Fishing in High Water
One of the things we can count on during the winter and spring months on Lake Guntersville are plenty of rain and that generally means high water with mud. The tough part is what to do to find fish; where do they go and how can we catch them. The answer is not simple at all, and I can tell you that I am not always successful but here is what I try to do!
The first thing I do is start working different depths, all that we learn tells us that the fish push shallow as the water comes up. While this is basically the case it also depends on the conditions of the water like water temperature and mud lines and the time of year it is. So you can't always count on the fish moving up in depth especially if it is in the mid of winter where the water temperature is cold; it is also not the case if the water is already high and just turns to a soupy mud look. I start at the 12 to 14 ft. depth in the winter months and work break lines up to about 4 ft. of water. Current also has a lot to do with where the bass move too, I have found that the stronger current areas push the bass off the main channel because the bait moves and bass tire out trying to sustain and suspend in heavy current.
So while the concept of the bass moving shallow in the high water many times is just them moving away from the strong current areas toward the creeks but still maintaining the same depth of water. In reality they are just moving away for the stronger current but not really changing depth. The key is how to find them while they make these moves, to me it kind of like any other sport because here is where we start fishing transition areas. Areas that are similar in depth but allow them to get some relief from the current. This can be something as simple as a stump where the backside hides them from the current. Fishing high water can be as simple as finding transition spots in similar water depths, try it as it might just work for you!
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
Call: 256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry