Dwayne Sixbury of Semmes displays the kind of largemouths that have become easier to catch on Big Creek Lake. Photo by Stephen E. Davis.

June is a transitional month for bass in southwest Alabama. The fish have recovered from the physical demands of spawning and are now feeding aggressively on the abundance of forage from the spawning activity of bream and shad.

As we move into the month and the water warms, the bass gradually shift to deeper water and by the end of the month may occupy their summer haunts. During each day of this transition, fishing may vary greatly, with bass moving in and out of feeding areas.

Big Creek, Claiborne and Coffeeville lakes have a reputation for being difficult to fish. But anglers who know the patterns and techniques that work in early summer catch some of their biggest fish of the year from these waters.

BIG CREEK LAKE
If you haven't fished Big Creek Lake since the Mobile Area Water and Sewer Service (MAWSS) lowered the reservoir for dam maintenance, you will find both the shoreline and the tactics for catching largemouth greatly changed. The wide, shallow grass flats surrounding the shore are dry. Once concealed, sandy points and stumpfields now lie exposed far from the water's edge for all to see.

Known for being difficult, Big Creek's bass had to adapt to their new habitat. Before, grass provided an abundance of ambush cover, and the clear water offered unlimited visibility to examine an angler's lure. Now, bass rely on channels and wood cover to maneuver and catch their prey. Adding to the changing conditions, the harvest of timber on land bordering the lake's eastern shore increased the amount of sediment in the water when it rains.

According to MAWSS, ongoing maintenance requires water levels to remain below normal through early summer. Dwayne Sixbury of Semmes has fished the lake for more than 18 years. He spent years learning to fish Big Creek's extremely clear and deep waters.

"All the patterns that produced fish," he admitted, "I had to throw out the window. The lake has changed dramatically in the last 18 months with water levels down on average between five and nine feet. Also, the grass cover in the lake has decreased by about 70 percent.

"This has not hurt fishing. In fact, I've caught more big fish and quality fish this year than I have in the past eight years."

Sixbury credits the lack of grass and a smaller lake for his success and that of other anglers. The smaller lake concentrated the fish, while the reduction in grass eliminated large feeding areas.

"At full pool," Sixbury recalled, "a winning angler would need 7 1/2 to 9 pounds in June. Now, it takes between 11 and 13. All of the 3-, 4-, and 5-pounders that were living in the grass are now easier to catch.

"In June, it's not unusual to catch eight to 12 bass weighing between 1 1/2 and 4 pounds. My biggest fish last June weighed 5 1/2 pounds and my son, Tyler, caught one weighing 5 3/4 pounds."