Entry 55-5
Roger Stegall's Secrets For Catching Smallmouth On Pickwick Lake
How To Catch The Big Smallmouth During April And May
Editor's Note: Roger Stegall, of Iuka, Mississippi, has guided on Pickwick Lake on the Mississippi,/ Tennessee/ Alabama border for 16 years and has fished the lake for 27 years. He's seen an 8 3/4-pound smallmouth come from Pickwick Lake, and he's also weighed in a 5-fish limit of smallmouth that weighed 27 pounds, 6 ounces. "I saw Leon Tidwell and a friend of his catch a 10-fish limit that weighed 52 pounds," says Stegall. "I believe the next world-record smallmouth will come from Pickwick Lake. Two 10-pound smallmouth have been caught from Pickwick in the last year."
Stegall: Last year at the end of April, I discovered a technique for catching lots of big smallmouth. On the 23rd day of April, I decided to try the 3X Zulu Jerkbait for the smallmouth. Using the Zulu my fishing partner and I caught 30 smallmouth in one day, with the biggest fish being about 5 1/2-pounds. In the past when I've fished soft-plastic jerkbaits, I'd catch one or two smallmouth, and then I'd have to put on another jerkbait. With the new Zulu I caught 15 bass and never had to change my bait. So, instead of having to use a pack or two of soft-plastic jerkbaits in a day of fishing, I only used one Zulu. Plus, I was able to use that same Zulu the next day.
Most people want to know when is the best time to catch big smallmouth on Pickwick Lake? My answer is during the last week of February or the first two weeks of March. However, any time you come to Pickwick, fish the humps and ledges. If you use the lures I've recommended at the time of year I've suggested, your chances are extremely high for catching a smallmouth of 5-pounds or bigger. An average day of fishing, using the techniques I've suggested, should produce 10 to 15 smallmouth. Plus you should have one or two fish in the 5-pound range. Every day I fish on Pickwick Lake, I expect to catch a smallmouth that weighs 5 pounds or better. I don't always get that size of fish every day, but that's what I fish for.
If you'd like to fish with Roger Stegall on America's greatest smallmouth bass lake, you can contact him at (662) 423-3869 or visit his Web Page at www.fishpickwick.com.
