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  1. #1
    Dogfish_Jones
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    Hard time on the Coosa River

    Looking at the weights the Open guys are bringing in shows just how tough the Coosa River can be. The chain of lakes on this river is so very dependent on the current it gets with the interlocking dams.
    I know I’ve came home a few times this year and told my wife I might as well throw my fishing license away because I can’t even catch a limb on the bottom of the lake.
    This year has taught me what we as fishermen call “grinding”, is all about. You can go for hours...and hours without a bite.
    I also do believe it these fish have been hammered all spring and summer long by the influx of the COVID 19 anglers. These ramps have been pretty much filled up on a daily pattern of people not working and getting in more fishing time.
    Now on some of these lakes the winter drawdown had began and it does help those lakes just below a drawdown lake because they will open the gates for a longer period of time and create a good flow/current nearer to that dam.
    All in all just looking at those weights being brought in at Neely Henry makes me at least feel somewhat better knowing they are finding it super tough to catch a limit and trying to find that one kicker bass that might make a bad day a good one. I was beginning to think that I was the only one having a tough time trying to catch a fish on the Coosa River.

  2. #2
    Hell Dog, I put in at clear creek yesterday about 7 and fished till 1. Caught over 40. Biggest was 3.7 . You ain't holding your mouth right.......
    2018 G3 Sportsman 17
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  3. Member
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    Aug 2016
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    Varnell, GA
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    7,406
    #3
    Dogfish

    I'm right there with you. I can manage a few fish on Weiss when it's sunny and they are under docks and they will bite a Yamato skirted grub, but Neely Henry is my absolute worse lake I fish, ever. I have never been able to figure anything out there. Logan Martin is OK when the water cools in the fall and they will eat a topwater.

  4. Dogfish_Jones
    Guest
    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by tlefire View Post
    Hell Dog, I put in at clear creek yesterday about 7 and fished till 1. Caught over 40. Biggest was 3.7 . You ain't holding your mouth right.......
    You have found a magic spot then. My best hope that far down the lake is in Rabbits Branch. I'm usually north of the 34 bridge or up north of I 20. I'm hoping in 2 weeks or so the bass will be in full fall patterns. I may have to dig through the garbage can and find my license.

  5. Dogfish_Jones
    Guest
    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by printman71 View Post
    Dogfish

    I'm right there with you. I can manage a few fish on Weiss when it's sunny and they are under docks and they will bite a Yamato skirted grub, but Neely Henry is my absolute worse lake I fish, ever. I have never been able to figure anything out there. Logan Martin is OK when the water cools in the fall and they will eat a topwater.
    Neely Henry has made me create new swear words!

  6. Member
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    Jul 2009
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    Haslet, TX
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    #6
    I’ll summarize : NH is a effin gar hole.

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Dogfish_Jones View Post
    You have found a magic spot then. My best hope that far down the lake is in Rabbits Branch. I'm usually north of the 34 bridge or up north of I 20. I'm hoping in 2 weeks or so the bass will be in full fall patterns. I may have to dig through the garbage can and find my license.
    Ok, I'll confess.....I was slow trolling minnows on creekledges looking for crappie. Little basturds wouldn't leave me alone. All 10 inch fish except the 3 plus.

    I'm like you, can't find a decent fish.
    2018 G3 Sportsman 17
    2018 Yamaha F90
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  8. Sprint Boats Moderator Bassmeister's Avatar
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    May 2004
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    Calhoun, Ga.
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    #8
    I never liked NH....glad I don't have tx's there anymore.

  9. Dogfish_Jones
    Guest
    #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassmeister View Post
    I never liked NH....glad I don't have tx's there anymore.
    Neely is a beautiful lake and just from looking at it and what it seems to offer you would think you could catch a lot of fish there. It offers about any type fishing you could think of.
    BUT.....

  10. Member
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    Nov 2009
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    Alabama
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    #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Dogfish_Jones View Post
    Neely is a beautiful lake and just from looking at it and what it seems to offer you would think you could catch a lot of fish there. It offers about any type fishing you could think of.
    BUT.....
    That’s sums up Weiss for me. I’m terrible there. It has so much good looking offshore stuff, but it never produces for me. Neely Henry runs a pretty close 2nd to the bottom of my list of lakes.

  11. Member
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    Nov 2018
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    Mudhole, Ohio ( Bethel Township)
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    #11
    Quote Originally Posted by blakesfav View Post
    I’ll summarize : NH is a effin gar hole.

  12. Member
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    Mar 2014
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    Rainbow City, AL
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    #12
    Quote Originally Posted by blakesfav View Post
    I’ll summarize : NH is a effin gar hole.
    We do have a lot of gar for sure. I watched online Saturday for a while. Who ever was burning the square bill up was way up river. It was pouring at my house and they did not have a rain suit on.

    Also, saw a couple boats from road with camera boats following them. Man it was raining hard at that time. Another boat was fishing the 77 bridge. Could not tell who that might have been. I was real surprised at t he weights for Saturday as compared to previous 2 days.
    1997 STRATOS 285 PE EVINRUDE INTRUDER 175

  13. Member
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    Oct 2014
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    Cullman Al
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    143
    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Bassmeister View Post
    I never liked NH....glad I don't have tx's there anymore.
    I agree but have always said that if Alabama Power would let hydrilla grow there it would be a world class fishery. Plenty of Shad and alot of 3 to 7 ft flats that would come alive if they had grass.

  14. Member
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    Jul 2007
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    Georgia
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    #14
    Weiss and Neely have been off all year. I think the flooding the last two springs had a big impact on the fish populations.

  15. Member
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    Mar 2014
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    Rainbow City, AL
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    #15
    I agree but have always said that if Alabama Power would let hydrilla grow there it would be a world class fishery. Plenty of Shad and alot of 3 to 7 ft flats that would come alive if they had grass.

    The above statement I am against 100%. There are too many sloughs, what used to be creeks and flats that are now covered in grass. There are landowners that have totally lost use of their resource because they cannot navigate because of the grass. APCO will listen to complaints, but do nothing for spraying. Been here all my life and I cannot stand the way the resource is treated now.

    Weiss and Neely have been off all year. I think the flooding the last two springs had a big impact on the fish populations.


    The above statement is 100% correct. Millions of shad and fish got chewed up through the dams in the spring flooding. From mid February to first of May, the spot bite is usually wide open. Past two years, at least for me, it has been non-existent. Also, APCO has kept the water within 1 foot of full pool all year (except for the flooding). That translates to only 1 turbine running majority of the time which makes Neely Henry tough. One more thing. Covid created a perfect storm this year for pontoon & pleasure boat sales. There were more boats on the water during the week this summer than I have ever seen. Buck's Island was working 7 days a week rigging boats that were sold. Stack that with weekend TX boats and this river is POUNDED.
    1997 STRATOS 285 PE EVINRUDE INTRUDER 175

  16. Member
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    Jul 2009
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    Haslet, TX
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    #16
    Having fished the tournament there, it seems to me that the lake just doesn’t have good numbers. Even short fish were hard to come by. That was compounded by the fact that it’s basically a bank beating tournament - everyone was doing the same thing pretty much, and it fishes pretty small. Every piece of visible cover literally saw 10 lures a day.

    That said, it’s a beautiful place. I’d live there in a heartbeat if I could make a living. It’s just not a very good fishery right now from what I’ve seen, in limited exposure.

  17. Member
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    #17
    What is this place you speak of, I thought G'ville was the only lake in Alabama!

  18. Member
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    #18
    Quote Originally Posted by TownesZ21 View Post
    What is this place you speak of, I thought G'ville was the only lake in Alabama!
    Haha Guntersville isn't even the best lake in Alabama anymore

  19. Member
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    #19
    Quote Originally Posted by WStorey View Post
    Haha Guntersville isn't even the best lake in Alabama anymore
    I saw that a few weeks ago, shows you what pressure can to to a lake.

  20. Member
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    #20
    Quote Originally Posted by TownesZ21 View Post
    I saw that a few weeks ago, shows you what pressure can to to a lake.
    Yep! Eufaula is the best right now but in a few years it'll decline too due to pressure and hydrilla being ripped out by storms/spraying..

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