TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LAKE DRAW DOWN THIS FALL AND WINTER SEASONS! By Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service Logan Martin Lake’s oldest, professional — bass fishing only — guide service for over 40 years!
As waters begin to cool on Alabama’s Logan Martin Lake (impounded in 1964) a fifty mile long, man made impoundment only 30 miles from the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama the bass and bass anglers that pursue them have to adjust to other changes as well. Winter time Lake Draw down.
Each Fall season Logan Martin Lake is drawn down for winter pool. It will stay down until spring usually brought back to full pool around April. That’s six months, Logan Martin Lake’s avid bass anglers have to do their homework and in the meantime enjoy some of the years best bass fishing.
Usually in somewhat solitude with most not-so-avid bass anglers, either deer hunting or home watching football games on weekends. Not that there’s anything wrong with that!
Its just that some bass anglers would rather spend every available minute there is, studying the Coosa River Spotted bass and Logan Martin Lake’s rather big, largemouth bass population and their habitat. After all, it took me over 40 years and I’m still learning!
Taking advantage of Logan Martin Lakes lake draw down can come in many forms and fashions. There are many advantages and some unwanted disadvantages.
For one thing, this fifty mile long lake is just slap full of natural cover, such as stumps left here during impoundment and hidden, unseen rock piles (at full pool), both types of cover that can be exposed when the lake is drawn down anywhere from 3 - 6 feet below normal, full pool levels.
Or dangerously still hidden, often only inches below the waters surface. Hidden obstacles which can damage boats and motors, and possibly endanger lives.
Learning to navigate this lake takes many years. Learning to navigate your boat on Logan Martin lake during lake draw down, takes even longer. There are some places you learn to respect, often learned the hard way and always an added expense, that could have been avoided.
This is one disadvantage to navigating Logan Martin lake draw down. So be careful or go with someone that knows. But the fishing? Oh, the advantages an angler has, if only he/she would do their homework! Now is the time to begin six months of homework. Not the kind like we had in school. The kind of on the water homework that will benefit you later.
In the past we took pictures of lake draw down, even taking notes in a notebook of all the things we thought we knew, but we knew we would never remember it when the lake was returned to full pool.
Like taking down notes of things, like a big lone tree on the bank that lined up perfectly with a certain red house. Then we lined it up with a long point as we scanned the lake with our eyes, looking for a spot across the lake. Like a tree that lined up with another tree and/or a telephone pole. Cross Triangulation…they called it.
This still works! But today’s G P S, side-imaging and down-imaging electronics with a built in brain that remembers the location for you, all combine together to make it a lot easier to return to these hidden underwater spots, when the lake is back at full pool.
Much easier than making a hundred marks on a map, taking dozens of pictures, recording a hundred triangulations, keeping detailed notes or trying to remember that one lone stump or small rock pile, when the lake is returned to full pool.
Believe me, it never looks the same and always involves a lot of time usually searching the lakes hidden bottom with a Texas-rigged worm, jig, etc. drug along the lake’s bottom.
As for the fishing, just think about it. The lake is at full pool, its September and the bass are already coming out of that summer state of mind, invading the shallows often in huge schools in search food and feeding in shallow water, “biting good” lake wide as they say.
Instinctively fattening up for the colder days ahead, winter. This means loads of spotted bass and largemouth bass sharing the same cover, habitat and often half of the lakes bass population is in less than 5 feet of water!
Then, lake draw down.
Fall’s concentrated bass, now become even more concentrated! This means concentrated bait fish too! All taking place in a few weeks time as the lake is transformed from being at full pool (for six months) to being down. First week down one foot, next week down two-three feet then a few weeks later as draw down ceases, down as much as 4- 5 feet!
The lake’s previously hidden stumps, underwater rock piles, laying logs, brush piles and even long points, drop-offs and ledges, all now become the next available cover or change in bottom irregularity, places where bass and bait fish now share the same residence…for another six months!
Lures that mimic bait fish like crankbaits, rattling lipless lures, jerk baits, spinnerbaits and topwater lures, including loads of lures fished on bottom like jig combos or creature baits are similar to the lakes easy meals like crayfish, are now in front of more bass, as they share spots together and go for your fake offerings.
Often fishing in solitude as the cooler days of Fall reveal Logan Martin Lakes hidden underwater secrets, many places only you will know about, when the lake is returned to full pool next year in the spring!
Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service…first!
Thanks and Good Fishin’ Reed Montgomery /Owner of Reeds Guide Service. Phone (205) 663-1504 in Alabaster, Alabama. Website www.fishingalabama.com
* Looking for the south’s best online (or pickup) bargains? Look at www.bargainsssouth.com with new items added daily! Everything for both the young and the old. Collectibles like old toys and new toys, antique glassware and new glassware! Pictures, furniture, even fishing items! Clothing, old vases, old beveled-edge mirrors, things children love like apparel and crafts. All at very reasonable prices!
* Looking for the worlds best bass boat? Go to www.rangerboats.com
* Looking for Alabama’s best bargains on new boats, used boats, close-out model boats and sales on Ranger Boats, Triton Boats or pontoon and aluminum boats too! You owe it to yourself to check out www.airportmarine.com …first! Or go by Airport Marine just of I-65 south at the Clanton/ Airport exit! Great sales staff, fully stocked parts department and expert mechanic work!
* Check out www.bamabass.com tournament info, fishing tips and articles and more!
* Fishing bass tournaments? See www.airportmarinetrails.com for new tournaments and fall /winter schedules! Alabama’s best paying bass tournaments, great tournament trails and high paying annual fishing events! Buddy Trails and Solo Trails too!
* See www.marksoutdoors.com for all your hunting and fishing needs!
* Reeds Guide Service / Website www.fishingalabama.com seasonal fishing tips, lake reports, pictures of big bass, guide service info and more!
