Big, Striped Bass this Summer Season!
Spring Ends and Summer Begins on Alabama’s Tennessee River System Impoundment’s Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick Impoundment’s
Written By Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504 Alabaster, Alabama Website www.fishingalabama.com See Us on Face book too!
“ Guiding for all species of bass on all of Alabama’s River Systems for Over 50 Years”
Featured are; The Tennessee River System Lakes; Guntersville Lake , Wheeler Lake , Wilson Lake and Pickwick Lake. Bass Fishing Information for Summertime bass anglers! See more summertime fishing tips for all of Alabama’s lakes at www.fishingalabama.com
THE TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM
GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
As the spring season slowly comes to an end, the almost perfect weather of 70-80 degrees, soon gives way to the hot, summertime low ninety degree air temperatures of early June. And so it begins. Another long, hot summer season.
But as the thermometer rises, the fishing for big largemouth bass (that will rise as well for a well placed topwater lure!), continues both during the early morning daylight hours, during late evenings and as the sun slowly sets, at night.
Sun down and night fishing begins...
This is when daytime anglers are forced to switch into the “nocturnal mode”, when the mercury soars into the mid-to-upper 90’s on Alabama’s largest, man made impoundment, Guntersville lake.
Springtime’s new growing, aquatic weeds, now seen lake wide (by the summer’s beginning until fall), are transformed into thick, matted aquatic weeds as the ever-increasing weed growth of such weedy species as hydrilla, milfoil and Lilly pads, increases with each passing week.
Summer time weeds for big bass!
Fake frogs for big bass this summer!
Meaning, the use of more weedless type lures like frogs, spinnerbaits, buzz baits and heavy jig combos or Texas-rigged plastics. Or use more open water lures like the Alabama Rig, Swim Baits, lipless lures, topwater lures, finesse worms and deep diving crank baits.
Or you can go night fishing. See “Night Fishing Guntersville Lake This Summer Season“ Article at www.fishingalabama.com
WHEELER LAKE
After being lowered for winter pool (as much as 5 feet down each winter season) Wheeler lake, the second largest lake in Alabama, is slow to show its new weed growth as spring comes to an end.
Shade and weeds this hot, summer season go together for big bass!
But by the end of the spring season as summer slowly emerges, the months of June and July can show various types of aquatic weeds seen growing lake wide in full bloom. Aquatic weeds, especially visible in the mid-to-lower lake region, are good for big bass for the entire summer season.
[Wheeler lake will remain at or near full pool throughout the summer season, until the next fall season. When the lake is traditionally drawn down for winter pool and once again lowered for winter pool (as much as 2-5 feet) remaining down a few feet for another 6 months.]
Zara spooks this summer for topwater action!
Bottom lures when things get slow...
Alabama rigs!
Top water lures fished day or night or an array of lures like crankbaits, lipless lures, spinnerbaits, swim baits, jig combos, shad imitations, worms, lizards, and like other lakes, the Alabama Rigs, will all fool each species of smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass and an occasional striped bass on Wheeler lake, this summer season.
Lures fished from top to bottom work all summer long!
Deeper bass of summer can be caught on bottom dragged lures, Carolina rigs, drop shot rigs, jigging spoons, deep diving crankbaits, heavy lipless lures and other lures such as Texas rigged worms, creature baits, tube baits and heavy football head jig combos.
WILSON LAKE
Big smallmouth bass!
A small lake, in comparison with Guntersville and Wheeler lakes. At only 18 miles in length and featuring only four, major feeder creeks, Wilson lake impounded in 1924, can get very crowded during the summer months. Why? Many reasons. One being smallmouth bass. Summer recreation could be another.
Another reason for over crowding (especially on weekends), is Wilson Lake’s headwaters which is situated right below massive, Wheeler lake dam. This is where anglers come with high hopes, from all over the globe, in search of many kinds of freshwater fish species. Especially big, smallmouth bass.
Brown bass!
Wheeler Lake dam in Wilson Lake’s headwaters, is over a half mile wide and all throughout Wilson Lake’s oxygen-rich, current laden headwaters found here, are popular Tennessee River waters known for its many species of fish.
A place where avid anglers can target many fish species such as smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, striped bass, bass spotted bass, white bass, and other fish species such as bream, crappie, many breeds of catfish and even rough fish such as alligator gar, freshwater drum and carp.
All taking place for at least an entire summer of four months during the hot, summer period in these cool, tailrace waters. Current, high oxygen rich waters, and always cooler waters are constantly discharged here (almost daily), in Wilson Lake’s headwaters.
Mixed bag of bass!
You can actually fool some nice largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass, fishing here all summer long, day or at night and on into the fall season. Using an array of lures, fished from shallow to deep water, anglers can discover some exceptional fishing here this summer season.
PICKWICK LAKE
This man made impoundment (1938), is another Tennessee River System “Smallmouth Bass Factory” like upstream Wilson Lake. But at over 50 miles in length (with some of the lower lake near Pickwick lake dam stretching into Mississippi), there is a lot of water to be explored by avid anglers this summer season.
Big bass on Tennessee river!
There are plenty of places for anglers to target “bass of all kinds”, in both shallow water applications along weed, wood and rock cover and in the lake’s deeper waters as well, all throughout this summer season on Pickwick lake, a lake over 50 miles in length.
As spring comes to an end, the early summer month of June will send “spoiled springtime anglers” in search some often, harder-to-find summertime bass, fishing throughout Alabama’s famed, Pickwick Lake. Then, it gets real hot in July and August, often near 100 degrees.
Day or night fishing is always good on this north Alabama lake, despite the often grueling summertime heat waves. Whether you choose to fish right below Wilson lake dam (in Pickwick lake’s headwaters) or if you choose to head the boat down stream.
Wilson lake dam tailrace waters for big, smallmouth bass (like this one caught on a zara spook topwater lure), this summer season!
There are miles of both shallow water cover and deep water retreats for anglers to discover while targeting some “big bass” during this summer season on Pickwick Lake!
As summer commences and its gets even hotter (near 100 degrees) in July and August some anglers, like the bass they pursue, head for the lake’s deeper water haunts.
Down the lake, past Natchez Trace Bridge and Bear Creek, all the way to the lower lake’s “bluff lined’ deeper waters on the lower end of the lake, all the way to Pickwick lake dam and the lower lake canal. There are miles of deep ledges, old river channels and drop-offs all that all hold deep summertime bass on Alabama’s Pickwick Lake!
Summer bass!
Be safe and be courteous to other anglers and boaters on our very crowded lakes during this summer season! Always practice CPR! Catch, Photo and Release. Let all these bass go, to live and fight and give another angler a thrill as well…on another day!
Thanks, Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504 Internet Website www.fishingalabama.com “Alabama’s oldest, professional freshwater — bass fishing only — guide service, guiding on all of Alabama’s Lake’s for over 50 years.”
