Its small town living., This is echoed by ARC Realtys Leda Mims, Ive been coming to the lake since I was nine years old. Are you looking to sell your home or shopping around for a new one? The 24 kilometre long lake stretches from the city of Florence to the Wheeler Dam. There are two dozen species of freshwater fish larger than 6 feet and weighing more than 200 pounds, which is as big as a person, and some weigh up to 600 or 700 pounds.. Streetville Island and Cutoff Bar are also great nearby locations where anglers can anchor the boat and fish straight from the land. 7 oz. What fishing license do I need for Smith Lake Alabama? Find out where the locals eat, shop and hangout. As Captain Brian advises, Any fish over ten pounds needs to be released. Live bait such as herring, menhaden, mackerel, eels, squid, clams, anchovies, bloodworms, shad, nightcrawlers and sandworms all make great bait for striped bass fishing. On his trip to the Tennessee Aquarium, Hogan dove with fish in its new River Giants exhibit so he could experience swimming with the over-sized specimens. Alternative locations anglers can target include the cuts on the northern portion of the lakes western shoreline. Home Fish WhatS The Biggest Catfish Caught In Alabama? Smith Lake Public Boat Launch Ramp Mega-fishthe biggest catfish in the countryare right here in Alabama. Click images for fishing tips and details about each species. Bloodworms and Sandworms as Striped Bass Baits Bloodworms and sandworms are highly effective striper baits just about everywhere these fish are found, virtually any time of the year. With over 500 miles of shoreline you are almost guaranteed to catch the big one you have been dreaming about for years. You can find these baits at just about any local fishing bait and tackle shop. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Multiple boat ramps and marinas serve the public with gas, launching, fishing tackle, sundries, ice, food and a host of other items to enhance boating, fishing and camping trips at the lake. Elsewhere, heavily forested shores with submerged logs, trees, and brush piles make this excellent flathead catfish water and a prime-time bass fishing location. Like Cutoff, anglers will find some large flatheads hiding among the submerged structure out of the current. The jig of a jig and pig is usually a lead head jig with a fairly big hook. This 39,000-acre reservoir in Central Alabama provides some of the best fishing in the entire state. You will find boating, kayaking and fishing here. With over 200 miles of river to fish, anglers have plenty of opportunities to set their hooks into a large catfish. It was caught out of Lake Neely Henry. Hogan, a biologist and host of the show Monster Fish, recently spent time at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga and with fishermen and scientists around the South, searching for answers to the legend of the Volkswagon-sized catfish, a tale passed among fishermen from Wilson Dam in Muscle Shoals to Lake Guntersville Dam in Marshall County. Much of the shoreline is dotted with boat docks, rocks and trees which all hold fish from time to time. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Bankhead Lake is best known for catches of largemouth bass and spotted bass. Be assured that a 75-pound catfish qualifies as a trophy anywhere. Also fueling the big fish tales is the fact that river creatures likely grew even larger in the past, before humans and chemicals interfered with habitats. In Alabama, we have three residents: the Alabama sturgeon, the Gulf sturgeon and the Lake sturgeon. Hoover resident Carol DiPlacido talked with me about her familys decision to purchase a weekend lakeside cabin on Smith Lake, and it turns out being easy and quick to get to was an important factor. From the Tennessee River to the Gulf of Mexico, Alabama has a tremendous variety of fish species to pursue. Lake Mitchell has several feeder creeks whose mouths are excellent catfish holes, including Chestnut Creek, Weoka Creek, and Shoal Creek. The Cahaba River, a major tributary to the Alabama River in central Alabama, drains only 1,818 square miles, but it contains 135 freshwater species, making it one of the most species-rich river systems of its size in North America. The best time of day to catch striped bass is early morning from dawn until about 2 hours after sunrise and late afternoon from 2 hours before sunset until dusk. Alabama Catfish Prospects for Summer During summer, blue and flathead catfish offer anglers an opportunity to [] , Best Answer From Peter in Australia: A hook will rust away in a fish, but it may take a while, especially if the hook is plated or made of thick metal. The Sacramento River system starts to fill up with stripers as they migrate up to Knights Landing and Colusa to start the spawn. A number of guides on the major north Alabama lakes can put anglers on these monster catfish. Boat anglers must keep their distance from the dam, anchoring or mooring out of the current and casting into it for the highest chance of success. Known for monster striped bass, Smith Lake AKA Lewis Smith Lake is a 21,000-acre lake located in north-central Alabama about an hour north of Birmingham. Big catfish can be quite dangerous if not handled properly. With ten marinas dotted around the lake, and many public launch facilities, Smith Lake provides plenty of opportunity to get out and play. This near 5,000 sq ft, 3 bed / 2 bath property at 1400 CO RD 127, Bremen has big lake views from every room on the main floor. For the past 10 years, Hogan has been working to find, study and protect the worlds largest freshwater fish. William D. Webb, B'ham The commercial pond catfish culture supplies the demand for catfish fillets, so commercial fishing in the lakes is a lost art. March 06, 2019 By Eileen Ann Davis. The lakes deeper holes and areas with heavy currents are your best bet for locating channel catfish. All content on this site is Copyright Rushing Waters MediaLLC/Bham Now 2016-2023. Anglers can even fish part of this location from shore from the Lake Eufaula Campground. How do you catch striped bass on Smith Lake Alabama? This southeastern Alabama reservoir has multiple excellent fishing locations across its massive footprint. ). Never fear. Career highlights include introducing innovative recycling systems and achieving a point where households throw out trash just once a month. April and May are the prime time. Whether fishing from a boat or the shore, Yates Reservoir allows anglers to set their hooks into a myriad of species, all from one location. Some of these stories we hear about Volkswagon-sized catfish and people seeing serpents in the water come from older times when probably even bigger animals and fish were living in rivers and lakes, Hogan said. The scent will travel with the current and draw in the catfish. Gizzard shad are excellent striper baits. Nightcrawler. Catfish also find their way into marshes, coastal estuaries, and river deltas. one of the best places in Alabama to go crappie fishing, where the attention turns to redfish and other saltwater fishing, check out our complete guide to catfish fishing techniques. GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. - One fisher caught a large catfish at Lake Guntersville. Fishing can be done by boat or along the banks of the 6,272 hectare lake. Fish must be weighed on certified scales. Anglers will have the most success near these spots with bottom rigs, baited with small sunfish, shad, minnows, cut bait, or liver. Get a reliable, big landing net. 67,070 acres. If youre after the largest catfish, though, a better bet is fishing with cut bait or threadfin shad on bottom rigs. Towns on the lake include Bremen, Crane Hill and Dodge City in Cullman County; Curry and Jasper in Walker County; and Addison, Arley, Houston, and Double Springs in Winston County. It is normally dressed in either a rubber skirt or hair. Smith Mountain Lake is well known to fishermen all over the US for its striped bass fishing. In the low light and during the frenzied feed, they hit just about anythinga zig-zagging Spook is a good starter, but sometimes its necessary to downsize a bit to some of the smaller floater divers like the Rapala or Rebel. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Alabama has plenty of great catfishing holes between its rivers, reservoirs, and lakes. Good quality electronics are just as important for finding and catching trophy catfish as they are for bass fishing. A fresh mega-catfish is very strong, and these fish come with very stout and dangerous spines on several of their fins. Former county recycling manager in the UK. But due to its dense concentration of blue catfish, I think its worth a longer look. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. You might not know that Smith Lake is BIG! The runner-up spot went to Wayne and Travis Bodine. Located between Lake Martin and Thurlow Lake along the Tallapoosa River, Yates Lake has earned a reputation for big striped bass, but its hidden gem is its quality catfish population. 256 286-0050. Shelby, AL 35143 256 756-7946if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'aa_fishing_com-leader-1','ezslot_7',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-aa_fishing_com-leader-1-0'); Duskin Point Marina Boat Rentals Boat Launch Ramp: YES Yellow and chartreuse are fish-catchers because, simply put, they get seen. Its easy to get out there on the lake and feel as if you have the whole place to yourself. Globally, there are 27 kinds of sturgeons. My name is Keith Prather and fishing has been a big part of my life since I could hold a rod. Farmers reported spotting giant serpents in the Tennessee River as far back as 1822, when Buck Sutton was fishing in Van's Hole in a branch of the river in Tennessee. Recently, he went mega-catfishing himself. Line matters and Captain Mike recommends sticking with 10-pound or 12-pound test. There are numerous different species of fish to find on this body of water. Guntersville Reservoir, Jeremy S. White, Alexander CityJack Grant, Altoona, Richard Johnson, Bay Minette Check out local properties for sale. Having angled this lake twice, I think you can get away with catching flatheads in the trees with a good bass rod, but I would switch to strong saltwater-level gear for pulling in monster blues. Filled with brush piles and submerged trees, Pickwick Lake also has multiple deep water holes and is rich in minnows, shad, and crawfish. Minnows, nightcrawlers, and even crawfish are great baits to lure out these yellow-bellied giants. 22 pounds, 4 ouncesOfficial Largemouth World Record: George Perrys Undefeated Bass. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). This is one of the best baits for big striped bass and hybrids. When a big catfish strikes, its important not to jerk but simply apply pressure and start reeling.. Duncan Bridge Marina Boat Launch Ramp Blue, bullhead, channel, flathead, and white catfish inhabit Alabama's inland rivers, streams, ponds, and lakes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. And the water a smith lake damn according to TVA is 320 feet in deepiest point. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! If the bait is on the bottom, the fish will lift it and relieve the pressure fairly gently. The cut that ends at Madwind Road is an excellent example of this. Ed Mashburn writes extensively about fishing for Great Days Outdoors. Some of the best locations to find flatheads at Bankhead Lake include the fork of White Oak and Little White Oak Creek, the shoreline north of Heards Bend, and the cut-off of Henderson Camp Road. Scientists believe people likely were witnessing exceptionally large species of fish that live in Alabama rivers. An impoundment of the Tennessee River, this lake has an excellent population of Largemouth Bass. Alewives. Of course, when the mega-catfish decides that playtime is over, it will apply plenty of pressure to the angler. Catfishing is a fine old Southern tradition. With several piers that border deep water and banks fringed with brush, shore fishing is easy at Lake Martin. With five significant species in Alabama, catfish are one of the most sought-after fish in the state. The best catfish angling on the Coosa River is at Lay Lake and Lake Mitchell. Early morning and late evening are the best times to target the feeder creeks and stump flats, where anglers can catch catfish, crappie, and bass side by side. Rich with submerged woody cover, this lake reaches depths up to 60 feet closer to the dam, with creek channels that dip down to 20 feet. Besides your basic fishing license, anglers will need some stout tackle (including rod and reel) and preferably some odorous bait. So come on and enjoy the fishing on Smith Lake . Full of minnows and gizzard shad, this bait-rich reservoir is lined with cuts and offshoots, perfect for ambush predators like flathead. (Contributed by Zeb Hogan). . The Mobile-Tensaw Deltais inhabited by more than 130 freshwater and marine species. The Yates Dam makes for some incredible angling locations along the Tallapoosa Rivers heavily forested shorelines. Fairly gently Mike recommends sticking with 10-pound or 12-pound test countryare right here in Alabama, we three! Predators like flathead, a better bet is fishing with cut bait or threadfin on! Fisher Caught a large catfish Any local fishing bait and tackle shop past 10 years Hogan. Reservoir in Central Alabama provides some of the lakes deeper holes and areas with heavy currents your... Can find these baits at just about Any local fishing bait and tackle shop the sturgeon. Of their fins believe people likely were witnessing exceptionally large species of to! 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