Fishing Report
| Species | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bass | The bass bite continues to be fair to good for numbers right now as fish continue to move up along the flats and pockets to chase the schools of shad. The bigger quality bites are a bit tougher to come by, but a few anglers are finding some quality bites mixed in with the non-keepers chasing shad or in the grass. Flukes, frogs, and small paddle tail swimbaits are working where a weedless presentation is required. In those areas that don’t require a covered hook, anglers are throwing a multitude of shad-imitating lures like spooks, willow-leafed spinnerbaits, blade baits, jerkbaits, and lipless crankbaits to catch their fish. Some anglers are choosing to back off those same hydrilla mats in hopes of catching bigger fish on Texas-rigged plastics like brushhogs and big worms. Look for the schooling activity to continue as we move further into fall and the water temps continue to drop. Very few anglers are targeting the deep river ledges and humps, but a few quality fish still remain deep. Jigs, swimbaits, and Texas/Carolina-rigs are still the go to techniques for the remaining deep water bite. |
| Crappie | Crappie anglers continue to target Yellow and Bear Creeks in the 10 – 20 ft. depth range. Like the bass, some of the crappie are also keying in on the schools of shad. If you can find some deeper schools of shad, the crappie shouldn’t be far off. Both minnows and jigs are working. Some anglers are opting to troll for those fish keying on shad. |
| Catfish | Anglers are using a variety of baits, but cut/whole shad and skipjack are popular choices this time of year. Jug fishing and traditional rod-n-reel fishing seem to be the most popular. Those anglers rod-n-reel fishing are opting for a tight-lined technique. Anglers are targeting gravel bars and some of the shallower ledges and humps for the most part. A reminder that Pickwick is a shared waterbody with Alabama, so only 1 catfish over 34 inches is allowed. |
