We only had 10 decent bites all day on a cold, cloudy winter day with lows near the low 30’s and highs in the low 50’s. Water temps were 45 degrees like they are today. This past weekends warming trend brought up the lakes water temps about 10 degrees — from the low 40’s to 50 degrees — by yesterday Monday, February 2. But with this weeks cold spell of highs only in the 40’s and lows in the 20’s, the water temps will drop again.

If you came by my Reeds Guide Service booth at the January, 2011 40th Annual Birmingham Boat Show (about a week ago) I’m sure you saw the pictures of these huge bass we caught on Guntersville lake, prior to the boat show. I’m only writing about it now because since the boat show I’ve been fishing!

Like said, it was a rather cold day with cloudy conditions and cold, northerly winds of 5-10 m.p.h. at dawn and the early morning hours. Not a good way to start your day. But we did manage to catch 2 nice bass that morning in a small creek. Both were nice bass, a 3 pounder and a 5 pounder. But afterwards the long dry spell had us on the move looking for even bigger, bass bites fishing deeper water along the lakes old river channel drop-offs.

We mostly used 10 inch worms (plum colored) and jig combos (black & blue with matching plastic crayfish trailers) to practically seine every spot we fished. Well, to make a long story short…we found the mother lode!

Earlier, I had released a 3 pounder. I had kept a 5 pounder for pictures later, hopefully with a bigger bass to go with it! After an hour I had that bass. A nice 7 pounder that hit the jig combo, but it did not come easy. After we fished one particular stumpy, weed-infested drop-off, (that fell into 30 feet of water along an old Tennessee River channel), for over an hour…then the next big bass hit. Now, it was 3 bass weighing 15 pounds. A good day by any anglers standards.

Then we made a short move, idling the boat to a spot nearby that we fished for another 30 minutes, one special spot that produced a 9 pounder for my partner! Caught on that big, 10 inch worm. Now, in all, we had 3 bass in the live well, weighing 5, 7 and 9 pounds each (I had let go a 3 pounder), all 4 bass that would have easily totaled a weight of 24 pounds! Incredible! I could have went home happy, along with my partner as well,…ahhh but there was more. An even bigger bass awaited us!

We fished this spot for over 2 hours, then left. Nothing but one small bass. We fished a few miles away but always, “the two big bass spots” we had recently fished that day were in the back of my mind. So as the day went on we slowly fished back to where the 9 pounder had came from. It had been over 3 hours, maybe another big bass awaited us! When we arrived I took a short break with a drink and a snack. Then we fished this spot real hard, with many lures, fished from many different angles. Still no takers.

As I readied myself to go, donning my life jacket and kill switch, the boat suddenly rocked. It was my partner setting the hook on what later showed to be a 10 pound 2 ounce largemouth bass, that looked to be about 12-13 pounds as we netted it, following a very lengthy battle! Now we had caught 5 big bass in all that totaled close to 34 pounds!

The best day I’ve seen in a long, long, time and probably the best day fishing for big bass for another long, long time…before it ever happens again.

* NOTE * – BIG BASS PICTURES BELOW!!

* GUIDE SERVICE – Always call on Reeds Guide Service…first! “Alabama’s oldest, professional “bass fishing only” guide service for over 40 years guiding on all Alabama lakes for largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass and some huge, striped bass! ” Booking trips now for spring on Guntersville lake and all other Alabama lakes. Call (205) 663-1504 or e-mail [email protected] for rates and booking trips info! See my website www.fishingalabama.com for fishing tips and lake reports on all Alabama lakes for all seasons!

* NEW AND USED BOATS & TOURNAMENTS! – Check out www.airportmarine.com for new, used or close-out model boats of all kinds! Expert mechanic work, great service dept. and parts dept. too! Also see their tournament trails and annual events website link www.airportmarinetrails.com First tournament on Lake Martin Feb. 19 2011!

* FISHING TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT FOR FISHING AND HUNTING – See www.marksoutdoors.com for bargains you will not see elsewhere! Visit their kind and very informative salesman in their new, remodeled store in Vestavia, Alabama or go online for all your fishing and hunting needs!

* NEW WEBSITES IN ALABAMA – Check out www.bamabass.com and www.bassnboat.com for Alabama lakes info and more!

* SEE MY WEBSITE WWW.FISHINGALABAMA.COM FOR WINTER AND SPRING FISHING TIPS, LAKE REPORTS, PICTURES, ARTICLES, AND MANY FISHING LINKS.

Thanks and Good Fishin’!

Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer

Owner / Reeds Guide Service
Alabaster, Alabama (205) 663-1504
E-mail: [email protected]
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!

Veteran guide Reed Montgomery with two NICE Guntersville bass!!