Lake Guntersville, Alabama Fishing Report Today

Artificial Lure here with your Lake Guntersville fishing report for Wednesday, October 1, 2025. We’re heading into the heart of fall, and let me tell you—the big bass bite is heating up right along with those cool autumn mornings.

The weather’s crisp with a light north wind, overnight lows pushing down into the upper 50s and today’s high only touching the low 70s. That’s made for some comfortable mornings on the water and fired up the fish with dropping water temps. Sunrise hit at 6:42 AM, and you’ll have daylight until about 6:32 PM—plenty of time for a good long session.

Tides aren’t an issue here; Guntersville’s a reservoir, so it’s all about TVA power generation. And word on the docks is the flow’s been steady most afternoons, pulling some current through the main channel. If you can hit those periods of release, especially mid-morning or late afternoon, you’ll find fish stacking up on the ledges and points.

Bass are squarely in early-fall mode. Shad schools are pushing shallow in the backs of creeks, and the largemouth are following—and feeding heavy. The most recent tournaments have seen five-fish bags over 25 pounds, and local sticks are reporting numbers of 2- to 5-pound class fish, with the occasional 6-plus showing up for those patient enough to grind the grass or target isolated wood.

Don’t sleep on crappie either—brush piles in 10-14 feet are holding nice slabs, especially on sunny afternoons. Friends jigging around Spring Creek and near the causeway bridges have been taking home healthy limits.

Here’s what you need in your tackle box: For bass, go with a lipless crankbait or squarebill pulled through shallower grass early, then switch to a white or shad-colored buzzbait as the sun comes up. The classic 44 Outdoors football jig from Vantage Tackle is a local favorite—brown with a touch of orange or green pumpkin can’t be beat around deeper weed edges or submerged shell beds. If the bite slows, a green pumpkin or Junebug shaky head worked inside thicker mats does the trick.

Crappie are biting best on small hair jigs under a slip float or a live minnow pinned to a #4 hook. Electronics are your friend here; find the brush with stacked up marks and ease up quietly.

Best bait overall this week—live shad for bass or crappie can’t be beat if you’re up for netting some, but most locals are sticking with hard baits and plastics for that aggressive fall reaction bite.

Hot spots? Out on the north end, Mud Creek’s grass flats are producing numbers at daybreak, and the main river ledges out from Seibold Creek are packed with bait and hungry fish during current. Don’t miss the back of Town Creek for some topwater action, especially if you see shad flickering on the surface. And for shore-bound anglers, the causeway and below the Highway 69 Bridge are both proven crappie magnets right now.

That’s the rundown: fall’s here, fish are biting, and the lake’s alive. Thanks for tuning in! Remember to subscribe so you never miss a report. This has

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Artificial Lure here with your Lake Guntersville fishing report for Sunday, September 28, 2025—coming at you local and early, with all you need for a great day on the water.

The fall pattern is taking hold on Guntersville. With last night’s lows dipping into the upper 50s and these mild September days peaking in the high 70s, we’re seeing the **water temp steady in the low 80s**, and the bass feeding windows are picking up right on schedule. Official sunrise today is 6:41 AM, sunset coming at 6:38 PM. There’s just the start of that classic North Alabama color along the banks—DeSoto State Park says the real show’s in a couple weeks but the mornings are foggy and the shad are on the move.

The bite? **Bass are pushing baitfish hard this week**. There are big balls of shad popping all over the main lake and in the mouths of major creeks—finding the bait being pushed is key. The topwater bite is improving as the water cools, especially early and late, though the grass mat bite is still a little tricky due to floating eel grass stacking up after all the winds we had last week, according to Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service.

Best baits this week: **Missile Bait D-Bombs in green pumpkin and black/blue**, 48 stick baits, and big Texas-rigged worms are all producing when pitched to the gunwale of thick grass edges and isolated mats. When the wind’s blowing, switch it up with a Tight Line swim jig or a SPRO square bill crankbait in shad color. For the shallow grass and schooling fish, a **Duckett small-profile spinnerbait** or, as seen on the TNKATT Tournament recap, a white chatterbait can really set them off—especially if you’re following the bait schools. SPRO Pop-R’s on top have also put good fish in the boat during schooling flurries.

Crappie have fired back up on the deeper brush and bridge piers, with black/chartreuse jigs being the top ticket. A few nice stringers were reported by anglers vertical jigging in 10–14 feet on the main river bends. Catfish are taking cut bait and shad heads off rocky points, especially after dusk.

Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service says that while nothing has shocked the bass into a crazy feeding frenzy just yet, the numbers are solid—expect to catch **good quantities of bass** in the two- to four-pound range, with the occasional six-plus kicker if you time the schooling bite right, especially late in the afternoon.

A couple of hot spots for today:

- **Goose Pond area**: Find active bass early pushing shad up around the boat docks and grass flats—focus on the edge of the thick stuff with a swim jig or spinnerbait.

- **Spring Creek**: Especially good for crappie right now, plus bass moving up on channel swings midmorning; pitch plastics right to the timber and channel ledges.

Wind should be light from the northeast, with partly cloudy skies—so bring a light jacket for the morning run.

To wrap it up, bring a good selection of plastics and a couple moving baits, focus on those feeding windows right at daylight

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Morning y’all, this is Artificial Lure with your Lake Guntersville fishing report for September 27th, 2025.

Day’s break comes just after 6:38 AM and we’ll see sunset around 6:37 PM, right about equal light and dark now as early fall kicks in. The lake’s sitting at a steady 75 to 80 degrees, with water clarity quite good most everywhere, just getting a little stain up in some of the pockets—especially where there’s not much grass left this late in the season.

Weather’s right in that autumn sweet spot—highs touching the low 70s, lows in the mid 50s, with a good, crisp feel to the air. No big rain in the forecast and the Tennessee River’s running a bit light on current, so don’t expect those big feeding spells driven by moving water today. According to the National Weather Service in Huntsville, any threat of storms is to our south, so we’re in for decent conditions.

The solunar tables show your best major period hitting 1:14 to 3:14 this afternoon, with a strong minor window right at dawn, ideal for that first light topwater bite.

Now, here’s the scoop on fish activity: Local guides are saying bass are still feeding up, keying hard on smaller shad and tiny baitfish. Reports all this week have folks catching numbers—but you gotta hunt for better size. Aaron, a local guide, said his clients netted about 30 bass in one morning trip, mostly on plastics and topwater around grass lines. Fish are scattered, so covering water is the name of the game.

If you’re chasing largemouth, get on those shallow flats and creek mouths early. The Decatur Flats zone is living up to its usual hype according to Bassmaster Elite Series pro Will Davis Jr.—that’s where he’s expecting big things in the upcoming EQ tournament. Flipping Texas-rigged black and blue beaver baits into drains and ditches, or burning a white swim jig along the current seams, has been getting bites. The big ones are lurking where current meets structure.

Midday, hit defined channel drops with jerkbaits or crankbaits in a shad or chrome pattern. If you find any leftover hydrilla, slow-roll a vibrating jig or throw a drop shot with a smaller worm in green pumpkin.

Searching for some kicker fish? Will Davis Jr. recommends targeting points with big swimbaits, like the Spro KGB, to tempt those gizzard shad eaters. And don’t forget, the Guntersville Dam tailrace is always worth a look, especially for a mix of largemouth and smallmouth—it’s a hike upstream, but the fast water can stack up fish this time of year.

Crappie action’s just starting to pick up as the water cools and fish move up on deeper brush. Live minnows or small hair jigs fished vertical on standing timber in 8 to 12 feet are working, particularly near causeways and bridge pilings.

Those chasing catfish have seen steady action using fresh cut shad on deeper ledges. Night bite’s still best, but you can drift the main river channel during the day and pick up good numbers.

Best hot spots this week:

- The Grass Lines around Seibold Cree

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Artificial Lure here with your boots-on-the-dock fishing report for Lake Guntersville and surrounds—Friday, September 26, 2025.

First light this morning hit at 6:34 AM and you’ll have daylight till about 6:38 PM. Folks motoring out early found conditions pretty sticky—mostly cloudy skies with heavy humidity and a morning bunk of showers and rumbles of thunder pushed by a southwest breeze around 5 to 10 mph. The mercury is working its way up to an even 80 today, and we’re dealing with about a 70% chance of getting wet till midafternoon. Afternoon wind turns lighter out of the west, so any late risers should get a break in the clouds but may still catch a stray shower according to the latest briefing from Weis Radio.

No tides here on the Tennessee, but water levels have stayed fairly steady, with just a touch of current pepping up later in the day—that’s always a trigger for more active fish on structure and along grass lines.

Now for the meat and potatoes. The bass bite has definitely improved this week. Hydrilla Gorilla Guide Service posted up that fish are stacking around thicker grass beds and the edges of the deeper mats—look for a punch bite in compressed mats, especially if that sun pops out this afternoon or just after a rain band pushes through.

Most anglers are reporting a solid frog topwater bite right at daybreak and in the last hour of daylight. White and shad-colored hollow bodies have been hot across the northern end, and folks dragging green pumpkin jigs with creature trailers through the holes in the grass have put some sure-nuff chunks in the boat. Tucker Smith, 2025 Bassmaster Rookie of the Year, recommends working a jighead minnow along riprap and docks for those suspended fish, especially when the clouds move out.

Crappie fishermen are sneaking out limits under bridges and around spring creek outflows using small jigs, mainly chartreuse and blue, dropped 8 to 12 feet deep. There’s also a fair bluegill bite on worms and crickets along steeper banks if you want to fill a cooler with fast action for the kids.

The last couple days have seen boat limits in the 12–20 bass range per angler, with a few bruisers over 5 pounds being reported both north of the causeway and out towards Goose Pond. Kayak anglers from Jetts Fishing Adventures are boasting on Instagram about their morning catches—shaky heads and finesse worms are the ticket in those quieter pockets.

If you’re after a mess of catfish, cut shad and chicken livers on the river drop-offs after dusk have produced fish up to 15 pounds, with a good bit of bank action behind Mud Creek and near Waterfront.

For today, best lures are popping frogs, black and blue or green pumpkin flipping jigs, 3/8-ounce spinnerbaits with gold willow blades, and shaky head worms in June bug or watermelon seed. Live bait for multi-species fishing: you can’t beat a lively minnow or nightcrawler drifted along edges.

Hot spots:

- North Sauty Creek grass lines—excellent early topwater action and fli

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Artificial Lure here, with your daily Lake Guntersville fishing report for Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Weatherwise, we're starting the morning with cool temps in the low 60s, thanks to a weak overnight front. Clouds are hanging around early, but skies should clear toward midday, pushing the highs into the mid- to upper-70s. Winds will be light from the northeast at 5-7mph—good news for boat positioning, especially if you’re working grass lines or river navigation channels.

Sunrise hit at 6:39 a.m., with sunset expected at 6:46 p.m. today. Make the most of that low light on either end—bass bite best when they’re low and spooky.

Now, Lake Guntersville ain’t tidal, but water levels have been steady, with the TVA keeping the release moderate at Guntersville Dam. Water visibility is about 2-3 feet on average, clearer upriver, with surface temps holding between 73 and 76 degrees.

Let’s talk fishing. The last couple days have been classic fall transition—shad are on the move, and the bass are chasing. Reports from locals and guides say the shallow bite is picking up around thick grass mats and anywhere the bait is getting pushed by light current flows. Several anglers pulled in solid limits of largemouth, with a couple fish over 5 pounds weighed by noontime yesterday. Smaller, keeper spots and even the occasional white bass are mixed in near creek mouths.

Best lures right now? Hard to beat a black and blue or green pumpkin jig for flipping thick milfoil and hydrilla—there’s a decent video out lately showing good fish coming off old school flipping jigs, so bring that heavy gear. If the bite slows, switch to a white chatterbait or a shad-pattern swimbait along outside grass edges—fish are corralling bait there and smashing moving presentations. Early morning, a topwater walking bait or frog is drawing explosive strikes, especially around backwater sloughs north of the Highway 69 bridge.

For numbers, the creek channels keep producing on lipless crankbaits and squarebills in sexy shad or craw colors. Some crappie are being pulled around brushpiles in 8-12 feet, with live minnows or small jigs, especially near Spring Creek.

Hot spots to try:

- **Goose Pond area**—grass points near the mouths of big coves, especially at first light.

- **The Browns Creek causeway**—current always moves bait through there, and bass stage in ambush spots.

Don’t sleep on fishing near the state park, either—lots of fish moving up and down those secondary points, and the crowds are a little lighter on weekdays according to recent reports from Lake Guntersville State Park visitors.

In summary: fish are biting, the grass is thick, and the fall feedbag is right on schedule. Bring your heavy tackle, keep moving until you find bait, and don’t be afraid to burn a reaction bait if they’re ignoring slower stuff. As always, stay safe and keep an eye on the boat ramp traffic—it can pick up fast!

Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to subscribe for more daily reports and

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Good morning folks, this is Artificial Lure checking in with your Lake Guntersville fishing report for Saturday, September 20, 2025.

We kicked off the day with a gorgeous sunrise at 6:32 AM. Expect a classic North Alabama early fall feel—skies mostly clear, with temps starting in the upper 50s and climbing into the low 70s by midafternoon. Wind’s light, patchy fog burns off by eight, and sunset’s coming at 6:47 PM. With the equinox approaching, you’ll notice the days shortening; fish are feeling those changes and feeding up for fall.

The solunar tables put today right in the sweet spot for activity. The major times are between 1:14 PM and 3:14 PM, with a minor bump right after sunrise, from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM. If you’re looking to maximize your chances, hit the water during these windows and don’t be shy about starting early.

No tides to worry about—Guntersville runs freshwater, but water levels are seasonably steady and TVA’s flows are mild, keeping vegetation healthy and fish relating to both grass edges and main channel structure. Largemouth bass are pushing shallow—chasing shad and filling up before the cold snap arrives. If you’re after numbers, expect limits; local guides are reporting 15-25 fish days, with some boats landing several over 4 lbs. Last week, a couple of tournaments saw bags topping 23 pounds, mostly largemouth with a handful of spotted and smallmouth mixed in near the bridges and riprap.

On the catching side, baitfish patterns are king right now. Tactical Bassin’ reports early fall brings strong jerkbait action; the Megabass Vision 110 in “Mat Shad” or “Kasumi Ito” is a local favorite, working great around milfoil edges and creek mouths. Mix in spinnerbaits and swim jigs along those same lines for power fishing with flash, particularly later in the morning. If you’re fishing high pressure or clear water, slow down with finesse worms and shakey heads rigged on deeper channel drops, but if you see shad balled up shallow, rip a buzzbait or topwater across the surface—the fall bite is here!

Live bait folks are still doing well with medium wild shiners and big gizzard shad soaked around stump fields and bluff walls; catfish have been biting cut bait strong—several blue cats over 20 pounds caught near the lower dam this past week.

Now, for HOT SPOTS:

– **Goose Pond Colony:** Grass beds are thick, shad pushed in deep, and bass are blowing up on moving baits early.

– **Town Creek:** Look for rock and timber adjacent to milfoil; multiple 5+ pound fish reported here on jerkbaits just this week.

– **Highway 431 bridge:** Current pulls bait into the eddies; this is a classic place for multi-species action, including spotted bass and white bass schooling.

Before you head out, make sure you’ve got your jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, and some finesse gear. Buzzbaits are worth a try during low light or cloudy conditions. For colors, stick with natural shad for clear water and brighter, bold colors if it muddies up after rain.

Bass are no

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Artificial Lure here with your Friday morning Lake Guntersville fishing report for September 19, 2025. Folks gathered at the ramp just before sunrise at 6:18 AM, catching that first hint of orange on the horizon while the breeze rolled across hydrilla beds. Sunset tonight comes at 7:11 PM, so you’ve got a solid day’s light to be on the water.

Weather’s starting off mild—67 degrees before dawn, partly cloudy skies, humidity sitting high at 91%, hardly any wind stirring, just a light NE at 1 mph, so no big chop on the main lake. Air pressure’s steady at 30.13", just right for a fall bite, and no rain in sight so your gear can stay dry according to the current Guntersville weather forecast.

Fish activity has been heating up as we transition to early fall patterns. The bite has shifted shallower, especially with the cool mornings we’ve been seeing. Hydrilla Gorilla Guide Service out of Guntersville reports clearer water and schooling activity around creek mouths and ledges. Folks have noticed bass blowing up on shad early, particularly in the mid-lake region east of Goose Pond.

Bassmaster.com notes a run of astonishing weights from recent tournaments, with dozens of 20+ pound bags turned in—the largemouth are feeding up for fall and you can expect quality catches. Local anglers have been pulling in plenty of keepers, with several running 5-pounds and up, particularly using moving baits first thing after daylight.

Best lures right now include:

- **Lipless crankbaits** in silver and chrome, mimicking shad

- **White and chartreuse spinnerbaits** for covering water fast over submerged grass

- **Black and blue jigs** or Texas-rigged soft plastics when the sun climbs and bass tuck deeper into holes and thick mats

Live bait is always a solid bet—fresh shad fished near drop-offs, or big minnows along bluff walls for those hoping to tangle with heavy largemouth. Folks are also sneaking in some night fishing using bluegill as cut bait near bridge pilings for cats and the occasional stubborn bass.

As for the catch count, community posts and Alabama Weekly Fishing Report show continued strong numbers:

- Largemouth bass: Big quantities early, many over 3 lbs, with several 5+ lb fish weighed at boat ramps this week

- Crappie: Several reports of slabs caught off dock lights and in brush piles near the state park

- Catfish: Reliable numbers at the mouths of feeder creeks using cut shad

Hot spots worth your morning effort:

- **Goose Pond Colony and Browns Creek** – Early morning shad-spawn brings packs of active bass close to the bank and around docks

- **Seibold Creek area** – Submerged grass lines and pressure breaks hold tight schools and regular big bites

If you’re new to the area, Guntersville State Park’s boat launch gives quick access to productive flats; locals swear by pitching lures deep against the grass edges once the sun’s up.

Remember, anglers have been switching up midday, working deeper ledges between Town Creek and the causeway, particularl

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Artificial Lure here on Lake Guntersville, Alabama, bringing you the latest on local fishing for Wednesday, September 17th, 2025 at 7:32 AM.

Morning started mostly clear and seasonably warm, with dawn showing off in those pale pinks over the water—sunrise hit at 6:36 AM and we’re looking at sunset tonight at 6:54 PM. According to the National Weather Service, you’re waking up to low 70s, climbing toward an afternoon high in the mid-80s with just the lightest southern breeze. No rain in the forecast, water temps hovering near 80°F, and TVA’s latest release schedule keeps the main channel running slow and steady—excellent fall fishing weather.

Now, Lake Guntersville doesn’t get traditional tidal shifts, but the dam’s release schedule acts a bit like a tide for our fish. Last night’s flow was minimal, but TVA’s bump in release around first light kicked up activity near the bridges and causeways, especially out toward the Guntersville Dam tailrace and up by the Highway 431 bridge.

Fish are pushing shallow, schooling hard in the early morning, then moving back to deep grass edges as the sun gets higher. The early bite is hot! Recent reports and verified catches from the Yak-a-Bass Stop #5 and chatter from JThompsonFishing show largemouth bass firing off strong. Just this past weekend, several five-fish limits over 20 pounds were weighed in tournament circles, with multiple 6+ pounders pulled near Alred Marina and the Goose Pond colony.

Big numbers of spotted bass have showed up on rock piles around Town Creek and Short Creek. Slabs of crappie coming from docks and brush on the main lake—folks bringing in easy double-digit counts. Catfish are active in the evenings, especially up below the dam, with several blue cats topping 15 pounds and some old channel cats creeping up on the records, according to local guides and bait shop tallies.

Top baits for September are changing with the weather. That thick grass is holding giants, and the locals know it:

- **Frog lures**—especially black and yellow—are smoking big bites in the mats, as seen on several recent YouTube live bites.

- **Chatterbaits** and **white swim jigs** by riprap and point grass edges are getting hammered in low light.

- **Crankbaits**—shad or chartreuse—are picking up active bass mid-day over offshore humps and old creek beds.

- Punch rigs and Texas-rigged plastics (especially green pumpkin and watermelon red) are crucial once the sun pushes fish deeper.

- For crappie, try a live minnow under a slip float around bridge pillars or brush piles.

- Evening cats are best on cut skipjack or chicken liver.

Hotspots today are clear:

- **Alred Marina grass mats**—early morning frog bite and heavy flipping opportunities.

- **Goose Pond Colony**—consistent schools of bass, aggressive early on and moving deeper after 9 AM.

- **Town Creek Bridge**—spotted bass and crappie hitting brush and wood structure all day.

A reminder to work north-facing banks close to deep water for your b

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Good evening, folks—Artificial Lure here with your Lake Guntersville fishing report for Sunday, September 14th, 2025.

Sunrise was at 6:32 AM this morning and we'll see sunset around 6:58 PM, giving you prime evening hours to work the banks and ledges. The day’s brought partly cloudy skies, mild late-summer temperatures nudging the mid-80s, and a light southeasterly breeze—classic Guntersville weather that’s got the fish moving and feeding strong. No tidal movement here since Guntersville’s on the Tennessee River, but water level is steady and clarity’s just about right for both power and finesse approaches.

Bass are biting well, and today’s chatter on the lake is “active schools on the grass lines.” Out deep, multiple anglers reported solid bags of largemouth pulling hard on crankbaits and Carolina rigs around main-lake ledges and creek channels. Early mornings have seen topwater action—whopper ploppers, buzzbaits, and frog patterns over the milfoil and hydrilla are drawing big blowups, especially near North Sauty Creek and the famed Seibold area. Once the sun’s up, switch to deep-diving crankbaits in citrus shad or Tennessee shad, and mix in vibrating jigs for reaction bites along the grass edges. Don’t forget a soft-plastic worm or creature bait, Texas-rigged in green pumpkin or junebug, pitched right into the thick stuff if the fish get lockjaw midafternoon.

Some excellent fish have been caught the past two days—several tournament bags topping 20 pounds, with numerous 3- to 5-pound largemouth reported by local guides and in the parking lot at Goose Pond Bait and Tackle. Bluegill and shellcracker are still active along the edges of shallow grass near Goose Pond Colony, and crappie are starting to move into brush piles and docks, reacting best to minnows and 1/16-ounce jigs in chartreuse or white. Catfishing’s been steady at the causeways using cut shad or nightcrawlers, especially after sunset.

If you’re scouting for hot spots, try the grassy flats out from Waterfront Bay Grocery and Tackle—bass have been schooling early and late, while bridge pilings at the Highway 431 causeway are holding a mix of crappie and the occasional big flathead. The mouth of Brown’s Creek is another place folks have been filling their livewells, especially for those working crankbaits along the dropoffs.

For folks asking about bait, top-producing options this week have been:

- Frogs and buzzbaits early and late in the day

- Chatterbaits and deep-diving crankbaits along the grass edges and ledges after sunrise

- Texas-rigged soft plastics in the thick mats mid-day

- Live shiners or crickets for panfish, and cut bait for catfish near the causeways

A reminder—water temps are falling slowly and the bite’s only going to improve as we head into fall. Make sure you check your local regulations and have your Alabama fishing license up to date before you hit the water.

Thanks for tuning in to this evening’s Lake Guntersville report. Don’t forget to subscribe and keep y

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Artificial Lure here with your Sunday morning fishing report straight from Lake Guntersville, Alabama. It’s September 14th, and fall’s creeping up but the summer’s heat hasn’t fully let go yet—so that famous grass is thick and the bite’s got a definite transitional feel.

Sunrise comes at 6:31 AM, sunset at 7:08 PM today. Weather’s starting to ease off the high temps, but we’re still seeing plenty of muggy warmth in the afternoons. Winds are light, with afternoon cloud cover predicted, so you might see some fish schooling up under scattered shade. Tidal influence is minimal here—Lake Guntersville is an impounded lake, but keep an eye on water flow if TVA’s moving water; steady current keeps fish active in the channel edges.

Fishing action’s showing classic early fall movement. According to Bucks Island Area Report, this past weekend's Icon Tournament saw some solid limits pulled in—winning bags topped 23 pounds, and at least one big 8+ pound largemouth was caught mostly on frogs pitched to the thick grass. Guys out on deck this week are saying the fish have scattered from the biggest summer schools but are starting to group up again—especially around bait balls of threadfin and gizzard shad. A lot of keepers, but not every cast is a giant, so you’ve got to move and cover water.

Numbers are solid, but size is tougher to come by during this transition. Spinnerbaits with smaller blades and swim jigs are working best around the outside grass lines in 4–8 feet of water; white or black frogs, especially in the morning, are pulling blowups in mats. Thump gel (if you got it) will help get your plastics through heavy grass without hanging up. Swim jigs and swimbaits like the 3.5" blue minnow “Swimminator” are money—run them with no trailer to match threadfin size. If the fish sound and start hugging the bottom, a downsized underspin is getting bites.

When you see the shad flickering in the shallows, break out small poppers or jerkbaits—match your bait profile to the hatch, keep it small, and add a feathered teaser tail for extra attention among all the shad around. The flipping and pitching bite is on the rise, but bigger fish aren’t locked in yet; expect this to heat up next week as temps keep sliding and grass “cheeses up” even more.

Weekend catches have been mixed bags with most folks reporting consistent numbers—10 to 20 fish a morning isn’t rare. Largemouth are the main show, but spots and occasional white bass have popped up when shad are thick. Crappie activity is picking up, especially on deeper brush piles or bridge pylons, but it’s still early for big slabs. You’ll catch a few if you hunt, but vertical jigging and moving spot-to-spot is needed.

Hot spots? Try the mid-lake milfoil stretches near Siebold Creek and North Sauty Creek—the grass remains lush and bait is piled up in the pockets. Also, give the bridges a look around the Guntersville causeways; current pushes shad against the pilings, and that’s a dinner bell for bass and crappie bo

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