Lake Guntersville is LOADED with FISH
Lake Guntersville is absolutely loaded with fish. This was the best fall season of bass fishing I have ever experienced on Guntersville. We routinely caught 50 to 60 fish every guide trip. NOW. A lot of these fish were a pound to 2.5 pounds. What does this mean?
This means that we have had two years of VERY successful SPAWNING from the largemouth bass. We have had two very stable weather springs the last few years and Lake Guntersville is starting to show out. In a few years I predict it could be close to the best bass fishery in the world if we don't have a bad attrition rate from the tournaments.
If we could have a little more regulation on the tournaments on Guntersville throughout the year this lake would stay at number one. I fully believe that. It has an unreal number of 2-3 pound fish. The key is just getting those fish to live and mature until they reach 7 to 10 pounds! When they get caught as much as they do on Guntersville they eventually die from infection or getting a hook to the gill. A lot of times they will die after being released from a livewell after a tournament. This is especially true during the summer.
Having fewer tournaments in the summer would be a great start. We don't have the technology or regulation for everyone to do catch, weight, release tournaments. With the cheating that seems to be going on with just 5 fish tournaments it would be extremely hard to regulate that. There would be ways, but for now we aren't there.
In the mean time capping the number of tournaments on Guntersville each year would be a great start. I believe this starts with the tourism places that you have to reserve the ramps through. Even if we don't do any of this it amazes me the fish still get pumped out of Guntersville like they do.
The main reason that so many fish are able to survive on Guntersville is the grass. We have so many kinds of grass now. Notably the eel grass has taken over the lake. I believe this is giving the fish a place to hide from anglers. They are able to spread out and roam. They don't seem to stay in one place very long anymore. Other kinds of grass on Guntersville is star grass, milfoil, coontail, naiad, and hydrilla.
Hydrilla and milfoil were the staples of Lake Guntersville until the eel grass arrived some years ago. Still, where you find these grasses mixing. You will surely find bass. Bluegill, shad, and bass love this vegetation. This is why Guntersville will remain one of the best lakes in the country. Hopefully we can make it the best!
If you want to book a trip call me!
Ryan Salzman
256-508-5260