Lake Weiss Fishing Report – December 2006

Weiss: Level: 3.2 feet below full pool. Temp: 51 degrees. Clarity: The main lake and the Coosa are stained. The Coosa is heavily stained.

Bass: Good, according to Weiss fishing guide Jason Tucker at J.R.’s Marina. “We are catching them on spinnerbaits, small crankbaits and jigs.” Jason said to look for seawalls and rip-rap in places where the river channel swings in close to the bank. “The key is having deep water nearby,” he said. At Weiss, the No. 1 crankbait is a Bandit 100 series in solid white. Jason said he throws a 3/8-oz. jig to deeper boat docks. “Brown and chartreuse is a good combination, and black and blue is always a good color.”

Crappie: Good. “The fish are out on the ledges in 12 to 15 feet of water,” said Jason. “We are catching them on bottom-bumping rigs with minnows. Try the ledges in Little River or in Yellow Creek between markers 13 and 24.” For more on the bottom-bumping technique, see page 72.

Stripers: Good. “The stripers are showing up in the river channel,” said Jason. “Follow the birds, and you will find the fish. We have a bunch of gulls on the lake right now.” Jason recommended casting or trolling a 3/4-oz. Rat-L-Trap. Color isn’t that important, he said, but a favorite on the lake is a saltwater pattern with a lime green back and chrome sides. If you troll, Jason said try to move about two mph.