From Lake Guntersville, Captain Mike Gerry reports that the usual winter bite on Rat-L-Traps and similar lipless crankbaits is on at the lake, but lots of floating grass makes getting a weed-free cast in a challenge. He suggests going to single-hook lures including the Picasso blade baits and Tightline Swimjigs. He said best action has been off the edge of the grass lines at 7 to 9 feet. He also says that where there’s one bass at this time of year, there may be a dozen—the fish are schooled tightly. Longer days will soon pick up the bite as the fish move to the active feeding period of post-spawn, Gerry notes; www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com.
At Lewis Smith, stripers remain the best bet, with many of the biggest fish caught all year typically taken in late winter and early spring. Captain Mike Walker knows the tricks, slow-trolling huge gizzard shad and suckers on heavy tackle over the channel edges. His anglers routinely catch fish in the 20-pound class and sometimes larger; www.fishing24-7guideservice.com.
Also at Lewis Smith, stocked trout continue to bite below the dam, especially in the first section from the dam to the pumphouse—walk up the east side of the river from the parking area at the end of the dam road, off Highway 69, to get to this spot. Best bait continues to be a live worm or Berkley Trout Bait under a bubble float on size 10 hook, but they are also caught on wet flies and small spinners and spoons—for tips or float boat rental, visit Riverside Fly Shop at the Highway 69 bridge west of Cullman; www.riversideflyshop.com.
At Lake Pickwick, expect smallmouth action to turn on at any time below the dam. The fish hang in holes and behind rocks in the fast current here. Live shad are the killer bait, but they can also be caught on jigs, crankbaits and swimbaits. Some of these fish weigh 5 pounds, by far the largest smallmouths seen in Alabama. The tailgater also has lots of white bass and some stripers from now through March as the fish run upstream to spawn—catch them on shad or white bucktail jigs. Bass are deep on the channel edges over shell beds—spend lots of time watching sonar before you cast. Swimbaits do most of the damage, but Red Eye Shad and Rat-L-Trap lures also catch fish.
At Weiss Lake, from now into April remains prime time for catching a load of good-tasting crappies, says crappie guide Mark Collins. Best areas at present are on the channel edges at 7 to 9 feet over woody cover—troll Jiffy Jigs until you find fish, then work them over with live minnows suspended a few feet above their heads. Water temperature is in the 40′s, so the bite is generally slow, but will pick up rapidly with a few sunny days. The lake also has fair bass fishing on the edges of the flats on crankbaits and rattlebaits; www.markcollinsguideservice.com.
From the coast, the bite is best in the rivers and creeks, including those off Mississippi Sound as well as Mobile Bay, Weeks Bay and Bon Secour. Reds, trout and sheepshead push up into holes in these areas to get away from colder water in the open bay, and stay put until late February most years. The Theodore Canal and the Mobile/Tensaw River Delta above I-10 are also loaded with fish in winter. Live shrimp fished near bottom is the universal bait, but the trout and reds are also caught on jigs hopped along bottom. Sheepshead fishing is usually best on shrimp fished close to bridge pilings, rip-rap and other rocky structure; www.ateamfishing.com.
The Link LonkJanuary 22, 2021 at 03:00PM
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Friday fishing report - AL.com
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