Early December Guntersville Grind: Crankbaits, ChatterBaits & A-Rigs for TVA River Bass

This is Artificial Lure with your Lake Guntersville report.

We’re waking up to a classic early‑December Guntersville morning: chilly at daybreak, warming into the upper 50s to around 60 by afternoon, with light north to northwest breeze and mostly clear skies. Sunrise is right around 6:40 a.m., sunset about 4:35 p.m., so you’ve got a tight feeding window to work with. Being an impounded section of the Tennessee River, “tide” here is really TVA current – if they’re pulling water mid‑day, that’s your best faux‑tide and it absolutely fires these fish up.

Solunar forecasts for this part of Alabama are calling today “average,” with a minor feed right after sunup and a stronger major window early to mid‑afternoon. That lines up well with what locals have been seeing this week: slow first light, then a real pickup once the sun warms the grass and the current starts rolling.

Yesterday’s “What’s On The Deck” Guntersville report on YouTube laid it out: fish are finally sliding more into their winter haunts. You’ve got a mix of shallow grass fish and early ledge/ditch bass. Numbers aren’t crazy, but quality has been solid, with multiple reports of 3–5 pound largemouth and the odd 6‑plus. A few local sticks out of Waterfront and Town Creek marinas mentioned 10–15 keeper days if you commit to one pattern and grind.

Lures are right out of the classic Guntersville cold‑water playbook. Major League Fishing’s coverage of winter tournaments here keeps coming back to the same staples:
- **Lipless cranks** like the Bill Lewis Rat‑L‑Trap and BOOYAH One Knocker in Rayburn red, gold shiner, and purple/white. Slow‑roll or yo‑yo them over submerged hydrilla in 4–8 feet.
- **Flat‑sided crankbaits** such as the Berkley Frittside and Strike King 1.5 around rock, shell beds, and sparse eelgrass.
- **Bladed jigs** like a ChatterBait JackHammer with a shad‑style trailer, especially when the wind puts a chop on the grass edges.

Local YouTubers like Alex Roberts have been leaning on big swimbaits and Alabama rigs on the main river and creek channel swings for a shot at true Guntersville giants. When TVA’s moving water, a light‑wire A‑rig with 3.3‑inch swimbaits can be deadly over the first break.

For live bait, if you’re chasing crappie or just want kids to get bit, minnows around bridge pylons and deeper docks in 12–18 feet are producing steady action. A few incidental spots and stripes are coming on small swimbaits and spoons in that same depth.

Couple of hot spots to consider today:
- **Seibold Creek:** Shallow grass flats at the mouth transitioning to the creek channel. Work lipless and ChatterBaits on the outside edges, then drag a jig or finesse worm down the break when the sun gets high.
- **Waterfront area down toward South Sauty:** Classic mid‑lake grass and shell. Start on the shallow grass with a red trap, then slide to the first drop with a flat‑side or A‑rig when current picks up.

Overall, expect a grind early, then a good flurry late morning into the afternoon window. Slow your retrieve, keep that bait ticking the grass or just off bottom, and let the fish tell you how aggressive they want it.

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