Guntersville guide tops BFL field at Lake Guntersville

Casey Martin of New Hope, Alabama won the T-H Marine FLW Bass Fishing League (BFL) Choo Choo Division tournament on Lake Guntersville last weekend with a two-day cumulative catch of 10 bass weighing 36 pounds, 5 ounces. Martin earned $8,174 for his win.

Martin, a pro angler who also guides on the lake, said his bass came mostly from the Goose Pond area.

Martin said he used several lures and tactics for the win, with some coming off shell beds in deep water, some around scattered weeds in 3 to 5 foot depths.

"I fished mid- to upper-lake, just junk-fishing," said Martin, who earned his seventh career win - third on Lake Guntersville - in FLW competition. "I caught a couple of fish deep with a swimbait at a depression on a shell bed, and a couple schooling with a topwater bait. For the schooling fish I sat in 7 to 8 feet of water and threw into 3 to 5 feet. You could see the grass right under the surface."

Martin said he used a swimbait on a 3/4 ounce Picasso jig head in deep water on Saturday, and a Bill Lewis StutterStep topwater for most of his catch, but also caught some fish on a Chatterbait.

"I'd run the StutterStep and then the ChatterBait after to get ones that wouldn't commit to the StutterStep," Martin reported.

On Sunday, strong winds forced Martin to switch patterns. He opted to flip main-lake grass mats with a Z-Man Palmetto BugZ rigged with a 11/2-ounce Picasso tungsten weight and ended up catching around eight keepers.

"The key for me was knowing how to adjust to the conditions," said Martin. "Having confidence in my areas was important as well. It can be tough out there this time of year."

With rain and cooler temperatures slated to arrive this weekend, the slow fishing of the end of summer and early fall may be about to kick into higher gear as bass head back toward the shallows to feed before the first freezes. To contact Casey Martin, visit his website at http://caseymartinfishing.com/fish-with-a-pro.

Hunters-with-Physical-Disabilities Events in Hale County

The M. Barnett Lawley Forever Wild Field Trial Area (FWFTA) in Hale County will host a series of deer hunts for hunters with physical disabilities from late November 2018 through January 2019. Registration for the hunts will open September 17 and run through October 19, 2018.

Hunt availability is limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Hunters are limited to registering for only one hunt for the season and must bring an assistant to help with the hunt. Hunters will need a Conservation ID number prior to registering. To register for a hunt, call 334-289-8030 during the registration period.
 
FWFTA physically disabled hunt dates: 
*    November 21, 28
*    December 1, 26, 29
*    January 9, 12, 16, 19, 23, 30

Hunters with physical disabilities are required to fill out a Disabled Hunter Permit Application prior to the hunt dates. The permit can be downloaded from the "Physically Disabled Hunting Areas" section of www.outdooralabama.com/hunting/where-hunt-alabama
 
Contact Gilchrist with the ADCNR Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division at 334-289-8030 or Justin.Gilchrist@dcnr.alabama.gov for further details.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.