Look for some wintertime spotted bass action and your search can end, for some of Alabama's biggest and best Coosa River Spotted bass can be found this winter season on Jordan Lake. Well, everybody that fishes in Alabama with any regularity, knows that.

Some anglers have even sampled Jordan Lakes waters and found this to be true, with a wall hanger of their own to show for their efforts. Others just take pictures and let them go, to live and do battle again for some fortunate angler, another day.

But now days many anglers are very secretive about these big spotted bass hangouts (places that took them years to discover), especially when it comes to telling other anglers where to look, for bass that will defiantly test your tackle and your patience as well.

Fishing should be about sharing. Helping others learn how to fish for various bass species and helping others experience the thrill of locating and catching big bass, just like in your earlier days.

I know, for I have made a living at it now for over 40 years, guiding throughout Alabama. But before I became experienced, fishing all of Alabama's Lakes hundreds of times, I had to start somewhere and learn to listen to the older generation. The ones with something I lacked ... years of fishing experience. Those old timers, that were willing to share a few secrets of their own, anglers that knew how to catch Jordan Lake's famed, Coosa River Spotted bass.

So here are just a few of the places, places to find spotted bass, places that are very dependable this winter, despite the weather and conditions. Study and thoroughly fish these places, with a variety of lures and presentations (and lots of patience), like I have and you will soon be hooking into one of these true, tackle-testing Coosa River Spotted Bass of Jordan Lake;

Jordan Lake's Headwaters / Below Mitchell Lake Dam.

The Lakes headwaters, situated below Mitchell Lake dam is the home of many trophy, spotted bass taken each winter, some in the 6-8 pound range. Starting here is easy. A boat launch called Mama Jeans Launch is located about one mile below Mitchell Lake dam in the lakes headwaters. Take Hwy. 22 off the Interstate 65, turn right after you cross the lake bridge, and follow the gravel road right to it.

Looking at Mitchell Lake dam you will see a discharge area on the left. Here, water is generated for electricity and discharged by the dams turbines, almost every day. The swift and cold water found here attracts hoards of predators feeding for the winter months. Including spotted bass, often in huge schools with numbers of fat 'spots' numbering in the hundreds, and often some big spotted bass over 5 pounds.

Heavy winter rains can swell the lake over full pool and show water coming over the dam spillway, with several day's heavy rain. This 2-3 days of constant rain shows swift water and often stained water conditions, for days following a rainy front. But this is when some of the year's biggest spotted bass gather below Mitchell Lake dam and are taken by the angler willing to brave the elements and focus on catching some really big spotted bass.

This means coming prepared, for spotted bass can make hard runs and strong pulls that can break off light line. There are lots of rocks and boulders found here in the lake headwaters, rocks that can knick or damage your line. If the water is stained, there's no need for light line and light tackle applications. Rig your rods with stout, wide spooled reels with a good line capacity for holding lots of thick, heavy line. Use at least 17-20 pound test (Trilene Big Game) monofilament.

Fish with gaudy, oversized lures when the water is stained. Big bodied wide-wobbling, deep diving crankbaits are excellent lure choices. Choose bright colors like white, lime, yellow, chartreuse or a touch of orange or red on the belly, for stained water conditions. Choose shad colors in clear water.

Heavy spinnerbaits, show good results, especially when applied during these swift, high water times, with stained to muddy water conditions. The more stained the water, the bigger the spinnerbait and its blades you may have to choose. This goes for slow rolling or dropping heavy spinnerbaits along deeper drops in main lake current that can be swift, usually calling for heavier 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce models.

Colors can be a matter of preference, but you can't go wrong with chartreuse and white skirts and trailers, with gold and silver blade combinations on most spinnerbaits. Some angler use spinnerbaits that feature a single, half dollar sized Colorado blade in cold water. Other anglers opt for spinnerbaits showing a small, gold Colorado blade up front, with a huge #6-#8 willow leaf blade (in silver or gold colors) on the back.

Other lures that show great results while fishing Jordan Lakes Headwaters are jigging spoons, shallow-to-mid diving crankbaits, 1/4 to 3/4 ounce rattletraps, suspending and floating model hard bodied jerkbaits, and on bottom, an array of soft plastics. Texas rigged, Carolina rigged, drop-shot rigged or if you like, even smaller finesse lures, will all work, especially in clearer water and during slower current situations.

Worms, lizards, tube baits, crayfish imitations, shad imitations, grubs and jig combos are all deadly lure choices this winter for spotted bass, that often feed on the bottom in these lake headwaters. Try various lure sizes, color combos and always try both lures that rattle and the silent lures as well.

Rock Bluffs / Midlake

Its no secret that Jordan Lake's spotted bass prefer rock bluffs. But that fact alone can leave a lot of room for exploring, especially with Jordan Lake's mid section featuring miles of rock bluffs. Knowing which ones to fish, what to look for, and what to throw at em' does cut it short, when it comes to locating spotted bass on these miles of rock bluffs this winter season.

Spotted bass feed on baitfish and crayfish all winter long. Both of these prey are high in nutrition and can be found along rock bluffs, with the 'spots' always close by. Baitfish have the need to escape the swift current and they will bunch up by the hundreds. This can be in a very small slack water area, or 'eddies' as they are called.

This can be a small spot along current breaks only a few feet wide, found along the irregular rocky, boulder-filled banks. Some very swift water is funneled down the face of these deep Jordan Lake rock bluffs, showing any small feature that blocks the current, holding both predator and prey looking to escape the swift current.

Study each bluff. Smaller eddy areas hold individual fish (often bigger ones) found holding on isolated trees, laying logs, stumps, brush piles or washed in debris on the banks. They can hold on both small rocks and big boulders as well, or several spotted bass can be hidden within slab rocks, cracks and crevices found on rock bluffs. The larger eddy areas, such as a very evident cut or pocket, can hold entire schools of both spotted bass and (often mixed in with the spots) entire schools of roaming largemouth bass, sometimes big ones.

But very often in winter, you have to search for these bass, for they can bunch up in a very small, hard to find spot. So thoroughly and slowly fishing each of these chosen places, is often what it takes to find them, along with lots of patience. It may be an hour between bites, but suddenly you will catch a dozen bass from one small spot, that can be as small as the size of your boat.

Usually this takes place, to reward you for that hour of fruitless casting you previously made, on these cold winter outings. Always, warming your blood back up in a hurry. Then, as usual, you always have to decide on what to fool them with, to keep them biting, when you do.

Small points, broken off bluff banks or huge boulders, and especially the mouths and flats found along small cuts and pockets, are places you will find spotted bass on these rock bluffs, often feeding on crayfish as well as baitfish. This may be the only refuge these bass, crayfish and baitfish have, to escape the swift current following heavy, winter rains.

Small pockets may be the only isolated areas around, and just could be the only shallow water for as much as a mile up or down these rock bluff banks. The small points, found on the upper and lower sides of these small points leading into these pockets, and the flats in the backs of these small cuts and pockets, always have some bass. They are relating to these excellent, out-of-the current hideouts, holding and waiting on an easy-to-catch meal...this winter on Jordan Lake.

These are just a few places to begin your search this winter when looking for that trophy sized spotted bass. Practice catch, photo, and release this winter.

Want to learn more about fishing for Alabama's Trophy Coosa River Spotted Bass on Jordan Lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133 first! "Over 40 Years Guiding on All of Alabama's Lakes" Many of those years spent during winter looking for trophy 'spots' on Jordan Lake. Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com.

Thanks, be safe this winter. Always wear your life jacket and outboard motor kill switch this winter, when fishing our lakes.

This report provided by:
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"Celebrating 5 Years on the Radio Jan 2004"
Sunday Morning's 9-10 A.M. Central Time
Radio Station WJOX 690 AM Birmingham, Alabama
Call Reeds Guide Service...First! (205) 787-5133
"Over 40 Years Guiding Throughout Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com