My son and I are gonna give it a try below Wheeler this evening.   I know its still a little early.  Has anyone been having any luck there in the last few days?? If so what worked??.  I havnt gotten to fish much in the past couple of years due to kids and sports events but now my son who is 13 has caught the fever to bass fish.  He hasnt caught a smallmouth yet and I cant wait for his first.    I have fished below Wheeler and Wilson all my life but I have been out of the loop for a few years.

Chris

Welcome aboard!

I fish below Pickwick Dam, but it's too early for smallmouth, the water is still too hot. Although I'll probably be after 'em in a couple of weeks, it will be October before things really pick up.

You might want to target stripers. They have been slow, but my partner has been picking up a few. Skipjack are readily available, so bait is no problem. Size has not been great, but I'm sure you guys will get a kick out of a few 6-8 and maybe a 10-12 lb rockfish.

Good luck!

WELCOME to the BFF. Always nice to see a fellow North Al. fisherman on here. I haven't been up below Wheeler lately but I've heard the lower end of Hawg Island is producing a few smallies.  Hope your boy catches a nice one. If you keep him interested till fall, you should be able to put him on some good ones. My Dad started me fishing at around 4 or 5 and now I can appreciate those times even more. Patience, persistance and good clean (unless you hang a catfish) fun. And the best time - when I first beat his catch. He put me (about 13) out under the Trace bridge during a pouring rain (no rainsuit for me!!!) and went further up river to fish. Upon his return, 30-40 minutes later, he tells me to get in the boat and I grab my makeshift fishin line stringer with a 2 1/2lber caught on my lowly castoff rod & reel and beatup purple fliptail worm. The look on his face!!   and then  ;D. And he had nothing to show for his 40 min. of rainsoakin!

 Keep em fishin!!!

Well we did get to catch something..... lol.  Son caught about a 5lb catfish on a rattletrap.  a couple of shad..  there was no water running at alll .  one of those days when you cut the moter off and actually drift toward the dam instead of away from it.   I know its too early but we enjoyed just being out on the water.  our trolling motor went out so we had to skull around the island  after we couldnt get a good drift.   Living proof that there is really no such thing as a bad day fishin.  We have a farm pond here at the house with catfish and largemouth and he has been fishing since he could walk good but still I just cant wait for his first smallmouth.  

Chris

Congratulations on a good evening with your son.  8-). If you can get down below Wilson around the lower end of Seven Mile Island, the stumps and humps off the channel areas near the smaller islands have produced a few decent smallmouth for me. I caught/released a 3 1/2lber, Labor day morning, right along the south side, near Buck Island.