North Alabama’s smallmouth waters are legendary, and in this episode, we get the locals’ guide to making the most of them. We sit down with Captain Tony Cox, a
lifelong Tennessee River angler and guide, to explore the unique mix of lakes, tailraces, and creeks that define the Shoals.
Tony breaks down his favorite approaches for each water type, why heavy tackle matters here, and how to adapt when flows or weather change your plans. From sight-casting in clear creeks to battling big fish below TVA dams, you’ll get practical tips and a feel for the area’s fishing culture, including a few can’t-miss
barbecue joints and local music lore.
Whether you’re planning a trip or just want to up your smallmouth game, this episode is packed with local wisdom and plenty of stories from the water. Listen in, share with a fishing partner, and don’t forget to sign up for the Southeastern Fly newsletter for more.
Fly Fishing Gravel Bars
A gravel bar is a rise (not a fish rise) in the river bottom that is parallel with the flow of the current. Obviously, that rise will be covered in gravel. Sometimes during drought years with low generation, a gravel bar will produce weeds, which can last into the following year. Typically these weeds will not last throughout a full season of generation after the drought year.
However, the weeds will provide cover for stationary fish. Gravel bars are a great place to fish when the water is higher. An angler should fish a gravel bar in much the same way they would a shoal.
There are couple of differences in the bar and the shoals. When the water is above the bar it is a good place to catch resting fish. A lot of times the fish that rest on these bars are not as fearful of being exposed to predators. They are
usually larger fish that have fed the night before and are just looking for a place to relax until the next feeding time. A good rule of thumb is to fish where most anglers usually stand. Now that doesn’t mean when someone moves down off the gravel bar throw a line where they were standing – it simply means don’t miss an opportunity to fish for resting fish.
Another place to fish on the gravel bar is along the sloped side (the part of the
bar that drops off into deeper water). Fish will often hold close to the inside edge of that structure and watch for food traveling along the edge. When fishing from a boat, there can be a tendency to fish the deeper water away from the gravel bars. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to pick up a few fish on the slope, though.
I was fishing a couple of clients on the Caney Fork. It was a spring day and we were working a long gravel bar. We
were probing the deep water just off the bar and picking up a few fish here and there. After one of them caught a brook trout, I released the fish and flipped the fly downstream just off the bar, just to get the line straightened out for the next cast. The fly drifted a few feet and there was that tug we all like. When the client set the hook, the usual fight began. She brought that fish to the net and it was another brook trout. We picked up more fish on the inside slope of the gravel bar than
on any other portion of that part of the river. Now, when I am fishing or have clients on the boat, we always take a shot or two at the slope of gravel bars.
