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Fishing Reports Tournament Results Aliceville Lake Aliceville Reservoir, sometimes called Pickensville Lake by local anglers, is an 8,300-acre reservoir located approximately 12 miles northwest of the City of Aliceville in Pickens County. The reservoir is formed by the Tom Bevill Lock and Dam, which is located one mile southwest of Pickensville, just off Alabama State Highway 14. This reservoir is popular with anglers from both Alabama and Mississippi since portions of the impoundment are located in both states. There are modern campgrounds, many day-use facilities for picnicking or water sports, as well as primitive camping areas. Two public access areas with bank and boat access and one user fee boating access area service Aliceville Reservoir. Fishery: Since being impounded in 1980 by the Army Corps of Engineers, Aliceville Lake is best known for its largemouth bass and crappie fishing. There is a good abundance of bass up to 18 inches, with a moderate number of larger bass present. Sampling in the spring of 2006 revealed that the number of larger bass in the preferred and trophy categories had declined from previous collections. The harvestable bass population primarily consists of fish between two and four years of age that range from 10 inches to 18 inches in length. Crappie fishing in this reservoir is generally outstanding, and growth and recruitment were above statewide averages during fall sampling activities. Crappie catch rates in this reservoir are excellent. Since October 1993, there has been a 9-inch minimum length limit on crappie. Currently 9- to 12-inch crappie are abundant in this reservoir. Stocking: In April 1980, the Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division stocked 100,000 Florida largemouth bass into this reservoir following its impoundment. Since this reservoir lies in border waters with Mississippi, additional stockings were determined to be unnecessary. Fishing: Aliceville has an excellent tail water fishery for catfish, crappie, bass, and drum. A fishing pier located on the west bank at Aliceville Reservoir immediately below the dam provides a platform for anglers to fish the tail waters of Aliceville. Popular top water baits on this lake include willow-leaf spinning lures, Jitterbugs, Torpedo and stick baits. However, many anglers prefer the traditional plastic worm or lizards to catch largemouth bass along submerged weed beds, or along the border of emergent lilly pads or American lotus. Bluegill and red ear sunfish are very abundant, and are often found in backwater coves or sloughs near underwater structure. Crickets and small spinner baits are effective for catching these species of sunfish.
4/29/2008 The crappie bite continues to be good. Most folks this past week were crappie fishing in the Pratt’s Camp area. Two different patterns have been catching fish. Some anglers are reporting success hitting stumps in 4 to 5 ft of water while others are catching crappie in 4 ft of water suspended over 9 to 10 ft. Crappie jigs are catching the quality fish; minnows are catching numbers. The bass reports are fair. Good numbers of bass are coming out of shallow vegetation near spawning areas. Flukes, scum frogs and Senko’s have been best baits. Popular areas again this past week were the backs of the sloughs in the Coalfire creek area. The catfish anglers reported some success just off the channel. Target current breaks and eddies with cutbait for best results. 4/16/2008 Stabile and clearing water have improved the crappie bite. Water temps are beginning to warm back up and should be in the 70s by the weekend. Most folks this past week were crappie fishing in the Pratt’s Camp area. Best water depths were 2 to 6 feet; stumps, wood and grass were all holding some nice fish. The bass reports are fair. Good numbers of bass are coming out of shallow vegetation near spawning areas. Flukes and Senko’s have been best baits, with some anglers reporting a good frog bite. Popular areas again this past week were the backs of the sloughs in the Coalfire area. The catfish anglers reported some success just off the channel. Target current breaks and eddies with cut bait for best results. 8/7/2007 Water temps have been in the low to mid 80s. The bass reports have been fair; I had one good bass report below Columbus Dam; best baits were buzz baits and shallow crank baits. A few bass are being reported in the Pratt’s Camp area and Big Coalfire; target deeper banks with wood or grass in Pratt’s; best baits are t-rigged plastics. Carolina-rigged plastics are best in Big Coalfire; target the creek channel ledge for best results. The catfish bite is fair to good along the navigation channel and the mouths of the old river runs; cut bait and liver have been best baits. The crappie anglers have been picking up a few fish by targeting standing timber in 6 to 10 ft of water and deeper ledges off the old river run in the Pratt’s area; minnows have been best baits. 7/7/2007 The bass bite has been pretty good. Most anglers are fishing in the Pratt’s Camp area and Big Coalfire creek. Target deeper banks with wood or grass in Pratt’s; best baits are t-rigged plastics. Carolina-rigged plastics and crank baits are best in Big Coalfire; target the creek channel ledge for best results. A few good bass are coming early and late on buzz baits and frogs; the shallow grass in the Rivermont area has been popular. The catfish bite is fair to good along the navigation channel and the mouths of the old river runs; cut bait and liver have been best baits. The crappie anglers are fishing along the channel and the old river run at Pratts. The crappie are holding on drops and ledges in 8 to 15 ft of water; either minnows or crappie jigs are good bait choices. 7/3/2007 The bass bite has been pretty good. Most anglers are fishing in the Pratt’s Camp area and Big Coalfire creek. Target deeper banks with wood or grass in Pratt’s; best baits are t-rigged plastics. Carolina-rigged plastics and crank baits are best in Big Coalfire; target the creek channel ledge for best results. Don’t overlook some early and late top water action this time year in either area. The catfish bite is fair to good along the navigation channel and the mouths of the old river runs; cut bait and liver have been best baits. The crappie anglers are fishing along the channel and the old river run at Pratts. The crappie are holding on drops and ledges in 8 to 15 ft of water; either minnows or crappie jigs are good bait choices. 6/26/2007 The bass bite has been pretty good. A nice 5-bass, 20 lb sack was brought to the scales this past Saturday. Most bass anglers are fishing shallow water early with top water baits and then moving to the channel and fishing points and ledges. The top water bite has been good on buzz baits and frogs; the deeper bite is good on jig-n-pig combos and Texas or Carolina-rigged plastics. The catfish reports have been good good along the navigation channel and the mouths of the old river runs; most catfish anglers are fishing trotlines and jugs; cut bait and liver have been best baits. The crappie anglers are fishing along the channel and the old river run at Pratts. The crappie are holding on drops and ledges in 8 to 15 ft of water; either minnows or crappie jigs are good bait choices. Team Callahan/Harmon takes first place at Aliceville Team Callahan/Harmon smoked the rest of the field this past weekend at Aliceville. The pair led the field by 2 1/2 Lbs. with a total of 16.58 LBS. The team targeted bedding fish in the shallows to walk away with the win. Using T-rigged lizards, the two made casts into extremely shallow water to muscle out the nearly 8 Lb. female that also got the "Big Fish" prize. Andy Harmon, also known as "ZERO", said "We had to make multiple casts. They would pick it up, take it off the bed, and drop it. We would just have to keep throwing it back in there until we could get a hook in them."
Second Place went to a new team to the Hawg Callers. Team Luke/Young (Cliff Luke and William "Peanut" Young) from Louisville, MS, pulled their fish out of the grass. 14.06 LBS. was enough to secure a 2nd place finish over 3rd which was 13.17 LBS. Congratulations to Cliff and Peanut for a good solid finish in their first Hawg Callers Tourney. Other teams did have a tough time filling their live-wells. Getting bit didn't seem be a problem to the other 10 boats in the field. Getting bit by bass over 12" however, did seem to come few and far between for the other teams. Crappie, Stripes and Dinks did at least make the day interesting for the rest of the anglers competing in the first Aliceville Tournament of 2007. I would like to thank "Frawg" and "Zero" for sharing the details on their first win, to help others (especially newcomers to the sport of bass fishing) in their quest for a "Big Sack" like the one they brought to weigh-in. I invite all of you to share your fishing and catching info. so that others can enjoy this wonderful sport. Let me know how you caught 'em or didn't catch 'em.
Houston Hawg Callers
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