Build for future fishing

Lake Martin was the largest manmade reservoir in the world when the dam was completed in 1926, according to my Alabama history teacher, Glenn Vinson (who I call Dad), at Benjamin Russell High School many years ago. It is also one of the oldest in the country. Many more reservoirs were added to our state in the following years with most being completed by the late 1960s. That means that most all reservoirs in Alabama are at least 50 years old with Lake Martin pushing 100.

Whether it’s a simple farm pond or a massive manmade hydropower reservoir, the natural flooded cover that once provided habitat to the fishery will eventually decompose. Lake Martin and many other manmade reservoirs are so old that there is very little prime cover available for the fish. Yes, a few stumps remain, a tree falls occasionally, and there are plenty of rocks, but good dense cover that provides shade, food and protection for smaller fry and forage species would be lacking if not for the manmade habitat that’s been added over the years.