Fishing?

[Tacky Hiker]

Is there any good fishing spots in Sipsey?

We will hike in on trail 206 and then follow White Oak Hollow to trail 224. Once on trail 224 we will merge on trail 204. Then finish hiking trail 204 until we meet trail 206 again.

Thinking about taking some line and a bobber setup.

[DavidR]

I've taken a pocket fisher out there a few time but never even had a bite.

[MobileBackpacker]

ive been wondering this myself.

How about the Sipsey south of Cranal Rd. Anybody ever had any luck?

[JustADude]

I have never fished in the Sipsey Fork because

1) I have seen it so low in the summer I don't think many fish would be there and

2) most places are so clear and shallow I can look at it and tell you there aren't many fish there most of the time.

I have fished Brushy Creek twice. When I fished the lower section (I think I was just below Hwy 33) I didn't get a bite. When I fished the pool just below Brushy Creek dam I caught several spotted bass about 10 inches long.

[AlabamaDan]

Odd that a place so wild would have fish in the waters isn't it?  I wonder how heathy the waterways are?  Are there bugs, mussels, etc.?

[MobileBackpacker]

I could be very wrong on this but it seems to be suitable habitat for smallmouth bass, that is if the upper reaches maintain flow throughout the summer. i havent really spent much time in the sipsey other than spring and fall and from what i have seen there is ample flow and depth.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Upstream from the Cranal Road bridge all I have seen are the local Sunfish/Crappie/whateverwecallemhere fish, and much smaller fish of various types. I would suspect bass and other larger fish are present further downstream as you near the lake, although probably in larger numbers in some seasons than others.

The water is pretty darned clean, since almost the entire watershed above the Cranal Road bridge is protected land. There are bugs, shellfish, crayfish, and even at least one otter. There are also plenty of fish, they are just tiny.

[MobileBackpacker]

http://www.dcnr.state.al....e/rivers/smithtailwaters/


wow, trout in alabama! may have to bring my fly rod next time 

[LA MantaRay12]

Hey Mobilebackpacker, went to the Sipsey last weekend on a camping/hiking/fly fishing trip with my son.  We fly fished Borden Creek and had a blast.  Didn't catch a lot of fish but it was fun none the less.  Small spot bass.  Water is a jade green, not sure if that is limestone or what.

Very very beautiful....wel l worth a look even if you don't catch fish.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Hey Mobilebackpacker, went to the Sipsey last weekend on a camping/hiking/fly fishing trip with my son.  We fly fished Borden Creek and had a blast.  Didn't catch a lot of fish but it was fun none the less.  Small spot bass.  Water is a jade green, not sure if that is limestone or what.

Very very beautiful....wel l worth a look even if you don't catch fish.

It is mostly the limestone, I think. On a cloudy day in the winter some places are really, really green.

[MobileBackpacker]

Hey Mobilebackpacker, went to the Sipsey last weekend on a camping/hiking/fly fishing trip with my son.  We fly fished Borden Creek and had a blast.  Didn't catch a lot of fish but it was fun none the less.  Small spot bass.  Water is a jade green, not sure if that is limestone or what.

Very very beautiful....wel l worth a look even if you don't catch fish.

do you mind sharing your tips? what flies and size did you use? im sure terrestrials would work but im curious if you noticed any hatches.

great info, thanks

[Uncle Wayne]

Is there any good fishing spots in Sipsey?

We will hike in on trail 206 and then follow White Oak Hollow to trail 224. Once on trail 224 we will merge on trail 204. Then finish hiking trail 204 until we meet trail 206 again.

Thinking about taking some line and a bobber setup.

When I was a little boy my dad fished in the deep pool of water on the upper Sipsey just before the rapids.  He caught several fish there and we always ate them but I don't remember what kind they were. Mr. Hayden Coffee, one of the best game wardens the BNF ever had, told me he had caught ell, pike, bass, trout and crappie in that pool of water.  MY dad fished Borden up and down the creek near Saltpeter cave and always caught fish.

What memories this thread has brought back to me.  Dad would catch a mess of fish and we'd usually cook them right there.  You'll never find any in a restaurant that tasted as good as they did.

But things have changed since then.  The poisoning of the hardwoods in the early 70's had a devastating effect on the fish population in the Sipsey.  Maybe from what some have posted in this thread, time has slowly started to heal the fish population.

[Pully]

I bet those were good fish. Thanks for sharing your memories, Wayne. I was at that area in April and saw a school of, probably bass, in that same pool downstream of the rapids.

[DavidR]

Found this on the Game & Fish web site:

The roughly 10,000-acre Bankhead Lake has made a comeback in the last 20 years from the days of rampant pollution.

"When the paper and the steel mills and the surface mines were booming, they poured a lot of pollution into the river," Moss said. "The Black Warrior got its name partially because whenever you put a boat, a canoe or a float tube in that river and pulled it out, it came out black."

In the past, Bankhead Lake had high pollution rates. However, neither the Locust Fork nor the Sipsey Fork of the Warrior feeding it were nearly as polluted. In fact, the Sipsey Fork had some of the cleanest water in Alabama.

"There are several good creeks where you can find nice-sized largemouths," Moss said. "One of my top largemouth hotspots is White Oak Creek. Frileys Creek and Prescott Creek are also excellent for catching largemouths. You find the best largemouth fishing in the middle or the lower section of Bankhead."

[Pathfinder]

David, am I correct that Bankhead Lake is on Locust Fork of the Warrior River and not within the Bankhead NF?  

[DavidR]

Yes. You are correct sir. (I need some rest...lol)

[Lostsheep]

I've tried with little jigs and lightweight tackle, but never had any luck...