Pickwick Lake elevation: 416.58 ft. and slowly falling at the time of this report. High water and strong current is still the norm this week due to continuing rainfall throughout the TN River basin. For bass, anglers are catching fish on just about every bait you can think of as the fish are in all three stages of the spawn. It took a whopping 79lbs 11ozs to win a three day, semi-pro tourney out of Mcfarland Park this past weekend with two of the top 5 stringers coming from the mid to lower lake section. For numbers, anglers are hitting the shallow, flooded cover of pockets with T-rig’s, senkos, buzzbaits and spinnerbaits. The quality bite still seems to be off shore and anglers are throwing 6xd and 10xd crankbaits in hopes of getting them to bite. Bass anglers need to keep in mind the new minimum length limit on Pickwick that went into effect on March 21. All black bass (including largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass) must be over 15 inches in order to keep. The crappie bite is still fair to good but continues to slow down. Some quality fish are still being caught, but not at the frequency of weeks past. Mills Creek, Goat Island and Yellow Creek continue to be hot spots as anglers are loading the boat drifting/trolling jigs and casting jigs/roadrunners for suspended fish they found using their electronics. Anglers are targeting 5-12ft of water. The hot jig color(s) continue to be red/chartreuse and blue/chartreuse. The catfish bite has really picked up over the last week. It took 80lbs to win 5-fish limit tourney out of JP Coleman this past weekend, with a 36lb lunker taking top fish honors. It’s still a bit early for the fish to be spawning, but they aren’t far off so get your fly rod ready. Cutbait and nightcralers are the bait of choice right now.

Here are a couple quality fish that the tourney winner bagged on day one.



For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 416.78 ft. and rising at the time of this report. Last week’s and weekend’s rainfall has raised lake level about 2 feet over summer pool. For bass, anglers are catching good numbers of fish, but the quality bite is a bit tougher to come by. 40-60 fish days are common right now, but most of the fish are less 15 inches long. It took 23lbs to win a local team tournament this past weekend. The spawn is continuing, but fluctuating lake levels has hindered it somewhat. A variety of lures are working right now. Some anglers are reporting a decent buzzbait bite in some of the backwater areas where grass and bushes are flooded. Others are throwing weightless and T-rigged soft plastics for those more lethargic fish. Some anlgers have resorted to using shakeyheads to catch some of these fish as well. Bass anglers need to keep in mind the new minimum length limit on Pickwick which went into effect on March 21. All black bass (including largemouth, smallmouth and spotted bass) must be over 15 inches in order to keep. The crappie bite is still fair to good but seems to be slowing down some as anlgers aren’t catching as many. Some quality fish are still being caught, but not at the frequency of weeks past. Mills Creek, Goat Island and Yellow Creek continue to be hot spots as anglers are loading the boat drifting/trolling jigs and casting jigs/roadrunners for suspended fish they found using their electronics. Anglers are targeting 5-12ft of water. The hot jig color(s) continue to be red/chartreuse and blue/chartreuse. The catfish bite has really picked up over the last week as one report of an anlger catching 60 close to the rock walls. It’s still a bit early for them to be spawning, but they aren’t far off soyou’re your fly rod ready. Redworms and nightcralers are the bait of choice right now.


Here is one quality 7.9lb bite that one local angler found this past week.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Currey Holley, TN River Bass Fishing Guide Service-Pickwick Lake Alabama

This report is for Friday , April 18th and 19th on Pickwick Lake in Florence,AL. I had the pleasure of fishing with a gentleman from Georgia for the two days. We did a combination of artificial and live bait including swimbaits, topwaters, jigs, and live shiners.We caught several largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass with the biggest being a 5 1/2lb smallmouth. The topwater bite is turning on and the warmer weather ahead should make for some great fishing in the weeks to come.

Visit www.alwaysgonefishing.com For more information.

Water Temp 63 Degrees

At Always Gone Fishing Guide Service we fish year round for largmouth and smallmouth bass.We are booking fast for the 2013 year on the TN River,Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake,& Lake Guntersville in Alabama.

Let's Go Fishing! Call us today to schedule a trip or for gift certificates. 931-698-3904

www.alwaysgonefishing.com

Capt. Currey Holley

US Coast Guard Captain

alwaysgonefishing@alwaysgonefishing.com

Towns along the Tennessee River include Scottsboro AL.,Guntersville AL.,Huntsville AL.,Decatur AL.,Florence AL.,and Muscle Shoals AL.

Cell/Text 931-698-3904

Pickwick Lake elevation: 412.06 ft. and quickly rising at the time of this report due to the recent rainfall this past weekend. Look for the lake levels to not dropoff as much like it has over the past couple months as we’ve reached that time of year when TVA starts holding more water for the warm months. For bass, the Alabama-rig bite continues but is tapering off as fish start to move toward those prespawn transition areas. Power techniques like spinnerbaits and jigs are starting to play a factor now. Jerkbaits and single swimbaits are also good lures to have tied on. Points and shallow drop-offs leading into spawning areas seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Look for transition areas like creek channels and ditches to continue loading up with fish over the next week or two. It took 26 pounds to win a local tournament there this past weekend. The crappie bite is still as good as ever right now as multitudes of anglers are hitting the waters. Mills Creek, Goat Island and Yellow Creek continue to be hot spots as anglers are loading the boat drifting/trolling jigs and also vertical jigging for suspended fish they found using their electronics. Fifty plus fish days are a regular occurrence for a team of anglers in the same boat. Anglers are targeting 15-25ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait or whole skipjack, and hold on.

Pickwick Lake elevation: 409.96 ft. and slightly falling at the time of this report. While the bass bite on Pickwick has rivaled any waterbody in the country for the past month or so, tournament weights dropped a little this past weekend, probably due to high winds. The winning bag in a major state tournament was 25-03 lbs, however, two fish over ten pounds were weighed in. One local angler caught a 13lber this past week in preparation for the weekend tournament. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on just about every Tennessee River reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding, however some anglers are finding those big females a little deeper on traditional summertime holes. Alternative techniques to consider right now are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. The crappie bite is still on fire right now as multitudes of anglers are hitting the waters. Mills Creek, Goat Island and Yellow Creek continue to be hot spots as anglers are loading the boat drifting/trolling jigs and also vertical jigging for suspended fish they found using their electronics. Fifty plus fish days are a regular occurance for a team of anglers in the same boat. Anglers are targeting 20-30ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait or whole skipjack, and hold on.


Here is the 13lb hawg caught last week.



For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 410.95 ft. and slightly falling at the time of this report, but look for it to rise this week due to rainfall. The water temps are in the high 40’s and slowly rising. This report is sounding like a broken record, but Pickwick Lake continues to be one of the hottest lakes in the southeast as took again took 34lbs to win a local benefit tournament there this past weekend! It took a bass that weighed over 10 pounds to take big fish honors with multiple fish over 7lbs and 8lbsweighed in during thetournament this past Saturday. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on just about every Tennessee River reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding, however some anglers are finding those big females a little deeper on traditional summertime holes. Alternative techniques to consider right now are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Crappie fishing is hot right now as well as multitudes of anglers are hitting the waters. Mills Creek, Goat Island and Yellow Creek are the hot spots right now as anglers are loading the boat drifting/trolling jigs and also vertical jigging for suspended fish they found using their electronics. Fifty plus fish days are a regular occurance for a team of anglers in the same boat. Anglers are targeting 20-30ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait or whole skipjack, and hold on.


Here is that massive bag that won the benefit tournament out of JP Coleman this past Saturday.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Currey Holley, TN River Bass Fishing Guide Service-Pickwick Lake Alabama

  The Tennessee River continues to produce unbelievable catches of largemouth and smallmouth bass with Pickwick Lake being no exception. In local tournaments the last few weeks it has taken in the high twenties to well over thirty pounds to win some events.(WOW!) The a-Rig along with swimbaits, jerbaits, spinnerbaits, and jigs have been producing well.  Pickwick was 48 degrees with  an average hourly discharge of  about 78000 cfs on Monday. Pickwick Lake is well worth the trip, and the warmer weather ahead should make for some awesome fishing in the weeks to come.  

Visit www.alwaysgonefishing.com For more information.

Water Temp 48 Degrees

At Always Gone Fishing Guide Service we fish year round for largmouth and smallmouth bass.We are booking now for the 2013 year on the TN River,Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake,& Lake Guntersville in Alabama.

Let's Go Fishing! Call us today to schedule a trip or for gift certificates. 931-698-3904

www.alwaysgonefishing.com

Capt. Currey Holley

US Coast Guard Captain

alwaysgonefishing@alwaysgonefishing.com

Towns along the Tennessee River include Scottsboro AL.,Guntersville AL.,Huntsville AL.,Decatur AL.,Florence AL.,and Muscle Shoals AL.

Cell/Text 931-698-3904 

Pickwick Lake elevation: 410.64 ft. and slightly falling at the time of this report. Pickwick Lake continues to be one of the hottest lakes in the southeast as took again took over 30lbs to win a local club tournament there this past weekend. Several fish over 7lbs and 8lbs were weighed in during the several tournys going on this past Saturday. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on just about every Tennessee River reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Alternative techniques to consider right now are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Crappie fishing continues to be fair to good in both Indian and Bear Creeks, but the hottest bite continues to been in Yellow Creek. Anglers are still reporting that the crappie bite around Goat Island is good. Anglers are targeting 15-20ft of water with both jigs and minnows. Look for the bite to start really picking up as warmer weather is predicted this week. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait or whole skipjack, and hold on. Sauger fishing below the dam hasn’t been exactly stellar this year due to a lot of water being released from Pickwick Dam, but has improved slightly with the stabilization of water levels.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 409.33 ft. and holding fairly stable at the time of this report. Pickwick Lake continues to be one of the hottest lakes in the southeast as took again took over 26lbs to win a local team tournament there this past weekend. One angler boated a 11.83lb largemouth during the tournament to take the big fish honors. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on just about every Tennessee River reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Alternative techniques to consider right now are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Anglers are reporting only getting 5-15 bites a day, they are usually quality fish. Crappie fishing continues to be fair to good in both Indian and Bear Creeks, but the hottest bite continues to been in Yellow Creek. Anglers are still reporting that the crappie bite around Goat Island is good. Anglers are targeting 15-20ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait or whole skipjack, and hold on. Sauger fishing below the dam hasn’t been exactly stellar this year due to a lot of water being released from Pickwick Dam, but has improved slightly with the stabilization of water levels.


This toad of a fish took big fish honors this past weekend.

For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 408.76 ft. and falling at the time of this report, but should stabilize this week. Pickwick Lake continues to be one of the hottest lakes in the southeast, and some would claim that it’s starting to rival its big brother Guntersville as it took 32 pounds to win a recent tournament this past weekend. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on just about every Tennessee River reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Other techniques that are working are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Anglers are reporting only getting 5-15 bites a day, they are usually quality fish. Crappie fishing has been fair to good in both Indian and Bear Creeks, but the hottest bite continues to been in Yellow Creek. Anglers are still reporting that the crappie bite around Goat Island is good. Anglers are targeting 15-20ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait, and hold on. It may require a bit more lead to keep your bait close to the bottom as the current is strong right now. Sauger fishing below the dam hasn’t been exactly stellar this year due to a lot of water being released from Pickwick Dam. Most anglers are heading further downstream to try and find some slower water.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Currey Holley, TN River Bass Fishing Guide Service-Pickwick Lake Alabama

I fished Pickwick Lake on Thursday out of Mcfarland Park in Florence AL. Pickwick was dingy and 49 degrees with Wilson dam  spilling water at an average hourly discharge of  over 140,0000 cubic feet per second.. I caught several fish in the 2 to 4lb range with one probably close to 5. Swimbaits and finese jigs seemed to produce best on that day. When the water temp rolls over into the 50's it should even get better. I am going back down this week to Pickwick and will have another report by the end of the week.

Visit www.alwaysgonefishing.com For more information.

Water Temp 49 Degrees

At Always Gone Fishing Guide Service we fish year round for largmouth and smallmouth bass.We are booking now for the 2013 year on the TN River,Pickwick Lake, Wilson Lake, Wheeler Lake,& Lake Guntersville in Alabama.

Let's Go Fishing! Call us today to schedule a trip or for gift certificates. 931-698-3904

www.alwaysgonefishing.com

Capt. Currey Holley

US Coast Guard Captain

alwaysgonefishing@alwaysgonefishing.com

Towns along the Tennessee River include Scottsboro AL.,Guntersville AL.,Huntsville AL.,Decatur AL.,Florence AL.,and Muscle Shoals AL.

Cell/Text 931-698-3904 

Pickwick lake by Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service Alabaster, Alabama Website www.fishingalabama.com

Rain and more rain, for about an entire week has shown Pickwick lakes headwaters and its incoming creeks with very stained to muddy water conditions.

Fishing the mid lake (above Bear Creek) or further down the lake (near Pickwick lake dam), may show the best water clarity and more ideal conditions for late winter bass.

* Remember, cold, swift, muddy water conditions are to be avoided at all costs. That is, if you want to even have a chance at fooling some of Pickwick lakes smallmouth bass and largemouth bass into biting!

Try fishing along rock bluffs, or river channel drop-offs found along shallow flats, points leading into small cuts and pockets or the mouths of creeks.

Fish slow, for more bites and return to banks or places where you get more than one bite using various types of lures.

Predicted weather for this weekend shows cold nights in the mid 20's on Sunday with daytime highs not even reaching 50 degrees. So bundle up or stay home, until better conditions arise!

Thanks and Good Fishin' Reed Montgomery Owner of Reeds Guide Service (205) 663-1504  Website www.fishingalabama.com "Guiding on Pickwick lake and other Alabama lakes for over 40 years"

Pickwick Lake elevation: 411.05 ft. and falling at the time of this report. Pickwick Lake might be the hottest lake in the southeast right now as it was this time last year as well. This year’s winter was a bit colder than last year and has put a damper on the number of fish caught but the quality is just as good. One angler reportedly caught a 12lb largemouth this past week, but that has yet to be confirmed. The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to dominate the scene on this Tennessee Rivers reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Other techniques that are working are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Anglers are reporting only getting 5-15 bites a day, they are usually quality fish. Crappie fishing has been fair to good in both Indian and Bear Creeks, but the hottest bite as of late has been in Yellow Creek. Anglers are still reporting that the crappie bite around Goat Island is good. Anglers are targeting 15-20ft of water with both jigs and minnows. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait, and hold on. It may require a bit more lead to keep your bait close to the bottom as the current is strong right now. Sauger fishing below the dam hasn’t been exactly stellar this year due to a lot of water being released from Pickwick Dam. Most anglers are heading further downstream to try and find some slower water.


For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

Pickwick Lake elevation: 413.55 ft. and rising. Pickwick Lake might be the hottest lake in the southeast right now as it was this time last year as well. This year’s winter was a bit colder than last year and has put a damper on the number of fish caught but the quality is just as good. This past Saturday there were 5 bags over 24 lbs weighed-in at a local tournament trail. The winning weight was over 27lbs!! The Alabama-rig phenomenon continues to thrive on this Tennessee Rivers reservoir. Gravel bars and points seem to be where most of the bass are holding. Other techniques that are working are flatsided crankbaits, “mop” style jigs and suspending jerkbaits fished in the same areas as the A-rig. Anglers are reporting only getting 5-15 bites a day, they are usually quality fish. Crappie fishing has been fair to good in both Indian and Bear Creeks, but the hottest bite as of late has been in Yellow Creek. Anglers were reporting late last week that the crappie bite around Goat Island was hot. Anglers were catching limits while trolling in 15-20ft of water. This is also a great time of year to catch really big catfish on a rod-and-reel. Target deep channel holes on the main lake with cut bait, and hold on. It may require a bit more lead to keep your bait close to the bottom as the lake level is well over the winter pool level. Sauger fishing below the dam hasn’t been exactly stellar this year due to a lot of water being released from Pickwick Dam. Most anglers are heading further downstream to try and find some slower water.



For current lake levels and current generation schedules, go to


http://www.lakeinfo.tva.gov/htbin/lakeinfo?site=PKHDataType=AllSUBMIT=View+data

The flow of the river from all the recent rain and warm temperatures have the smallmouth biting. Brad and Russ Ritter weighed in these 5 on Saturday in a local tournament. They weighed 30lb11oz! The largest was 7-9. Despite the conditions it's a good time to plan a trip to Florence to catch some of the action.

http://fishpickwicklake.blogspot.com/?m=1

Pickwick Lake is currently down 4 1/2 feet on Sunday, December 23 of 2013. Air temps today are close to 60 degrees with rain expected Monday and Tuesday and a cold front later in the week, with highs of the upper 40's and nighttime lows in the 30's.

Water temps are in the low to mid 50's.

Smallmouth bass are now showing up, as with most winter's on Pickwick lake in the winter season. The colder it gets, the bigger they get! January and February in past winter seasons have shown our biggest smallmouth bass, some close to 7 pounds!

Largemouth bass get concentrated as they prefer shallow wood and rock cover. A lot of which is exposed in winter with low water! Lay down trees, stump rows, brush piles and even logs and log jams always have some wintertime bass around!

Jig combos, creature baits and tube baits are good lures for big largemouth bass, big smallmouth bass and an ocassional spotted bass. Striped bass will hit soft bodied swim baits and hard bodied swim baits, A-rigs and jigging spoons.

Deep water bass found along deep river drops and ledges, are good with heavy football head jig combos, ten inch worms and creature baits.

Texas rigged worms and big oversized slab type jigging spoons and white or brown hair jigs are good choices in the winter months.

Thanks and Good Fishin' See my website www.fishingalabama.com  for more wintertime bass fishing info for all of Alabama's lakes!