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Winter Bass Fishing on Weiss Lake By Reed Montgomery

Alabama Discussion Board!

Weiss Lake Summer Fishing Tips By Reed Montgomery

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Lake Weiss Report Updated February 5, 2010

LAKE WEISS IS AT 2.18 FEET BELOW FULL POOL, VERY STAINED AND 44 DEGREES

For Reports On Other Area Lakes Please Visit www.havefunfishing.com

Now available for sale 50 of my proven GPS waypoints for off shore structure for Bass and Crappie fishing on Weiss Lake, Alabama !
For more info contact Ken Sturdivant at ken@havefunfishing.com

Jiffy Jigs Largest Crappie contest
Come fish with me and have a chance to win a 50.00 dollar prize sponsored by JIFFY JIGS
The largest Crappie caught in my boat each month in February and March will win the prize.
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Bass fishing is fair and a few largemouth are starting to be caught on secondary points on Rat L Traps and shallow running crank baits. The Spotted Bass are still active. The upper part of Little River and the Chattooga River is loaded with Spotted Bass and they will stay there thru the winter, any cover on deeper rocky banks is sure to be holding some Spots. They can be caught on a texas rigged 4 inch ZOOM dead ringer or a 5 inch Senko worm in Pumkin seed or Watermelon seed or junebug colors, a drop shot rig is also catching alot of spotted bass.

Crappie fishing is Fair and some good stringers of fish are starting to be caught trolling. Little Spring Creek is producing some good trolling action on 1/24th ounce Jiffy Jigs in colors JJ11, JJ12, JJ13, JJ15, JJ17, JJ24, www.jiffyjigs.com, Church House cove is also producing some crappie trolling these same jig colors in a 1/16 ounce. The Riverside area is also producing some fish trolling.

Striper fishing is fair and they have started their migration up the Chattooga River and the Coosa River, cut shad on the bottom on a carolina rig is a great way to catch these pre spawn fish.


Catfish are biting good and they are being caught in the flats in 6-10 feet of water on cut shad.

For your next visit to Weiss Lake I Recommend
Chesnut Bay Resort on World Famous Weiss Lake Alabama
www.chesnutbayresort.com 256-526-7778
This brand new resort on the banks of beautiful Yellow Creek has everything for the fisherman and family.
Offering private Villa's on and off the water from 2 bedrooms to 6 bedrooms fully furnished with washers and dryer's, leather furniture, big screen Televisions, hardwood and tile floors, all in a private gated community with a in ground swimming pool. The Chalet's on the water have private boat docks with power. The resort also has a private boat ramp for your convenience, with plenty of amenities for the non fisherman it offers something for everyone !
Come stay at Chesnut Bay Resort, Weiss Lakes most exclusive resort at a very reasonable price !


All Pro Rods
APX Series www.allprorods.com
The Finest Fishing Rods Available Today !


Gizz 4 and Gizz 3 crank bait by SMACK TACKLE
www.smacktackle.com !

JIFFY JIGS
www.jiffyjigs.com
Catch your limit in a jiffy with JIFFY JIGS !

Marks outdoor Sports
For all your outdoor needs please visit Marks Outdoors Sports in Birmingham Alabama. The most complete sporting goods store in Alabama ! www.marksoutdoors.com


Driftmaster
Fishing Rod Holders and Accessories
The Right Equipment to Catch More Fish !
www.driftmaster.com

www.stripertackle.net
For all the best deals on striper tackle


For the fishing trip of a life time, come fish with me on Weiss Lake, Alabama The Crappie Capital of the World and Striper Capital of the South !

NO FISH NO PAY !

NO FISH NO PAY !
Thank you and have fun fishing.
Mark Collins Guide Service
Mark Collins
256-779-3387 H

www.markcollinsguideservice.com
mark@markcollinsguideservice.com


Report By Reed Montgomery       Fall Report / Winter Report / Spring

Lake level (Late Feb) 3 feet down (Usually Full pool by mid April.)
Water Temperature (Late Feb) mid-50's
Water Temps / March mid-60's
Water Temps / April-May mid-to-upper 70's

SPRING ON WEISS LAKE

Like most Alabama impoundments Weiss lake has been down mostly due to drought. Although traditionally the lake is lowered each fall season for winter pool, it was already down for summer and fall of last year. If we continue to get rain (like seen earlier this year), the lake should be returned to full pool by mid April. Each month during the spawning season the lake and its inhabitants such as the Coosa River spotted bass and largemouth bass go through some changes.

March / Pre spawn Bass
Like many lakes in Alabama Weiss lake will still be down from 3-5 feet below normal, full pool levels until mid April. March is the time for prespawn bass to begin their travels towards shallow water spawning grounds. Upper Weiss lake can be downright muddy from the heavy rains of March, creating a run-off or stained-to-muddy water look coming out of Georgia, Weiss lakes Coosa River headwaters.

Not only can heavy rain muddy the lakes headwaters, but Weiss lakes major feeder creeks can become downright muddy as well during the early spring season. Even Weiss lakes two major river systems, the Chatooga River and the Little River, that meet at mid lake, can be affected by this constant rain run-off. Of these two rivers the Little River System always clears up first. So keep this is mind if fishing these areas for bass in early spring. Or you can head down the lake for more clearer water conditions.

Although March can display a very heavily stained look to the water clarity, its a sure fact that Weiss lake's upriver flats and its many small cuts and pockets, places that feature off colored water, does heat up a lot faster than deep, clear water - like seen on the mid to lower lake. So if you are fishing either portion of the lake, a switch to another boat launch or a ride up or down the lake, can prove to be a very good game plan during these adverse conditions.

During March a search for these bass along main lake points, around islands, rock bluffs, flats, rip-rap lined rocky banks and around bridges and causeways are places to explore. Drop-offs, ledges and even fishing submerged ridges, humps and sand bars are other attractive spots for Weiss lake's big, prespawn bass.

By the end of March most spotted bass and largemouth bass can be found shallow, or very near shallow water, usually they are in less than 5 feet of water, getting ready to find a mate and beginning their bed making duties. This means these bass are very susceptible to a whole range of lures, those fished from top to bottom. As waters warm close to 70 degrees, these male and female bass will move towards the shallow spawning grounds in early April.

April / Spawning Bass
By April many changes take place on Weiss Lake. For one, the lake should be on the rise and by mid-to-late April it can be back to full pool. As lake levels rise, so do the bass, right into very shallow water ranging from 1-2 feet deep. Water temperature is very important for the spawn. So is the moon faze. Usually around the full moon of March or even as late as April's full moon, the majority of Weiss lake's bass will be bedding. Its all according to the weather.

Although weather conditions stabilize in April and the weather always gets better as May approaches, cold fronts can stall the spawning activities of these bass. Water temperatures have to be around 70-72 degrees and stable and the lake level stable as well. Weather conditions warming each day, will show beds in the shallows and most male and female bass bedding.

April also shows new aquatic weed growth in the shallows of Weiss lake. Early April these new growing weeds are thin and sparse in some areas. But the adept anglers concentrating their efforts while fishing around the greenest weeds available, can often get in on an early spring, "big bass bite" that other anglers fail to discover. Look for the clearest water, the warmest water and above all the most baitfish infested waters available, around any new growing aquatic weeds for consistent success.

May / Post Spawn Bass
Topwater time! Yes, its been said May is an excellent time to be fishing Weiss lake with lures retrieved across the waters surface. Post spawn bass can get very hungry after the rigors of the spring spawn. Some of these bass have not eaten in weeks and they will blast an obvious, easy looking meal struggling on the waters surface. Topwater lures like buzzbaits, walking type topwaters like zara spooks and popping topwaters or prop bait lures, can get the job done. Spinnerbaits are excellent shallow water lures in and around wood and weed cover.

So as you can see there is actually three phases for targeting these bass of spring. Prespawn bass are predictable and can bunch up in the aforementioned areas. Spawning bass can be tough to get to bite, but keep in mind, not all bass bed at the same time. Post spawn bass can be anywhere as waters begin to warm and they start hanging around shady places like piers and boat houses. They also seek out current in the backs of creeks on the main lake and in the lakes headwaters just before summer sets in

Thanks and Good Fishin'
 

Winter Report for Weiss Lake
Lake level: down (winter pool) 5 feet

Weiss Lake is the first of six impoundments on Alabama's Coosa River System. Its headwaters (the origin of the Coosa River System) begin in the northwest section of Georgia. The lower portion of Weiss Lake has two dams. Weiss Lake dam and the lakes power pool dam both drain the lake into Neely Henry Lake downstream. Weiss Lake is a huge, 30,200 acre lake with over 447 miles of shoreline. From the lakes headwaters at the Georgia state line to Weiss Lake dam is 34 nautical miles. The lake is 47 years old.

Anglers visiting Weiss lake have three species of bass to target. Largemouth bass, many of which weigh over 10 pounds have been taken in recent years. It is not uncommon in the spring to see it take 5 bass weighing over 20 pounds to win any major bass tournament. Weiss Lake also has a good population of Coosa River spotted bass, a fighting adversary in any anglers book. Striped bass, many weighing in excess of 30 pounds have been taken on Weiss Lake recently. Weiss Lake is also herald as the " Crappie Capitol of the World," and most anglers will agree after a trip to the lake to sample some of its fine paper mouth crappie. Some crappie weighing over 4 pounds have been taken in recent years.

Drought this past summer season showed Weiss Lake displaying lower lake levels than ever been in summer's past. This low water lake level has now existed since late spring, drastically slowing the lakes aquatic weed growth, some weeds of which just withered and died in the 100 degree hot, summer sun. Even during the fall season very little rain showed the lake still down several feet and little or no weed growth.

Like any Alabama lake that displays lower than normal lake levels, navigation can be very hazardous for boaters. With the lake currently down 5 feet extreme caution should be exercised especially when navigating away from the well marked river channel or the lakes many creek channels. The lake has a lot of stumps left here during impoundment, including other wood debris such as laying trees or floating logs. It also has rock piles, most of which are normally submerged during full pool, but now visible or a boating hazard, just beneath the waters surface.

Traditionally, during the winter season most anglers targeting the lake's largemouth and spotted bass species avoid fishing the lakes headwaters. With good reason too. The lakes headwaters can display clear to lightly stained water clarity one day and be downright muddy, often just a few days later following winter's heavy rains. Current is increased in these narrow, lake headwaters and winter's very cold days and nights can drop the water temperatures into the 40's. Cold, muddy water is the worst condition an angler can face during the winter months.

Again, there is boat navigation. There have been many boats damaged and lower units on outboard motors destroyed by inexperienced anglers attempting to navigate these lake headwaters during low water conditions. So to avoid these mishaps and many other problems associated with fishing or navigating Weiss lakes headwaters, most anglers just stick with fishing and learning to navigate the boat in the lakes mid to lower portion.

Fishing Weiss lakes mid to lower section during the winter months involves many tactics, various types of lures, precise lure presentations and having plenty of fishing holes located near deep water. Spring creek and Cowan creek, both of which are situated in Yancey's bend just above the Hwy. 68 causeway crossing are good places to target throughout the winter months for both largemouth bass and spotted bass. The mouths of both of these creeks have deep water drop-offs, the points leading into these creeks are lined with stumps and this area in a main river channel bend always displays plenty of washed in wood debris. There are resident planted brush piles under piers, out in front of piers and along creek flats and main lake flats, all of which are now visible with the lake down 5 feet for winter pool.

Stained water in this portion of the lake heats up faster than the much clearer water found downstream. This means much more active bass in shallow water during the midday to late evening period. Just below the Hwy. 68 crossing at mid lake there are two rivers that feed Weiss lake. Both of these rivers are a main influx of incoming waters, but these are two totally different feeder rivers during the winter months.

If your looking for big, largemouth bass, generally stained water conditions, plenty of wood cover and warmer water during the winter months - then the Chattooga River may be your choice. The mouth of the Chattooga River joins the Little River on the main lake near massive, Hog Island. Then the Chattooga River twists and turns along a marked main channel bordering a river flat, before it narrows down, flowing under a new Hwy. 68 bridge lined with rip-rap rocks. This bridge is another portion of Hwy 68 coming north out of the nearby town of Cedar Bluff.

From this Hwy. 68 bridge crossing keeping the boat at idle speed and your motor trimmed up is highly suggested. Study your map and proceed with caution. From here on up in the Chattooga River (that runs another 3-4 miles with a twisting and turning river channel), are still good, wintertime depths of 10 feet deep or deeper. Some deep winter holes, even with the lake down 5 feet, can often show more than one big bass taking up residence here for winter. You will see marked, PVC poles, wooden stakes or even steel re-barb protruding from the waters surface, showing marked underwater stumps and river channel edges. There are also deep outside river bends, and plenty of wood cover such as laying logs, log jams, trees and resident planted brush piles for anglers to probe for largemouth bass all throughout the winter season.

Another main lake feeder at mid lake is the Little River. It is totally different than the shallow, wood laden waters of the Chattooga River. For one thing, its water clarity. With this past summer's drought, not much rain during the fall season, and then little rain during the early winter months, this portion of the lake has become quite clear. Besides normally, clear water conditions during the winter months, the Little River is a cool, flowing river generally displaying colder water than the incoming Chattooga River or the main lake itself.

But these can be good, wintertime conditions for anglers seeking those trophy sized spotted bass and some big, striped bass. The Little River joins the Chattooga River just behind Hog Island. Navigating a marked river channel, you will see a twisting and turning Little River channel that lines a rocky, bluff type bank. From here on up another mile or so is a stump lined flat with laying logs, trees and stumps and a few piers close to deep water. Rock bluffs are clearly visible (as you idle your boat) in the far back end of the Little River flats. These bluffs are the last deep water in the Little River area during low winter pool.

Besides the lake's headwaters, incoming feeder creeks and these two feeder rivers... there are still plenty more places for bass anglers to explore on the Weiss Lake this winter season.
But always keep in mind, even with the lakes deepest water available on the lower lake region, navigating the boat with caution is advised.

Rip-rap rocks are found all along Weiss Lakes main lake bridges, its many rock lined causeways and all along the lakes lower dams. These rocks heat up during the sunny, winter days and they can hold bass of all species all throughout the winter months. The lakes power pool is like a small lake all in itself. During winter warming trends, several consecutive warm days and nights can show this water heat up fast, creating some fast, but short time wintertime bass action.

Want to learn more about fishing and navigating Weiss Lake this winter season? Or fishing any other Alabama lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
" Over forty years guiding and exploring every lake in Alabama." Several boats and qualified guides available year round for multiple parties and corporate guided trips to any lake in Alabama.Tournament anglers welcome.

WEISS LAKE
Weiss Lake Fall Fishing Tips

Normally, you will be hearing about the lowering of Weiss Lake for winter pool as fall approaches. But just like last year at this time, another summer season drought had the lake already down for winter pool. Weiss Lake was unseasonably low this past summer season. Just how low? Mid August showed the lake down five feet. This set some summertime low water records, for never has this lake been this low during the summer season. So how has this changed the bass fishing during the fall period? Tremendously.

In the past under normal, full pool, early fall conditions these Weiss Lake bass are usually heading for the weedy shallows of this lake. Usually, these bass have related to shallow water aquatic weeds, wood cover and rock cover all summer long. They have buried up in the ever growing weeds all summer long and many bass refuse to leave the security of their oxygen rich aquatic weed homes, even as the lakes waters begin to cool.

So like the bass (looking for an easy meal), bass anglers too have to eliminate the aquatic weeds in their search for this ever elusive quarry. This means targeting places they hang around otherwise. For no matter what the conditions these bass have got to eat.

Weiss Lakes Headwaters

The Lakes headwaters begins the slow meandering journey of this first of six lakes situated on the Coosa River System. Weiss Lake was impounded in 1961 backing up the waters of the original Coosa River System. Places like Mcgee bend, Fosters bend and Morton bend are actually located in the lakes headwaters, that stretch far into northwestern Georgia. So are some of the lakes major feeder creeks like Cedar Creek, King Creek and Mount Hope Creek. Many of these creeks (at normal full pool levels) usually feature water depths of less than five feet. Most, (but Cedar creek) have actually been high and dry with the past summer drought.

Many Alabama anglers never even venture this far into Weiss Lakes headwaters. There is a lot to fish from Weiss Lakes headwaters on the Alabama / Georgia State lines, without going any further up the lake. Besides, with unseasonably low lake levels this past summer season many anglers just navigated their boats into much safer waters, places with marked river channel buoys and much safer places with deep water found nearby. Mid lake on Weiss Lake during low water is considered safer for navigation.

From the Alabama / Georgia State lines to the lakes lower Weiss Lake dam is a lot of water for anglers to fish this fall season. Low water concentrates bass and baitfish, showing the lakes headwaters actually narrowed down to just an old, original river channel. This means fishing the mouths of creeks and small pockets, islands and main lake points located in the lakes headwaters, can all position an angler in some places bass are now crowded into, places other anglers avoid.

Weiss Lake Mid Lake
Mid Lake is considered some of the lakes best fishing during the fall period. This can be fishing the mouths of smaller feeder creeks like Ballplay Creek, Mud Creek and Three Mile creek, creeks mostly dry with flats exposed during lake drawdown. There are deeper creeks with navigable waters. Creeks like Spring creek and Cowan creek are located above the Hwy. 68 causeway crossing and they house schools of bass holding around piers, boat houses, marinas and wood cover like stumps, laying trees and resident planted brushpiles.

Rocky points, man made rip-rap rocks lining causeways and bridges are also good locations for finding bass this fall season on Weiss Lake. Besides major feeder creeks there is a lot to explore in the lakes mid section this fall season. Above the Hwy. 68 crossing Yanceys bend, Pruett's Island and Godfrey's Island are good shallow water flats near deep water drop-offs that hold bass year round.

Evident schools of baitfish and bass busting on top calls for numbers of lure selections when waters begin to cool in early fall. Topwater lures should always be tried on every location during fall's early mornings, late evenings or often all day if cloudy or raining. Lures like zara spooks, buzzbaits, prop baits and popping type topwaters are good choices. Also try spinnerbaits, crankbaits and lipless lures like rattletraps, for these schooling bass.

Jigging spoons under these schooling bass seen on top, can show a good chance for an astute angler to fool some of the lakes bigger, more lazy bass. These over sized largemouth bass are usually feeding and holding down below the smaller schooling bass that are seen feeding on top. They are picking off the injured or dying baitfish that look like jigging spoons fluttering down below. Tailspinners, curly tail grubs or shad imitations fished on jig heads, blade baits or inline spinners are also good lure choices for schooling activity.

Both hard bodied jerkbaits and soft jerkbaits are excellent lure choices, including suspending hard bodied jerkbaits and shallow to mid running crankbaits in colors of white, chrome or shad patterns.

Experiment with your lure choice. Have several rods already rigged and ready to fish, with various types of lures. On every outing to Weiss Lake these bass will hit a certain lure. One certain lure they will hit, one that can display a certain action, shape, color or size they may like better than other lures. The only way to discover the days preference is to offer these bass many lures choices when they are actively feeding and foolishly attacking these baitfish schools during the fall and early winter period.

* A word of caution! Stay within the red and green channel markers when navigating Weiss Lake at low pool. There are many boating accidents every year when this lake is low. Venturing out of the main river channel can show an angler quickly navigating away from the buoys, through some very dangerous waters, often in 1-2 feet of stump filled waters left here during impoundment when stump flats were cleared. Laying logs and other obstructions (like rock piles) are visible or just beneath the waters surface. Use extreme caution this fall and winter season when boating on Weiss Lake.

Weiss Lake Lower Lake
An area starting at the Hwy. 68 causeway crossing, all the way to the Weiss Lake dam is considered lower lake fishing. There are two major rivers that feed the lake here. The Little River and the Chatuga River. Buffington's Island and Hog Island are where both of these major incoming suppliers of fresh and cool river waters, join together and form main lake waters with the Coosa River channel. Any time you have three major river systems join together -- it is a fish gathering spot year round.

There is also plenty of fish holding cover to explore in these two incoming rivers. In addition both rivers feature piers, boat houses, stump flats, small islands and main lake points. During impoundment left here were underwater ponds (and now submerged lakes) that can be found with map study, including old house foundations and roadbeds now submerged.

With low water there is now plenty of evident flats loaded with laying logs, fallen trees, stumps, brush piles and other wood cover. This including rock cover bass relate to as well. Like man made rip-rap rocks (for erosion) and natural banks featuring rock piles and boulders, all seen during low water.

Hazard buoys are placed lake wide marking shallow stumps, rock piles and other dangerous areas, but still anglers should practice navigating their boat with extreme caution. Use your boats electronics and idle along watching your depth finder when out of the marked red and green buoys on the main river channel or deeper creek channels.

From the main lake at Hog Island to about half way up in these two main feeder rivers, is all a first time angler should safely attempt to run the boat during low pool. Besides being able to spend an entire day in the incoming Little River and Chatuga Rivers there is a whole lot more for fall anglers to explore this fall and early winter seasons.

Yellow Creek Falls, Big Nose Creek and Little Nose Creek and many unnamed coves, small pockets adorn the lower lake all the way to Weiss Lake dam. Great places to fish this fall that are usually loaded with schools of baitfish and feeding bass.

Unknown to many anglers there is also a power house pool located through a small canal leading from Weiss Lake dam downstream to the Weiss Lake dam powerhouse. This is small lake in itself and often it gets loaded with baitfish that are funneled down through the connecting canal. Baitfish that cannot escape the feeding activity of both Coosa River spotted bass, largemouth bass and striped bass that are found here in the fall and early winter seasons.

Explore massive, Weiss Lake this fall season, but like said, "with caution," first timers especially. It is a great time to bring along a camera, hand held GPS and a map, to mark and reference shallow water places that will be flooded again in the spring.

Or call on Reeds Guide Service...first! Exploring and fishing all of Weiss Lake for over 40 years.

Visit Weiss Lake this spring or call Reeds Guide Service
 (205) 787-5133.
 This report provided by;
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery
Sunday Mornings 9-10 A.M.Central Time
Radio Station WJOX 690 AM Birmingham, Alabama
Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
"Over 30 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
 
    
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