Each time I go to Alabama for an Alabama Outdoor News article I am amazed at their fantastic lakes and rivers. I drove to Tuscaloosa last Wednesday to meet Brandon Ligon, a young bass tournament fisherman that lives there. We fished Lake Tuscaloosa, a relatively small 5885 acre lake on the North River that provides the water supply for the city.

It is a beautiful river lake with steep rocky banks and the water was clear at the dam, although the upper river was muddy. Brandon caught a nice two pound spot the first place we tried and we caught a couple more keeper spots during the day. I wish it was not a four hour drive to go back!

There are dozens of well-known lakes in Alabama like Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson, Pickwick, Wedowee, Martin, Logan Martin and Lay Lake. But there are dozens more small lakes I have never heard of all over the state. All seem to have an abundance of big spotted bass and largemouth. Many of the north Alabama lakes have smallmouth, too.

Folks in Alabama even consider West Point and Eufaula as their lakes, but I claim them for Georgia. They offer great fishing but don’t produce the big spotted bass like others do. I am not sure why the bass don’t grow in them like they do in other lakes nearby.

If you get a chance, explore our local lakes, but for a change drive over to any lake in Alabama and check it out. You will be pleasantly surprised at the scenery and big bass you can catch.