If you are hitting the water in the next day or so, you might want to remember the heavy rain that hit the area, Wednesday.

Bass adjust to rising water and follows it as it rises, so it is recommended you fish visible cover – trees, stumps, brush – using spinner baits, buzz baits, top-water baits and shallow running crankbaits.

Fishing Report

Gibson County Lake
Water temperature: mid 80s. Water color: cloudy

Bass: “Big bass seem to be zeroed in on jigs and giant plastic baits … around the timber,” Trenton’s Brent Smith said.

Shellcrackers and bream: Brent said they are hitting red worms and crickets in five-to-10-feet of water.

Catfish: “Monster catfish – 50 pounds and up, have been caught on the main body of the lake,” Brent said.

Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: 82 degrees: Elevation: 413.5 feet

Bass: “With the hot weather and heavy boat traffic, it is better to stick with early morning and late afternoon (fishing),” Clagett Talley said. “You can just about count on big bass exploding the surface to hit top-water baits in the morning, but you can also count on no current flow from the Dam during the morning hours, so the activity is usually short lived.”

Clagett Talley, a tour guide from Savannah, said if you are out of the wind, and the water is calm, your first move should be to throw a walking bait – namely a Strike King Sexy Dawg.

“If you are tempted to fish a windy bank, use a buzz bait,” Clagett said. “After the top-water bite is over, you will find the better bass are in 12-to-20-feet throughout the day, and that is the depth I would fish right after the first hour of daylight.”

Clagett said the results have been pretty fair when fishing big crankbaits along deep bluffs, open water humps and ledges.

“Carolina rigging is working well with plastic Strike King Rail Tail crawfish and lizards,” Clagett said. “Grubs have been working well in the lake and the river. As the sun goes down, you get a chance at some more top-water action.”

Clagett said the time is now – in the cooler part of the day – to catch a large number of bass on small baits, with small top-water baits and Texas rigged worms and grubs around shallow grassy areas.

“If you fish these baits around grassy flats in the morning and afternoon, you should find small bass feeding in and around the grass areas,” Clagett said.

Stripers: “Rockfish are busting top-water baits thoughout the day,” Clagett said. “You can expect to catch several fish. Like bass fishing you will find the first hour of daylight exciting with top-water baits and jerk baits.”

Clagett said as soon as you notice the fish are deep, try fishing with sassy shad or live bait.
“Use a three-ounce sinker to reach the bottom faster,” Clagett said. “Over the last two weeks, I have seen several fish over 10 pounds. You can usually count on catching several big fish if you stay out and try different methods.”

Catfish: “Catfish are in deep water channels and are also showing up in shallow water again,” Clagett said. “Nightcrawlers are picking up most of the fish we have caught.”

Want more from the “Mayor of Pickwick Lake?” Give Clagett Talley a call (731) 607-5266, or visit him online – www.pickwickareaguide.com

Bass Tournament

The Henderson County Bass Anglers Thursday Night Bass Tournament at Beech Lake will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., today. Visitors are welcome to participate. For more information, call (731) 695-1654.

(PHOTO: Lake Graham, Jackson)
David Thomas, Twitter– @DavidThomasWNWS
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