I will be taking the family up to Wheeler State Park for a week beginning this Friday. We plan to drift fish below Wheeler Dam for some smallies and whatever else we can pick up a good bit and I do that several times a month so I'm covered there but I have not bass fished the lower end of Wheeler at all and would love any help you guys might throw my way. We will be limited to the lower end of Wheeler, all of Wilson and likely the upper end of Pickwick if we make that a day trip. I'm not looking for what to throw or any specific spots (unless you just want to toss me a bone with a honey hole) but rather an idea of what the fish are doing right now in that general area and what kind of pattern I need to be looking for. With my elderly father and a 14 year old in the boat I'd like to put them on some fish.

Fished last Saturday on Pickwick, below Wilson Dam.

I couldn't find the smallmouth, although one found

me!  We did well with the green fish throwing lipless

cranks (18), Wiggle Worts (4) and 6 1/2" Kut Tail on

3/8 oz Shake2 jig heads (5).

All bass were caught in 4-8' of water off gravel banks.

8-)

Thanks Roadwarrior.  That was what I am looking for.  I'm assuming that Wheeler and Pickwick are going to fish similarly??????  I know we have found a lot of submerged grass on Pickwick as well as gravel bars and mussel beds that have all been good producers for us.  Is it safe to assume that Wheeler is topographically close to what I am used to looking at on Pickwick?

Yes, but both lakes offer too many choices!

Focus on tributary arms off the main lake, the

water is a little warmer and the fish should be

more active.

One other suggestion, especially in current below

any of the dams: fish the front of the islands.

Start all the way out to where you define structure,

drifting up to the shore. On earlier trips, that's

where I have picked up a few small jaws.

8-)

thanks amigo!!!  I will let you know how the trip turns out.  We will have a good time for sure.  Most of our days below Wheeler Dam drifting live bait result in between 70 and 100 fish and we have caught 11 or 12 species in one day.  I am looking forward to some artificial action myself though.  I see the spot you are talking about on the map and you can bet I'll bang it and see what's there.  I was on Wilson a couple of weeks ago and the water was down a good bit.  We always put in at Fisherman's Resort and the ramp was barely useable that day.  The wind also got up and conditions on the main lake were dangerous at best but we managed quite a few fish out of Big Nance Creek.  There was a Fishers of Men as well as another tournament running that day and the creeks were packed with boats.

I deleted the comment on the sunken island

because I can't remember whether it's below

Wheeler Dam or Guntersville Dam!