LAKE REPORTS

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Winter has hit North Alabama and fishing reports
are hard to find.  Will post reports, when available.
1/2/03

CHECK OUT THE FISHERS OF MEN
GUNTERSVILLE TOURNAMENT RESULTS

 

                                                                        Decatur Daily 11/10/2002

With heavy rain expected, look for fishing conditions across North Alabama to gradually improve.  If water is dingy, look for areas that are somewhat clear and start casting.   Also, look deep into the creeks for slightly stained water where you could find large concentrations of fish.

Wheeler Lake:

Look for largemouth bass to be feeding in the creeks during late afternoon hours.  Work jig-and-pig combinations and spinnerbaits around stump rows  that are bordering the creek channel.

 If current is flowing, throw chartreuse-colored spinnerbaits around the backside of rock points to find smallmouth bass.

Catfishing is steady at night around bridge piling.  Use chicken livers on the bottom for best results.

White bass are still schooling around creek mouths during mid-day hours.  Look for the surface action and throw a lipless crankbaits.

A few crappie are being caught along the north bank where brush piles can be located in depths beyond 12 feet.  Live minnows are bait of choice.

Wilson Lake:

Hybrid stripe are still feeding in the tailrace of Wheeler Dam.  The best technique is to drift live shad, but silver spoons are also attracting attention.

Largemouth bass catches are slow but improving slightly.  The best catches come late in the afternoon around boat docks using a Texas-rigged plastic lizard.

The smallmouth bass bite is moderate during late afternoon hours.  The best catches come from anglers trolling crankbaits near rock bluffs.

Pickwick Lake:

A few nice smallmouth bass are being caught late in the day around submerged rockpiles.  Spinnerbaits and jig-and-pig combinations are two excellent lures.

Look for largemouth bass around the edges of deep sloughs.  Using a Carolina-rigged finesse worm, drag the bait slow and expect the bite to be light.

A few crappie are being caught in the creeks where deep water is present.  Look for thick, wood structure in depths beyond 15 feet and use live minnows.

Catfishing is fair around rock bluff during late afternoon hours.  Cut skipjack on the bottom is the best technique for a decent catch.

White bass are schooling around causeway bridges when current is flowing.  Drift live minnows in the current for best results.

Lake Guntersville:

Look for largemouth bass to stage on the ledges of the main river channel, in about 6 – 12 feet.  Utilizing a Carolina-rig, attach a salt/pepper fluke-type bait and expect the bite to be light.

Crappie catches are slow-to-fair in the creeks with ample brushpile or blowdown structure.  Use chartreuse –colored tube jig on ultra light tackle and gently set the hook when you feel the bite.

Catfishing is steady still around discharge pipes during late afternoon hours.  Use cheese baits or cut jack and be sure to use heavy weight.

Smith Lake:

Use 4-inch Texas rigged plastic worms and slider rigs around steep points late in the afternoon to find largemouth and spotted bass.  If you catch one, more than likely there will be plenty others.  Be sure to work the area thoroughly before moving on.

                                                                        Paul Stackhouse-Decatur Daily

CP's Fishing Trip 5/16/02 - Wilson Lake

Launched below Wheeler Dam at 1:30 and fished the tailraces for a couple of hours.  They were running a strong current but really didn't see anyone catching.  Went down river and started fishing shoreline structure and found two bass (one measured) and two 1.75 # crappie before dark.  Caught the bass on plastic and crappie on small crankbait.  Fished the last hour before dark in 4 mile slough.  Had a couple of bites but no fish boated.  Headed back to south bank after dark and fished gravel river bank and points.  Had two hits on bear hair and the one I hooked was a drum.  Spent the last hour up at the dam fishing rock rows.  Missed one good hit.  Current was still running strong.  Pulled off  the lake a little after 10.

CP's Fishing Trip 5/15/02 - Lake Guntersville

Launched out of Honeycomb at 9:30 am and headed across the lake to south shoreline grass bed.  Fished the grass for about 90 minutes without a bite.  Tried top water, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic.  Clear blue sky and under a strong high pressure.  Decided to head toward the dam and try some deep water spotted or smallmouth fishing.  Fished for another hour on bluffs and deep water points with plastic, crankbaits and jigs without a bite.  Pulled back into Honeycomb and fished some of the boat docks, but still couldn't find any fish. Pulled off the lake at 12:30.

CP's Fishing Trip 4/29/02 - Lake Guntersville

Launched out of waterfront at 9:00 and fished until 4:30.  Started in Boshart Creek, but it was stained and had lots of floating grass.   Didn't get any bites in this area, so headed over into South Saulty and fished the left bank.  Only had one hit in the area and it was on a buzz bait.  Moved back down stream and found a few fish in 6 feet of water with good grass.  We only caught 7 bass with all but two coming on watermelon lizard Texas-rigged.  Ending the day back in the mouth of Boshart Creek with the same success as earlier in the day.

CP's Fishing Trip 4/29/02 - Lake Guntersville

Launched from Honeycomb ramp at 9:30 and fished until 2:00  Threats of thunderstorms for the day and heavy rain from previous night.  Karen and I went straight across the river and stared fishing grass in cove mouth.  Pulled in under cover due  to heavy rain for about 30 minutes right after starting to fish.  Returned to mouth of slough and Karen caught 2 measuring bass with on on trap and other on watermelon trick worm fished Texas-rigged.  I caught a one measuring bass and broke one off on spinnerbait.  We then went to Alred and fished around the islands.  Karen caught the third measuring bass on trick worm.  Called it a day before the afternoon storms hit.

THE DECATUR DAILY - May 12, 2002

CP's Fishing Trip 4/17/02 - Wheeler Lake

Launched from Round Island Ramp around 3:30pm and fished until 7:00.  Found quite a few bass before we got rained off the lake.  Had a large storm come thru around 6:30 with heavy rain, lighting and hail.  Fishing was real good just before the rain hit.  Only found a couple bass in the buck brush and found most of the fish in the shallow pockets that had lily pads.  Fish came on worms and jigs.  Nothing over 2#s and most in the 1.5# range.  There were all still a lot of fun.

CP's Fishing Trip 4/16/02 - Lake Guntersville

Put in at the Highway 431 ramp at Honeycomb and started fishing the left bank going back into the creek.  Lots of good grass and blow downs along the bluffs but didn't get a single bite.  Fished it all the way back past all the docks. Tried Carolina rig lizards, spinner baits, traps without success.  Pulled out and went under the bridge and fished the boat docks on the left.  Found one measuring and one short fish on a pumpkin seed lizard.  Fished almost all of the banks in Honeycomb before the day was over and only found a few small fish on Senkos. 

CP's Fishing Trip 4/6/02 - Lake Guntersville & Wheeler River

Fished out of Honeycomb.  Arrived at 8:30 and fished until 2:30 Started off along the bank heading out to the river.  Found two short fish almost immediately on Texas-Rig lizard in about 5 feet of water.  Moved out closer to the river channel and caught two bass ( 6.5 & 3.5 ) on small crank bait up shallow in among the boulders.  Left Honey Comb and headed down toward the dam on the south bank.  Tried some of the bluffs and sloughs and then the shallow river flat without any bass. Then headed up river to the bank between HC and Alred.  Fished almost all the way to Alred and only caught one 8# channel cat on crank bait.  Left that area and went back into the back of HC towards the power lines.  Found some real nice grass, but no fish.  Pulled out and drove down to the dam and put in on the river.

Fished Tennessee river below Guntersville Dam for whites and spots.  Found some small spotted bass in the tree tops.  Water was down and most of the wood was on the shore line but they were generating power so there was current.  Ran down to the Power line bluffs and fished the bluffs.  Found a few small bass and stripes but nothing of any size.  Quit fishing about 6PM.

CP's Fishing Trip 4/4/02 - Lake Guntersville

Fished out of Honeycomb.  Got on the water at 12 and fished until 5:30.  Fished Honeycomb, Alreds and Street Bluff.  Only place I found fish was in Honeycomb.  Caught 10 bass and 6 of them measured.  The largest going over 4#s with the others all being real good chunky fish.  All of the bass came from two small areas and caught them on medium diving crankbaits.  Fished seemed to be holding in around 5 feet of water with scattered grass.  Everything I caught was still in pre-spawn condition. 

CP

CP's Fishing Trip 3/28/02 - Lake Guntersville

Drove over and fished Guntersville again today.  Put in at Waterfront and fished from 9am until 3pm.  Ran across the river from Waterfront and started fishing shallow water banks with a Rat'l Trap.  Caught one 14" almost immediately.  Fished this area for a couple of hours and caught three more bass, and two measured 15.25 inches.  Fished some boat docks and river channel later in the day and caught a short fish off the boat dock and another short off of Pine Island.  These fish came on pig-and-jig and crankbait.  Was a great day to be on the water with light breeze and bright sunshine, just wish I could locate more fish.

CP