Alabama's Lay Lake for Summertime Day and Night Bass Fishing
Capt. Reed Montgomery
August 7, 2014
Lay Lake - Freshwater Fishing Report
Lay Lake Summer Bass Fishing By Reed Montgomery
Whether you choose to fish for bass during the day or at night the largemouth bass of Alabama's 50 mile long, Coosa River impoundment Lay Lake will cooperate...that is, if you find them.
Knowing where to begin your search for these seemingly "ever-elusive bass of summer" is the key to your success. Which is catching bass!
This goes for targeting Lay lake's big, largemouth bass usually found lingering in and around the lake's weedy shallows and searching for that often very tenacious Coosa River breed of spotted bass, a fighting bass that prefers cooler water, current, deep water and a hard bottom or rocky terrain.
* Daytime Bass Fishing for "Heads"
Largemouth Bass - Looking at all the many types of aquatic weeds Lay lake has to offer, an angler can honestly say, "it is rather mind boggling" as to what to fish with and where you can begin your search, especially during August and even throughout the month of September...the two hottest months of the year.
Water temps can be 90 degrees and these largemouth bass will still feed especially early, late in the day, or if your fortunant enough, on one of those rare, cloudy, rainy days.
There are some big bass to be found (See: cyberangler freshwater pictures section for "Alabama's Lay lake with Reed Montgomery and three bass over 5 pounds" all caught in water less than 3 feet deep on topwater lures) and these bass can be caught at any time during the day!
Lures like topwaters (buzz baits, frogs and zara spooks) using at least 20 pound test line and weightless soft plastic lures like Zoom's "Trick Worms" and their "Flukes" or Gary Yamamoto's "Senkos" all plastic lures that can be fished enticingly slow and these weightless rigged lures can be cast right up in the weediests of places.
* Use heavy line of at least 12-15 pound test and a 3/0 to 4/0 size wide bend or offset bend worm hook.
Other shallow water techniques for targeting Lay lakes weedy bass this summer would have to include fishing with Texas-rigged plastics. Like big worms 8-12 inches in length, or oversized lizards that are 8 inches long or bigger. Creature baits, beavers, tube baits and crayfish imitations too! Day or night!
Or you can choose to fish with light tackle outfits and small finesse worms like the now famous "shaky head" worm technique.
Going with heavy line, flipping rods 7-7 1/2 feet long and stought tackle, anglers can also choose to fish with jig combos, a deadly lure combo for big largemouth bass...anytime!
* Flipping (an in close technique) a heavy 1/2 ounce to one ounce jig adorned with a trailing plastic chunk, single or twin tail grub, or adding half of a worm, lizard or creature bait can be flipped right up in weedy holes or very thick and matted weeds. This technique calls for patience and precise accuracy.
* Pitching a jig combo (for skittish bass in clear water situations) means anglers can get the boat in close, targeting weed edges, open lanes in weeds, weedy openings, weedy patches and even fishing around various types of wood cover.
* Swimming a jig combo means anglers can cover water fast while swimming a 1/4 to 1/2 ounce jig combo in and around weeds and along thinner weed edges. Swimming a jig combo also works about anywhere in shallow water, like swimming this deadly lure jig combo around wood and rock cover as well.
Besides fishing Lay lake's aquatic weeds bass anglers should include other targets like fishing around shady piers, boat houses, around marinas, under bridges, culverts, rock bluffs and standing timber. Man made rip-rap rocks line a lot of these bass holding structures.
Lay lakes headwaters, situated right below upper Logan Martin Lake dam, shows plenty of current, cool water and loads of wood and rock cover. Places summertime largemouth bass, spotted bass and striped bass hang around and feed daily, both during the day and at night!
Or like many anglers you can choose to fish at night. Well lighted places like around bridges, along causeways, culverts, around marinas and any piers and boat houses are always good.
* Keep in mind: For late evening or early night fishing trips, the lakes shady banks found on the western side of the lake, will have shade on them the last few hours of the day. Showing more active bass in cooler water right before sundown!
Or, you can always call on Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504 Birmingham, Al. Website: www.fishingalabama.com "Alabama's oldest, professional bass fishing only guide service. Guiding on Lay lake and all other Alabama lakes for over 40 years, year round"
Thanks and Good Fishin' Reed Montgomery
Lay Lake Fishing Forecast:
The second week of August comes in with scorching daytime highs in the upper 90's with clouds and some 40 percent chance of rain the weekend of August 9 & 10th.
Target Species:
Largemouth bass and Spotted Bass
More Fishing Reports:
