This time of year I get many requests to top-water fish, so I must be prepared to find the top-water bite. It’s always not as obvious as some years in the past. Last year for example the grass was way behind compared to most, and finding that perfect top-water spot was not quite as easy. There are about four things that you need to look for to find the top-water bite when the obvious is not hitting you in the face. Read the rest of this entry »

There is no better time on Lake Guntersville than the pre-spawn time of year. With the water warming, bass are on the move to feed. The warm sun feels great on your shoulders after the chill of winter. Hunting season is over and it’s time to go to the lake.

Well the first thing I suggest you do is to make sure your rods and reels are tuned, strung with new line, and ready to go. Oil your reels, sharpen your hooks, check the battery on your boat and get ready for a time of your life on Lake Guntersville. Oh, and by the way, check the grease fittings on your trailer wheel bearings. I learned this the hard way. Read the rest of this entry »

Guntersville is slowly aging, and we are starting to see some very definite signs of this throughout the lake!

One sign is the gradual disappearance of the wood cover. Another is the advanced erosion of islands and banks by current and waves. Then there’s the disappearance over the last couple of years the grass, once so prolific on Guntersville. Read the rest of this entry »

Bigger fish do everything first.

Have you heard this old adage before? In my experience it’s more than just a saying; it’s a fact. My log books from eighteen years of fishing Lake Guntersville year-round prove that the bigger bass lead the way to the spawn, to the ditches, to the creeks and humps, and out deep in the heat. Read the rest of this entry »

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As the swim bait craze progresses, the technology keeps getting better. When you first walk down the tackle store aisle and look at all the swim baits competing for your dollars, at first it’s hard to tell which will do the best job. Among hard swim baits, I have discovered subtle variations that make a significant difference in terms of performance.

The biggest factor is the characteristic that some swim baits have to behave in a lifelike manner in the water — to accurately mimic the true, natural movements of a fish. If swim baits are going to attract gamefish, their movement has to be as lifelike as possible. Tru-Tungsten swim baits are so natural in the water that the difference between them and real bait fish is nearly impossible to discern!

Not only do these baits appear lifelike in the water, but with a very simple removal of a pin you can add or remove some Tungsten weights from a weight chamber. Tru-Tungsten has engineered a chamber that holds two Tungsten ball weights. Using just a pair of needle nose pliers, you can change the drop rate of the bait easily and quickly. The BB-type weights sit in the chamber and do not change the lifelike movement of the bait. They ergonomically drop the bait with enormous detail and movement so you can work the bait as a wake bait on top, just under the surface, or drop it down to skim the bottom structure. This is truly a difference maker, because in most baits adding weight changes the movement. Tru-Tungsten swim baits’ lifelike movement with or without the BB weights are just amazing.

Ish Monroe and Matt Newman designed this lure for Tru-Tungsten, and their design is now the gold standard for swim baits . It makes their competitors’ versions obsolete. Try it; I promise you’ll immediately see the difference!

Captain Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Web: www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
(256) 759-2270

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January is generally the coldest of the months on Guntersville. Ask around… all the experts will tell you to go deep into the river channel. Well, I’ve got some news for you; over the years Guntersville has defied the experts many times.

Yes there are fish to be caught deep in 20-foot plus water, but for me the 4- to 7-foot water has always produced better. In general, on our coldest, nastiest January days, I have caught more and bigger fish in shallow water than I ever have fishing 20-plus feet of water. You see, the bass feed shallow. The bigger bass feed shallower because you have small patches of grass, reeds and the like that the bait fish move into for cover, and here come the hogs feeding on them.

I am also a believer that big bass do everything first, meaning that the bigger fish are already moving into pre-spawn areas even in the cold of January. That puts them moving on and off the humps, grass lines and points to feed at some point during a cold January day. The sloughs that have stumps become prime targets for the big fish moving up to feed.  The stump fields hold grass. They have hard clay bottoms where you will find bait fish balled up in 4 feet of water. The big bass will come feed on them. The key is for you to be there at the right time and in the right place when they do.

There is only one way to do that; you need to work your favorite 4- to 7-foot water for about 30 minutes. If they’re up on top feeding, you will find them. If not, move on to the next area. Eventually the right combination of shallow water and cover will produce what you are looking for.  Cover water, stay 4 to 7 feet deep, and eventually that lunker you’re looking for will make your day!

Captain Mike Gerry
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
Web: www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
(256) 759-2270

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