"If they are running water," Rutland observed (regarding Mitchell Dam at the headwaters of Jordan), "you can catch fish. But without a current, the spots do not feed. Downlake, the current doesn't affect the bite nearly as much, as the fish are not totally in tune with just feeding when there is current. If you present your bait correctly on the lower lake, the fish will strike."

According to Rutland, all of Jordan's spots move shallow between mid-March and the end of April.

"The fish look for a hard bottom in water 10 feet deep or less to spawn," Rutland related. "Look for hard clay, pea gravel or both. Most of the bottom is sandy, though. I've used the Aqua-Vu (underwater camera) to search the bottom, and I've found that most of the points running into the lake do have hard bottoms.

"In March and April, you get so many bites along those banks."

Rutland fishes points with a Zoom Finesse Worm fished on either a 1/8- or 1/4-ounce shaky or slider head. He shortens the worm by pinching it off at the egg sac. He fishes the lures on spinning gear spooled with 8-pound-test monofilament.

When Rutland targets big fish, he backs off from the points and casts either a 1-ounce spinnerbait or a deep-diving crankbait that runs at a minimum depth of 15 feet. He fishes these on 20-pound-test.

"Big fish hold in the 8- to 12-foot range," Rutland said. "Use a slow retrieve, keeping the lure on the bottom, and the spots will hit it very hard. The fight is unbelievable when you set the hook."

For current fishing conditions on Jordan Lake, call Stoddard's Bait & Tackle Shop in Wetumpka at (334) 567-7509.

PICKWICK LAKE
In the northwest corner of the state, Pickwick Lake flows northwest for most of its 49-mile length on the Tennessee River. About a quarter of the lake's lower end is shared by Mississippi and Tennessee.

"Its fame as the 'Smallmouth Bass Capital of the World' is justly deserved," reported Donny Lowery, fisheries scientist for the TVA. "Fish in the 5- to 8-pound category are common in spring."