Other Hotspots: In September on Lake Eufaula, the main river channel above U.S. 82 produces good numbers of channel cats on cut shad for bait. And at Guntersville, it's a great time to fish for largemouth bass on the edge of mature weedbeds.

OCTOBER
Smallmouth Bass
Wheeler Dam
Smallmouth bass move up Wilson Lake to the headwaters in the Wheeler Dam tailrace on the Tennessee River. The fish thrive there, growing big in the forage-rich waters. Their numbers and sizes make this a world-class fishery.

On a good fall day, anglers can catch 20 fish, taking many weighing more than 4 pounds. Five-pounders are common, and on a rare day, the tailrace produces a trophy 8-pound bronze beauty.

As water temperatures cool into the low 70s, look for fish about a half-mile below the dam around humps. Float with the current to fish the slack-water edge of current breaks. Since big smallies prefer live threadfin shad fished near the bottom, use a sinker that will quickly put the bait in the strike zone.

For fishing information, call the Colbert County Tourism and Convention Bureau, 1-800-344-0783.

Other Hotspots: October is an exciting time for catching spotted bass on Lewis Smith Lake; anglers can watch spots rise from the depths to strike topwater lures. It's also a great time for catching red snapper on the artificial reefs that provide an abundance of habitat off Dauphin Island.

NOVEMBER
Striped Bass
Lewis Smith Lake
During November, Smith's striped bass forgo their search for schools of shad to take up ambush positions at creek mouths and funnel points. This annual staging of stripers occurs as falling water temperatures force shad to leave the backs of creeks.

Once a school of stripers is found, it provides anglers both the opportunity to catch large numbers of fish and the possibility of returning to fish the same location another day. Congregating shad in late fall may hold in the same location for one to three weeks, depending on fishing pressure.

Look for striped bass at the mouths of Crooked, Little Crooked and White Oak creeks. Also check the long point in Lick Creek. In November, expect to find the fish holding 38 to 45 feet deep.

To book a guide trip, call Jim Parramore at (205) 533-3664 or (205) 699-3247.

Other Hotspots: With cooler temperatures, the lower Tensaw River produces excellent stringers of 2- to 3-pound speckled trout. November is also great for catching smallmouth bass at Pickwick Lake.

DECEMBER
Crappie
Tombigbee River
According to fisheries biologists, crappie on the Tombigbee River above Demopolis Lake have spawned successfully for many years. Spawning conditions -- both temperature and water levels -- have produced an abundance of fish that bite willingly in December.

In fact, it's an excellent time to catch trophy-size slabs, provided you can find them. Since our weather varies greatly this month, the fish may hold anywhere from 3 to 20 feet.

Start your search at creek mouths by fishing cover on the edge of drop-offs. A vertical presentation works best, as crappie hold tight to cover. If the water temperature has dropped below 50 degrees, expect to find the fish holding near the bottom. Often smaller crappie hold a few feet above the big fish, so fish 4 to 8 feet deeper before moving.

Other Hotspots: The arrival of cold weather on Lake Martin doesn't diminish the excellent fishing for spotted bass. Fish live spottail minnows on humps and points for fast action. Also: Blue catfish remain active on Millers Ferry this month.