GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
Impounded 1939
Lake Level: Full pool (fluctuates in winter)
Winter on Guntersville Lake
With various bass tournament trails visiting Guntersville Lake in 2007, more and more anglers are discovering just how fortunate folks are in Alabama to have such a trophy, bass fishery. Guntersville Lake, Alabama's largest man made impoundment, will be the host of several major professional bass tournament trails, starting in January 2007. Spectators that attend these bass tournament weigh ins are all hoping to see their favorite bass pro win thousands of dollars, as they compete among hundreds of other hopeful anglers.
In addition bassin' fans can plan on getting ready to see lots of big, largemouth bass weighed in this winter season around Guntersville Lake. Bassmasters and FLW Outdoors (and many other major bass tournament trials) will kick off their new 2007 season, starting off the new year with a bang on Alabama's trophy bass fishery, Guntersville Lake.
January 25-27 2007 will show many anglers fishing the Bassmasters Weekend Series National Championship on Guntersville Lake. FLW Outdoors will visit Guntersville Lake in February with its Walmart Bass Fishing League Tournament Trails. The WBFL Bama Division will be on Guntersville Lake Feb 17, 2007. The WBFL Tennessee Choo Choo Division will be on Guntersville Lake Feb 24, 2007. Both of these FLW Outdoors WBFL Tournament Trails will return to Guntersville Lake for (two separate) two day competitions, planned to be held from mid to late September, 2007.
So there is going to be a lot of interest in this lake (as usual) throughout the entire year of 2007, as more and more tournament anglers attempt to decipher Guntersville Lake's...often mysterious largemouth bass.
Past tournament records show, no matter what the conditions, some fortunate angler will always figure em' out and eventually beat an entire field usually consisting of over 300 of the country's best bass anglers in each tournament held on Guntersville Lake in the last few years.
Competitive bass anglers from all over the United States (some from other countries) come to Alabama each year and learn more each time on what it takes to win. More and more knowledgeable anglers are learning what it takes to fool these big largemouth bass into biting, no matter what the season or prevailing conditions.
- So what does it take to get a really Big Bass Bite on Guntersville Lake in January and February? -
Not always certain lures, various fishing holes or certainly not pretty shirts and fancy boats.
Targeting the kind of bass that it takes to win a major bass tournament is good for starters. Although these are "big bass times," many astute anglers still find themselves struggling when it comes to winter bass fishing on Alabama's aquatic weed infested, Guntersville Lake. Read on, for answers to this often asked question.
I've fished and guided on this lake for over 30 years. That's over 30 winter seasons I've been on Guntersville Lake (almost every week), trying to figure em' out myself...and often I do. But I will admit, I fail once in a while and even after years of experience, no matter how good you think you are, you cannot catch them all the time. So be prepared for failure. Don't put yourself on such a high pedestal you could fall off real easy.
Always fish your hardest, experiment, have extreme confidence in you abilities, but be versatile and think your way through each day. For even the best bass anglers get skunked from time to time on Guntersville Lake. Avoid dock talk. Your already confused enough with your own ideas. What makes you think others ideas will work for you?
Believe in your own fish catching abilities and that's the first step towards becoming a better angler. Listen and learn. But don't depend on what other anglers tell you. After all, they are competing against you. Most tournament anglers want to win, not you win instead.
Yes, this way of thinking should be included in your big bass plans. If your in a major bass tournament, out there trying a new lure, a new technique or fishing a new spot, then you are way out of your normal approach. This can leave an angler in worst shape than if he had stuck to his own original game plan.
You must have a comfortable game plan to consistently catch big bass on Guntersville Lake. There are only so many hours in a tournament day and time always goes fast. Experiment, fish with new lures, develop new techniques and find some new fishing spots. But do all of this during practice days.
Now how about all those lures? Lures can be the most confusing issue, especially with today's array of offerings to choose from. There are just to many lures to list the favorites, but a few always come to mind when it comes to fishing Guntersville Lake during the winter months. As during the rest of the year its all according to the conditions, but don't be fooled by the ordinary anglers way of thinking.
Guntersville Lake bass are defiantly in that, "out of the ordinary" category, especially when it comes to these bass chasing down lures during cold water situations. I've seen these largemouth bass hit topwater lures in mid 40 degree water temperatures. Very unusual. I've seen them chase down spinnerbaits and shallow running crankbaits in water temps in the 40's.
I've seen bass hit fast moving lipless lures such as the namesake Rattletraps and Cordell Rattling spots and other lipless crankbaits, on days when we had ice in our rod eyes. All taking place in water depths of 10 feet or less, year round! I've even seen Guntersville Lake bass hit these and other fast retrieved lures on days when you could not even get a bite on slower moving, bottom dragged lures, such as worms, lizards, tube baits and jig combos.
So throw out the book! Be prepared! Rig a lot of rods, experiment with many lure types, various lure sizes, shapes and colors and always employ various retrieves with each offering you make to these often, very picky bass. Above all be versatile, but like said, only on practice days.
Need help on Guntersville Lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service ... first! "Alabama's oldest, freshwater professional bass and striper guide service, guiding on Guntersville Lake (and every other Lake in Alabama) for over 30 years."
More Guntersville Lake reports coming soon!
Until then, Good Fishin'!
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"6 Years on the Radio / Jan 2005"
Birmingham, Alabama
Call Reeds Guide Service...First! (205) 787-5133
"Over 40 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com