Lake level: full pool (may be down due to summer drought)
Water Temperature: Mid to upper 80's
Summer on Holt Lake
Like
any Lake in Alabama, Holt Lake situated on the Warrior River
System (right below Bankhead Lake) in mid Alabama, is subject
to be lower than normal this summer season. Summertime lake levels
can be down or at full pool. Its all according to the amount of
rain we get this year.
For years you seldom saw this Warrior River Impoundment lower than
full pool no matter how hot it got during summer months of the
past. Fortunately it has recently been a better than normal - first
six months of the new year - with this past spring and early summer
season showing Holt Lake fluctuate either up a few inches over
full pool or only down a foot or so. But that can all change if
normal summer rains and evening thundershowers decrease, meaning
less water coming into the lake, to keep Holt Lake at or near full
pool.
Regardless, the bass hidden in Holt's deep, clear waters have plenty
of depths to retreat to. If little or no rain drops the lake, it
only forces them to abandon the shallows and move a little deeper.
Keep in mind, this is normally, a deep clear water impoundment
and during summer with little or no rain, it can clear considerably.
Holt Lake features a lot of deep water and rock bluffs all along
the upper lake to the lakes lower end. All 18 miles of it.
As with any lake featuring deep, clear water, Holt Lake's bass
inhabitants are also very weary and lure conscience. Which means
getting these conditioned bass to even bite your tempting offerings
is usually a task. At times many anglers fail to even catch a bass
or two for an entire days efforts. Making it an even less desirable
lake among Alabama's anglers, especially when they have other choices
to make.
But there are always a few tricks that will at least get a few
bites, often from one of the lakes many smaller schooling bass
such as spotted bass, largemouth bass and even white bass often
numbering in the dozens. Little wolf packs that roam this lakes
fertile waters as they follow baitfish schools and scrounge for
crayfish on the lake's rocky shorelines.
As always, when you encounter several good bites from these bass,
mostly weighing in the 1-2 pound range, there are always some bigger
bass lurking nearby. So make it a mental note and always keep in
mind, you are not just targeting just small bass during these summer
months.
Its true a lot of really big bass are loners on Holt Lake. There
are even some schools of big bass. But of all of Holt's big bass,
no matter if they are loners occupying a small piece of weed, wood
or rock cover, or if they just happen to roam the lakes waters
in schools following the baitfish. At some time, all big bass eventually
find themselves hungry and looking for an easy meal.
This can easily be found when sitting at rest right under any school
of smaller bass and the baitfish they are after. Smaller bass you
may be constantly catching, could be grabbing everything that comes
their way and the bigger, more lazy bass, have to wait. Or they
can choose to exert a lot of energy, competing for food, with the
smaller, much faster bass.
Most big bass usually just wait down below, either suspended at
mid depths, or close to the lakes bottom in the deep dark depths,
hidden and unseen. Until its to late, for the small prey dropping
below the frantically feeding schools of smaller bass.
So lures like jigging spoons, tail spinners, rooster tails or shad
imitations on jig heads, allowed to drop right down to the lakes
bottom, can result in the biggest bass or two in the school. These
big bass of summer are lazy and when you encounter them, its a
good chance they have already fed and are dormant or just resting.
But it does not mean they will not hit an injured looking easy-to-catch,
struggling meal, fluttering to the lakes bottom, right in their
face!
As smaller schooling bass attack Holt Lake's shad or small minnows,
some prey get injured and just slowly sink or flutter to the lakes
bottom. An easy meal in the eyes of a big bass, an easy meal that
requires little effort to consume. So lures like just mentioned
will look and simulate these prey, usually resulting in bigger
bass this summer season.
* For more on Holt Lake and other Alabama Lakes; see seasonal,
fishing tips and lake reports links found on my website: www.fishingalabama.com
* For info on Reeds Guide Service / " Alabama's oldest freshwater
guide service, guiding on every lake in Alabama for over 40 years ",
see the guide service link found at: www.fishingalabama.com
* Looking for a new or used boat? See www.airportmarine.com Also
see their tournament trail link found there. Alabama's best paying
tournaments!
* Looking for the worlds best bass boat? See: www.rangerboats.com " Celebrating
40 years of making fine, quality boats ".
* Fishing or hunting items? See www.marksoutdoors.com ...for all
your outdoor needs!
Thanks and be safe on our very crowded lakes this summer!
Practice catch and release year-round especially this Spring.
You won't regret it!
Good Fishin'...
Reed Montgomery / Reeds Guide Service
Website: www.fishingalabama.com
