Summer on Guntersville Lake

I've fished Guntersville Lake for over 40 years. I've guided on this lake now for over 30 years and my dad and uncle fished it prior to that for many years. Alabama's largest reservoir, Guntersville Lake, has created many memories, some I've had the pleasure of sharing with close friends, tournament partners and hundreds of clients of my guide service.

The largest bass anyone has ever caught with me while hiring my guide service, came off of this lake one cold, December day. That huge largemouth hit a buzzbait in one foot of cold, 55 degree water. It turned out a very lengthy battle before we landed it and it weighed 11 pounds and 7 ounces. That fortunate anglers son had caught one weighing 9 pounds while fishing with me the week prior to that, on a zara spook topwater lure. Two bass, both caught in one week, by a father and son duo on two separate trips, that totaled over 20 pounds.

Guntersville Lake has some big largemouth bass, some weighing over 10 pounds, and Summertime is a good time to fool one. These bass relate to the shallow weeds that make up this lake, now over 65 years since impoundment. Millfoil and Hydrilla aquatic weeds are very thick in this lake and bass can bury up in 1-3 feet of weeds and never be seen. But you can call them up!

Topwaters are infamous for fooling the bass of summer on Guntersville Lake. Getting on the water before dawn, fishing late in the evening or like some anglers you can resort to night fishing, is the time to fool an age old largemouth bass into striking various types of topwater lures. Mornings to midday will also work for topwater action (especially on cloudy days) but you must fish backwaters, places that are not disturbed by boat traffic.

With thick, matted weeds found lake wide, fishing weedless lures is a must. At the top of the topwater list, whether you fish day or night, would be frog and rat imitations. These little bank running creatures are dined on by big largemouth bass, all summer long. Fishing with strong rods and reels, coupled with stought line in the 20 pound test category, is suggested. Long cast's, followed by short little hops of these very weedless lures, is what gets the strikes

Buzzbaits are also great lures for big bass and excellent fish locators. Trailer hooks are suggested for short strikes. When a few bass are caught in one spot plan to slowly rework the area with lures like floating worms, lizards and soft jerkbaits, all weedless lures, for the finicky feeders. Fishing weed edges with topwaters like Zara Spooks, Pop-r's, prop-baits and spinnerbaits, always show a few quality bass bites, for not all bass bury up in the thick weeds.

Early, late in the day, or if its rainy and cloudy, these bass will cruise the weed edges and lures such as these can entice some big bass into striking, especially when thoroughly fished in one spot continuously. Many anglers only fish a spot once and move on. If you throw at a likely looking spot several times, you can irritate a big bass into striking a topwater lure.

During the heat of the day, these bass will hit topwaters as well. But often fishing Texas rigged plastics or Carolina rigged plastics may show these lures to outfish topwaters, when bass refuse to rise. Shallow to deep diving crankbaits, rattling lipless lures, floating and suspending hard bodied jerkbaits are also good lures during day. Even in deeper water along drop-offs, ledges and channel edges, an excellent deep water summertime choice would be a jigging spoon.

For any success, look for lots of baitfish in one particular area and fish it hard, for bass are always nearby, all throughout the summer months on Guntersville Lake. Fish away from the banks, for many bass are caught in open water only 2-3 feet deep, along creek and river flats.

Need help fishing Guntersville Lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! Over 30 years guiding on this lake and all other Alabama Lakes, with several guides available year round for multiple parties or corporate trips.

Thanks, and be safe on our very crowded lakes this summer.

This report provided by:
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"6 Years on the Radio  / Jan 2005"
Birmingham, Alabama
Call Reeds Guide Service...First! (205) 787-5133
"Over 40 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com

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