ALABAMA FISHING REPORT


03/06/03


Gulf Coast


Water temperature: 70 degrees. What's biting offshore: Fort Morgan Marina reports amberjack and grouper are consistent catches. Snapper are biting, but can't keep them until season opens on April 21. What's biting inshore: Sheepshead, blackdrum, redfish, ground mullet and white trout are producing some good bites.

Guntersville

Water conditions: Low 50s; slight stain. Bass: Waterfront Grocery reports June bug colored tight line jigs, half-ounce Rat-L-Traps and chartreuse spinnerbaits at 6 to 14 feet producing some good bites. Crappie: Bass Assassin tiny shad in baby bass color doing best around the bridges or boathouses at 8 to 12 feet. Striped bass: Chartreuse hair-jigs doing well in the river channels.

Lay

Water conditions: Low 50s; slight stain. Bass: Bozo's Fish Camp reports flipping the docks or piers with jigs doing well. Crappie: Minnows and jigs at 6 to 12 feet around the structures producing some good bites.

Logan Martin

Water conditions: 51 degrees; stain. Bass: Lucky's Bait and Tackle reports chartreuse and white spinnerbaits, along with black and blue and pumpkin seed jigs in the shallows producing some good bites. Striped bass: Look for the schools of shad in the main river channels. Throw a Zaraspook topwater bait or any other bait that imitates the shad. Crappie: 5 to 7 feet with minnows doing well. Also try black chartreuse tube jigs and curly tail jigs for good results. Catfish: Catfish dynomite at 10 feet off the red clay banks and points producing best bites.

Martin

Water conditions: Mid 50s; stain on upper end, clearer on the lower end. Bass: Mike's Bait and Tackle reports crankbaits, spinnerbaits and jigs producing some good bites in brush piles. Fish are moving shallow into the pockets. Crappie: Minnows and jigs in the backs of the creeks or pockets. Fish the shallow brush or around shallow structures. Striped bass: Large red fins doing well in the upper end of the lake. Catfish: Main river with giant red worms and nightcrawlers producing best bites.

Purdy

Water conditions: Lower 60s; stain. Bass: Bass jigs and crankbaits most effective in shallow water. Crappie: Treetops at 10 to 12 feet with tuffie minnows and crappie jigs producing the best bites. Catfish: Abundant around the Alabama 119 bridge on nightcrawlers or liver.

Smith

Water conditions: 52 degrees; slight stain. Bass: Speegles Marina reports crankbaits or pig and jigs in the mud and clay points or in the backs of the run-ins producing best bites. Striped bass: Live shad doing well around Millers Flats and Goat Island. Crappie: Small jigs around boathouses or submerged cedar trees producing some good bites. Warrior

Water conditions: 49 degrees; slight stain. Bass: Smith's Fishing Camp reports crankbaits on the points producing well. Also try June bug and red bug worms cast around the structures. Also fish the topwater around the backs of the creeks. Bream: Minnows and crickets in weed beds at 2 to 4 feet producing some good bites. Striped bass: Bright-colored jigs or minnows in the creeks doing well. Crappie: One to four feet in the treetops using pearl, chartreuse or yellow jigs or minnows. Catfish: Minnows and stinkbaits working well off trot lines at night.

Wedowee

Water conditions: Low 50s; upper rivers are clearing, still a good stain on main lake. Bass: Dano Bratton from southstatesfishin.com reports largemouth being caught up river in shallow water but on deeper banks. Spots are staging on long clay points with larger fish moving up on chunkrock points to feed. Crappie: Hitting well on minnows around docks and laydowns up both rivers. Fish should move shallow any day.

Weiss

Water conditions: 52-53 degrees; clear. Bass: JR's Marina reports spinnerbaits and jig with a pork chunk around the spring creeks doing best. Crappie: Blue chartreuse jigs around 3 to 10 feet producing best bites. Catfish: Cutbaits doing best. Also try chicken livers or nightcrawlers.

Wheeler

Water conditions: Low-mid 50s; slight stain. Bass: Spinnerbaits around the rocky points or banks producing best bites. Also try worms. Crappie: Use minnows or grubs in the clearer water for best bites. Striped bass: Grubs or small crankbaits cast around the sandy banks doing well. For generation schedules or lake levels for any Alabama Power lake, call 1-800-525-3711. Fishing reports compiled by News staff writer Eric Brown.