Friday, December 30 was our last guided trip of 2011. Although it was rather cold to start out with (around 30 degrees) two clients of Reeds Guide Service were both eager to go fishing...so we did!
The water temperatures were in the low-to-mid 50's most of the day. It actually started out at 50 degrees at 7 a.m. But, by mid morning up to the evening hours, the significant water temperature rise of 4-5 degrees made all the differance in the fishing action!
We managed to fool a few of those aggresive Coosa River breed of spotted bass. Mostly just keepers but a lot of fun, especially when your cold!
Spotted bass are usually more active in these cool waters of early winter and they will still hit fast moving lures.
So our choice (of lures and techniques), that day was not to fish slow on bottom like almost very boatload of anglers we saw doing, but to cover water fast, while fishing slow, with what are normally fast moving lures!
Crankbaits and rattling lipless lures!
What really made the day was a five pound largemouth bass that hit a Strike King 1/2 ounce shad colored, rattling lipless lure caught in 2 feet of water on a rocky point, at midday.
Immediatly right after that bass, another big bass! This time it was a four pound spotted bass that hit the same type of lipless lure only a different brand.
That spotted bass was very shallow (also in 2 feet of water) caught along an old roadbed, now exposed due to low water. It hit a 1/2 ounce chrome/blue back Rapala Rattlin' Rap.
With Logan Martin lake down 5 feet (until April), the best pattern right now now is locating bass in the warmest water available, fishing around any type of wood or rock cover.
However, some our bass on that rather cool day, came off of bare, nothing-looking secondary points in small cuts and pockets. Mostly shallow bass in 2-4 feet of water. But close to deeper water nearby.
While other bass we caught that day were on small pebble banks or along rocky points in backwaters and along flats nearby. Places that "heat up fast" during those midday to evening hours. Especially on sunny days!
In all, our five best bass would have weighed around 15 pounds. I'll take that (plus a half dozen other bass bites) on any day in the winter, on Alabama's Logan Martin Lake.
Of course, fishing with pleasent company that day provided by Reeds Guide Service! "Alabama's (and Logan Martin Lake's) oldest, professional guide service for over 40 years"
See my website; www.fishingalabama.com for more guide service info, fishing reports, tips, links, pictures and seasonal fishing info!
Thanks and Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service
Birmingham, Alabama
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
