Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin 

Logan Martin can be a tricky lake during the months of July and August. However, these two months are still great times to fish if you know where to look.

Specifically talking about July, there are still plenty of offshore fish to be found. Fish may be in offshore brush piles or actual schools. If you find schools of fish, they tend to move around a lot this time year, so you may have to play chase with them!

You must keep an open mind and use your electronics to stay on them. The schools may move from where you previously found them, but they will usually stay within eyesight from where they were.

Once I’ve found a school, I will typically try to catch the active ones first. Usually, the biggest in the school will eat first. My first bait of choice always is a deep diving crankbait. The reason the crankbait is always a good first choice is it allows you to get back in a school more quickly if the fish choose to bite.

If the school doesn’t seem to want to bite, or maybe there’s a lack of current in the system, I will reach for either a flutter spoon or a hair jig. These two baits are a little more subtle than the crankbait and will trigger bites if the fish are not as active.

Transitioning into the month of August, for me, brush piles and docks start to play a major role in catching bass. Once the schools start to break up after being pressured all summer long from being fished on hard, these fish will usually branch off and start getting into brush more heavily.

My favorite depth to target these fish is in anywhere from 10-15 feet of water. A couple baits you might want to try are a crankbait or a finesse jig. I let the fish tell me what they want. If you have a low pressure day (during the week), usually they’ll be more in the mood to chase the crankbait down and eat.

On the other hand, the jig is a lot better option if it is slick calm, sunny and a lot of boat traffic. Give these tips a try during the hottest part of the year, and you might find the dog days of summer are not so bad after all. 

Neely Henry 

Neely Henry has always been a good summertime lake in years past for me. Anglers can catch fish from a foot of water all the way out to 20 feet of water.

Typically, my better than average size fish will come shallow, especially early in the morning. I will usually target the area from the Alabama Highway 77 bridge section down.

Early in the morning, I will always start with either a hollow body frog or swim jig, trying to cover as much water as possible. This allows me to pick off those active fish in the lower light. I will either look for willow grass or seawalls on the main river to start with.

If there is plentiful cloud cover, I will stay shallow – either a lot longer or all day if the fish are still showing activity. If the sun does decide to show up, that’s when I’ll move a little deeper.

In July, there still will be schools of fish to be found. These schools can either be found on road beds, long points and ledges. My first cast in these schools – just like Logan Martin – will be a crankbait. Once the school shuts down, I will play cleanup with either a jig or a drop shot. 

Once August rolls around, I still will have the same morning routine as July. The only difference is that I will start mixing in a lot more dock fishing. The reason being, much like Logan Martin, the schools are separated from either pressure or maybe even lack of oxygen out deep if there hasn’t been any rain.

I usually will keep my bait selection pretty simple. I start out with either a finesse jig or Texas-rigged senko. These two baits will get bitten no matter what the conditions might be.

I will target docks anywhere from one foot to ten feet. You have to let the fish tell you what they’re doing on any particular day. Keep an open mind on the dog days of summer on Neely Henry and let the fish tell you where you need to be.

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.

Pro fishing tips on Logan Martin Lake and Neely Henry Lake with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin 

Logan Martin’s water levels will be changing during the months of May and June, and in turn, the patterns of bass will changing during these months as well.

Early in the month of May, you can still see bass on beds and also catch fish out deep. Typically, in May, bass will be very spread out and in very different phases of the spawn. However, for the majority of the time in May, your better fish are still going to be shallow.

The water on Logan Martin just started to rise and get to summer pool. Typically the fish will follow this water up and stay shallow during May.

There are a couple key baits I like to use in order to catch fish while they’re in their post spawn funk. The first bait I’m going to reach for early, especially in the morning, is a swim jig. What I like about the swim jig is that it is very versatile. This bait is great around almost any kind of shallow structure, such as docks, trees, and grass. The swim jig allows me to cover water fast and efficiently in order to capitalize on the daylight bite.

Once the sun finally starts to get up, I’ll start casting to isolated structure with a wacky rigged worm. This is a great way to just get bites and get those post spawn fish to bite. I usually target really shallow docks with this bait, along with casting to what bedding fish might be left.

Once we start getting into the month of June, the water temperatures will begin to rise, and the shallows will begin to slowly lose oxygen especially if there is lack of rain. The fish will start schooling up on the end of long points and humps anywhere from 10 to 20 feet of water.

I also like to target brush piles in this depth as well. My favorite bait to target these fish are a deep diving crankbait and drop shot rig.

Some of the biggest offshore fish I catch all year will come on the crank bait most of the time. The crankbait is an awesome way to really fire up a school of bass and get more fish to bite in the school.

The drop shot seems to excel a lot more in brush piles because it is more of a reaction type bite if you drop it right in the brush pile. I feel like the drop shot is always my best chance to get bit in the brush pile no matter what size of fish might be in the pile. These fish are typically more lethargic since they’re usually pretty beaten up from the spawn.

Give these techniques a try, and you will find success during these months on Logan Martin. 

Neely Henry 

Neely Henry is a shallow fisherman’s paradise during the months of May and June. On top of that, a few deep fish will start showing up as well.

Typically during these months, you will still catch your better fish shallow. I love to fish around shallow grass in the mid-lake region with a swim jig and frog. I typically keep my eyes peeled for bream beds as well.

Also, another great way to catch fish on Neely Henry is super shallow docks. When I say shallow docks, I’m talking any docks with five feet deep or less of water.

I let the weather tell me what I need to throw around them. If it’s in and out clouds typically I like to throw more of a moving bait like a bladed jig or squarebill crankbait. If it’s slick calm and sunny I’ll usually pick up some type of Texas rigged worm and drag it on the bottom around the docks.

Now, moving into the month of June, some fish will make their move out to deeper water. Most of the time on Neely, I’ll find fish in that mid-range depth around the 10 to 15-foot mark. You will most of the time find these fish off the end of long points or in brush piles. I will use my electronics in order to find these fish as well.

I will keep my bait selection simple if I’m wanting to figure out fast if the fish are doing this pattern. One of my favorite baits to pick up first is a football jig. The football jig is a very versatile bait for offshore angling. I like to either keep it close to the bottom or if I’m wanting to cover water fast, I’ll just swim it close to the bottom.

Another great option if things are tough is a drop shot. A drop shot will produce bites when nothing else will.

Keep an open mind this time of year and don’t be afraid to try something new. It might surprise you how good the fish can really bite on Neely Henry even when the fish might be in in their post spawn funk. 

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.

Pro fishing tips with Zeke Gossett

Logan Martin 

The months of March and April are my two favorite months to fish on Logan Martin. Warmer and longer days during these months have the fish on the move from their wintertime living quarters to their spawning areas.

Typically, in March, the fish are mainly in their pre-spawn mood. The fish are feeding and fattening up, preparing to move up to spawn.

Usually, I will target fish in 10 feet of water or less this time of year. Bass on Logan Martin love to stage on points that lead into spawning bays. Also brush and shallow docks are great places to search for fish making a pit stop before they spawn.

A few lures I normally reach for would be a bladed jig, square bill crankbait and topwater walking baits. If the water temperature is still in the mid-50s, I’ll mainly fish with the bladed jig and squarebill, and I will cover as much water as possible.

Traditionally, I target creeks on the lower end of the lake. Generally, this is where the fish will try to spawn first. I also like to target windy banks with these baits, if possible.

Once the water temperature reaches the 60-degree mark, that’s when I will start fishing the topwater walking baits, especially on cloudy, windy days. The fish will usually be in one to three feet of water on points and ready to eat!

Do not be afraid to throw it mid-day if the conditions are right. Topwater baits is my favorite technique to catch these fish, especially in April. The bladed jig and square bill still work great during this month as well.

Make sure to cover water until you find active fish. I usually don’t stay in one area too long if I am not seeing baitfish or some form of activity. If I do not see activity, I will move around until I do.

Try these techniques out because this can be the some of the best fishing days of the year. 

Neely Henry 

The months of March and April can also be the best two months to get out on Neely Henry to fish. Just like Logan Martin, the fish are on the move to start spawning once the days start getting longer and warmer.

The fish love to live shallow this time of year. My approach is a little different, though, on this lake. I typically like to target mid-lake this time of year. My favorite places to find these fish are creeks mouths and small river pockets.

Neely Henry has a lot of bank grass and wood for an angler to target in these short pockets. Also, there are numerous shallow docks that fish like to stage on before the spawn.

My three baits I usually start with is a frog, swim jig and a Senko style bait. Typically, in early March, I’ll fish with the swim jig a lot more than the other two baits.

Once the water temperature reaches the 60-degree mark, that’s when I’ll pick up the frog. The frog and swim jig combination is a combo that I will fish with all day.

Once April rolls around, I’ll pick up Senko style baits. I generally Texas rig the Senko-type baits on light 5/16 oz. weight. I really fish this bait when I feel like the fish are in full blown spawning mood.

I’ll pitch this bait around stumps and docks or wherever I feel like a fish might be spawning. You might not be able to physically see the fish since Neely Henry’s water isn’t clear. Just fish very slow inside pockets and really pick everything apart.

Try these techniques on Neely Henry in March and April, and you might catch your biggest fish of the year during these two months!

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.