Fishing Lake Guntersville in the Spring

AHHHH, Lake Guntersville in April. Trees are blooming, birds are singing, and traffic on the lake. You know the fish are eating when you pull up to the ramp(any ramp on the lake) on a Wed morning and the parking lot looks like Walmart on Christmas eve. Well the fish are eating and the bigger fish are up in the shallows adding more fish to the lake everyday. During this time of year there really is not a bad place to fish on the lake if you know what to look for and how to fish it. This is one reason I am writing this article. Im going to give you a little insight on whats going on and the tactics I have been using to have some awesome days on the water.

First let's start with the pattern. In years past the spawn was coming to a close this time of year but the lake is about 3-5 weeks behind making it fish alot different that before. Grass is coming up but only in a few places. There are huge numbers coming off flats with hard bottoms near steep drops. I have had clients that have had close to 100 fish days in the last month but the size was not as great as the past. In the last week or so the size is picking upwith alot of bigger females moving up everyday to take thier place on the beds. We boated several in the last few trips that had already laid out and were ready to start thier move back to the ledges. If an angler was coming down here look for these flats and just start fishing. You will catch fish on most of them. Alot of smaller fish but there are bigger fish mixed in the groups. Also the sight fishing is picking up but the pollen is making it hard to see some fish unless your really good at sight fishing. FOr some pre-spawn fish hit the drops near the flats. One thing that will help is if you find a pocket that has a muddy bottom move. Everything I am catching is on a hard surface.

There are several baits that are working great for me right now. I am using the Jackall Cover Craw(green Pumpkin), Lake Fork Top Dog and Hyper Lizard, as well as the Jackall Giron, and Lake FOrk Live Magic Shad. Thise baits are getting the bigger bites with the plastics gaining huge numbers and a few bigger fish. One bait that I am flat smoke'n fish on is the Jackall Flick Shake or the Lake Fork Live Wack'n Worm rigged on a Jackall Wacky Jighead in 3/32. I am using that bait on a Jackall Power Inch Wacky Rod with Daiwa Steez and Lake Fork Flourohybrid Line. The Other PLastics I am using a Jackall Master Stroke Rod with Daiwa Reel Steez 7.1 reel and Lake Fork Flourohybrid 26 lb line. On the swimbaits I use the Jackall Delta Spec rod with the Daiwa Zillion Reel(4.3) and 32 lb Flourohybrid line.

If sight fishing is your thing this is the time to do it. Move to supper skinny water on flats and just go looking. Once you find a bed holding a fish then back off and start working it. I am having my best luck with the Flick Shake or Wack'n worm to catch most of the bed fish. PLEASE rememeber if you are going sight fish do everything you can to return the fish to the bed after a picture and get her back in the water ASAP. The less stress the better.

I want to thank all of our fans and those who have been a huge support to our efforts. We are having some great trips and the tournament season is going strong. We are only a few more events away from making the big goal. It is because you all of you that we are able to keep going and moving forward. WE will ALL be at the TOP together in no time flat. ROCK ON!!!