Fishing
Reports on Tim's Ford,
and Pickwick, and Center Hill
Reports
submitted by Rick McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Tim's Ford 2-26-2010
I met Mr. Ronnie
Murray at the State Park ramp this morning at 10:00am and we
fished until 2:15pm. All we used was a Float N Fly and fished
5 spots in the 4 hours we were out. Water temperature when we
got to the lake was 39.7 and when we left 41.3. If you haven't
fished this rig your missing a fun/relaxing way to catch these
Smallmouth. Many guys use braid tied to a 3 way swivel and then
Fluorocarbon down to the fly. I simplified
that a little bit for me and use 6lb Sufix mono www.sufix.com straight
through. Sufix offers a variety of small diameter low memory
strong lines that work in all weather and cover conditions. What
ever your particular need is on the waters you fish Sufix has
a line that will do the job. Check it out at your local tackle
store. Until this water temperature warms this technique
is still a good one to go to. Ronnie and I are going to fish
again here in a couple weeks and hopefully the water temp will
be warmer. More to come next week.
If
you are interested in a guide trip, please contact me at 615-308-9936
or email rickm@dtccom.net for
more info.
Until
next week,
Rick
McFerrin
www.tennesseebassguides.com
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Reports
submitted by Mike Dial
www.tennesseebassguides.com
Center Hill Report 1/27-28
We arrived at Hurricane Ramp Tuesday to find the Water had risen
10 to 12 feet and water temp 43. We fished points and back into
Mine Lick with live bait Creek Minnows and night crawlers. It was
a tough day to get a bite. We managed 5 Kentuckys in the 12 to
16 inch range on night crawlers and did not get a hit on the creekminnows.
All the Kentuckys came in 30 ft of water off one point.Wednesday
John and I put in about 8 again at Hurricane and ran down to Indian
Creek and found water temps 46. We kept the boat in 6 to 10 ft
of water and cranked Bandit 200s in Tennessee Shad. We managed
to put 3 nice Smallmouth in the boat and loose 3 more before noon
when I believe the Front moved in and the wind died down some.
We did fish the Yellow Hair fly some with no bites. Smallmouth
are back at The Hill better than in the last few years from the
reports I am hearing. It will only get better as we approach spring.
We are still booking trips on our winter special so give us a shout.
Mike Dial
www.tennesseebassguides.com
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Pickwick
Lake
By
Reed Montgomery
Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com
Winter
Fishing Lake Pickwick
Lake level: down for winter pool 3-5 feet - w/rain
varies
I've fished Pickwick Lake for over 30 years. That includes guiding
all throughout this 50 mile long impoundment for both smallmouth
bass, largemouth bass and occasionally some big striped bass. Fishing
in all seasons, during every good and bad weather condition imaginable.
I have competed in very few bass tournaments held on Pickwick Lake
in recent years, but I have guided many professional bass tournament
anglers (some coming from all over the world), to Pickwick Lake
for the very first time.
Often while taking these anglers in search of these bass we usually
hook into a few trophy sized bass and in addition we often end
the day with a decent days catch, fishing for both smallmouth bass
and largemouth bass throughout Pickwick Lake.
Often, they are rewarded with a handsome check afterwards, in return
for the check they handed me for my guide services. Many anglers
visit Pickwick Lake that do not tournament fish. They are not looking
for numbers of bass, just one lone, trophy sized bass to put on
the wall or to take pictures of and then release later.
This can be a harder request for me to fulfill, for finding trophy
sized bass is not like fishing for numbers of bass. First of all
on Pickwick Lake, what would be considered a real trophy sized
bass? Its all in the eyes of the angler that hooked and landed
it!
Lets say a child hooked into his/her very first smallmouth bass
ever. Well, the jumping and thrashing antics alone would seem to
be a trophy bass in any young anglers eyes. So possibly a 1-3 pounder
could easily fill that bill! But let a seasoned veteran smallmouth
bass angler hook into a 3 pounder and he will quickly reel it in,
sling it in the boat, quickly unhook it and maybe admire it a second
or two and then release it.
Not even thinking of it as trophy smallmouth bass (unless he/she
was a bass tournament angler and it was 15 inches in length), of
which even most anglers with little smallmouth bass fighting experience
would let go, to live and fight another day.
Looking at most trophy sized smallmouth bass coming out of Pickwick
Lake and previous world record holder (10 1/2 pounds) Wilson Lake
upstream, a real trophy sized smallmouth bass would have to be
one exceeding 6 pounds. This is a fish some anglers only land once
in a lifetime. Anything bigger, would really turn the public eye
for they are even more rare. So to just happen upon one of these
line testing brown bass, on just any old fishing trip, would be
a real bonus. They do exist, but with over 47,500 surface acres
of water there is a lot of places they can live out their lives
and avoid man on Pickwick Lake, like deep water.
Like upstream Wilson Lake, Pickwick lake has its share of places
that every angler fishes sooner or later. They are often called
'community holes'. Like fishing below the dams. Around bridges,
creek mouths, rock bluffs, both visible rock piles and man made
rip-rap rocks lining banks. Points. Main lake flats. Islands. Just
to name a few. And fishing any of these places is O K, for the
bass have gotta eat in these spots no matter what fishing pressure
exists.
But mention deep water fishing on Pickwick Lake and most anglers
will shrug their shoulders or keep very tight lipped. For those
that know, all have some well guarded secret spots and GPS marked
spots, places in deep water they would not share with anyone. You
may have to find your own.
A recent FLW Tour Bass Tournament was held on Pickwick Lake and
it later aired on T V showing it to narrow down to the top 10 anglers.
When it was all over, 4 of the top 5 winning anglers, including
the eventual winner, were all fishing deep water. Lures from tube
baits to jig combos, in weights of 1/2 ounce to over one ounce
were used, fishing in 20-30 feet of main lake waters. Some anglers
finessed these Pickwick lake deep water bass, to bring in daily
5 bass limits, some exceeding 20 pounds!
Summer and winter is generally when these bass go deep. Both largemouth
bass and smallmouth bass can be taken in deep water all throughout
Pickwick lake this winter season, especially when constant cold
fronts lower the water temperatures inducing them to feed less,
sending both them and the baitfish and crayfish they feed on to
the deep. Even during winter warming trends these deep water bass
remain in or very near deep water.
Until the urge to spawn arrives next spring and they move shallow
when water temperatures rise into the upper 60's, most of these
wintertime deep water bass will remain deep or close to deep water.
There are still schools of nomadic bass that roam the lake in wolf
packs visiting the shallows on any day on Pickwick Lake. These
are both smallmouth bass and largemouth bass often mingling together
in huge schools, bass that come and go real fast and you have to
be there at the right time under the right conditions, to even
get bit.
They are also feeding and often more active than deep water bass,
bass that are generally dormant or off the feed. But deep water
bass can be triggered to suddenly feed and often they can get into
a feeding frenzy real fast, by an angler just hooking into one
bass in the school. This is often witnessed as you see another
bass or two following a hooked bass to the boat.
Fishing slow with bottom dragging lures generally entices these
deep water bass to hit an easy looking meal. But you can fish fast
too with success. Jigging spoons, tail spinners or blade baits
can be fished with a fast lift and drop presentation, enticing
these bass to attack a struggling, erratic and injured looking
meal. Fishing with deep diving crankbaits or utilizing a lift and
drop method with lures like heavy spinnerbaits or lipless lures
in 3/4 to one ounce sizes, works just as well.
Not often thought of as a deep water lure, both soft bodied jerkbaits
and suspending jerkbaits are excellent lures for enticing suspended
bass in deep water to hit. So are slow sinking soft plastics like
weightless worms, lizards, Slug O's, Senkos and other soft plastics.
Texas rigged worms in sizes of 8-10 inches, Carolina rigged plastics,
or finesse fished plastics on jig heads are also popular lures
for slowly enticing these picky feeders to bite. What else? Single
tail grubs and twin tailed grubs, shad imitations, creature baits,
crayfish imitations and slender skinny worms of all sizes.
So if your not fishing deep water then now is the time to get out
and explore the deep waters of Pickwick Lake. Some of the years
biggest bass are taken during the winter months. But dress warm
and bring plenty of warm food and coffee or hot chocolate and a
G P S. It can get cold in north Alabama.
Or call on Reeds Guide Service and learn to fish Pickwick lakes
shallow to deep water bass. "Over 40 years exploring Pickwick lake
in all seasons." Remember, a guided fishing trip with Reeds Guide
Service makes a great surprise Christmas gift, Birthday gift, Father's
Day gift, or good for any occasion, for those loved ones that love
to fish.
Remember, a guided trip with Reeds Guide Service to any lake in
Alabama makes a great surprise Birthday gift, Fathers Day gift
or Christmas gift (certificates available), for those loved ones
that love to fish.
