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Mitchell Lake Fishing
Report
By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
Impounded 1923
Lake Level: Full Pool
Water Clarity / Stained to muddy in major feeder creeks (from recent rain)
From Mitchell lakes headwaters to the lower lake is clear (Late Feb.)
Current Water Temperature / (Late Feb). Mid-to-upper 50's
Water Temps. / March Mid-60's Water Temps / April & May Mid-to-upper 70's
SPRING ON MITCHELL LAKE
During the spring season Mitchell Lake (the fifth of six impoundments on the
Coosa River System), like most Alabama impoundments, can get awfully
crowded. As the weather warms and the spawning season gets underway there
are hundreds of new anglers visiting this small lake, now over 85 years
since impoundment.
Every year, not only during the spring season, but year round as well, they
come for all over Alabama. Even anglers from throughout the United States
plan their fishing vacations, bass tournaments or just fun fishing
excursions, to sample some of Mitchell lake's very fertile waters.
Coosa River spotted bass (some real, trophy-sized spots in the 6-7 pound
class) and largemouth bass (up to 10 pounds), are the species they come to
Mitchell lake to target. Often, this is the first trip to Mitchell lake for
some anglers. They may misjudge the sheer strength of both of these very
worthy, adversaries.
But, like any well planned fishing trip...getting ready comes first.
Preparation
For the most part, these springtime anglers have been cooped up all winter,
anxious and ready to wet a hook (although many anglers fish right through
the winter months), some have not even fished for months. So they are very
"keyed up" and some anxious anglers just head right to the lake, often
unknowingly, very unprepared. A day destined to be headed for disaster, if
you have not fished lately or even got your boat out for months!
First, comes a little preparation. This means a lot of anglers are preparing
the boat getting it ready, like replacing old batteries or at least
re-charging all batteries to see if they are still good enough to hold a
charge. A bad battery can ruin the start of your fishing day. No matter if
its a cranking battery or one or two batteries (some trolling motors now
have 3 batteries) that are used for trolling purposes. They may need to be
replaced.
In today's bass boats a lot of electronics and an other items can drain the
boats batteries on each outing. This takes place after every trip so you
must recharge each battery. Constantly re-charging your boats batteries, is
what wears them out. Cold, winter seasons can kill a battery fast.
Especially if has not been kept fully charged all winter.
Organizing all your old tackle boxes and making room and categorizing all
your new tackle, can take all day. This includes sharpening all hooks or
best yet, replacing all treble hooks on your lures that need it. Check your
equipment. Rods may need new eyes, new rod tips or just cleaning up. Reels
need servicing or at least oiled, all nuts and screws tightened down or some
old reels may just need to be rebuilt or replaced.
Check reel handles for wear and replace them if necessary. Always reel-spool
all your reels with fresh, new fishing line at the beginning of your spring
fishing season. Not that line you had last year, of which has a short shelf
life. Try new lines, new types of line, heavier line or lighter line test
and make a note of how each line performs with various types of lures.
Oh, I could go on. Like checking your boat trailer winch and bumpers,
runners and wiring. Especially your boat trailer lights, tires, brakes and
most importantly tighten the nuts on the wheels and grease or replace the
wheel bearings. Service your outboard motor. Change the oil in the foot of
your outboard motor, change to new spark plugs. Even adding a gas additive
will help prevent any moisture build- up that may have occurred recently.
Trolling motors need new switches, cables, propellers or cotter pins. Always
remove both your outboard motor's propeller and the trolling motor
propeller. There may be a bad seal or fishing line could be wrapped around
the hub of either. A spare propeller for both is suggested
So as you see a little (or a lot ) of preparation is at hand, if you have
not fished this past winter or even if you went fishing all winter. Maybe
the bass have been biting and you forgot...
Now, more on Mitchell lake for tackling those pre spawn bass of March,
April's spawning bass and my favorite month May. When, as we all know by
now, "its top water time" for those hungry, post spawn bass!
March / Pre spawn Bass on Mitchell Lake
I speak a lot of Mitchell Lake's famed, Coosa River Spotted bass. If you
read any of my wintertime Mitchell lake reports, you are sure to notice I
write a lot about fishing Mitchell lakes headwaters, islands and rock
bluffs, all situated right below upper reservoir Lay Lake dam. Well, not to
worry, you did not as they say, " miss the boat. "
Those huge, spotted bass we fooled in the winter months are still there!
March is a great time for searching out these places, all within a few miles
of Lay lake dam, for numbers of spotted bass in the 1-3 pound range. An
occasional one maybe even bigger, like 3-5 pounds. If you are very lucky,
you may fool a true, trophy size spotted bass into biting your tempting
offering. One that could reveal to be over that magical mark of six pounds!
These are rare, with my biggest spotted bass ever fooled on Mitchell Lake
coming from these lake headwaters. It weighed 7 pounds and 2 ounces!
All of this hinges on you landing the bass. These are huge, spotted bass
that will test any anglers patience and his tackle and equipment as well. As
a fishing guide on Mitchell lake for over 30 years I have seen many big,
spotted bass lost, some right at boat side. Simply taking place by anglers
just not prepared for tackling these very strong, current-oriented spotted
bass.
Besides the aforementioned plan of getting ready, "being ready" is just as
important. Always check your reels drag first thing in the morning. Most
reels will be frozen and will need the drag adjusted. Not to tight, that can
result in broken line, straightened out hooks, a big spot ripping its mouth
loose to freedom, or even a broken rod! Of course, your drag must not be set
"to loose" as well. Too loose of a reel's drag will result in not even
getting a good hook set or burying the hook, which usually results in lost
fish.
As Mitchell lake's headwaters warm into the low-to-mid 60's, its nearby
rocky points leading into smaller pockets, flats with drop-offs nearby and
boulder-strewn banks, are all excellent places to target these spotted bass,
in your search for these very catchable and fat, pre spawn bass. By the end
of March, they make their move to prepare another year's spawn. This usually
takes place on or near the next full moon.
At this time many feeder creeks are stained to muddy from recent rain and
still, incoming cold fronts plague the lake. This may influence Mitchell
lake's more weed and wood cover oriented, largemouth bass to perk up a
little. Or they may become more scarce. But during April and May these
largemouth bass can be found to be much more easier to fool.
April / Spawning Bass on Mitchell Lake
Although there is a lot to be said for the pre spawn bass of March, there is
more to be mentioned about fishing in April. Especially for targeting
Mitchell lake's largemouth bass. I did not mention the largemouth bass of
March, although the same places you find spotted bass are often occupied by
some big, pre spawn largemouth bass as well. Its just that cold fronts,
muddy water and still, dead aquatic weeds, always affect the largemouth bass
more in March. So, during April many more factors are in their favor.
April on Mitchell lake shows new growing weeds and more largemouth bass
moving shallow, the closer it gets to the perfect spawning temperature near
72 degrees. Major feeder creeks like Hatchet Creek or nearby Weogufka Creek
are all day excursions, in your search for these big, spawning largemouth
bass. Both of these creeks feature loads of flats, small cuts and side
pockets with weeds, wood cover, rocky habitat and lots of points and flats
for finding undisturbed, largemouth bass.
As Mitchell lakes various types of new growing aquatic weeds emerge, so do
the bass. Most largemouth bass have occupied any wood cover recently. Lay
down trees, isolated logs and logjams, stumps or any visible brush may now
hold several big, female largemouth bass. All getting ready to mate and make
their move shallow nearby in their newly prepared beds.
As both the male and female largemouth bass of Mitchell lake begin to make
their beds they may occupy some piece of wood cover nearby. They usually
prepare their bed very close to some sort of wood or rock cover. If new
growing weeds are beginning to emerge as they prepare these beds, it only
enhances these bedding spots.
Aquatic weed growth increases the oxygen level. This is very evident as you
can actually observe the clearing of the water surrounding new growing
weeds, immediately following heavy rain in stained to muddy water
situations. Weeds also provide great ambush spots for big bass laying in
wait for any potential meal passing by. Then again, these weeds also hide
the many types of smaller prey from bigger predators, like the largemouth
bass.
As Mitchell lake's flats and back waters warm more and more with each
passing day in April, the activity becomes evident as well. All within and
all around any of these green, newly- growing aquatic weeds, prey begin to
occupy the security of these oxygen-rich weeds...and the bass seem to know
it, with their evident explosions within the weeds.
These largemouth bass are big and its not easy hiding a two foot long body
from these very quick and agile prey. So the thicker the weeds and the more
wood cover they have to relate to, the better hidden they feel and the more
secure a big bass is for stealth and ambush purposes.
Largemouth bass linger by these weeds all day long at times. They can occupy
thick, matted weeds if its a bright and sunny day. Or cruise the weed edges
at night, early morning, late evenings (or all day if raining or very
cloudy), during low light periods.
So keep in mind. Always return to places "they were not in", or places "they
just were not active in" you fished early in the day. To have a better
chance at fooling these often weary bass of Mitchell lake in spring. Bass
moving in spawning areas or even bass that become more active with daytime
sunlight often warming the water 4-5 degrees. In addition, mid mornings to
late evenings during the month of April, often show bass that are
undisturbed when other boats leave an area...all for you to explore in
silence.
May / Post Spawn Bass
By around the first week May, the majority of Mitchell lake's bass will have
spawned. Most are through bedding and getting ready for summer. You may
ponder, "how does he know that"? Well, its no secret that some of Mitchell
lakes bass do spawn later in the spring season than other bass, for some
reason. Maybe they live on the lakes mid-to-lower end. On Mitchell, this is
where some of the lakes deeper water is and its usually the last water to
cool lake wide, to a more comfortable 72 degrees.
One very evident factor anglers can look for, to determine if a bass has
already bed, is searching for small fry bass. They are usually visible when
you use polarized sunglass and cruise the shallows in clear water
situations. Small fry bass ball up in a small, dark mass, usually about the
size of soft ball. Or bigger.
If a lot of newborn balls of fry are evident, its a sure fact most bass have
bed in any given area. What's good about this is, small defensive male bass
are always nearby and often, a big female bass may not be to far away. They
are there and always ready to attack your lures with a vengeance, in an
attempt to protect the newborn fry.
How else can you tell if these bass have already bed? If you see a lot of
beds along flats, around weeds, or up in some very shallow backwater area,
look for those beds that display a dull looking color. These are abandoned,
silted-in beds, that help you determine if these bass have given up house
keeping.
Most of Mitchell lake's largemouth bass will keep a bed clean, fanned-out,
and free of any debris. They will run off all intruders, until the eggs
hatch, and the newborn fry grow to about one inch in length. This is when
both of the parents of these 10,000 (or more), newborn bass and their
surviving, newborn offspring will abandon the bed. Of this many newborn
bass, over half will not make it, due to predators during the spawning
season.
On the other hand, if you are searching for bedding bass on Mitchell Lake
its true they can be identified by observing if they have a bloody tail or
wore-off tail. This means both the male and female bass are still fanning or
preparing their beds. Bedding bass (bass actually on the bed) will hover
over a rounded out, brightly colored bed. Or they can rest along weed lines
and wood cover near the bed. They will also look like they are in a trance
and at times they will completely ignore every lure you throw at them.
Fat, healthy bass, with healed up tails, are usually in a post spawn mode by
late May and around the first week of June, the beginning of summer.
* Looking for help on exploring Mitchell lake or learning to fish for bass
and stripers on Mitchell Lake? Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
Alabama's oldest, freshwater fishing guide service. Mitchell lake's only
professional guide to call for spotted bass, largemouth bass and an
occasional striped bass, year round. Several guides and boats available for
multiple parties and corporate guided trips. Discounts available. See my
website: www.fishingalabama.com for more info.
* Looking for a new or used bass boat, pontoon boat, john boat, aluminum
boat or any boat! Always call on www.airportmarine.com
* Looking for Alabama's best paying bass tournaments? See their link at
www.airportmarine.com to see www.airportmarineteamtrail.com
* Looking for the worlds best bass boat? Go to: www.rangerboats.com
Thanks always practice catch, photo and release. Let these bass go, to live
and fight another day! Be courteous to other boaters and anglers and be safe
on our very crowded lakes this spring season!
Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery / Outdoor Writer
" Alabama Radio Show Host and Television Host For Over 10 Years "
Owner / Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
Birmingham, Alabama
Email: alabassgyd@aol.com
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Fishing, Guiding and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama for
Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Some Huge, Striped Bass
."
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