When McCaig goes for Lay Lakes spotted bass in February, he opts for a 1/2-ounce All-Terrain Tackle Rattling A.T. Jig tipped with a 3-inch twin curly tailed grub. One of the best fishing locations throughout the entire lake is North Sauty Creek, an offshoot of the main lake near the Sauta Cave National Wildlife Refuge near Scottsboro. This small cove is virtually uninhabited, besides campers and hikers. "Tournaments can be won off five spots or five largemouth," Davis said. Bassmasters First Place Lake Eufaula June / Buddy Gross came from behind in tenth place with 15 bass 56 pounds on day three. The Kayak Bass Fishing members practice another CPR: Catch, Photo, and Release. Alabama has a wide variety of excellent fishing lakes, and with many bass species, the opportunities here seem endless. Jones Creek is another secluded cove just off the main lake that has shelter from the current by a series of small islands and boasts miles of grass beds and several significant drop-offs. If you are searching for the best location to run a shallow diving crank bait or top water, the tail end of North Sauty Creek is your best bet. The best largemouth fishing is from Beeswax Creek south to the Lay Lake Dam, McCaig said. Restaurant: YES, Trident Marine Lay Lake At this point, anglers are . You are trying to access a feature that requires a Fishidy account. Instead, most anglers opt for the main dam or diversion, which yields plenty of striped and white bass, a handful of monster largemouth, and, perhaps surprisingly, paddlefish. Spotted bass can be found lake wide. Anglers will have no trouble catching the full spectrum of Alabamas bass population in Wilson Lake, located on the Tennessee River near Muscle Shoals and Florence. The back of the central fork boasts a large grass bed perfect for topwater frogs and weedless soft plastics. From backwater county lakes to reservoirs covering tens of thousands of acres, anglers can catch bass all over the Heart of Dixie. We hope youll check out all 20 of these great fishing spots. Stripes do not inhibit aquatic weeds so lures like fake frogs are usually meals for the largemouth bass. 205 669-0330, Information about fishing lakes in Alabama. Reed Montgomery / Owner of Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504 Birmingham, Alabama E-mail: alabassgyd@aol.com Website: www.fishingalabama.com See us, Reeds Guide Service, on face book too! The bigger of these bass, the female bass, feed here prior to bedding during the pre-spawn period and they even hang around this lush, oxygen-rich, new green aquatic weed growth (often in huge numbers and then they feed even more), just after laying their eggs. From March on into summer months is the time to think shallow water bassin! And they can be found in abundance lake wideall throughout the spring spawning month of April! The population of crawfish, shad, and minnows provides a solid diet for the variety of species of bass found in the lake. The total was nearly 4 pounds more than their nearest competitors in the tournament, which attracted more than 200 teams from 12 states. Beaver Creek also has miles of shoreline untouched by development and plenty of undercut banks lined with structures for anglers to try their hand on. Since being impounded in 1914 by the Alabama Power Company, Lay Lake is best known for its spotted and largemouth bass fishing. RV Hookups: YES They all practiced for a few days and some anglers fished shallow and some fished deep water. Bass Species: Largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, white. With an artificial rocky shoreline running across the southern face of Lake Eufalas dam, anglers will find the largest striped bass population near the Walter F. George Lock. Because of this feast, anglers need to take stock of what forage inhabits whichever lake they are fishing on the Coosa River. and lots of other boaters as well! Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Servicefirst! So, twenty pounds or better each day. Including those tackle-testing, Coosa River System breed of spotted bass found lake wide. Unknown to many anglers (those that never venture far up the lake, to the lakes headwaters), these spotted basscan be found schooling and often found in abundance while fishing the discharge waters below upstream Logan Martin lake dam during the Fall season. The Wind Creek State Park fishing pier offers anglers opportunities to bass fish from a dock near the mouth of Elkahatchee Creek. Upper Coosa River Lakes There three lakes above Lay lake on the Coosa River System. Its more than 15,000 acres offer prime fishing for spotted and largemouth bass just 45 minutes east of Birmingham. Anglers measure fish by increments of 1/4 inch, and the fish's caudal fin tail fin cannot hang and must touch the board. Much, much more. Check out Paradise Point Marina (205) 669-1515 site of this years 2002 Bassmasters Classic launch, at mid-lake, for all your fishing needs and bass tournament info. Spotted Bass with a Gary Yamamoto Original Senko Worms, 3 lb. Bass Species: Largemouth, spotted, striped. So do bass anglers. Where the top ten anglers on the last day of three days of competition (all but one angler from Florida), came from all over Alabama and throughout the U.S. Like most multi-day bass tournaments, this near 100 plus field of anglers was narrowed down to the top 22 anglers in the field on the last of two days then a top ten competed on day three. Since B.A.S.S. In terms of an excellent bass fishery, Lay lake easily rates as one of Alabama's top three best, big bass lakes. But spotted bass and largemouth bass will! Anglers will find the black bass bite at its finest in these creek areas. and Shimanos Helen Sevier Pioneer Scholarships for female anglers. In the early years of B.A.S.S., Lake Eufaula was rightfully known as the "Bass Fishing Capital of the World." In the late 1960s and early 1970s, winning weights exceeded 100 pounds for four events, keeping in mind the rules were based on 15-bass daily limits. Instead, some shore fishing is available off County Rd 794 near the dams tail waters, where bottom rigs with cut bait or minnows will yield both stripers and large catfish. Part of the reason for Lay Lakes staying power is the 1.5 million Florida-strain bass fry that have been released into Lay Lake by Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries since 1983. To their delight, many of these very determined and patient, summertime tournament bass anglers, usually find numbers of both bass species, largemouth bass and spotted bass. Spotted bass, some exceeding 8 pounds, have been taken in years past from Lay lake. Our local restaurants, stores and other businesses are ready to welcome student anglers and their families! Anglers should keep in mind, your lures will be in front of more big bass and always closer to their strike zone, while targeting these bunched-up bass, that will be gathering around Lay lakes many types of aquatic weeds this spring season. If the main lake isnt yielding results, Jones Creek is an excellent spot to try weedless crankbaits, with imitation shad being a favorite among anglers. Live shad under a cork or imitation shad swimbaits are solid choices for largemouths. This lakes headwaters feature the old, original, incoming Coosa River System, flowing out of the Northwestern section of Georgia. Dirty Jigs. By most standards of that time this was big! (Very important info for deep water anglers!) It stands knee high above the surface and has a thick, tough stem and a purplish flower. Phoenix Bass Fishing League - Lay Lake - Day 2 Weigh-in (9/12/2021) 1y Phoenix Bass Fishing League. Crankbaits, topwater, and even corks baited with minnows have an excellent track record on Pickwick Lake. This shallow but fertile lake in northeastern Alabama headwaters in Georgia and works its way down to just above Neely Lake. With a national reputation for holding massive largemouth, Guntersville features several annual tournaments for bass anglers and is Alabamas largest lake. Full of shad, minnows, and other small bait fish to feed hungry bass, Lake Martin also is loaded with piers, drop-offs, undercut banks, and brush piles that make it a bass anglers dream. The boulder-laden bottom and strong current is ideal for smallmouth bass, and anglers who use a soft plastic crawfish will have little trouble limiting out on smallies here. Anglers target Largemouth Bass here but there are plenty of Crappie and catfish to fight with too! This location is a favorite of spotted bass when the river is in flux, but the largemouth bite here is nearly year-round. I pitch it behind rocks that break the current where the waters 5 to 6 feet deep, McCaig said. Species include smallmouth, largemouth, spotted, striped, yellow, hybrid striped, redeye, and shoal bass. With plenty of forested shorelines and several significant offshoot branches, anglers will have little trouble locating bass on this Warrior River reservoir. Hatchet Creek and Bird Creek are on opposite sides of the river. * Plus, get your Lay Lake topo map! NIGHT: On Lay Lake the night fishing is just as popular as the day fishing. By those very astute anglers that want to win. Lay lakes largemouth bass see a lot of lures. Shallow-to-mid diving crankbaits, both suspending and floating hard-bodied jerk baits, and rattling, lipless lures (like Bill Lewis rattle traps and Strike Kings red eye shad), all feature weed and wood grabbing treble hooks. Results. Now, due to the popularity of modern day electronics, some anglers are beginning to probe Lay Lake's deeper water. Even though this is a heavily trafficked area, anglers can find some secluded coves ripe for the picking, especially during the wee hours of the morning or late evening. "Largemouth usually win, but there are big spotted bass there, too." 150 Lake Shore Dr PART TWO JULY will be more in depth (pardon the pun), with more Lay Lake deep water techniques and lure suggestions, including tips on how to use an assortment of some, very tempting offerings for some big, summertime bass! Lay Lake covers 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) and has a shoreline about 289 miles (465 km) long. The Alabama Bass Trail Tournament Series is a team fishing tournament located on 13 premier bass fishing lakes throughout Alabama. Bass Species: Largemouth, spotted, striped, hybrid striped. Bass Species: Spotted, largemouth, striped, hybrid. McCaig recommends that you cast umbrella rigs around bridges and to creek channel banks on the main lake. Further downstream, Channahatchee Creek offers some excellent largemouth angling off the main body of water. Barbour Creek and Cheneyhatchee Creek boast catches of both white and striped bass. Weiss is better known as a crappie fishing hotspot, and anglers too often overlook its bass fishing. All throughout this 50 mile long lake, it is possible on any given weekend (one day bass tournament), to successfully fool five bass weighing over 20 pounds. Though anglers may catch the occasional striped and white bass at Bartletts Ferry, it is a black bass haven, and for a good reason. "Over the last two or three years, it has taken over 20 pounds to win every [one-day] tournament at Lay Lake," McCaig said. Whether you like to fish from a canoe or kayak, a power boat, or the family pontoon, there are multitudes fish waiting to indulge you here. As a result, anglers will start to see an uptick in black bass activity in locations such as Cove Branch and Clay Creek. Bass Fishing Lay Lake | Lay Lake Flipping for Bass | Not the biggest bass I have caught, but it sure was some fast flipping action for a few hours in the mor. This website also has information about nine Alabama reservoirs and one other major river system. It does talk a while to learn the entire lake. And largemouth bass love weeds! Before you visit Lay Lake, go to www.alabamabasstrail.org. Many deep water bass too! There are also five events slated for the North Division. View Map The brush piles and fallen trees along the more secluded creeks are also great targets. The kind that may hang up if fished right in the cover. Their size ranges from a few ounces to nearly 70 pounds for the state-record striped bass. Spotted and largemouth bass are favorite targets here on this 12,000-acre lake, located 30 miles south of Birmingham. The best spotted bass fishing is from Beeswax Creek north to the Logan Martin Dam, McCaig said. And plenty of time on the water. Thespotted basscan usually be found in the upper reservoir and up into the narrower river toward Weiss Dam, where the current is stronger. (Even shallow water anglers fool some bass in the summer! Click images for fishing tips and details about each species. Black Bass, Green Trout, Bigmouth Bass, Lineside Bass Smallmouth Bass Variant Names: Brown Bass, Brownie, Bronze Bass Although there are many kinds of grass (including lilly pads), there isone invasive type of stringy aquatic weed, Millfoil, that has recently spread lake wide. The northern shoreline features sandbars and heavily brushed banks, while the southern bank offers several easy-to-access coves and a handful of drop-offs. Strictly for ease of use, weve bundled these half-dozen hotspots together under a separate heading, in the lower part of this article. This huge impoundment of the Tennessee River in northwestern Alabama is home to white, smallmouth, and largemouth bass. A favorite destination of boating enthusiasts and fishermen alike, Lay Lake is a popular lake for bass tournaments. Yes, Read on, theres much more! Especially, they arefound in the many types of aqautic weeds Lay lake has to offer. Although this is a heavily populated lake with houses on much of the shoreline, anglers can still find secluded fishing locations, mainly in the western portion near Tillery Crossroad. The species you catch will vary depending on the location, due to water type preferences and bait. And it was a tremendous bass tournament with many deeper bass caught on a variety of lures such as; 10 inch worms, jig combos, finesse worms, swim baits, bladed jigs and jigging spoons, just to name a few, besides many bass caught on a variety of deep diving crankbaits. A lake impounded in 1914, now almost 100 years old. Weeds are places of which both predator and prey alike will call home, for at least nine months out of the year. Campgrounds: YES But today, some of these six Lakes are really rather small lakes. Lay lake has over 12,000 surface acres of water for avid bass anglers to explore, with some huge, incoming feeder creeks. So in a few days time most of Lay lakes lure conditioned bass are usually ready to hit the same lures over again. Below, we cover the six significant impoundments on the Coosa River for anglers looking to hook into a large lunker. Fishing Alabama Reed's Guide Service Reed Montgomery, Fall Bass Fishing in Alabama By Reed Montgomery, Going Deep this Summer Season for Targeting Schools of Big Bass on all of Alabama's Lakes, Fishing Lures and Fishing Techniques for Fishing Alabama's Tallapoosa River System Lake Wedowee, During the Spring Spawning Season, Alabama's Three Upper Coosa River System Impoundment's Weiss Lake, Neely Henry Lake and Logan Martin Lakes for Targeting Big, Trophy Pre spawn Bass During the Month of March. Lake Eufaula, Al. Striped bass Like the smaller spotted bass (but only in their habits), striped bass can be found inLay lakes headwaters during the fall season. Bass are moving shallow for the pre-spawn right now and can be caught on squarebill crankbaits and jerkbaits near cover. Big Bass? Right after the post-spawn months of May, the early portion of the month of June can show recuperating bass getting back to their normal, feeding habits while fattening up for the hot, summer months ahead. Details: Spotted Bass with a VMC Stand Up Shaky Head Jigs, Largemouth Bass with a Watermelon Red Flake Frog topwater, Largemouth Bass with a Black and chrome pop R, 6 oz. Usually the latter of these two. Water willow is a leafy aquatic vegetation that grows in water 2 to 3 feet deep along shorelines. 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