My early fall season travels took me to lower Coosa River Lake’s Jordan Lake, Mitchell Lake and Lay lake, enjoying the topwater bites with out of town clients of Reeds Guide Service (tackling those vicious Coosa River spotted bass), and just recently I have guided on upper Coosa River lake’s in north Alabama like Weiss Lake, Neely Henry Lake and Logan Martin Lake.

PICKWICK LAKE By Reed Montgomery

Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504

Birmingham, Alabama

Website www.fishingalabama.com
“Alabama’s Oldest, Professional Freshwater Fishing Guide Service. Guiding on all of Alabama’s Lakes For Over 40 Years”

 

Impounded 1938

Lake Level: down 2 feet

Water Temperature: Low-70’s

Water Clarity: Main lake clear and lake headwaters – Major Feeder Creeks, some stained

This Week’s Predicted Weather: Lows near 45 Daytime Highs low 70’s / Partly cloudy to sunny all week with no rain the first week of October

 

Including trips to north Alabama’s Tennessee River impoundment’s Wheeler lake, Wilson Lake and Pickwick lakes (the latter two lakes produced two smallmouth bass over 5 pounds!). Including a trip to Bankhead lake located on the Warrior River System near Birmingham, with two very energetic and young teenage boys (one’s birthday gift!) fooling spotted bass, largemouth bass and striped bass!

 

* Look for more info on these lakes and other Alabama lakes I fish often, take guided trips with clients of Reeds Guide Service to, and when I just enjoy some friendly competition in some of Alabama’s tournament trails like www.airportmarinetrails.com on a year round basis. You can see seasonal fishing info, fishing articles, pictures and my lake reports posted weekly on my website www.fishingalabama.com or see more about Alabama’s lakes on the many websites I write for, all found on the Internet links seen on my website!

 

A RECENT GUIDED FISHING TRIP TO PICKWICK LAKE WITH REEDS GUIDE SERVICE

Recently two anglers drove here trailering their bass boat all the way from Missouri, to fish with Reed Montgomery, owner of Reeds Guide Service, “Pickwick Lake’s Oldest, Professional — Bass Fishing Only — Guide Service For Over 40 Years,” for a few days of learning Pickwick Lake. We will just call them Justin and Joe.

They came here to fish Alabama’s famed Tennessee River Impoundment, Pickwick Lake, targeting its (so well-noted and touted big), small mouth bass and its big, large mouth bass as well. Taking on this fifty mile long, man made impoundment for the very first time, did call for some expertise help and they both agreed. Now they are ready for their upcoming tournament, hopefully with a win!

They were here preparing for an upcoming, end-of-the-year Major Bass Tournament Trail Championship, that would soon be taking place within the next week or so. (For security sake) The actual Bass Tournament Championship title name is being withheld. Also Justin and his friend (we will call Joe, for their counterparts sake)…names may have been changed.

We met at 6 a.m. (dawn) just out of the nearby town of Florence, Al. at Mcfarland Park located 1 mile from town, its right beside the bridge crossing Pickwick Lake. Its a triple-size boat launch with an unusual, “upside-down-looking” pyramid atop a tower, that is well-lighted both at dawn and at night! Then, after a little introduction we loaded my Ranger boat and quickly got launched, with only two other boats lagging behind us. I knew our first stop would be good one with little or no company.

I immediately headed the boat up the lake to fish the rock bluffs, boulder-strewn banks, small pockets featuring wood and rock cover, bridge pilings, rip-rap rock lined banks and other cover, all located only a few miles upstream of the boat launch, fishing near Wilson Lake dam tail race waters, in Pickwick Lake’s headwaters. All alone, we were the only boat there as the sun began to rise.

I can’t think of a better place close by, to connect with some “big bass at dawn” on a cloudy, 60 degree morning. With some very evident current to greet us as I idled the boat to our first stop of a new dawn day.

 

We found several nice largemouth bass while fishing with topwater lures, jerk baits and crank baits. Particularly, one very nice six pound largemouth bass that hit a zara super spook topwater lure, one we landed.

There was also one very chunky brown bass, a nice small mouth bass any where! Looking to easily be four pounds or better, one that Justin “briefly” hooked. We all got a very good look at it as the healthy brown football bass leaped waist high, rocketing up, blasting straight up out of the calm water’s surface! Right before it came off the hooks of Justin’s crank bait, a lure he was lucky to just even get back!

Out in front of piers featuring brush, all around piers and boat houses, even far up under some deeper piers, and along the stumpy, previously weedy banks (with the lake down 2 feet) we caught some nice 2-3 pound largemouth bass using weightless lures like crank baits, Gary Yamamoto’s Senkos and Zoom’s trick worms. Clouds came out at mid day and fishing further down the lake, we boated several spotted bass, one striper and a couple more largemouth bass mostly concentrating on main lake points, creek mouths, rock bluffs and small islands.

 

Suspending jerk baits, rattletraps, deep diving Rapala Shad Rap crank baits, and a number of small, finesse worms and creature baits in various colors, worked very good fishing along rock bluffs, boulder-strewn banks, and around wood cover like stumps, brush and lay down trees, right up until about 3 p.m. that evening. In all, a good day on Pickwick Lake fishing for Big Bass with Reeds Guide Service!
* NOTE – PICKWICK LAKE BASS PICTURES – Not all websites display the pictures I send with these lake reports. To view today’s catch go to my website www.fishingalabama.com and click on the Pickwick Lake Report (or any Alabama lake recent lake report). Its right on the home page of Reeds Guide Service website! Alabama’s oldest!

* REEDS GUIDE SERVICE

For over 40 years Reed Montgomery owner of Reeds Guide Service has taken anglers to all of Alabama’s lakes. Catering to the professional angler, the novice, parent and child fishing teams, corporate guided fishing trips or family fishing outings, with several boats and guides available year round! Call today (205) 663-1504 or E-mail [email protected] to book your fall and early winter fishing trips! See my website www.fishingalabama.com for more info.

* GUIDED FISHING TRIPS GIFT CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE, CHRISTMAS IS GETTING CLOSE! Remember, a guided fishing trip with Reeds Guide Service makes a great gift for those loved ones that love to fish! CALL (205) 663-1504 OR E-MAIL ME, [email protected] FOR YOUR INFO ON GETTING YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE!

 

* WBRC FOX 6 TV – See Reed Montgomery with his, “Ask The Angler” question and answer session on Birmingham’s WBRC Fox 6 morning TV show, “Good Day Alabama.” Reed has been on this very popular TV show seen state wide for over 6 years making his appearance on the last Tuesday of each month, he is usually on just after 8 a.m. Central time. Call in with your fishing questions (205) 741-7474. Reeds’ next scheduled appearance is on Tuesday, October 24 2011.

 

* NEW AND USED BOATS  – See www.airportmarine.com

 

* BASS TOURNAMENT TRAILS – See www.airportmarinetrails.com

 

* HUNTING AND FISHING – See www.marksoutdoors.com 

 

* FISHING REPORTS, FISHING TIPS AND ARTICLES AND BASS TOURNAMENT INFO – 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: [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!