Tournament preview: FLW Lake Martin, March 21-24

March 12, 2001 • Neil Ward • Archives

2001 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Stop #3
Lake Martin, Ala.
March 21-24

When engineers completed Lake Martin, near Alexander City, Ala., by damming up the Tallapoosa River in 1926, it was the world’s largest manmade impoundment. With 44,000 acres and 750 miles of shoreline, Lake Martin was the first of many major reservoirs built during the first half of the 20th century. It was that reservoir-building boom time that created the arenas for today’s bass fishing tournament circuits.

While Lake Martin is no longer the country’s largest impoundment, it is still one of the best bass fishing lakes in America. The deep, clear, rocky reservoir is home to both largemouth and spotted bass. In fact, spotted bass comprise approximately 70 percent of the total bass population.

Wal-Mart FLW Tour competitors will have to decide how much of their game plan to devote to each species of bass. While spotted bass are more numerous and easier to catch, they do not grow as big as largemouth bass. The minimum size length for both species of bass is 12 inches.

By late March, both species will be in a strong pre-spawn phase, which will make the fish aggressive. If the weather is nice, there will even be some spawning bass.

In Lake Martin’s clear water, jerkbaits will be one of the deadliest lure choices. Both largemouth and spotted bass will inhale the suspending minnow imitations. Secondary points, creek channel banks and submerged brush piles are all excellent targets for a jerkbait.

While Lake Martin is surrounded by a lot of undeveloped forest, there are still plenty of boat docks around the lake that bass call home, especially the chunkier largemouth bass. Pitching a jig or tube lure underneath the docks or to sunken brush piles around the perimeter of the docks is a favorite way to boat a “kicker” largemouth.

Fishing the Tallapoosa River in the headwaters of Lake Martin produces more largemouth bass, while fishing areas closer to Martin Dam yields more spotted bass. However, the major creeks are also home to some hefty largemouth. A favorite tournament-fishing creek is Kowaliga Creek. While country music legend Hank Williams, who grew up in nearby Montgomery, made the wooden Indian standing on Kowaliga Point famous in his hit song Kowaliga, it is Kowaliga Creek’s numerous points and docks that have made it a hit with bass anglers.

Wendlandt’s wisdom

2000 Wal-Mart FLW Tour Angler of the Year Clark Wendlandt of Cedar Park, Texas, shared his insights on successfully fishing Lake Martin:

“The lake fishes big, and I enjoy fishing its clear water. The bass will be in predominantly a pre-spawn cycle. A limit should be easy to catch, but an angler will need to catch some nice-sized largemouth to win. I will probably be casting a Husky jerkbait for shallower bass and a Carolina rig with a finesse worm to catch spotted bass from deeper water.”
– Clark Wendlandt

Special attractions

During the last weekend in April, Lake Martin hosts the Lone Eagle’s Legacy Pow Wow. The event is to help people, especially schoolchildren, appreciate Native American heritage. The event attracts members of the Apache, Cherokee, Creek, Alabama, Cheyenne and Choctow tribes.

During the year, Lake Martin also hosts a spectacular Fourth of July fireworks display at Kowaliga Point as well as a jazz festival.

If you enjoy golf, there are three public golf courses. One is the Lakewinds golf course, which hosts the city championship, and the other two are at Stillwaters Resort.