Gunthersville Lake

Hot weather means hot bass fishing, both day and night, on Alabama's largest reservoir, Guntersville Lake. Impounded in 1939, this 39,100 acre Lake, near the town of Guntersville, has survived the fishing pressure, so many other Alabama Lakes suffer. It also has a feature most Alabama Lakes lack, Big Bass.

Being labeled, "The Best Big Bass Lake in the South," deserves credit. This is due in part to the many varieties of aquatic weeds, moss, milfoil and hydrilla found lake wide. These various weed types are found throughout the entire 82 navigable miles of Guntersville Lake, growing in depths from one to twenty feet deep.

When combined with deep river ledges and stumps, main lake flats, piers and boat houses, and man made rip-rap rocks, each of these weedy types, can play a huge roll in an anglers decision on where to fish this summer. Knowing where to go and what to throw, is the ticket to an anglers fishing success and on Guntersville Lake, this couldn't hold more truth.

Guntersville Lake is noted for its sheer numbers of big, largemouth bass. Proof of that was evident this past spring season, as many trophy bass exceeding 10 pounds (some as heavy as 15 pounds), were caught. Here are some summertime bass fishing tips, locations and lure suggestions, for finding and catching these monster largemouth bass, when the daytime highs approach the 100 degree mark this Summer.

DAYTIME BASS FISHING GUNTERSVILLE LAKE

Although the sweltering heat can soar to 100 degrees by mid summer, the fishing can be surprisingly good, even in shallow water. Many of Guntersville's resident largemouth bass, live out their lives, in water depths less than 5 feet deep. With so much aquatic weed cover found at this depth, there are literally hundreds of bass hidden beneath the thick canopy of milfoil grass. This stringy-type, oxygen-producing, aquatic weed, is found growing in the shallows of Guntersville Lake, throughout the summer season. However, there are just as many bass found in deeper, offshore structure as well.

Targeting the shallow growing milfoil, calls for the use of very weedless lures. The results are more bass in the boat, less frustration snagging weeds, less hanging up or having to retrieve hung lures. Two types of very weedless model lures, made popular on Guntersville Lake, still fool huge largemouth's throughout the hot, summer months. Frog and rat imitations, are excellent lure choices for fooling the largemouth bass, hidden within these thick, aquatic weeds.

The "Scum Frog and Bassin' Rat," previously made by Southern Lure Company and now acquired and manufactured by Zetabait Lure Company, come in various shapes, colors and sizes. Featuring two upturned hooks, held snugly against the lures soft, rubber body, these very weedless lures can be cast far back into the seemingly, impenetrable milfoil weeds. Huge bass blast through the weeds, often knocking these frog and rat imitations a few feet in the air. Strikes are not for the faint hearted

Enticing these shallow dwelling bass to hit is not all that difficult, even in one foot of water on a hot, upper 90 degree Summer day. Hooking these bass and then getting the bass in the boat, is often the disturbing problem, even after successfully fooling these bass into striking. This calls for the use of stout rods, dependable reels and strong, monofilament fishing line in the 17-20 pound test.

It also means paying close attention to each and every cast, to avoid missed strikes, so common when fishing these weedless topwaters. A one-two count, must be employed on every blowup, before setting the hook, in order to give the bass a chance to swallow the lure. The results are a better hook up and to the anglers delight, more fish in the boat.

These rubber bodied lures come in small, medium and large sizes. Every occasion deserves a few casts with each model, to determine each days selection. There are times when the bass prefer certain sizes. Its always good (as with any lure choice) to have several sizes, lure types, various models and color choices in your tackle box.

Colors are a matter of preference for most anglers. Again, just like lure shapes and sizes, there are times when certain colors out produce others. Whether you fish a frog or rat imitation this summer, white is always a productive color choice. The white colored frog has a matching chartreuse and white skirt. Other popular colors are chartreuse, green, lime, black, brown, pumpkinseed and a new camouflage (green and white) color.

Just like the shade found beneath the thick canopy of shallow growing milfoil, the bass of Guntersville Lake find refuge in shallow water throughout the summer months around shade producing trees, overhanging bushes, piers, boat houses, marinas and boat slips. The same lures, fished in milfoil, will work here.

Fishing the milfoil and hydrilla weeds calls for lures that will penetrate the thick canopy and drop down below the weeds. Gene Larew's new, "4.5 inch Mega Ring Tube" baits, coupled with jig heads or bullet weights, in the three quarters to one ounce (or heavier) category, may be needed to penetrate these thick weeds. Or anglers can target small holes and lanes within these weeds, when utilizing casting, flipping or pitching techniques. Colors of Black Shad, Huckleberry, Salt & Pepper and Sour Grape, are popular color choices among Guntersville's bass.

The same lures and stealthy approach goes for Guntersville's man made structures as well. Boat houses, marinas and piers, exhibit a tremendous amount of fish attracting shade during the day. Bass will get far up under these man made structures, seeking the comfort of cooler water and the security of dark, shady areas. Feeding on hapless baitfish and bream.

Getting a lure into tight, difficult-to-target spots (places other anglers pass up), often results in extra strikes, strikes other anglers fail to entice. Besides the popular, Gene Larew "Mega Ring Tube" baits, there are also many other lure choices in their soft plastic lure line up. (See: www.GENELAREW.com)

If its the bigger bass species an angler is targeting, then bigger bass offerings may be needed. The Gene Larew 7.5 inch, "Mega Ring Snake," has a ringed body and a long, trailing tail. There is also the Gene Larew, "Hoodaddy Lure" that Darrell Robinson used to win the 1999 FLW Classic.

Both of these lures come in an array of colors. Popular choices are, Black Blue, Black Neon, Pumpkin Pepper Green, Red Shad, and Pumpkinseed. Whether an angler fishes weeds, piers or boat houses, going to an even bigger worm, may get the attention of bass that have seen to many smaller, soft plastic lures.

This "big meal" approach can call for the selection of Gene Larew's 8 inch, "Hook Tail" worm, their 10.5 inch, "Big Daddy" worm, or their 11 inch, "Salty Snake" worm. Lizards are also good on Guntersville Lake bass and Gene Larew's 7.5 inch, "Komodo Lizards" are a good choice for enticing the bigger bass species of this huge impoundment.

Besides fishing the obvious weeds and piers of massive, Guntersville Lake, there are literally hundreds of deep water choices, hidden below, for the avid bass angler to discover. All that's involved is some map study, floating buoy markers, perhaps a GPS unit to help in returning to these offshore honey holes and the use of your boats electronics.

Probing these hidden, underwater hangouts, often reveals schools of huge, unmolested bass. Hundreds of bass are often attracted to the same spots, featuring the same ideal conditions during summer. Gathering around deep water humps, submerged islands, bars, ledges, drop-offs and channel breaks, many of these deep water bass find all they need, often hidden from man.

Here they can safely exist and survive the challenges of the hot, summer days. Food is in abundance, with schools of baitfish and bottom-dwelling crayfish, providing a tremendous amount of nutrition. Current is constant, including cooler water found in these Lake depths. These darker depths also help shield their eyes from the bright rays of the Summer sun. Oxygenated water, cover and refuge from man, are also found in these offshore depths.

Most bass remain here until caught. Or they can be influenced to move, when following schools of shad or baitfish. Some bass may move closer to the surface, but still remain in deep water. They can be found shallow on cloudy days, early in the morning, late in the evening, at night or when the changing conditions of the Fall period, forces them to move shallow, near the banks.

Guntersville Lake bass can inhabit these places (spots many anglers never even disturb except for passing overhead in their boats) gathering around distinct, untapped bottom irregularities. Most are found in offshore depths of 10 to 20 feet deep, but some can be found even deeper.

This deep water approach calls for the use of long rods in lengths of 6 to 7 feet, wide spooled reels (capable of holding an abundance of monofilament line) and various bottom probing lures. Jig combos and Texas or Carolina-rigged plastics such as worms, lizards, crayfish and grubs, are excellent choices for probing the deep waters of Guntersville Lake.

Anglers utilizing long casts and employing the use of these lures, combined with deep diving crankbaits, big 3/4 of an ounce rattling, lipless lures, or deep diving jerkbaits, can find at least a dozen or more underwater spots, dependable for a few good bites, all summer season. Here are some of my favorite crankbaits, that have fooled Guntersville Lake's Largemouth bass, some exceeding 10 pounds.

Bagley's lures are back, and their DB-3 deep diving balsa crankbaits, have always been a good choice. Tennessee Shad, Bream, Crayfish, Firetiger and most shad look-a-likes are best colors. Norman's DD-22 crankbaits in Chartreuse / blue back, are the choice of many successful tournament anglers on this lake. Chartreuse/blue back, Firetiger, Pearl/pink belly, Chartreuse, Chrome/black back and Chrome/blue back, are all good choices for these Norman deep divers. Excalibur's Fat Free Shad in colors of Pearl/green back, Chartreuse/lime back, Pearl/pink belly and Chrome/blue back, are all good selections.

Rattling, lipless lures, such as Cordell's Rattling' Spot, in sizes of one half ounce and three quarters of an ounce, cover a lot of deep water, fast. They can be slow rolled, retrieved fast just beneath the water's surface, or dropped down deep on bottom. Colors of Rayburn Red, Chrome/blue back, Crome/black back, Gold /black back, and lime or chartreuse, are just a few of the dozens of color choices offered. The Bill Lewis (namesake made famous), "Rattle Trap" and Rapala's, "Rattlin' Rap" are also offered in these and other original colors. Most models come in one half to three quarters of an ounce sizes. Going deeper calls for deeper divers. Mann's 15 plus, 20 plus and their 30 plus series crankbaits, get down extra deep on 12 to 14 pound test line. Bream (Yello/brown back), Chrome /blue back, Chartreuse /black back, Firetiger, gray ghost (shad color) and any crayfish color, are all good choices.

NIGHTTIME BASS FISHING GUNTERSVILLE LAKE

Fishing Guntersville Lake after the sun goes down, calls for the use of many, many lures. The aforementioned frog and rats, should be tried, anytime, anywhere there are weeds. Darker lure colors of black, brown and green, can be better seen by the bass, when looking up against a moon lit sky.

Including rattles and lure scents, may help increase the amount of bites and aid the bass in finding these rubber-bodied lures. Choosing darker colored lures at night is always a good habit, whether fishing on top or bottom. Darker colored worms, jig combos, lizards, tube baits, various crayfish imitations, spinnerbaits, topwaters and even crankbaits, have proven to be successful on Guntersville's bass. At night, bigger is better, when it comes to lure selection.

When fishing for bass at night, always target the moon lit areas, or on darker, moon less nights, fish around well lighted areas. This can mean casting various offerings all around (and far up under) piers, boat houses, marinas, causeways, bridges and along banks situated near well lighted highways.

These are a few of the many ways, and just some, of the hundreds of lures available for anglers to choose and experiment with. You never know what its going to take to fool these lure accustomed, behemoth-sized bass.

Whether your fishing, during the day, or at night, on Alabama's biggest, man made reservoir always keep in mind, "Any cast you can be hero." Always use stout equipment, sharpen or replace worn out hooks, bring along a good net man and always have a big, long handled net handy. Your gonna need it! You might just catch the fish of a lifetime on, "Alabama's Best, Big Bass Lake," Guntersville Lake.