With Southeast Missouri covered in ice I was looking forward to my annual trip to Alabama’s famed Lake Guntersville for the Rattletrap Tournament (now called Battle of the Brands).
The lake stretches 75 miles from Guntersville Dam to Nickajack Dam. It is Alabama’s largest lake at 69,100 acres.It is separated by the Guntersville Dam from Wheeler Lake, which is 68,300 acres and the second largest lake. Both lakes are part of the Tennessee River. As my luck would have it, the cold front seemed to follow me south to Alabama, with water temperature dropping a degree every day, what once was a good bite slowed down. Morning temperatures were in the low to mid 30’s making for a crisp boat ride.
My partner Jamie Toon and I rotated through several rattletrap baits trying to trigger bites from the fish we had located. Switching colors between 1/2 ounce traps for the shallower weedlines and 3/4 ounce traps for the deeper weedlines along with throwing in the one knocker rattletrap we were able to find decent fish, but had to put the work in every day to trigger the bites.
While we weren’t able to put together the fish we needed on tournament day, we had a great time as always.
With warmer weather moving into Alabama and water temperatures heading into the 50’s, the fishing on Lake Guntersville should pick up dramatically.
Continue to target the weedlines looking for Milfoil and Hydrilla. Along with traps, jackhammer chatterbaits, swimjigs and swim baits should all catch some good fish.
Lodging was provide by Angler’s Retreat Cabins, conveniently located a mile from the Goose Pond launching facility. Under new ownership this resort (formally Woody’s Resort) is expanding, having already installed new covered boat parking and road improvements. They plan on building additional cabins all with covered boat parking and electric for battery charging, to continue to widen the roadways and entrance to the facility along with other improvements.
For more information on Angler’s Retreat Cabins got to the website at https://www.
Jeff Jewell
RBBASS Outdoors
