At the base of Wheeler Dam, guide Jerry Crook, of Gardendale, hoists a hefty Wilson Lake largemouth. Photo by Mike Handley.

If you're a guy, picture yourself sauntering into a singles bar with two pals. On your right is Brad Pitt; Tom Cruise is to your left. Gals, substitute Angelina Jolie for Brad and Nicole Kidman for Tom. Honestly, now -- how much attention do you think you'll get?

That's sort of what it's like for the 75-mile stretch of the Tennessee River between Guntersville and Pickwick lakes. Thanks to decades of publicity by way of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, Guntersville attracts seekers of largemouths from around the country, and usually lives up to its vaunted reputation. And Pickwick is best known for its smallmouths, crappie and, to a lesser degree, saugers, it being about the only place for catching that last species in Alabama.

Wedged between the glamour twins, Wheeler and Wilson lakes are redheaded stepchildren by comparison. Which isn't to say that they're devoid of fishermen: They just don't get the same kind of respect or attention accorded their neighbors to the east and west. Wheeler ranks fairly low in most categories within the state's Bass Anglers Information Team reports, which are based on tournament results. Meanwhile Wilson hosts so few tourneys that it's not even included in the statewide rankings.

That's kind of strange, too, if you think about it. Alabama's state-record smallmouth bass, a behemoth weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces, was pulled out of Wilson. And truth be told, the tailrace below Wheeler Dam is simply one of the finest places to fish in the entire Southeast.

Of course, Wheeler also has a reputation for quite another thing: It once gave up a world-record 111-pound blue catfish. I remember driving up to Elkmont to interview the lucky fisherman, Bill McKinley -- and mine was the first story about it!

In the great scheme of things, however, it seems that a lake's reputation in the South is based largely on the resident largemouth bass. They don't fight as hard as smallies, giant saltwater striped bass or even spotted bass. But they grow bigger; they're harder to catch, more finicky and more persnickety. Simply put, largemouths are king in the southland for those reasons.

If ever there was a time for a Cinderella story to be told, however, this is it. The stepchildren are coming of age, and their growth in popularity has little to do with bronzebacks or Mr. Whiskers. We're talking largemouths, lots of them, and not dinks. And there is no better time to connect with those fish on Wheeler or Wilson than right now. All you have to do is wait for a yellow butterfly to flit through your yard -- but more about that later.

WHEELER AND WILSON
Wheeler is four times the size of Wilson. The second-largest of all the Tennessee River lakes, it stretches 60 miles between dams. The upper end of the reservoir is mostly riverine, but it expands as it flows past Huntsville. Closer to Decatur, you find stump flats, lots of weed beds and feeder creeks. As it narrows back down at the lower end, the banks become steeper and the points longer.

By comparison, Wilson Lake is tiny. There's not as much water to cover in this 15-mile-long reservoir. But you don't need a lot of water if you have got access to one of the best tailraces in the world. Actually, Wilson doesn't even get that credit most of the time. A lot of people have wet their lines at "Wheeler Dam," never realizing that they were not on Wheeler Lake, which is upstream of the structure.

One reason these two reservoirs are slowly coming into their own as largemouth fisheries is the ever-increasing availability of baitfish -- primarily shad, both the threadfin and gizzard varieties. Anglers who don't use live bait to fish for bass had better be using lures that resemble them. Those who just want to catch fish do try live bait and you can get those either by buying them from local shops or just catch your own below Wheeler Dam.

ARTIFICIAL LURES
Springtime is just about everyone's favorite time to fish. That's when visions of big roe-filled, sow bass dance in our heads. However, the fall can be just as productive. Only instead of roe, bass bellies along the Tennessee River are full of shad.

About the time that people decide it's too cold to swim, the resident largemouths decide that it's just right. They spend more time in the shallows, abandoning the main river for the creeks, and they're eager to gorge.

Presenting a wounded baitfish before the sun hits the water is a sure bet in the fall, and the action may last even longer on overcast days. Look for this topwater bite in the mornings by fishing a Zara Spook Jr., YUM Houdini Shad or similar surface lures. Upsetting the grass beds with buzzbaits can garner some 4-pounders, and even perhaps a fish that weighs twice that.

At midmorning, head back to the flats inside the creeks to where the water is between 3 and 6 feet deep. Swap your water-walking lures for small shad-colored crankbaits or gold Cordell Hotspot. Or, if it's not windy, try flipping a TUM Megatube or crawfish around shallow-water cover, paying particular attention to wood. Traditional 1/4-ounce black-and-blue jigs could be the ticket as well.

Fishing this pattern on a good day ought to net about 20 bass or a five-fish limit approaching 13 pounds on Wheeler. Add a pound per fish if you're on Wilson Lake.