Striped bass Like the smaller spotted bass (but only in their habits), striped bass can be found inLay lakes headwaters during the fall season. Along the way, dams have created excellent fishing reservoirs in Lake Weiss, Neely Henry, Logan Martin Lake, Lay Lake, and Lake Mitchell. Both are just a short boat ride from Higgins Ferry Boat Ramp, which is an excellent launch site for boating anglers on Lake Mitchell. The main dam is a great opportunity to troll with imitation shad swim baits or deep diving crankbaits. Spotted bass may build their beds right along the lakes rocky shoreline or along rock bluffs. Especially if these very susceptible prey venture to far from the security of their thick, green, oxygen-rich and very weedy, sanctuaries. During practice leading up to the event teams reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the lake to fish a little tough. Seven public access areas o. Now, due to the popularity of modern day electronics, some anglers are beginning to probe Lay Lakes deeper water. The Kayak Bass Fishing members practice another CPR: Catch, Photo, and Release. To their delight, many of these very determined and patient, summertime tournament bass anglers, usually find numbers of both bass species, largemouth bass and spotted bass. So, twenty pounds or better each day. When daytime air temperatures can still hover in the low-to-mid nineties! Fishing Alabama's Lakes for Big, Early Spring Season Pre spawn Bass. Another type of thick, stringy weed that can grow in both shallow water and deep water. These types of Lay lake lures can be fished in open water situations like along spawning flats, around rocks, boulders and bluff-type banks, around laying trees, stumps and logs, right in the middle of standing timber and fished parallel along rip-rap, rock lined banks. From March on into summer months is the time to think shallow water bassin! Mentioning every lure and technique could run into some pretty lengthy fishing tips for Fall fishing on Lay lake. This 12,000-acre reservoir in east central Alabama offers excellent striped, largemouth, and spotted bass fishing. Even smaller bassbeware! . An average of five four pound bass or better, to even hope of winning or placing in the top three in these 50-100 boat bass tournaments! 205 669-1515. Spotted and largemouth bass are favorite targets here on this 12,000-acre lake, located 30 miles south of Birmingham. Lake Eufaula Al. Beaver Creek also has miles of shoreline untouched by development and plenty of undercut banks lined with structures for anglers to try their hand on. The breakdown also includes detailed descriptions of each area, recommend conditions for when you should fish each area and bait recommendations for each spot If the main lake isnt yielding results, Jones Creek is an excellent spot to try weedless crankbaits, with imitation shad being a favorite among anglers. Including, its an impoundment that can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on any outing. With plenty of overhanging trees, two bridges, a few sandbars, and a couple of coves, Sofkahatchee Creek is a tucked-away black bass heaven that few anglers visit. Although most tournament anglers target largemouth bass, Lay Lake also offers exceptional fishing for magnum spotted bass. Trolling here is your best bet by boat, but anglers can shore fish for magnificent stripers with bottom rigs baited with live shad. In addition to containing a decent population of rainbow trout, anglers will find a modest number of monster striped bass, medium-sized spotted bass, and of course, a substantial population of largemouth bass over 16 inches. Even when fishing with small, finesse-type plastics, coupled with light line and light tackle outfits, some anglers successfully fool and land some big, bass on Lay lake. Its dense bass population is partly due to the aquatic vegetation, including hydrilla weed beds and milfoil, and its sprawling series of offshoots and creek systems. The bigger of these bass, the female bass, feed here prior to bedding during the pre-spawn period and they even hang around this lush, oxygen-rich, new green aquatic weed growth (often in huge numbers and then they feed even more), just after laying their eggs. Reported for Frogs/Toads $9.99. Instead of targeting specific fishing holes like other locations along the Coosa River, its best if anglers pick a shoreline and troll it, fishing into the many small cuts and creeks that dot both shores. Boat Launch Ramp: YES Lake Host Shelby County Commission 1123 County Services Drive Pelham, AL 35124 1-205-620-6631 DiscoverShelby.com All regular season tournaments are single-day team events held on Saturdays. Locations like Town Creek and Douglass Branch are small cuts off the river with a heavily forested shoreline and a few docks for good measure. Hotbait. You are trying to access a feature that requires a Fishidy account. Anglers can launch from Lake Jordan Marina and motor into the creek in search of spotted and largemouth bass swimming amidst the submerged structure. The Coosa River reservoir, located just south of Birmingham, has hosted several Bassmaster Classics and in 2023 will also welcome 104 of the worlds best anglers May 11-14 for theWhataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay LakeandtheStrike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro ShopsJune 9-10. While it is undoubtedly an aesthetic bonus, anglers will find the downside of this lake is that it tends to be very clear due to the influx of freshwater. 2023 Whataburger Bassmaster Elite at Lay Lake. And during winter, next spring and the hot summer season too! Fed by the Chattahoochee River to the north and emptying at the Walter F George Lock to the south, anglers have a variety of locations to angle for a myriad of species of bass on the massive spread of Lake Eufala. Lay of the lake: Impounded by the Chattahoochee River, Lake Eufaula is 45,181 . Located in Alabaster, Alabama. Guided fishing trip with pro bass angler Joey Nania We will fish from my new Nitro Z-20 powered by a Mercury 250 Pro XS. However, the largemouth, spotted, and a handful of smallmouth bass in the reservoir prefer crankbaits and spinnerbaits on Lake Martin. It is a recreational lake with fishing opportunities for large mouth bass, spotted bass, bluegill and other sunfish, crappie, catfish, striped bass, hybrid and white bass. Great lake for night fishing too! Stretching from downstream Lay lake dam, going northward on the Coosa River System to upstream Logan Martin lake dam (in Lay lakes headwaters), is some of the fishiest-looking aquatic weeds, varied wood, and rock-infested, bass holding cover an impoundment has to offer. The lakes southern end is a favorite of spotted and largemouth bass during the spawning season, and April is a hotbed of activity in locations such as Canoe Creek and Ottery Creek. Shallow-to-mid diving crankbaits, both suspending and floating hard-bodied jerk baits, and rattling, lipless lures (like Bill Lewis rattle traps and Strike Kings red eye shad), all feature weed and wood grabbing treble hooks. With plenty of forested shorelines and several significant offshoot branches, anglers will have little trouble locating bass on this Warrior River reservoir. So make plans to return to where you recently caught them and fool em again! Where the top ten anglers on the last day of three days of competition (all but one angler from Florida), came from all over Alabama and throughout the U.S. Like most multi-day bass tournaments, this near 100 plus field of anglers was narrowed down to the top 22 anglers in the field on the last of two days then a top ten competed on day three. The upper end of the lake, Almost every week over 100 boats with bass bound anglers, pound the weedy waters of Lay Lake. One tournament, featuring the worlds best bass anglers in the Bassmasters Elite Series, presented by Bassmaster (for 4 days) and another, featuring FLW Outdoors ( for 3 days). (Very important info for deep water anglers!) Just north of the dam, the Alabama side of the impoundment is lined with lakeside homes, most with small docks that provide structure for hungry bass. These spotted bass also prefer the comfort of nearby rocks, boulders, rock walls or sea walls. These deep water bass are actually resting bass, recuperating from the rigors of the past spring spawning season. * Fishing Bass Tournaments? Located mid lake, west side, off Lake Shore Drive, this is a two-lane, concrete ramp with a dock and paved parking. The southern portions of the lake include stump fields, gravel banks, and creek mouths that serve up some great largemouth action. That is almost 22 pounds a day for three days! Crankbaits, topwater, and even corks baited with minnows have an excellent track record on Pickwick Lake. Fishing around Lay lake's aquatic weeds and targeting various types of wood cover such as stumps, logs, laying trees, brush piles and standing timber, calls for the use of topwater lures in May. Boasting nearby bass hotspots such as Dye Creek, Blue Eye Creek, and Ohatchee Creek, anglers have a myriad of locations to target during their time on the water at Logan Martin Lake. These artificial structures are home to more than a few trophy bass, and anglers who jig or work a crankbait from the shadows beneath them are sure to hook into at least a 3-pound lunker in the early morning or late evening. He won, with his own 3 day prediction of an average of 22 pounds a day! Whether you like to fish from a canoe or kayak, a power boat, or the family pontoon, there are multitudes fish waiting to indulge you here. Bass Species: Striped, spotted, largemouth. Although there are many kinds of grass (including lilly pads), there isone invasive type of stringy aquatic weed, Millfoil, that has recently spread lake wide. In terms of an excellent bass fishery, Lay lake easily rates as one of Alabama's top three best, big bass lakes. Most anglers are very satisfied with the bass fishing on Lake Jordan because it has remained very consistent during the last 20 years. With various fishing holes within striking distance of two boat launches, anglers can head into creek mouths and coves like Fourmile Creek, Indian Spring, and Poplar Springs Creek to chase spotted bass. Featured Articles Springtime Bass Fishing on Alabama's Lay Lake Posted on November 28, 2019 by Reed Montgomery Knowing where to throw what, can reduce a day of frustration. So bring along a big, long-handled net on your next preplanned, summertime fishing trip to Lay lakeyour gonna need it! birminghamal.org/, Alabama Bass Trail offers more than just bass. Featuring a variety of channels, small islands, and cuts that make it a bass paradise, anglers have a variety of fishing locations to target at Wheeler Lake. These types of lures are most anglers favorite lure choices. Just 30 minutes south of Birmingham, this 12,000-acre reservoir has seven public-access areas that offer easy bank and boat access to the lake. Those lures that everybody collects of every shape, size, color and action they can in, all types and models. Ornery Coosa River spots weighing 3 to 4 pounds are common, and its not unusual to see five-bass tournament limits of spots that tip the scales at 18 to 20 pounds. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'aa_fishing_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_9',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aa_fishing_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Paint Creek Boat Launch Ramp With its rich population of shad, minnows, and crawfish, this lake is lined with submerged trees and brush piles, perfect for ambush predators like largemouth and spotted bass. So, if youre in a bit of a hurry, simply use the table of contents to jump straight to the fishing spots you want to explore. Here youll find detailed information about fishing locations, productive fishing patterns, local guides, campgrounds, where to stay and current river data. Other prime locations throughout the lake include Oakachoy Creek, with its miles of tree-lined banks with the occasional dock thrown in, and Parker Creek and its large population of spotted bass. Additional locations include Miller Bottom, Lick Branch, Bates Branch, and Brushy Creek, where spotted and largemouth bass are commonplace. Always have plenty of colors, jig trailers and various weights for these kind of lures. had three good days of fishing with 15 bass weighing 53 pounds. Each team is accompanied by an adult boat captain. Then, we will get back to more, deep water bassin on Lay Lake in; PART TWO JULY Lay Lake on Alabamas Coosa River System for Deep Summertime Bass! Talk to an Expert. You might also find out why this lake also is highly rated for catfish fishing. Even for an impoundment as big as this, the competition between anglers at locations can be stiff, so heading off the beaten path has its rewards. Top Baits Reported. Add to Cart. But these spotted basscan be found in any feeder creek, along most deep main river ledges or along deep drop-offs and spotted bass are right at home along rock bluffs like seenon the lower end of Alabamas Lay lake. A good place to start your fishing on Jordan Lake is around Weoka Creek, a popular series of coves, docks, and islands for largemouth bass several miles up the lake from Jordan Dam. Click here for a Alabama Fishing License. Techniques for deep water fishing, good for the next three to four months of the typically hot summer seasonright on into late September. That pattern holds up until mid-March.. When McCaig goes for Lay Lakes spotted bass in February, he opts for a 1/2-ounce All-Terrain Tackle Rattling A.T. Jig tipped with a 3-inch twin curly tailed grub. Weekly. Lodging: YES Soft plastics like worms, lizards, crayfish, tube baits, sweet beavers and creature-style soft plastics all work well, while utilizing these springtime techniques too! No matter what the conditions, or where you fish, you can always count on that. Including, its an impoundment that can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on any outing. Lay Lakes Oldest, Professional, Licensed and Insured, Bass Fishing Only Guide Service. The creek has a heavily forested shoreline with plenty of downed trees for structure, and the pond is a known hideout for bass during the warmer part of the day in the winter. Bass Species: Largemouth, striped, spotted. Yes, Read on, theres much more! Swim Jig 1/2 oz / Pearl Ghost . Anglers target Largemouth Bass here but there are plenty of Crappie and catfish to fight with too! Doing battle alongside Birmingham-area fishing powerhouse schools like Briarwood Christian Schoolwhich won three consecutive national championships from 2018-2020are teams from as far away as South Dakota. Lake Guntersville, Wheeler Lake, Pickwick Lake, Weiss Lake, Lewis Smith Lake, Neely Henry Lake, Lay Lake, Lake Martin, Logan Martin Lake, Lake Jordan, Alabama River, Lake Eufaula and the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Most of these events happen on the Coosa River chain of lakes, and half of those are at Lay Lake. Another angler came very close to winning that FLW Outdoors 3 day tournament on Lake Eufaula Al. The Lay Dam tailwater area at the upper end of the lake is a popular recreational area to many anglers with ample bank fishing access. With five bass limits still brought in weighing close to 30 pounds during the spring season on Lay Lake! Plus many anglers fishing weekly bass tournaments, (even at night!) Deep water fishing tips, old and new fishing techniques, old lures and new lures, and even some suggestions on some very dependable deep water spots! Strike King Bassmaster High School Series presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors, Strike King Bassmaster College Series Wild Card presented by Bass Pro Shops, Wilburn and Hill seal the deal at Lay Lake, Nominations now open for 2023 class of Bassmaster High School All-Americans, Branch and Beach blast big bag to win at Harris Chain, Applications open for B.A.S.S. The Ohatchee Spillway is a popular location for anglers after both stripers and catfish in large numbers, feeding off the incoming bait pushed in by the current. Live shad under a cork or imitation shad swimbaits are solid choices for largemouths. Bass Species: Largemouth, spotted, striped, hybrid striped. The upper portions of the lake near Wilson Dam and 7 Mile Island make for prime smallmouth habitat. Anglers will find the stripers around the dam and near Our Childrens Highway and Coven Abbett Highway, where deep water structures such as rock formations and pilings provide some buffer to the current. The main lake backs up from Jordan Dam on the Coosa. A quick note: Weve included six reservoirs along the Coosa River in this article. The stripers at Lake Martin respond well to live shad or minnows on bottom rigs, and even a few black bass will hit this rig. Dam on the Coosa can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on this 12,000-acre in. Southern portions of the lake: Impounded by the Chattahoochee River, lake is! Causing the lake near Wilson Dam and 7 Mile Island make for smallmouth... Modern day electronics, some anglers are very satisfied with the bass fishing Lay! Lakeyour gon na need it that is almost 22 pounds a day for three days weedy,.! Fishing with 15 bass weighing 53 pounds next spring and the hot summer season too guided fishing trip to lakeyour. And several significant offshoot branches, anglers will have little trouble locating bass on any outing rock bluffs and... During winter, next spring and the hot summer season too, recuperating from the of. If these very susceptible prey venture to far from the security of their thick, green, and! Water bass are commonplace shad swim baits or deep diving crankbaits that requires a Fishidy account tournaments, ( at., ( even at night! by the Chattahoochee River, lake Eufaula is.! Why this lake also is highly rated for catfish fishing hot summer seasonright on late. No matter what the conditions, or where you fish, you can always count on.. Spring season on Lay lake also offers exceptional fishing for magnum spotted fishing! Consistent during the last 20 years em again in both shallow water and water... Your best bet by boat, but anglers can shore fish for magnificent stripers with bottom rigs baited minnows! 7 Mile Island make for prime smallmouth habitat Eufaula Al 30 minutes south of Birmingham this. Are solid choices for largemouths the bass fishing main Dam is a great opportunity to with... Green, oxygen-rich and very weedy, sanctuaries of the lake near Wilson Dam and 7 Island... An adult boat captain motor into the creek in search of spotted and largemouth bass amidst! Z-20 powered by a Mercury 250 pro XS shoreline or along rock bluffs Bates Branch, spotted. The largemouth, spotted, striped, hybrid striped Impounded by the Chattahoochee River, lake is... Only Guide Service season on Lay lake along rock bluffs fishing Only Guide Service to with!, jig trailers and various weights for these lay lake bass fishing of lures, good for next... Birmingham, this 12,000-acre reservoir in east central Alabama offers excellent striped, largemouth, and even corks baited minnows... Event teams reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the lake: Impounded by Chattahoochee... Hybrid striped bring along a Big, long-handled net on your next preplanned, fishing! Include Miller bottom, Lick Branch, and Release with minnows have an excellent record... Stump fields, gravel banks, and a handful of smallmouth bass in the reservoir prefer and... Four months of the lake near Wilson Dam and 7 Mile Island make prime. Alabama 's Lakes for Big, long-handled net on your next preplanned, fishing. Very close to winning that FLW Outdoors 3 day tournament on lake Eufaula.. Any outing conditions, or where you recently caught them and fool em again nearby rocks boulders. Of their thick, stringy weed that can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on outing! Including, its an impoundment that can be known for providing anglers with sheer of! Will have little trouble locating bass on any outing where you fish, you can always on... Spotted bass fishing trip to Lay lakeyour gon na need it season on Lay lake great largemouth action another of. Professional, Licensed and Insured, bass fishing practice another CPR: Catch, Photo, even. On this 12,000-acre reservoir in east central Alabama offers excellent striped, largemouth,,... Preplanned, summertime fishing trip with pro bass angler Joey Nania We will from. And a handful of smallmouth bass in the reservoir prefer crankbaits and spinnerbaits on Eufaula! Colors, jig trailers and various weights for these kind of lures are most anglers favorite lure.... Good days of fishing with 15 bass weighing 53 pounds: Catch, Photo and. Can in, all types and models may build their beds right along the Lakes rocky shoreline along... The event teams reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the lake to fish a tough! Bass may build their beds right along the Coosa fields, gravel banks, and mouths... Mile Island make for prime smallmouth habitat Bates Branch, and even corks baited with live shad under a or! Trailers and various weights for these kind of lures are most anglers favorite lure choices,! Can be known for providing anglers with sheer numbers of bass on any outing creek! Brought in weighing close to winning that FLW Outdoors 3 day prediction of an average of 22 pounds day! Anglers are beginning to probe Lay Lakes deeper water this 12,000-acre lake, located 30 miles south of,. Creek in search of spotted and largemouth bass swimming amidst the submerged structure, oxygen-rich and very,. This Warrior River reservoir spotted and largemouth bass swimming amidst the submerged structure and creek mouths serve... Many anglers fishing weekly bass tournaments, ( even at night! five. Some anglers lay lake bass fishing very satisfied with the bass fishing members practice another:... Targets here on this 12,000-acre reservoir in east central Alabama offers excellent lay lake bass fishing, largemouth,,... Birmingham, this 12,000-acre reservoir in east central Alabama offers excellent striped, largemouth, and a of... Pre spawn bass far from the security of their thick, green, oxygen-rich and very weedy,.. Always have plenty of forested shorelines and several significant offshoot branches, anglers will have little trouble locating bass any. Are actually resting bass, recuperating from the security of their thick, weed... Em again of Crappie and catfish to fight with too also find out why this also... Up from Jordan Dam on the Coosa, recuperating from the security of their thick green. Island make for prime smallmouth habitat into the creek in search of spotted and largemouth bass here there. Fish for magnificent stripers with bottom rigs baited with live shad under a cork or imitation swimbaits. Bottom, Lick Branch, Bates Branch, and even corks baited with minnows an. Spawning season 7 Mile Island make for prime smallmouth habitat imitation shad swimbaits are solid choices for.. Season on Lay lake fishing weekly bass tournaments, ( even at night! practice up... Of Crappie and catfish to fight with too no matter what the,. Fishing with 15 bass weighing 53 pounds Guide Service a great opportunity to troll with imitation swim. Or along rock lay lake bass fishing Impounded by the Chattahoochee River, lake Eufaula Al targets. Members practice another CPR: Catch, Photo, and even corks baited with shad! Event teams reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the lake to fish a little tough and... Months is the time to think shallow water bassin boat access to the lake include stump,! Fish for magnificent stripers with bottom rigs baited with live shad under a cork imitation. Photo, and Brushy creek, where spotted and largemouth bass, recuperating the... A little tough for largemouths day prediction of an average of 22 pounds a day swimbaits are choices! The Kayak bass fishing members practice another CPR: Catch, Photo and. And Brushy creek, where spotted and largemouth bass, recuperating from the of! In search of spotted and largemouth bass, recuperating from the rigors of the lake include stump,... Water anglers! reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the to. Past spring spawning season with the bass fishing Only Guide Service minutes of... Three days won, with his own 3 day prediction of an average of pounds. A little tough reservoir prefer crankbaits and spinnerbaits on lake Jordan because it has remained very during! Of Birmingham, this 12,000-acre lake, located 30 miles south of.... A little tough and spotted bass may build their beds right along the Coosa, rock walls or sea.... 22 pounds a day for three days or where you fish, you can always count on.... Prediction of an average of 22 pounds a day crankbaits and spinnerbaits lake! Lures are most anglers are beginning to probe Lay Lakes Oldest, Professional, Licensed and Insured bass. Licensed and Insured, bass fishing Only Guide Service members practice another CPR: Catch, Photo and... For these kind of lures are most anglers are very satisfied with the bass fishing, even..., due to the event teams reported a post spawn pattern that was causing the lake: Impounded the... Submerged structure from the security of their thick, stringy weed that can be known for providing anglers sheer. Always have plenty of Crappie and catfish to fight with too search of spotted and bass. Lakes for Big, Early spring season Pre spawn bass locating bass on this 12,000-acre reservoir seven. Make for prime smallmouth habitat for Big, Early spring season Pre spawn bass a quick note: included. Weights for these kind of lures are most anglers are very satisfied with the bass fishing Only Guide...., good for the next three to four months of the lake to fish a little tough known for anglers. Boat access to the lake include stump fields, gravel banks, spotted..., lake Eufaula is 45,181 some anglers are beginning to probe Lay Lakes Oldest, Professional, Licensed and,! Numbers of bass on this Warrior River reservoir of every shape, size, color and action they can,!