MARTIN FEB. 2001

I went to Lake Martin Thursday, Feb 8. This is my 6 th trip to Lake Martin this year and the warmest water I've seen so far. I even caught some spook bass on this warm and sunny day in the 60's. The lake was 38 degrees a few weeks ago. It is now 50. Some pockets or sun-drentched banks, had water as warm as 55 degrees by late evening. With this extended warming trend, the water temperature could be in the mid-60's by next week.

What this means to all those wintertime couch potatoes, shore-bound anglers, or folks with just plain cabin fever, is a chance to go fishing! These are very comfortable days to get out and do so some fishing, whether its for bream, catfish, crappie, bass or stripers. A whole lot better than the new years beginning, of 20 degree nights and daytime highs not reaching 50 degrees for two weeks.

On Lake Martin, the largemouth and spotted bass, will immediatly move up to main lake and creek points and this lake has lot of em'. This can mean targeting any irregular bank feature or cover, due to wintertime pool creating low water and the lake being void of very much cover, after being impounded for over 75 years.

Fishing small pockets, cuts and creeks, you will see these slight irregular features, that many anglers pass up or just breeze right on by, usually to fish the more attractive wood or rock cover. You can capitalize on some good bites by targeting the following bank features.

Sandy Points and Small Pebble Points, are the first place bass start looking to hold during prespawn conditions. You have to keep in mind that these bass are triggered to feed and fatten up when the water again reaches the 60's. They actually begin to prepare to bed, spawn and start looking for these choice spots early, during these warming trends.

Other areas of interest on Lake Martin during lake drawdown are brush piles. Although seen by many anglers and fished a lot, bass that are caught around this cover, are replaced immediatly by other bass looking for cover for ambush purposes. Again, this is due to very little wood cover on Lake Martin. Brush can attract schools of baitfish and predators to otherwise barren areas.

Many banks on Lake Martin are protected during the cold, northerly winds of winter, and some are drenched in sunlight all day during warming trends. This creates warmer water in these areas and much more active fish. Baitfish in these areas, will attract schools of bass that will hold here until conditions change.

Lures that simulate or look close to these baitfish will get those instinct strikes, that Lake Martin bass are so noted for. With clear water this can mean topwater lures, or lures that run at mid-range depths or even bottom bumpers.

Spinnerbaits fool a lot of bass on Lake Martin. If fishing in clear or slightly stained water, downsizing your lures and blades size may be the ticket. After heavy rains, the creeks and lake headwaters will muddy, Big-bladed spinnerbaits in bright colors, may be the ticket to getting bit. Crankbaits of all shapes, sizes, colors, and diving qualities, are great instinct strike lures. Rattletraps or Cordell spots, are good anytime, anywhere on Lake Martin, when targeting water 1-10 feet deep. Hard bodied jerkbaits, both floating and suspending models, get those hard to fool suspended bass, that often refuse other lures. Erractic retrieves with stop-and-go actions, will trigger strikes from following bass with these lures.

On bottom, the endless array of lures can work on Lake Martin's bass, that prefer deeper depths. Texas-rigged or Carolina-rigged plastics, from small worms, to lizards and crayfish imitations, to manmade french fries and finesse plastics, all will work here. Jigs with pork or plastic trailers are, "The Big Bass Lure" on Lake Martin. Tube baits, grubs and shad imitations are also among the long list of time tested lures, that fool these bass on Lake Martin during winter, so give em' a try or call:
Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
E-mail: alabassgyd@aol.com
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
Thanks, and good fishing...REED.