Club News and Water Conditions

Send me club news and photos and I will publish them in this newsletter.

See the index page for my article on Snakes at the Club.

Release all bass over 3 lbs I will enforce this rule! If you value your membership...do not violate this rule!

Bed fishing for bass is not allowed in any Club lake! This rule started on Tuesday, 18 Dec., 2007.

30 March 2008

The water temperature is 72 degrees. Many bass are on beds...not all. Big bass are being caught from all lakes. Donavan is having a good year. Over the weekend, my partner and I caught bass up to six pounds on topwater plugs and swimming lizards. We lost some huge bass...just got whuped. Send me your photos and I will post them on the Club web site. TW

30 December 2007

Water temperature in Sturdivant Lake is 50 degrees. The tilapia are dying and floating on top of the water...which is to be expected with these tropical fish. The dead fish will be gone in about 4 days.

Dec. 18, 2007

Water temperature in most Club lakes as of 19 Dec., 2007: 54 degrees at one foot from the surface. TW

Separate membership in the Bar-D Club is no longer allowed. One must join the Donavan Club ($800) to fish the Bar-D lakes.

Club wells have been pumping for four straight months. All lakes are in good water level shape except for Imma Lou and Snag. A few good rains will quickly put all lakes at pool level. We will have to pump for a week to fill Imma Lou.

9 Dec. 07

Our three wells are keeping the water in Inez, Donavan, Sturdivant, and Swamp at good levels. Snag lake is very low and Imma Lou at Bar-D is about 5 feet low. Several big bass have been caught in the past weeks. The Gizzard Shad stocked in the Bar-D lakes are starting to move these bass into the next level. The next two months could be exciting.

We are making improvements on the Bar-D property...new gate and fence; shad stockings, dropping shoreline trees into lakes for structure, and spraying weeds in lakes. Bar-D will not be a separate Club starting 1 January, 2008. One has to be a member of the Donavan Club to fish the Bar-D lakes.

An American Bittern has made his home in the reeds at Swamp Lake. This is a rare bird for our area.

13 August 2007

Big bass are being caught from Club lakes...especially from the Bar-D lakes. Reports of bass up to 15 lbs. are being told to me by members. These big bass are still swimming! The tanks of Gizzard Shad that we recently added to the Bar-D lakes are starting to fatten up the bass. We should really see some big-bellied bass in the upcoming cooler months.

We survived a fish kill on Sturdivant Lake. We lost 12 bass...largest about 6 lbs. A ton of adult Threadfin Shad died...which actually will inproved the bream fishing in the lake. Clouds of young Threadfin Shad are swimming the shoreline in Sturdivant. We lost about 15 bream and only one Tilapia. We now have three aerators and both wells pumping into the lake which is near pool level.

The extreme drought has Snag Lake about 2 ft. low. Emma Lou is about 4 feet low. The rest of the lakes are in coon water condition.

26 June 2007

All wells are pumping water into Club lakes. The two wells at the Donavan Lake are pumping 1,000,000 gallons/day into this lake. Unless we get some rain and lots of it, this is going to be a very expensive year for proper management of the Club lakes.

25 June 2007

Big bass have been hitting just before fronts move in. Manager Wilson caught several over 8 lbs; one over 12 lbs (24 June, 2007). We have sprayed several lakes for shoreline weeds. This will make the lakes more fishable. Big bream move away from the piers to their spawning grounds on every full moon of warm weather. You have to get in a boat to catch a mess of big bream.

In the past, I gave several members permission to use cast nets to catch baitfish at the Club. After rethinking this matter, I am concerned that this might allow the transfer of Golden Shinners from Sturdivant or Donavan lakes to the Bar-D lakes...which would not be a good thing. I have decided that cast nets will no longer be allowed on any Club lake. This is an important rule.

20 May 2007

Large tanks of Threadfin Shad and Gizzard Shad were added to the Bar-D lakes in May, 2007. This is the second time we have added Threadfin Shad but the first time to ever add Gizzard Shad to Club lakes. Gizzard Shad get big... up to two pounds. This will move the big bass at Bar-D to a new level. I expect someone to catch a bass near 14 pounds in Feburary, 2008.

$1,000 worth of Tilapia were added to Sturdivant Lake in early May. Members are catching Tilapia weighing over three pounds from lakes Roy and Imma Lou at Bar-D.

Club member Dr. Jeff Jackson and his electrical engineering graduate students have constructed and installed three remote water quality monitoring stations at the Donavan Club. You can see the solar panals of these stations attached to the standup drain pipes at Donavan, Snag and Swamp lakes. Dr. Jackson, Club members and I will be able to monitor features such as dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and temperature via the Internet. I will post the URL in the near future.

Inez is stocked with bream and bass and is almost at pool level. We will open this lake to limited fishing on 1 Jan. 2009.

1 March 2007

We will add Gizzard Shad to all Bar-D lakes beginning in March, 2007. District Fisheries Biologist, Jay Hefner, recommended adding Gizzard Shad in order to grow truely giant bass. This will cost about $1,000 per lake. This will be an interesting experiment for Club members.

Sturdivant and Donavan lakes are stuffed with Threadfin Shad and Golden Shiners. We will again put Tilapia in these two lakes in April. The Tiger Bass in these two lakes will soon be trophy fish.

22 February 2007

The water temperature in Club lakes is 60 degrees and the bass spawn is close. Male bass will start fanning beds when the water temperature approaches 65 degrees. Bass fishing for the next few weeks should be very good...to great.

24 December 2006

Tilapia are dead and dying in Donavan Lake. This happens when the water temperature drops below 50 degrees. It is amazing to see hundreds of dead tilapia washing to shore and to see the herons filling their bellies on these expensive fish. It is also rewarding to see the large numbers of adult tilapia and to know that the stocking program was a huge success. We shoulld soon be catching many big bass and bull bream from this fine lake.

17 December 2006

Rare Bird Alert! A Ross's Goose has can be seen at the Donavan Club...usually on Donavan Lake. This rare goose is normally west of the Rockies... along the California coast. The last cold front brought it to us. This small goose is white with black wing tips; short neck and lacks the black mandible patch found on Snow geese. This Ross's Goose has taken up with our tame white geese, so, you can feed our geese and the Ross will swim (or waddle) right up to you. Another good birding moment at Donavan Lakes. TW

6 December 2006.

We now have cattle at the Donavan Club. We will soon put fences on both sides of the road leading to Snag Lake so that members will not have to open gates, and, dodge cow patties. Until this work is done, please be careful to close the gates behind you. Thanks

We will restock Lake Inez after the winter rains fill the lake. We lost this little lake in the drought of 2006.

11 November 2006

The drought of 2006 has lowered the water level of Swamp and Snag lakes. However, some members are fishing these lakes with spinnerbaits and are catching nice bass...Terry Crater, Michigan member, caught a 10 poiunder from Snag on 9 Nov...along with several over 3 lbs.

Lake Inez drid up completely. We will restock Inez in the Spring of 2007.

Lake Imma Lou is 4 ft. low but I will start pumping this week now that Lake Gayle is full.

The talipia in Donavan and Roy are huge...up to four pounds.

Lesser Canada geese arrived at Donavan Lake last week. Lessers are a separate species from Canada Geese... Lessers are noticeably smaller. Male geese have a shorter neck that female geese....birding tip of the month.

Whoever is running jugs at Bar-D is risking their membership... I will catch you.

21 May 2006

Tilapia were stocked last week in one Bar-D lake. Along with our increased fertilization program, this should add to the fishing success at the club. We have started a major weed control program at the Club. You will see areas of dying weeds in Donavan, Snag, Swamp, Roy, and Gayle. We are using approved pond herbicides. This will not affect the fish or the fishing.

Donavan Lakes property is being converted to a major beef cattle operation. You will see the new fences. Cattle will arrive in October. The "duck puddle" birdwatching pond beside the entrace road to the Donavan Club now has a fence through the middle... oh well, the migrating ducks will just have to be careful. TW

27 April 2006

All of the improvements listed below (9 March 2006) have been completed... 550 lbs of adult tilapia were stocked in Donavan Lake.

Tilapia will be stocked in Lake Roy at Bar-D in the next few days.

Several big bass have recently been caught at Bar-D.

9 March 2006

Club Improvements for 2006:

The ramp at Emma Lou is being reworked. The big rocks are to be moved and a big load of small rock will be spread on top.

A new security pole and light will be placed beside the ramp on Lake Ely (has been ordered from Black Warrior).

$2,000 worth of talipia will be added to Donavan Lake in early April.

A heavier pond fertilizer program has been initiated.

Sturdivant Lake is now a Trophy Bass lake... catch and release for bass. This lake is full of golden shiners which will grow some monster bass.

Club Notes: A 10 1/2 lb. bass was caught from Donavan Lake by Phil Kilpatrick in Feb., 06. A new member caught a 9 1/2 lb bass from Lake Donavan on his first trip to the Club... and on his second cast. A pair of Bald Eagles can be seen at the Donavan Club. They are feeding on Earl's ducks... oh my!

6 December 2005

The District Fisheries Biologist checked the Donavan Lakes in late September. The recommendations were to increase fertilization of Donavan Lake. Sturdivant Lake was found to have a heavy population of Golden Shiners. "Sturdivant Lake will soon produce some giant bass due to the large number of Golden Shiners," stated the biologist. We will now manage Sturdivant Lake as a Trophy Bass lake. Details of this approach to big bass will be published after the American Sport Fish survvey.

We have engaged American Sport Fish to conduct an electroshock survey of Donavan and Sturdivant lakes. This survey will be conducted in late January of 2006. I will post the results of this survey.

10 July 2005

Jay Hefner, District Fisheries Biologist, will check all 5 Donavan Club lakes in September. Here is a note from a young Club member who is big into flyfishing and fly tying...Bo Johnson from Marion sent me the following email:

"Hi Mr. Wilson, this is Bo Johnson.We are in Freeport, Maine.Before we left i went fishing at Sturdivant Lake.I threw out some feed and saw talapia.I had one on the flyrod but it broke the 4lb tippet as i was bringing it in.I was using a fly i had tyed that looked like fish food. A few minutes later i caught a talapia that wieghed about 2 1/2 lbs on the ultralight.I threw it back.Just wanted to tell you that i caught one. Happy fishin'."

There is a new tile floor on the Restroom at Donavan. The door will be replaced after Dennis passes. Our wild black swan has bonded with a barnyard goose. Seems like they are in it for the long haul...talk about an ugly duckling.

19 June 2005

Bream bed from the first full moon in April (shellcrackers) and every full moon till late summer, even early fall. Bream fishing from piers usually drops off during bedding season since the big bream are on beds and not scattered around the lake and piers. Many people have located bream beds and are catching lots of nice bream...some really big bream are being caught in the Bar-D lakes...again, from boats not piers.

The wild black swan is still with us. He has taken up with our barnyard geese and their gosslings. What a sight.

Toby Wilson, Tuscaloosa, emailed me this recent fishing report, "I was at the Donavan club today and wanted to let you know that the bass fishing was great. I caught a large bass at about 5 pounds and 8 others weighing between 1 1/2 and 2 1/2 pounds. We released all of our fish. I hope everyone else is doing the same."

Jay Hefner, District Fisheries Biologist, will check the Donavan lakes in mid-July. I will scan and post his report on this site.

7 March 2005

Big bass are being caught at Bar-D. These four lakes are at their "big bass prime." We must protect the big bass. Everyone must honor this rule: "Keep no bass over 3 pounds!" This rule must be followed in order to remain a member of the Club. I will post this rule on a sign at the entrance to Bar-D. Thank you. TW

6 March 2005

Lakes Swamp and Snag have huge watersheds. Water pours through these lakes to early summer. I can not fertilize these lakes till water is no longer going down the overflow pipes. Snag is clear which means there is a filamentous algae problem on the bottom. This only makes fishing a little more difficult. The alga is good for fish...a pain for fishermen. After we start the fertilizer program, the slime problem will be reduced.

We will add Tiger bass to the Bar-D lakes in June. The Bar-D lakes were stocked with Florida bass 13 years ago. Old Florida bass are reluctant to hit artifical lures. Sport fishing research has demonstrated that adding the aggressive Tiger bass will turn on the Florida bass to feeding...a competition response. This is an expensive experiment, but, it will be interesting to watch.

4 March 2005

Bass are fanning beds. Male bass are on the beds at Snag and Swamp lakes. Bass fishing is slow. Bream fishing is picking up. Now is a good time to camp...lean back and enjoy the sounds of nature. TW

13 February 2005

The rocks are spread at Bar-D on the ramps of lakes Roy, Gayle and Emma Lou. We used no. 4 grade rock which is large but will stay in place better. Until these rocks get worked into the ramp, be careful if you don't have 4 X.

Bass fishing is slow ... really slow. Let me know if you are having luck with bass.

9 February 2005

We dumped a load of rocks on the ramps of lakes Roy, Gayle, and Emma Lou at Bar-D and the rain caught us before the rocks could be spread. So, you can't launch a boat from these ramps. The ramp at Lake Eli is open. It may take a few dry days before the tractor can spread the rocks and the ramps be open for boats. I will post a notice when the work on these ramps is completed.

20 Dec. 04

The water temperature at the Club lakes averages 45 degrees. The tilapia are turtle bait. Bream were biting good till this cold front hit. I am building a duck pot hole across from Donavan Lake. We saw Woodcock and Common Snipe at the pot hole today....should be seeing ducks after the next rain. Winter time is a great bass fishing season. Merry Christmas. TW

19 Oct. 04

"Bass are schooling...chasing shad. You don't even need a boat to catch bass this time of year," Russell Lawrence of Tuscaloosa.

The water temperature is 69 degrees. Bass fishing is picking up. I saw big bass chasing schools of shad on Donavan, Roy, Gayle and Eli. Only lakes like we have in our club have shad populations that will sustain schooling big bass. Manager Wilson.

20 August 2004

Protecting our Big Bass

It is important that we do more to protect the wonderful big bass fishery at the Bar-D Club. I am getting too many reports of people keeping too many big bass. On 1 January, 2005, these will be the rules for catching bass:

Bar-D lakes: Each fisherman may keep 5 bass per trip. These bass must be under three pounds. All bass three pounds and over must immediately be returned to the water with the exception of a State or World Record bass.

Donavan lakes: Each fisherman may keep 5 bass per trip. These bass must be under two pounds. All bass two pounds and over must immediately be returned to the water.

Take your camera in the boat. Do not put fish to be released on a stringer or in a live well. Measure and weigh your bass and then put it in the water. Do not touch the body of the bass. Touching the bass removes the slime covering that protects the bass from bacteria and fungi

The best fish mounts are done from fiberglass molds. . I will be doing more in the future to protect the big bass at the Club.

I urge all members to adopt the above rule and guidelines at this time...don't wait till January. Please inform me if you observe people abusing our big bass rule. Thank you, Manager Wilson

4 August 2004

The new restroom at Donavan Lake is open. We will soon put tile on the floor.

Bass fishing at the Donavan Club is slow during the day...good early in the morning...fair late in the afternoon. Bream fishing continues to be a winner. Bar-D is putting out big bass on big worms.

Remember to release all bass over 3 pounds.

A Swallow-tail kite is hanging around the hay fields at the Donavan club. This large, graceful raptor is a wonderful and rare bird.

Larry Daw of Satsuma caught a 3 lb shellcracker from a Donavan lake. Brooke Hubbard from Centreville caught a 13 lb 1 oz bass from a Bar-D lake. Bass fishing is picking up a little at Donavan...still not like it is going to be. Good advice for bream fishermen...use a no. 4 bream hook...a no. 6 is too small.

17 May 2004

Fish kill on Lake Inez. We had the destratifier running for a month and the well was pumping in fresh water but that did not prevent another fish kill on Lake Inez. This little 6 acre lake at the Donavan Club has a long history of algae die-offs and fish kills.Tthis is two years in a row for bream, bass and grass carp to die in this shallow lake.

Don Keller at American Sport Fish tells me that small lakes on the Prairie have a history of algae blooms and fish kills..."It is just to be expected. Rarely does the fish kill destroy the lake. The surviving fish will make a come back."

8 May 04

The majic first full moon of May (the 4th) was ok to fair...too cold and windy. Richard Royster of Marion, and this grandsons had a big day as did my son, Chad, along with friends Peppie and Jason (Mobile).

I think that Saturday, May 8th, may have been the worst day of fishing in the history of the Club. It was a bright, blue bird day...warm and no wind and no fish...just lots of geese and snakes. A day to forget. So, here is a story from last week. Jon Flennor (I hope that is your name, I failed to write it down) from Coker caught 40 bream in one day from a Bar-D lake...20 wieghed over 2 pounds...thats right...each of the 20 weighed over 2 pounds.

I'll say it again. If you will use light line (4 to 6 lb test) at Bar-D and keep a redworm on the bottom, fish hard and often, you will eventually have the big bream day of your life!

Big probelm at Donavan Lake...the geese and ducks have discovered the feeders and are eating about 90% of all the food put on the water. Since all of the feeders fire at the same time, It is funny to watch the birds panic as they race from one feeder to the next. What should I do? This is the first year that these big birds have been a significant pest at the feeders. A bag of food cost $10 and lasts 1 week.

Larry and Theresa Daw, Satsuma, witnessed an awesome event on Donavan Lake last week...a big bass feeding frenzy at a pier when the feeder fired. The bream were feeding hard on the catfish food and then the big bass hit..."It looked like sharks attacking the bream...you could see the backs and dorsal fins of the big bass." stated Larry.

29 April 2004

Tilapia were added to lakes Emma Lou at Bar-D and to Sturdivant at the Donavan Club. See the link on the index page for more information.

Bream fishing continues to be outstanding. Bass fishing is slow at the Donavan Club and good to outstanding at Bar-D. Bass fishing at Bar-D has been very good for the past three years. Many members are catching life-time records of big bass. New member Mathew Thomas is setting a hot pace with big bass. Jessie Holifield and Angela Downs catch nice bass on most every trip to Bar-D.

Bream fishermen...Get Ready! The first full moon of May (Tuesday, the 4th) is the big bedding date for bream. Most bream fishermen will be hunting for the that "bream moment"... finding a bed of giant shellcrackers...and many will achieve this goal. Send me a photo of a two pound bream and I will put you on the front page of the club site.

We repaired the roads at Bar-D and created a nice RV site at the pier of Lake Gayle. There is no dump and no water but the rock pad, security light, electrical outlet, and fishing pier certainly makes for a fine outing.

We have almost completed the restroom at the Donavan Club and we are almost finished with the fish cleaning station beside the little barn at the Donavan Club. Please do not clean fish on the piers at the Donavan Club. There are signs up asking members not to clean fish on the piers...but, a few members don't care about rules and they clean the fish and leave the mess for me to tend to...not a nice way to behave. TW

3 April 2004

We will start on the restroom next week. Road work at Bar-D will be done this week. Tilapia will be stocked in the middle of next week.

Big bream day...Tuesday, 4 May...first full moon of May...bedding time!

Bream fishing is good. Bass are hitting but big bass are hard on beds. Big females can be caught off the bed, but, you first have to catch the male. One member spend three days crawling on his belly trying to slip up on a giant bedding bass. He caught the male with no trouble and dropped him into another lake. Then it took three days dangling a salamander in front of the big female. She finall tried to crush the plastic lure and the hook was set. The big bass turned...headed to deep water and never looked back. This member did manage to land a 9 pounder...but, the giant bass won this one.

I will start pumping fertilizer into the lakes tomorrow. I can't fertilize Snag or Swamp lakes until the water stops running down the overflow pipe. These two lakes have a huge watershed and are clear due to the constant water turnover. Because of the clear water, there is a buildup of filamentous algae. This scum is great for the fish and is good for fishing...if you know how to fish scum. Several members are catching lots of fine bass from the swamp lakes...topwater scum rats, scum frogs, and minnow lures.

I talk to lots of members. On the same day some members are catching the mess out of fish and others are having bad luck. My best advice for bream fishing...4 to 6 lb test line and only as much lead as necessary...TRUST this advice...you will catch more big bream if you go light...ultralight! The same with bass...use no more than 12 lb test line. Fish at least two rods...always have a top water ready...in the wind fish a Dip-I-Diddie or Pop-R. Good Fishing!