Lake Hillabee, Oxford, AL

Hello all,

Name is Eric. Love fishing...finally got myself my first own boat(jon boat) this year and I am pushing 30. LOL

Anyways, I fish mostly my uncle's lake and Lade Wedowee. Just found out about Lake Hillabee off CR 24 not too long ago and went got my permit from Anniston Water Works.

I've caught only one fish out of two trips there and I've spent maybe 6 hours along the banks using all the jigs in my tackle box. I arrive at dawn and leave a few hours later to get sleep before work. No success with liver, worms or bait fish either. I caught the one fish on a bomber silver shad a few inches below the surface.

I am keeping up with the Lake on my computer and logging where I get my catches...and where I can't go due to getting stuck.

Nothing stinks more than not able to use the motor because it is sucking up the mud and weeds on the bottom in the shallows. All in the back of my head knowing a gator is there somewhere. I was trying to get to the creek to fish in colder water. This is where I've had best luck at Lake Wedowee so was going to try it here.

Any tips for this lake? I've had extremely good luck this season with Zoom u-tail watermelon/red worm at Lake Wedowee and uncle's lake.

I do have to say...how quick the lake gets deep and the darkness of it gives it the extra thrill.

First name wouldn't be Eric would it? Good luck on finding out some info.

Put a fish finder on your boat & learn to locate schools of fish. Look in the middle of some deep pockets. Once you locate a school, drop live minnows on top of them. You'll load the live well while the folks on the bank get really pissed.

What kind of fish are you targeting?

I swore Hillabee off last year!

I feel like a dang good fisherman, but I can't catch crap out of it! I feel confident saying the fish aren't on the banks there. I think over two years, maybe 5 or 6 trips, I caught maybe 10 fish. And they were all little dinks. My assumption is those fish live suspended, and don't remain stationary. Only other explanation is there just ain't no fish in it.

We'll get togather one day. And put some in the boat.

Please! Since I sold my house, we're living just minutes from Hillabee now. I'd love to learn how to catch something there.

White Plains watershed looks and fishes just like Hillabee
but it is a much better lake for catching. It is full
of spots and are easier to catch.
Now I hear if you fish Hillabee at night you can
slay the big fish but if I remember correctly
you are supposed to be off the water by dark.

I grew up fishing Sweetwater, Highrock, and Coleman lake.. Lot like hillabee.. I light very light line, and soft plastics SLOWWWWWW... Like 6-8 lb test

DW and 20XD are all over it. Fished the watersheds around WP and the WMA a lot. Another tactic that has put fish in the boat is using a small crank bait trolled behind the boat. Seen a few decent fish landed that way. I figure Hillabee can't be much different.

DW, I also grew up fishing the same lakes. Sweetwater has always been a special place for me and my boys. We had a lot of trips
where we thought we would catch every fish in the lake. Spring time we would use wacky rig trick worms and in summer a 100 series bandit and just kill em. Since the crappie were put in the bass fishing has gone way down hill. High Rock was awesome too but when they fixed the low water crossing they blocked it off so now about the only people that fish it have kayaks..

I'm 99% sure High Rock was dry Summer before last...I think the spillway broke, or they did some sort of repair to the dam? I could be wrong, but I was told that (just can't say from personal knowledge). Sweetwater is good fishing, we've caught tons of bass pretty much every trip, most in the 12" to 2 pound range. Bream big as saucers, and some gonzo crappie! Only ever fished WP watershed once, that was about two weeks ago, and it was poor (that day anyway). I love how the rip-rap rocks come way out off the dam, but admittedly I didn't catch any off them. I take that back, I caught a 10" fish with a shakey head (largemouth). Granted, we went from about 12 noon till 5 pm, so timing might have had something to do with it. Rest of it looked like Hillabee.

A spro frog works well throwing down grass lines. It's reall clear so long cast and light line help. Watch out for them aligators they can get mean

I took crickets to Hillabee today and caught ONE small shellcracker. ONE!!!!!...on CRICKETS!!!! I hate that place. That. Is. All.

I don't catch many shellcracker on crickets in general,I could count the number on one hand. Have always caught them on worms.

Shoot, I was just trying for ANYTHING that would hit a cricket. Anything!! LOL Just so happened the one I caught was a cracker.

Did you fish em on Bottom?

I didn't have that much line!

Naw, under a cork.