LOGAN MARTIN LAKE
By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
Impounded 1964
Lake Level: Down for winter pool
Call 1-800-lakes-11 for lake levels (normal full pool is 465.0)
Winter on Logan Martin Lake
Anglers visiting Alabama and fishing Logan Martin Lake this winter will discover something lacking in the water. During the winter months of December, January and February they can count on one thing they do not have to decipher to figure out the lakes inhabitants, the largemouth bass. That's fishing the weeds. For there are none.
There will be no aquatic weeds growing or visible on Logan Martin Lake until late April, when the lake is brought back up to full pool during the spring. So this means anglers can simply target wood and rock cover to catch bass.
Rock Cover
Targeting bass found around rock cover can mean fishing rocks around the bridges, culverts, causeways and the dam, better known as man made rip-rap rocks. Or targeting rock bluffs found all over the main lake. Or fishing rocks can mean targeting bass holding around small pebble rocks and rocks about baseball size found along flats, sandy banks and red clay banks. Or just fishing huge boulders found on deep, rocky banks.
Sea walls are built from bricks, concrete, blocks or rocks and they hold heat on sunny days, warming the surrounding waters. Although some of these man made seawalls are now high and dry with lake draw down, there are still many in the water. They are mostly found around houses, marinas, bridges, culverts and wind blown banks on the mid to lower lake.
Many creatures live in and around these many types of rock cover. Simulating these creatures with fake lures can mean an angler fishing a whole array of bottom bumping lures, mid runners and even topwater lures.
Worms of all sizes rigged Texas style, Carolina rigged or on a jig head, or drop shot rigged, will fool these picky bass holding around rocks. Natural colors in clear water like watermelon / black flake, pumpkinseed, root beer and cotton candy are all good. Or just darker colors in stained water like black and blue, brown and orange and shades of purple. Contrasting colors on tails, pinchers and legs of these soft plastic lures may entice otherwise picky bass of winter into biting
There are lots of crayfish, lizards and waterdogs too. So jig combos, lizards and plastic crayfish, tube baits and creature baits fished on jig heads, Texas rigged and Carolina rigged do work this winter on these rocks as well. So plan on bringing plenty of lures, hooks and hardware, for they do hang up in the rocks. You will lose some in a days time, or if fishing several days, or when fishing all week!
*NOTE* Seawalls on Logan Martin Lake can be fished with bottom lures, jigs and plastics. But at times bass corral the baitfish up against these walls and really feed heavily on them. So lures like spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, shallow running crankbaits and even walking type topwaters...can be really be good in getting them to bite during this feeding frenzy!
Wood Cover
Stump rows such as stumps along main lake flats and up in creeks are excellent targets for shallow bass as are brush piles found around piers, boat houses and flats.
Laying trees are found throughout Logan Martin Lake and they hold bass all during the winter. They can be seen on deep banks and on shallow banks, or they are now visible washed up on ledges. Or trees are now seen holding up on points and islands, pushed there by swift, main lake current. Trees are like bass magnets during winter on Logan Martin Lake.
This especially holds true for trees laying up on flats on the main lake or up in creeks during week long warming trends. By midday during these winter warming trends (after hours of sunshine), that big, old wooden tree trunk and its limbs, can absorb a lot of sunshine. Sunshine that warms the surrounding waters a few degrees on the main lake and creek flats, making any resident bass nearby...a lot more active and easier to catch.
This wood cover can attract more than one bass. Often during the winter months big schools of both spotted bass and largemouth bass can be found holding on these trees and they can be fooled into biting. These are bunched up bass, usually all holding in one small, preferred location on these trees. So an angler will have to thoroughly fish the entire tree at times to even get a bite.
Bass holding on a current break found along most trees will not move far or chase down a meal during these cold days of winter. They want to move very little and exert as little energy as possible, due to cold water temps slowing down their metabolism. So precise casts and fishing with lures that will not hang up and spook the entire school may be needed.
Fish the trees outer edges, branches and limbs with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless lures and especially floating and suspending jerkbaits, all fished as slow as you can stand it. Stop and go retrieves with long pauses on these lures always entice more strikes, than just plain casting and retrieving your lures. Then work your way in slowly with bottom lures.
There are bream, crappie, minnows, threadfin shad, gizzard shad, small bass, catfish and even an occasional worm, eel, lizard, waterdog or crayfish. All of these creatures are holding in and around wood cover such as trees, stumps and brush piles this winter season on Logan Martin Lake. All the more reason for a big bass or two to be lurking nearby.
Often the bigger bass will dominate one big, old isolated tree. Especially those with plenty of limbs, a big main tree trunk body, a huge root system and trees with washed in debris or logjams. All of which are very good and especially visible in the lakes upper reaches. Even one isolated log (many of which can now be seen lake wide with drawdown), can now be seen in 1-3 feet of water for the next 5 - 6 months. Making it easier for anglers to target shallow bass attracted to this wood cover.
So to catch bass moving back to the lakes wood cover anglers just have to do a little exploring. Some of this wood cover is now very visible with the lake down from 3-5 feet during the winter. Stumps that were previously in 1-3 feet of shallow water, are now very exposed. Stumps that were deeper during full pool can now be seen in 1-3 feet of water with the lake down.
Brush piles found on Logan Martin Lake's main lake flats and around resident built piers, are now entirely exposed. Some resident and angler planted brush piles that were deep are now visible, but they may only display small limbs or twigs now protruding above the water's surface. Indicating to the savvy angler's watchful eye, maybe more than one bass is down below.
Some brush piles on Logan Martin Lake are huge. Anglers and residents sink as many as 100 of these Christmas trees, to attract bream, crappie, bass an even catfish. Man made wood cover holds bass all throughout the winter months. In some parts of this lake this is the only wood cover around for the bass (and the prey they dine on), to relate to.
Piers, boat houses and marinas all house plenty of cover for both the largemouth bass and the Coosa River spotted bass to relate to. From the lakes mid section (at Interstate 20 crossing), to 25 miles south to Logan Martin dam, are some of the best places to concentrate your efforts. That is, if you plan on fishing around piers, boat houses, marinas and other wood cover.
All of these man made wooden structures such as piers, boat houses and any other "board built" wooden cover, are normally hovering just inches above the "full pool" water line. During spring through the early fall period (when the lake is at full pool), its a job just fishing them and it takes lot of skill to just get your lures under these wooden structures.
Adept anglers always show off their skipping expertise during full pool on Logan Martin Lake.
Some very skilled anglers can skip a worm, lizard, jig combo, tube bait, creature bait or even a small 4 inch worm rigged on a jig head, far beneath these piers and they are proud of their learning this unique technique -- that results in fooling bass into biting. Bass, other anglers miss due to just casting their offerings around these piers.
Well, anglers fishing these piers during the winter and early spring, will not have that problem, not with water lines along the bottom of piers and boat houses now 3-4 feet above the waters surface! Not only are brush piles now evident, but other things residents throw in the water as well. Pallet's, old tires, brush and trees cut along the banks, even old refrigerators, washing machines and sunken boats can be seen around piers during lake drawdown.
So fish the many types of wood cover (and other cover) this winter to catch spotted bass and largemouth bass on Logan Martin Lake. Bass that relate to water depths of 1-20 feet (maybe be even deeper if very cold few days) and see if you can fool some of Alabama's most pressured bass. Bass that is, that are not even bothered that much during winter. For many anglers don't know how good Logan Martin Lake really is during the winter.
You have to be there...to sample some of the state's best bass fishing this winter season to actually know!
Be safe and dress warm and always wear you life jacket and outboard motor kill switch. Always bring plenty of spare clothes, fire starting material and a lighter, warm food, drinks and snacks, just in case, for emergencies. You may be glad you did! The life you save could just be your own.
Need help fishing Logan Martin Lake this winter season? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! Logan Martin Lake's (and all of Alabama's Lakes) oldest, professional bass and striper guide service. Several boats and professional guides available year round for multiple parties and corporate guided trips. "Over 40 + Years Guiding and Tournament Fishing all of Alabama's Lakes for Bass"
Thanks and Good Fishin'!
This report provided by:
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