by Capt David Hare 
As I write the forecast for December on Lake Martin, I actually just got off the water and had very productive striper day before the rain storms ran us off the water. The photo of my Hummingbird Helix 12 that’s posted here with this article is showing a massive school of stripers and bait that I was fishing in today. This is a very good example of what you need to be looking for in December to have a successful day on Lake Martin. These fish ranged from surfacing on top to being very deep. I caught stripers out of this school today using topwater, jerkbaits, crankbaits, and then even trolled some lures thru them just to see what all they would hit. They wore out everything I approached them with.
I know I didn’t mention my favorite which is live bait, but I actually was just proving a point that when the bite is on, other ways of fishing for stripers will work for you. But I promise you that very seldom you’ll see our guide boats out without having live bait ready and available for the ultimate trip of a lifetime.
This month keep a keen eye out for fish on top by watching for them to bust the top, birds diving on baitfish, or an occasional bald eagle swooping down on a fish. Don’t overlook the diving ducks feeding on baitfish, and you’ll find huge schools of stripers and maybe even schools of spotted bass.
December is one of my favorite months for not just quality stripers but huge quantities. In a short six hour trip last December, I had a group of clients that boated and released 67 fish (stripers and bass) in 3 1/2 hours. It was as exciting as it gets. We had numerous December trips that we boated and released 40 plus fish. Get out of the house and go have some fun this December, and it’ll make you forget about all the stress your day to day life may have.
Save time on your Christmas shopping this year and get your favorite person, boss, or better yet your family, a gift certificate from Alex City Guide Service. Call or text me and I’ll handle it. Merry Christmas to all of you!