This week on the Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, we’re starting off with Jason Bagala—better known to his YouTube followers as Mutha Rippa Outdoors—with the latest from Smith Lake and Lake Guntersville. Jason says the fishing has been tough lately thanks to high skies, clear water, and finicky bass that just aren’t in a chasing mood. On Smith, he’s been finding success by downsizing and getting subtle with translucent baits like the Megabass Karashi, a small lipless jerkbait that can walk just under the surface. He shares how slow retrieves, long pauses, and keeping your distance in crystal-clear water have been key to triggering bites from picky spotted bass. Over on Guntersville, tournament pressure and bluebird conditions made things just as challenging, but he still managed to connect with fish on brush hogs, crankbaits, and chatterbaits around bluff walls and riprap banks. Jason talks about how heavy shad presence can make it hard to fool fish with artificials, why reaction strikes can still save the day, and what lure presentations are working best as fall transitions take hold.

Next, we dive into a technical segment with Peter Jordan of Delta Marine and Outdoors for a deep-dive on building fly leaders for bass. Peter breaks down why most pre-packaged leaders are designed for trout—not bass—and how stiffness, taper, and material type all affect your ability to turn over big, wind-resistant flies. He explains the difference between fluorocarbon and monofilament, when to use each, and shares his simple formula for DIY bass leaders using 25-, 15-, and 10-pound mono for topwater, or heavier fluorocarbon setups for streamers and sinking lines. Peter also talks about the importance of leader length and stiffness when targeting bass that hold tight to cover, along with knot choices like blood knots, perfection loops, and non-slip loop knots for maximum action. It’s a masterclass in customizing your rig for species, water type, and fly size—an episode that’ll make any fly angler rethink the store-bought pack hanging on the pegboard.

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