For over 40 years I, like many die hard bass anglers, have endured the wrath of Winter anxiously awaiting the coming of each Spring season. That’s March, April and May here in Alabama, no matter which man made impoundment, small lake or pond you choose to begin your “spring fishing fling” with. Shallow water bass fishing.
For weeks at a time, it slowly emerges.
The trees and flowers begin to bloom, air temperatures soar into the 70′s and eventually in to the low 80′s. Our lakes are returned to full pool (with some as low as ten feet this past winter season), aquatic weeds begin to grow and the lake’s water temperature slowly begins to warm into the upper-60′s and low-70′s. Then, its bedding time for Alabama’s big, largemouth bass!
As with every spring season, every wife, girl friend, mother (and other friends and relatives of avid anglers), will all get used to simply just saying; “He’s Gone Fishin’ Again.”
And so it begins…
MARCH IS PRE SPAWN TIME ON ALABAMA’S LAKES - Every year as winter dies out, I start getting multiple E-mails and dozens of phone calls from anxious anglers looking to break the wintertime blues. Some anglers are looking to go on a guided fishing trip, perhaps to one of the many Alabama lakes I guide on.
Yes, I guide on all of Alabama’s lakes. No other Alabama freshwater fishing guide service can lay claim to the same.
Of all Alabama lakes I frequent, here are the ones I get asked about the most often.
Coosa River System - Weiss, Neely Henry, Logan Martin, Lay, Mitchel and Jordan Lake.
Tallapoosa River System - Lake Wedowee and Lake Martin.
Tennessee River System - Guntersville, Wheeler, Wilson and Pickwick Lake.
Warrior River System - Bankhead Lake, Smith Lake and Demopolis Lake.
Alabama River System - Jones Bluff Lake near Montgomery.
Chattahoochee River System - Lake Eufaula, Alabama/Georgia state line.
LARGEMOUTH BASS - Big, trophy-sized, pre spawn largemouth bass, can be caught on any of these Alabama lakes in the month of March. But to me, the most consistent lake at producing big largemouth bass, those huge female bass exceeding that seemingly, almost magical weight of ten pounds, has got to be Alabama’s largest, man-made impoundment, Guntersville Lake.
Several 10 pounders an 11, 12, 13 and 14 pound monster bass, have made it into my boat over the past 40 plus, “months of March.” April, May and early June can be just as good with days of 50 bass or more common on Guntersville lake this spring season.
A very close second to Guntersville Lake (for targeting big, trophy pre spawn largemouth bass in March), unknown to many anglers that visit Alabama to fish for big bass on other more popular lakes, is Lake Wedowee, situated near the town of Wedowee. Officially its called Lake Harris.
I’ve caught one huge, largemouth bass on Lake Wedowee (weighing 9 pounds 14 ounces), it was caught in March on Alabama’s Lake Wedowee on a cold, rainy day. It was fooled on a zara spook topwater lure.
Fishing and guiding on this lake since it was impounded in 1983 (situated on the upper Tallapoosa River System, right above the more popular lower Tallapoosa River System lake, known as Lake Martin), I’ve seen more big, trophy-sized, largemouth bass caught in the month of March.
Sure, it was no ten pounder…but I was close.
There have been dozens of huge, largemouth bass caught out of Lake Wedowee and most were taken on lures fishing in late winter to early spring. A friend of mine, Dooley Salter of Birmingham, caught a 13 1/2 pounder, right after the lake was impounded.
There have been much bigger bass taken out of Lake Wedowee, with many bass in the “teens” now on record. Yes, many bass exceeding 13 pounds! What other Alabama lake can lay claim to that? Actually, none.
To my knowledge there have been many largemouth bass weighing in excess of 13 and 14 pounds, caught out of Lake Wedowee. Several bass weighing over 14 pounds, including three over 16 pounds (very close to a a new state record largemouth bass) and one very big, largemouth bass found deceased, floating in the lake many years back.
It weighed in excess of 17 pounds.
That bass would have been a new Alabama state record largemouth bass, beating the old record by over a pound. That is, if it had been caught by some fortunate angler.
These are just a couple of lakes in Alabama that I have seen produce largemouth bass of exceptional proportions. Lake Eufaula, I’ve netted bass weighing up to 11 1/2 pounds. Weiss Lake in north Alabama has produces dozens of bass over 10 pounds. Aliceville and Gainsville lakes on the Tombigbee River System in south Alabama, have produced bass weighing in the teens, in years past.
SMALLMOUTH BASS - Smallmouth bass too! Wheeler lake, Wilson lake and Pickwick lake have produced “smallies” weighing in excess of 7 pounds! Including an 8 1/2 pound “brown bass beauty” my Father caught over 50 years ago!
March is an exceptional time for targeting big, smallmouth bass on these north Alabama lakes only. My biggest smallie to date, came out of Wilson Lake, weighing 6 pounds 12 ounces. Caught on a Texas-rigged worm in March many, many years ago.
SPOTTED BASS - Alabama’s breed of Spotted Bass, by now, are likely to be in numbers in every Alabama lake. During late winter and March these feisty bass are loaded with roe, and ready to do battle with any angler that gets in their way!
Especially when their annual, springtime pre spawn activities bring them closer to the lakes shallow water to reproduce another year’s offspring in March, and often right on into the early portion of April.
Lakes that are praised by avid, Alabama Spotted Bass anglers have to produce a “spot” weighing in excess of 5 pounds, to even turn another anglers head. For many spotted bass anglers that frequent Alabama’s many lakes, that may hold a “catchable” spotted bass of ten pounds, here are some lakes I’ve seen and caught “trophy spots” from.
(The Coosa River breed of spotted bass) Every lake listed has produced spotted bass weighing in excess of five pounds, for me and clients of my guide service. I’ve caught five spotted bass weighing 6 pounds or better on lakes Lay lake, Mitchel lake and Jordan lake.
Including one huge “spot” my biggest to date, weighing 7 pounds and 2 ounces, taken from Mitchel lake on the lower Coosa River, on the fourth of July many, many years back. Caught on a Heddon zara spook topwater lure at midday in 90 degree air temperatures!
I later released it.
Warrior River produces many big spots every March. Smith Lake holds several previous world record spotted bass titles, some weighing up to almost 9 pounds. There are also big spotted bass in Holt Lake on the Warrior River in mid Alabama. (That local anglers would prefer to keep all to themselves, a lake with little fishing pressure and monster-sized spotted bass!)
Make plans now to fish Alabama’s many lakes for a real chance during this spring season to catch a true, trophy-size largemouth bass, smallmouth bass or spotted bass!
Will yours be next? Only if your there fishing. Or if you call on Reeds Guide Service…first! (205) 663-1504. Call today! March is already underway! April will be here soon. Then, its topwater time for post-spawn bass in May and June.
Where’s he at? He’s Gone Fishin’!…
* Keep in mind. “A Guided Fishing Trip, Makes a Great Gift For Those Loved Ones That Love to Fish! ” Whether its a Christmas gift, birthday gift, celebrating an anniversary, or Valentines Day, Fathers Day, Mother Day, giving a well-deserved graduation gift, or just giving a friend or loved one a surprise fishing trip gift certificate for later use.
Always call on Reeds Guide Service…first! Utilizing the new, 2013 Ranger 521 Z model 21 foot bass boat with 250 H.P. Evinrude E-Tec outboard motor provided by Airport Marine. See www.airportmarine.com and www.rangerboats.com for more info!
See more springtime fishing articles, lake reports, fishing tips and guide service info at my website www.fishingalabama.com for all of Alabama’s lakes this spring season!
Thanks and Good Fishin’ Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service in Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504. Website www.fishingalabama.com “Over 40 years fishing, guiding, and exploring Alabama’s lakes for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and some huge, striped bass.”
