It’s the heat of the summer, and in South Alabama, the word heat is an understatement. Yet, we all still head to the lake in search of bass, oftentimes leaving us sitting in the boat wondering “where the heck did they go”? Well, Lake Eufaula has a lot of good fishing to offer, but according to local anglers, Chad Wise and Jeremy Stevens, you need to head away from the bank in search of these summertime bass.
These two
guys have paid their dues on Lake Eufaula and know it all too well. They both
say that they have fished this lake their whole life. Chad has chased the bass
seriously in tournaments for 15 years, while Jeremy says he has fished competitively
on Eufaula for about 10 years. In that time, they have put up their fair share
of first place finishes and cashed a few paychecks.
Chad
mentions that the topwater bite is the way to go early in the morning. “In July
I try to focus on points on the main lake……a spook or prop bait can be awesome!”
But, once
the sun gets up and the topwater bite dies off, it’s time to start looking
toward the deeper stuff. Chad’s favorite area is out from Barbour and
Chenneyhatchee where he says there is lot of ledges, timber, and brush piles. More
importantly, look for the bass’ main bait source, which both angler say is
shad. When asked, Jeremy states that “really, bait is the key. The more bait
you can find, bass are not far off.”
Chad
backs this up by saying, “Look for shad on your graph that are suspended just
off the bottom and you will find active fish.”
“Good
areas right now would be anything 10 foot or deeper that you can find bait and
structure around. I know that’s a little vague, but really just back up to the
first break and start looking at your electronics. They will show up,” Jeremy
says about locating these areas mentioned. And once you find an area with the
right ingredients, it can make for some hot action with the bass averaging
between 1.5 to 3 pounds. But, Jeremy says the big fish have been a little more
plentiful this year. “Finding that kicker is key to having a good tournament,
but this year with the water staying up the bite has really stayed above
average. Five pound fish are all over right now!”
Chad reiterates
this by saying, “You can expect to catch 1.5 to 3 pound fish mainly, but those
big ones like to school and you can catch 20-plus pounds in a matter of
minutes.”
The go
to lures when you’re after these deeper fish is a three way punch for Chad. His
favorites include a Norman DD22 deep diving crankbait, a jig, and a shaky head.
But,
what if you’re somebody who is not very familiar with chasing fish offshore, or
you don’t have the electronics to find this stuff? That’s alright, there is
still some fun to be had if you know where to look.
“The
wildcard in July would be the grass and lily pads on the North end of the lake,”
Chad says, “Eufaula is an awesome froggin’ lake when the water stays up. They
will crush it!”
If it’s
too hot for you in the middle of the day, the best kept secret about Eufaula,
is waiting for the sun to go down. Waiting until after dark could result in
more fish, and more importantly, it could increase your odds of hooking into a
BIG fish!
Jeremy
says they relate to the same deep structure as during the day, but it seems
like the bait pulls up shallower onto the top of humps and up on points. Which
means one thing, the bass are following right behind them. And also, look for
areas where the creek or river channel gets close to the bank.
“High bluff walls, deep points, deep dock
lines, and bridge pilings can all shine at night,” Chad also mentions, “Big
worms in dark colors and black spinnerbaits will catch fish all night long!”
When you head to Lake Eufaula,
whether it’s for a tournament, a getaway from the stress of everyday life, or
to spend time with your kids, follow these tips to help you put for fish in the
livewell. But, before you go I asked these to guys to give you one last bit of
advice,
Chad: “Remember time on the water
is the best way to learn no matter what time of year it is.”
Jeremy: “Stay focused and don’t let
a slow bite get you down. When you find a school, you will forget all about a
slow day”
