Coosa River / Lay Lake

By Reed Montgomery
Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com

October 29, 2011

Lake level: Full pool
Water Temperature: Mornings low 60's / Evenings upper 60's.
Water Clarity: Clear
Air Temperature: High Saturday 63 / Low 40
Predicted Weather: Sunny, high pressure conditions and colder this weekend

TWO LAKES FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS - LAY LAKE AND LOGAN MARTIN LAKE - AND SCHOOLING SPOTTED BASS AND LARGEMOUTH BASS!

For the last two weeks I've visited both Logan Martin Lake and Lay Lake three times each, while taking clients of my guide service Reeds Guide Service, fishing for spotted bass, largemouth bass and even some big, very big, and often very unexpected, striped bass!

Some visitors to these lakes (and other Alabama lakes) were just taking a few days off, like while here for the recent Talladega Races and enjoying the excellent weather in the mid-70's while fishing with me throughout both of these lakes (each lake about 50 miles in length), each lake located within 40 miles of nearby Birmingham, Al.

But on Lay lake its been Championship time! End-of-year one day and two day club championships, bass tournament trail championships and many trips to Lay lake with some local bass anglers, lake residents and local tournament anglers (and I even went back, just fishing, myself a few times) and I must say...the bass are bustin'! 

Schooling bass are in most of Lay lake's many dozens of major feeder creeks. But do not overlook main lake flats, around islands, the mouths of creeks and especially any wind blown tributary, or small cut, or pocket. The real key is finding the bait fish. Both largemouth bass and spotted bass are really schooling up together and now feeding heavily in these type of places and they can come up busting on top at any time! Some of these schoolies are often real close to the boat when they surface. So, be ready!

The strong winds may hamper your fishing for these schooling bass on some days, so casting oversized lures, with long 6-7 foot rods may be needed to get a really good cast in, hopefully without one of those dreaded open-faced reel back lashes! Monofilament line or fluorocarbon line in the 14-15 pound test is best for getting distance and getting a good hook set on some of the bigger, Lay lake schooling bass.

Although many anglers would prefer not to chase open water for these schoolies, its possible you don't really have to. You can choose to just wait them out, while fishing along the weedy banks with worms, jig combos, tube baits, lizards, creature baits and crayfish imitations. Either just casting these bottom dragging lures, or getting in close to the weed lines and flipping up some of Lay lake's big largemouth bass.

Or a tactic much better for Lay lake right now with its very clear waters is swimming a jig, which may work better.

Or you and your fishing partner can choose fish parralel along Lay's many weedy drop-offs, around weedy islands, or within openings or lanes within these weeds, also any weedy points. Dropping your lures in small openings in those thicker, more matted-type aquatic weeds Lay lake has to offer can produce big bass other anglers often miss. Or you can choose to fish with lures like shad colored spinnerbaits, shad colored shallow running crank baits, chrome or shad colored lipless lures, soft plastic floating worms or topwater lures like frogs, buzz baits, zara spooks, poppers and prop baits.

Yes, these Lay lake bass can now be fooled on a real variety of lures! So, although many anglers may just choose to fish the banks for more easier to locate fish, always keep in mind, to have those schoolie lures like jerk baits, crank baits, lipless lures and topwaters rigged, ready, and just hanging off of the rod tip for some quick casts and afterwards, some explosive action during these fall and early winter feeding frenzies, for these Lay lake schooling bass...will be schooling for the next few weeks!

Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! "Lay lake's and all of Alabama's oldest, professional - bass fishing only - guide service for over 40 years."

* REEDS GUIDE SERVICE

Can't but one professional, Alabama fishing guide service claim to be "Alabama's oldest." For over 40 years Reed Montgomery, owner of Reeds Guide Service based out of Birmingham, Alabama has taken anglers from all over the globe to fish Alabama's many lakes, offering bass fishing state wide, year round. Targeting largemouth bass, spotted bass, small mouth bass and striped bass. (See: the pictures link on my website www.fishingalabama.com)

Same rates for either one or two anglers with discounts available on two day trips to any Alabama lake. We welcome (with several qualified guides and insured boats), corporate guided trips, family outing fishing trips, parent and child learning trips, lake residents, both the tournament angler and the novice angler, all are welcome!

Call today (205) 663-1504 or E-mail me alabassgyd@aol.com for more info. Or see my website www.fishingalabama.com for my guide service info, seasonal fishing tips and lake reports for all of Alabama's lakes, fishing articles, fishing links, pictures and more!

* WBRC FOX 6 T V GOOD DAY ALABAMA - Call in with your fishing questions (205) 741-7474 as Reed Montgomery answers with his, "Ask the Angler" question and answer session. Reed Montgomery (an Alabama native) is on this very popular morning T V show the last Tuesday of each month, he is on just after 8 a.m. Central time.

Reed has been on "Good Day Alabama' now for over 6 years on Birmingham's WBRC Fox 6 Television (seen state wide). Mark your calendar and make plans to tune in to "Good Day Alabama" morning show! Reed's next live appearance will be on Tuesday morning just after 8 a.m. November 29 of 2011!

* NEW! ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THE SOUTH'S BEST BARGAINS? - Check out www.bargainssouth.com A great discount website to find anything at a great low price! Order online! Christmas is not far away! Find those hard-to-find (and often very cute) gifts, for those hard-to-shop-for loved ones in your life..all at the best prices in the south!

* HUNTING AND FISHING - Check out www.marksoutsdoors.com for all your fishing and hunting needs! Great gifts for Christmas, now on sale!

* NEW AND USED BOATS - See www.airportmarine.com for new and used boats, end-of-year boat clearance sales, great parts department and expert mechanic work!

* BASS TOURNAMENTS - See www.airportmarinetrails.com Fall buddy trail now going on!

* FISHING TIPS, LAKE REPORTS, FISHING ARTICLES, BASS GUIDE SERVICE INFO AND MORE! - See www.bamabass.com

* WORLD'S BEST BASS BOAT - See www.rangerboats.com

Thanks and Good Fishin'!

Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer

Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: alabassgyd@aol.com
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!