Warrior Bass and Alabama Bass - Late May

[@GeorgiaBassmaster]

I don't think I would have been as calm with the leech invasion in my kayak. Congrats on the Black Warrior Drainage slam!

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks Marshall! Several aquatic turtles have a plastron that resembles the color of my kayak so that could have something to do with it. lol

[@dysisjoel]

All of your videos are educational and entertaining. The places you get to document are truly special and I hope you continue to make videos. Great fish! Keep the adventures safe and frequent. Tight lines!

[@ShoalBandit]

Thank you very much! That's exactly what I try to do in every video so it's great to hear comments like this! Thanks again and have a great day!

[@schylerbrown7364]

Just wanted to say again that these videos are fantastic, thank you. The bird songs are a plus too.

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks for watching I'm glad you like them!

[@bobgibbs4105]

Another great video… those leeches were persistent boogers. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of having to stand knee deep in a swampy bog of detritus for 30 minutes while bailing out my canoe after tipping it over. It was a little shocking to see how many leeches I had on my legs once I was able to get back in the canoe.

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks! I guess they thought my kayak was a turtle and they were trying to find a place to feed! I'd be more than a little shocked lol...got any leech removal tips?

[@ChrisFunktheFeralOne]

love watching your stuff sir! the way you explain about and respect these critters just keeps me coming back for more. i am headed over in a couple weeks to try for a Bartrams then hopefully in August to try for the Warrior and Cahaba. This is a wormhole that just gets deeper and deeper. thanks for the awesome content!

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks for watching I'm glad you like the videos! You picked a great time to target these fish. Good luck and have a fun/safe trip!

[@deepmarsh]

Wow. I just found your channel. I’ve caught some warrior bass and had no idea what they were, nor had I ever heard of them. I believe I caught a red eye bass recently in the Locust Fork but unfortunately didn’t get a picture of it. It was definitely fighting a lot harder than usual for a fish of it’s size. You’ve got lots of info, great videos!

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks I'm glad you like the videos! You probably know the Locust Fork is part of the Black Warrior drainage so Warrior Bass, Alabama Bass and Largemouth are the only native black bass. As far as I know true Redeye Bass (M. coosae) have never been documented outside the Coosa drainage (in the Mobile Basin) but that doesn't mean somebody hasn't dumped some in there.

[@deepmarsh]

ShoalBandit hey I posted a short clip on my channel if you want to check it out.

[@ShoalBandit]

​@@deepmarsh Thanks can't wait to see it!

[@charlesdaigle7963]

Thank you for all your videos. I love learning. This is all knew to me. Upland stream fishing. Your videos have helped me learn a lot. Not just about fishing and the different bass species, but a lot more. I especially like the educational videos on the different species of fish. We don’t have anything remotely like this in LA. The closest we have are our sandy bottom fast running streams and rivers in the Florida parishes and parishes in west and north LA. They hold spotted bass and largemouth. Looking forward to applying what I’ve learned when I head to Georgia this week on family vacation.

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks I really appreciate it! The sunfish family videos took a long time to make so it's always good to hear people like and appreciate the info. I've fished the Bogue Chitto and a few other 'high gradient' LA streams. Have a fun/safe trip!

[@STinGa157]

I would say thanks for taking me along on this trip, but the leeches were giving me the heebee jeebees (spelling?) 😂 . The Warrior Bass are pretty, thanks for the lesson!

[@ShoalBandit]

I've fished all over and I can honestly say that's the first time I've ever had any kind of issue with leeches. Lol Thanks for watching!

[@therivergiveth]

Another great video! I grew up dealing with leeches so they don't bother me at all. The original Ned rig! 😃

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks I'm glad you liked it (and the leeches!) Lol

[@AtypicalOutdoors]

That Leach situation would’ve freak me out! Those are some cool looking Bass!

[@ShoalBandit]

Leeches gotta eat too! lol Thanks I agree Warrior Bass are cool!

[@AtypicalOutdoors]

I bet they would have been great live bait, it would suck to touch them!

[@ShoalBandit]

@@AtypicalOutdoors Leeches are great bait and they're more durable than worms!

[@charlesdaigle7963]

Sorry about all the typos in the first email. Periods instead of question marks. I also meant type had not bad idea. Lol

[@ShoalBandit]

BTW I never got the email...did you send it to [e-mail]?

[@Lowballinoutdoorz]

Man if I tryed to stand up in ur yak I'd be floating haha.. you sir are very knowledgeable

[@ShoalBandit]

Thank you very much! I've been using the same kayak for almost 20 years so I've had plenty of practice. lol

[@bcm1892]

Great video

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks for watching I really appreciate it!

[@chuanne2]

Keep up the good work! Love your videos, very informative. I noticed you carry 2 or 3 rods. Do you switch baits frequently?

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks I really appreciate it! After the spawn I like to have some kind of topwater that I use as a search bait. Then I like to have a bottom bait to throw to fish that miss the topwater (Texas-rig, shaky head, wacky rig, etc...) and some days they won't hit topwater so you always need a bottom bait. The topwater rod/reel has 30lb braid (most of the time) so I can also fish a spinnerbait with that rig. I use the spinnerbait more as a search bait before/during the spawn.

[@PythonDad]

Leeches are great bait. I think a lot of Ned rig baits imitate them whether they were intended to or not.

[@ShoalBandit]

I agree leeches are really popular up north for Walleye and Smallmouth but are rarely considered or available as bait down here.

[@dannyrymer9177]

Enjoy the videos an the info about bass an other things

[@ShoalBandit]

Thanks for watching I really appreciate it!

[@charlesdaigle7963]

I am from Louisiana. Last summer I stayed on the Talladega creek near the Talladega National Forest in the Coosa River drainage. I’d never fished there before but watched your videos so had an idea how to fish a mountain stream. I used a crawfish with no weights. Caught Coosa and Alabama bass. Are you fishing in the Bankhead National Forest? I hiked up there this fall around Thanksgiving. Saw some great streams like Brushy Creek etc. That is part of the Black Warrior River Drainage correct? Should have warrior bass? Thanks for any tips on what creeks to fish in that drainage and access points. I’m on a mission to catch all these upland species. I never knew they existed until I watched your videos. Headed to north Georgia tomorrow, will be staying up there for a week on the Chestatee River. Should be able to catch spotted bass for sure. Are there Chatahoochee bass in that river? Is it part of the Chatahoochee river drainage correct? If not is my best bet the upper Chatahoochee? Access points?

[@ShoalBandit]

That sounds like a fun challenge! Yes, Bankhead National Forest is part of the Black Warrior drainage so there should be Warrior Bass in those creeks if you find the right habitat. Alabama Bass were illegally introduced to Lake Lanier over 50 years ago so Chattahoochee Bass are kind of hard to find. Shoot me an email ([e-mail]) and I can recommend some areas without blowing up another angler's favorite spot(s).

[@scottstafford3550]

Can I catch Warrior Bass and Redeye Bass in the Cullman area in small creeks and rivers? Scott

[@ShoalBandit]

Cullman is in the Black Warrior drainage so Warrior Bass, Alabama Bass and Largemouth are the only native black bass. Most local anglers still call Warrior Bass 'redeye bass' even though they were described as separate species (2013), but true Redeye Bass (M. coosae) are only native to the Coosa River drainage. At one time Warrior Bass were found throughout the Black Warrior drainage but I don't think any rivers today have Warrior Bass. You have to find a high gradient creek that hasn't been heavily impacted by land-use changes. Land-use changes are any kind of human activity that might cause erosion and excess sediment to enter a stream. Land development and clearing from construction, farming, logging, and mining are some of the more common land-use changes that cause erosion. If you send an email ([e-mail]) I can recommend some areas without blowing them up.

[@aaronnoles4419]

Hey man, I live within 15 minutes of the Warrior River. I’ve been creek hopping for the last 6 months in an attempt to complete the redeye slam myself. Oddly enough, the only species that’s almost completely eluded me is the warrior strain. I’ve found 4 waterways that are riddled with hybrids, but I’ve caught very few full strains. If you don’t mind, would you help clue me in on some spots?

[@ShoalBandit]

Unfortunately, Alabama x Warrior hybrids are in all the streams I've been to. Some have more than others due to excess sediment from human activity but if you send an email ([e-mail]) I can recommend some areas. I don't want to blow up anybody's favorite spot on KZbin.