SMITH LAKE / Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service 2/22/12

Submitted by Reeds Guide Service

Submitted on 02/22/2012
Fishing Spot:
Smith Lake
Jasper, AL United States United States
SMITH LAKE 
By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Birmingham, Alabama (205) 663-1504 
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
" Over 40 Years Guiding, Fishing and Exploring Every Lake in Alabama For Largemouth Bass, Small mouth Bass, Spotted Bass and Striped Bass "
Always Call on Reeds Guide Service...First! Alabama's Oldest Professional, Freshwater Fishing Guide Service!
 
Impounded 1961
Lake Level: Down 5 feet
Water Temperature: 55 evenings
Water Clarity: Some creeks stained from recent rain, lake clear
Air Temperature: High 55 / Low 35
Weather: Warm this week Lows mid-40's / Highs mid 60's   
 
 
 
* AFTER GUIDING ON MANY OF ALABAMA'S LAKES FOR THE LAST TEN DAYS;
 
 
 
 
 
THIRTY BASS (ON ONE LURE TYPE), FOR TWO HAPPY ANGLERS
ON ONE COLD DAY OF FISHING ON ALABAMA'S SMITH LAKE! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
* REEDS GUIDE SERVICE GUIDED FISHING TRIP GIFT CERTIFICATES *
WHY NOT GIVE A GUIDED FISHING TRIP FOR THOSE LOVED ONES THAT LOVE TO FISH?
 
A GUIDED FISHING TRIP TO ANY LAKE IN ALABAMA WITH REED MONTGOMERY OF REEDS GUIDE SERVICE MAKES A GREAT GIFT FOR BIRTHDAY'S, FATHER'S DAY, MOTHER'S DAY, ANNIVERSARIES, GRADUATION, A WELCOME HOME CELEBRATION...OR ANY OCCASION!
 
REEDS GUIDE SERVICE, GUIDED FISHING TRIP GIFT CERTIFICATES, ARE AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND! 
 
RESERVE YOURS NOW FOR THOSE LATE-WINTER / EARLY-SPRING FISHING TRIPS!  E-MAIL ME TODAY FOR MORE INFO ON A GUIDED FISHING TRIP GIFT CERTIFICATE GOOD FOR ALL OF 2012! SEE MORE INFO AT THE END OF THIS LAKE REPORT OR E-MAIL ME TODAY. THEN PRINT IT OUT AND GIVE AS A GIFT!
 
RECENT GUIDED TRIPS WITH REEDS GUIDE SERVICE 
Since the new year began, all throughout the months of January and February, I have been on the go. I can thank the cooperative weather and the mild winter we have experienced seen statewide recently. Also I want to thank the people that gave guided fishing trip gift certificates for their anglers that just love to fish, for occasions like Birthdays, Christmas and Valentines Day! Boy, its good to get to fish year round in Alabama in 2012!
 
Recently, we have fished for smallmouth bass (two 5 pounds!) on the Tennessee River System Lake's Pickwick lake and Wilson lake. We also targeted (and we caught) some big striped bass (some 10-20 pounds!), fishing with out-of-towners and residents of nearby Smith Lake. Including fishing with some trophy striped bass anglers on Alabama's Lake Martin, sadly with only a few stripes weighing in the 5-10 pound class...but a lot of fun! 
 
Look for more lake reports at the many websites I write for including mine, with reports from this past week's trips to Logan Martin Lake, Mitchell Lake and Jordan Lake, while taking anglers fishing  for some exciting Coosa River Spotted bass and some decent sized largemouth bass. On each trip with anglers that come to Alabama to fish with Reeds guide service. Alabama's oldest!
 
Another two day guided fishing trip with two anglers I met at the www.birminghamboatshow.com took place on Alabama's Guntersville lake. Fishing for two consecutive days proved to be slow on day one, due to recent rains and cold, stained water in the low-50's at mid lake. But on day two we fished near the lower lake's dam and they caught a dozen nice keeper size bass and 3 bass exceeding 5 pounds, including one 7 pounder! That made up for day one!
 
On the Cossa River lake Mitchell lake we had a limit of spotted bass weighing 15 pounds, all caught on topwater lures, shallow running square billed crankbaits and rattletraps. Logan Martin lake and Jordan lake also showing some nice spots and largemouth bass, some in the 3-4 pound range. With one exceptional day while fishing alone in the pouring down rain on Jordan Lake showing 5 bass close to 20 pounds, all caught on buzz baits and my trusty zara super spook!
 
But out of all of these recent guided fishing trips, the one trip that really made my day and two visitors from Indiana visiting Smith lake. that took place on a cold day in mid February. Fooling 30 bass in one day. Here's how that trip went;
 
A GOOD DAY ON SMITH LAKE 
We began a cold morning on Alabama's Smith Lake meeting at Duncan Bridge boat launch. It was about 35 degrees and the parking lot was empty at dawn when I met my anxious, out-of-state clients from Indiana. These two anglers were actually heading to Louisiana to do some red fishing and they had called me from the other side of Smith lake near Interstate 65.
 
They had taken the Good Hope state park exit and had fished the day before, with no luck. So I instructed them to meet me at Duncan Bridge boat launch where I knew we could catch some bass. By just going down Highway 69 south, that then hits 78 Highway. From there, take Highway 195 that leads to Highway 257, that eventually crosses over Duncan bridge.
 
Actually, the area they had fished the day before (according to them) was muddy! Yes, muddy water on Smith lake! Alabama's deepest and clearest reservoir!
 
These two anglers actually had their own rods, reels and tackle. Its always interesting what these out of state anglers bring to fish with! Today, among a half dozen bobbers, a fillet knife, and some fish stringers, they had the right lures...jerk baits! Of which every bass taken that day, came on!
 
With air temps of 35 degrees and water temps about 50 degrees, they both gave me a funny look when I instructed them to tie on one of the several jerk baits in their tackle boxes. An old model, Bomber Long A jerk bait, one with a black back, white sides and an orange belly and a Rapala with black back and silver sides, were their lures of choice.
 
With the lake down close to 5 feet we first targeted laying trees, some of which only had their ends in the water, about 10 feet deep. The older angler fishing the Rapala in the back of the boat, simply just cast the lure out and slowly retrieved it. A good method for slow, lethargic wintertime bass. As a matter of fact he boated the first two bass of the day, a couple of nice spotted bass in the 1-2 pound range.
 
The other angler followed with a very small largemouth bass (weighing about one pound), caught in the back of a rocky, bluff pocket near a log jam.  He then exclaimed,
" That's more fish than we caught all day yesterday! " I did not fish, I just drank coffee and netted their bass. But I watched them as they fished these floating model jerk baits, all to their surprise, in the wrong manner.
 
On Smith lake it can be a real hit or a miss when it comes to catching bass. As they had seen the day before. So after I explained to them how to fish these jerk baits in the clear water, where bass really see the lure, in a more jerking, stop-and-go manner. One angler then said, "why don't you fish with us and show us what you mean?" So I did. Three bass later, in about 15 minutes, I think they got the message.
 
I then explained to them, "you know I'm sorry to say, you picked one of the toughest lakes in Alabama to just stop and fish." Although its possible to always fool a few cooperating bass and stripers on Smith Lake, they had seen what I meant as they had zeroed the day before. So any bass today was an improvement! And there was more to come!
 
It was getting near noon, so I laid my rod down and I then took a sandwich break on our next stop and I just watched as they caught both spotted bass and largemouth bass, on jerk baits alone. Sure, they had tried it all, from Finesse fishing with small worms to topwaters, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. But today, these bass wanted the jerk baits.
 
We mostly fished the Sipsey Fork, Clear Creek and Dismal Creek. Targeting wood cover, Rock bluffs, points, some piers and surprisingly, a lot of our bass came off of just nothing-looking sandy banks with small pebble rock, found in sunny small cuts and pockets a few degrees warmer, just off of the main lake. All you really needed was baitfish present and the bass were nearby. None of the bass exceeded three pounds.
 
A good day on Smith Lake with about 30 bass in all! The last words these anglers had to say was..."if this is a bad day on what is one of Alabama's toughest lakes, then what is a good day like on Smith lake? Oh, if only they knew. They said they would be back...
 
Always call on Reeds Guide Service...first!
 
* Pictures - As you can see (if there is a picture with this report, if not, see it on my Website / Smith Lake Report (and other lake reports) at; www.fishingalabama.com  From the smile on this anglers face he had a good time catching those Smith Lake largemouth bass and spotted bass! A lake nether him nor his friend had fished before!
 
* On Smith Lake even in February, there are always some cooperating bass to target! But first you have got to be there to even have a chance at fooling one into biting!
 
Or you can always call on Reeds Guide Service...first! " Alabama's oldest, professional - bass fishing only - guide service for over 40 years."
 
TIRED OF GETTING SKUNKED?  ARE YOU ONLY CATCHING A FEW SMALL BASS ON EVERY FISHING TRIP? YOU CAN GO OUT ON A GUIDED FISHING TRIP WITH REED MONTGOMERY OF REEDS GUIDE SERVICE (ALABAMA'S OLDEST GUIDE SERVICE) TO LEARN HOW TO CATCH BASS ON ANY ALABAMA LAKE WITH A VARIETY OF LURES AND PRESENTATIONS, ALL EXPLAINED ON EVERY TRIP! MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF AND E-MAIL OR CALL ME TODAY!
 
* REEDS GUIDE SERVICE
Only one professional, Alabama fishing guide service can claim to be "Alabama's oldest professional fishing guide service." Guiding on Smith Lake and all of Alabama's Lakes for over 40 years. Reed Montgomery, owner of Reeds Guide Service based out of Birmingham, Alabama has taken anglers from all over the globe to fish all of Alabama's many lakes. Offering bass fishing state wide, year round. Targeting largemouth bass, spotted bass, smallmouth bass and striped bass. (See: the pictures link on my Website  www.fishingalabama.com).
 
Same rates for either one or two anglers, with discount rates available on two day trips, to any Alabama lake. We welcome (with several qualified guides and insured boats), corporate guided trips, family outing fishing trips, parent and child learning trips, lake residents, both the tournament angler and the novice angler. All are welcome!
 
Call today (205) 663-1504 or E-mail me alabassgyd@aol.com for more info. Or see my Website www.fishingalabama.com for my guide service info, seasonal fishing tips and lake reports for all of Alabama's lakes, including fishing articles, fishing links, pictures and more!
 
 GUIDED FISHING TRIPS FOR ANGLERS  
 * KEEP IN MIND A GUIDED FISHING TRIP WITH REED MONTGOMERY OF REEDS GUIDE SERVICE FOR, "THAT LOVED ONE THAT LOVES TO FISH" MAKES A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY OCCASION! E-MAIL OR CALL ME TODAY (205) 663-1504 TO RESERVE YOUR GIFT CERTIFICATE!
 
* WBRC FOX 6 T V "GOOD DAY ALABAMA" - Call in with your fishing questions (205) 741-7474 as Reed Montgomery answers with his, "Ask the Angler" question and answer session. Reed Montgomery (an Alabama native) is on this very popular morning T V show the last Tuesday of each month. Reed is on just after 8 a.m. Central time.
 
Reed has been on "Good Day Alabama" for over 6 years on Birmingham's WBRC Fox 6 Television (seen state wide). Mark your calendar and make plans to tune in to "Good Day Alabama" morning show! Reed's next live appearance will be on Tuesday morning just after 8 a.m. on February 28 2012!
 
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* HUNTING AND FISHING - Check out www.marksoutsdoors.com for all your fishing and hunting needs! 
 
* NEW AND USED BOATS - See www.airportmarine.com for new and used boats, clearance sales, great parts department and expert mechanic work!
 
* BASS TOURNAMENTS - See www.airportmarinetrails.com NEW TRAILS FOR 2012!
 
* FISHING TIPS, LAKE REPORTS, FISHING ARTICLES, BASS GUIDE SERVICE INFO AND MORE! - 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: alabassgyd@aol.com
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!