Lake Weiss Fishing Report – November 2008

Weiss: Level: 3.8 feet below full pool. Temp: Upper 60s, low 70s. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Great, according to Warren Barnes. “The largemouths are in the creeks and pockets following the schools of shad. I’m using War Eagle spinnerbaits and buzzbaits and varying the bait color depending on the water color. After the sun gets high, a crankbait like a Jackall MC/60 will keep the fun going. Use these in the pockets and try to bump stumps and debris to get the bite. Spotted bass are holding near the main-lake ledges and creek channels, and a variety of baits will catch these fish. I have been using a shaky head with a Jackall Flickshake worm and working a Gambler Super Stud in ghost shad. After the water temp reaches the mid to low 60s, look for the Rat-L-Trap bite to pick up around the lake.” Cover as much water as possible.

Crappie: Good, according to guide Mark Collins. “They are starting to show up in good numbers on the river ledges in 12 to 15 feet of water. Bump the bottom with minnows and Jiffy Jigs on the ledges of the old Coosa River channel from Cedar Bluff to Leesburg, and the area above and below Yellow Creek seems to be holding the most fish. Little River is also starting to produce. Look for sharp drops on the old river channel with cover. The outside bends of the old river channel are holding fish, and so are the points of the old creeks and river channels that intersect the old Coosa River channel. The crappie are holding very tight to cover and the bottom. The bigger stumps and brushpiles are holding the most fish. Shooting deeper docks with a chenille Jiffy Jig is starting to work.”

Stripers: Striper fishing is fair, said Mark. “The stripers are starting to move back to the main lake as the water is cooling. A live shad downlined on a No. 2 treble hook with a 3/4-oz. weight at 8 to 10 feet deep on the river ledges of the Coosa River and the Chattooga River is the preferred method. The power-house lake and the canal are producing some stripers. When they are generating power at the Weiss dam, look for the fish on points and humps that create a current break in 10-20 feet of water.”

Catfish: Great. “Jug fishing the deeper flats near the river channel with cut shad is the most productive method. Look for catfish to start moving in the bays of JR’s Marina, The Weissmart Marina and Bay Springs Marina as the crappie fishermen clean their catch and throw the waste in the lake.”