From backwater county lakes to reservoirs covering tens of thousands of acres, anglers can catch bass all over the Heart of Dixie. Spinnerbaits and crankbaits are a favorite of anglers here, but soft plastic lizards and worms arent too shabby, either. The small contingent of striped bass can be caught near the hydro dam, with shore anglers having access at Po Boys Landing. To the north, Kates Branch boasts a heavily populated but still fishable shoreline. Reid Creek features a four-way fork where anglers catch all three species of black bass from the many docks lining the shores and the handful of shallow coves in the area. At the articles end there is an example of some very similar, post spawn / early summertime fishing conditions, during the month of June. Fishing Alabama's Lakes for Big, Early Spring Season Pre spawn Bass. But you have got to have a little of both shallow water and deep water, dependable fish holding spots, to hold up to three days of intense competition! Live shad under a cork or imitation shad swimbaits are solid choices for largemouths. Additionally, finding small coves and creeks means you can break out that topwater lure youve been dying to try out and let it rip along the grassy shorelines and beds of weeds or lilies that permeate the deeper cuts. This shallow but fertile lake in northeastern Alabama headwaters in Georgia and works its way down to just above Neely Lake. This lakes headwaters feature the old, original, incoming Coosa River System, flowing out of the Northwestern section of Georgia. Fishing the main body of water is hit or miss, particularly with the heavy traffic from boaters, jet skis, and pontoon boats. The lakes southern end is a favorite of spotted and largemouth bass during the spawning season, and April is a hotbed of activity in locations such as Canoe Creek and Ottery Creek. The largemouths are usually found in the back of coves like Gin Branch or the tail end of Sandy Creek, while anglers more often catch the stripers trolling near both shorelines in the main channel. The most active fishing spots in Alabama Lake Purdy Full lakeside bait/tackle shop, boat rental, rod rental. Expert mechanic work, friendly sales staff and loads of parts in stock! Rig up with a soft plastic lizard or worm and cover more water while slowly motoring along the forested shoreline. 76.3K subscribers Lay Lake bass fishing can be tricky at times. Like School, you have still got to do your home work! The upper end of the lake, So do bass anglers. Getting your boat in close to Lay Lakes weed lined banks and utilizing a technique called Flipping is a great way to fool Lay lakes noted big, largemouth bass. Ornery Coosa River spots weighing 3 to 4 pounds are common, and its not unusual to see five-bass tournament limits of spots that tip the scales at 18 to 20 pounds. This tiny 120-acre lake is by far and away the smallest lake on this list, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in a high concentration of sizable largemouth bass population and a handful of spotted bass sprinkled in. Though anglers may catch the occasional striped and white bass at Bartletts Ferry, it is a black bass haven, and for a good reason. Lay Lake River Fishing For Spotted Bass And Striped Bass Joey Fishing 1.68K subscribers Subscribe 4.7K views 3 years ago From fishing a jig down the bank to throwing an Alabama Rig. ), So, sit down, relax and read it all! had shown Bassmasters and FLW Outdoors visit this weedy lake in a post spawn / early summer condition with over 50 miles of mid-to-lower Lake places to fish! Lay Lakes Oldest, Professional, Licensed and Insured, Bass Fishing Only Guide Service. With its rich population of shad, minnows, and crawfish, this lake is lined with submerged trees and brush piles, perfect for ambush predators like largemouth and spotted bass. These deep water bass are actually resting bass, recuperating from the rigors of the past spring spawning season. They may even be discovered bedding on a hard, red clay bottoms like those void of weeds featuring scattered rocks, stumps, or a sandy bottom. Or try Pitchin a jig combo along Lay lakes weedy edges, and around wood and rock cover. Columbiana, AL 35051 Shelby, AL 35143 Even around piers, boat houses and especially around bass tournament release sites (where hundreds of tournament-caught released bass are let go each week) during the spring season, like Paradise Point Marina found at mid lake and Beeswax Creek public boat launch you can fish these lures and a variety of other types of lures on or close to the lakes bottom in water less than 10 feet deep. As a result, anglers will start to see an uptick in black bass activity in locations such as Cove Branch and Clay Creek. But these spotted basscan be found in any feeder creek, along most deep main river ledges or along deep drop-offs and spotted bass are right at home along rock bluffs like seenon the lower end of Alabamas Lay lake. Striped bass Like the smaller spotted bass (but only in their habits), striped bass can be found inLay lakes headwaters during the fall season. Make plans to visit Alabamas Lay Lake. Beeswax, Cedar, Paint and Spring creeks all have good grass.. The upper end of the lake, near the Logan Martin Dam tailwaters, is an extremely high-use fishery, very popular with local anglers. Finally, Blue Springs Branch and Blue Eye Creek offer plenty of sandbars and docks that anglers can target using spinnerbaits. See 2023 rules for complete details and refund policy. Most weeds on Lay lake (but not all weeds), will wither and die from a period of around late November on into the late winter month of February. 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. Over the last two or three years, it has taken over 20 pounds to win every [one-day] tournament at Lay Lake, McCaig said. The Highway 227 Bridge and the cove shoreline behind it is another bass hotspot popular with largemouth, and anglers can work along the bank to rip lips with big lunkers using soft plastics and crankbaits. 2023 Fishidy. If you motor all the way up to beneath Lay Lake Dam, there arent many hot bass fishing locations though anglers can try Chestnut Creek or Proctor Creek, which can produce decent largemouth bass. They can be found dwelling in the deeper depths in the lakes mid-to-lower lake section, often located in water depths of 15 feet down to depths of 50 feet deep on Lay Lake! A respectable bag of 15 bass over 50 pounds in three days, that got that angler eighth place. Fishing Alabama's Lakes for Big, Early Spring Season Pre spawn Bass. Catfish can be caught on live and cut shad fished near shallow and deep cover. Even when fishing with small, finesse-type plastics, coupled with light line and light tackle outfits, some anglers successfully fool and land some big, bass on Lay lake. To help organize this section, well start in the north where the Coosa River flows into Alabama and work our way through the reservoirs heading south. He fishes this jig on 20-pound Berkley 100 Percent Fluorocarbon line. Brandon Cobb had 79.8 for fourth place. In terms of an excellent bass fishery, Lay lake easily rates as one of Alabama's top three best, big bass lakes. At its southernmost point, Lay Lake offers some excellent spotted bass fishing in the offshoots of Paint Creek and Little Tom Creek in a large backwater on the lower east side of the reservoir. Sales going on right now at Marks Outdoors Sports in Vestavia, Al. Boasting nearby bass hotspots such as Dye Creek, Blue Eye Creek, and Ohatchee Creek, anglers have a myriad of locations to target during their time on the water at Logan Martin Lake. Now you have an excellent idea of where to catch bass in Alabama, and some pretty strong ideas of how to do it, its time to up your game another notch with our complete guide to bass fishing techniques and tips. Gold spoons are a popular lure here, with spinnerbaits and crankbaits tying as a close second. 231 Paradise Point Drive Alabamian Mark McCaig resides in Oxford, about 35 miles northeast of Lay Lake. They can usually be found bedding in a preferred habitat or along the lakes many rocky, bluff-type banks, small cuts and pockets found within these rock bluffs. Big Bass? Spotted Bass with a Gary Yamamoto Original Senko Worms, 3 lb. Usually the latter of these two. Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Servicefirst! Crankbaits, topwater, and even corks baited with minnows have an excellent track record on Pickwick Lake. Like Lay Lake (Impounded 1914), Lake Eufaula is a weedy, flatland impoundment. Nine of the top ten anglers were from Alabama! Bottom rigs with shad are also your go-to here, but anglers can work the cut next door to the parking lot with soft plastics to bring in some smallies and spotted bass that frequent this location. (It was Buddys first time to fish Lake Eufaula! Results. Old toys, antique mirrors and old furniture. Techniques for deep water fishing, good for the next three to four months of the typically hot summer seasonright on into late September. Your goal is 20 pounds! It does talk a while to learn the entire lake. Lake Eufaula, Al. Resembling splattered paint on a canvas, the lakes sprawling acreage consists of massive branches connected by channels instead of centering around a main body of water. * Looking for the souths best bargains? Weed less Lures You can cast these lures and retrieve them, right through the thickest of weeds. 150 Lake Shore Dr This long tributary of the Alabama River starts in Georgia and snakes its way through Alabama. But you hardly ever seen a striped bass hit a buzz bait. Largemouths prefer the murkier, slower-moving water, and in Wilson Lake, these spots, along with Muscle Shoals Canal and Sixmile Creek, are your best bet. Especially, they arefound in the many types of aqautic weeds Lay lake has to offer. By most standards of that time this was big! Rock Creek is a hotbed of spotted bass, and anglers can launch from Smith Lake Fishing Resort to take a quick boat ride to prime water. Bass Species: Striped, largemouth, spotted. Given Lay Lake's excellent bass fishing, you may find it hard to believe that this storied 12,000-acre reservoir celebrates its 100th birthday next year. Even if they have just been caught and recently released these bass have got to eat. But, thats not all. Although the state fish is the largemouth bass, and they will figure prominently in this article, the Heart of Dixie is home to around half a dozen bass species. Especially if these very susceptible prey venture to far from the security of their thick, green, oxygen-rich and very weedy, sanctuaries. As waters begin to slowly heat up in early April so does the fishing action! All Rights Reserved. Please call (205) 663-1504 for more information. It is rewarding to see the community of support that has grown for fishing tournaments. Going after (or losing) a bunch of hung up lures all day can easily be avoided. Lay Lake was impounded in 1914. However, the offshoot creeks and spring-fed channels are more likely to hold these large silvery fighters during the cooler months. 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. 9 oz. There are plenty to go around! 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. Water willow is a leafy aquatic vegetation that grows in water 2 to 3 feet deep along shorelines. Towards the bottom portion of the lake, anglers will hit the last bastion of excellent largemouth bass fishing at Hardridge Creek. With many big bass that were caught on topwater lures such as poppers, buzz baits, zara spooks, fake frogs and other shallow water lures. Deep water fishing tips, old and new fishing techniques, old lures and new lures, and even some suggestions on some very dependable deep water spots! Weiss Lake is located near the northern Alabama town of Centre. Anglers can launch from Lake Jordan Marina and motor into the creek in search of spotted and largemouth bass swimming amidst the submerged structure. When upstream reservoir Logan Martin Lake was impounded in 1964, they also added two turbines to Lay Lake dam downstream. This location is a favorite of spotted bass when the river is in flux, but the largemouth bite here is nearly year-round. The notoriety this man made Coosa River Lake has received, just in the last decade alone, is phenomenal. Both of these lower Coosa River System Lakes are only about 20 miles in length. Located mid lake, west side, off Lake Shore Drive, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking. 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. The Wind Creek State Park fishing pier offers anglers opportunities to bass fish from a dock near the mouth of Elkahatchee Creek. These types of lures are most anglers favorite lure choices. Places, dozens of other competitors fail to find in deep water that hold big schools of big bass! Here, anglers had better set their drags right because anglers have caught more than a few monster stripers off the Lake Jordan Dam. * Fishing Bass Tournaments? Then another tournament was held there by FLW Outdoors. Weiss is better known as a crappie fishing hotspot, and anglers too often overlook its bass fishing. 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. The Ohatchee Spillway is a popular location for anglers after both stripers and catfish in large numbers, feeding off the incoming bait pushed in by the current. An email address is required to associate with your Fishidy premium subscription. With plenty of forested shorelines and several significant offshoot branches, anglers will have little trouble locating bass on this Warrior River reservoir. Or these spots can be found bedding along the shallows, around man made rip-rap rocks, or they will bed around natural, rock-lined banks. (near Birmingham) or go online at www.marksoutdoors.com. ot go to www.rangerboats.com, * Need tournament info? Including, its an impoundment that can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on any outing. The miles of forested shoreline and undercut banks in this arm of the lake provide excellent cover for largemouth bass. . Teams were hoping the early morning shad spawn would produce a few big bites. Topwater frogs are a great way to find whats lurking in the back of cuts you cant access in your boat, but spinnerbaits let you cover more water. 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! 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. In addition to containing a decent population of rainbow trout, anglers will find a modest number of monster striped bass, medium-sized spotted bass, and of course, a substantial population of largemouth bass over 16 inches. From March on into summer months is the time to think shallow water bassin! Ideally, your boat should be floating in at least 4 feet of water when you are fishing this vegetation. Largemouth usually win, but there are big spotted bass there, too.. 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! When it comes to choosing top water lures for Lay lakes bass you have two types of lures to choose from. Internet Website www.fishingalabama.com Like us on face book too! Most of these events happen on the Coosa River chain of lakes, and half of those are at Lay Lake. Rentals: Pontoon boats Right at the top of your list of tournamntesto fish this Falland Winter season with thebest payouts as well! No matter what the conditions, or where you fish, you can always count on that. The kind that may hang up if fished right in the cover. Bird Creek, on the west side, offers docks and overhanging trees for anglers to try their luck with spinnerbaits. started the High School Series events in 2013, there has been an astounding 724% increase in the number of clubs and schools competing. Phoenix Bass Fishing League - Lay Lake - Day 2 Weigh-in (9/12/2021) 1y Phoenix Bass Fishing League. RV Hookups: YES Tobannee Creek sits across on the Georgia side and is also known to produce some large lunkers. LURES FOR FISHING AWAY FROM LAY LAKES WEEDS. Trolling here is your best bet by boat, but anglers can shore fish for magnificent stripers with bottom rigs baited with live shad. Bass Species: Spotted, largemouth, striped. Locations such as Trotter Cove, Spring Creek, Cowan Creek, and Little River usually have a decent crop of largemouth, while Black Mallard cove is infested with hungry spotted bass above the two-pound mark. And largemouth bass love weeds! But his bass played out and he lost some good bass on day three, bringing in only 11 pounds and fell to fourth place. Im going to tell you where to find FOUR Deep water spots with water depths of over 50 feet deep on Lay Lake. Teams were hoping the Early morning shad spawn would produce a few big bites Outdoors Sports Vestavia. This location is a weedy, flatland impoundment River Lake has to offer bass amidst. As well swimming amidst the submerged structure months is the time to fish Lake Eufaula a... Elkahatchee Creek hardly ever seen a striped bass can be tricky at times work friendly. The security of their thick, green, oxygen-rich and very weedy, flatland.. Across on the west side, offers docks and overhanging trees for anglers to their. Of spotted and largemouth bass swimming amidst the submerged structure when the River is in flux but! Three to four months of the Lake, anglers can shore fish for magnificent with! 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