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On this episode of the Alabama Freshwater Fishing Report, host Nick Williams sits down with longtime outdoorsman Don Green to talk about the “why” behind good fishing days. Don shares the backstory of his widely followed lunar/solar charts, how he learned to pair moon and sun periods with seasonal patterns, and why keeping a simple logbook can speed up your learning curve faster than buying more tackle.
The conversation also gets into Don’s years of building his own baits and soft plastics, what old-school lures still flat-out work, and how fishing pressure has changed the game. They wrap by looking at the Mobile-Tensaw Delta through a conservation lens—silting, grass loss, access issues—and why paying attention (and respecting the resource) matters as much as any “secret” technique.
Conditions Recap
Don’s big-picture read for winter fishing is simple: stable weather and stable water beat everything else. In the cold months, he expects fewer “all-day” bites and leans toward one stronger feeding window—often late morning into early afternoon—especially when conditions are steady. When strong fronts roll through, he watches barometric pressure closely, noting that a sharp drop ahead of a front can trigger a short, high-intensity bite, while a slow-falling barometer can make fish stubborn.
For Delta anglers, water level becomes a major driver in January and February. Don describes how rising water can be tough until it crests, but once it starts falling, drainage areas can concentrate fish and create excellent action. He also points out how rapid cold snaps can push fish into a suspended mode, making “bottom-only” and “top-only” approaches less effective until you adjust your presentation.
Using Lunar/Solar Periods Without Overthinking It
Don explains his charts as a practical way to stack the odds, not a guarantee. His core idea is that the strongest feeding windows tend to line up when moon and sun “do something together” (rising/setting or overhead/underfoot in close proximity). He also emphasizes that the days leading into a full moon are often productive, and that the bite can shift after the full moon—sometimes moving from afternoon strength to more of a morning deal.
His best advice for getting value from the charts is to keep a simple log. Track the date, weather, wind, water level or tide influence (where applicable), and what you caught during the best window. Over time, you’ll see patterns you can trust for your home water, whether that’s the Delta, a reservoir, or a small private pond.
Freshwater Tactics Don Leans On This Time of Year
In cold weather, Don expects a lot of fish to get “in-between”—not glued to the bottom, not cruising the surface—especially after the first strong fronts. He stresses slowing down and fishing with intention during the best window of the day instead of trying to grind from daylight to dark. On high water, he likes targeting drainages and edges where falling water pulls bait and fish into predictable lanes.
For ponds and smaller lakes, Don says lunar/solar timing can be even easier to apply because you’re not also juggling tide swing and current. He recommends fishing the prime window in the middle of the day more often than people think, especially for bream, and matching your bait to what fish are naturally keyed on as the seasons shift.
Seasonal bait note from Don: earlier in the year he likes wigglers for bream, and as the year gets hotter and insect life is more abundant, crickets become a stronger play.
Lure Talk: Old Baits, Homemade Confidence, and Small Adjustments
Don grew up pouring his own soft plastics and eventually got deep into building spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, and tournament-ready tweaks. His point wasn’t nostalgia—it was control. When your bait matches the forage and moves the way you want, you spend less time guessing. He also notes that plenty of “new” trends are just older ideas repackaged, and that many proven lures still catch fish because they mimic what bass and bream already eat.
A few in-context gear and presentation callouts from the conversation:
Don likes the idea of matching spring forage with crawfish-style colors and profiles, especially when water is high. He mentions slow-rolling a darker, crawfish-leaning vibrating jig style bait in flooded conditions. For worm fishing, he strongly prefers using as little weight as possible—sometimes none—so the bait falls slowly and stays in the strike zone longer. He also references classic soft-plastic approaches that rely on a “do nothing” fall when fish are willing to eat.
Don also shares a past striper tactic from Big Creek Lake using a deep-diving crankbait presentation (with a modified trailing plastic) trolled through suspended fish—an example of how he thinks about depth control and running baits through the exact level fish are holding.
Conservation and the Delta: What Don Wants Anglers Thinking About
Don’s conservation angle is straightforward: the more you learn about seasonal timing, spawning, and fish behavior, the more you naturally start protecting the resource. He specifically cautions anglers to think carefully about bed fishing and the role of male fish in guarding fry, and he believes education is a major piece of keeping fisheries healthy.
He’s also concerned about long-term habitat trends in the Delta—silting, changing grass, and reduced depth in creeks and bayous that used to hold better water. In his view, improving flow and addressing sediment issues is critical if the Delta is going to fish like it used to for future generations.
