Alabama's Lake Martin for Three Breeds of Big, Wintertime Bass!
Capt. Reed Montgomery
December 3, 2015
Lake Martin - Freshwater Fishing Report
Alabama's Lake Martin on the Tallapoosa River System Report for Wintertime Bass Fishing for Big, Striped Bass, Largemouth Bass and Spotted Bass! Provided By Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service Website www.fishingalabama.com
Impounded 1926
* Lake Level: (Full Pool: 490.0) Lake Martin is currently down for winter pool at 8 feet / 482.0 during the first week of December 2015. It could be even lower by years end.
* Water Temperature: Recent cold fronts with daytime highs in the low-50's and cool nights of mid-30's have lowered Lake Martin's water temperatures into the low-to-mid 50's.
* Water Clarity: Like during most of the year, Lake Martin is currently showing clear water clarity from mid-lake at Wind Creek State Park, to the lower Lake Martin dam. (Its gets very clear on the lower lake with over 10-15 feet visibility.) Upriver, (as the lake begins to look more like the original Tallapoosa River System above Hwy. 280 crossing), the lake's head waters and incoming feeder creeks may show lightly stained water clarity conditions, especially when following several days of heavy rains.
Three Bass Species to Target on Lake Martin this Winter Season!
* Striped Bass - In years past Lake Martin (now about 90 years since its impoundment in 1926), there have been some huge, striped bass caught on this lake (by some angler that was lucky enough to have landed one!), some weighing in excess of 50 pounds! But now days that weight is rare. Still, there are plenty of 10-30 pounders and an ocassional "40 pound plus striper" caught during the winter season!
With swift, cold current in the lake's headwaters, incoming feeder creeks and lots of deep water main lake drop-offs on the mid-to-lower lake, these freshwater striped bass can be found roaming in huge schools as they follow the lake's baitfish schools during the cold winter months ahead.
* Largemouth Bass - Lake Martin is known for its trophy- sized largemouth bass. But often they number few, when talking of really big, trophy-sized largemouth bass, those exceeding ten pounds. But there are still plenty of largemouth bass seen lakewide during the winter months and 4-5 pounders are common. Largemouth bass can be targeted while fishing any number of the lake's rock bluffs, resident-built piers, wood cover like laydown trees and stumps and resident-planted brush piles as well.
* Tallapoosa River Breed of Spotted Bass - Like any clear water (and deep water), man-made impoundment, Lake Martin is loaded with excellent habitat for the Alabama breed of Spotted Bass.
These often fiesty spotted bass can be well at home and often found in huge numbers, with schools of "spots" found lingering around the lake's deep water drop-offs, submerged humps and islands, rock bluffs, rocky or boulder-strewn points, main river banks, including the lake's headwaters and many feeder creeks as well!
Fishing with lures only (no live bait), as owner of Reeds Guide Service (Alabama's oldest, professional freshwater guide service), I have seen largemouth bass exceeding 8 pounds. Spotted bass in the 5-6 pound range and some big, striped bass in the 10-20 pound range (or even bigger!) during my 30 plus years of guiding, tournament fishing and just exploring massive, Lake Martin.
* Lake Martin's Wintertime Lures for Big Bass! - During the winter months we see some of the year's biggest bass, of each of these three bass breeds! All three of these bass species largemouth's, spotted bass and striped bass, can be caught on topwater lures (especially during winter warming trends), both floating model and suspending model jerk baits, shallow-to-mid diving crankbaits, lipless lures, swim baits, hair jigs, A-rigs, jigging spoons and tail spinners.
Fishing from shallow to deep water requires rigging several lure types and on any given day during this winter season you could fool the bass of a lifetime on Lake Martin! Always call on Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504 Website www.fishingalabama.com...first!
* Christmas Gifts - Keep in mind, a guided fishing trip makes a great gift for those loved ones that love to fish! See my website www.fishingalabama.com for info on obtaining a, "Guided Fishing Trip with Reed Montgomery of Reeds Guide Service Gift Certificate" for this Christmas or any ocassion!
Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all from Reeds
Guide Service!
Lake Martin Fishing Forecast:
Partly Cloudy with highs in the upper 50's today with a warming trend in the low 60's this weekend with rain expected Monday.
Target Species:
Striped bass, largemouth bass and spotted bass
More Fishing Reports:
