with Jordan Wiggins
Big spots on top early, then numbers on worms and jigs during the day. To get around the tough fishing in July, plan a trip to Smith Lake to have fun catching spotted bass. And you can fish the same places and baits at night to avoid the heat and boat traffic.
Smith is a big, clear Alabama Power Company lake near Jasper and Cullman. The spots in it have responded to the introduction of blueback herring by growing fast and fat. Tournament limits weighing 15 pounds are common and 20-pound limits are weighed in often.
Jordan Wiggins grew up in Cullman fishing with his father, uncles, cousins and brother Jesse. They fished for anything that would bite but soon became addicted to bass fishing. His dad started taking him tournament fishing when he was about 12 years old.
When his older brother Jesse was 15 and old enough to drive Jordan was 14, and he and Jordan fished every weekend and many weekday nights, entering local tournaments when they could. They learned to catch bass under all conditions.
Jesse now fishes the Major League Fishing pro circuit and Jordan hopes to fish the BASS pro trail when his kids get older. Admirably, right now he fishes locally, preferring to spend time with his young kids and helping them grow up right.
Jordan does well locally, winning two Alabama Bass Trail tournaments on Smith with his partner Wesley Sams and one on Guntersville. He also does well in his local club, the “SLABS,” fishing Smith.
“In July, bass on Smith are holding on brush piles, clay, rocks and stumps in 20 to 30 feet of water on points and humps,” Jordan said. Under low light conditions they will come up and hit topwater baits, but when the sun is up you need to get a jig or shaky head down to them to catch them.
Jordan keeps his July fishing simple, with three rods really all he needs. He will have a topwater walking bait like the Strike King Sexy Dawg on one rod, a custom-made shaky head jig and a jig and pig on the other two. He may have the same baits on other rods ready when the fishing is fast.
Jordan showed me the following ten spots in early June on a cloudy, breezy morning. He landed about 20 spots, including a pretty four pounder and had five weighing 15 – 16 pounds, all on topwater baits. The fish were just moving to them and will be even more concentrated on them now.
1. N 33 59.750 – W 87 08.894 – In the mouth of Rock Creek, on your left as you turn into it, a long narrow flat point runs off the bank. There is a green “Rock Creek“ sign on it and there are rocks around the bank. This point runs way out and drops off fast on the upstream creek side but is flatter on the downstream side, offering a perfect place for bass to hold and feed in July.
Jordan starts with his boat on the upstream side in 90 feet of water and cast across the point, bringing his bait across the flat top over the drop. He starts with topwater when the sun is not bright but works a shaky head or jig and pig on the bottom when it is bright.
There are rocks on the point forming a ledge and there is a little brush on it. He works his baits from ten feet deep out to 30 feet deep. At all times when fishing here and other places, even when fishing a worm or jig, keep your topwater bait ready. Fish come up schooling here at any time.
While we fished, we saw individual fish chasing bait on top. Jordan hooked a big striper that got him hung up on the bottom but landed a four-pound spot that hit his Sexy Dawg. Watch for any top action and make long cast to them as fast as you can.
2. N 34 00.288 – W 87 11.296 – Going up the river, Dismal Creek enters on your right downstream of Duncan Bridge. In the mouth of it a danger marker is on a hump that comes up to about ten feet deep. The bottom is rock and clay with some scattered brush. Bass hold and feed here all summer.
Stop out from the marker in 50 feet of water and fish the hump from ten feet deep out to 30 feet deep. If the wind is blowing, a critical need for a good topwater bite, start with topwater. If the wind is blowing Jordan concentrates on the windy side.
If there is no wind, work around the hump with shaky head or jig. Fish all the way around it, probing for rocks and brush where the spots hold. Jordan fishes his shaky head on a slack line, hopping and twitching his rod tip to make the worm jump and wiggle.
3. N 34 00.320 – W 87 11.579 – Going into Dismal Creek the first point on your right is a flat clay point that runs way out. It is deep on both sides and has some brush on it. Keep your boat out in 25 feet of water and fish from ten to 20 feet deep.
This place and others are good at night, too. Boat traffic will make weekends rough on Smith so night fishing is a good choice. Jordan likes a dark night with no moon and concentrates on the deeper areas of this point and other places with is shaky head and jig and pig.
Jordan fishes his three sixteenths ounce custom made shaky head on a St. Croix Legend Extreme medium action 7-0-foot spinning rod and spools with ten-pound braid with a 12-foot fluorocarbon leader. He puts a green pumpkin Zoom Trick worm on it. This allows him to make long cast, get the bait down fast and feel the bait better.
4. N 34 00.291 – W 87 11.809 – Across the creek a bluff bank ends in a small cove. A house sits up on the upstream bluff and has a high walkway going to the dock. The downstream point of the cove has a point that runs out toward the creek channel.
Stay out on the end of the point, straight out from it, in 50 feet of water and cast toward the bank. It is a hard clay bottom, almost as good as rocks, and has some brush on it.
This is another good night place, too. During the day early in the morning work topwater over it, then fish the bottom with jig and shaky head. Watch for schooling fish here, too. Jordan caught a couple of keepers, over the 13 to 15-inch slot size limit that must be released.
Several times spots hit Jordan’s Sexy Dawg three or four times before he hooked it. When that happens, he keeps the bait moving at a steady pace, not stopping or speeding up, and does not set the hook until he feels the fish. He likes a white or chrome walking bait.
More that once a big spot missed his bait and a smaller one took it. You can see the fish in the clear water. And often, there were several others following a hooked fish. If you see them doing that get your partner to cast to them as fast as possible.
5. N 33 59.283 – W 87 08.782 – Going toward the dam past Rock Creek, on your right is a double cove in the turn toward the dam. The downstream point of it drops off fast on the upstream side but is long and flat, coming way off the bank. There is a single small sweet gum tree on the edge of the water on the point.
Stop out in 50 feet of water on the upstream side and cast across it downstream, working out to 20 feet deep on top of it. The bottom is clay and there are some stumps on it. Probe for them with your shaky head and jig and pig.
6. N 33 58.952 – W 87 08.424 – Across the river and a little downstream, the upstream point of a big bay that goes back and splits into two small arms is a good place. It is a flat clay point with some small gravel around it and there is a blue “For Sale” sign in front of a small wood building.
Stop out in 40 feet of water and fish the point out to 20 feet deep. Work from the river side out to the end of it, covering the bottom with jig and pig and shaky head. Jordan fishes a three eights ounce peanut and butter jig with a green pumpkin Zoom chunk on it.
7. N 33 57.431 – W 87 06.766 – Going toward the dam, as soon as you round the point on your right and see the dam, stop on the point. It is clay that turns into riprap on the downstream side. The yard comes right down to the riprap.
This is a big flat point where bass school first thing in the morning. Stay way out from the bank, it runs out a long way, and cover it with topwater when the light is low. Watch for swirls and cast to them as fast as possible.
When the sun is bright, work your jig and pig and shaky head on the bottom. Hop and move the jig quickly, don’t just slowly drag it along the bottom. Spots like action so work it with a lot of movement, just like the shaky head.
8. N 33 57.388 – W 87 06.299 – Go into the mouth of Ryan Creek and on your right a long narrow cove separates two main creek points. The upstream point forms a ledge on the creek side, runs downstream and has some stumps on it. There are green “For Sale” signs on the bank and a new house is being built across the narrow cove.
Stay on the creek side and cast to the bank, the water drops fast. Work from the edge of the bank out over the ledge. Work topwater over it then work the bottom with shaky head and jig. Work them quickly but keep in contact with the bottom. Keep forward movement slow enough to stay on the bottom as it drops off, but give both baits lots of action with your rod tip.
9. N 33 57.480 – W 87 05.842 – Just upstream a big triple arm cove goes back to your right where the Ryqan Creek creek channel swings left. The main creek channel runs in near the downstream point and forms a rock ledge. The bank here forms two round rock points that go out to the ledge. There are “For Sale” signs here, too.
Jordan says a shaky head is best here, but keep your topwater ready. Cast your worm right to the bank and work it out and down the ledge. Move it forward slowly enough to stay in bottom contact, but keep the worm hopping and shaking on your slack line.
10. N 33 56.982 – W 87 06.773 – Going down the river toward the dam, the last big cove on your right before the Smith Lake Dam boat ramp splits into three small arms. The downstream point is clay and runs upstream, across the mouth of the cove. There is a small dead tree standing near the water just inside the point. Spots hold and eat here.
Stop out in 70 feet of water on the river side of the point and cast across it, fishing it out from 10 to 20 feet deep on top. Fish your topwater over it and work the bottom with shaky head and jig and pig. There is some brush on it to hit with those baits.
These places were holding good fish in June and will be better now, and fish will feed on them all summer. Give them a try day or night to catch some good Smith Lake spots.