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Tennessee River Lakes special reportWilson, Pickwick & Wheeler

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Article on Pickwick Lake

Winter on Pickwick
Reed Montgomery

New Alabama Discussion Board!

Fall on Pickwick Lake
Lake Level: Down 1 foot mid Sept. (could be down 3-4 feet for winter pool by Oct.)
Water Temperature: 85 degrees mid-Sept. (Oct.- mid 70's / Nov. low - mid 60's)

Fall Bass Fishing Pickwick Lake

Pickwick Lakes Headwaters / Fishing Below Wilson Lake Dam
(I get lots of phone calls and e-mails from first timers to Pickwick and Wilson Lakes, so here's some tips and suggestions;)

Pickwick Lake is situated on the Tennessee River System near the town of Florence, Al. This is where most anglers launch their boat at McFarland park. This public boat launch is about 2 miles downstream - below the Wilson Lake dam tailrace waters - found at Pickwick's Lake headwaters. Running your boat up this lake is no problem. Just navigate up the middle of the lake and idle the boat down after you go under the last bridge, which is within sight of Wilson Lake dam.

Make sure to have your Alabama fishing license, boat registration papers, up-to-date boat stickers, charged fire extinguisher, a throw cushion and life jackets for each boat occupant. When within sight of the dam it is suggested (its the law), you wear your life jacket and have your outboard motor kill switch attached when running the outboard motor. Caution is advised in these lake headwaters, especially for first timers, due to swift current at times.

After you go under the last bridge, heading upstream towards Wilson Lake dam, the water is less than 10 feet deep. When getting close to the dam, stay in the middle and avoid idling the boat fast. This is due to all the hidden rocks, some that are just under the waters surface, in 3-5 feet of water near the dam. Trim up your motor and avoid the waters near the dam just past the island on your left. Lots of boulders and swift current here.

Anglers that are new to this lake will soon discover fishing these lake headwaters for smallmouth bass and largemouth bass is quite easy although you may soon discover other species of fish tugging on your line as well. Striped bass are found in these lake headwaters as well as drum, gar, white bass, bream, crappie, spotted bass and catfish. Most anglers simply run their boat all the way up to the dam and then make a mile long drift down the lake. Some anglers are successful while bumping their lures on bottom, fishing the middle water column and getting topwater bites as well on a number of lures.

As owner of Reeds Guide Service I have fished Pickwick lake for over 30 years and know it very well. I get phone calls and e-mails every week pertaining to this lake. I fish this lake many times each month and I know a lot of places down the lake (50 miles of navigable water), that I eventually fish as each fishing day lingers on. Still, no how many boats are on the lake I will often start my day searching for bass in these lake headwaters.

Why? You may ask. I know from fishing these lake headwaters (hundreds of times in all seasons over the past 30 years), no matter what the conditions, there are always some big bass cruising these lake headwaters in search of an easy meal. On any outing to these lake headwaters, as well as when waters begin to cool even more during the late fall to early winter period, you could actually hook into the smallmouth bass of a lifetime. This includes fooling some big largemouth bass and some huge, striped bass into striking your lures as well.

LURES FOR FOOLING THE BASS OF PICKWICK LAKE
No matter what species of bass you target (or all of them) on this lake, you can create a very long list of lures when deciding on what to bring to Pickwick Lake this fall and early winter seasons. Even in these lake headwaters (from Mcfarland park launch to the Wilson Lake dam), the lure choices range from dozens of various types of lures fished from top to bottom.

Not only is the importance of each lure you choose, but the size of your lures, the action each lure imparts, the lure color and even the way you manipulate each lure is important to your success...and you spending less time retrieving or breaking off hung lures in these rocky, boulder strewn Lake headwaters. So make a note right now: bring plenty of lures and a plug knocker! This includes items you may need to replace like spare rods and reels, fishing line in several line tests, various sizes of sinkers, hooks and jig heads. Even items for the boat like spare props for the outboard motor and trolling motor, oil, plenty of gas, pliers, screwdrivers and needle nose pliers.

Topwater Lures
This list of topwater lures (lures fished on the waters surface) grows and grows with each passing season and new topwater lures are springing up each year. But in Pickwick Lakes headwaters there are certain types of topwater lures that work better than others at times. So like said, bring plenty.

Prop Bait Topwaters - The lures that fall in this category are many, mainly due to the fact a prop bait can mean any topwater lure displaying either one or two propellers fore and aft. Baby Torpedoes are very popular topwater lures for fishing Pickwick Lakes headwaters. Below this dam a lot of 2-3 inch baitfish are washed through the dam discharge waters and they look like these small topwater lures featuring one propeller on the rear of the lure. Smaller versions called, "the tiny torpedo or the teeny torpedo" may work even better like when following a cold front, during very calm and clear water conditions, on days with bright, bluebird skies or even when faced with fishing pressure.

These prop bait topwaters should be fished on (preferably Trilene Big Game monofilament or fluorocarbon line in the 12-15 pound test category), making long casts with 6-7 foot rods, and then retrieving these prop baits with short jerks of the rod. This stop and go lure action creates a loud, swishing noise on the surface of the water, real similar to the sounds of fleeing shad and other baitfish found here. Colors of chrome / black back, chrome / blue back, gray ghost, or fire tiger usually work very well, in both looking like these baitfish and when made to imitate the small shad found here.

If its calm and very little current is evident, you may have to fish these lures with subtle actions or try downsizing to smaller models. If there is a slight ripple on the water and more current then you may fish these lures with harder jerks of the rod. If the conditions show its real windy, lots of current and a choppy look to the waters surface, you may need to go to a double prop bait topwater like a Crazy Shad (or for you old timers a Devils Horse), to create more noise and to aid in attracting these feeding bass to your lures.

Popping Type Topwaters - The old Rebel pop-r's always come to mind, in fact many anglers just say, pop-r's when referring to these topwaters featuring a concave mouth. But there are many types some old ones like those called chuggers, Hula Poppers or Chug Bugs all that work just as well as any of today's poppers. Colors of shad or bream work well in these lake headwaters. Schooling bass will nail these loud, surface lures that actually sound like feeding bass when jerked real hard. Line of 12-15 pound test is suggested.

Walking Type Topwaters - This topwater list will always have to include the Zara Spook created by James Heddon, that started it all, over 80 years ago in the early 1900's. It is my favorite walking type topwater lure (See: www.fishingalabama.com on the home page link, "Everything you always wanted to know about fishing the zara spook"), that now comes in 5 sizes. Most anglers throw the original size two hook zara spook on 14-20 pound test line. Some anglers downsize their spooks fishing the smaller versions zara pooch or zara pup on lighter line.

Other anglers either have the three hooked, Zara Super Spook handy or the Baby Super Spook tied on, for attracting some vicious topwater lure strikes found in Pickwick lakes headwaters. Anglers should keep in mind there are some oversized end of the year threadfin shad and gizzard shad that these bigger bass feed on. These topwater walking type lures really can simulate these type of prey. Colors vary among shad colors and chrome. The Spittin' Image and the Lucky Craft Sammie are also good walking type topwater lures.
I suggest 20 pound test monofilament line for these oversized offerings.

Fishing With Middle Water Column Lures
This lure category includes lures fished just under the waters surface, to five feet deep or more. In eddy areas like behind points or around big boulders found in these lake headwaters many of these bass suspend while waiting for the current to bring them an easy to catch meal. Often these bass will not rise to well placed topwater lure. At times they may be reluctant to move from their choice little spot to go to the lakes bottom and feed. So lures that run as they say, "right in their face" can trigger instinct strikes...other lures may fail to produce.

They may slam a slow moving spinnerbait (or dropped or slow rolled spinnerbait), or an erratic fished jerkbait (including soft jerkbaits, or floating and suspending hard bodied jerkbaits) or a shallow to deep diving crankbait (its according to what depth your fishing), may be the right lure. In this circumstance, without these suspended bass not having to move far or chase down a lure, these lures may work better than other lures. Keep in mind these bass feed a lot on crayfish found in these lake headwaters and lures such as No. 5 crayfish colored Shad Rap could just be the lure, besides just showing them baitfish colored lures all day. So experiment and always have several rods already rigged and ready.

Besides these lure types, there are other lures that are good choices for this technique. This could be rattling lipless lures like the namesake, "Bill
Lewis Rattletraps", or Cotton Cordell's Rattlin' Spots, etc. Experiment with smaller 1/4 ounce versions fished on lighter line of 12-15 pound test, like when facing into little current, or when seeing bass feeding on smaller baitfish, when faced with clear water clarity, following cold fronts or during bright, bluebird sky conditions. Use heavier, 1/2 ounce model lipless lures when in swifter current or when fishing deeper water. Colors of shad, chrome and crayfish are good choices.

Bottom Fished Lures
These are lures drug across the lakes bottom or lures allowed to entice bass holding just above the bottom. The rigging can be Texas style, Carolina rigged, drop shot rigged, rigged on a jig head or even fished weightless. The lure choices are many. Just visit any tackle store and most of the time half or their lure inventory could be soft plastics like worms of all sizes, lizards, grubs, shad imitations, Senkos, tube baits, crayfish imitations, creature type lures and small, finesse plastics fished on bottom.

Jigs, jig combos, jigging spoons or tail spinners are also fished on or near bottom. The problem is they do hang up a whole lot. This is time consuming, but you can usually retrieve most hung lures since these headwaters are shallow. Like said, bring plenty.

Pickwick Lakes Mid to Lower Lake
Besides fishing the lakes headwaters around Wilson Lake dam, there are other places that are productive this fall season on Pickwick lake. The nearby barge canal, bridge pilings, rock bluffs, river ledges, barge tie ups and wood cover such as laying trees, brush, stumps and logs. Or an angler can head down the lake and explore over 40 miles of incoming creeks, small cuts and pockets, main lake flats, creek mouths, submerged islands, visible islands and piers, boat houses and marinas. Or you can fish Pickwick Lake half a day, put the boat on the trailer, stop for a hamburger and be launching on upper Tennessee River Reservoir Wilson Lake in 30 minutes.

Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! When planning a fishing trip to these north Alabama Impoundments on the Tennessee River System. Or any Alabama lake. Whether practicing for an upcoming bass tournament, fishing for fun or trophy bass fishing or when planning a family outing or corporate guided trip. We have several qualified boats and professional guides available year round. Discounts available.

Remember, a guided trip with Reeds Guide Service to any lake in Alabama makes a great surprise Birthday gift, Fathers Day gift or Christmas gift (certificates available), for those loved ones that love to fish. Call today (205) 787-5133, or e-mail me at alabassgyd@aol.com
 

Summer on Pickwick Lake
LOWER LAKE
If you have never fished the lower end of Pickwick Lake, you may be surprised. Most anglers that visit this Tennessee River Impoundment in North Alabama, never venture far from the lakes headwaters. Starting at the lower lake dam there is plenty of cover and bottom irregularities for anglers to target and for bass of all species to relate to.

Bear Creek, the largest feeder creek on the lakes lower end, does show excellent smallmouth habitat, with deep rock bluffs, small pebble points, humps and ridges, including many deep river ledges and drop-offs found here. Largemouth bass can be caught in this huge creek, from the creek mouth to the shallow stump flats in the creeks headwaters. Weedbeds, piers, boat houses and a winding feeder creek loaded with wood cover, produce quality largemouth bass throughout the summer months. Even a few spotted bass can be found, often mixed right in with other bass species.

Second Creek near the lakes lower dam is also a good creek for day or night fishing this summer. Rock bluffs, rocky boulder-strewn banks, piers, boat houses, a bridge surrounded with rip-rap rocks, and weedy, stump-filled flats all show a variety of cover situations. Although the lake is deep on this lower end and quite featureless, fish will relate to slight irregularities found along the main lake. Small pockets, cuts, and broken off banks, are excellent choices for fishing day or night, throughout the summer months. From Pickwick dam to Natchez Trace Parkway bridge, there are many places to explore this summer, on the lakes lower end.

MID LAKE
Before you travel up (or down) this lake, study a map. You will immediately notice Koger Island, just above Natchez Trace Bridge. It is an excellent place to fish when water is being generated. You will also notice the lack of creeks in this midlake region, although over a dozen "small Branches" do exist. Only a few major feeder creeks in this mid lake area are worth investigating this summer. Mulberry Creek, Horseshoe Bend Creek, Dry Creek and Little Bear Creek, do have water depths deeper than 10 feet, and all of these feeders hold a good concentration of bass, most are seeking the shade and cooler current found in these creeks.

There is an abundance of visible and submerged islands, rock bluffs, underwater ridges and bars, and plenty of creek mouths and rock piles (actually old Indian Mounds) in this mid lake region. Some map study and the use of your electronics, will aid an angler in discovering these hidden hotspots. Smallmouth bass are known to inhibit these mid lake waters, feeding on washed in meals, brought to them by the strong current of the Tennessee River System. Striped bass and hybrid striped bass are also found in these rocky drop-offs. The largemouth bass prefer the more slack water areas and can be found in the creek mouths, far up in the creeks or along wood and rock cover found on the main lake, generally out of the swift current.

UPPER LAKE
Most anglers that have fished Pickwick Lake, have found the lakes headwaters to hold a variety of fish species. Some anglers never fish any further than 3-4 miles from the lakes headwaters, below upper Wilson Lake dam, featuring swift, tailrace waters. This is smallmouth country and many huge smallmouth bass in the trophy category, are caught from these swift, tailrace waters each season. As when fishing below any dam, it is mandatory all boat occupants wear a life jacket when fishing or navigating within 800 yards of the dam. With hot, 90 degree plus days now at hand, many anglers fish at night in these lake headwaters, to avoid the daytime crowds and to beat the heat.

There are also many other places to explore, when the fish are not biting at the dam. A canal, right beside the dam, lined with miles of rip-rap rocks, shows smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass, gathering here throughout the summer months. This canal leads upriver to a Lock, where barges and huge boats are allowed to lock through the dam. Fish feed along the rip-rap rocks, found on both sides of this canal, when water is being released through the lock.

Just above the Mc Farland Park public boat launch (near the town of Florence) is a bridge, and further upstream about 1-2 miles, within site of the dam, is another bridge. These bridge pilings hold fish of all species year round, feeding and holding out of the swift current found here. Three to four miles below the public launch is a series of mid lake islands. Seven Mile Island, the biggest of all, is sitting right in the middle of the lake. Swift, main lake current splits here and joins several other rocky islands in this deep river bend. There are also many backwaters to explore, including Coffee Slough, hidden from view on the lakes Northern shores. Little Cypress Creek, right below McFarland Park public boat launch, winds far back in the hill sides, and holds a good concentration of bass and stripers, especially in the creek mouth during water generation or when evident current is visible.

Explore the 50 plus miles of water on Pickwick Lake this summer and discover some new fishing holes of your own. Or call Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133 and see how to fish this huge lake day or night. "Over 40 Years Fishing Pickwick Lake and other Alabama Lakes for Bass and Stripers"
 

Spring on Pickwick Lake
One big difference anglers will immediately notice while fishing this Lake this spring is the lake at low water pool. Pickwick Lake was down 4-5 feet as of the first week of March. It will be down throughout the entire month of March. After the first week of April, the lake will slowly be returned to full pool until next fall. Navigation is very hazardous during this low water period, boaters should use extreme caution when navigating Pickwick Lake in March.

Fishing, on the other hand is tremendous, as waters warm and smallmouth bass and largemouth bass head for the shallows to spawn. As most anglers will discover there is more to fishing Pickwick Lake than just fishing the lakes headwaters below Wilson Lake dam, the rock bluffs and many rock piles and islands anglers usually target in the lakes upper reaches.

There are plenty of creeks, flats and backwaters just down the lake that will produce some of the lakes biggest bass during April and May this spring. There are usually many ways to catch bass and most anglers will discover some great places to fish, especially when the lake is returned to full pool flooding the shallows again in April.

If they do their homework prior to the lake returning to full pool in April, many anglers will be one step ahead of anglers that have not seen this lake down. With water down as much as 6 feet during March anglers scanning the high and dry shallows will be unknowingly logging it in their memory banks for fishing in April and May. This is when loads of male and female bass are found in water less than 5 feet deep. But as the lake is returned to full pool, a second wave of bass will move even further up in the lakes newly flooded shallows.

By April, Pickwick Lake takes on a new appearance. The lake is returned to full pool and new growing aquatic weeds will be visible in the shallows by the end of April. Around mid April, with a full moon nearby most largemouth bass will head for the newly prepared beds made by the smaller male bass, usually in water 1-4 feet deep.

Smallmouth bass traditionally bed earlier on Pickwick Lake than largemouth bass and smallmouths usually bed in a little bit deeper water than largemouth bass. But on occasions even smallmouth beds can be seen in areas with good water clarity, in small pebble bottoms or sandy bottom in 1-4 feet of water, and often right next to bedding largemouth bass as well.

Targeting these bedding bass takes certain kinds of tackle, stealth and lots of patience. Its all up to each individual angler. Does that angler want to spend as much as an hour attempting to get maybe a 5 pound or bigger bedding bass to bite? Or cast the shallows and hope to find a school of bass not bedding at the same time?

May is when bass come off the beds on Pickwick Lake. They are hungry and topwater lures can be the best choice for getting these bass to bite. By the end of May most bass have bed on Pickwick Lake. Before they group up and head back to deeper water this can be a great 2-3 week period for lots of shallow water action, fishing with a number of different types of lures.

Give Pickwick Lake a try this spring and discover a few hidden holes of your own. This is the best time for fooling both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in the shallows. Often some of the years biggest bass are taken, that is by the angler fortunate enough to land these hearty bass of Pickwick Lake.

If you need a guide for this Tennessee River system lake or any Alabama Lake, always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! "Over 30 years of fishing and guiding on all of Alabama's Lakes for bass and stripers." See my website: www.fishingalabama.com for more info, fishing tips, lake reports and links to other fishing websites for springtime bass fishing in Alabama.

* Please practice catch and release this spring on all Alabama Lakes
 

This Report Provided by:
By Reed Montgomery
Reeds Guide Service
Call: Reed Montgomery - (205) 787-5133
alabassgyd@aol.com