the time , they ’ re running 50,000 cubic feet per second ( cfs ) from the dam . During floods , that number can be more like 110,000 or 180,000 .”
Crow says he ’ s seen current around 500,000 cfs flowing through Pickwick once recently . That magnitude of current has an adverse effect on fishing .
“ The thing with current , especially with smallmouth , is that they bite better in current ,” he adds . “ But extreme current makes it hard to present your bait right . They will bite if you get your bait in front of them , but the more current there is the harder it is to do .”
Otherwise , the fishery is “ in awesome shape .” Crow says the population is healthy , the average size is good and – depending on flood conditions – postspawn conditions at Pickwick could make for an exciting tournament .
lake guntersville
Alabama ’ s Lake Guntersville needs little introduction to fishing fans . The legendary lake has hosted some of the biggest tournaments in the sport for decades . A claim can be made that Guntersville has lured more professional bass anglers to the state of Alabama than any other fishery . Case in point : Mark Daniels Jr ., a California native , now calls the Yellowhammer State home .
“ You ’ re liable to go out on that lake on a Wednesday and see 500 boats ,” Daniels adds . “ People know that if you come to Alabama , Guntersville is the lake you want to fish . Because of that , you need to be an off-the-beaten-path angler at times . But simultaneously , it ’ s a fishery that is notorious for community holes where people catch the same fish over and over in the same exact spots .”
Daniels says Guntersville has seen an influx of eel grass in recent years . That helps alleviate some of the pressure by putting bass in places that are more difficult to target .
watts bar lake
Six years ago , Bass Pro Tour pro John Murray relocated from Arizona to Spring City , Tennessee . There , he settled into a home on Watts Bar Lake . Midway between Knoxville and Chattanooga , Watts Bar proved the perfect training ground to master the Tennessee River – one that has helped Murray reach new heights in his legendary career .
Stage Five of the Bass Pro Tour comes to Murray ’ s home waters on June 4 , and the King of the West says the competition could be a numbers game . Increased pressure and an influx of grass have changed the way Watts Bar fishes since Murray relocated to its shores .
“ When I moved here , you would see 25 boats driving down the highway towards Chickamauga ,” he says . “ There are more boats staying up here now . It seems to have a lot of numbers , and there are still bigger fish here . I just catch a lot more smaller fish than I did six years ago .”
Murray says areas that once had an abundance of 3- to 5-pounders have given way to more fish below the 2-pound mark .
“ In [ BPT competition ], it really depends on what size they go with ,” he says . “ It could be great if you get into a bunch of 1 1 / 2-pound fish . On a five-fish limit , it really affects the way you fish because you have to figure out a way to find those bigger fish .”
Murray attributes the changing fishery to the river ’ s natural cycle . Grass levels fluctuate with rains , snow melt and ensuing floods . He says the grass at Watts Bar has been more widespread in recent years , though people are catching plenty of bass in the grass .
Guntersville
“ Guntersville is at the top of the list ,” Daniels says . “ For many years , it was ranked as the No . 1 lake in the country , and people come from all over the world to fish there .”
Stop 4 of the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit heads to Guntersville on May 12 , and Daniels says anglers fishing the event can look forward to a shootout .
“ In May , you ’ re going to have all sorts of stuff going on there ,” Daniels says . “ You ’ ll see postspawn , prespawn , guys catching fish off of beds , guys catching fish offshore , guys throwing topwater and guys punching mats . It should be a real fisherman ’ s tournament .”
Frequently listed among the world ’ s best bass fishing lakes , Guntersville is well-known for big bags as well as big pressure .
Watts Bar
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