September 13 Fishing Report: Lake Guntersville Bass Settle Into The Grass
We missed everybody last week.
This has been a busy year around Guntersville Bass Guides™. From the people keeping the website and social media moving to the captains spending day after day on the water, everybody has been going pretty hard. Labor Day weekend gave us a good excuse to step away from the weekly fishing report, enjoy the holiday and recharge a little.
Now we are back, and Lake Guntersville gave us plenty to talk about.
The fish are starting to look more like September fish. They are getting into the grass, they are setting up in places we expect to find them this time of year, and we are catching them several different ways. It is getting fun out there, and what we are seeing right now has us feeling awfully good about the rest of September and the way October is shaping up.
September Fish Are Getting Where They Are Supposed To Be
This is the part of September we wait on.
The lake is still warm, so we are not pretending fall has fully arrived. But the fish are beginning to act more like we expect them to act as summer starts losing its grip. More bass are getting around the grass, the better stretches are becoming easier to recognize, and we are starting to see the pieces come together.
The grass coverage looks beautiful right now. There are healthy stretches of submerged vegetation, good edges and some impressive mats. That gives us a lot of water to work with and, more importantly, gives the bass several different ways to position depending on light, wind and feeding activity.
That is why this week felt different. We were not trying to force one exact deal all day. We could move through the grass, change presentations and keep fishing what the lake was showing us.
This Is The Direction We Wanted To See
September fishing gets a lot more enjoyable when the bass start settling into predictable grass-related areas. We are seeing enough of that now to feel like the lake is moving in the right direction.
Capt. Phillip Has Been Rocking
Capt. Phillip has been putting together a heck of a stretch.
We had plenty of good pictures to choose from this week, and they tell the story better than trying to dress it up with a bunch of big claims. His clients have been catching fish, quality bass have been mixed in, and the bite has been consistent enough to keep the camera busy.
The biggest thing is that Phillip has stayed with the changes. September fish can move quickly when conditions change, especially around grass, and the productive area or presentation first thing in the morning is not guaranteed to be the same one that carries the rest of the trip.
That willingness to keep adjusting is a big reason his trips have stayed productive.
The Grass Is Giving Us More Than One Way To Fish
When we say we are fishing grass, that can mean several different things on Lake Guntersville.
Some fish are around edges. Some are relating to scattered grass. Some are positioned where we can get them with moving baits or a worm. And then there are the mats.
The mat bite is something we are paying close attention to because some of the better fish are living in that heavier cover right now.
If You Are Comfortable With A Baitcaster, Tell Us
Anglers who are comfortable making accurate casts with a baitcaster and handling a heavier setup give us another option. When the conditions are right, we can go into the mats after those fish instead of staying only on the easier outside water. It is not the right presentation for every client, and it does not have to be. We have plenty of other ways to catch them.
That last part matters. Nobody needs to be an expert with heavy tackle to have a good trip right now. Topwater, worms and ChatterBaits are still catching fish. The mat deal simply gives us another tool when the people in the boat are comfortable doing it.
What We Will Tell You About The Bite
The nice part about the current bite is that we are not depending on one presentation to save the day.
Topwater
Topwater is still producing and gives us one of the most enjoyable ways to fish when the bass are positioned to look up and react.
ChatterBaits
ChatterBaits continue to fit the grass bite well. They let us cover productive water and take advantage of fish that want a moving presentation.
Texas Rig Worms
A Texas rig worm remains part of the program when we need to slow down and work through a productive stretch instead of racing through it.
Some Things Stay With The Clients
We still have a couple productive presentations that we are not putting on the internet. That information stays in the boat for the anglers fishing with us.
Do Not Get Hung Up On One Bait
The common thread right now is not one lure. It is the grass. Find the right stretch, pay attention to how the bass are positioned and then choose the presentation that matches what they are doing.
Late September Through November Is Lining Up Nicely
We try not to get too far ahead of ourselves because Lake Guntersville will humble anybody who starts predicting exactly what the fish are going to do weeks from now.
But we can tell you what we like.
We like the grass coverage. We like where more fish are starting to position. We like having multiple presentations producing. We like seeing better fish available in the heavier mats. And we like that the water temperature has stayed fairly steady instead of making some wild move that forces everything to start over.
Put all of that together and the end of September looks good. October has the potential to be an awfully fun month, and that productive fall window can carry right on into November.
We have a lot of trips on the books as we head into that stretch, and the fishing is starting to line up right along with the calendar.
After taking Labor Day weekend off from the report, this was a pretty good week to come back.
The fish are getting where they are supposed to be, the grass looks good, and September is starting to feel like September on Lake Guntersville.
One Lake, Five Guides, A Lot Of Information
Capt. Jim, Capt. Myles, Capt. Scott, Capt. Phillip and Capt. Derek are on Lake Guntersville throughout the season. Different boats see different sections of the lake, different groups of fish and sometimes different reactions to the same conditions.
That shared information becomes especially valuable during a transition like this one. The more water our team sees, the faster we can recognize when a grass bite is developing, when fish are changing position and when one part of the lake is showing something different.
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