CLANTON, Ala. — Most reservoirs in the southeast are part of river systems, but the Coosa River system tends to fish more like a traditional river than most. That means current is extra important.
Considering the significant rainfall early this week and the rain forecast ahead of Saturday’s Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Bama Division event on Lake Mitchell, there should be no shortage of current. That’s exactly what anglers want to hear.
What to expect
Local Mark McCaig lives north of Lake Mitchell, and he said the rain that came through Monday evening was exactly what the fishery needed going into this weekend.
“All the Coosa River has been fishing really, really good, and the 2 inches of rain we got last night is only going to make it better,” McCaig said. “It’s going to make that spotted bass bite be an even bigger player.”
To be fair, the spotted bass bite on Mitchell and the rest of the Coosa fisheries is always a big player. However, this time of year, kicker largemouth can be more easily accessible as they make their way to spawning beds.
McCaig said those 5- and 6-pound largemouth don’t often show up at tournament weigh-ins because spotted bass are so much more prevalent and reliable. That may change at this event, as the potential of big largemouths sitting on beds is going to cause some anglers to drool at the possibilities and work them into their tournament strategy.
Throw in the added current from the recent rains making the spotted bass bite upriver all the better, and McCaig is expecting pros to be catching fish all over the lake, all day.
“Oh, this should be a fun tournament,” McCaig said. “There’s going to be a lot of fish on bed, even with the current and stained water. The lake doesn’t ever get too dirty because it’s always kept at full pool.
“I do think it will be won in the current, though. It’s always hard to put together a consistent bag of largemouth compared to those spots upriver around the islands and current breaks.”
Baits to bring
If you’re in Alabama and using forward-facing sonar, you better have an Alabama rig handy. McCaig expects it to be a major player.
Once anglers’ three-hour FFS windows end, McCaig said many will head to the backs of creeks to bed fish. Flipping and swimming a jig in grass is always a player, too. And don’t rule out a trusty jig tossed around in the current breaks upriver, even without modern sonar.
What will it take?
If this tournament was held on the lake below Mitchell – Lake Jordan – McCaig would expect someone to bring in 25 pounds of spotted bass. He mentioned the spots in Mitchell don’t tend to get as big, though.
That said, bags in the upper teens will be plentiful, and with the potential of a kicker largemouth or two off a bed, McCaig figures it will take 20 to 21 pounds to win this derby.