My trip to Weiss Lake today

[David Waters]

Picked up Brad about 4:45 this morning. Drove out to my new garage (will be posting picture of it soon) and hooked up the boat. Headed to Leesburg and Weiss lake. Stopped at the world famous Citgo. Was impressed with breakfast, but more impressed with all the crappie tackle. Especially the assortment of southern pro tackle. Spent a little money restocking some of my jigs.

Left there and headed to Bay Springs. I ended up getting turned around and driving out to the alabama free launch. Not a good launch right now and was kinda scared to leave my truck out there. There was a nice present laying on the boat ramp from the night before. Evedently a man had a good time. A very very good time. He left a present there for all of us to see. He must have been in love.

we drove around to the campground boat launch. Tried to launch there, but that was a bad idea. The boat trailer bottomed out in mud. ouch. The trouble was we drove right by the Bay Springs boat luanch twice before finally seeing a boat run out of the slough and figuring out the launch was right there at the cafe.

Well, we launched in 20 mph winds from the west. It was about 35 degrees. We drove out to the mouth of the slough and fished the left bank going out. No luck. We were tightlining tube jigs with minnows.

We drove across the lake to Anderson Cove area. Saw some sloughs on the map and a great point on the left I wanted to fish. Rode over the 38 foot chanell which quickly came up to 3 feet on the other side. I came off plane and preceeded to clean my pants, then decided to stay in the chanell before cutting across the lake.

Started on that point in 24 feet and still tightlining. The wind was awful before getting around that point. It shallowed up quickly and I told brad I wanted to long line in this 15 feet of water. We started to long line with tube jigs. Brad started with all tubes, but put on one blue and white southern pro curl tail with a blue headed jig. All were 16th ounce. We went about 400 yards and he caught a decent fish on the grub. I then caught a fish on a blue minnow tube. Both were keepers. He preceeded to catch 3 more before I could get another bite, so we ended up putting on curl tail grubs on all rigs. I used all blue colors. Some blue and white, while blue on blue was my favorite today. We caught 6 fish trolling well out in the cove. We decided to try in the mouths of the smaller sloughs in the coves. The first one we went to was stacked with fish, only most were small. The first pass into the slough we caught 10 or so fish. We trolled in and out of the slough several times before stopping in the back and letting the wind just blow us out while fishing a float and fly. We caught 5 fish on these rigs in about 30 minutes on homemade hair jigs.

we cranked up and went into church-house slough, or at least the main cove out in front of it. Most of the fish we caught all day were either 9-11 inches. We only kept the no doubt fish, throwing back all the others. As we got into the back of the cove, and out of the wind, we caught some really good quality fish, the biggest was a 2 pound black crappie. A real chunk of a speck. Brad also caught our first blacknose crappie, racing stripe and all!!!!

We trolled all the way out to the long point into the main lake and caught several more good fish. We cranked up and ran back to the boat launch slough. We trolled from the mouth of the slough to the boat launch picking up 4 or 5 more fish, none which were keepers.

All in all, we caught over 50 fish today and brought home 20 really good fish. In the morning, the key depth was 15 feet. The afternoon we caught great fish in 10 feet of water. We used 16th ounce jigs with curl tail grubs, trolling between .6 and 1.2 mph. The best color without a doubt was blue, and orange and green was a close second. Caught a couple of good fish on a blue and white WAZZHOPPER.

Thank you guys for all your help. Weiss lake is now one of my favorite lakes I have ever fished. Awesome.

[crappieseeker]

A friend of mines father use to guide on Weiss and he told me that blue was always his best color there.

[FalconSmitty]

Glad you had a good scouting trip. Maybe you can pick up some fish in the CUSA there. Good luck to ya.

[CrappiePappy]

my sources told me that they had been catching them, schooled up & about 8ft deep (prior to this cold spell). So, your depth ranges sound about right. And, yes ... blue/blue/blue & orange/green are two of the most favored color combos of the locals.
From the sounds of your report and my sources ... it would appear that the fish are still out over the deeper waters & channels, but are suspending/rising/falling thru the water column as dictated by the current weather conditions. I also found out that the lake is still down quite low ... all the more reason to "stay in the channels" when navigating !!

Glad you got into some fish .... how'd Brad like sticking one of those Blacknose ? Did it "cut a shine" for him ?? ....LOL!!
Were you using the BnM FnF rod ?? Are we going to see any pics from the trip ? ............ cp

[bugman]

Good fishin david,sounds like you were able to adapt.

[David Waters]

we did not take any pics of the trip, but took a couple of pics of the bigger fish when we got home.

My digital camera is laying in the woods somewhere on my hunting lease. Has been for about a month and a half now. Got a hole in my pocket. Sick to even think about it.

[David Waters]

All these fish faught like the dickens. Black crappie and shallow crappie seem to fight better. He didn't even notice the racing stripe until he was about to let it go. He said, "Look and the birth marks on this crappie". Before I even turned around, I knew what it was. Sure enough, a 9 1/2" balcknose. I told him what it was and at first he looked at me funny. He had never heard of them. We do not have them around our area. A cool looking fish. Looked just like the fish posted on here.

No, We were using a combination of Wonderpoles (shakespeare) and Richards Williams rods. I got to get me some 9 footers. I don't long line much around here, but the 9 footers should do well with those 16 ounce jigs.

my sources told me that they had been catching them, schooled up & about 8ft deep (prior to this cold spell). So, your depth ranges sound about right. And, yes ... blue/blue/blue & orange/green are two of the most favored color combos of the locals.
From the sounds of your report and my sources ... it would appear that the fish are still out over the deeper waters & channels, but are suspending/rising/falling thru the water column as dictated by the current weather conditions. I also found out that the lake is still down quite low ... all the more reason to "stay in the channels" when navigating !!

Glad you got into some fish .... how'd Brad like sticking one of those Blacknose ? Did it "cut a shine" for him ?? ....LOL!!
Were you using the BnM FnF rod ?? Are we going to see any pics from the trip ? ............ cp

[dockshooter]

Churchhouse cove is where I was telling you, I was just coming up the river from the bridge.
As for black nose crappie we have been stocking them im weiss for a couple of years now.
Check out this link
http://www.weisslakeimprovement.com/Fish.htm

I am also working in Sheffield this week and I have some Alabama Championship flyers that I would like to distribute in your area if you would like some to give some out, or give me a list of places to go to put them out.
you can call me on my cell 256-557-0264
thanks
Glen

[David Waters]

here is brad holding 2 bigguns

[David Waters]

and of course, my ugly mug with the windburned face.