Bass Fishing Alabama's Lay lake in March, April and May
Capt. Reed Montgomery
March 7, 2016
Birmingham - Freshwater Fishing Report
Springtime Bass Fishing for; March Pre-spawn Bass, April Spawning Bass and May Post-spawn bass on Alabama's Coosa River Impoundment Lay Lake
Written By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service Birmingham, Al. Internet Website www.fishingalabama.com also like us on Face book!
Intro; As the first week of March begins, Alabama's largemouth bass and Coosa River breed of spotted bass begin to make their move towards Lay lake's shallow spawning grounds. To reproduce yet another year's off spring, as the spawning season of spring suddenly gets underway.
March
As the second week of March progresses this age-old, fifty mile long, man made lake (now over 100 years since its impoundment in 1914), will be showing rising water temperatures, currently in the low-to-mid 50's.
With nighttime lows in the upper 50's to low 60's coupled with predicted daytime air temperatures of low-to-mid 70's, all throughout the second week of March (including an incoming rainy front on Friday and Saturday, March 11 & 12th) the stage is set for these bass to suddenly make their move towards the lake's shallow, spawning grounds.
With a full moon on Wednesday, March 23 bass anglers could see hordes of big largemouth bass increasingly invade the lake's weedy shoreline and wood cover. With good water clarity and a good pair of polarized sunglasses, astute bass anglers can actually witness largemouth bass preparing their beds, in some very shallow water as the actual spawning month of April gets underway.
Spotted bass will be seen cruising in pairs and both male and female spotted bass will begin to gather together, preparing visible beds actually seen along the lake's rocky shorelines, along flats and even up in small cuts and pockets found along boulder-strewn banks and deep rocky bluffs, located on the lake's lower end.
Incoming rocky points, red clay or hard bottom points situated along the mouths of major feeder creeks and secondary points found up in major feeder creeks, including drop-offs situated along main lake flats, are just some of the first places bass anglers should target this month for discovering some huge schools of big, pre spawn bass.
April
Spawning bass will be evident lake wide during the entire month of April. Aquatic weeds will be in full bloom. The lake will be full pool. Water temperatures of 72 degrees are the perfect spawning temperature for most of Lay lake's bass. Although some bass may be late spawners due to cooler water temperatures discovered in certain portions of the lake's deeper waters, like spawning sites located on the lower lake.
These are places with deeper water and much clearer water, places that are always slower to heat up and usually the last place anglers will find spawning bass lake wide in early May, on the lower lake.
Actually, the mid-to-upper portion of Lay lake featuring smaller creeks, main lake flats, and places around mid-lake islands, shallows along weedy cuts and pockets (most of which feature stained water conditions from incoming rains), these will be the first places to heat up the "fastest" and bass anglers will see the lake's earliest pre spawning bass (actually some on the beds), and some bass in the process of spawning, all during the first week of April.
May
As March and April draws to an end, most of Lay lake's bass will have finished their spawned-out rituals for this season. However, the "big bass, shallow water explosion" is not over yet!
Bass anglers always have some very active post-spawn bass to target, during the entire month of May and often on into the month of June (before things really begin to heat up for the summer), there are still a lot of big, hungry female bass cruising the lake's shallows, in search of an easy–to-catch meal.
Lots of smaller male bass will still be around the shallows as well, guarding the beds from egg-eating bream and other pesky intruders and protecting the hundreds of newborn baby bass fry, until they are but a few inches in length. Big enough to get out on their own, in their now, new underwater world. All alone and on their own, to some day grow up and reproduce another year‘s offspring, on Alabama's Lay lake!
Lures For Targeting Lay Lake's Bass
Although bass will actually attack about any lure in your tackle box, the numbers of very productive lures, fished form deep to shallow water, are limited in the month of March. Like most of the year, its all according to the weather!
If late winter's trailing cold fronts continue to linger around, the pre spawning process, of both male and female bass suddenly invading the lake's shallow waters, could be delayed. Also March is a notorious month for displaying lots of rain, often about every few days, creating stained to muddy water conditions at any given time.
Thinking back on late winter bass, anglers should always consider places near deep water for some often slow and lethargic bass. Especially during a cold front and when bright, bluebird skies appear for a few days.
This can often call for fishing slower presented lures like big worms, lizards and jig combos. Or smaller finesse worms of 4-6 inches, or four legged creature baits, beaver-type plastics, crayfish imitations and other weighted lures such as jigging spoons fished on or near bottom.
Also deep diving crank baits, both floating model and suspending model hard-bodied jerk baits and especially lipless lures. These lures cover shallow to deep water fast and bass anglers will discover the more active bass, in schools, holding along pre spawn routes as they migrate towards the lake's shallows.
As April arrives hundreds of bass will invade the lake's weedy, rocky and wood filled shallows, calling for a number of lures fished from top to bottom. Topwater lures, especially weed less models will come into play, as bass located in and around the various varieties of aquatic weeds, begin to attack your many offerings.
Fake frogs, buzz baits, prop baits and poppers are very productive. Lures fished weightless (with only a hook) such as floating worms, soft jerk baits and Senko's type lures, are all good choices, often for targeting for sluggish bass found along weed edges.
Spinnerbaits, chatter baits and swimming a jig combo, are popular lures and tactics that can often fool even the weariest of bass all during the spawning season.
There are so many lures and techniques for anglers to discover as the lake's waters warm, too many lures and techniques to list, that will all fool bass located in water temps of 70-80 degrees, as the spawning season slowly comes to an end and summer nears.
Alabama rigs (multi hook lures), jigging spoons, drop shot rigs, both hard bodied and soft bodied swim baits, Texas-rigged plastics like worms, lizards and crayfish imitations, beaver-type plastics and creature baits, including Carolina-rigged plastics, or soft plastics rigged on a jig head. Shallow to deep diving crankbaits and lipless lures again come into the picture, as hungry post spawn gather up in schools, just like during prespawn times.
So visit Alabama's Lay lake during this spring season for some shallow water action, lasting for the next three months! Or, you can always make plans to call on Reeds Guide Service…first!
"Alabama's oldest, professional bass fishing only guide service, guiding anglers from all over the globe for over 40 years, fishing state wide, year round, in all seasons for all species of bass!" Lures only, no live bait or trolling!
Thanks and Good Fishin' This Spring Season on all of Alabama's Lakes! Reed Montgomery owner of Reeds Guide Service, B'ham. Al. (205) 663-1504 Website www.fishingalabama.com Like us on face book too!
Birmingham Fishing Forecast:
Mid 70's with rain Friday and Saturday
Target Species:
Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass
More Fishing Reports:
