Even though Guntersville is not the ideal lake for fishing the riprap on the banks; it does produce some good fish this time of year! There is a difference that I believe, in finding productive riprap and it can come in a variety of bank structure. First of all most of the bank structure is packed into the thick grass and to fish it you have to dig your way through the grass and I believe this is a waste of time!
The thick grass areas that force you to dig deep in the grass are not productive bank areas; look for the bank to be reachable with a single cast from the deeper water. When you have found this type of bank you have a start of a productive bank. Next I believe that a bank must have stumps, trees laying in the water or docks to hold fish. If you pull up to the edge and it appears to be void of structure it's probably void of fish also. Certainly this time of year baitfish is also a must on the bank your trying to fish; that old Guntersville saying that if you find the bait you have found the bass is very true when trying to bang the banks.
A presentation that seems most people fail to do when bank fishing especially along the grass edges is to fish a worm to the inside of the grass line. You see as we move toward cooler water temperatures, the shallow water will cool quicker than the deep water. This allows the grass to vacate on the very edge of the bank first, and leaves a empty area along the bank. This is generally a great way to catch a good fish in the fall; the baitfish will be on the inside grass line to hide from the wind and the bass will be there with them. A little patience and visual inspection will and does produce productive bank fishing, just keep working them and you will catch good fish.
Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service
www.fishlakeguntersvilleguideservice.com
Email: bassguide@comcast.net
256 759 2270
Captain Mike Gerry