Lake Harris is Alabama's youngest impoundment. It has now been 23 years since the waters of the Little Tallapoosa River and the Big Tallapoosa River were backed up with the completion of Lake Harris dam. Although the lake is rather spread out with over 10,000 surface acres of water, it is a small lake only 27 miles long. During the spring months there have been many trophy largemouth bass (some exceeding 10 pounds), taken by the angler fortunate enough to get these huge bass in the boat.
March on Lake Harris
Lake Harris largemouth bass (and in recent years some nice spotted bass as well) begin their journey out of the deep water they inhibited this winter, as waters begin to warm into the 60's. During impoundment standing timber and brush were left in Lake Harris as it begin to fill. Some of that timber is still standing and anglers will discover a lot of it is in deep water. Sitting in depths of 50 feet or more an angler can cast to the wood covered banks with ease. The problem most anglers endure during these post spawn times is fishing to shallow to soon. These big largemouth bass are accustomed to living and feeding in deep water and many will suspend in and among the standing timber, long before they move shallow along points leading into backwater pockets, coves and creeks.
Bass fishing in March can call for an array of lures fished from top to bottom. In deep water close to these spawning grounds anglers can fish the timber with crankbaits, jig combos, spinnerbaits and jerkbaits. Even with warming trends like the residents of Alabama experienced the first week of March this year, a topwater bite is possible.
April on Lake Harris
As waters begin to warm bass invade the shallows and prepare beds for the spawning rituals ahead. Small male bass can be caught all throughout the shallows and even a few female bass will venture shallow prior to actually bedding in early April. Cold fronts this time of year can temporarily shut them down and send most Lake Harris bass back to the security of nearby deep water. Warming trends create rising water temperatures (near 70 degrees) and can show hordes of bass invading the shallows in April. Look for small pockets bathed in sunshine all day, places shielded from cold northerly fronts. These places will show bass in one particular area really turn on first during spring. A water temperature gauge on your boat is a must during spring.
With the lake down all winter there are no aquatic weeds for anglers to target, that is until the lake is returned to full pool in late April. Wood cover such as timber, laydown trees, brush piles, laying logs and stumps, are places to find these bass prior to actually going on the beds. At times there can be as many as a dozen male and female bass bunched up on one lone piece of cover. So making several casts to likely looking spots can reveal more than one bass. Even returning to a spot where you caught a bass or two earlier, can show more bites from bass that spooked on your first pass.
Bedding bass can be seen hanging right over a small rounded out spot on the lakes floor, usually in water from 1-3 feet deep. These are not easy to catch bass for they have one thing on their mind reproducing, not eating. Patience and a very quite approach and leaving the lure in the bed is what makes these bass strike your offerings. They do not want to eat your lures. These bass are only trying to remove the intruder from the bed, usually in a fast manner. So hook sets must be fast and right on the precise moment they hit, or you will miss a lot of strikes.
Although there are very big bass taken in Lake Harris (some up to 16 pounds in the past) each spring season, clear water situations may call for downsizing your lures when targeting bedding bass. Popular plastics for these bedding bass are small worms in the 4-6 inch size, lizards in 4-8 inches, tube baits in 4-6 inch lengths, crayfish imitations rigged Texas style in lengths of 3-6 inches, jig combos and even small finesse plastics may be needed to actually entice these spooky bass into hitting.
May on Lake Harris
Like other Alabama Lakes, Lake Harris is an excellent lake for numbers of bass in May. It is also a great time to connect with a true trophy sized bass, for many big female bass are still hanging around the shallows feeding just after the spawn. During these post spawn times big bass are suckers for a seemingly easy to catch meal. They are weak from spawning and most bass do not have the energy to chase down fast moving lures. So anglers may need to really slow down and give them a chance at attacking your tempting offerings. This may call for topwater lures that stay in one spot when stopped or paused between twitches. Walking type lures like the zara spook or sammie are good choices for some big bass appetites. Prop baits can be lures with one propeller on back like a baby torpedo or your lures may have two props, one fore and one aft, like a crazy shad or an old favorite, the slim profiled devils horse.
There are many other topwaters to choose as well. Popping type lures like the famous name sake topwater "the pop-r" or a chugger, are good lures for calling up bass from long distances. The spittin' image is a good lure choice for very calm waters. Not only topwaters that stay in one spot but floating and suspending jerkbaits and shallow to mid diving crankbaits can be manipulated in the same stop and go manner to provoke strikes. Buzzbaits (with added trailer hooks for short strikes) can provoke some very vicious explosions. Spinnerbaits (see: theduce.com) in all sizes work throughout the spring months. For clear water try smaller model spinnerbaits. Try bigger model spinnerbaits with oversized blades for stained water conditions.
On Lake Harris this spring, an angler can connect with the bass of a lifetime, maybe even a new state record largemouth bass exceeding 16 1/2 pounds. So be ready with good rods, reels, strong line in the 17-20 pound test category and good, sharp hooks. Oh, and make sure to bring a good long handled net, with a hoop big enough to get these two foot long monsters in.
Need help on Lake Harris? Always call on Reeds Guide Service ... first! "Guiding on Lake Harris since its impoundment in 1983 and other Alabama Lakes for over 30 years." Call (205) 787-5133 or E-mail me at my website: www.fishingalabama.com to reserve a guided trip this spring.
Good Fishin'
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Producer / Host "Fishing Alabama" With Reed Montgomery Radio Show
"6 Years on the Radio / Jan 2005"
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
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