Shane Ellis Fishing Service

Guntersville FIshing Charter December 29th Guntersville bass fishing report: Suspended fish
This week was excellent weather and fishing but adjusting to the conditions was the key. I guided almost everyday and I saw these fish change their behavior as the water warmed. With the cooler water the bass were positioned lower in the water column but as the water warmed they moved vertically and by Saturday they were just under the surface often in deep water. With todays technology catching these fish is easy but 10 years ago it would have been impossible. The best way to locate these suspended fish is by finding bait with side imaging however some of these fish were suspended 3-5 feet down in 15-20 feet of water with no presence of baitfish. Yes those are the finicky ones but they can be caught. A 5 gram jighead with a 6 inch minnow type bait allows you to keep that bait up in the water column where the bass can eat it. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter December 22nd Guntersville bass fishing report: 3 different patterns are producing
The warmer weather has us out on the lake guiding everyday. It has been productive but you must adapt to the conditions. As a fulltime guide I spend a ton of time analyzing water level,generation schedules,moon phases,weather patterns,wind direction and historical data. I script my first few hours each day then I adjust based on how the fish are positioning. At the moment we are using 3 different patterns: bluff walls, nomadic roamers following bait and prespawners. The best baits are an arig on the bluffs,a minnow type bait with scope and a jerkbait for prespawn fish. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter December 15th Guntersville bass fishing report: 10 days of 65 degree weather at Christmas!!!
We are about to have extremely warm consistent weather for Christmas. The excellent fishing we have experienced all month long is about to get even better. Last week I did a guide trip where we caught so many 4lb fish our hands got tired. If you want to experience phenomenal winter bass fishing it's on the way. A warm front after a cold front is best case scenario for December and January fishing on a 70,000 acre grass flat like guntersville. The millfoil is showing up all over the lake and it's green and healthy. It doesn't float on top like eel grass. Our best baits have been minnow type baits and crankbaits. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter December 10th Guntersville fishing report: The best lake in the United States
Guntersville is simply the best bass fishing lake in the United States. Since April my clients have caught them on every stop every day all day. If you think the cold weather has hurt the fishing it has only helped. My last two trips we landed 90 bass all quality fish. The grass is green and healthy and the stocking program is paying dividends. Now it's a huge lake and it's overwhelming to most anglers but if you know what you are doing and your processes and procedures are efficient this place is incredible. Our best baits at the moment are minnow style baits and arigs. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter December 4th Guntersville bass fishing report: The best fishing of the year and it’s not close.
The deer hunters are in the woods and it's too cold for the weekend warriors. The fishing pressure has decreased and the fishing is spectacular. Saturday my client's first bite was a 10lb 4ounce and we landed 50 with a best 5@ 32lbs. The last two weeks I have averaged 50 a day and best 5@25lbs. The lake is as healthy as it has ever been and it's fishing great. The two primary patterns are pinging a minnow and arig. The bass are roaming around underneath bait. The most efficient process and procedure is to use side image to locate the bait and then FFS to find the bass. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter November 28th Guntersville bass fishing report: Cranking Ledges
Another cold front has stacked the fish up out on the ledges. 75% of the boats out deep are shaking a minnow which is absolutely a great way to catch them. However I have found if you do something different you can find a bite that hasn't been pressured. Cranking deep ledges on the river and in the creeks is a very efficient procedure that can yield excellent results. My crankbait setup is a 7ft 8 heavy action composite rod with a curado 200 6.3:1 ratio. I like to use 12lb fluorocarbon or copolymer line and I have about 1000 crankbaits but my favorites are a 6xd and a DT16. I have finished first or second in tournaments dozens of times using this method. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed guide call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter November 21st Guntersville bass fishing report: Floaters
It's no secret what the fish are doing at Guntersville. They are not on any structure at all. They are floating around out in the abyss. Yes they are usually within relative proximity of bait. Love it or hate it forward facing sonar helps track them down when they are floating around nomadically. Ok well how can you catch them? To be honest they are finicky at times. The most common way to catch them is with a jighead minnow. To catch them consistently there are a few tricks you need to know. A jerkbait is a great way to target these fish and quietly a lot of pros are winding a scrounger head to catch these fish. If you would like to fish with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter November 12th Guntersville bass fishing report: How to deal with a major cold front.
So far this fall has been extremely productive. Saturday with the cold front approaching we landed 100 and left them biting. Now after two nights in the twenties how can we catch them? The water temp has quickly cooled off although looking at the forecast it will warm back up. Bass will need to acclimate to the changing conditions which takes about 72 hours. Then you have to adjust. Does that mean fish slow? Absolutely not. The bass will temporarily vacate extremely shallow water and the shad will congregate in water a little deeper than last week. I will search for bass and bait with side imaging and active target 2. Then I will use a jighead minnow, a jerkbait and a spinnerbait to elicit strikes. This is the time of year when the biggest fish show up. If you would like to fish with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter November 5th Guntersville bass fishing report: The best week all year!!!
We have a full moon. Stable water temps in the 60s and the bass are feeding aggressively. This might have been my best week of fishing all year. I have guided 4 days this week and my catch rate has been 40 per day with 10 fish a day over 4lbs and best 5 close to 25lbs each day. The deep ledge bite as always is really good with a big plug. The frog bite has been solid and the outside grass line bite has been good. The fall is my favorite time of year and this year it has been unreal. Clients have landed tons of really big fish and numbers have been the best of the year. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 256-744-5185. 

Guntersville FIshing Charter Halloween bass fishing report for Guntersville.
The trees are turning orange and yellow. The eagles are getting active and deer are roaming. As we head into November the water temps have cooled into the 60s and the bass are feeding. This week I did 3 guide trips and our average catch rate was 25 while the size is improving. The bass are nomadic right now not holding on structure but rather following schools of threadfin shad. This time of year is when efficiency of functions and sound processes and procedures are critical. I am fishing fast,checking several areas per day and trying to find a group of fish feeding. Best baits this week were a fluke shallow and a crankbait out deep. If you are interested in fishing with a USCG licensed captain call 2567445185.