Look where your going when running Weiss lake during drawdown. Its a hazardous lake when low. Normally down till May, this lake has a lot of 5-10 feet of water when at full pool, so you can imagine whats just below the waters surface when its down 4-5 feet. When navigating this huge,sprawled out shallow impoundment stay near the river channel buoys and watch for floaters (logs) during March and April.

When fishing in March,cold fronts,muddy water or high pressure conditions severely affect these shallow water bass. During these times you may have to fish shallow,slow your presentation and use lures that have rattles,create a lot of vibration, make noise or some type of water disturbance. For these bass can home in on these lures when their lateral line determines whether they eat or not.

In more suitable conditions such as during clearing water periods and during rising water temperatures, these bass will feed by sight. Big foolhearty prespawn bass bass can be fooled with soft and hard jerkbaits,spinnerbaits,crankbaits,topwaters and a variety of bottom bumping lures. Generally in cold,stained water,you must fish slow and on or near bottom. In clear or lightly stained water above 60 degrees, you can fish shallow to mid-depths with a much faster approach and with faster moving lures,usually during March on Weiss lake.

Keep in mind many BIG bass are still in deep water along river and creek channel ledges with cold fronts pounding the south every March. Deep-diving crankbaits and Carolina-rigged lures can target these deepwater bass a lot of shallow bass seeking anglers anglers overlook. Also there are many resident-planted brushpiles along flats and around piers in prime spawning grounds,that now hold more than one prespawn bass. These spots are usually right under the boat of the bank beating angler.

Weiss Lake April Tip : When water levels begin to rise the bass move up to spawn on Weiss lake. This will take place from mid-to-late April and the lake will normally be back to full pool by May. New weeds will begin to appear as waters warm and bass move into water as shallow as 6 inches deep as they hold near prime spawning grounds. As on all Alabama lakes,these are spooky bass not accustomed to being in very shallow water. A quite approach will be needed to assure quality strikes. Spotting cruising bass or bedding bass can be easy with clear,shallow water. But on Weiss lake during Spring this is often not possible and looking for signs of bedding bass will help in directing your cast's to likely areas for some big spotted bass and largemouth bass. Weed movement,boils,wakes or ripples of bass moving around,will help you detect these bass. Utilize long casts in this situation and always wear polarized sunglasses for spotting beds and bass. Remember to release these bass to live,spawn and fight another day.

Weiss Lake May Tip : This lake comes alive during May. Under normal conditions Weiss lake is back to full pool by the first week of May. New weeds will be visible and flooded shallows will give bass hundreds of miles of water to roam in. Some bass will still be bedding in cooler lake regions. But the majority of Weiss lakes bass population will be recuperating from the rigors of spawning and feeding to regain strength. Also while feeding to fill an empty belly fast, foolish bass go on a feeding rampage.

Topwater is the pattern for May on Weiss lake. Buzzbaits will be nailed now by both male and female bass in water 1-3 feet deep. Floating worms,lizards and soft jerkbaits will take bass in surprisingly very shallow water. In and around wood and weedy cover try Zara Super Spooks, Super Pop-r's, and Excaliber's Spittin' Image,also Excaliber's minnows and suspending long-a's. The Swimmin' Image shallow-running crankbaits and the new Ghost minnow, are all deadly lures for these post-spawn bass. Dam and causeway rip-rap (rocks) are also good with these lures this month. Falcon spinnerbaits,Excaliber's Fat Free shad, deep-diving crankbaits and worms,lizards and jig combos are also good. During May many bass suspend away from the ledges,drop-offs and irregular bottoms. These places of recuperation are near spawning grounds,but are often overlooked by the now conditioned shallow water angler.

Look near Gadsden,Alabama and you will shurly see Neely Henry lake. It runs right alongside many of the citys major highways and downtown Gadsden is just a short distance away. This is another Coosa river impoundment left low till mid-April. It is also worth mentioning a word of caution to first timers at navigating Neely Henry's waters during winter pool.

The mouths of these feeder creeks and small pockets harbor baitfish attempting to escape the sometimes swift current during March. There are also pre-spawn bass of both breeds seeking wood and rock cover with slack current for ambush spots in the creek mouths. This is also a good area to concentrate your fishing efforts along rocky,outside river bend bluffs,for some line-stretching spotted bass. These bass will actively chase lures such as crankbaits,jerkbaits, spinnerbaits and even topwaters,that is,when conditions are warming and the water is clear to lightly stained and in the 60's.

Downriver,many feeder creeks such as Canoe and Beaver creeks have stump-filled flats and winding feeders,that are still navigable,but with extreme caution during low water. Look for baitfish,clearing water conditions,good spawning habitat and the warmest water available,for actively feeding bass during March. In both upriver and downriver situations cold,stained water means fishing slower with worms,lizards,crayfish imitations(Texas and Carolina-rigged) for numbers of bass. The jig and pork(or plastic)combo is good for that BIG bass bite during the cold days of March.

Neely Henry Lake April Tip : This is the month lake levels return to full pool. By the third week of April the bass will be in some very shallow water,especially with rising water conditions. Spring rains can create stained or muddy conditions at this time. This gives bass security and they move shallow to feed and spawn. As lake levels rise so do the bass and during warming trends many males and females will be in less than 3 feet of water. Some female bass will lay their eggs (on or near a full moon) and recuperate in nearby spawning areas.

Cold fronts severely affect these bass and temporarily slow the spawning process. Bright, bluebird days following these fronts and always create a slowdown feeding and activity period. This is when you have to slow your presentation and fish drop-offs and ledges near prime spawning grounds. Or you can choose thick wood cover in shallow water that holds some big bass during high pressure conditions in April. Coaxing these sly bass from stumps,brushpiles, laydowns or out from beneath piers and boathouses calls for stealth,accurate presentations and correct lure choice. As Neely Henry returns to full pool look for bass in new growing weeds by the end of April. Best lures are mentioned in the following Neely Henry May tips.

Neely Henry Lake May Tip : May on any Alabama lake means topwater time with fast, furious action from hungry,post-spawn bass. On Neely Henry lake bass of both species invade the newly flooded backwaters to feed and spawn as the lake returns to full pool. At this time, many small,male bass protect the beds and will nail a buzzbait,Zara Spook,baby torpedo,pop-r, spittin' image and other noise-making topwaters. There are also some BIG female bass still hanging around shallow cover and spawning flats,that can bring surprising blow-ups during the late-April to late-May period. By mid-May there will be some new grass well-established in small pockets,creek backwaters and on the main lake. Postspawn bass will lay in 6 inches of this lush, green growth during these times. This thin-growing grass calls for other shallow water lures fished on or near the surface.

Floating worms have won major B.A.S.S. tournaments on Neely Henry lake during Spring. Also try floating lizards,soft jerkbaits,frogs and rats in and around these new green homes of post-spawn bass. Spinnerbaits,worms,lizards,jig combos,grubs,gitzits and tube lures are all excellent lures in these weeds when fished around brush,stumps and other wood cover during the post-spawn period of May.

Many bass suspend or hang away from the banks in May. Always include fan-casting an area with suspending and floating Excaliber jerkbaits. Also try shallow-to-mid-running Fat Free shad crankbaits and rattling lipless lures such as rattletraps and rattlin' spots. For explosive strikes try Pradco's Zara Super Spooks and Rippler's various blade-drilled Buzzbaits.

The test of time never held more truth when relating to Logan Martin lake. This impoundment on the Coosa River system,located near Pell City (and just 30 minutes from Birmingham) is fished heavily year-round. The bass are returned to the lake by bass tournament organizations,bass clubs and anglers practicing catch and release. This does little harm,especially when compared to the pollutants dumped in Logan Martin's waters during the past few years.

Major feeder creeks such as Choccolocco Creek and Broken Arrow Creek, have withstood the test of time...and man. Added to this, the building of homes all along the lake's shorelines, from the lower lake dam to 25 miles up the lake at its halfway point along I-20 bridge. During the Summer,Logan Martin lake is THE most recreational lake in Alabama. There are several mishaps each summer on its waters by reckless use of water crafts.

Creek mouths,small pockets,cuts,islands and main-lake flats in the upper lake areas will heat up fast during March,especially with stained or muddy water conditions and several days and nights of warm weather. This is when the sun's heat warms the water a lot faster. Much faster than the clearer and much deeper water downriver. With any sudden rise in the water level (and a week long warming trend) a lot of prespawners will move into 1-3 feet of slack backwaters away from the main lake current in the upper lake regions.

Downriver,many bass will be coming out of a winter state of mind. When these upriver bass are actually spawning,downriver bass can be eating voraciously in prespawn conditions. Upriver water temperatures normally hover in the upper 60's by late March and can still be 10 degrees cooler downriver. Concentrate your prespawn efforts in creek mouths and around points leading into shallow spawning grounds in March. Like the bass, search out lake and creek backwaters for the warmest water available. Topwaters,spinnerbaits,crankbaits, jerkbaits and lipless lures are excellent search lures in March for active bass. When cold fronts come in,slow your retrieve on these lures and use a stop-and-go action on normally fast-retrieved lures. Cloudy days are best this month for BIG bass,especially on or near a full moon.

Logan Martin Lake April Tip : The bass of Logan Martin lake go through some severe changes leading into the spawning month of April. As the month of March fades away so do the ever-changing prespawn conditions,accompanied with milder cold fronts, muddy water and low water levels. These bass move up and down into the shallow spawning grounds,until stable water conditions tell them its time to spawn. From mid-April until the first week of May the lake will rise,from being down 4-5 feet low for the last 6 months,back to full pool. Not only is this good for spawning bass,but for feeding bass to,for not all of these bass will invade the shallows to spawn as the lake level rises each day.

This normally takes about 2 weeks. During this period the majority of Logan Martin's bass population will be in less than 5 feet of water. Many are some of the years biggest bass caught either spawning or recuperating in nearby shallow water. Others are smaller male bass protecting the bed or the newly hatched fry. These newborns survival depends on you. Catch and release during Spring,assures future generations of bass and fish for our future generations to catch.

Logan Martin Lake May Tip : Catching bass in April can mean choosing any lure in the box. Fishing in May can mean a lot of previously neglected topwater lures will now get used. From shallow,stump-filled backwaters to newly-growing weeds,by the first week of May these bass can be fooled with a variety of topwater offerings. Buzzbaits,such as Rippler's (1-800-top lure or www.rippler.com) are good search lures and cover a lot of water fast. Always add a trailer hook for short strikes.

Spinnerbaits are also in this category and Falcon's spinnerbaits (made in B'ham) are the perfect choice,with a variety of colors,weights and blade designs for each fishing situation. In and around the thin,newly-growing weeds try soft jerkbaits,floating worms and lizards,frogs, rats and other weedless lures during May. This is also the time for fishing rip-rap around dams,bridges,causeways and culverts with worms,lizards,crankbaits,jerkbaits,lipless lures and topwaters. Piers,especially near spawning grounds,will hold shade-seeking bass along with boathouses, floating docks and brushpiles planted around these man-made structures.

As the merry month of May comes to an end,bass will cease the spawn and going into their early summer patterns of feeding and following schools of baitfish. Now they will feed to regain strength,rebuild needed fat reserves and school together for herding up baitfish. Look for bass near the month's end at the lakes headwaters,backs of creeks and near deep water.

By now the notoriety Lay Lake received during the Bassmaster's Classic (and other major tournament trails in years past) has shown this can be one of the states most popular lake for Bass tournaments and rightfully so. Major bass trails and annual events hold their tournaments here in the spring with hundreds of bass caught and released each week. Five bass limits (so common in most Lay lake bass tournaments) have already shown 20 lb bags of bass this year, as much as 2-3 weeks in a row.

Bags of spotted bass averaging 3-4 lbs are a common sight at these weigh-ins, and mixed bags of bass always include a few big largemouth bass weighing from 5-7 lbs each week. Even in small,wintertime wildcat tournaments such as those held out of Paradise Point Marina every Saturday,there are 30-50 boats participating.

Creeks along the lakes eastern shorelines,along wind-protected and sun-drenched banks,will show significant weed growth over other areas during the first few weeks of March. Thin stands of weeds deserve several casts,from many angles,with a variety of lures. Keep in mind these are very spooky bass and stealth and long casts are needed to sneak up on unsuspecting bass lying in some very shallow water. Fan-casting first and secondary weedy points will target prespawners during March on Lay lake. Stumps,brush,laying logs and other wood cover in or near weedy spawning grounds now hold some BIG dominant bass.

Flipping or Pitching is a BIG bass tactic on Lay lake around thick,matted weeds. In years past the Jig and pork (or plastic trailer) combo has been responsible for many tournament wins and often Big Bass of the day. Its still a producer of big bags of bass. Nowdays lure-accustomed bass are being fooled with a new look of lures such as gitzits,grubs,tube baits,twin tails, lizards,plastic crayfish and a variety of worms are winning major tournaments on Lay lakes weed-infested waters. To be successful at these presentations look for lightly stained,warm water with plenty of baitfish activity during March on Lay lake.

Lay Lake April Tip : As lake waters warm into the 70's these bass will seem to be in every patch of weeds you fish. As April gets underway bass will spawn lakewide with some females already in a post-spawn mode by the months end. Weedless lures are very productive in April on Lay lake especially in thick,matted weeds where the bigger bass like to hang. Fishing along these weedy edges,around weedy points,weed patches and in small openings within the weeds with lures such as frogs,rats,soft plastic jerkbaits,floating worms,lizards and buzzbaits will eventually anger these huge largemouth bass into striking. Several cast's in one spot may be needed to entice a strike from lure-conscience bass.

Many tournaments are held this month and release sights such as Paradise Point Marina has small pockets lined with weeds loaded with bass. Many bass stick around to feed,spawn and recuperate as long as conditions are right and baitfish are present,for weeks at a time after being released and they are very catchable bass.

Lay Lake May Tip : As bass come off the beds in May,Lay lakes weeds will be in full growth. Some weeds are very thick and deserve many casts in and along weed edges with weedless lures and even not-so-weedless lures. Topwater explosions are nerve racking when followed with no hook up. Especially when it is the biggest bass in the lake (or so it seems). These missed strikes can be eliminated if you ready yourself for the strike,sharpen or replace hooks and make long casts past your intended target.

Weed edges hold recuperating post-spawn bass awaiting an easy meal. Its up to you to make your offerings as enticing as it gets,to appeal to these bass that often won't move far, even for an easy meal. Lures with dangling treble hooks are not for casting up in the weeds and only lead to frustration,hangups and lost lures. But with a little accuracy lures such as Pradco's Zara Super Spook (with 9 exposed hooks) can be maneuvered between weed patches,along both sides of weedy points and down small,narrow lanes within the weeds. Pop-r's,the Spittin' Image,Baby Torpedoes and other topwaters also fall in this weed-edge category.

As each and every angler enjoys the thrills of catching bass in the Spring,all must keep one thing in mind. To continue enjoying that thrill and for future generations of bass anglers to have plenty of fish to pursue, we must all practice CPR Catch,Photo and Release. Return these bass to the water they were caught in to live and fight another day and to give some other angler a thrill. This also ensures future generations of bass. With one female bass laying as many as 10,000 offspring in one season. Practice Catch and Release this Spring....Reed

Thanks, Reed Montgomery / Producer "Fishing Alabama" Radio Talk Show

Owner / Reed's Guide Service / (205) 787-5133.

"Over 30 years fishing all of Alabama's Lakes and Rivers for Bass and Stripers."

E-mail alabassgyd@aol.com