LAKE MARTIN JUNE 2005

Summer on Lake Martin

Given two choices anglers can launch at Wind Creek State park and head up the lake or go down the lake. Water clarity is usually lightly stained upriver and very clear from midlake to the lower lake. Two different worlds when it comes to bass fishing Lake Martin this summer.

The upper lake region is traditionally known as largemouth bass habitat. After you go under Hwy. 280 bridge, it becomes evident the lake begins to narrow, to more of river like appearance. Wood cover such as stumps, brush piles, laying trees and logjams adorn this upper lake region and this is where the largemouth bass are found during summer.

Anglers slowly probing this wood cover will discover, the slower you fish, the more likely you will entice a strike from lure conscience bass that have refused a lot of other, faster moving offerings. Jig combos get the big bass bite, also tube baits, crayfish imitations, worms from 4-10 inches long and over sized 8 inch lizards, fished Texas and Carolina rigged.

Creature baits, with several trailing appendages, are good lure choices, for these bass have not seen many of these odd looking pieces of plastic in their life, not like seeing the other array of lures every week.

With stained water (from evening thundershowers), the lakes headwaters and incoming creeks, are good places to fish a spinnerbait. These flashing, vibrating lures attract the big bass bite and are excellent lures in stained water conditions around shallow wood and rock cover.

Crankbaits in shallow to deep diving models, such a Bagley's Balsa type crankbaits, No. 5 Shad Raps and Spro's Crankbait 25 are great lures for covering water fast. They are also very weedless compared to plastic crankbaits (that rise slowly) that hang up in tree branches, stumps and brush piles.

Dozens of other lures can be good in these cover-filled lake headwaters, whether fished on bottom, in the middle water column or trying various types of topwaters as well. Experiment when targeting these bass, and keep in mind if you have an odd looking bait, they probably have not seen one lately.

If fishing from Wind Creek to the lower lake, the water is much clearer and lures like finesse worms in 4 inch sizes to deep diving crankbaits will work for both spotted bass and largemouth bass. Suspending jerkbaits, fished with long cast's and retrieved with very fast, erratic stop and go jerks, are deadly on the very picky spotted bass of Lake Martin.

Jigging spoons, rattling lipless lures, fishing soft plastics Texas and Carolina rigged and finesse fishing with small jig heads with small plastics, all fool Lake Martin's bass in these very clear waters, mostly found from midlake to the lower Lake Martin dam area.

Experiment with various lures, actions, retrieve speed and lure colors, to determine the day's bite. These lower lake bass live in clear water conditions and they really scrutinize a lure, so don't give up until you find one they like. Even if you have to drag out those crappie jigs.

Need help on Lake Martin? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! (205) 787-5133. "Over 30 years guiding on this lake and other Alabama Lakes for bass and stripers."

*NOTE* See: www.lakemartinmagazine.com for Lake Martin's monthly magazine subscription information and for Reed Montgomery's monthly article on fishing Lake Martin.

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