Fishing Alabama - Reeds's Guide Service

TEN LAKES IN TWO WEEKS

By Reed Montgomery

TEN LAKES IN TWO WEEKS

Late March / Pre-spawn Bass and Spawning Bass
Alabama Lakes included in this report

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - Neely Henry Lake, Logan Martin Lake, Lay Lake, Mitchell Lake.

TALLAPOOSA RIVER SYSTEM - Lake Martin and Lake Harris (Lake Wedowee).

TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM - Guntersville Lake

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER SYSTEM on the ALABAMA / GEORGIA STATE LINE -
Lake Eufaula (Walter F. George Reservoir)

Reed Montgomery Intro;
After traveling all over Alabama for the last two weeks of March, taking clients of Reeds Guide Service to various lakes and fishing a few of Airport Marine's bass tournaments (see: www.airportmarineteamtrail.com) <http://www.airportmarineteamtrail.com) > I decided to give readers an update on Alabama's Lakes featuring Pre-spawn Bass and Spawning Bass.

Big largemouth bass, trophy-sized spotted bass and even a few 10-20 pound striped bass were taken from lakes on Alabama's Coosa River System, Tallapoosa River System, Tennessee River System and the Chattahoochee River System.

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - MITCHELL LAKE
Airport Marine's Mid-Week Solo Trail on Wednesday, March 11.

A good practice session earlier in the week had me all geared up for this very popular mid- week, Alabama Bass Solo Tournament Trail, sponsored by Airport Marine.

Water temps that week were in the mid-to upper 50's. Cloudy, rainy weather and rising water temps sent the Mitchell lake spotted bass on a topwater feeding frenzy! In all, I had over 25 topwater explosions in one day of practice and culled 3 limits of bass in the tournament.

As most people know I have a fondness for catching bass with topwater lures. One of my favorite age-old topwater lures is the original, James Heddon Zara Spook. Now nearing 100 years since its creation in the early 1900's!

But I really fish the three-hook model, the Jimmy Houston signature series Zara Super Spook...a lot! It features 3 hooks (rather than 2 hooks like the older model zara spooks).
It is also bigger, heavier, throws further, walks easier and features built-in internal rattles.

* Why, I even have my own, "Reed Montgomery Signature Series", perfect Zara Spook fishing rod, sponsored by www.tigerodz.com made right here in Alabama!

* NOTE Click here to view: "Everything you need to know about fishing the Zara Spook"

During the tournament I also had several nice spotted bass on a 1/2 ounce chartreuse and white spinnerbait (the "Ace" Model by www.theduce.com) and a few on the lemon-lime colored Excalibur Fat Free Shad mid runner Crankbait.

One on my biggest spotted bass came on one of the Duce's 1/2 ounce brown, black and pumpkinseed colored jigs with a Yamamoto twin curly tail trailer in colors of all blue with black flake.

Both during practice and while fishing in the Airport Marine Wednesday Solo Tournament I fished mostly rock bluffs and points leading into small rocky, spawning cuts and pockets.

The spook had to land perfectly right under over hanging trees and bushes to get a bite.The big spotted bass mostly in the 2-5 pound range, were following the spook and blowing up on it midways back to the boat!

I fished with Berkley green, Trilene Big Game 20 pound test monofilament line.

In all, in two days of fishing, I had over 60 topwater strikes and I culled 3 limits of bass in the tournament.

I ended up, placing fourth, with a little over 15 pounds, including a nice spotted bass weighing 4 pounds and 12 ounces. I was close...maybe next time! It took 17 1/2 pounds to win.

TALLAPOOSA RIVER - LAKE HARRIS (Lake Wedowee)
Water temps were in the upper 50's and the lake was still down 4 feet when we fished Wedowee Lake Friday, March 13. A cold front featured bright, bluebird skies. Normally tough conditions, but we did catch bass!

Dawn showed two good topwater bites. One largemouth about 4 pounds in a lone laying tree in one foot of water, caught on a Zara Spook and another, a nice spotted bass caught on a Rebel pop-r fooled in a tree top in 40 feet of water!.

Midday action slowed but suspending jerkbaits, chrome blue / back rattle traps, crankbaits, soft jerkbaits and spinnerbaits made for a good day with about 15 bass in all! We mostly fished creek backwaters 1 -10 feet deep.

COOSA RIVER - LOGAN MARTIN LAKE
The lake was down 2 feet when we fished it for two days March 15 -16. Water temps were in the low 60's. The lake actually came up about a half foot as it usually does on Sundays when water generation ceases.

Most bass came from around piers in 5-10 feet of water on the lower lake on both days, We caught bass in the 1-3 pound range on shaky head worms / watermelon black flake on 1/8 ounce jig heads by the www.theduce.com <http://www.theduce.com> and lizards in black, rigged Texas style with 1/4 ounce weights.

No topwater bites that Sunday! But we had 4 nice spook bass 2-3 pounds caught Monday morning in the mouth of creek at mid lake.

The lake dropped again that Monday. Logan Martin Lake is now at full pool with water temps about 70 degrees and bass are spawning with visible beds found lake wide.

Weeds will be in full bloom in the next few weeks and soon Logan Martin lake's post-spawn bass will display some vicious topwater strikes!

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - NEELY HENRY LAKE
Water temps was 60 degrees. Lake was down 1 foot.

We did manage to fool some nice bass on topwater lures both days on main lake flats and a few bass on crankbaits, jerkbaits and rattle traps on day one. We fished Tuesday and Wednesday March 17-18. Day two it was slow with only 3 bass all morning...that is until we found them at mid day on a small flat.

These bass were stacked in there and the lady fishing with me was practicing for an upcoming Bassmasters Woman's Tournament that next week!
Hope they were still there!

In all, we had 30 spotted bass and about 15 largemouth bass in 3 locations (some up to 4 pounds) on red, yellow and orange colored shallow running C B 100 crankbaits and some on lipless lures in chrome or red colors.

The mid to upper part of Neely Henry lake was real muddy due to recent rains. Most bass we caught were taken in the mid lake area around the mouth of Canoe Creek.

TENNESSEE RIVER SYSTEM - GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
Water temps in the low to upper 60's. Lake full pool. Visible beds found on lower lake.

We fooled several big fish early that morning mostly in the 10-20 pound range .Trouble was they were Freshwater Drum! Hitting Rattletraps! Finally as the water warmed at midday we did manage to fool some nice bass in the 3-5 pound range.

However the day ended with a bang! A nice 9 pounder that made up for it all! Creeks were heavily stained after midday. Drawing water at the lower dam created muddy conditions on creek flats that were clear earlier that day. A change to 1/2 ounce Rayburn red Rattletraps helped a lot, especially when the big bass came around 4 p.m.

TALLAPOOSA RIVER SYSTEM - LAKE MARTIN
Water temps in the mid 60's. Lake down 4 feet and rising.

Friday, March 20 we fished Lake Martin on a cold morning in the upper 30's! Needless to say the clients were very happy I choose not to run far that morning! Besides, the lakes headwaters (where we usually fish), was real muddy from recent rain.

When its muddy in Wind Creek you know this lake has seen a lot of incoming rain water! Rains of 3-5 inches had the mid-to-upper lake muddy.

After a cold, slow morning we did manage to fool some shallow bass at midday on worms and jigs and some on bubblegum (pink) zoom trick worms that we fished weightless and we had a few bass on pearl colored Zoom's soft jerkbaits.

Most bass came from around any type of wood cover. Laying trees, Christmas trees and stumps in 1-5 feet of backwaters...out of the cold winds! In all we had about 10 bass with the biggest around 3 pounds, all on a very tough day!

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - LAY LAKE
Airport Marine's Team Trail Tournament with over 140 boats. See results at www.airportmarineteamtrail.com or see live video of the weigh in held at Paradise Point Marina on Lay Lake including an interview with the eventual winner all seen at www.anglerschannel.com <http://www.anglerschannel.com>

Reed Montgomery, Anglers Channel pro staff member will be filming all of Airport Marines tournaments for this www.anglerschannel.com website each month!

The stage was set and it just had to happen! Every time you get bedding bass you get some lucky angler that comes in and blows the entire field away! Such was the case with the first place winner.

It took 27 1/2 pounds to take first place. This included the biggest bass of the tournament a huge bedding largemouth bass that weighed 7 1/2 pounds! The kind of day all anglers dream of.

After having the pleasure of interviewing him I discovered that (along with his wife that caught the big bass) how they fooled them on that wondrous day.

Water temps were in the upper 60's. These anglers found the mother lode of big bedding female bass in what they say was 70 degree water temps. Most of these big bass were fooled on a Texas rigged lizard.

What's ironic is after interviewing them I found out an hour before coming in they lost a another huge bass estimated at weighing 8 pounds, right at boat side!

Second place had 19 pounds.

We had a good day and caught a lot of bass, just not enough big ones! One spotted bass we weighed in, caught by my partner Kenny Knowles, weighed 5 pounds and 10 ounces!

CHATTAHOOCHEE RIVER SYSTEM - Lake Eufaula
Water temps low to mid 70's. Lake level down one foot. Bedding bass everywhere!

We fished the lower lake due to the creeks and upper lake very muddy from recent rains. Shallow water did not produce as expected so we went to the dam. While fishing deep diving Fat Free Shad crankbaits and black Texas-rigged worms and lizards we managed to fool about a dozen nice bass. Two about 5 pounds each!

Lots of anglers on the lake made it hard to find a good spot to fish all alone. We did manage to fool some bass early on topwater lures and spinnerbaits, but after the crowds arrived we had to find deeper, unmolested bass.

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - MITCHELL LAKE Water temps mid 60's. Lake down 1 foot.

We fished the same places as last week and they were still there! In all about 30 bass on a a great day of fishing the mid to upper lake! Air temps near 80 degrees.

The water was down 1 foot and Alabama Power Company had generated water at the dam all day, mostly in anticipation of upcoming heavy rains. Anytime they drop the water it hurts the shallow bite.

But bass on deep rock bluffs are not affected. Also, I always fish the lakes headwaters if water is running at the dam all day. We fished right below upper Lay lake dam with rattling lipless lures, mid running crankbaits, jig combos and spinnerbaits. A good spring day!

One striped bass about 15 pounds had one angler real excited! We also had 5 - 6 three pound spotted bass that day!

COOSA RIVER SYSTEM - LOGAN MARTIN LAKE
Water temps 68. Lake Full Pool.

I ended my two week excursion (ready for some very needed rest) on Logan Martin Lake as March slowly came to end.

A lot had changed since my last trip here. For one, the lake is now back to full pool after being down 3-5 feet for the last 6 months. This brings bass shallow. Bedding bass had moved right in and we saw beds in water that was high and dry a few weeks ago.

Water temperatures had soared into the upper 60's with this week's warming trend in the mid 70's. The lakes water clarity had changed to. Recent rains had some mid lake creeks stained to muddy and the lakes headwaters, above Interstate 20 crossing, was downright muddy as well.

So we fished small cuts, pockets and main lake flats, those that displayed lightly stained water in the mid to upper 60's.

Bass were in 1-3 feet of newly flooded water hitting topwaters like buzzbaits, spooks, Sammie's, spinnerbaits, shallow running crankbaits and on bottom worms, lizards, tube baits and creature baits. Mostly fishing around piers and boat houses later in the day.

So there you have it. Ten lakes in two weeks!

ME, I'm getting some rest. Gotta go fishing again soon...

Thanks and Good Fishing this spring season!

G* Looking for a new or used boat?
Go to: www.airportmarine.com and see their bass tournament trail info found there. Alabama's best paying tournament trails and annual events!

* Looking for a great bass tournament trail?
Go to: www.airportmarineteamtrail.com

* Looking for the best bass boat in the world?
Go to: www.rangerboats.com

* Looking for fishing rods, reels, fishing tackle and hunting items?
Go to: www.marksoutdoors.com

Good Fishin'

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