ROGER STEGALL ON PICKWICK LAKE

Learning To Fish Pickwick Lake

EDITOR'S NOTE: Few anglers see or ever catch a 7-pound smallmouth bass. However, in 13 years of guiding and fishing Pickwick Lake, which borders Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, Roger Stegall of Iuka, Mississippi, has caught more than 50-smallmouth bass weighing more than 7-pounds each. This week Roger Stegall talks with us about how to fish Pickwick Lake.

Question: What mistake do most fishermen make when they fish Pickwick Lake?
Answer: They don't fish away from the bank, and they won't use their electronics to find underwater structure. On this lake, you must rely on your electronics to pinpoint the structure and the fish. I use a Zercom depth finder LPG 2000 because I believe it produces the most accurate results of any unit I've ever used. If you hang your lure in a brush pile, and you move your boat to the brush pile, you can see the brush.

Question: How should someone learn to fish Pickwick Lake?
Answer: They should hire a guide. First-time fishermen at Pickwick should hire a guide to learn where to fish and how to fish. If you hire a guide, you can learn where the fish hold, how deep they hold and how to work your lures to make the bass bite. If you fish with a guide three or four times, you'll learn how to fish the lake all-year long. Newcomers to this lake should also use a GPS. With your GPS, you can locate the underwater breaklines and humps, mark them as a way point and return to fish those locations later. Although I appreciate the benefits of a GPS, I personally use triangulation to get on the spots that I fish.

Question: What time of the year does Pickwick offer the best fishing for smallmouth and largemouth bass?
Answer: The best fishing times last from the beginning of April through July 4 and from September 15 through Thanksgiving. To catch really big bass, fish in February and March or July and August.

Question: What do you expect to catch during a guided trip?
Answer: On an average day, I expect to catch 10 to 15 bass that weigh between 1 1/2- to 3 pounds. On a really good day, my clients and I will catch and release 30 bass. Some days we can catch and release as many as 100 bass in a day.

For more information on staying at Pickwick Landing State Park on Pickwick Lake, contact the Hardin County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau at info@tourhardincounty.org, call (731) 925-8181 or (800) 552-3866, or visit www.tourhardincounty.org. Pickwick Landing State Park offers fishing, boating, hiking, camping, swimming and golf. Lodging includes the lakeside inn with over 100 rooms, cabins that sleep eight and a campground that contains 48 sites with grill and electric/water hookup at each site. A restaurant at the park offers delicious southern cuisine. Call (731) 689-3135 or (800) 250-8615 to learn more.

TOMORROW: SEEKING PICKWICK'S SMALLMOUTH