No matter where you fish on Alabama's largest, man made impoundment Guntersville lake, there are always some shallow water bass to be found this winter season in January and February.
Yes, even during the worst of wintertime conditions, you can find bass in shallow water generally fishing less than 5 feet deep. But the key word here is "find".
In order to "find" them you have got to be fishing where they should be found.
As Guntersville lake's oldest, professional "bass fishing only" guide service I have spent a lot of winters just proving to clients of my guide service just how these bass can be fooled into biting your lures in shallow water, even when its cold.
At times, even when you least expect them to be in shallow water these bass can be very shallow.
I can recall a few trips in past winter's;
On one particular January trip, we were getting absolutly no bites in deeper water of 10-20 feet deep, so we went shallow.
We had been fishing deep water with big, 3/4 ounce red rattletraps. They were rigged on 25 pound test monofilament line, so they had a very slow fall when slowly retrieved and allowed to drop, even in shallow water.
At midday in 2 feet of weedy water the client caught a pair of big bass, a 5 pounder and a 7 pound largemouth. Both came in water temps that had gone from 45 degrees that morning to 50 degrees by a warm, sunny 60 degree midday.
On a 3/4 ounce rattletrap!
On another very memorable trip my fishing partner and I were practicing for an upcoming Airport Marine tournament. It was held on Guntersville lake in January.
Friday during practice for this upcoming Saturday tournament I had a bass hit a scum frog in 43 degree water temps! A good 3 pounder caught in 2 feet of water on a very cold day.
So I turned and said to my partner, "if they will hit a frog in this cold, 43 degree water then I'm sure one may hit a topwater lure like my zara super spook"...and it did! But the big bass missed it.
So I left it alone. Until the next day.
During the tournament on Saturday we launched at Goosepond launch in North Sauty creek. We made a long, 15 mile run to our first spot on a very cold, 20 degree morning.
The first cast of the day was made in the exact spot where the big bass had missed the spook the day before.
Our lips were still blue from the cold boat ride, my rod had ice in the eyes as I brought in the spook from the first cast of the day.
I dipped my rod in the water to clear up the iced over rod eyes. On the next cast, my second cast of the day, the bass hit the spook.
Not a loud blow up. Just a slight suction like that of a bream as it inhaled the slow moving topwater lure.
Afterwards, laying in the bottom of the boat, was a nice fat 5 pounder. The coldest bass I ever caught during the cold months of winter...caught on a topwater lure in 2 feet of 43 degree water temps.
I'm glad I had a witness, no one would have ever believed me if I had been all alone!
So as you can see there are times, even when its very cold, these Guntersville lake bass can be caught in shallow water situations on a variety of lures.
But only if your there trying!
Or you can call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205)663-1504. And see how!
See how shallow water bass can be caught this winter season, fishing with Guntersville lake's oldest, professional freshwater "bass fishing only" guide service!
Thanks and Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service
"For Over 40 Years Fishing Alabama's Lakes for Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and some Big Striped Bass, Year Round!"
