Lake Guntersville Fishing Update: The Summer Bite Continues To Surge
It is hot on Lake Guntersville, but we are finally seeing that familiar late-summer attitude where sometimes the hotter it gets, the better the fishing gets.
Last week the lake finally came through the summer transition we had been watching. This week it did not back off. The bite kept going, the guide boats stayed around fish, and several trips showed just how much fun Guntersville can be when these late-summer bass decide to cooperate.
Capt. Phillip Criss and Capt. Scott Jernigan have been the two stars of this stretch. Phillip had some incredible days, including one four-hour trip that reached 60 bass. Scott has stayed steady, continuing to put his clients around fish and finding some better-quality opportunities along the way.
The Hotter It Gets, The Better Guntersville Seems To Like It
August on Lake Guntersville is hot. There is no getting around that. But this lake has always had stretches when the heat seems to work in our favor instead of shutting everything down.
That is what we are beginning to see now. Groups of bass are getting into more predictable late-summer areas, and when you get around the right fish at the right time, they can be considerably more cooperative than they were during the transition a few weeks ago.
It does not mean every stop produces or every day turns into a huge-number day. Fishing is still fishing. Current, weather, timing, fishing pressure, and the mood of a particular group of bass all matter.
The difference is that we now have enough productive options to make adjustments instead of waiting around for one specific thing to happen.
The Late-Summer Bite Is Here
We spent several reports talking about when the summer transition would finally finish. We do not need to keep telling that story. The transition happened. Now we are fishing the pattern that came after it.
Capt. Phillip’s 60-Fish Morning
Every fisherman eventually gets one of those days when it seems like the lake has decided to give you a break.
Capt. Phillip had one this week.
His boat caught 60 bass during a four-hour trip. There were doubles, multiple fish coming aboard at a time, and stretches when it seemed like it did not matter where they threw or what they threw — the fish were simply biting.
It was one of those rare mornings when everything lined up and the action kept going until it was finally time to quit.
Sixty bass in four hours is not something we are going to advertise as the expectation for every trip. That would not be realistic. What makes a day like this special is that it does not happen every morning.
Sometimes you finish a fishing trip analyzing everything that happened. Other times you finish one and there really is not much more to say than, that was fun.
One Of Those Special Days
Sixty bass is an exceptional result, not a prediction for the next trip. What it does show is how alive Lake Guntersville can become when the right group of late-summer fish gets fired up.
The Capt. Scott & Capt. Phillip Show — With Zach, Nina And The Kids
If you have been following our reports, Zach and Nina probably do not need much of an introduction anymore. Their names keep showing up because they keep coming back.
They cannot seem to get enough of Lake Guntersville or Guntersville Bass Guides™, and this time the kids were part of the action too.
Between trips with Capt. Scott and Capt. Phillip, there were plenty of bass to go around. Scott has continued staying steady on the lake, working his program and finding quality opportunities, while Phillip has been in the middle of an incredible run of his own.
Put the two together with a family that loves to fish, and there was not much shortage of material for the camera roll.
Two Guides, One Team
Scott and Phillip may be fishing somewhat different programs, but that is part of the advantage of having a guide team sharing information. Different approaches give us more ways to adjust when Guntersville changes from one day — or even one part of the day — to the next.
What We Are Catching Them On Right Now
We still have two presentations that are producing well enough that we are keeping the exact details inside the guide boats.
There is no reason to repeat everything we said about them last week. They are still working, our clients are benefiting from them, and the exact details are staying with the people who are booking trips with us.
What we can tell you is that there are several other ways to catch a Lake Guntersville bass right now.
Top Producing Program
It continues to produce numbers and quality. The exact lure, presentation, and adjustments stay inside the guide boats.
Second Strong Program
Another presentation continues to play a major role in our current program. We are keeping those details off the internet too.
Topwater
Topwater continues to play when the conditions line up. It is not necessarily an all-day deal, but there are opportunities to get fish looking up.
ChatterBait-Style Moving Baits
A ChatterBait-style presentation remains useful when the fish are willing to react and you need to cover some water.
Texas Rig
The Texas rig continues to catch fish and remains a dependable option when slowing down and working an area thoroughly is the better decision.
Do Not Get Locked Into One Thing
Several presentations can produce right now. The important part is recognizing when one has stopped working and being willing to make an adjustment.
If You Are Struggling, Look At 4 To 6 Feet
We are not saying every bass in Lake Guntersville is sitting in 4 to 6 feet of water. But if you are having trouble getting a bite, that depth range continues to be a productive place to spend some time and get something started.
From Guntersville To Lake Erie — Capt. Jim Gets A Different View From The Back Of The Boat
While the Guntersville Bass Guides™ team has been holding things down at home, Capt. Jim has been spending some time in Ohio and getting a completely different fishing experience.
He has been helping Capt. Steve Hatfield with Erie Walleye Guides and getting a firsthand look at what goes into running a Lake Erie walleye trip — this time as a first mate instead of the captain running the boat.
Capt. Jim has fished Lake Erie before, but his time there had always been centered around smallmouth bass. Walleye fishing is a completely different operation. There is trolling gear to manage, fish to handle, lines to keep organized, decisions on speed and depth, and then there is plenty of work waiting back at the dock when the boat comes in with a day’s catch.
From the client’s side of the boat, all that work creates a pretty simple experience: get on the boat, enjoy Lake Erie, catch walleyes, and take home fresh fish.
“Lake Erie is a different beast. I have fished it before, but it was always for smallmouth bass. Walleye fishing is a whole different animal. There is a lot of work involved for the crew, but for the clients it is a lot of fun, and getting to see that firsthand has been pretty awesome.”
“Capt. Steve has it going on. The fishing is unreal, there is a lot of catching, and obviously the fish taste great. It is just a really neat way to experience Lake Erie.”
“If somebody has ever thought about trying walleye fishing, or they do not know much about it and want to experience it for themselves, I would tell them to look up Capt. Steve with Erie Walleye Guides and do themselves a favor — book a trip.”
— Capt. Jim Leary
And Fall Is Coming On Lake Erie
Summer is not the end of the Lake Erie walleye season. As the water begins cooling into fall, bait and walleyes regroup and create another strong fishing window.
That changes how Capt. Steve approaches the lake. Trolling remains part of the program, but electronics and forward-facing sonar can also help locate active fish and stay with feeding walleyes as the seasonal pattern changes.
That is one of the things that makes Lake Erie interesting. The fishery does not stay the same all year. The fish move, the presentations change, and the boat may even launch from a different area depending on where the strongest bite is setting up.
What A Trip With Capt. Steve Looks Like
Erie Walleye Guides runs private Lake Erie trips, so you are fishing with your own group rather than sharing the boat with strangers. Capt. Steve adjusts each trip around current conditions, fish movement, wind, water clarity, and depth to stay with the strongest bite available.
Trips are available in 4-, 6-, and 8-hour options, and fish cleaning is included. For somebody who has never experienced Lake Erie walleye fishing, that makes it a pretty easy way to see what the Walleye Capital of the World is all about.
Capt. Steve has spent more than four decades fishing Lake Erie, and that experience becomes especially important on a lake where wind, water color, fish movement, and weather can change the plan quickly.
You do not have to already be a walleye fisherman to enjoy it. In fact, that may be one of the best reasons to book the trip. Lake Erie walleye fishing is a completely different experience — lots of catching, a different style of fishing than most bass anglers are accustomed to, and at the end of the trip Capt. Steve cleans the catch so you can take home some of the best-eating fish that swims.
Five Guides Keep The Information Moving
This week also shows why having a five-guide team matters.
Capt. Jim may be away from Guntersville for a stretch, but Capt. Myles, Capt. Scott, Capt. Phillip, and Capt. Derek continue fishing the lake and sharing what they are seeing. Scott and Phillip have been the standouts this week, but the information does not stay in one boat.
Different guides can fish different areas and different presentations on the same day. When that information comes back together, we get a much better picture of what Lake Guntersville is actually doing.
Final Thoughts Going Into The Next Week
Last week Lake Guntersville finally came through the summer transition. This week it kept going.
The heat is here, but right now that is not hurting our feelings. Capt. Phillip had an exceptional 60-fish morning, Capt. Scott continues to stay steady, and Zach, Nina, and the kids added another chapter to what is becoming a pretty regular Guntersville fishing habit.
We still have two presentations producing well enough that the exact details are staying inside the guide boats. Topwater continues to play, ChatterBait-style moving presentations are producing, and the Texas rig remains dependable. If you are struggling to generate a bite, take a look at that 4- to 6-foot range.
And while the team has been taking care of business on Guntersville, Capt. Jim has been getting an education of his own from the back of Capt. Steve’s boat on Lake Erie. Different lake, different species, different style of fishing — and another reminder of how many ways there are to enjoy a day on the water.
As for Lake Guntersville, the direction remains the same.
Guntersville continues to surge.
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