Logan Martin Lake
Coosa River System, Pell City, Alabama
Report By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Birmingham, Alabama (205) 663-1504
Website www.fishingalabama.com
” Logan Martin Lake’s oldest, professional — bass fishing only — guide service! Next year in 2014 fishing Logan Martin and other Alabama lakes for fifty years!”
* Logan Martin Lake is 50 miles in length and was Impounded in 1964
* Water Temperature 50 degrees / Tuesday, January 7 of 2013.
* Lake level – Tuesday, January 7 / Down 5 feet for Winter Pool
* Air Temperature Tuesday, January 7 of 2013 – Near 60 degrees and lows in the upper-40′s
* Predicted weather Wednesday through Sunday January 9-13 / A winter warming trend later this week in the low 70′s, and all throughout this weekend.
Highs in the upper 60′s, after this weekend!
Recently, Alabama has received its share of cold weather (Lows 24 degrees last week) and several inches of recent almost daily, rain. Well there’s more.
* This week’s mid January weather prediction is a 30-50 percent chance of rain…for the next few days. Wednesday – Friday and again this weekend, rain each day and more rain is predicted on into next week! The good news is, the rain and any of the sun’s warming water, plus several days of mid-fifty degree nights, will all help bring Logan Martin Lake’s bass back into the constantly warming shallow water, to constantly feed, daily by this weekend!
* Of course there is always some bad news as well. Last week’s heavy rains really muddied up the lake’s headwaters, mid-to-upper lake, and Logan Martin’s major incoming feeder creeks, especially muddy and swift current seen from mid lake at I-20 crossing to the lake’s headwaters. There are still heavily stained to muddy water conditions.
* Another bit of bad news is the water got really cold prior to all this, dipping down into the low-to-mid 40′s! Cold, muddy water conditions, are the worst wintertime conditions an angler can face! Caution is still advised for boaters, look for floating obstacles such as logs!
* Another few words of caution (that can be bad news as well for inexperienced boaters if they are careless), is low water. The lake is currently down five feet! This is low for this lake, even during winter! Low water conditions also bring underwater, boat-damaging, underwater obstacles like stumps, rocks and bottom features, all now closer to the water’s surface and as now seen, some are now exposed and fully visible!
* So use extreme caution when navigating your boat out of the river channel or creek channels, until April!
As waters warm back into the upper-50′s and maybe low-60′s later this week, look for much more active bass. To be consistent. Look for the clearest water conditions, the warmest water, and the most “bait fish infested” water available!
* Lures, Techniques and Conditions
As this ” winter warming trend week” progresses, bass anglers planning a fishing trip (or tournament) to Logan Martin Lake (or any Alabama Lake) should, as always, take a good look at the upcoming fishing day’s conditions, and as always, keep in mind to remember and consider, the previous week’s conditions.
* It has been cold in the mid-20′s on some nights with daytime highs not even reaching 50 degrees. Some spotted bass and largemouth bass have dropped into deeper water. Water temps were 45, they could be 60 degrees by next week! After a few, warm sunny days, combined with a few warm nights in the mid-50′s, things can heat up fast and only get better! This mean active, shallow water bass!
* Sure, the bass are not going to viciously attack a topwater lure (or will they?), but winter warming trends always bring much more active feeding bass into the nearest shallow water. But as waters warm, it does not always take a slow bottom presentation with the dragging of worms, lizards, jig combos, creature baits, or small finesse worms to get bit. But as always these slow-fished, bottom dragging lures should be tried! For they produce…anytime!
* These bass are thinking (if they do that), “its time to feed and fatten up” and as usual they will follow the bait fish schools into the shallows, when it warms and continue to feed on bottom creatures such as crayfish and even small catfish! Warming waters create much more active bass!
LURES
So, besides fishing with slow, bottom fished lures always include other lures in your search.
* Example; Try shallow-to-mid diving crankbaits / Such as No. 5 Rapala Shad Raps, a tight wiggling small profile crankbait, try both shad and crayfish colors. Also show em’ some square-billed, more wide-wobbling crankbaits. The bass will tell you which type of lure and presentation they want! Utilize a more slower, stop-and-go retrieve for these slightly sluggish bass!
* Other lures? A second choice would a 1/4 ounce to half ounce model lipless lure, like a name sake Bill Lewis “Rattletrap” or Strike King’s “Red Eye Shad” Fished slow of course! Try lighter line to go deeper or heavier line for shallow water! Spinnerbaits, suspending jerk baits and deep diving crankbaits will work as well! Even try swim baits and Alabama Rigs!
* Maybe even a Heddon Zara Spook!
* Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service…first! To see how. Guiding on Logan Martin Lake for over 40 years! Including, “Alabama’s oldest, professional — bass fishing only — guide service, guiding on all of Alabama’s Lakes for over 40 years” Only one professional bass fishing guide service, can lay claim to that!
* Reeds Guide Service – Guiding on Alabama’s Coosa River Lake’s Weiss Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lay Lake, Mitchell Lake and Jordan Lake. Guiding on Alabama’s Tallapoosa River Lake’s Lake Martin and Lake Wedowee. Guiding on Warrior River Lake’s Smith Lake, Bankhead Lake and Demopolis lake. Guiding on Tennessee River Lake’s in north Alabama Guntersville lake, Wheeler Lake, Wilson Lake and Pickwick Lakes. Including guiding on Chattahoochee Lake Eufaula since it was impounded in 1963.
Fishing / Guiding all Alabama Lakes For Over 40 Years! Booking trips for Winter and Spring now!
* Note – Discount Wintertime 8 hour bass fishing trips, from now until February only on Logan Martin Lake and Lay Lake, both lakes near 40 miles from Birmingham! Call (205) 663-1504 or E-mail me alabassgyd@aol.com for more guide service info!
* Hey, are you looking for the south’s best bargains? Got to www.bargainssouth.com! You will see!
* New 2013 boats and used boats, all at www.airportmarine.com in Clanton, Alabama! Come by their upstairs “Airport Marine location” loaded with boats! At the upcoming, www.birminghamboatshow.com to be held four days in Birmingham, Al. / January 24 – 27 of 2013!
* Looking for Alabama’s best, and the entire the south’s best bass tournaments, annual fishing events and best paying bass tournament trails? Look at www.airportmarinetrails.com to see more info!
* Looking for the world’s best bass boat? See www.rangerboats.com
* Come by and talk fishing with Reed Montgomery in his annual, “Reeds Guide Service” booth, seen upstairs at the 42nd Annual 2013 Birmingham Boat Show to be held Thursday – Sunday, January 24-27 2013!
* Also that week at the Birmingham Boat Show (See info at www.birminghamboatshow.com ), on Saturday, January 26 of 2013 “Reed Montgomery’s 12th Annual Kids Fishing Show for 2013!” Free admission for all, to the kids show, free prizes and draw prizes for all the kids!
See you there!
Thanks and Good Fishin’
Reed Montgomery, Owner of Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
Website www.fishingalabama.com
