Story by Hunter Baughman | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
How about a Coosa River update? We are here on Logan Martin Lake in Alabama. As always, I’m writing this early on in practice. After one day on the water here is what I have learned.
There’s going to be a ton of fish caught, but fish bigger than two pounds will be hard to find … and bites over three pounds will be like unicorns. I really don’t know how I feel on final weights. This is just a stab in the dark, but I think ten pounds a day will get you paid. The winning weight will probably be around fourteen pounds a day. There was a local single day team tournament that took fifteen pounds to win on Saturday. That’s two local guys per boat with the option to use FFS. Our weights are likely to be down slightly from that.
This is going to be one of those sure enough grinders. Bass in the southeast are beginning that early fall transition and can be nearly impossible to catch. There will be fish caught in inches of water all the way out to the mid-teens in depth. To my limited knowledge, the Coosa is primarily a shallow fishery. Add in that FFS is not in use this week, and I think the shallow bite will rule.
The lake is beginning to fall. There is still some willow grass in the water and a few fish in it. Also, this place is full of docks. There should be plenty of fish caught off those, especially with the large number of anglers we have from the Carolinas. That region is known to produce some of the best dock fishermen in the country. Those that figure out the right pattern to cover tons of docks in a day will have the opportunity at a few bigger bites along the way.
Another bite will be on wood—visible cover or brush piles. There will be fish caught off both. This lake is chock full of brush. Nearly any point you stop on will have a pile to fish. The guys that get in the right rotation of brush piles with above average fish will shine.
The last obvious pattern that will play this week will target fish in current. Typically, this is the winning pattern on Coosa River lakes at this time of year. However, the generation schedule is not helping the situation. They have not been beginning generation until 2:00 p.m. every day. For the guys that have an early check in one day, this will nearly knock out their opportunity to fish the current that day. However, those that stay mentally strong and don’t mind waiting all day to get bit will be rewarded with the right quality of fish.
This will be an interesting tournament. Current? Structure? Cover? Join us beginning Thursday to find out!
Hunter Baughman – Angler Profile
