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Post by AlabamaFishingBuddy on Aug 4, 2012 16:20:18 GMT -5
Fished Neely this morning from daylight until 3pm. Water temp was 87 degrees and had a little stain from recent rains. We started the day off in shallow grass looking for a topwater bite with no takers and abandoned that fairly quickly. Moved downriver a little and found a windblown pocket full of bait and wood cover where we immediately started getting bit. Had a small limit in the boat by 7:45 and quickly upgraded to around 14 1/2 pounds with our best five. We caught around 40 fish and abandoned the pattern to try to find something a little different but never really dialed anything else in. Had several deep bites but nothing of note.
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Post by bass268 on Aug 10, 2012 10:19:01 GMT -5
I have an off subject question maybe you can help me with. I am a pensioned firefighter from Indiana. I am coming down with some friends the first of October to fish Neely Henry. That time of year would you plan on fishing more towards the dam or more on the actual river. If the river, would you look upriver or down river from Gadsden ? I keep reading all post from the area. But was just curious what any you would suggest. Thank you.
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Post by AlabamaFishingBuddy on Aug 10, 2012 10:41:34 GMT -5
It's really just a matter of personal taste and what kind of water you are more comfortable on. I tend to stay on the lower 8-10 miles (from Canoe Creek to the dam) nearly all year because I like bigger water and more defined feeder creeks etc. but I do venture up above Gadsden in late winter - early spring when I like to crankbait fish current breaks or am really counting on some current and breaklines to get bit.
October will be a great time to be on Neely and is historically the month that I have caught most my bigger fish on the lake. Personally, I would be downriver concentrating on weedline edges and pitching a jig to wood cover but the crankbait bite should be heating up as well.
Good luck with your trip and if you'll check back often I will be spending a good bit of time on Neely over the next couple of months with a tournament up there next week and a trip in early September to help a guy prepare for the FOM regional so reports will be coming pretty regularly.
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Post by bass268 on Aug 10, 2012 14:14:26 GMT -5
Thank you for the info. I have to be honest with you in that I am coming down with some Indiana guys. We have qualified for FOM also. I do have a question for you. DO you mark maps and if so what do you charge for that time of year. Thank you for any help you can offer. My partner and I are both crank biat guys if that helps.
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Post by AlabamaFishingBuddy on Aug 10, 2012 14:36:53 GMT -5
I usually make it a habit to not provide information to more than one participant in any event. I will help you any way I can with general information but I have already been retained for a few days by another competitor and anything I would mark might overlap some of the areas I will be sharing with him so I'll have to pass. I hope you understand and I wish you the best of luck.
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Post by bass268 on Aug 10, 2012 23:15:06 GMT -5
Thank you very much. I understand what you say and I respect it. You did answer my main question of at least what direction you would suggest. I do have 1 question that maybe you can answer. We are going to be staying at Pruetts Fish Camp on Lake Weiss. We like staying in cabins so we dont have to fight to get a place to charge our boats. Do you know anything about Pruetts ? Is it a nice place to stay ? I am just hoping it isnt a run down place that we will be disappointed in. Thank you for any info on the cabins.
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Post by AlabamaFishingBuddy on Aug 11, 2012 2:41:15 GMT -5
I don't know anything at all about Pruett's but that's a heck of a drive down to Neely every day.
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Post by bass268 on Aug 11, 2012 10:23:17 GMT -5
Yes but worth it. I think by mapquest it said it is 24 miles 1 way. When we have fished Wheeler and gone out of Decatur and Pickwick out of Florence, we would stay at Joe Wheeler Cabins. It was 26 miles 1 way. We would rather drive a little further and not have to fight to park. Plus at the end of the day we can just walk down to Weiss to fish. I dont know if I mis understood mapquest or not, but is that about the distance you think it is ? I do have 1 more question maybe you can answer, how dangerous of a run is it from Gadsden up to the dam at Weiss ? Is it a run that we could run make by reading the river or is it more of a slow and check as you go type of run ? Thank you
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Post by indybasser on Aug 11, 2012 13:17:49 GMT -5
I'm coming from Indy as well. We are staying at Motel 6 in Gadston, which is less than 10 min. from the ramp and our Thurs meeting. They have plenty of parking with outlets to charge.
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Post by AlabamaFishingBuddy on Aug 11, 2012 17:44:08 GMT -5
As far as the run from Gadsden to Weiss Dam, the easiest way I know to answer that question is to say that I have been fishing Neely for 15 years and I won't run it. It is very hairy and even with GPS can be a boat killer. I understand about staying at Joe Wheeler and fishing Pickwick. The Tennessee River is a navigable waterway but the Coosa is not and the areas below the dams are notorious for being 2-3' deep and very hazardous. If you are staying up on Weiss I would definitely trailer down.
From Weiss to Gadsen is about 30-40 minutes on Hwy 411 which is mostly 2 lane country road depending on where exactly on Weiss you are staying. I highly recommend Bay Springs Motel which is in Leesburg and is the closest point on Weiss Lake to Gadsden. It is also family owned and they accomodate fishermen really well.
Motel 6, Super 8 and The Gadsden Inn are all very close to the ramp and all provide more than adequate space to park and charge.
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Post by bass268 on Aug 11, 2012 18:28:50 GMT -5
Thank you for the info. I think we will forget about runnin up to Weiss dam to fish and concentrat from the ramp on down river. Thank you again for all the info and help you have given me. If I have any more questions I am sure I will post them here.
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Post by grampysbaitshop on Aug 14, 2012 7:14:35 GMT -5
i would run down from the ramp myself how ever if the temps cool off and the water is cooler the golf coarse can be pretty good for a quik limit and then start culling also check the grass areas if it's cooler we have been getting alot of rain and water temps down some im no pro but grass on neely can be good to yea at times for sure
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Post by bass268 on Aug 14, 2012 11:20:48 GMT -5
Are you referring to the big cove to teh west of Briarmeade Golf Course ? That was the only golf course I found by the river.
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Post by grampysbaitshop on Aug 16, 2012 7:45:16 GMT -5
head north go around curve were the power plant in on the left i guess it's power station or pump house a little bit up river there is a slue on your left take that it open up when u get inside to the left and right go straight opens up again go left under bridge and start fishing goes a good ways in and around golf coarse
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Post by bass268 on Aug 16, 2012 11:19:53 GMT -5
Thank you very much for everything you have been able to help me with.
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