Alabama Redeye Bass
Earlier this summer Dave and I went to north Alabama to fish with our friend Brandon. Brandon is an amazing fly tier and is one of the fishiest people I’ve ever met. He’s like a brother so it’s always good to spend time with him. Dave and I have been talking about fishing with him on his incredible home waters so we made it happen. A 500 mile drive with minimal stops and as self sufficient as possible.
Our main idea was to fish for native Alabama Redeye Coosa and Warrior bass. We also got to fish for smallmouth and my favorite the redbreast sunfish as well. We also caught largemouth and spotted bass. It was like a warm water wonderland there and I can’t wait to go back.
As with most unique fishing experiences, on my way back home I got to thinking about a new rod design that would work well for fishing in those areas. A ‘Redeye Special’ as it were. I mainly used my 72 there but kept thinking that something a bit longer and stronger would have been nice. After talking with Mike my blank maker I got the idea narrowed down and I’ve been testing the prototypes since then. Fishing it during a trip to Texas proved it to be a winner there. Dave took it back to Alabama and confirmed our suspicions. Casts mini game changers, bulky poppers, lunch money’s and hatching craws well. Fishing around here has been great too and can’t wait to go back to Alabama and try it out. More info on that rod in a later post. I expect it to hit the streets this Fall.
I hope y’all are staying well, getting fishy and making the best of 2020 so far.
Warrior bass. Dave proved the rod idea was a green light on a later trip to Alabama
If you’d like to see what Brandon Bailes is all about, follow his Instagram: Panther Branch Bugs
All pictures by Dave Fason.