baitfish in the lake.  Much of the shoreline of the lower lake is lined with cabins and docks but the river up toward the Mitchell Dam is more natural shoreline.  The banks of all the lake are very rocky with steep drops in most areas. 

     A good bit of natural wood cover from blowdowns and stumps has been increased by numerous brush piles and dock posts.   Almost all of the shoreline looks “fishy” and you can catch spots all over the lake, but the bigger spots tend to feed in specific kinds of structure and cover this time of year.

     Damon Abernethy loved fishing so much while growing up in northern Alabama he decided to become a fisheries biologists.  He went to Auburn and got a Masters in fisheries biology. After a few years working in South Carolina he moved back to Alabama and now works in the Montgomery office of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources as the Fisheries Development Coordinator.

     One of Damon’s jobs is to compile the Alabama Bass Angler Information Team (BAIT) data so he keeps up with bass fishermen and tournament results on a daily basis. He is in charge of state public boat ramps and the past year has kept him very busy trying to keep them open with the low water levels.  Damon also coordinates the reservoir sampling program so he knows about the populations of fish in Alabama lakes.

     Damon has fished all his life and bass fishing it his passion.   Jordan is close to his house and he really likes it this time of year.  Damon helped me set up the lakes for these articles and, when asked which his favorite lake was, did not hesitate in saying Jordan at night in May.

As a member of the Prattville Bass Club Damon fishes many state lakes in their tournaments.  He also fishes the central Alabama Fishers of Men tournament trail and enters some of the pot tournaments on Jordan, especially this time of year. On most of his days off he will be on Jordan studying it and looking for new spots to catch spots.

 Jordan had produced several spots weighing over five pounds for Damon in the past few years. His best is a 5.5 pounder and his best five-fish limit of spots from Jordan weighed 23 pounds.  He has a seven-pound largemouth but does not target them on Jordan. The fishing for big spots is just too good.

“In late April most of the spots have spawned and are moving to deeper water,” Damon said.  They follow predictable patterns of movement and feed heavily from late April through May.  Although you can catch spots all day this time of year, night fishing is by far the best way to catch the grown ones.

Damon looks for steep banks near spawning areas that drop fast into deeper water. Wood cover helps as do rocks.  The bass are holding on these steep banks and feed all night long but Damon usually fishes from about an hour before dark until midnight or 1:00 AM. He says the fish will hit later than that, especially later in the year, but he just gets too sleepy to keep fishing.

You need only two rods rigged and ready to fish at night, according to Damon. One will be rigged with a three-quarters ounce black spinnerbait with a big #6 Colorado blade and a dark colored Zoom Swimmin’ Chunk.  The other rod will be rigged with a half-ounce spinnerbait and chunk in the same colors. That is all you need.

Both of Damon’s Calcutta reels will be loaded with 20 pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line.  You can get away with the heavy line at night and need it for the big fish around cover.  Damon does not use braid because he says it causes too much trouble at night. If you get a backlash you can not see it to pick it out.

Damon showed me the following ten spots he likes at night. We fished in early April and the night bite had not started. Most of the spots were on the bed. Damon said it was his worst day ever on Jordan but we still had ten keeper spots with two better than three pounds each, even fishing in the daylight.

1. N 32 38.237 – W 86 15.926 – The last big creek on the left heading toward the dam is Sofkahatchee Creek and YMCA Camp Chandler is in it.  Damon said most folks call this “Swayback Creek” because of the swayback bridge up the creek a ways. 

Run in past the marked shoals and two small islands to the first small creek to your left.  The upstream point of this creek runs way out across the mouth of the smaller creek. The point has a metal seawall or bulkheads around it and there is an open metal roof dock on the inside of this point.  A concrete walkway goes up the hill from the point.

The main creek channel runs in on the outside of this point and hits it well up from the point.   The point runs out between the big creek and the smaller one and drops off good on both sides. There are rocks on the point and along the bank upstream of the point itself.  The smaller creek is a good spawning areas.

This is an excellent example of the type place Damon likes to fish at night.  He will keep his boat in about 18 feet of water and throw up onto the top of the underwater point, slow rolling his spinnerbait back to the boat.  Work out 100 to 150 feet until the point ends.  Then fish on up the bank where it drops off, too, fishing it the same way.

Damon says to hit places like this several times each night.   You may fish it at dark and not get bit then come back two hours later and catch a 20 pound limit.  Spots move up onto the points to feed and a school will feed together, with a lot of fish active at the same time. Don’t give up on a place after a few casts.

2. N 32 37.405 – W 86 16.521 – Run across the lake to the cove just upstream of the canal.  As you go in you will see a lone tree growing on an underwater hump out from an island just off the bank. The island has a big tree and a smaller tree on it and there is a walkway going to it from the shore.  The island has a metal seawall around it and the point just inside the cove past it has concrete poured around it, with some areas broken up into slabs.

Start on the point of the island and work around it then into the cove. Fish the next main point with the concrete around it. Stay out deep and fish your spinnerbait right on the bottom all the way back to the boat. Damon says cast to the bank since the spots will often be very shallow at night but keep your bait in contact with the bottom out to about 15 feet deep.

Damon got a nice 2 pound spot here on a Fish Stalker jig head with a centipede worm on it here when we fished. That is one of his favorite baits when fishing during daylight but he would not be using it at night. If fishing during the day you can catch spots on most of these holes but they tend to be smaller and you need to use jig head worms and other baits.

  3. N 32 38.479 – W 86 17.552 – Back across the lake and upstream you will see a cream colored house with a bright red roof on your right going upstream.  The point upstream of it has a green house on it and it is the downstream point of a big cove.  This is another place the big spots stack up as they move out of the cove after spawning.

Start where the rock riprap on the point starts and work around the point and into the cove. There is a big flat on the inside of the cove out from an island that sits just off the bank. Damon will fish the outside of the main point all the way to the outside of the island at night, keeping his boat in deep water and casting up toward the shallows, but he says the outside of the main lake point is the best area.

4. N 32 39.763 – W 86 18.697 – Run upstream to the second point on the right past the mouth of Weoka Creek.  There is a rock and wood house on this flat point and it has a streetlight, bench and two deer on it.  The point goes way out and Damon says this is an excellent example of a main lake point where the bass hold after spawning.

Stay way out until you learn how the point drops off and cast your spinnerbait up onto the point, working it back to deeper water. Damon says he likes to tick the bottom fairly often to know he is right on the bottom when slow rolling his bait back.  He wants to feel the thump of the big blade as it turns and the bump of the bottom to know where his bait is. 

Depending on how fast the bottom drops, Damon will go with either the three-quarter ounce or half-ounce bait.  The bigger bait keeps in contact with a fast dropping bottom better but will get hung more. If the bottom has a flatter slope or lots of wood cover the lighter bait will not get hung up as much.  You can fish the heavier bait a little faster.

5. N 32 39.915 – W 86 19.649 – Across and up the lake a little is a cove with the remains of an old marina and restaurant in it.  The point is flat where it has been graded off and is covered with brush. It has a steel sea wall around it and there was a chair sitting on it when we fished. Near the chair is a monument sign that is made for reading while standing in front of it and another sign you can read from the water saying “Hungry Horace Restaurant” nearby.

Start on the outside of the point keeping your boat in about 18 feet of water and slow roll your spinnerbait from the bulkhead out to deep water. Work into the cove on the back side of the point. Damon says this is a good night time spot but he has not caught many fish here during the day.

     6. N 32 40.277 – W 86 19.854 – Just upstream on the left you will see a rock and wood house with a pretty green yard around it. Damon says this homeowner keeps his yard in pretty shape all year long.  There is a wood seawall with a walkway built on it going around the point.  Just upstream of the seawall the bank is very deep and drops fast.  A lot of brush has been cut on the bank and fallen into the water, giving a lot of cover here.

     Damon will stay about 25 feet off the bank and the water will be 20 feet deep. He makes short casts to the shallows and works his bait back. He usually wants his bait to hit within a foot or so of the bank.  When fishing close to the shore where there is a lot of wood he will sometimes turn on a light to help make casts that don’t get hung up.  He uses the black light type fluorescent light but only when he needs to see where to cast.  Normally he likes to let his eyes adjust to the dark and he can see well enough without any kind of light.

     Fish up this steep bank to the next pocket and work the docks and brush in the pocket, too.  It is a small cove with several docks in it and another secondary point that is worth a few casts before leaving.

     7. N 32 41.222 – W 86 20.156 –   Upstream on the right you will see a green roofed dock on a steep bank at the mouth of a small creek. There is a small wooden dock with white caps on the posts and a block seawall here.  Big rocks are on the bank here, too.

     Start fishing in front of the first dock and work around the point, slow rolling your spinnerbait down the bottom. The bank and bottom is very steep between the docks and this is a good spot to find bass holding.  Work the point carefully before leaving.

     Current helps here and on all other spots on the lower lake.  You are more likely to find current here since the lake has narrowed down a lot.  Current can come from the generation of power at the Jordan dam or from upstream from the release of water at the Mitchell dam.  There should always be a little current since there is always one generator on-line at the Jordan dam, according to Damon. Stronger current will make the bass bite better.

     8. N 32 45.389 – W 86 22.764 – The last three holes are really river holes and bass are hard to catch unless there is a good current. These spots do offer good places to try later in the month. Damon says river bass stay shallower later since the water is cooler and current makes them move up and feed.

     Run upstream until you see an airplane on a dock on your right. You will run a long way and not see any docks or houses then this one will be on your right.  It is on the upstream side of the mouth of Pinchoule Creek.  Damon says he has never seen the airplane move but if it is gone the heavy dock with wooden ramp is plainly made for an airplane. Also, on the point there is a wide concrete ramp with a divider in the middle, probably for the plane, and a smaller boat ramp.

      Start just upstream of the airplane and dock and work up.  This bank is rocky and drops fairly fast but you will be sitting in about 14 feet of water 30 feet off the bank. Fish upstream to the next point, a long way upstream.  Cast close to the bank and work your bait out some but Damon says most bites will come near the bank here so be ready for a hit as soon as your bait lands in the water.

9. N 32 47.520 – W 86 25.645 – Head upstream past the underwater pipeline crossing and the river makes a sharp bend to the right. When you come to this bend you can see the Mitchell dam, the bridge and the above water pipeline crossing.  There are some docks on the right and the current makes an eddy here since it is the inside of the bend.

Bass hold in the brush and rocky bottom off the first two docks. Start out about even with the first dock with a mercury vapor light on it near the gravel on the bank and fish upstream to the next dock with a mercury vapor light. The water will not be real deep here but it is deep enough to hold good fish feeding in the current.

10. N 32 48.177 – W 86 26.389 – On the right side of the dam facing it you will see two signs.  There are some big rock walls here running down into the water. Start fishing just downstream of the second sign and fish down to the rock point outcropping. There is a rock shelf that runs out under the water here and bass often hold on the drop and move onto the shelf to feed.

Damon says there is usually not much current here at night but the bass still feed well in this area.  If there is some current it might be better to start on the downstream end of the bank and work upstream. Make fairly long casts and work your spinnerbait across the rock shelf and over the drop.

Rig up a couple of rods and head to Jordan at night for some fantastic fishing.  Fish Damon’s spots then find similar places all your own. You don’t have to do much experimenting with baits this time of year, just fish your spinnerbait on the right places to catch some of Jordan’s magnum spots.

with Skip Spurlin

     The Alabama River has some great bass lakes on it and Millers Ferry ranks high among them.  All the river lakes contain excellent populations of largemouth and spotted bass and this is a good time to catch both species on Millers Ferry.  As the water cools they follow patterns that you can take advantage of right now.

     Millers Ferry is officially known as William “Bill” Dannelly Reservoir and covers 105 miles of the Alabama River south of Selma.  It contains about 17,200 acres of water and over 500 shoreline miles.  A Corps of Engineers Lake that officially opened to the public in 1974, it has more than three million visitors each year.

     Skip Spurlin grew up near Millers Ferry and has fished it for a long as he can remember. It was the lake he fished in his youth with his Uncle Jerry Hollinghead, Grandfather J.C. Hollinghead and father Gordon Spurlin.  He has learned what the bass are doing there over the years with them and fishing on his own.  The patterns they follow each fall make finding and catching bass a good bet.

     Skip now lives in Opp and fishes several tournament trails including the BFL and Airport Marine tournaments.  He also fished some of the Fishers of Men tournaments and a lot of local pot tournaments and charity tournaments on Millers Ferry.  He is on the Airport Marine Ranger Pro Staff.

     Some of Skip’s best catches at Millers Ferry include a spot weighing a 5.5 poounds, a good fish anywhere, and a 7.5 pound largemouth.  His best tournament catch on the lake was a five fish limit weighing 22 pounds.  There are plenty of quality spots and largemouth in Millers Ferry.

     “Fall fishing is all about the shad,” Skip told me.  The shad move off the river into the pockets as the water cools in November and the bass follow them.  Then in late December the shad will head back out to the river and bass will say on them.  You can catch them on the points at the mouths of creeks and pockets coming and going.

     Skip and I were on Milers Ferry in late October, the first cold front of the year and the coldest day up until then, and the shad were already back in some of the creeks.  That seemed a little early but you need to follow them and not worry about why they are moving when they do, just stay on them like the bass do.  Find the shad and you will find the bass.  At times you can see them feeding on top and other times you will need to watch your depth finder to spot the balls of shad in deeper water.

     “When you catch a bass on a buzzbait it will be a fat one,” Skip said.  Each morning Skip will start with a white or black Lunker Lure buzzbait around wood cover in the mouths of pockets.  He will throw this bait on shady banks back in the creeks as long as the fish are hitting. 

If they don’t want a topwater bait he will try a silver blade white spinnerbait in the same areas.  He will also offer them a Trick worm or Senko around the shallow cover if they don’t seem very active, working the Trick worm by cover and dropping the Senko beside logs and letting it sink to the bottom.

     As the sun gets higher or if the bass are not hitting the  spinnerbait and buzzbait he will try a crankbait.  Skip likes to start shallow with a bait like a Rattle Trap and will throw it around the mouths of creeks and pockets.   He likes a one half ounce shad colored bait in clear water and a gold bait in stained water.

     After trying the Trap shallow work deeper with a Norman’s Deep Little N then a DD22 in the same colors. Probe for drops, cover and fish around shad in the mouths of creeks on points with these baits.  The point between the river channel and creek channel is often an excellent crankbait hole this time of year.

     If nothing else works Skip will go to a jig head, Carolina or Texas rigged worm, but they tend to catch smaller bass.  He likes a Zoom Speed worm for largemouth and a Zoom Trick worm for spotted bass.  On sunny days a green or green pumpkin color is best and on cloudy days he will switch to the same worms in Junebug or redbug colors.

     Skip likes the Gee’s Bend area this time of year.  He and I put in at Roland Cooper State Park and fished the following holes in late October. There were shad and bass on several of them but we had a tough bluebird sky/cold front day to fish.  Each will be even better now and you can catch bass on them on through December or even later. Just remember to find the shad to find the bass.

1. N 32 03.363 – W 87 15.031 – Going upstream from the opening at the ramps at the state park you will pass a long island on your right.  Watch to your right for an opening going back into a big area at the state park golf course. There is a small island in the middle of the opening and a green channel marker is lodged in some stumps on the downstream point.

     Start here early throwing a buzzbait and spinnerbait around the wood and grass cover on the point. Work back into the pocket behind the point and around behind the island.  Fish school up on shad in places like this and feed early around shallow cover.  Make several casts to the best looking spots.

     Later in the day or if nothing hits shallow work around the island with your crankbaits. Work deeper if you don’t get bit shallow.  The water drops off fairly fast on the river side of the island so work this areas back to the downstream point.  You can also fish a plastic bait around the cover here.

     2. N 32 04.194 – W 87 14.206 – Run up to the next cut on your right and go into it.  Be careful if you run in on plane, there are some stumps near the channel.  Go around the point on your left and head to the left.  Near the back of the creek you will see a concrete seawall and dock on a point on your right. Start fishing on this point.

There is a good grass bed to fish around this point and some wood cover. Work up this bank hitting grass beds and wood cover with buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. This bank stays shady for a good while so it will be better a little later in the morning. Fish all the way up to the last dock on that side. Just past it you will see a causeway coming across the small creek. 

If the fish don’t hit a buzzbait or spinnerbait work a plastic bait around the cover. A Trick worm or Senko can be good in the shallows if the bass don’t want to chase your faster moving lure.  If shad have worked this far back into the creek there should be bass feeding on them.

3. N 32 04.246 – W 87 14.629 – Back out at the main river stop on the upstream point of this creek. The point between the creek and river has a lot of visible brush off the bank on the river side and you will see a long cedar tree growing on the point. On the map this point is near mile marker 46.

Fish around the shallow cover with spinnerbaits and buzzbaits on the point between the two channels.  Also work a jig head worm or Texas rigged worm on it. Skip says the bottom is nasty here with lots of rocks that will eat your bait.  You can’t fish a crankbait here without getting hung up on every cast.

Current is critical on these points.  Bass will feed much better when there is some current moving. The current will move the shad across the points and position the bass.  You will catch some bass without current but not as many and not as big as when it is moving. This point is mostly a spot hole.

4. N 32 04.385 – W 87 14.770 – Across the river is an opening going back to flats of an old oxbow and Skip likes to fish the left bank going it. Start about even with the point on the island between the river and the oxbow and fish all visible cover.  The left bank going in is the side the old river channel was on and is deeper and better.

Fish from the area across from the river side island to a point where there is a deep pocket going further in. You will see a field across this pocket and that is as far as Skip usually fishes this spot.  The sun gets on the water early here so he likes to start here in the mornings.

This is a good area for pattern that works on some spots. Look for patches and pockets of water hyacinth and flip them with a heavy jig and pig. You need a half to three quarters ounce jig to get down under the mat. Skip says this pattern can be good all day since bass hold in the shade on sunny days.

5. N 32 04.687 – W 87 14.508 – Another good pattern on Millers Ferry is to flip and pitch to shoreline cover along outside bends in the river.  Back out on the main river head upstream and the river will start bending to your left a little.  Watch for a big oak tree leaning over the water on your right and start fishing there, working upstream.

Flip a jig and pig to all wood cover along the outside bend. The bottom drops off fast and there are lay down trees and logs as well as stumps along this bank.  Also watch for any change in the bottom like a ditch or the change from dirt to clay. Those things can concentrate the fish.

Skip likes to flip a three eights to one half ounce jig to the wood along the bank.  He chooses a black and blue Eakins or Lunker Lure jig with a Zoom sapphire blue Super Chunk.  Fish it on heavy line like 15 to 20 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon to pull bass out of the cover.

6. N 32 05.367 – W 87 14.905 – Up the river you will come to the mouth of Buzzard’s Bay on your right. You can see a lot of standing trees back in the bay and there is a red channel marker just off the upstream point.  The upstream point is where you want to fish.

Skip likes crankbaits and plastics on this point. There is a good break in eight feet of water and wood washes in and hangs up on it. Bass will hold in the cover and school up on the flat behind the break.  Start with your boat out in 15 feet of water and cast up shallow, covering the flat and drop. Then move on the shallow side of the break and work your plastic baits through the wood cover, fishing deep to shallow.  

Skip will throw a Carolina rigged Zoom Baby Brush Hog on this point.  He likes green pumpkin and dips the tails in JJs Magic chartreuse dye.  The Carolina rig is good for fishing the cover on the bottom. Moving water makes shad pull up on the flat on this point and bass will follow them, too.  Watch for surface activity while fishing the deeper water.

7. N 32 02.394 – W 87 16.671 – Run down the river past the state park and watch on your left for a line of tall post that run along the bank.  They were put there for a seawall or some other structure but stick up by themselves with some wood along their lower edges. 

Start fishing at the downstream side of these posts and work upstream.  This is another good outside bend area and working upstream helps you position your boat if there is any current. Current really makes the bass bite better so you want to be fishing it when the current is moving.

Skip says you can take a limit of spots weighing 15  pounds if the current is moving and everything is right. Flip a jig and pig to shoreline cover here like in hole number 5.  There are also riprap banks and docks along this area to fish. 

Fish upstream to the double dock with the workboat tied to it.  There was an American flag flying here the day we fished.  Skip says flip to all the post on this dock, that wood washes in and hangs up here and holds bass. Work this whole bank probing for wood cover as the water drops.

8. N 32 02.315 – W 87 16.920 – Just downstream of the posts on the same side is a cove that holds shad and bass this time of year.  There is a big gray house on the upstream point with a gazebo out on the point.  Across from that point they are clearing brush on the lot on the downstream side. That is the side Skip likes to fish.

Start fishing on the riverside of the lot they are clearing. There is wood and grass along that bank that holds bass as they move in and out of the pocket following the shad. Try all your baits along this bank, hitting visible grass and wood cover.

9. N 32 02.903 – W 87 18.535 – Further downstream on your left is the opening to go back to Ellis Ferry landing.  The downstream point of this creek has a two story white house behind and a little downstream of it.  This point has a bar that runs across and upstream of it and is an excellent place to find spots schooled up.

Fish a crankbait and jig head worm on this point, covering it from all angles. Watch your depth finder to see how the bar runs and work it out to deeper water.  A jig head worm is especially good fished along the bar out toward deeper water.

10. N 32 02.493 – W 87 18.493 – Go back into the creek until you see the ramp at Ellis Ferry ahead of you as you round a point on your right. Start at that point across from the boat ramp and work into the creek. Ahead of you there is a causeway that cuts off part of the bay. This is a good bank to start on if you put in here.

Shad will often hold along the grass beds on this bank and they were thick in there in late October.  Bass were schooling on them when we fished it and it will be even better now.  Fish this bank with buzzbait and spinnerbait early, then work a Trap a little later.  It is a shallow bank so stay way out and make long casts.

Fish the docks and grassbeds back until the water out from the bank where your boat is sitting is only two feet deep.  Watch for action on top and make casts to it. Also hit dock pilings and brush under the docks.  There are enough tournaments held from this ramp that the area is constantly restocked, adding to the fish that are moving in following the shad.

Try these ten spots Skip likes to fish and see what kind of structure and cover he is looking for. Check other areas of the lake that are similar and find the shad on them and you will catch bass.

Pickwick largemouth, smallmouth and spots are mostly done spawning and are stacking up on shallow river ledges right now.  They are feeding heavily, fattening back up from the stress of bedding.  And they are shallow enough to be easy to catch.

Pickwick is a big TVA lake in the corner of Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi on the Tennessee River.  Like other lakes in the chain, its big flats and creeks are bass spawning factories and the river and creek ledges offer perfect feeding places year-round in the fertile waters.

Cody Harrison says he started fishing “as soon as I could cast.” Living in Tuscumbia, just 15 minutes from Pickwick, he fell in love with bass fishing very young and learning the ways of the fish in the lake.  He went to the University of North Alabama where he was on the college team with many other good fishermen and honed his skills for two years.  After graduation four years ago, he started guiding on Pickwick, Wilson and Guntersville full time.

“A few bass will still be spawning in May, but most are done and moving to summer holes on the main river,” Cody said. You can always catch some good fish shallow, but you can find the right ledge and catch fish after fish from big schools.  And you will catch smallmouth and a few big spots, as well as quality largemouth, in the river.

A wide variety of baits will catch Pickwick bass in May, and you can fish your favorites.  Cody has his, including a swim bait, crankbait, jig and pig, Carolina Rig and even a shaky head if fishing is tough.  All baits are adjusted in weigh based on current and depth he is fishing.

We fished the following ten spots on April Fools Day, a cold, windy day with a strong river current that made fishing difficult.  And many bass were already in spawning areas, but some were still out in the pre-spawn stage.  They will be strong on this pattern now.

Cody still caught two smallmouth in the 3.5 to 4 pound range, a largemouth that size and a slightly smaller, very pretty meanmouth.  Meanmouth are a smallmouth/spot hybrid that has the markings of a smallmouth but the tooth patch of a spot.  They are fairly common in the lake and may be a bad sign for the future of smallmouth fishing here.

1.  N 34 45.591 – W 87 51.269 – We put in at Cane Creek Ramp, a good location for fishing this area of the lake.  Right at the cove the ramp is in, signs mark a pipeline crossing on that side, with matching signs across the river.  Near the middle of the river a little more toward the North West bank, there is a “blow out” hole at the river edge where the pipeline goes across. 

This hole is 18 to 20 feet deep on the edges, dropping into deeper water fast.  It is covered in rocks and spots and smallmouth love rocks, and largemouth will use them for feeding ambush points too.

Sit on the upstream side of the pipeline off the lip of the drop. Cast your bait up current and work it back with is. Current here and on other places really help the bite if it is not too strong to fish. 

Cody likes a True Bass 4.5 to 5.5 shad colored swimbait rigged on a one half to three quarters ounce jig head, depending on current.  Let it go to the bottom then swim it along steadily with the current, just ticking the rocks.  You will get hung doing this until you get the feel for the depth and speed to move you bait.

You can fish a Carolina rig or shaky head here, depending on current, but those get hung more often.  If the current is slack bouncing a shaky head on the rocks may get bit but it is slow fishing.

2.  N 34 44.940 – W 87 45.811 – Going up the river where it bends to the left, a series of long islands on your left separate the river from old oxbows.  The main one is named Coffee Slough and is full of cypress trees, grass beds and stumps. It is a big bedding area and some fish live back in here year-round.

Idle in to the first big clump of cypress trees in the middle and start fishing. Be careful, there are many stumps to hit.  Cody says you could stay in here and catch bass all day.  Some will be feeding post spawn, some will be bedding and some may still be pre spawn depending on the weather.

Cody will bump stumps and cypress knees with a Strike King 1.5 or 2.5 squarebill, making them hit and dart off to the side. A black or white buzzbait with a clacker will also catch fish for Cody, as will a frog fished in the grass. If the fishing is tough, he will go with a weightless Trick worm worked slowly around all cover.

3.  N 34 50.143 – W 87 56.189 – Back down the river at the Natchez Trace Parkway bridge, a long river ledge runs parallel to the bank upstream of the bridge near the left side going downstream. The ledge runs at a slight angle toward the bank going upstream.  It is seven to eight feet deep on top but drops fast into 15 feet of water.

Keep your boat 15 feet deep and cast a crankbait, swim bait or jig up on the top of the ledge.  Bump bottom to the lip and let your swimbait or jig fall down the drop.  They will hold on the drop but move on top to feed, especially when current is washing along it. 

Fish along the ledge, probing for any cover on it that provides a current break for the bass.  When you catch a fish make repeated cast in that area since they will school up in specific spots along the ledge.

4.  N 34 52.441 – W 87 56.571 – Going down the river, Jenkins Branch is the opening on your right before you get to Bluff Creek. It is narrow with steep rocky points on both sides, with pea gravel points downstream of it.

Cody says bass spawn in the branch then move to the points to feed. They will school on top here so have a Fluke or topwater plug ready to cast to them.  Also drag a shaky head and jig on the pea gravel points going downstream, as well as the main downstream point of the creek. Bump the bottom with a crankbait, too, keeping your boat over about 12 feet deep and casting to the bank with all baits.

“Smallmouth spawn first, then largemouth,” Cody said.  This is one of the first places they move out to, and you will catch both here as well as an occasional spot.  Spots don’t grow as big or as fast here or on other lakes with them.  A four pounder is a really big one.

5.  N 34 52.632 – W 87 57.238 – The Bluff Creek channel runs way out across a flat to the river channel.  If you look at your GPS or a good paper contour map, you will see two old channels that form a wishbone before coming together near the river.  The lip of the creek channel where they hit the river is an excellent post spawn feeding spot.

Keep your boat in 23 feet of water and cast a crankbait, Carolina Rig and jig up on the lip of the          channel in about 14 feet of water. Work them with the current, bumping bottom to the edge then dropping down the edge of it.

Cody says a good rate of flow for fishing it 20,000 to 70,000 cubic feet per second of water released at the dam.  Lower and the fish don’t feed well.  Higher and it is hard to fish. (it was about 90000 on April 1!) You can download an app at https://www.tva.com/Environment/Lake-Levels/TVA-Lake-Info-App to get this information.

6.  N 34 53.601 – W 87 58.469 – Going down the river a hump rises to about 12 feet deep in the middle of the river out from the mouth of Long Branch.  The old branch channel runs along the downstream side of it.  You can line up on it by getting straight out from the small islands just upstream of the creek mouth.

The hump is a shell bed and Pickwick bass love feeding around shell beds.  Sit in 18 feet of water and cast across the hump with swim bait, jig and shaky head and Carolina rig. 

Wind can be a problem in big water like this. If blowing with the current it moves you too fast. If blowing against the current it makes bigger waves.  In either direction, it can make casting and line control difficult.  If possible, always sit downstream of these places and cast your bait upstream so it moves with the current in a natural action.

7.  N 34 53.594 – W 87 59.340 – The Brush Creek channel runs over half way across the big flat on the right side to the river channel. The lip of it has stumps on it and bass hold and feed around them.  It is a good place to fish but you will get hung.

Cody sits shallow here, in about 15 feet of water on top of the ledge and cast upstream to 20 feet deep. Work a swimbait, jig or shaky head here, trying to keep them moving just off the bottom to lessen hang-ups. A Carolina rig will catch fish but it gets hung a lot.

For the big smallmouth and largemouth in Pickwick, Cody rigs a green pumpkin or plumb Magnum Trick worm on a one half to three quarters ounce locally made Mean Mouth jig head. He dips the tails of his plastics in JJs Magic.  Orange entices bites if he sees crawfish with orange on them, but chartreuse imitates bluegill that are always have fins fringed in that color.

8.  N 34 54.225 – W 88 02.294 – Going downstream the river channel swings in near the left bank then out from it where the bank makes a turn to the left.  A red channel marker sits on the upstream point of a sunken island named “Bee Tree Island” on my paper map.  The point of the island cause a current break and it is about 15 feet deep on top.

Cody sits on top of the island point in 15 feet of water and fan casts upstream, covering all sides of the point.  A swim jig, shaky head, Carolina rig and jig all work well here. 

Cody rigs his Carolina rig with a one-ounce sinker to get to the bottom fast in current and keep it there, allowing him to cover more water with it.  He ties a big hook about three feet above the sinker and uses a green pumpkin magic or green pumpkin blue full-size Zoom Brush Hog on it.

9.  N 34 53.553 – W 88 04.762 – The second red marker past the one in hole 8 sits on the side of a long bar running parallel to the channel.  It is the edge of another sunken island named “Waterloo Island” on my map.  The outside edge of it drops straight off and is what you want to fish here.

Start at the marker with your boat in 30 feet of water and cast to the top of the old island in 10 to 12 feet of water. Drag a jig, Carolina Rig or Shaky 
Head to the lip and let if fall. Cody does not give any of those bait extra action, he just slides them along.

Cody likes a three quarters ounce green pumpkin blue Mean Mouth jig tipped with a matching Rage Craw with the tips dipped in JJs Magic.  Slide it along the bottom then let if fall several feet when it comes off the lip before reeling in for another cast.

10. N 34 54.083 – W 88 06.117 – Across the river and downstream, the channel makes a turn to the right.  Beach Creek enters on the right in the turn and the channel runs out to the river channel.  Cody said this is called the “Catfish Hole” but it holds bass.

The flat on the sides of the channel has grass here, and Cody says this is a great numbers hole.  He says you can sit in 20 feet of water, cast your Carolina rig up to six feet of water on the channel edges and work it back down to 20 feet deep.

You can catch 100 fish here when it is right, but not necessarily the big ones you need on Pickwick in a tournament.  You may also see fish schooling on top here so be ready to cast to them.

These places are good right now and will hold fish all summer. Give them a try.

Contact Cody for a trip to see first-hand how he catches Pickwick bass at Basswacker Guide Service https://basswhackerguideservice.com/ or call 901-490-0882.