NEELY HENRY JUNE 2004

NEELY HENRY LAKE
By Reed Montgomery
Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com
Impounded 1966
Lake Level: Full Pool
Water Temperature: Low 80's

Summer on Neely Henry Lake

Its coming. Those hot, mid-to-upper 90 degree days of summer. Escaping the midday heat merely means one thing, air conditioning. Since I have not seen a bass boat with air conditioning, I have to find other ways to cool off and still catch bass. When fishing this lake on the upper Coosa River System near the town of Gadsden this summer season, its often feast or famine in the sweltering heat. Or I can go night fishing.

Many anglers don't have that choice, when fishing and practicing for the many major bass fishing tournaments, that frequent this 50 mile long lake each month. They have to bear the heat and bear down and fish hard...that is if they expect to win. Sometimes for more than one day.

Keeping your cool, while fishing Neely Henry Lake this summer, involves many ways of both fishing and enjoying your day in comfort. One thing is your fishing location. If you plan on spending the better part of your late morning to midday period fishing one area (when its the hottest), then consider including running and gunning to a half dozen spots or more, all located within a few miles of each other. This can cool you down tremendously and possibly put you in the right place at the right time.

If your on a deep river bend with lots of shade, getting the boat in close and fishing tight to cover (while putting both you and your partner in the shade), will aid your concentration tremendously. While at the same time put you on some very fishy locations in the midday heat.

Again, some anglers fishing midlake cover or flats with no shade in sight, don't have that shady choice. Well, they can always take a dip in the lake, wear wide-brimmed hats, wear long sleeved shirts made of light material in light colors, soak a towel in the ice chest and swap it out with another towel every 15 minutes.

Taking a 5 minute lunch break in the shade will show a tremendous resurgence of energy when you return to fishing and always a very needed rest to regroup and rethink your fishing situation. Have a sandwich, bag of chips or snack and drink plenty of fluids (especially water) to replenish your sweated out body, and always reapply sunscreen, that by midday day has been sweated off.

Of course catching bass has got to be included in your game plan or your going to get pretty hot in any weather! Neely Henry Lake is one of those upper Coosa River Lakes where water generation, dictates feeding in all bass species lake wide.

Although many anglers look at water generation (or current created on the main lake, when dams are opened or electricity is created with turbines) as the "current conditions" for catching bass, especially Coosa River Spotted Bass, bass in lake backwaters are affected as well.

As a matter of fact, no water generation (which usually takes place on weekends), shows bass in creeks, flats, cuts and pockets, very predictable. Checking each water generation schedule (1-800-lakes-11) and lake levels, prior to your trip, on both Weiss Lake dam upriver and Neely Henry dam downriver, can aid you in your game plan for a good days fishing. This goes for both bass species, fishing both main lake cover and major feeder creeks or backwaters in a days time.

Heres a few "for instances" to help you better understand water generation and feeding bass on this 50 mile long lake this summer:

If water is scheduled to run at upper Weiss Lake dam and no water is scheduled to be taken out of the lake at Neely Henry Lake at the same time, then its very evident, the lakes going to fill up! During the end of this water generation schedule (after a few hours of water filling up the lake) is the best time to hit the creek backwaters, when the lake is "at or over" full pool. Bass that have invaded the shallows during high water, will be feeding on the hapless baitfish found trapped there and very susceptible to a variety of offerings.

On the other hand, in this same situation, if the lower lake dam (Neely Henry dam) is scheduled to be on and running turbines as the same hours of the upper lake dam (Weiss Lake Dam), then its time to hit the main lake. The lake levels will fall tremendously, in a short period of time, and creek bass or bass in backwaters are affected tremendously.

Main lake bass are not affected as much as creek bass when lake levels fall fast, and often huge schools of bass feed aggressively on the schools of hapless baitfish washed their way, making them much easier to fool during water generation. Fishing with shad imitating lures, crayfish look-a-likes (and even some of today's lures that resemble nothing edible) around current breaks will keep your lures in biting bass.

Fish around places such as main lake points, islands, flats, creek mouths and eddy areas created around weeds, wood and rock cover. These are all good places that will show bass and baitfish, anxious bass, ready to take your offerings, from top to bottom, this summer on Neely Henry Lake.

Or you can call Reeds Guide Service (205) 787-5133...first! "Neely Henry's Oldest Professional Guide Service" guiding year round for bass and stripers for over 40 years.

Good Fishing! Be safe and courteous to other anglers and boaters this summer, on this very crowded lake in North Alabama.

This report provided by:
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"Celebrating 5 Years on the Radio Jan 2004"
Sunday Morning's 9-10 A.M. Central Time
Radio Station WJOX 690 AM Birmingham, Alabama
Call Reeds Guide Service...First! (205) 787-5133
"Over 40 Years Fishing Alabama for Bass and Stripers"
E-mail: ALABASSGYD@aol.com
Website: www.FISHINGALABAMA.com