As waters begin to cool on Alabama’s Coosa River Impoundment Lay Lake, from late September and on into October and November shows Lay Lakes many bass species feeding heavy, before the colder days of winter arrive. Striped bass, spotted bass and largemouth bass all become very susceptible to a variety of lures and presentations, mostly when bass anglers are fishing in and around the lakes varied cover.
Spotted Bass - These Coose River breed of bass are just plain mean. Period. Tough on fishing tackle, tough on fishing line, rods and reels and often these little, “balls of fighting fury” are tough on themselves, often ripping their mouths with your lures sharp hooks, in their attempt to escape capture.
Spotted bass can be found lake wide. Unknown to many anglers (those that never venture far up the lake, to the lakes headwaters), these spotted bass can be found schooling and often found in abundance while fishing the discharge waters below upstream Logan Martin lake dam during the Fall season.
But these spotted bass can be found in any feeder creek, along most deep main river ledges or along deep drop-offs and spotted bass are right at home along rock bluffs like seen on the lower end of Alabama’s Lay lake.
A lake impounded in 1914, now almost 100 years old.
Striped bass - Like the smaller spotted bass (but only in their habits), striped bass can be found in Lay lakes headwaters during the fall season. And during winter, next spring and the hot summer season too! They stay here year round! The availability of food, lots of current and usually cooler water keep these big striped bass here almost daily, like said, “year round.”
But at any time, Lay lakes striped bass can be located in any feeder creek. Often they are found as far up any creek as their travels in search of food will take them, to the far ends of even small feeder creeks too! But, that’s not all.
Striped bass can be seen schooling and busting bait fish as they feed along main lake flats, creek flats, along rock bluffs and even along lower Lay lake dam along its rip-rap rock lined banks. Even at night during the fall and winter months, avid striped bass anglers often fool some of Lay lakes biggest striped bass.
Largemouth bass - Unlike the spotted bass and striped bass, Lay lakes largemouth bass can virtually be found any where on Lay lakes stretch of 50 miles of weed, rock and wood cover. Especially, they are found in the many types of aqautic weeds Lay lake has to offer. And largemouth bass love weeds!
Although there are many kinds of grass (including lilly pads), there is one invasive type of stringy aquatic weed, Millfoil, that has recently spread lake wide. Including another invasive weed species Hydrilla. Another type of thick, stringy weed that can grow in both shallow water and deep water. Both weed types can get very thick and even choke out some shallow backwaters with a thick, matted look to these types of weeds.
But largemouth bass and the meals they feed on…love em’! So do bass anglers.
Lay lakes largemouth bass see a lot of lures. Bass anglers, almost on a daily basis, have shown these weed-dweeling largemouth bass a variety of lures fished in and around the lakes weeds, from top to bottom. Trouble is, most bass have a hard time remembering anything for a long period of time.
So in a few days time most of Lay lakes “lure conditioned bass” are usually ready to hit the same lures over again. Even if they have just been caught and recently released these bass have got to eat. So make plans to return to where you recently caught them and fool em’ again!
All three species of these bass species spotted bass, striped bass and largemouth bass will hit the same lures. But striped bass do not dwell in the weeds. Neither does the spotted bass, but they both can cruise the weed edges.
Also keep in mind when your fishing along the lakes weedy bottom, striped bass rarely hit lures like worms, lizards, tube baits, creature baits, crayfish imitations, jig combos and small finesse lures. But spotted bass and largemouth bass will!
There are lures all three of these bass species will hit during the fall season. Topwater lures, either walked, jerked or popped along the waters surface can be attacked by any of these bass throughout the lake, at any time. But you hardly ever seen a striped bass hit a buzz bait. Stripes do not inhibit aquatic weeds so lures like fake frogs are usually meals for the largemouth bass.
All of Lay lakes bass will hit; spinnerbaits, shallow to deep diving crankbaits, both suspending and floating model jerkaits, all types of lipless lures and swim baits. Including jigging spoons and inline spinners!
So anglers should keep in mind, throughout the fall and early winter months keep several of these types of lures rigged and ready, for some great fall fishing and cool weather bass fishing action! Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service…first!
Bass fishing only on Lay lake year round. Or any Alabama Lake, year round. Alabama’s oldest professional bass fishing only guide service for over 40 years.
See my website www.fishingalabama.com for more info and my e-mail contact.
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Thanks and Good Fishin’
Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service for over forty years!
