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Summer Fishing Tips for Logan Martin

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Crappie Tactics : How, When and Where to...
By Larry Larsen
An Excellent book by one of America's Best Fishing Authors.

Winter Bass Fishing on Weiss Lake By Reed Montgomery

Alabama Discussion Board!

NEW Weiss Lake Summer Fishing Tips
By Reed Montgomery

Lake level: down (winter pool) 5 feet

CURRENT CONDITIONS ON LOGAN MARTIN LAKE / LATE FEB. 2008

* Lake Level: Winter Pool / 3 1/2 feet (461.50) below normal, full pool levels (465.0)
(Down end of February) Lake levels are traditionally back to full pool by mid - April

* Water Clarity = Recent rains actually had the lake up a few feet (it was down 5 feet), most major feeder creeks / stained to muddy.
Most main lake water from mid lake at Interstate 20 to Logan Martin lake dam is clear. The lake's headwaters is stained.

* Water Temperature / Late February Mid-50's * Water Temperatures in Spring / March - Mid - 60's / April - May Low to Upper 70's

SPRING ON LOGAN MARTIN LAKE

Ah, yes Spring! We have waited long enough with the frigid days of winter now leaving us, for better weather, rising lake levels, new weeds growing and...big bass!

If you read my most recent lake report on Alabama's Lay lake (situated just downstream of Logan Martin Lake on the Coosa River System), you will see the recent rain we needed so bad, is finally doing some good. Lay lake has returned to full pool (after being down almost 3 feet in recent months) and so has lower Coosa River lake's Mitchell lake and Jordan lake.

Even Logan Martin has risen a few feet, traditionally being down from 4-5 feet during low, winter pool. I hope our neighboring state of Georgia (with lakes like Lake Lanier that is very low), are having as good a results from the recent rain. Logan Martin Lake is usually back to full pool by mid-April.

Also in that Lay Lake fishing report (see www.marksoutdoors.com / fishing reports), I commented on the amount of Bass Tournaments for 2008 there are. Mike Bolton / Staff Writer for the Birmingham News stated in the Sunday, Feb. 17 edition of the Birmingham News column Outdoors titled, " Its Tournament time " listed around 68 bass tournaments for 2008.

Of those Alabama lakes listed for 2008 ,17 of those major bass tournaments were scheduled to be held on Lay lake for 2008.

Not to be outdone, Logan Martin Lake has 19 bass tournaments scheduled to be held on the lake, starting in March and ending in November, 2008. There will be more tournaments, some that were not on this compiled list of bass tournaments in February, 2008. So how will this huge amount of fishing tournaments, (some of which have over 200 participants) affect the outcome of your next fishing adventure on Logan Martin Lake this March, April and May? Tremendously. You may want to fish on weekdays.

* Here's a few major bass tournament trails and annual events scheduled for this spring on Logan Martin Lake;

* March 1st - Bucks Island Logan Martin Trail / Lakeside Landing Entry Fee; $50.00 Information Call; (205) 907-4466 (They will also have a total of 13 tournaments on Logan Martin lake this year.)

* April 5 - Airport Marine's Three-in-one Trail / Lakeside Landing Entry Fee: $150.00 Payback: First place $3000.00 and 20 places See: www.airportmarine.com or call (205) 664-0407

* April 12 - American Bass Anglers Couples Tournament / Lakeside Landing Entry Fee: $80.00 With 80 percent payback Info Call: (205) 908-0042

* May 14 - Airport Marine's Solo Trail See: www.airportmarine.com Entry Fee: $65.00 Call (205) 664-0407

* June 14 - FLW Outdoors Walmart Bass Fishing League Bama Division / Lakeside Landing Entry Fee (Pro) $200.00 See www.flwoutdoors.com for info.

* July 12 - FLW Outdoors Walmart Bass Fishing League Dixie Division / Lakeside Landing Entry Fee (Pro) $200.00 See: www.flwoutdoors.com for info.

Here's some tips and what to expect each month for pre spawn bass, spawning bass and post spawn bass on Logan Martin lake this spring season;

MARCH / PRESPAWN SPOTTED BASS
Its been said, " you cannot beat the exceptional pre-spawn bite for big, Coosa River Spotted Bass on Logan Martin Lake during the month of March."

I agree. These are big, tackle-testing spotted bass - any angler would be proud to do battle with, especially if he / she was fortunate enough to land such a fish! Hard fighting, hard pulling, hard to land, and hard on equipment and fishing line! Many huge, spotted bass exist on Logan Martin lake and many have eluded capture, mostly due to angler error.

Be prepared when you come to tackle such an adversary! Sharp hooks, quality equipment and strong fishing line, including a good net and net man will be needed!

I've had the pleasure of living in Birmingham, Al. just 35 miles from Logan Martin lake, all my life. I can remember the days, of not having the pleasure of owning my own boat. I rented an old, leaky wooden boat at the lakes lower launch at Town and Country Boat Launch. Bringing along an old, metal coffee can for bailing water - was standard equipment in those days.

I learned a lot since fishing Logan Martin Lake over 30 years ago and about 25 of those past years have been participating (and winning) in major bass tournaments held in the spring on Logan Martin Lake. I can tell you one thing about fishing bass tournaments in March on this lake...They can be won with spotted bass!

Oh, of course some fortunate angler may get you on "big bass of the day" with maybe a 6-8 pound largemouth bass. But I've seen a few, and I've even won a few major bass tournaments on this lake, with a limit of 5 spotted exceeding 20 pounds! One, out of Poorhouse Branch marina in March, we won with 5 spotted bass weighing almost 23 pounds!

Spotted bass weighing from 4-6 pounds are a possibility at any time on this lake. Your chances are increased during March. This is when they move shallow and spawn. It is also a time when these big, spotted bass visit the shallows in reckless abandon. Meaning they will blast a well placed lure on any outing.

Main lake points are one of these spotted bass most popular gather spots. Especially in March. The mouths of creeks, pockets and small cuts, all have points leading into them and secondary points leading further up in these out of the current spawning areas. The better ones have small pebble rocks, or feature a hard, red clay bottom.

Other good bedding composition is sand, or a bottom featuring small pebble rocks, with small scattered stumps and boulders, all found on these points as well. Block walls, rip-rap lined banks and small islands are also great places to display all those new lures, you have waited to wet all winter long. In March, for fooling these big, spotted bass.

From topwaters, to mid running lures, to bottom fished lures, these big, spotted bass will hit a variety of lures all throughout the month of March

March / Largemouth Bass
Largemouth bass may be a little slower to hit your lures in March and they may not spawn later until April. But you can discover some big, hungry, prespawn largemouth bass mingling with their cousins the spotted bass, in some of the very same places.

Fan casting a variety of lures all along the sides, ends and deep drops around these points, islands and other places like rip-rap rocks, are deadly techniques for covering water fast and often triggering strikes from largemouth bass, in off-colored water - to clear water conditions. Bass, that must track down the lure, rather than be allowed a good chance to see it.

There are certain types of lures for these tactics in March. Covering water fast in March, while fishing along these points and drop-offs, always calls for the use of lipless lures. These are those flat sided lures with all the internal rattles, that you control the depth with when retrieved, because they sink. They fool bass of all kinds.

Like the name sake lipless lures of all time, "Bill Lewis Rattletrap" or "Cotton Cordell's Rattling Spot." If you fish these lures in weights of 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce sizes and you want them to sink fast, then using lighter line in the 10-15 pound test category will help the lure sink faster. Adding oversized hooks or wrapping solder on the hooks, help them sink faster to.

If you want these lipless lures to run shallow and sink slower, then using line in the 17-25 pound test, allows then to sink slower than with the use of lighter, more thinner diameter line.

* Another tip for landing bass hooked on lipless lures!
Unfortunately these type of lures are labled as some of the most fish-losing lures around. The bass gets leverage after being hooked and then they jump and usually sling them. Lipless lures are therefore much easier to lose a bass, than when using other lures.

* Remedy - To avoid this happening, I have found using long rods (like a 7 foot flipping rod), heavy monofilament line in the 17-20 pound test category and getting a good, hard, rod sweeping hook set is very important. Especially when utilizing long cast's usually associated with the use of lipless lures. Long casts allow more line stretch, especially in lighter line situations and when using shorter rods. Which allows less of a good hook set - resulting in lost bass.

* NOTE - After hooking a bass, while fishing lipless lures on a long rod, sticking about 1-2 feet of the rod under the water, while quickly reeling in the bass, will help you land and lose less bass! The bass cannot jump and clear the surface of the water when you do this!

Also, never allow any slack in your line, or hold your rod high up over your head. This is when most bass get loose! Of course, always replace all hooks with good, sharp hooks like Gamakatsu's # 4 size EWG treble hooks.

Shallow to deep diving crankbaits and both suspending and floating jerkbaits are good in March for big, prespawn bass. Also try soft plastic jerkbaits and even topwaters in March. Fish shallow along both sides on these prespawn points, especially in stained water. Always try a variety of spinnerbaits in all sizes, colors and with various types of trailers.

* Jig combos, small finesse lures and tube baits, even Texas rigged worms and lizards, are always deadly lures in spring on Logan Martin lake!

APRIL / SPAWNING BASS
Although there is much more to be said about prespawn bass, conditions change for the better when it comes to most bass bedding in April on Logan Martin Lake. For one thing lake levels slowly return to full pool. By the end of April the bass have spread out in their newly flooded homes in the shallows.

New growing, oxygen-rich green aquatic weeds begin to emerge again in April, as their evident, rich green growth becomes more visible with each passing week of life giving sunshine. Within these new growing weeds lay the bedding bass and soon...their newborn offspring fry.

Most bass will begin their bedding rituals around the first week of April when the shallows warm into the upper 60's and low 70's and stabilize close to a full moon. Cold fronts can stall the bedding season as much as 30 days, until the next full moon in late April or on into May.

When most of these male and female bass court and prepare their beds they do one thing first. They eat. So prior to bedding, these bass are feeding every day and fattening up, to put on the needed weight and fat reserves to fast and go from 2-4 weeks without eating. Male bass have been observed protecting the bed and newborn fry and not resting or eating for 30 days!

Most female bass lay their eggs, stick around the immediate bedding area a few days and then mosey off. Not to far away from the bed, letting the male bass do the rest of the work. But many big, female bass, again feed after bedding, showing lots of big bass still in the shallows - feeding, while other late spawning bass are just beginning to bed!

MAY / POST SPAWN BASS
Although April can be fun and show a good chance at a big bass or two, May can be more promising and with several good reasons. First of all, most big, female bass have ceased the rituals of the spring spawn by the first week of May. Sure, there are still some nice bass lingering around the shallows, some even displaying a bulging belly full of eggs, or a very evident bloody tail from fanning the bed. Such as those late spawning bass found in the lower lake region, where the lake's deeper water is the last to warm.

But for the most part if you observe every bass you catch, especially the ones that look to weigh 3 pounds or more and displaying an empty, skinny belly. You will discover there are very few bass still waiting to lay their eggs in May. Most look skinny and in need of eating.

The second thing in an anglers favor when targeting big bass on Logan Martin Lake is their hunger after the spring spawn. These bass must eat soon. To survive, they must replenish fat reserves that have been lost in the last few weeks...or they will die from starvation. This is why catch and release is so important during the spring season of the year.

Being a very hungry bass is like being a starving human. You will eat almost anything that comes your way. Especially a bigger than normal portion that fills an empty belly fast. Big, slow moving meals are also much easier to track down and capture - than much harder to catch smaller meals.

So in May, bigger is often better, when it comes to lure choice for big largemouth bass. Big, oversized topwaters like walking-type topwater lures; Zara Spooks and Sammie's. Or loud, poppers, chuggers or other concave mouth topwaters, jerked when retrieved to get loud, splashing results.

Buzzbaits (often the louder the better), are excellent lure choices for numbers of big bass in stained water conditions. These lures cover water fast and can be "big bass" lures in Spring. Trailer hooks are always suggested for short striking bass.

Frogs, rats, soft jerkbaits, floating worms and techniques such as swimming a lizard / fished weightless, are also deadly in and around weeds and wood cover on Logan Martin Lake. As waters warm in May - so do more prey emerge. This is the month when bass get back to what they are best at. Eating.


Winter on Logan Martin Lake

Winter on Lake Martin

Lake Martin, near Alexander City in mid Alabama, has gone through a lot of changes over the past 80 plus years since its impoundment in 1926.

No I'm not that old. But having fished this 39,000 acre lake for over 30 years, I do have some fond memories - of some very excellent days of bass fishing I've experienced all throughout this lake. Although Lake Martin is a rather spread out lake at over 700 miles of shoreline, it only features 28 nautical miles of winding and twisting Tallapoosa River waters. Starting at Lake Martin dam downstream and heading north to the lake's headwaters to an area called, Irwin Shoals.

Since another impoundment, Lake Harris, was created upstream by the construction of Lake Harris dam in 1983, more changes have taken place on Lake Martin. Boaters can no longer navigate their boats past Lake Martin's headwaters at Irwin Shoals. Now these lake headwaters feature an impassable rocky, boulder - strewn flat, bathed in swift current most of the winter season.

At times water released from upstream Lake Harris dam can be dangerously swift for boaters in these lake headwaters and heavy, winter rains can create some very stained to muddy water conditions, often for weeks at a time, in Lake Martin's headwaters. That is, with a lot of winter rains and early spring rains, of which we have had very little of so far, as this year comes to an end.

Drought throughout the southeast has many lakes extremely low, even for winter pool, when lake levels are customarily down anyway. But as you can see at the heading of this lake report, Lake Martin is extremely low, at 15 feet below normal, full pool levels, which we have not seen since earlier this year. It all started in late spring as the lake was slowly dropped a few feet. Then after a scorching, hot summer showing air temperatures near 105 degrees taking place, lake levels fell even lower.

Normally, by the beginning of the fall season, the lake should be "at or near full pool," prior to it being drawn down several feet for winter pool for another 6 months. But this past fall season Lake Martin was down 8 feet. So what effect does this have on anglers hoping to just fool a few of Lake Martin's wintertime bass into biting? A tremendous effect.

First of all, this wintertime lake drawdown has taken place every year I've fished Lake Martin and its been even lower in winter's past. But this was always following, "a lake seen at full pool" from mid April until November, always giving both spotted bass and largemouth bass plenty of time to bunch up as the lake rose, then spread out in the lakes newly flooded waters, starting each spring season. So now what does next year hold for Lake Martin's bass and the anglers that pursue them? We will just have to pray for rain and see what takes place.

Lake levels being so low (15 feet down), should not compose all negative thoughts. Drawdown does have its advantages over the lake being at full pool. For one thing, the lake is now about half its original size. This concentrates shallow water bass at low pool, bass that are forced to share (or bunch up around) whatever shallow water wood and rock cover they can find.

Bass, especially largemouth bass, require some type of cover to conceal themselves for ambush purposes, like when darting out of a brush pile and attacking unsuspecting prey. This usually takes place in stained water conditions as they make their homes in the security of thick weeds, wood cover or rock cover. But times have changed all these feeding habits, with no weed cover and very little low water wood cover now evident, as easily seen on most of Lake Martin's bare banks.

Clear water conditions, from little or no rain, helps reveal these bass, rather than off colored water clarity helping to conceal them, and clear water can possibly stop them from catching their days next meal. With Lake drawdown every year, another piece of wood cover is exposed. It then becomes dry and brittle, eventually breaking off and then floating off downstream, all taking place when the lake level rises again in the spring.

This is what's happening to most of Lake Martin's stumps, laying logs, brush and even blown down trees. Eventually they just float away, or become water logged and sink to the lakes bottom. But like the bass, the bass anglers, have learned to adjust and take advantage of this problem.

Many anglers that frequent Lake Martin during the winter months or residents that live on the lake, actually plant their own fish holding cover. Tire reefs, sunken palettes, brush piles, rock piles and even things that should not be thrown in the lake (like old refrigerators and washing machines) all hold bass, baitfish and even crayfish. Both predator and prey, now just looking for something to relate to or hide in.

Which brings to mind another good reason to be on Lake Martin during the winter months, especially with it now down 15 feet for winter pool. Observing low water cover like resident planted brush piles, offshore rock piles, or even stumps now visible along main lake flats, during the winter season, can pay off (handsomely in bass tournaments), especially upon returning to these same spots this coming spring, when all of this fish holding cover will (hopefully) be under water again.

Not only do residents plant brush and other fish holding cover, and tournament anglers and crappie fisherman put out their own fish holding cover on Lake Martin, but the Alabama Power Company does so as well. Each year around the first week of January, the parking lot of Wind Creek State Park is filled with donated Christmas trees. Alabama Power employees bundle them up, weigh them down with concrete blocks, then load them up on a pontoon boat and place them all throughout the lake. Marking the spots with a styrofoam float attached to a rope or marking them with GPS coordinates, you can obtain by calling Alabama Power Company.

* Looking to visit Lake Martin soon? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! " Serving anglers that visit or have lived on Lake Martin (and other Alabama lakes) for over 30 years." Several professional guides and boats available year round for multiple parties and corporate guided trips. Discounts available. Remember, a guided fishing trip with Reeds Guide Service makes a great Birthday gift, Christmas gift, Father's Day gift or any occasion, for those loved ones that love to fish!


Lake Level: Currently down 6 feet for winter pool
Call 1-800-lakes-11 for lake levels (normal 490.0) and water generation schedules

Drought plagued Alabama for the last few months of summer. As fall gets underway many anglers are looking forward to the relief from the heat. In mid August a week long warming trend showed air temperatures averaging 103 degrees and very little rain occurred to help cool things down. In addition the summer drought had most Alabama Lakes down a few feet, far below normal full pool levels. For the last two months of summer on into the early fall period starting in September, Logan Martin Lake has been unseasonably low at 3-4 feet down.

Usually at the beginning of the fall season Logan Martin Lake is at full pool with aquatic weeds in full bloom. It is then lowered for winter pool, slowly dropping each week until down about 4-6 feet. With lake levels currently down over 3 feet since summer very little weeds had a chance to grow. Since most aquatic weeds were high and dry and most weeds just withered and died in the hot summer sun.

Despite low lake levels all summer, some weeds still continued to grow as the new, low water shoreline showed a steady lake level. So anglers looking for bass in the weeds at the beginning of this fall season, can still concentrate their efforts along visible weed lines, some of which are still growing along the lakes new, low water shoreline. Soon, as temperatures plunge, even these weeds could wither and die and again be high and dry with more of an annual lake drawdown of 4-6 feet during winter.

Logan Martin Lake could be down 4-6 feet for winter pool by the first week of October. If so, it will remain down until next spring, when the lake is traditionally returned to full pool in April. Looking at each section of the lake here is what to expect this fall season when targeting Logan Martin Lake's spotted bass, largemouth bass and an occasional striped bass.

Logan Martin Lakes Headwaters
Although the Interstate 20 bridge crossing is situated at midlake (its 25 miles to either dam) this is considered the lakes upper portion, even when it is down 3-4 feet. If the lake is dropped any lower (like last year at this time when it was down 6 feet), boaters should use extreme caution when navigating here. There is mostly just a river channel and no channel markers above this midlake I-20 bridge.

There are also very few feeder creeks in the lakes upper 25 miles of water with most creeks not even showing good water depths when the lake is down. Near the two bridges (I-20 and a railroad bridge) that span the mid lake, is Blue Eye Creek and Blue Springs Creek. Above here (about 5 miles) is Broken Arrow Creek. It does have a rock bluff bank on your left as you enter from the main lake, displaying 5-10 feet of water, before it plays out into a very shallow creek flat of 1-2 feet deep.

Idling the boat as you enter any of these major feeder creeks is highly suggested. There are stumps and rocks in some very shallow backwaters found here. Along the main river channel banks in these lake headwaters you will see stumps, laying trees, logs, visible brush piles and small points situated along the mouths of small cuts, pockets, flats and islands.

Fishing this wood cover requires various lures, certain colors and various presentations during the entire fall season. Its all according to the available current, the water clarity, lake levels and especially...the weather. Early during the fall season the lakes headwaters will still be warm from the hot summertime 100 plus degree days we had. This intense heat of summer showed water temps of 90 plus degrees and bass either fed in the warmer water or they headed for the deep feeding early, late in the day and at night.

As September gets underway and cooler weather slowly creeps in, these water temps slowly drop into the low 80's and then into the 70's by October. This triggers a feeding sensation among the lakes bass. Lures like topwaters, spinnerbaits and crankbaits are good choices fishing around all the wood cover found here in the lake headwaters. Heavy rains and cold, swift water may make these lake headwaters muddy and unproductive during November and early December. The mid to lower lake may prove to be much better fishing conditions in late fall during these adverse conditions.

Logan Martin Lake Mid Lake
Leaving Interstate 20 crossing at mid lake and heading down stream to Stemley Bridge is considered the mid lake. Here an angler will immediately notice the lake widens and small creeks, main lake flats and pockets become much more evident, than when fishing the upper lake region. Still, low water has many places anglers normally fish in early fall, now high and dry.

Fishing the upper and lower points leading into these creeks and pockets with lures like crankbaits, rattletraps, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits are good search lures for active bass in the fall and good lures for both spotted bass and largemouth bass right on up into the early winter.

There are main river ledges, points, stump filled drop-offs and some small islands as well. Texas rigged worms and lizards, Carolina rigged plastics, tube baits, creature baits, jig combos and using jigging spoons are all good lures for fishing from shallow to deep water of 15-30 feet found here.

Many anglers have success fishing Logan Martin Lake during the entire fall season with small 4 inch worms or small lizards, crayfish imitations and other soft plastic lures rigged on jig heads, fishing with light line and light tackle outfits. The clearer the water the better this finesse tactic works on this lake. It is an especially good technique during the fall and winter seasons fishing around piers, boat houses, marina release sites and man made rip-rap rocks found along bridges, the dam and rock lined causeways.

This midlake region does have plenty of this man made cover (like piers and boat houses) for anglers to explore this fall season. Seddon Creek, Dye Creek, Choccolocco Creek and Poorhouse Branch Creek all still have water at least 5 feet deep (or deeper) during lake drawdown.

Logan Martin Lake Lower Lake
From Stemley bridge to Logan Martin Lake dam is considered the lower lake. This portion of the lake displays water depths of over 60 feet deep with an old river channel, ledges, drop-offs, submerged roadbeds, old house foundations, submerged islands, humps, ridges and even a few submerged lakes for the deep water angler to explore.

There are also many piers with resident planted brush all around them. Many brush piles are now visible and getting a lure under piers is no problem with the lake down for winter. Clear water during the fall season may call for the use of lighter line and smaller profile lures during these cooler months.

Besides all the wood cover these bass relate to there, is also plenty of rock cover found to fish in this lower lake area. Rock bluffs, rock or block walls, boulder strewn banks and man made rip-rap rocks are very visible now with low water. Still there is loads of both wood and rock cover for bass to relate this fall and winter season on this lower lake region.

Feeder Creeks like Cropwell Creek, Rabbit Branch Creek and Clear Creek still have navigable waters and plenty of evident baitfish schools and bass busting shad during the fall period. Schooling activity among the lakes spotted bass, largemouth's and striped bass takes place on this lower lake area as waters cool in late September on into the early winter period of late December.

Always be rigged and ready for this often fast and furious feeding action. On top evident schooling activity always calls for the use of various types of topwater lures. On some days these bass prefer smaller lures like tiny or baby torpedoes, crazy shads, the spittin' image, the poppin' image and a small zara spook, baby super spook or sammie. Soft jerkbaits are great lures for schoolies.

Often these bass are feeding on bigger end of the year baitfish like threadfin shad, gizzard shad and smaller gamefish like baby bass, crappie or bream. This may call for the use of bigger more gaudy type topwater lures like the zara super spook and the bigger model Sammie's.

Fishing these feeder creek flats and backwaters in the fall season for schooling bass is also good using rattling lipless lures like one quarter to half ounce Rattletraps and Rattling spots, shallow to mid diving crankbaits, both floating and suspending jerkbaits and 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jigging spoons. Make long casts, rigging these lures on 14-15 test line and using 6-7 foot rods. This is the best equipment for making long casts to these schooling bass of fall on Logan Martin Lake.

Planning a fishing trip to Logan Martin Lake? Got an upcoming bass tournament on Logan Martin Lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! A guided fishing trip also makes a very good surprise as a birthday gift, Father's day gift or a Christmas gift! (Certificates available) Several professional guides and boats available year round for family outings and corporate guided trips. Discounts available. "Logan Martin Lake's oldest, professional guide service guiding on this lake and other Alabama Lakes for over 40 years"

See my website: www.fishingalabama.com for more info or call (205) 787-5133 to reserve your guided fishing trip today! Same rate for one or two anglers to any lake in Alabama.

 

Summer on Logan Martin Lake

Summer / Current and Shade

Hot Summer's, mean searching for cool water. Logan Martin is currently showing water temperatures approaching 90 degrees. Finding bass in shallow water during the hot, mid 90 degree heat, is unheard of with most daytime anglers. But they do exist.

Some bass cruise the shallows during early morning light. To the angler wanting to get in on some topwater shallow water action, getting there early has its rewards. This means launching the boat, 30 minutes prior to sunup, and being on your favorite spot at the first light of day.

Topwater lures are first on my list and the first cast I would make each day. These bass are very active at dawn and can be enticed to explode on a well maneuvered topwater lure. This is also the time when the shallows are the coolest and when the bigger bass species feed heavily.

Choosing the correct spot to start your day includes looking for many variables. First on your list of priorities is look for an abundance of baitfish in places where bass can bunch up and feed. This is essential to schools of fish being in any particular spot.

During the summer, schools of bass bunch up on key locations or they follow schools of baitfish, often for weeks at a time, in their never ending search for something to eat. If there is evidence of baitfish, or you see bass busting shad schools, then your fishing the right location. The next issue is where? On Logan Martin Lake this question is pondered by many anglers each and every week.

First of all, find some dependable spots and they can produce all summer. This can be main lake flats, points, islands, creeks, small cuts and pockets or even around piers, boat houses and marinas. Fishing in or very near deep water is the key.

The reason being, schools of baitfish are forced out of the main lake current and seek refuge in these spots, usually holding out of the main lake current, in eddy areas. These are the shallows that you target at first light.

Water generation, cloudy days or the obvious appearance of several schools of baitfish, can extend this feeding period in the shallows on into late morning feeding sprees. Often inducing huge schools of bass to erupt on hapless prey in open water or in the shallows, near deep water.

Cooler water can be found and this will always have bass in much more active mood. Feeder creeks on Logan Martin can have water temperatures as much as 10 degrees cooler than other locations. Many creeks are spring fed and make ideal spots to fish throughout the summer.

Piers and boat houses display a lot of shade. Not only is it cooler beneath these man made structures, but they also make great ambush areas for largemouth and spotted bass.

Several bridges span the creeks and main lake. Fishing beneath these concrete structures is popular for crappie. Unknown to many anglers there are schools of bass that visit these spots regularly.

These bridge bass can be holding along pilings or found cruising the rip-rap rocks found lining the banks. When water is used to generate electricity at the dam, these spots are very good. The current created is funneled down to a smaller area where these bridges span the lake. Here the baitfish are sucked through the small passage and the bass are there feeding heavily on the passer-bys.

More shade can be found lakewide by choosing either the East side of the lake from dawn until about midday. Or an angler can fish the Western banks, that produce more shade as the day lingers on.

Checking water generation schedules can put an angler on the right place at the right time. Call 1-800-lakes-11. When the recording comes on, choose the number four on your phone. This takes you to the Coosa River Chain of Lakes.

You then have the option of getting lake levels (by choosing the number one) or water generation schedules. Press number two, to get the water generation schedule for upriver Neely Henry Lake Dam. It is also important to know what the schedule is for downriver Logan Martin Lake dam. Whether the water is on at either of these dams, creates current in the lake and creeks and this forces baitfish and bass to choose new locations.
 

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"

This Report provided by:
Reed Montgomery
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" Radio Talk Show
WJOX 690 AM
1805 28 Street
Birmingham, Alabama 35218
Phone (205) 787-5133
Owner / Reeds Guide Service
"Over 30 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"

alabassgyd@aol.com