Anthony Campbell

OCTOBER
Speckled Trout
Alabama Coast

Fall is a great time to catch speckled trout on the Alabama Gulf Coast and there are lots of options for doing so. You can hire a guide through the Orange Beach Fishing Association, surf fish or even catch migrating trout along the seawall at Perdido Pass. Good baits are shrimp, spoons and crankbaits. Nighttime fishing by trolling under the lights along the docks that dot the bays can also be good.

Other Hotspots: With everyone focusing on football this month, you can have Saturdays nearly to yourself on Tuscaloosa Lake while spotted bass fishing. Aliceville Lake is also a good bet for largemouth bass in October.

NOVEMBER
Jones Bluff Lake
Largemouth Bass
A good shad population in Jones Bluff means the body of water has a good population of plump bass. It’s a riverine lake, but there are lots of flooded creeks with outstanding fishing potential.

The lower reaches of the lake are thought to be the most productive. The bass tend to school up in deep water in winter. You can find them on creek channels and ledges. Other good places include points, weed beds and around woody debris.

Other Hotspots: The saugers -- cousins to the walleye -- should start biting around bridges and below dams on the Tennessee River this month. R.L. Harris (better known as “Lake Wedowee”) is an overlooked choice for some fall crappie fishing.

DECEMBER
Spotted Bass
Martin Lake
Bass here don’t grow very big, but they’re abundant; Lake Martin is one of the state’s most popular wintertime bass fishing destinations. Most anglers first target spots and then try to find a largemouth or two. Preferred baits include finesse worms, jigs and spinnerbaits, with smaller baits producing better than large ones in the deep, clear waters of this reservoir.

The best fishing for spotted bass is on deep rocky structure. Spots on this lake are known for schooling up in the winter, so if you find one or two, you’re likely to have a good outing.

Other Hotspots: The tailwater below Guntersville Dam has been lauded by some as the best fishing hole in all of Alabama -- that is, if you don’t care what kind of fish stretches your line. Chopped-up shad coming through the turbines there make it a year-round mixed-bag fishery. Striped bass are the biggest of the fish, but you can also catch species largemouths, bream, freshwater drum and catfish. The winter crappie fishing is beginning to pick up on Weiss Lake in east Bama this month.

Find more about Alabama fishing and hunting at: AlabamaGameand Fish.com