12lb Bass & Guntersville’s September Recap

Fishing remained solid throughout most of September on Lake Guntersville. But just like it always does, the early part of fall brought a sudden slowdown. Right around the Harvest Moon and the Bassmaster Elite Series Tournament, the fish scattered — and bites became tough to come by.

We still had some topwater action on several days, including some incredible explosions and aggressive frog bites. Between moving baits and bottom baits, all in all, September treated us pretty well.

Now that we’ve hit October, cold fronts have started cooling things off. Water temps are down into the low to mid 70s, which is perfect for ramping up fall patterns — especially frogging and early topwater.

Captain Jim’s 12lb 5oz Topwater Monster

Speaking of topwater — during practice for the FLW BFL Super Tournament on Chickamauga, Captain Jim landed his personal best largemouth: a massive 12lb 5oz bass. She measured 26 inches long with a 21-inch girth.

He caught her on a Spook, and it wasn’t even a violent strike — just a soft slurp near the boat that turned into a full-on bulldogging fight. With heavy braid and a calm hand, Jim got her to the boat and bear-hugged her in without a net.

He weighed the fish on two different scales — multiple times — and took the lowest consistent reading: 12.5 pounds. It was the fourth 10+ pounder of his career, and the biggest so far.

He went on to finish 10th in the tournament, and also recently notched a 9th place finish at Guntersville in another BFL event. With another top 10 under his belt, it’s been a strong fall tournament run for Captain Jim.

Stay tuned — we’ll share more updates soon. Our trip today had the highest number of fish we’ve boated all week, and signs point to the fall bite officially kicking into gear.

Newspaper Feature: 12lb Bass on Topwater During BFL Practice

It was a strange few days for Guntersville Lake fishing guide Jim Leary when he fished the BFL Super Tournament on Chickamauga in Tennessee.

During practice, Jim caught a new personal best — a 12-pound 5-ounce largemouth bass. It was his fourth bass over 10 pounds and came on a Spook topwater lure, of all things, in a month not known for giants: September.

Despite that amazing catch, the tournament itself was a grind. Jim caught around 10 pounds each day, placing him 10th in a field of 84 boats — his second top-10 finish in recent weeks after placing 9th at a BFL Super Tournament on Guntersville.

“If I had caught the big fish in the tournament, I would’ve won it,” Jim said.

September used to be Jim’s toughest month. But after several years of focused effort, he’s learned to read the in-between patterns of late summer into early fall.

“The last 4 years, I’ve fished BFL championships in September or early October,” he said.

Practice didn’t start strong. Day one produced just four fish. But on day two, he switched it all up — found a high spot that reminded him of a few areas on Guntersville — and started throwing a Spook.

The strike came just 8–10 feet from the boat. It wasn’t explosive — just a slurp.

“It shocked me,” Jim said.

He fought the fish carefully with heavy braid and loose drag. When he finally saw the size and hook placement, he backed off further and bear-hugged the bass aboard — no net.

Two different scales gave multiple readings between 12-5 and 12-12. Jim went with the lowest consistent number: 12-5. The fish taped at 26 inches long and 21 inches in girth.

Fishing solo, he balanced his phone on a cooler to grab photos. They weren’t perfect, but they got the job done. After that, he fished hookless just to test the bite. A 7–8 pounder blew up on the Spook, and smaller fish followed.

He hoped the topwater bite would hold, but in the tournament it didn’t pan out. Changing wind and finicky Florida-strain bass made things tougher.

“I might’ve had 50 pounds,” Jim said.

He ended up with 10-8 the first day, 10-7 the second, fishing a range of baits — 14 rods on the deck at once. On the final day, he punched mats and caught a last-minute keeper to round out his limit.

“To hold that fish, it just didn’t feel right,” Jim said. “It was so heavy and so broad. It was so weird, to catch it on a Spook of all things.”

Jim admits he would’ve taken a hook in the hand just to land her. Based on her build, he thinks the bass could’ve pushed 14 pounds in February or March.

Captain Jim Leary owns and operates Guntersville Bass Guides. He’s now considering taking on clients at Chickamauga in addition to Guntersville.

Story originally published in The Advertiser Gleam. Written by Anthony Campbell.

Mike Davis (left) and Jeff Cochran (right) fished a two-day championship on Lake Erie (largemouth only) and secured an impressive 2nd place finish with a total weight of 27.63 lbs and a big bass of 4.55 lbs.

They actually won the same tournament last year — back-to-back top finishes! Big congrats to both of you, and thank you for repping Guntersville Bass Guides all the way up there in the north!

We’re hoping to have another full fishing report out soon. Today’s trip produced more bass than we’ve seen in over a week — it’s a strong sign that the fall transition is breaking and the bite is coming back around.

🎣 Want to Fish This Fall?

October still has a few select dates available, and November is wide open as of now.

Click here to book your trip online or give us a call at (256) 698-6593.