Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett
Logan Martin Lake
As the weather starts cooling off, and we move into the Fall time of year, a lot of changes start to happen on Logan Martin.
One of the main things that happens every year is the Fall turnover. This is where the lake begins to lose oxygen out in deeper water. You can even see the thermocline on your 2D sonar and downscan.
You will begin to see shad starting their migration to the backs of the creeks, and usually the bass will follow. This happens especially once the nights begin to get cooler. On top of this, the winter draw down begins to happen on Logan Martin.
Last year the water level only dropped three feet compared to the usual five in prior years. This time of the year can be a very tough time to fish, but hopefully these tips can help you kind of get a jump start to find fish quick.
Typically, I fish predominately in shallow water. When I say shallow, I mean anywhere from 10 feet or less of water. I’m usually looking for docks, brush and grass for my three main pieces of cover on Logan Martin.
I will try to start in the grass, especially in the earlier part of September. First rod I’m going to reach for is a frog. The frog, in my opinion, is probably one of the best ways to get your better than average bite this time of year. Another good option would be a buzz bait.
Once the sun starts to get up, I’ll kind of shift my focus to the docks and brush. There are a couple of rods I reach for this time of year when fishing docks and brush. When the water temperature is still in the 75-degree plus mark, I’m usually reaching for the neko rig. The fish are still pretty finicky this time of year. This is a great option for getting these fish to bite when they’re not in the biting mood.
Once that water temp gets under 75, that’s when I’ll reach for the jig. The jig is a very versatile bait this time of year. You can fish it around brush and docks. I might even flip it in grass and lay downs as well.
The early Fall time of year can be some of the toughest times to fish on Logan Martin, but it can be the most rewarding if you figure them out. Keep it simple, and you will find success.
Neely Henry Lake
September and October can be a quite interesting two months on Neely Henry Lake. The fish are starting to feed up for the winter and especially after the first few cool nights we have.
I really like to focus on docks and grass just like Logan Martin. Typically, I’ll focus on the back half of the creeks this time of year. You also want to make sure there are baitfish in the area.
Most of the time the baitfish will be up near the surface of the water column. So, make sure you keep an eye out for schoolers this time of the year as well.
The Fall turnover is usually right around the corner or is already happening at this point. What that means is the oxygen levels in deeper water are beginning to get very low. The shallow water tends to have a lot more bass activity due to food and oxygen levels. This is why the baitfish tend to be near the surface.
When fishing the docks I will typically start on the shallower docks. When I say shallow docks, I’m talking any docks five feet or less. Don’t be afraid to try deeper docks as well. The deeper docks will sometimes get overlooked by a lot of fishermen.
This allows fish to use every bit of the water column if they choose to. They can either stay shallow or move deeper if they please. A few baits I like to try in these areas are either the neko rig or jig. These two baits give me options throughout about every depth.
If it is cloudy and windy, I tend to reach for the buzzbait and cover a lot of water. If it’s more of a slick calm sunny day, I like to pitch and flip the jig around wood and docks.
Lastly, another great place to try and find a bigger bite is in the grass. The frog early in the morning is great way to get a bigger than average bite.
Once the sun gets high, don’t be afraid to flip the jig as well. You will not get many bites typically doing these techniques, but the ones that do bite will be better than average.
One last tip on grass: Do not be afraid to fish super shallow this time of year. Sometimes the fish on Neely Henry get so shallow you can almost see their fins, and the bigger fish will sometimes be in just inches of water. Give these tips a try and keep your fishing simple this time of year. The Fall time is all about trying to find activity. Fish tend to move around a lot, but don’t let that fool you. Keeping your bait selection simple and covering water is the name of the game in the fall.
Zeke Gossett of Zeke Gossett Fishing grew up on the Coosa River and Logan Martin Lake. He is a former collegiate champion and is now a professional angler on the B.A.S.S. tour circuit and is a fishing guide. Learn more about Zeke at: zekegossettfishing.com.
