Spotted Bass Fishing

[bigbassin']

Anyone find themselves predominantly targeting spots?

 

Been on a roll with these guys the last month or so, in fact that’s the majority of my catches recently. Fishing relatively cover less bottom in 30’ with worms or chasing schooling fish seemingly in the middle of nowhere has been a good change up for me, and I’m catching fish so no complaints.

My pb spot is right at 18”, no weight measurement but it probably went 2.5 pounds give or take.

 

Anyone got any mega spots they’ve caught? Any tactics y’all have found that lend themselves better to spot fishing than largies or smallies?

[roadwarrior]

No C&R for spots. Every legal fish is kept and given to someone that will eat it.

The limit is 5, but there is no size requirement. Some of your lakes (Lay Lake?)

have been nearly ruined by the infestation of Kentucky bass.  I don't think there

should be any limit on these fish.

[5/0]

3.76# at New Melones on shaky w/GB Netbait TMac last February.

[bigbassin']

1 hour ago, roadwarrior said:

No C&R for spots. Every legal fish is kept and given to someone that will eat it.

The limit is 5, but there is no size requirement. Some of your lakes (Lay Lake?)

have been nearly ruined by the infestation of Kentucky bass.  I don't think there

should be any limit on these fish.

Lay lake is about ~150 miles west of me. That’s part of the Coosa so I would think Alabama Bass are native there?

 

Some places, such as the flint river where shoal bass still have a strong population, GA DNR not only has no size limit but also encourages keeping your daily bag limit. Lake Lanier on the other hand has a 14” minimum on them. I believe Alabama Bass are native to Lanier however.

 

I no doubt agree that they have done tons of damage, effectively eliminating smallmouth bass in the North Georgia lakes.

 

Seems up to about the middle of the state they out compete largemouth as well, although they are still holding on to some extent.

 

I’m not an expert, but they simply seem better equipped to thrive in deep clear water where chasing bait is more typical than ambushing prey, which sums up the reservoirs going North from Atlanta. While most folks do keep them from what I can tell, I think the damage in the lakes is done and it’s probably not reversible.

 

The lakes right on the GA/TN and GA/NC border in particular are lost causes as far as I can tell, there’s not much left but spots. If I’m correct, the introduction of blueback herring had as much to do with this transition as spots themselves.

 

 I think the bigger focus at this point needs to be on preserving the unique red eye bass species/subspecies located locally in rivers and creeks. Shoal bass for example are nearly wiped out from spots.

[camman]

4 hours ago, 5/0 said:

3.76# at New Melones on shaky w/GB Netbait TMac last February.

Nice fish.  We’ve had a few good days up there with the wife and kids just killing them on a Carolina or split shot rig...all under 2lbs but non stop

[FishTank]

A buddy of mine has caught several nice ones this year, one between 3-4lb.  He has caught all of them on a Berkley Power Worm 7in.  He fishes close to the bank and doesn't cast any further than 30-40 feet. 

 

Myself, none this year.  

[Bluebasser86]

We don't have a lot of spots here, but it's fun to catch them. Always a welcome sight when I get a nice one, but a "big" spot here is 2lbs since our state record is only 4.44lbs.

[BoatSquirrel]

16 hours ago, bigbassin' said:

targeting spots?

Heck yeah! I am fishing Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama Sunday and can not wait! Shakey heads, neds, topwaters and jerkbaits for us. You hook up on a 3 lb Alabama spotted bass, you better not have anything to do for the next ten minutes because that fish is going to pull you around for a while! You fishing Lanier?

[soflabasser]

Have caught spotted bass as bycatch while fishing for other black bass species. They give a decent fight but I rather catch redeye bass over a spotted bass.

[Spankey]

16 hours ago, bigbassin' said:

Anyone find themselves predominantly targeting spots?

 

Been on a roll with these guys the last month or so, in fact that’s the majority of my catches recently. Fishing relatively cover less bottom in 30’ with worms or chasing schooling fish seemingly in the middle of nowhere has been a good change up for me, and I’m catching fish so no complaints.

My pb spot is right at 18”, no weight measurement but it probably went 2.5 pounds give or take.

 

Anyone got any mega spots they’ve caught? Any tactics y’all have found that lend themselves better to spot fishing than largies or smallies?

Not really many spots up here in the north where I am. But they are on my bucket list of things to get done. Just need to get where they are. Was hoping I didn’t need a guide. Have my own puddle jumper to get around. Hope to find a good bait shop in the area of them and make it worth the owners time for any tips and buy what he suggests to go at them. Not really looking for a trophy spot experience. Just catch spots. 

[TnRiver46]

33 minutes ago, Spankey said:

Not really many spots up here in the north where I am. But they are on my bucket list of things to get done. Just need to get where they are. Was hoping I didn’t need a guide. Have my own puddle jumper to get around. Hope to find a good bait shop in the area of them and make it worth the owners time for any tips and buy what he suggests to go at them. Not really looking for a trophy spot experience. Just catch spots. 

Anywhere on the coosa river system will put your right on them . I fish for them a little downriver from Montgomery on the Alabama river,  they are a handful 

[lo n slo]

where i live, the spots have pretty much taken over. so it is what it is, not much choice for me. i do have one small lake that still produces some nice largemouth bass, along with the multitude of spots.

 

so i just go fishing. 

 

around here you can catch them just about anywhere in the spring, up until around Memorial Day. after that they like to school up and thats the time i like the most. from late May until early August is when i catch the bigger fish on deeper brush and structure. late summer thermocline has a tendency to scatter both the bass and the bait. good luck with that. now, after the turnover period, they’re free to roam both the shallows and the deep. feast or famine period for me as i’m a texas rigger at heart, and hard headed to boot!

 

my pb spot is this 4.26 i caught in May 2019 on a Zoom 5” lizard.

[Hook2Jaw]

I love spots!  Man, those suckers are sure hard to find sometimes on Lake Juliette but when I'm on them I can't keep them off my line and that's the way I like it.

[bigbassin']

2 hours ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I love spots!  Man, those suckers are sure hard to find sometimes on Lake Juliette but when I'm on them I can't keep them off my line and that's the way I like it.

Fished there yesterday, that’s what inspired the post.

 

4 hours ago, BoatSquirrel said:

Heck yeah! I am fishing Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama Sunday and can not wait! Shakey heads, neds, topwaters and jerkbaits for us. You hook up on a 3 lb Alabama spotted bass, you better not have anything to do for the next ten minutes because that fish is going to pull you around for a while! You fishing Lanier?

I’ve fished Lanier a handful of times, that’s where my PB came from. I’ve never crushed the spots but I do get 2-3 every time. I think if I spent more time learning the lake that’s the best chance at a monster around me, but there are less crowded lakes in the mountains if I go north of Lanier.

 

13 hours ago, GreenPig said:

Caught a 4.2 Spot on a 130 Bone Whopper Plopper this past Spring. Lately been catching them in 15 to 25' on the Missile Baits Micro jig(Dill Pickle) with a 1 & 1/4" of a Trick worm tail as a trailer. Shakey Head, TRD on a shroom head & CrawZ on BulletZ jig in grass, and of course dropshot all work. When they are shallow it's hard to beat a Whopper Plopper, jerkbait, and fluke. It's hard not to target them over the lazy LM because when you find them you can catch a pile and they are so aggressive. 

You on a local GA forum as well? I think you commented on one of my posts there yesterday.

[5/0]

5 hours ago, BoatSquirrel said:

Heck yeah! I am fishing Lewis Smith Lake in north Alabama Sunday and can not wait! Shakey heads, neds, topwaters and jerkbaits for us. You hook up on a 3 lb Alabama spotted bass, you better not have anything to do for the next ten minutes because that fish is going to pull you around for a while! You fishing Lanier?

They sure can fight! When they're digging a 1#er feels much larger. Don't know how many times I've said get the net, only to have the guy I'm fishing with say you can swing that one.

[GreenPig]

1 hour ago, bigbassin' said:

Fished there yesterday, that’s what inspired the post.

 

I’ve fished Lanier a handful of times, that’s where my PB came from. I’ve never crushed the spots but I do get 2-3 every time. I think if I spent more time learning the lake that’s the best chance at a monster around me, but there are less crowded lakes in the mountains if I go north of Lanier.

 

You on a local GA forum as well? I think you commented on one of my posts there yesterday.

Yes sir that'd be me. Been fishing Juliette once or twice a week for 20+ years. 5 days a week in the Spring.

[speed craw]

Fish for alot of spotted bass . Generally try to find hard bottoms and or rock specifically.  Love the fight but depending on where you live when we get the first cold snap ( georgia ) they turn on and get active . Shakey heads , ned rigs,  small jigs ( keitech ) always seem to produce.  But winter time is a real chance to find some big fish  . Check out Carters lake have some magnum spotted bass . 

[bigbassin']

8 hours ago, speed craw said:

Fish for alot of spotted bass . Generally try to find hard bottoms and or rock specifically.  Love the fight but depending on where you live when we get the first cold snap ( georgia ) they turn on and get active . Shakey heads , ned rigs,  small jigs ( keitech ) always seem to produce.  But winter time is a real chance to find some big fish  . Check out Carters lake have some magnum spotted bass . 

I’ve been thinking of making my way up there, just haven’t done so yet.

 

Any particular location you prefer to launch from? Been looking at putting in at the ramp closest to the river and working my way upstream.