According to Lowery, one of the best smallmouth guides on Pickwick is Steve Hacker of Florence. Hacker has fished the lake for 23 years and worked as a full-time guide for nearly as long. His decision to specialize in smallies was easy.

"Pound for pound, no other freshwater fish compares to a smallmouth," Hacker said. "When anglers catch them with me, they say the same thing."

For Hacker, the best action for trophy fish is from Thanksgiving though the first part of April. This period is not going to produce the best stringer weights of the year, and during hard winters fishing may shut down. But it does offer anglers their best opportunity at a single big fish.

As the days become longer and water temperatures increase into the 50s, fishing activity increases. Yet fishing can remain tough.

"Fishing here is dependent on the TVA and their release schedule," Hacker reported. "If they cut the flow, then fishing is very tough instantly, even though you have caught fish day after day. Usually, the stronger the current, the better the bite."

Under normal water conditions, which he defines as a 24-hour discharge rate of 40,000 to 70,000 cubic feet per second, Hacker concentrates on fishing offshore structure -- at least a quarter-mile from the bank.

The lures Hacker uses for these conditions are compact and create as little drag as possible. Most of the time, the jigheads weigh 1/4 ounce.

"Whether you use a bucktail jig, a Twister Tail grub, or a tube lure with the lead head in the tube, the lure is streamlined, so it doesn't catch as much water," he explained. "This allows a feel for the bait, so you can detect a strike better."

Hacker fishes these lures by using the trolling motor to either hold his position or control his drift.

"Cast upstream at a 45-degree angle to give the bait time to sink," he instructed. "By the time it passes the boat, the lure is pecking the bottom as it swings past in an arc. When the current lifts the bait, it's time to reel in and start the drift again."

According to Hacker, it's not important for offshore structure to create a current break, but it's paramount that the structure have a hard bottom. Gravel, rocks or shells produce, but mud bottoms do not.

"In late February and early March," Hacker continued, "the fish start moving out of their winter holes, and you find them at depths of 16 to 20 feet. As the water warms into the low to mid-50s, the fish pull up even shallower into 12 to 14 -- maybe as shallow as 9 feet. Later into March and April, smallmouths are on a pre-spawn pattern and feed heavily."

A few words of caution were also added by the angler.

"Pickwick has a well-deserved reputation for damaging lower units and fiberglass. There are many unmarked rockpiles and stumprows that lie just under the surface."

For guided smallmouth action on Pickwick Lake, contact Steve Hacker by phone at (256) 760-8090, or e-mail him at info@smallmouth.com. His Web site is located at SmallMouth.com