SEPTEMBER
Largemouth Bass: Lake Eufaula
Though cooler nights and slightly cooler water temperatures have finally arrived, anglers wanting heavy stringers continue to fish the main-river channel below the U.S. Highway 82 bridge. They look for a change in direction or depth on ledges in 6 to 15 feet of water as the fish hold on these breaks waiting for shad. A Carolina-rigged worm is the most effective lure for this late-summer pattern.

For those anglers not trying to win a tournament, schooling bass offer great fun in the backs of coves, especially during early morning. The bass strike nearly any splashing or gurgling bait in your tackle box. At times, it seems like they are competing to kill your lure. Fish the backs of Bustahatchee, Little Barbour and Soapstone creeks for these aggressive largemouths.

Other Hotspots
In September, the creeks flowing into the Warrior River hold big flatheads weighing 20 to 40 pounds. Fish at night using live bream or shad for bait.

On the Tombigbee River, bass willingly hit buzzbaits retrieved through blowdowns.

OCTOBER
Smallmouth Bass: Wheeler Dam
If you've never fished this world-class smallmouth water, you can greatly reduce your learning curve by watching other anglers. You quickly learn if the fish are active close to the dam or a little farther downstream. You also see where the flowing water breaks, as skilled anglers drift the inside edge in slack water.

During fall, big smallies prefer live threadfin shad fished near the bottom on a 1/0 hook. Take a selection of sinkers so you can match the weight to the current.

It takes an 8-pounder to earn bragging rights on these waters. On a good fall day, you can expect to catch 20 fish, with many weighing more than 4 pounds.

For fishing information, call the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau at (800) 344-0783. A navigation chart of the area is available for viewing on the Internet (click here).

Other Hotspots
October is an excellent month for catching spotted bass from Logan Martin with crankbaits or spinnerbaits.

It's also a great time to catch a limit of crappie on Lake Martin.

NOVEMBER
Speckled Trout: Coastal Rivers
Plentiful, sporting and delicious, the speckled trout ranks first as Alabama's favorite inshore saltwater game fish. With the arrival of cool weather, anglers find that specks have moved into our coastal rivers. Bon Secour, Dog, Fish, Fowl and Magnolia rivers offer excellent fishing for 2- to 3-pound trout.

These fish live on a diet of shrimp, small fish, worms and small crabs, but the most popular bait from their fare is live shrimp. However, small baitfish catch the biggest fish. Specks also readily strike artificial lures like lipless crankbaits or grubs fished on jigheads.

Call Hoppe's Fishing Camp at (251) 479-8302 for current fishing information. Hoppe's sits on the north side of the Dog River Bridge on the Dauphine Island Parkway.

Other Hotspots
Since the smallmouth bite remains hot on the Tennessee River, fish the humps and rocks below the Wilson Dam for 6-pounders.

November is also a great month for catching big stripes on Lake Martin.

DECEMBER
Spotted Bass: Jones Bluff Lake
Jones Bluff is a fertile reservoir with a dynamic shad population that provides plenty of small baitfish for the lake's growing numbers of large spotted bass. If it's not unseasonably cold, spots continue to feed heavily throughout December on riverine sections of the lake.

Spots weighing more than 6 pounds thrive in the strong current in these areas. Using your depthfinder, look for gravel bars and humps at depths of 6 to 15 feet. Then fish all structure near these current breaks with spinnerbaits or jig-and-pigs. The best fishing lies from Swift Creek downstream to the dam.

For fishing information, visit Big Bass Bait and Tackle in Prattville on S.R. 14 West or call (334) 365-0600.

Other Hotspots If December turns cold, you'll find bass concentrated in holes at the mouths of Chocolata and Chukfee bays in the Mobile Delta. Small grubs and crankbaits produce numerous strikes from 12- to 16-inch fish.

Also, blue catfish remain active on Wheeler Lake this month on the Tennessee River.