In perspective with the drought that has choked the Southeast during the summer of 2006. I have received the following phone call and e-mail from my fishing buddies in neighboring states. The message or conversation always starts with, "Wow, guess you guys are getting some trout flies tied with the with the drought and all"..My reply is the same, "Bummer about the drought. The creek bass love it!". Fishing Alabama's creek's and backwater tributaries is not a recently discovered fishing experience for my buddies and myself. In fact, creek bass fishing is what shaped the way that we fly fish today. Our roll, rattlesnake, bow and arrow cast and water hauls were to eagerly awaiting red-eye, spotted, and largemouth bass-let's not be elitist here, huge split tail bream are targeted and heralded as a "man's" fish

North of Alabama's fall line, which begins near Montgomery, Alabama's state capital, our landscape shows a vascular system of rivers such as the Tennessee, Coosa, Black Warrior, Tallapoosa, and the Sepses. The further north one travels on interstates 65 and 59 finger ridges of the elevation begin to show toward the terminus of the Appalachian Mountains. Tennessee River drainage creates ribbons of freestone creeks with limestone and sandstone bottoms, well oxygenated and clean water for red-eye bass to live. The red-eye bass is regarded by my fishing buddy Josh Tidwell as the 'Alabama bookie" and chased by local's with the same sweat equity invested by brook trout fisherman. Red-eye's are found in cooler and well oxygenated water. A slow grower, red-eye bass take 3-5 years to come into sexual maturity to spawn. Small in adult size, current Alabama state record is 2 ½ pounds, however, this has no bearing on the aggressive feeding behavior of the red-eye. I have experienced more than a few occasions when a 1 lb red-eye has murdered a so 6 wooly bugger pattern, only to reveal to me, upon removing a hook that he or she has five, two inch crayfish in it's gullet! Fishing for red-eye is similar to fishing to for trout in moving water. Swinging streamers downstream and casting to back pocket eddies with a ant pattern will produce fish. Josh Tidwell is so enamored with this fish that many times when we're standing on a creek he'll comment, "THIS needs to be our state fish!".

Two Tennessee drainage red-eye-notice the difference in color due to diet

The resident spotted bass and large mouth bass are verso present in our creeks. The veracious eating and spawning habits of the spotted bass makes it the top member of the bass family found in our creeks. Spots will hang around in small groups and will appear and frantically circle and hooked fish . Keeping a hooked fish in the water while your buddy cast a streamer in the direction of the pack will sometimes deliver a double hook up. I frequently see spotted bass in the slower slack water, hanging out next to the June grass lined bank or stacked in a side pool. However, just because one can locate and sight cast to large spots. doesn't necessarily guarantee these fish are going to eat. A large spot can sit and tease one with as much frustration as a big brown trout. Stealth approach and presentation help stack the deck in your favor during mid-day, high sun creek fishing. Spotted bass are fast growers, often caught in the 3-4lb range. Early morning and late afternoons seem to be the feeding time spots prefer.

Josh Tidwell's Blount County spot

 

the author fishing a June grass lined Alabama creek

The large mouth bass conjures images of $45,000 bass boats and guys with wild colored fishing shirts throwing plastics for top prize money and 9lbs fish. The rock star of the bass family will slum in the creeks. Actually, of all the bass species early mentioned Mr. Large Mouth is probably the hardiest. Large mouth can live in less than pristine water, survive spikes in both water temperature and oxygen levels. However, in looking back over my fishing journal, I can attest that the largemouth is the most seldom "creek' caught bass species for me. Why? I have no idea. My guess is that most of are large mouth prefer that larger rivers and have possibly declined in population due to torment bass fishing. Go ahead guys, fire up your flamethrowers.

In closing as you travel out of state to your favorite North Georgia creek or Tennessee tailrace, if should happen to see an old, brown Dodge van covered in fishing stickers, parked next to a creek. Don't stop. There's NOTHING to see in that creek. Just cottonmouths, copperheads, and turtles.