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LAKE SEMINOLE FISHING
REPORTS ARCHIVES
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May 17, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 77*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the bass are spawning in areas on wood and sandy
shallow banks all over the lake. Use the Carolina Zoom rigged lizard in
green pumpkin or red shad Culprit on the main lake points. On grass in the
creeks, pitch a RC1 Lucky Craft shallow crank bait and work the edges of the
grass. Crank the bait three times and s to p the lure as it passes under the
grass for a fast strike. Pitch and flip gourd green Zoom u tail worm on a
light weight on a Texas rig. On the wood, drop a green Zoom floating worm
with no weight around the docks. Work the Texas rigged Culprit red shad worm
over and in the grass beds all over the lake. Up the rivers and creeks and
use the Fat Free bream colored crank baits in the pockets. Any color of the
#5 Shad Rap is fair and fish the baits on the river bends on the down stream
side. Strike King 3/8 ounce spinner baits are fair around the stumps in the
creeks. Be sure the skirts are in chartreuse and white combinations with all
gold blades. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan
technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
May 10, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 74*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass are biting all day and there are still big fish being caught shallow on
lizards and spinner baits and large jigs and pig combinations. Stay in the
creeks as the bass are still very shallow. The Texas or Carolina rigged
worms in red shad or purple and use the brass and glass weight for extra
sound. Work all slow lures all the way back to the boat on the points and
ledges. Up river in the creeks mouths slow roll a larger 1/2 ounce Strike
King spinner bait with gold and silver willow leaf blades. Later each day
the fish are moving to river points. Run a gold Rapala by any grass and let
the bait sit dead still. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and
Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
May 3, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 74*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are nearing the end of the
spawn and most fish that are being caught on the lake right now are
post-spawn fish that are feeding on shad. A good pattern to search for right
now is the shad spawn. The shad are spawning right now all over the lake,
you just need to be on the water early to get in on the action. Any topped
out vegetation such as hydrilla or peanut grass near deeper water is a good
place to look. The shad will spawn on top of the water and you can see them
flicking in the grass. Once you find a shad spawn, there are several baits
that will catch the bass, but it is really hard to beat an Alabama rig. The
best baits to rig the Alabama rig with will be the new Big Bite Baits Cane
Thumper 3.5 in reel shad. To rig up the Alabama rig properly and lessen your
chance of losing it, you need to use heavy braid, such as 65lb Sunline FX2,
light wire Gamakatsu jig head and strong snaps. The weight of the jig head
varies depending on the depth. 1/8 ounce works well in shallow water and 1/4
ounce works well in depths of 10 feet or more. If throwing the Alabama rig
is simply just not your style, then a spinnerbait works real well around the
shad spawn. Top water is also starting to get fired up and a good bait to
use around the shad is a Stanford Turbo Shad in Summer color. Once the shad
spawn is over, look for main lake grass points and fish the Alabama rig,
spinnerbait or a Carolina Rig with a 1 ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten
weight. Use your electronics to locate the grass points and look for bait.
The new Lowrance Elite 7 HDI is an awesome unit and has an affordable price.
It works well on Seminole and it really shows detail and makes it easier to
locate balls of shad on the outside edges of the grass. Learn how to use the
Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On
the Water” fishing schools.
April 25, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, STAINED, 72*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is great and the fish are shallow. Tandem spin models and
double willow blade baits just right for retrieving through the grass water
willow. On any of the models, gold blades have probably been the best
overall, with silver, copper and colored blades also producing. Chartreuse
and white combination skirts have been good along with black chartreuse,
blue chartreuse and blue white. Crank bait shallow and Super Flukes are also
hot. Small baits with small blades have produced well with blue skies and
bright sun. A 5 inch Senko in the June bug color has shined as a come back
bait for missed strikes on the spinner bait. Zoom lizards in 5 or 6 inch
sizes have done well rigged both Texas and Carolina style. Try to use the
lightest weight possible for the conditions. Small to medium size crank
baits are still catching a few fish, also. Also use the buzz bait. This bait
may not draw but one or two bites, possibly the largest of the day. Learn
how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with
Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
April 19, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, STAINED, 63*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. Use Zara Spook Jr. shad to p water lures and S to rm
jerk baits lake wide. Bomber crank baits in baby bass, shad and fire tiger
colors cast to the banks will get lots of action. Use the s to p and go
technique and try running these crank baits in the blow downs. A slow
retrieve in the lay downs letting the bait float up once it hits the limbs
will draw a strike. A Stanley spinner bait in the 3/8 ounce size with white
or chartreuse skirts cast to the points and shallow back cover will get the
fish to attack this lure. Never overlook the rivers on this lake and large
jigs and huge grubs are deadly. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan
and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
April 12, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, MUDDY, 63*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is red hot. The bass are spawning and biting
on all areas of the lake. There have actually been some bass caught on
Alabama rigs on grass lines near the edge of spawning flats. The best way to
rig this bait is to use light 1/8 ounce Gamakatsu Jig Heads and 3.5" Big
Bite Baits Cane Thumpers in Reel Shad color. Use at least 60 pound test
Sunline FX2 Braid with this technique. Another great pattern is to sight
fish and fish while looking for beds with a Stanford Old School SSR crank
bait in Tennessee Shad. This technique works real well on the sand bars that
are in Spring Creek and the Flint River . Once you find bedding bass locked
down on the bed anchor down with some Power Poles and began trying to entice
the fish to strike. There are many different types of bait that can catch a
bedding bass, but the main thing we have found is to use a heavy lead such
as a 3/8 ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten. Peg the weight with a FCF bobber
stopper. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan
technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
April 5, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, MUDDY, 62*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass have moved up heavily on the
beds now, and there are also a lot of nice fish cruising around bedding
areas in the shallows. One good technique to use right now is to keep your
trolling motor on about 70 percent and ride, and look for bedding bass to
catch. While you are looking, there are several baits that you can fish
around in the bedding areas that will catch nice fish. The first is a
shallow running crank bait such as a Spro Fat John in clear chartreuse or a
Stanford 1.5 Patriot in summer color. Use a heavy fluorocarbon when fishing
these two baits to keep them running shallow. Try 20 pound test Sunline FC
Sniper. The other technique to use in these areas is to swim a Big Bite
Baits 7 Sugar Cane worm. This bait can be Texas rigged with a 1/4 ounce Fish
Catchin Fool Tungsten and a FCF bobber stopper. It has a paddle tail action
and when Texas rigged, you can swim it through grass and lily pads much like
a swim bait. Once you find a bedding fish, then it is time to drop the Power
Poles, which are great for shallow fishing, and begin trying to entice the
fish to bite. The best bait on the market right now for sight fishing is a
Big Bite Baits Warmouth. This bait is extremely awesome for bedding bass.
There are several great colors to use, but we like the chartreuse bluegill
color. It is a little tricky trying to rig this bait, but the Big Bite Baits
website has an illustration of how to rig it on a 5/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook.
Also when bed fishing use a copolymer line with a little stretch, such as 16
to 22 pound. Sunline Machinegun Cast. Learn how to use the Lowrance
Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water
fishing schools.
March 28, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, MUDDY, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass have moved up heavily on the beds now and
there is also a lot of nice fish cruising around bedding areas in the
shallows. One good technique to use right now is to keep your trolling motor
in about 70 % and ride and look for bedding bass to catch. While you are
looking there are several baits that you can fish around in the bedding
areas that will catch nice fish. The first is a shallow running crank bait
such as a Spro Fat John in Clear Chartreuse or a Stanford 1.5 Patriot in
summer color. Use a heavy fluorocarbon when fishing these two baits to keep
them running shallow such as 20 pound test Sunline FC Sniper. The other
technique to use in these areas is to swim a Big Bite Baits 7 Sugar Cane
worm. This bait can be Texas rigged with a 1/4 Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten
and a FCF bobber stopper. It has a paddle tail action and when Texas rigged,
you can swim it through grass and lily pads much like swim bait. Once you
find a bedding fish, then it is time to drop the Power Poles which are great
for shallow fishing and begin trying to entice the fish to bite. The best
bait on the market right now for sight fishing is a Big Bite Baits Warmouth.
This bait is extremely awesome for bedding bass. There are several great
colors to use, but we like the Chartreuse Blue Gill color. It is a little
tricky trying to rig this bait, but the Big Bite Baits website has an
illustration of how to rig it on a 5/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook. Also when bed
fishing use a co polymer line with a little stretch such as 16 to 22 pound
Sunline Machinegun Cast. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and
Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
March 14, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, MUDDY, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The fish are still primarily in a
pre-spawn mode and can be caught in staging areas near their spawning
grounds. To search for these areas, look for main lake grass points near
sandbars, and use a Stanford Razor Shad Medium Diver in Chartreuse/Black. To
make this bait even better, replace the stock hooks with number 4 Gamakatsu
EWG Treble Hooks. Once you find a school of fish, you can catch them with
this bait until they quit biting, and then switch to a Texas or Carolina Rig
8" Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail Lizard in Black/Blue. For the Texas Rig, use a
3/8 ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten Weight and FCF bobber stopper, along
with a 5/0 Gamakatsu Offset Worm Hook. For the Carolina rig use a 1 ounce
FCF Tungsten, a bead, a swivel, a 4 foot leader, and the same hook and 16
pound test Sunline fluorocarbon works well for both techniques. As the
spring temperatures continue to warm and the moon gets full, look for the
bass to start moving up on the sandbars and beds. Learn how to use the
Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On
the Water fishing schools.
March 8, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR 61*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. We are seeing some females moving to the
shallows. The pre spawn bite is about to start so work the fish in the
shallows. Main lake sandbars are going to be really hot this weekend. Use a
Texas rigged 8" Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail Lizard in watermelon red. This is
a big lizard, so you will need to use a big 5/0 offset Gamakatsu.
Fluorocarbon line is a must with this technique. Try some 20 pound Sunline
FC Sniper and you will never want to use anything else. Also be looking for
beds, and when you find one, drop the power-poles and fish for one until you
aggravate it to bite. A Spro Fat John in Spooky Nasty is also good to fish
on the sandbars and in between the sandbars. Learn how to use the Lowrance
Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water
fishing schools.
March
1, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR 61*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is picking up as the full moon passes this week. The bass are
trying to move shallow and the fish are ready to bed. Fish the pockets off
the Flint River in the clear water. Look in Spring Creek above the gates.
All the fish will react to floating worms and lizards and pink has been very
good. The tubes will work for the bigger fish. In a week the fishing should
get even better with trick worms and top water. Trick worms and Zoom frogs
over shallow grass and sand areas will get strikes. Some top water will get
started this week and Pop R’s and Zara Spooks will work. Shad and bream
colors are best. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan
technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
FEBRUARY 21, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR 61*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the backs of the creeks are warming fast drawing a
lot of bass to the creeks. As the middle of the day warms the shallow, go to
the Mann ’s Baby Minus One and “v” wake the bait slowly. As the water warms
next wee fish the small shad colored Shad Raps and the Rat L Traps in shad
right up on the grass beds. Try the Zoom Ole Monster worm with a nail weight
inside and drag this bait over any lay down or on any of the grass beds and
drop it into any hole. Rattlin Raps will also work mid lake to the dam. The
rivers are still a little cold but go up after mid day and flip the larger
dark jigs on stump rows just inside the pockets off the river. Learn how to
use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern
Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
FEBRUARY 15, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR,
61*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the jigs and the jerk baits are
working. Fish the jigs in the heavy cover and use a larger jig up to one
ounce and in all black or all brown. Use the all black or all brown 1/2
ounce jig and a Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the points. After a few
days of warm weather look for the crank bait and spinner baits cast on the
bank cover and slowly worked to get small strikes. Also, slow roll the 1/2
ounce Ol’ Nelle Colorado blade spinnerbait in 8 to 10 feet of water on rock
and red clay banks. This technique will get hot as the big females begin to
move shallower. Watch the water temperatures all day and find the warmest
water in the North West coves for any active fish. Any warm up this month
should spark the fish to start to the shallows. The fish are on deep creek
bends down lake. Mid day spinner baits down lake in the creeks are fair
fished slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner baits
with bright blades. With any sun warming trend look for the bass to move to
the creek ch ann els and points during the day. Learn how to use the
Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On
the Water fishing schools.
FEBRUARY 8, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR,
63*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are steady on the move right
now. The weather keeps being unpredictable, but the bass are still very near
their spawning grounds and some are even on the bed. The best way to find
and catch bass on Seminole right now is to tie on a shallow running crank
bait such as a Stanford Old School SSR in Summer or either a Spro Little
John in clear chartreuse. Use 20 pound test Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon
with these baits to keep them up shallow. These are good search baits to use
on flats near sand on the main lake. While fishing these areas, keep your
eyes open for bedding bass or sandbars. This type of fishing is extremely
helpful with a set of dual Power Poles from JL marine. If you find bass on
bed, the best bait for catching bedding fish is a Big Bite Baits Warmouth in
Chartreuse Bluegill Color. In order to fish this bait, it must be rigged
correctly. This bait was specifically designed to be rigged on the side with
a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. You also need to use a 3/8 ounce Fish Catchin Fool
Tungsten Weight along with a Fish Catchin Fool Bobber Stopper. This is the
best weight/bobber stopper combination on the market right now. If you find
sandbars in these areas, then you can back off and fish these with a Texas
Rig or a Carolina Rig 8" Big Bite Baits Finesse Worm in Green Pumpkin. The
Rat L Trap bite on the grass flats will work also, but can be hit or miss
with the warmer water temperatures. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure
Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing
schools.
FEBRUARY 2, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED,
63*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are
steady on the move right now. With the warm weather, the bass are either on
the beds or very near their spawning grounds. The best way to find and catch
right now is to tie on a shallow running crank bait such as a Stanford Old
School SSR in the summer color or a Spro Little John in clear chartreuse.
Use 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon with these baits to keep them up
shallow. These are good search baits to use on flats near sand on the main
lake. While fishing these areas, keep your eyes open for bedding bass or
sandbars. This type of fishing is extremely helpful with a set of dual Power
Poles from JL Marine. If you find bass on bed, the best bait for catching
bedding fish is a Big Bite Baits Warmouth in chartreuse bluegill color. This
bait must be rigged correctly. This bait was specifically designed to be
rigged on the side with a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. You also need to use a 3/8
ounce. Fish Catchin Fool tungsten weight along with a Fish Catchin Fool
bobber stopper. This is the best weight/bobber stopper combination on the
market right now. If you find sandbars in these areas, you can back off and
fish these with a Texas rigged or a Carolina rigged 8 inch Big Bite Baits
finesse worm in green pumpkin. The Rat L Trap bite on the grass flats will
work also, but can be hit or miss with the warm water temperatures. Learn
how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with
Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
January 24, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .62 FEET,
CLEAR, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the fish are moving up to
stage and get ready to spawn. The fish have been really deep but now they
are heading towards these staging areas and can be caught on an array of
baits. The absolute best places to fish are ditches and depressions that
lead to or are found near sandbars and spawning grounds. The easiest way to
find these areas is to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down technology
with a good gps mapping system. I have found that these are the absolute
best on the market for keying you in on the exact location of these areas on
the lake. Once you find these areas, the points and cuts in the grass are
going to be the best areas to key on. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or a
Stanford Old School SSR in Summer are two good baits to use and can be
ripped free from the grass which helps to draw strikes from pre spawners.
The SSR is an awesome new bait from Stanford that will absolutely catch bass
on Seminole. Either of these baits can be fished on 16 lb. Sunline
fluorocarbon. The recent cold front may slow it down, but their have
actually been some bass spawning on the lake. These fish can be caught with
a Big Bite Baits Warmouth which is the best bait on the market for bedding
bass. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up
an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
JANUARY 18, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .62 FEET, CLEAR, 65*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the unusually hot weather pattern that we just had really warmed up the water temperatures and made the bass move up to stage and get ready to spawn. The fish have been really deep, but now they are heading towards these staging areas and can be caught on an array of baits. The absolute best places to fish are ditches and depressions that lead to or are found near sandbars and spawning grounds. The easiest way to find these areas is to use the sonar with a good gps mapping system such as the Lowrance HDS systems with insight mapping. We have found that these are the absolute best on the market for keying you in on the exact location of these areas on the lake. Once you find these areas, the points and cuts in the grass are going to be the best areas to key on. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or a Stanford Old School SSR in Summer are two good baits to use and can be ripped free from the grass which helps to draw strikes from pre spawners. The SSR is an awesome new bait from Stanford that will absolutely catch bass on Seminole. Either of these baits can be fished on 16 pound test Sunline fluorocarbon. The recent cold front may slow it down, but their have actually been some bass spawning on the lake. These fish can be caught with a Big Bite Baits Warmouth which is the best bait on the market for bedding bass. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
JANUARY 11, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .62 FEET, CLEAR, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The unusually hot weather pattern we are experiencing
right now is really warming up the water temperatures and making the bass
move up to stage and get ready to spawn. The fish have been really deep, but
now they are heading towards these staging areas and can be caught on an
array of baits. The absolute best places to fish are ditches and depressions
that lead to or are found near sandbars and spawning grounds. The easiest
way to find these areas is to have a good depth finder with a good gps
mapping system, such as the Lowrance HDS systems with insight mapping. We
have found that these are the absolute best on the market for keying you in
on the exact location of these areas on the lake. Once you find these areas,
the points and cuts in the grass are going to be the best areas to key on. A
Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or a Stanford Patriot 1.5 in Summer are two
good baits to use and can be ripped free from the grass which helps to draw
strikes from pre spawners. Once you find an area that has fish, you can slow
down with either a suspending jerk bait or a Carolina rig. For a suspending
jerk bait, the Spro McStick in clear chartreuse is really hard to beat on
Seminole. The 110 seems to be the best, but the 115 should be killer, as it
gives a larger profile for larger fish. For Carolina Rigging, Big Bite Baits
has a new 8" Finesse Worm in Blue Fleck Color that is working. A perfect
setup for Carolina Rigging is to use 16 lb. Sunline FC Sniper, a 1 ounce
Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset Shank Hook. Your
leader needs to be at least 3 feet long with this technique. Bass fishing is
fair and there are several different patterns that can be used to catch fish
on Seminole right now. With the warm water temperatures, bass can be
caught in the shallows. Fish can be caught on main lake grass flats. Use a
5/8 ounce Spro Aruku Shad in Mud Bug red color. Flipping dying water
hyacinths is also a good way to catch fish during the unstable weather
patterns. Flip the shallow coves and backwaters up both rivers. Use a 1 1/2
ounce lead or tungsten sinker and a heavy wire flipping hook. Flip a 4" Big
Bite Baits Kriet Kreature in Redbug color. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch
machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
JANUARY 4, 2013
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .70 FEET, CLEAR, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are starting to bite real well
with the cooler water temperatures. The main lake grass lines are still the best
places on the lake; however, Spring Creek is starting to pick up as well. The
lipless crank bait bite is your best bet on the main lake. Use a Spro Aruku Shad
75 in Old Glory on main lake grass lines. Use 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper
Fluorocarbon or 30 lb. Sunline FX2 Braid for this technique. Ditches and points
are the best places in these areas. If the lipless crank bait bite slows down,
you can use a slower presentation with a square lip crank bait such as a
Stanford Patriot 1.5 in shad color. Another good pattern is to fish a drop shot
in Spring Creek. This can be a tricky technique, but with good electronics such
as the new Lowrance HDS Touch Screens, the task is MUCH easier. Spring Creek is
full of standing timber, but there are some irregularities throughout the timber
such as larger stumps/trees, ditches, and creek channels. Use your electronics
to find the fish and use the drop shot to catch them. The drop shot should have
7 pound Sunline Fluorocarbon, a 1/0 Gamakatsu Drop Shot Hook, and a Fish Catchin
Fool 3/16 ounce Tungsten sinker with a bobber stopper to hold it in place. Most
people use a drop shot sinker, but the Fish Catchin Fool worm weight works best
because of the black finish on the lead being less spooky to the fish. For bait
of choice, any straight shank finesse worm will work, but a Big Bite Baits
shakin squirrel is about the best on the market. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch
machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
DECEMBER 28, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .77 FEET, CLEAR, 58*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The fish are on deep creek bends down
lake. Mid day spinner baits down lake in the creeks may work but drag the
baits slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce spinner baits with bright
blades. With any sun warming look for the bass to move to the creek ch ann
els and points during the day. Use the all black or all brown Strike King
1/2 ounce jig and a Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the points. After a
few days of warm weather look for the crank bait and spinner baits cast on
the bank cover and slowly worked to get small strikes. Watch the water
temperatures all day and find the warmest water in the north west coves for
any active fish. Any warm up next month should spark the fish to start to
the shallows. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and
set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
DECEMBER 21, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.13 FEET, CLEAR, 58*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The fish are on deep creek bends down lake. Mid day
jigs and Carolina rigs down lake in the creeks can work but drag the baits
slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley jigs and add the Zoom
matching dark trailer. With any sun warming look for the bass to move to the
creek channels and points during the day. After a few days of warm weather
look for the crank bait and spinner baits cast on the bank cover and slowly
worked to get strikes. Watch the water temperatures all day and find the
warmest water in the North West coves for any active fish. Any warm up next
month should spark the fish to start to the shallows. Zoom Super flukes can
also work just work them at different speeds and depths until the fish
react. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up
an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
DECEMBER 14, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .95 FEET, CLEAR, 58*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The cooler water temperatures have really gotten the
bass fired up on the main lake. Look for areas on the main lake on the
Chattahoochee side. The grass is still very thick, so you have to fish grass
edges instead of flats. Two really good patterns that are working extremely
well are throwing a lip less crank bait and a square bill crank bait through
the grass. A good lip less crank bait is a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red.
This is a crawfish color and is notorious for catching big bass on Seminole.
The best shallow running crank bait to throw is a Stanford 1.5 Patriot in
Summer pattern. This crank bait is made of cedar, so it floats up out of the
grass extremely well. Use 20 pound Sunline Fluorocarbon with both of these
techniques. Another pattern that is emerging on the lake right now is
flipping dead or dying water hyacinths on the Hooch. There is an abundant
amount of dead hyacinths floating up and down the river right now. Any of
them can hold good fish, so you just have to search until you find the right
ones. When flippin use a 1 ounce Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten weight, along
with a Fish Catchin Fool bobber stopper, a 3/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Hook,
and a Big Bite Baits Yo Daddy in Black/Blue. Use at least 60lb. Sunline
Froggin and Flippin Braid with this technique.
DECEMBER 7, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .5 FEET, CLEAR, 65*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. It's December and it feels more like springtime. The
lake is still slam full of grass and the water temps have not yet even
reached down into the 50's. The bass are still on a fall/summer pattern on
the lake. There are a few fish to be caught on lipless crank baits and
shallow running crank baits, but you have to fish grass edges, because the
flats are covered with grass and are inaccessible. There are two good
options for cranking. The first is to fish a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug
Red or Old Glory and the 2nd option is to fish a Stanford 1.5 Patriot in
Tennessee Color. The Stanford lure is made of Cedar and has tremendous
buoyancy when fishing through the grass. We fish both of these set ups with
16 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon line. Another pattern that is still
working is flipping deep grass in Spring Creek. This is a technique that is
usually only good through October, but with the warm weather and the
abundant grass it is still a good way to catch big fish. For flipping, look
for submerged grass points in about 10 to -12 foot of water. Use a 1 ounce
Fish Catchin Fool Tungsten Weight, along with a Fish Catchin Fool Bobber
Stopper, a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG Superline Hook, and a 4" Big Bite Baits
Fighting Frog in Hematoma. Always use at least 50 lb. Sunline FX2 Froggin
and Flippin Braid for this technique. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch
machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
NOVEMBER 30, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR,
72*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow but should really start picking up with the cooler
weather. There is still a bunch of grass all over the lake, and the best
bite is fishing in the grass. To find fish, you can start by throwing
lipless crank bait on the edge of grass lines. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old
Glory is a good bait for Seminole. The best grass lines are on the main lake
where the Flint , Spring Creek and the Hooch all come together near the
Indian Mounds. These areas can hold fish at all times of the year. If the
lipless crank bait doesn’t work, then flipping is also still good on
Seminole. The lower end of Spring Creek is a good place to flip. When
flipping use 60 pound Sunline Froggin and Flippin Braid with a 1 ½ ounce
tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook. The best flipping bait on
Seminole is a 4 inch Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma. As the cooler
weather sinks in, the bite will pick up and fish will be a little easier to
catch. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up
an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
NOVEMBER 22, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR,
72*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. The best bite right now is for
shoal bass. If you prefer to stay on the lake, the flipping bite is starting
to pick flipping the Zoom Ultra Vibe Craw. Also, the Texas rig bite is
producing some fish. As you work down grass lines and be sure to fish any
grassy points or indentations. Start by throwing lipless crank bait on the
edge of grass lines. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory on the grass lines
are on the main lake will work. If the lipless crank bait doesn’t work, then
flipping is also still worth the time. The lower end of Spring Creek is a
good place to flip. When flipping, use 60 pound test Sunline Froggin and
Flippin Braid with a 1 and 1/2 ounce tungsten sinker and a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG
hook. Most of the lake is clear, so your plastics need to be either red
shad, watermelon seed or green pumpkin or some other clear water color. We
have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the
Water Schools, 770 889 2654
NOVEMBER 15, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR,
72*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has been fair early but the afternoon bite is picking up. Floating worms, ghost frogs, French fly worms and buzz baits have been working. Larger u tail worms on a Texas rig with a light sinker will work mid lake. The river fish usually feet on crawfish early so stick with a jig and pig until noon. Pitch and flip these darker baits in greens and browns around any wood especially in the little creek and coves right at the river. Spinnerbait or small crank bait is still your best beat. Make sure that you cover a lot of water. Fishing a ¼ ounce Rat L Trap in the chrome and black or the chrome and blue or a spinnerbait in the white and chartreuse will catch you some number and a few good one. The fish early are in less than two feet of water so make sure you cast right to the grass lines or the banks. Use a Texas rig worm on any brush you see. Work this bait all around the brush as you may find fish holding on this type of structure. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
NOVEMBER 9, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR,
72*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. The bass are still just really not biting. There was a 2 day tournament over the weekend with some very good anglers, and it only took about 12 to 13 pounds a day to be in the top. My hypothesis is that there is still way too much grass all over the lake. This cooler weather should start making the grass die back, but until then flipping is going to be your best bet. When flipping, you need to look for grass points that are near ditches where fish will start migrating chasing shad. There are numerous types of flipping baits, hooks, and tungsten weights on the market right now. It gets confusing when trying to pick the right combination of baits. With much experience flipping grass on Seminole I have narrowed my choices down to a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma, a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and a new Tungsten weight designed by a company call Fish Catchin Fool Bait Company. They make a Tungsten Weight that is EcoFriendly, it is inert free and has a narrow opening so that your bobber stoppers will not get stuck inside of the weight. They also have a black powder coat finish that is almost impossible to chip off. These are some really great weights that you need to check out at http://www.fishcatchinfool.com/. The emerging pattern to look for in the coming months is a lipless crank bait and a shallow running crank bait bite. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or Mudbug Red is a good trap and a Stanford Raz-r Shad in a shad color is a good crank bait for the shallow grass. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
October 25, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FT, CLEAR,
79*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The bass are on the move chasing shad up and down the creek so they can be somewhat hard to find and catch. Once you find a school of fish, they can be caught swimming a 3.5" Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper in reel shad on a 3/0 Gamakatsu EWG weighed hook. My partner and I won the 2nd Annual $10,000 Bainbridge City Tournament swimming this bait over the tops of submerged grass points in Spring Creek. We used 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon with the setup. We also caught some fish flipping deep grass using a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma color. Power Poles come in real handy when you're flipping because when you catch a fish you can deploy them down to stay in place. We have found that you can even deploy them in deep water over thick grass and they will still hold you in place. Another thing that makes them unique is that they extend outward, so we have even used them to extend over the tops of stumps in Spring Creek to hold my boat in place. We have the Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
October 18, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR,
79*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is still barely fair and look off the main lake for the fish.
In the heavy grass, use the Rattle Back black and blue or all black 1/2
ounce jig and a larger Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh. Culprit red shad
worms on a Texas rig is always a good lure on this lake. Use a larger Texas
rigged worm on the grass beds. The faster moving baits will be best on the
main river and Fat Free Shad in bright colors is the best bet. Fishing is
better later each day as the water warms. After mid day, head to the river
and use a spinner bait in the 1/2 ounce size and hit every stump in the
shallow waters. Make a lot of short casts. We have the NEW! Lowrance GEN2
Touch machine on our boat. Call and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889
2654
October 12, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 82*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. Fish a Spro Dawg 125 walking bait on main lake grass
beds. If fish are striking in the grass beds, throw a white Big Bite Baits
3.5" Top Toad up in the grass on braided line. This bite is short lived
unless there is some cloud cover. With cloud cover present, keep fishing the
Spro Dawg and the Top Toad because they will draw strikes from big ones. If
the sun comes out, a good pattern that is working now is to find the old
deeper grass lines at the lower end of Spring Creek that have not yet
reached the surface. Once you find these grass lines, fish them slowly with
2 baits. Either a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Kreit Tail worm, or a Spro
McStick Suspending jerk bait. Fish the Kreit Tail worm in green pumpkin with
a 4/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook with a 5/16 ounce tungsten lead with
Sunline Fluorocarbon. Fish the Spro McStick jerk bait with Sunline
Fluorocarbon. We have the NEW! Lowrance GEN2 Touch machine on our boat. Call
and set up an On the Water Schools, 770 889 2654
October 4, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 82*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and the fish are on the points and creeks bends. Look
down lake on creek bends and up in creeks. Find the clearest water possible
in the creeks. Use the Culprit green shad worms on the points as tight as
possible. In the Spring Creek area use a floating Rapala ’s later each day
in gold and black back and work it slowly around grass beds. Try the Culprit
worm in dark colors over the grass and wood cover. Fishing is better later
each day as the water warms. Finesse worms floated over grass beds or a u
tail worm in dark colors, can work after the sun is up. Use a light 1/16
lead weight on the edges of the grass.
September 28, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 82*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair to good. Bass fishing can be great on Seminole if you
find the right area and are throwing the right baits. Early in the morning,
look for shad and bream present on main lake grass lines. Throw a white Spro
Superstar Spinnerbait and a white buzz bait in these areas. This year, the
lake is covered with hydrilla growing everywhere. The fish can be really
hard to find, especially during the day after the morning bite. The best
technique is flipping. Just choose a grass line and go down it flipping. The
best setup for flipping is a 7 1/2 to 8 foot rod with 60 pound Sunline FX2
braid, a 1 1/2 ounce Tungsten, and a 5/0 Gamakatsu heavy cover flipping
hook. The bait of choice is easy a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Green
Pumpkin or Tilapia. This setup allows you to fish fast and cover a lot of
water. When you get a bite, there is a good chance that there are some more
fish in the area, so slow down and fish the area thoroughly. This pattern
will hold up all fall or until the grass starts dying back. Then it will be
time to start throwing some shallow running and lipless crank baits.
September 21, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 84*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good as the water starts to cool down .Bass are on the creek
bends down lake and on the sides of the main lake points. Frogs and buzz
baits will work and try the Super Fluke as well. The fish are biting but
early use the slow presentation. Use the Zoom gourd green worm on a Texas
rig in the tight bank cover. Up the creeks, use a dark jig and pig
combination and fish tight in any cover from the bank as far out as 15 feet.
The Stanley jigs in the 3/8 ounce size in dark reds and blacks with a
matching #11 Uncle Josh trailer will be best. Add Real Craw scent and use it
often casting to the same location. Anglers are also use the larger spoons
and making long casts across the river points with shad patterns and are
taking some good bass. If the spoon has silver hooks, change them over the
Mustad Tripple Grip Hooks.
September 14, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 86*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the bass are biting on secondary
creek points and creek ledges. Use a Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or
water melon and add some Real Craw scent. Crank baits that are working are
Shad Raps, Rat L Traps and Sission lures in the brighter colors. Stay with
smaller lures but in the river, go to the next larger size. Small all white
buzz baits on the grassy points and a small Bang A Lure will work fro some
smaller fish. A Texas rig worm can also be the best bet on some days. At
times bass will hit a heavy weighted Texas rig, but a lightweight rig is
more consistent. All these rigs normally work best with a very slow
retrieve. Colors for these worms can be dictated by personal choice and
confidence, but it’s hard to beat green pumpkin, June bug, and natural blue.
September 7, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 86*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair on worms and jigs up the rivers. In the lower lakes
creeks, flip wood early and use a Texas rigged Culprit black shad worm. Use
larger worms in red shad or greens. Up the rivers flip a large worm or
spinner bait around the banks and drop them into the cuts under the big
trees right on the bank. Try a Rattle Back jigs in black and blue or all
black 1/2 jig and a larger Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh. Cast to the banks
cover and work baits tight. Afternoons are better for faster moving baits
with a small all white Fat Free Shad on main river points. Small floating
Rapala’s in gold’s are fair in the creeks. Never overlook a small shallow
crank bait in gold’s on this lake even up the river.
August 31, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the bass are biting on secondary
creek points and creek ledges. Again the weather needs your attention. Use a
Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or water melon and add some Real Craw
scent. Crank baits that are working are Shad Raps, Rat L Traps and Deep Wee
R crank baits in the brighter colors. Stay with smaller lures but in the
river; go to the next larger size. Small all white buzz baits on the grassy
points and a small Bang A Lure will work for some smaller fish. Gold Stanley
buzz baits are good top water baits all day. Work them right off any
structure and be sure to keep the bait on a straight steady retrieve.
August 24, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and expect some top water at day break as long as you
are in the right area. It seems that the best top water areas are on the
edges of the shallower flats such as the ones from Ship Island down to the
Fireman's Cut on the Flint River side of the lake. Once you have located an
area’s that seems to be holding fish, use either buzz bait or a walking bait
such as a Spro Dawg 100. We like to use Sunline FX2 Braid for both
techniques. After the morning top water bite is over you basically have two
options. Try to slow down with the Texas rig or head over to Spring Creek to
do some flipping. The Texas rig works well fished near grass points close to
deep water. A great set up is a 5/16 ounce Tungsten weight a 4/0 Gamakatsu
EWG hooks and a 6"Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail Worm in Tilapia. For flipping,
the best bait for Seminole is a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma.
August 16, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass are somewhat biting, bust mostly early in the
mornings. Top water is doing well early as long as you are in the right
area. It seems that the best top water areas are on the edges of the
shallower flats such as the ones from Ship Island down to the Fireman's Cut
on the Flint River side of the lake. Once you have located an area’s that
seems to be holding fish, use either buzz bait or a walking bait such as a
Spro Dawg 100. We like to use Sunline FX2 Braid for both techniques. After
the morning top water bite is over, you basically have two options, you can
either slow down with a Texas rig or head over to Spring Creek to do some
flipping. The Texas rig works well fished near grass points close to deep
water. A great set up is a 5/16 ounce Tungsten weight a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG
hooks and a 6"Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail Worm in Tilapia. For flipping, the
best bait for Seminole is a Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Hematoma.
August 9, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair on worms and jigs up the rivers. In the lower lakes
creeks, flip wood early and use a Texas rigged Culprit black shad worm. Use
larger worms in red shad or greens. Up the rivers flip a large worm or
spinner bait around the banks and drop them into the cuts under the big
trees right on the bank. Try a Rattle Back jigs in black and blue or all
black 1/2 ounce jig and a larger Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh. Cast to the
banks cover and work baits tight. Afternoons are better for faster moving
baits with a small all white Fat Free Shad on main river points. Small
floating Rapala’s in gold’s are fair in the creeks. Never overlook a small
shallow crank bait in gold’s on this lake even up the river.
August 2, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and despite the heat, the fish are still biting. There
is still a good early morning and late evening top water bite with frogs in
the grass. Fish any topped out grass beds near deep water with a 3.5" Big
Bite Baits Top Toad in any light color. Swim the frog over the tops of the
holes in the grass and wait for explosive strikes. Always have a 6" Big Bite
Baits Jerk Minnow rigged up for missed strikes. Later in the day when the
sun heats the water up, move to either Spring Creek or main lake river
ledges and look for deep grass. The best spots are near the bends and points
of the creek or river ledges. Type of grass will either be milfoil or
hydrilla. Fish these spots with either a Texas rigged 6/10" Big Bite Baits
Kriet Tail worm in watermelon seed, or a Carolina rigged Big Bite Baits 6"
finesse worm in watermelon seed. Fish the Texas rig on a 1/4 ounce Tungsten
sinker and the Carolina rig on a 1 ounce sinker. If fish are actively
feeding and there is current present, a Spro Little John Baby DD in Nasty
Shad works real well in these sam e areas. Make sure to use a good glass
cranking rod with a medium heavy action and Sunline Fluorocarbon FC Sniper
12 pound.
July 25, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. Despite the heat, the fish are
still biting. There is still a good early morning and late evening top water
bite with frogs in the grass. Fish any topped out grass beds near deep water
with a 3.5" Big Bite Baits Top Toad in any light color. Swim the frog over
the tops of the holes in the grass and wait for explosive strikes. Always
have a 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow rigged up for missed strikes. Later in
the day when the sun heats the water up, move to either Spring Creek or main
lake river ledges and look for deep grass. The best spots are near the bends
and points of the creek or river ledges. Type of grass will either be
milfoil or hydrilla. Fish these areas with either a Texas rigged 10" Big
Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in watermelon seed, or a Carolina rigged Big Bite
Baits 6" Finesse worm in watermelon seed. Fish the Texas rig on a 1/4 ounce
Tungsten Sinker and the Carolina rig on a 1 ounce bullet style lead.
July 19, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR, 89*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. There is a good top water bite in the early morning daylight hours on grass lines that are near the river channel. Fish a Stanford Turbo Shad in Summer Color. The Turbo Shad is double prop bait that resembles an injured shad on the surface of the water. After the morning bite is over with, you can fish the same areas with a Texas -Rigged 6" Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail Worm in Tilapia color. Use a 5/16 ounce tungsten sinker, 16 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon, and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset-shank worm hook. This technique is somewhat slow, but can generate some more strikes throughout the day. If cloudy, rainy weather is present, you can pretty much stick with top water all day on grass lines near deeper water. A buzz bait is your best bet to cover a lot of water and find more aggressive fish.
July 12, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, CLEAR, 87*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and despite the heat, the fish are
still biting. There is still a good early morning and late evening top water
bite with frogs in the grass. Fish any topped out grass beds near deep water
with a 3.5" Big Bite Baits Top Toad in any light color. Swim the frog over
the tops of the holes in the grass and wait for explosive strikes. Always
have a 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow rigged up for missed strikes. Later in
the day when the sun heats the water up, move to either Spring Creek or main
lake river ledges and look for deep grass. The best spots are near the bends
and points of the creek or river ledges. Type of grass will either be
milfoil or hydrilla. Fish these spots with either a Texas rigged 6/10" Big
Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in watermelon seed, or a Carolina rigged Big Bite
Baits 6" finesse worm in watermelon seed. Fish the Texas rig on a 1/4 ounce
Tungsten sinker and the Carolina rig on a 1 ounce sinker.
July 5, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, CLEAR, 87*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is tough. The recent heat wave have really
hunkered the bass down in tight cover. You can still catch some fish early
in the mornings on top water prop baits such as a Stanford Lures Razor Shad
in summer pattern. This bait imitates baitfish such as bream breaking the
surface of the water. After the morning bite is over, you can either flip
heavy cover or throw frogs over matted vegetation such as lily pads. The
best flipping setup is a 1 and 1/2 ounce Tungsten sinker, a 4/0 Gamakatsu
heavy cover worm hook and a Big Bite Baits Swimming Craw in black and blue.
Look for grass points in Spring Creek or the main lake that are 8 to 12 feet
deep with bait present. When frogs fishing opt for a heavy cover setup with
60 pound Sunline Braid a heavy action rod and a Spro Bronzeye 65 Frog in
Rainforest Black or Natural Green. There are massive pad fields on the lower
end of the Chattahoochee River and the fish can be in any group of pads at
any time.
June 29, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, CLEAR, 86*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. The fish are somewhat biting, but
are not really tearing it up. Most days are a grind and depending on the
type of weather, a consistent pattern can be hard to find. The best
technique is to fish grass lines that are close to bends in the Flint River
around the Jack Wingate's area. A buzz bait or a walking bait are two good
choices to start out with early in the morning before the sun comes up. A
Spro Dawg 100 in Old Glory comes with Gamakatsu hooks and is a great walking
bait. Due to the thick hydrilla, it is best to fish this bait with braided
line such as 50 pound Sunline FX2 Braid. After the sun comes up, you can
fish these sam e areas a little slower with a soft plastic jerk bait such as
a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Minnow in Watermelon. This bait is heavy and has a
big profile so it sinks relatively fast, and can be fished strategically in
the 4 to 6 foot range. When this pattern slows down, you basically have two
choices on what to do later in the day. You can either flip matted hydrilla
or fish pads with a frog. For flipping, look for grass lines in the 10 to 14
feet range and use a 1 1/4 ounce tungsten weight with a Big Bite Baits
Swimming Craw in Tilapia. For pad fishing, the best areas are over on the
Chattahoochee River , and you need to throw a Spro Bronzeye 65 in Rainforest
Yellow.
June 21, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, CLEAR, 80*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and fish in the deeper waters down lake. Use the dark Culprit green shad worms in the grass as tight as possible can draw a strike. These fish need to see the sam e bait several times especially mid day. Work the baits off the river bends and even try a Zoom all white Super Fluke on a large Mustad 4/0 offset worm hook. Strikes will usually be tight to the structure in the middle of the day. It’s hard to beat a large spinner bait or Zara Spook on and over the grass beds in the creeks. Fish these baits as close to the grass as possible and add a M ann Rat in all black to the tackle. Fish a shallow crank bait in the sand pockets. Move out to the creek channels especially after mid day as the fish will seek the deeper waters. Fish the deep diving crank baits like the Rapala DT10 in hot mustard.
June 14, 2012Bass fishing is good. The frog bite is one of the better techniques happening right now on Seminole. There are basically two different techniques for frogging that seem to be working well. Swimming a 3.5" Bite Baits Top Toad in Green Pumpkin Pearl over the tops of matted grass has been working real well when fish are in a chasing mood. You can usually tell when that fish are in this type of mood, because you will see the bass chasing minnows, bream, and shad up in the grass. When this type of action is present, use the swimming technique with the top toad. For this method, we use a heavy action rod with 20 pound Sunline Super Fluorocarbon. The best hook for this frog is a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG. If you are not seeing much action in the grass, then the bass are probably inactive and they may want a slower presentation. There is no better frog on the market right now than the Spro Bronzeye Popper. Working the popper can be a bit tricky, but really there is no right or wrong way, just experiment with the bait and make sure you get it to pop when retrieving. Color depends on how bright the sky is. On bright, sunny days use a Natural Green, Green Tree, or Toad. On dark, cloudy days use a darker color such as Natural Red or Rainforest Black. Look for holes in the grass and work the frog over the holes with a fast steady retrieve. When you fish over the tops of mat’s slow the bait down. For this technique, you need a longer rod and heavy braid. Use 50 to 60 pound Sunline FX2 braid and a long rod. Power Poles come in handy with this technique because you can drop them and fish areas thoroughly.
June 8, 2012Bass fishing is fair and the fish are gathering in larger beginning the post spawn patterns. Look for the first break lines that are near the edges of the spawning flats. These break lines can range anywhere from 7 to 10 feet or 11 to 20 feet. The fish will be relating to both of these depths depending on which area of the lake you are fishing. There are several different techniques to use to catch fish off these areas and the fish crank bait. Use the Fat Papa 70 in the Tennessee River gizzard shad pattern, as no one else is throwing it. This bait runs about 7 to 10 feet, so it will work real well on those shallow break lines. You need to fish this bait on 14 pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon. The other crank bait that works well is a Stanford Cedar Shad in the deep version. Summer color is the best one, and this bait runs to depths of 12 to 14 feet on 12 pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon. Once you find a school of fish and they quit biting the crank bait, switch to a Big Bite Baits 6 inch Jerk Minnow in pearl or alewife. Fish this on 10 pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon to get it to its maximum depth. Insert a little nail weight into the head of the bait to get it down a little deeper and give it more action. Fish it deep and slow to entice strikes from post spawn fish. Use a 6/0 Gamakatsu Superline Monster Hook because this is a big bait.
Bass fishing is good and they are cruising the banks and on the ends of points. Fish are shallow around any wood and cast baits to shadows all day. Use a gourd green Zoom u tail worms down lake on Texas rig and use the brass and glass on the rig for more sound. Look in the mid lake half way back in the creeks and use the Sluggo with a glass rattle in it and throw it on the grass. A plastic rat will work on the matted grass. Work the heavy brush and the fish are on the shady corners. Up the river the fishing is good and use a 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner bait and add a large trailer. Use Zoom worms in the u tail style in red bug worked slowly on wood and docks. Use a Texas rig and add some Jacks Juice. Drop an all black Zoom trick worm in and around the grass beds. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools. If you want the best DVD on Lowrance equipment see www.hightechfishing.com and use this code when you order 5 Ken. Come to Lake Lanier for a day and see the Lowrance HDS machines at work. Call for details 770 889 2654.
Bass fishing is fair and the fish are up on top water early. The Lunker Lure all white buzz bait or Bang A Lures in silver and black back on banks and wood has been good. Cast to the shallow banks with a Rattlin’ Rouge in the shad or bream color. Spinner baits with willow leaf blades in silver and gold’s on the banks can draw strikes. Worms on a Texas or a short Carolina rig are fair in greens or smoke colors are fair, but fish slowly in and around brush. The down lake fish are biting blue back Shad Raps crank baits on the points and humps. Try the white skirts and silver blades on a Bulldog 3/8th ounce spinner baits up the rivers in coves and hit wood on the banks. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good. The fish are starting to group up together in schools and are beginning the post-spawn patterns. Look for the first break lines that are near the edge of the spawning flats. These break lines can range anywhere from 7 to 10 feet or 11 to 20 feet. The fish will be relating to both of these depths depending on which area of the lake you are fishing. There are several different techniques to use to catch fish off these areas. My personal favorite is to fish a crank bait. There are 2 crank baits that are working particularly well on Seminole right now. The first one is a new one by Spro called a Fat Papa 70. Use the Tennessee River Gizzard Shad Pattern as it is different than anything else on the lake that anyone is throwing. This bait runs about 7 to 10 feet so it will work real well on those shallow break lines. You need to fish this bait on 14 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. The other crank bait that works well is a Stanford Cedar Shad in the Deep version. Summer color is the best one and this bait runs to depths of 12 to 14 feet on 12 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. Once you find a school of fish and they quit biting the crank bait, then switch to a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Minnow in Pearl or Alewife. Fish this bait on 10 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon in order to get it to its maximum depths. Insert a little nail weight into the head of the bait in order to get it down a little deeper and give it more action. Fish it as deep as you can and slow in order to entice strikes from post spawn fish. Use a 6/0 Gamakatsu Superline Monster Hook, because this is a big bait. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good and the fish are starting to group up together in schools and are beginning the post-spawn patterns. Look for the first break lines that are near the edge of the spawning flats. These break lines can range anywhere from 7 to 10 feet or 11 to 20 feet. The fish will be relating to both of these depths depending on which area of the lake you are fishing. There are several different techniques to use to catch fish off of the these areas. Our personal favorite is to fish crank bait. There are 2 crank baits that are working particularly well. The first one is a new one by Spro called a Fat Papa 70. Use the Tennessee River Gizzard Shad Pattern as it is different than anything else on the lake that anyone is throwing. This bait runs about 7 to 10 feet so it will work real well on those shallow break lines. You need to fish this bait on 14 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. The other crank bait that works will is a Stanford Cedar Shad in the Deep version. Summer color is the best one and this bait runs to depths of 12 to 14 feet on 12 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. Once you find a school of fish and they quit biting the crank bait, then switch to a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Minnow in white. Fish this bait on 10 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon in order to get it to its maximum depths. Fish it as deep as you can and slow in order to entice strikes from post spawn fish. Use a 6/0 Gamakatsu Superline Monster Hook, because this is a big bait. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is great and it is shallow water time. Frogs, buzz baits, Senko’s and trick worms will all work on any grass line. The dominant pattern is sight fishing. At this time the fish are spawning. If you like to throw a Carolina rig, now is a good time to fish making lake sandbars with a Carolina rig, as the fish are now starting to spawn on the main lake bars. Although you can't see these fish, they are spawning on these bars. Zooms 6 inch lizard in watermelon seed and green pumpkin are tough to colors to beat. For sight fishing, white tubes, bright trick worms and white lizards are always good choices. Expect these patterns to hold steady for about another month. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is fair and the next wave of big females will be moving up on the beds soon. Concentrate on spawning fish in the shallows. Main lake sandbars are going to be really hot this weekend. Use a Texas rigged 8" Big Bite Baits Kreit Tail lizard in watermelon red. This is a big lizard so you will need to use a big 5/0 offset Gamakatsu. The fluorocarbon line is a must with this technique. Try some 20 pound Sunline FC Sniper and you will never want to use anything else. Also be looking for beds, and when you find one, drop the power poles and fish for one until you aggravate it to bite. A Spro Fat John in Spooky Nasty is also good to fish on the sandbars and in between the sandbars. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good. It is muddy on the upper end of the creek and Flint River and there is a slight stain everywhere else. The bass are either spawning or in their post-spawn mode. With the muddy water, there are only a few areas of the lake that has visibility enough to find bedding fish. The lower end of the lake near the dam has fairly clear water. Look for bedding bass on sandbars with shell present. The shell indicates a hard bottom. If you find a bass on bed, lower your Power Poles and try to entice a strike by aggravating the fish with a Texas rig bait of your choice. While cruising the shallows looking for bedding fish, you can fish many different baits that will catch fish. One bait that works really well is a Big Bite Baits Wacky Stick in watermelon red. Rig this bait with a 2/0 Gamakatsu Wicked Wacky Hook. The best places to use it is around sand and vegetation such as lily pad stems and grass. Use 20 pound Sunline fluorocarbon as it is extremely limp and strong. For post-spawn fish, try fishing break lines that are closest to spawning areas. Most of these break lines will have hydrilla present, so throwing a crank bait is a good idea. Two crank baits work well for this technique. In water 7 to 10 feet, throw a Stanford Razor Shad Medium Diver in Summer patter and for breaks deeper than that, throw a Spro Little John Baby DD in Nasty Shad. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good. The bass have moved up heavily on the beds now and there is also a lot of nice fish cruising around bedding areas in the shallows. One good technique to use right now is to keep your trolling motor in about 70 % and ride and look for bedding bass to catch. While you are looking there are several baits that you can fish around in the bedding areas that will catch nice fish. The first is a shallow running crank bait such as a Spro Fat John in Clear Chartreuse or a Stanford 1.5 Patriot in Summer color. Use a heavy fluorocarbon when fishing these two baits to keep them running shallow such as 20 pound test Sunline FC Sniper. The other technique to use in these areas is to swim a Big Bite Baits 7 Sugar Cane worm. This bait has a paddle tail action and when Texas rigged, you can swim it through grass and lily pads much like swim bait. Once you find a bedding fish, then it is time to drop the Power Poles which are great for shallow fishing and begin trying to entice the fish to bite. The best bait on the market right now for sight fishing is a Big Bite Baits Warmouth. This bait is extremely awesome for bedding bass. There are several great colors to use, but we like the Chartreuse Blue Gill color. It is a little tricky trying to rig this bait, but the Big Bite Baits website has an illustration of how to rig it on a 5/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook. Also when bed fishing use a co polymer line with a little stretch such as 16 to 22 pound Sunline Machinegun Cast. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good and the shallow fishing is a great all day pattern. Shallow water patterns include flipping, Texas rigging and sight fishing. The trick worms are starting to get lots of action. If you are looking for an area to concentrate on Cowikee Creek is a good all day area. Fish the shallow cover with jigs and plastics. Also try swimming worms and jigs in grass close to the sandbars. Use a Carolina rig on main lake sandbars at approximately 6 feet deep where the grass meets the sand. Use the 6 inch lizard in watermelon seed and green pumpkin. Also have the Alabama rig ready for the schooners that will show up mid day on these same sand bars. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good. The bass are in a spawn pre spawn mode. For spawning bass look in the backwater ponds off of the main lake. Look for sandy areas and once you find a bass on the bed, use a Big Bite Baits Warmouth in Green Blue Gill, along with a 5/0 EWG Gamakatsu hook and a 3/8 ounce tungsten sinker. Use the Sunline 22 pound Machine Gun Cast when bed fishing. For pre spawn fish, look on the main lake flats and fish the edge of sandbars with a shallow running crank bait. For 3 feet or less, use a Spro Fat John in Nasty Shad, and for water a little deeper than 3 feet, use a Stanford Razor Shad Shallow Runner in Summer Pattern. Each of these baits is perfect for locating and catching pre spawn fish on the flats. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing On the Water fishing schools.
January 27, 2012Bass fishing is good all over the lake. We have reports anglers catching them on lipless crank baits and jerk baits. The lipless crank bait bite can be a little frustrating with all of the coots on the lake pulling up the hydrilla. There are still good defined grass lines, but most of the fish that are being caught have moved off of the grass lines and can be caught up on the flats. To locate fish, fish a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red. Fish the bait on the flats and yo-yo it and rip it free from the hydrilla. Use the 30 pound braid with this technique and we recommend and use Sunline Shooter Fluorocarbon in 20 pound test. This seems to work better and does not rip the hooks out of the fish’s mouth when you hook a big one. Once you locate a school of fish and catch all that you can on the Aruku Shad, and then you can throw a suspending jerk bait in on the same fish and they will more then likely nail it, a good suspending jerk bait to use is a Spro McStick 110 in Blue Bandit. The 5-10 second pause when you work this bait is what really drives the fish crazy. If the bite gets really slow, you can slow down and fish weightless stick bait in the same areas. Use a 6" Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in watermelon. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
January 20, 2012Bass fishing is fair and the fish are on the points and creeks bends. Look down lake on creek bends and up in creeks. Find the clearest water possible in the creeks. Use the Culprit green shad worms on the points as tight as possible. In the Spring Creek area use a floating Rapala with a gold side and black back and work it slowly around grass beds. Frogs are still working just be sure to use a braid. Try the Culprit worm in dark colors over the grass and wood cover. Fishing is better later each day as the water warms. Finesse worms floated over grass beds or a u tail worm in dark colors, can work after the sun is up. Use a light 1/16 lead weight on the edges of the grass. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
January 13, 2012Bass fishing is good. The recent cold front cooled down
the water temperatures and really grouped the fish up in tight schools. Look
for grass points that are close to the edge of sandbars, as the fish will
use these as staging areas. To catch fish off of these areas, use two crank
baits. A Spro Little John in Nasty Shad works well on the shallower points
from 3-5 feet of water. This bait has a circuit board lip and has tremendous
action and comes through the grass really good. The other crank bait goes a
little deeper and does not have a rattle. It is a Stanford Cedar Shad, the
Razor Shad in Medium Diver. Any shad color will work. This bait is extremely
buoyant and floats out of the grass really well. I would definitely change
the hooks on it, though, to size 2 Gamakatsu EWG Treble Hooks. Another
pattern that is emerging is flipping dead hyacinths on the Chattahoochee
River . Look for dead hyacinths in the pockets or canals off of the main
river and flip a Big Bite Baits Yo Daddy in Black/Blue with a 1 1/2 oz.
tungsten weight. Use a 4/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Worm Hook and 65 lb.
Sunline FX2 Braid. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down
Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
January 6, 2012
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1', CLEAR, 55*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. His month the best search bait to
use is lipless crank bait such as a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in MudBug Red. You
don't have to change the hooks on this bait because it comes out of the
package with number 2 Mustad. We have been having more success by allowing
this bait to sink all the way to the bottom before retrieving. It will get
hung up in the grass, but with a good rod and some 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper,
you can fish it and rip it free from the hydrilla. Some of the hydrilla will
still be alive, and some dead. If the fish aren't biting in the ditches,
then start moving up on the flats and fishing the shallower water. A good
bait for the flats is the New Spro Fat John in Nasty Shad. This bait allows
you to fish a little slower and more methodical. The flats will be pretty
thick with grass, so you can slow down and even stop the bait when you feel
grass so that it will float up and out of the hydrilla. This is a deadly
technique for cold water bass. With the warmer days ahead, look for the fish
to start moving into the backwater to spawn. When this occurs, the flipping
bite will start to get really good. Look for dead vegetation such as
hyacinths and flip a Big Bite Baits 4" Yo Momma in Hematoma on a 1 ounce
Tungsten and a New 5/0 Gamakatsu Flipping Hook. Use at least 60 pound.
Sunline Braid. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan
technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
December 28, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1', CLEAR, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are feeding up for
the winter and heavy largemouth’s can be caught all over the lake right now.
The best places are grass flats near the edge of the river channel out on
the main lake. The best search bait for finding fish is a lipless crankbait
such as a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red. This bait can be worked fast
over the tops of the grass with a steady retrieve or a yo-yo action. When
fishing this bait, be sure to use at least 16 lb. Sunline Fluorocarbon, as
it is some of the best on the market. Once you locate fish in the grass, you
can slow down and fish a slower shallow running crankbait such as a Stanford
Cedar Baits Patriot 1.5 in Tennessee Shad. Just make sure you change the
hooks to Gamakatsu EWG Bronze Treble Hooks Size 4. This bait has a lot of
buoyancy and is awesome when eased through the tops of the grass beds. Learn
how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with
Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools. Order the new Wave Away
Screen Cleaner @
www.waveaway.com and
put Ken Sturdivant in the referral box.
December 23, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1', CLEAR, 59*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the fish are grouping up and the
pre spawn bite is already starting. Fish the edges of grass flats in 7 to 10
feet of water out on the main lake. A lipless crankbait is your best choice
of bait. Use a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red. The coots are pulling the
grass up and it is a little aggravating to fish but use a good rod with 20
pound test Sunline fluorocarbon to rip the bait free from the grass. If the
lipless crankbait bite slows down, you can switch to a cedar bait such as a
Stanford Patriot 1.5 in Summer Color. Another technique is to fish a Texas
-Rig 5" Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in Tilapia for suspended fish in Spring
Creek. The fish will be relating to the edges of the deep grass lines in
Spring Creek. The best places are grass lines with big stumps present, as
the fish will relate to these with the cold weather coming. This rig only
works if you rig it up correctly and avoid line twists. Use a 1/4 ounce
Tungsten, a 4/0 Gamakatsu off set Shank worm hook and 16 pound test Sunline
Fluorocarbon to get the best out of this rig. It is a slow technique, but
can pay off big time especially after cold fronts. Learn how to use the
Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On
the Water” fishing schools.
December 16, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1', CLEAR, 57*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The lipless crankbait bite and shallow crankbait bite has really turned on down on the main lake. The fish are still somewhat relating to the grass lines and have not yet moved up on top of the flats. Target the areas that are near ditches and grass lines that have good points and cuts on them. Fish with a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory and rip it out of the shallow grass. To fish the deeper grass lines and points/ditches use a Stanford Razor Shad Medium Diver in shad color. This bait really comes through the grass nice as it is a cedar bait that has good buoyancy. Once you find a group of fish, then you can really slow down with a Texas Rig 6" Big Bite Kriet Kreature in Watermelon Seed. This is a big bait so you need at least a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook and a 3/8 ounce tungsten weight. Make sure you use heavy line in order to get the fish out of the grass. Don't be scared to use 20 pound Sunline fluorocarbon as it is some of the best that we have ever fished with. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good and the cool weather is making the fish
bite. The lipless crankbait bite and shallow crankbait bite has really turned on
down on the main lake. The fish are still somewhat relating to the grass lines
and have not yet moved up on top of the flats. Target the areas that are near
ditches and grass lines that have good points and cuts on them. Fish with a Spro
Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory and rip it out of the shallow grass. To fish the
deeper grass lines and points/ditches use a Stanford Razor Shad Medium Diver in
Shad color. This bait really comes through the grass nice as it is a Cedar bait
that has good buoyancy. Once you find a group of fish, then you can really slow
down with a Texas Rig 6" Big Bite Kriet Kreature in Watermelon Seed. This is a
big bait, so you need at least a 5/0 Gamakatsu Worm hook and a 3/8 oz tungsten
weight. Make sure you use heavy line in order to get the fish out of the grass.
Don't be scared to use 20 lb. Sunline Fluorocarbon, as it is some of the best
that I have ever fished with. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and
Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
Bass fishing
is fair. There are bass after the lipless crankbaits on the main lake. To
cash in on this bite, you need to use a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in old glory
color on 20 lb. Sunline fluorocarbon. The best places to fish the bait are
on grass points on the main lake. The grass has actually started dying back
already, and in some of these places it may be underwater. This is where
your Lowrance electronics especially with a Navionics chip will aid anglers
find humps and points. This time of year, the fish really just prefer a
steady retrieve with the bait. Another pattern that is working well is to
fish a spinnerbait in these same areas or a soft plastic jerkbait. A good
spinnerbait to use is a 1/2 ounce Strikezone Lure Company Edgebuster
spinnerbait in chartreuse/white or bumble bee. The best soft plastic
jerkbait to use is a 6 inch Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow in glow silver on a
6/0 EWG Gamakatsu Hook. Learn how to use the Lowrance Structure Scan and
Down Scan technology with Southern Fishing “On the Water” fishing schools.
Bass fishing is good. The cooler weather has finally started settling in and the bass are biting a little better. There is a pretty good lipless crankbait bite going on right now. Look for shallow grass flats in about 4 to 5 feet of water and throw a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or Chrome and Black. Sometimes the fish will be on top of the flat and the Rat L Trap will catch them. But, sometimes the fish will be on the edge of the flat in a little bit deeper water. A great way to catch them is to throw a Stanford Medium Razor Shad in Summer Color. These Stanford baits are making a come back and are awesome cedar crankbaits for the grass on Lake Seminole . Another pattern that is really turning on is flipping main lake grass lines. When flipping, look for about 7 to 8 feet of water and use 1 oz. weights, 5/0 Gamakatsu Heavy Cover Worm hooks, a Snell Knot, and a 6" Big Bite Baits Kreit Kreature in Watermelon. Take a pair of scissors and cut off the middle tentacles on the Kreit Kreature. This gives the bait an awesome look to the fish and they seem to grab the head of it more for better hook ups.
IT’S BED TIME!!!! Warmer weather and the spawn are making for some great bass fishing on Lake Seminole. The bigger bags in tournaments this weekend were caught bed fishing. Males are up on the beds and the females are staging up waiting for the water temperatures to get right. Look for clear water with temperatures near the 65 degree mark. The flats in Spring Creek are a great spot to start looking for fresh beds. A Texas rigged Producto Lures, white crawdad on 15lb fluorocarbon line works very well. Its low profile increases you bite to hook-up ratio. Remember every fish is different. Read their body language and vary your baits/tactics to take advantage of his mood/temperament. If they are real Spooky you may have to back off, make longer cast on down size you presentation.
A couple things to remember when bed fishing. First, every bed has a sweet spot. When your bait is on or near the bed pay close attention to what particular part of the bed he is guarding. Try to get your bait right on that spot. Second, when he picks up your bait he is trying to kill it not eat it so he will “mouth “the bait. If he doesn’t get the hook don’t rip it away from him. He will eventually drop it. Once he does twitch it as hard as you can without moving it. This almost always triggers another much more aggressive strike. Lastly be patient, every fish will eventually bite the bait that’s in his bed. It’s largely a matter of how fast you can irritate him to the point of wanting to kill your bait. Don't be afraid to experiment. If the male/female is on the bed they are not going to leave it especially if you can see them both. The male will almost always be locked on if the female is close by and that makes him very catchable.
Bed fishing can be both a load of fun and a load of frustration. Remember, you are after the female. Once you catch the male let things calm down. If the female doesn't come to the bed right away leave 15 minutes or so then sneak back in and see if the female is guarding the bed. In one case this weekend I had another male come in and take the bed 3 minutes after I caught the original owner...Yep I caught him too! Good luck and happy fishing.
February 18, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 55*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good.
The fish are in different stages of the spawn on different areas of the lake.
With the warm weather and the full moon on Friday, look for some bass to be
spawning and look for a lot to be cruising the shallows. Target backwater areas
that have clear water, as the main lake and rivers are extremely muddy from all
of the recent rainfall. While looking for spawning fish, swim a 7" Big Bite
Baits Sugar Cane Worm in Watermelon Pearl. Use a 1/4 ounce. Tungsten, and a 4/0
Offset shank Gamakatsu hook. This bait swims real well and gives a tremendous
action with its paddle tail. You can also still find some pre-spawn fish on the
lake right now. The best places to look for these is depressions or ponds where
the fish will stack up in. Use a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red or Old Glory,
on 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon line. This bait will catch quality and
numbers.
February 11, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 53*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair.
The water is still really cold, and the bass are on the verge of moving up, but
haven't really done so just quite yet. They are really a little unpredictable
because of the unstable weather. The more consistent bite is found in deeper
water in Fish Pond Drain or Spring Creek. Grass humps and grass edges that are
near spawning areas are the best spots. When you locate these areas, fish them
with a crank bait and a Carolina rig. The crank bait that works best and has
tremendous action is a Spro Little John DD. For color, I would use Nasty Shad.
On the Carolina Rig use a 3/4 ounce bullet sinker, a long leader, and a 6/0
Gamakatsu Superline hook with a 6" Big Bite Baits trick stick in green pumpkin.
When warmer days come, expect the fish to move up on top of the flats and then
they can be caught with a Spro Aruku Shad 75.
February 4, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 53*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The warming up
and cooling off have the fish confused, but they are really moving up to spawn.
Fish the grass flats with Spro Aruku Shad 75's in Mudbug Red or Old Glory. The
depth range has been about 4 to 7 feet. The closer you are to sand, the better.
There have been some reports of fish being caught off of sand already. Sandbars
that are closer to deeper water are the best ones, as these will be the ones
that the first wave of spawners will use. The best rig for fishing the bars is a
Carolina rigged 6" Big Bite Baits finesse worm in green pumpkin or junebug. Use
16 pound Sunline FC Sniper for your main line and 14 pound Machinegun Cast for
your leader. You really need a long leader for Seminole due to the grass.
Usually about 4 to 5 feet will do the trick. Be sure to use a really sharp hook,
because the long leader will make it hard to get a good hook set. A 3/0 offset
Gamakatsu will do the trick as these are the best hooks on the planet.
January 21, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 52*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The bass are in their
first stages of pre spawn. Look for spots that are near to spawning areas, such
as ditches that run through flats, as the bass will use these as highways to
their spawning grounds. A Navionics chip for your depth finder comes in handy
when locating these spots. Once you find an area to fish, the best search bait
to use is a lipless crank bait such as a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mud Bug Red.
You don't have to change the hooks on this bait because it comes out of the
package with number 2 Gamakatsu. We had more success by allowing this bait to
sink all the way to the bottom before retrieving. It will get hung up in the
grass, but with a good rod and some 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper, you can fish it
and rip it free from the hydrilla. Some of the hydrilla will still be alive, and
some dead. We haven't really noticed any difference because the fish have seemed
to be relating to both. If the fish aren't biting in the ditches, then start
moving up on the flats and fishing the shallower water. A good bait for the
flats is the New Spro Fat John in Nasty Shad. This bait allows you to fish a
little slower and more methodical. The flats will be pretty thick with grass, so
you can slow down and even stop the bait when you feel grass so that it will
float up and out of the hydrilla. This is a deadly technique for cold water
bass. With the warmer days ahead, look for the fish to start moving into the
backwater to spawn. When this occurs, the flipping bite will start to get really
good. Look for dead vegetation such as hyacinths and flip a Big Bite Baits 4" Yo
Momma in Hematoma on a 1 ounce Tungsten and a New 5/0 Gamakatsu Flipping Hook.
Use at least 60 pound test Sunline Braid.
January 14, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED, 46*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Well I haven't been out since the recent
frigid weather, but the fish were biting real well on the edge of grass flats
near 10 feet of water on the main lake. Fish a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red
on 20 lb. Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. The fish are near ditches and channels
that run into grass flats on the main lake. Last weekend there were many fish
caught using this technique. The other technique is to fish a drop shot over in
the Spring Creek area. Find the deepest water available, which is either in the
old creek channel or near springs. Use a 1/4 oz. drop shot weight, 8 lb. Sunline
FC Sniper, a size 2 Gamakatsu Wide Gap Finesse hook, and nose hook a 4" Big Bite
Baits Squirrel Tail worm in Green Pumpkin w/ Chartreuse Tail. The Squirrel Tail
worm shows the fish something a little different, especially on a drop shot rig.
Use your electronics to help you locate the baitfish and the bait then drop your
rig right down to them and shake, shake, shake.
January 7, 2011
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR, 48*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. Try Spring Creek and use
the old Texas rig. Your electronics really come handy when finding these places
because shad use this old channel to migrate during the winter time. Once you
find the bait balls, the bass will be suspended near and around them in the
timber. Use a 5" Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in black and blue and all brown on a
3/16 ounce black Tru-Tungsten and a 5/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook. Use this
rig in the points and channel bends of the old creek channel. The old creek
channel ranges from 20 to 26 feet in places and the edges of it range from 15 to
18 feet. Another pattern that works pretty well is flipping dead hyacinths
pretty much anywhere they are found in backwaters of the Flint and Hooch. Use a
1 1/2 ounce Tru-Tungsten and a 5/0 Straight Shank Gamakatsu hook along with a 4"
Big Bite Baits Yo Momma in Hematoma. If we get a little warm spell, and the
water temps start to climb, then break out the Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red
and start cranking grass flats.
December 24, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 50*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The fish are on deep
creek bends down lake. After a few days of warm weather look for the crank bait
and spinner baits cast on the bank cover and slowly worked to get small strikes.
Watch the water temperatures all day and find the warmest water in the north
west coves for any active fish. Any warm up next month should spark the fish to
start to the shallows. Mid day spinner baits down lake in the creeks may work
but drag the baits slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner
baits with bright blades. With any sun warming look for the bass to move to the
creek channels and points during the day. Use the all black or all brown 1/2
Stanley ounce jig and a Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the points.
December 17, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR, 52*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The cold weather has really dropped
the water temperatures into the low 50's and even high 40's in some places. That
has put the shad on the move toward deeper water. The best place to fish this
time of year is in Spring Creek. Spring Creek is loaded with deep water and
standing timber in which the bass suspend. The best places are near the bends
and points of the old creek channel from about 22 to 24 feet deep. There are 3
deadly tactics that we like to use during this time. The best technique for
numbers of fish is to fish a drop shot rig. Use a size 2 Gamakatsu finesse wide
gap hook and a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce drop shot weight, depending on the wind. Use
either a bait caster or a spinning outfit, but the spinning gear works much
better. Use 8 pound Sunline Fluorocarbon FC Sniper line. This line is extremely
sensitive and has low memory. Use your electronics to find the balls of shad and
drop your bait right underneath them. The best bait to use is a 6" Big Bite
Baits finesse worm in green pumpkin or watermelon. The other technique works
well when the bass are suspended up off the bottom. Texas rig a 6" Big Bite
Baits Trick Stick in watermelon with red flake. Use a 3/16 ounce Tungsten and a
5/0 Offset Gamakatsu hook and 16 pound Sunline FC Sniper. Stay in the old creek
channel and throw into the stumps targeting the larger size trees. The bait
falls slow and the bass will hit it on the way down. The last technique is
awesome for catching giants. Use a Spro Little John DD in Citrus Shad or Nasty
Shad. Use 12 pound test Sunline to get the bait down deep enough to reach the
fish. The best places are on the points and bends of the old creek channel. If
the weather starts to warm, look for the bass to move up on the flats. Then it
will be time to break out the Rat L Traps and power poles.
December 10, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 52* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and the fish are still getting used
to the cold. The water temperature has dropped nearly 10 degrees over the course
of a week. We have had some unusually cold December weather. With the cold the
fish will be grouping up and looking for heat in wood, grass, and hyacinths. You
have many options right now. The standing timber is Spring Creek offers some
good winter fishing along the deep creek channel, as the shad will be looking
for the deepest water possible to escape the cold. Two techniques work real well
over in the creek. A drop shot Big Bite Baits 6" Finesse worm is hard to beat
for numbers. The best way to rig the bait it to use a No. 2 Gamakatsu wide gap
finesse hook and nose hook the finesse worm on the hook. Weight size depends on
the wind so use a 3/16 for little or no wind and a 1/4 to 5/16 for windy
conditions. The key to this pattern is finding the bends in the old creek
channel. Some of the bends will be 22 to 24 feet deep, and this is where the
fish will group up. Use a spinning outfit and 8 pound Sunline FC Sniper for this
technique. The other technique for this time of year is to fish the 7 to 10 feet
hydrilla edges on the main lake. The best way to fish these areas is to slow
crank either a Spro Little John MD in Nasty Shad or a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old
Glory. The 3rd and final technique is to go in the backwaters of the
Chattahoochee and flip dead hyacinths, as the fish will group up underneath
these to get warm. Sunny days work best for this technique. Use a 4" Big Bite
Baits Yo Momma in Hematoma teamed up with a 1 1/4 ounce Tru Tungsten weight and
65 pound braid.
December 3, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1 FOOT, 56* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The cooler
weather is grouping the fish up in schools and pre-spawn is actually already
starting. The fish are currently on deeper grass edges on the main part of the
lake and in ditches that are at least 7 feet deep. It may take a while to find a
school of fish, but once you do you can catch quality and numbers. The best bait
for locating fish is a Spro Aruku Shad 75. Color doesn't matter, although mudbug
red has been doing pretty well. Change your hooks over to number 2 Gamakatsu
EWG's. They go through the grass better. This time of year, your technique is
very important. You want to pull the bait through the grass instead of jerking
it. Once you locate fish, catch them with the Aruku Shad until they quit biting,
but then switch over to a Texas rig 6"Big Bite Baits Trick Stick in green
pumpkin. Use a 1/4 Tungsten weight and a 5/0 Gamakatsu off set shank with 20
pound on Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon.
November 19, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 68* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The shallow
cranking and Rat L Trap bite is turning on pretty good with the cooler weather.
Target the edge of grass flats on the main lake in order to find nice fish. The
grass is starting to die back, so it makes it a little easier to fish a crank
bait. In order to make the best of this bite, you need the right setup. Use a 7
foot glass cranking rod and a reel with at least a 6:2:1 gear ratio. Spool your
reel up with 20 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon and get some Spro Aruku
Shad 75's in chrome blue, chrome black, clear chartreuse, and purple rain. The
technique is pretty simple, just parallel the grass line and throw the trap up
into the grass and reel and rip! Just reel the Rat L Trap until you feel it tick
the grass then rip it out. This bite works reall1y well with wind present, but
can slow down with no wind. If you find fish and they quit biting the trap, then
switch to a swim bait. Big Bite Baits has a new small swim bait called the Cane
Thumper. This bait is awesome and Big Bite offers it in some great colors like
Easy Money and Sexy Shad. You can rig this bait on a weighted Gamakatsu EWG hook
and just reel it through and over the tops of the hydrilla in the same areas.
November 12, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 68* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The shallow cranking and trap bite
is turning on pretty good with the cold weather. Target the edge of grass flats
on the main lake in order to find nice fish. The grass is starting to die back,
so it makes it a little easier to fish a crank bait. In order to make the best
of this bite, you need the right setup. Use a 7 foot glass cranking rod and a
reel with at least a 6:2:1 gear ratio. Spool your reel up with 20 pound Sunline
FC Sniper Fluorocarbon and get some Spro Aruku Shad 75's in chrome blue, chrome
black, clear chartreuse, and purple rain. The technique is pretty simple, just
parallel the grass line and throw the trap up into the grass and reel and rip!
Just reel the Tat L Trap until you feel it tick the grass then rip it out. This
bite works reall1y well with wind present, but can slow down with no wind. If
you find fish and they quit biting the trap, then switch to a swim bait. Big
Bite Baits has a new small swim bait called the Cane Thumper. This bait is
awesome and Big Bite offers it in some great colors like Easy Money and Sexy
Shad. You can rig this bait on a weighted Gamakatsu EWG hook and just reel it
through and over the tops of the hydrilla in the same areas.
November 5, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 71* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is tough and the fish are on the flats and in
the backwaters. Fish grass flats with a Spro Little John in Nasty Shad. Try and
find defined grass lines on the flat and parallel them with a crank bait. You
may have to cover a lot of water before you find a group of fish. If this isn’t
working, you can go flip hyacinths in the backwaters of the Hooch. The fish have
seemed to move into the backwaters following the bait. With the cold fronts, the
fish get underneath the hyacinths and can be caught flipping a 4" Big Bite Baits
Yo Momma in Hematoma color. Make sure to use a 1 oz. Tungsten weight and a 5/0
Gamakatsu Straight Shank hook as these are the sharpest hooks you can use.
October 29, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1 feet, 74* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. With the numerous
bass tournaments that have been going on, the fish are heavily pressured and
have nearly shut down completely. The lake bite has been extremely slow with
most fishermen hardly catching anything. Your best bet for catching bass right
now is to find water that has had less fishing pressure. Fishing backwaters or
going way up the Chattahoochee, Flint, or Spring creek is your best bet for
finding less pressured fish. In the backwaters, flipping or frog fishing is
about your best bet. When flipping, use a 1 ounce Tungsten, 25 pound Sunline
fluorocarbon, and a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Prime Rib. For frog
fishing use a Spro Popper in Nasty Shad. If you decide to go up the rivers or
way up Spring Creek, you really only need one bait, which would be a jerk bait.
A Spro McStick in Blue Bandit is hard to beat. In order to get the best action
out of the bait, use 10 to 12 pound Sunline fluorocarbon or drop all the way
down to 8 pound and use a spinning outfit.
OCTOBER 22, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1 feet, 78* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is tough and with all of
the tournaments on the lake, the fishing pressure has nearly shut down the bite.
Most of the tournaments are being won by fishing the frog and flipping.
The grass beds are really matted and the tops of them are beginning to die back
and turn to scum. Early in the morning is the best time to throw the frog and
the bite will last for only an hour or so then it is time to flip. For the frog,
use a Spro Popper in Nasty Shad. When targeting grass lines for flipping, the
ones in 7 to 10 feet of water have seemed to be producing better. With the
fishing pressure 25 pound Sunline fluorocarbon is a must instead of braid. The
best set up for flipping is a 1 and 1/4 ounce Tungsten weight a 5/0 straight
shank Gamakatsu hook and a 4" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog in Blue Fleck. The
main deal with the flipping is to fish extremely slow and try not to make much
noise.
October 15, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1 feet, 77* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and they are biting but it’s best to
find the clearest water in the creeks. Use the dark Culprit green shad worms in
the grass as tight as possible can draw a strike. In the Spring Creek area, use
a floating Culprit worm in dark colors over the grass and wood cover. Fishing is
better later each day as the water warms. Zoom green trick worms floated over
grass beds or a u tail worm in dark colors, can work after the sun is up. Use
greens and crawfish colors on a light 1/16 lead weight on the edges of the
grass. A Spro grass frog will work in all white or green frog patterns. Sebile
shad colored Swimmers are also working up the lake on the river bends and in
pockets off the river.
October 1, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1 feet, 85* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The two best
techniques we have found to work lately are flipping and fishing a jerk bait.
Flipping main lake grass beds in 7 to 10 feet of water is a good way to pick up
some bites. If the bite is extremely tough, use a 4 inch Big Bite Baits Yo Momma
in Hematoma. This bait does not have a lot of leg kicking action, but glides
through the water in a subtle motion which sometimes draws more strikes when the
fish are non aggressive. The other bait to use when the flipping bite is really
on is a 4 inch Big Bite Fighting Frog. This bait has tremendous action and an
awesome hook up ratio. Rig both of these baits with a 1 to 1 ½ ounce Tru
Tungsten weight and a 5/0 Gamakatsu Superline hook. Fish points on main lake
grass beds with a Spro McStick jerk bait. Color depends on weather conditions.
Sunny skies call for chrome shad, and clouds call for the blue bandit. You will
get more bites if you use a spinning reel and 8 pound Sunline FC Sniper
fluorocarbon. If the weather cools off, the grass will start dying, and the
shallow-cranking and rattle type bait will pick up.
Septembr 24, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1 feet, 85* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The heat and absence of rain still
has the bite tough. Even the early morning and late evening top water bite has
slowed down. The two best techniques that we have found to work lately are
flipping and fishing a jerk bait. Flipping main lake grass beds in 7 to 10 feet
of water is a good way to pick up some bites. There are two basic flipping baits
to use depending on the mood of the fish. If the bite is extremely tough, use
a 4" Big Bite Baits Yo Momma. This bait does not have a lot of leg kicking
action but glides through the water in a subtle motion which sometimes draws
more strikes when the fish are non aggressive. The other bait to use when the
flipping bite is really on is a 4" Big Bite Fighting Frog. This bait has
tremendous action and an awesome hook up ratio due to the hook slots in the
bait. Rig both of these baits with a 1 and 1/2 ounce tungsten weight and a 5/0
Gamakatsu Superline hook. Fish points on main lake grass beds with a Spro
McStick jerk bait. Color depends on weather conditions. Sunny skies call for
Chrome Shad, and clouds call for the blue Bandit. You will get more bites if you
use a spinning reel and 8 pound Sunline FC Sniper fluorocarbon. If the weather
finally cools off, the grass will start dying off and the shallow cranking and
rattle trap bite will pick up.
September 10, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 84* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has been barely fair.
The bass have been slow on the lake except for early in the morning and late in
the evening as long as you are in a good spot. There are numerous grass beds
that are topped out on the lower end of the lake on the Hooch. Any of these
grass beds can be good early in the morning for top water and plastic jerk
baits. Fish a Spro Dawg 100 in old glory, followed up with a 6" Big Bite Baits
Jerk Minnow in white. When fish hit and miss the top water, the Jerk Minnow is
hard to beat as a follow up lure. When the sun comes up, the bite gets extremely
tough. There is somewhat of a flipping bite, but you can go all day long and
only get a couple of bites. Your best bet is to buy some gas and travel as far
of the Flint River as you feel comfortable with. The shoals don't start getting
bad until you get slightly above Reynolds’s Sandbar which is about 10 miles
above Bainbridge. There is good current up the river and the bass, whether it is
largemouth or shoalies, will bite better. Use a Spro McStick jerk bait in Blue
Bandit on a spinning reel and 8 pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon. A 4" Big
Bite Fighting Frog rigged with a 1/2 Tungsten and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Offset Shank
hook works well too when bounced up and down off of the rocks. For color on the
fighting frog use something that resembles a crawfish.
September 3, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 86* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has not changed much over the past few weeks.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, Spooks, and Pop R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. So go to flipping
matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the rivers and
Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your plastics
need to be either watermelon seed or green pumpkin or some other clear water
color. Along with the top water bite, we have been catching some nice fish
cranking grass, specifically inside grass lines. Use the sexy shad and rip over
the grass. Look for some hydrilla and get the frogs out and run them over the
grass to the holes and hold on. If you have clouds and any wind stick with top
water all day. If it is bright and sunny, start moving to the secondary points
throwing jigs and Carolina rigs.
August 27, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 feet, 86* CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has been just plain out tough but
there is still a early and late top water bite. The fish have seemed to move
shallower in the grass, which is odd but true. The best way to catch early
morning or late bass is to fish a Big Bite Bait 3.5" Top Toad in White. Rig this
on heavy braid with a 5/0 Gamakatsu Superline hook. There are good frog holes
all over the lake, but the better ones seem to be shallow up next to the bank on
inside grass lines. Bream and minnows are up on the banks early in the morning
feeding on insects and the Top Toad will catch the biggest bass in the lake.
After the sun comes up, then head to Spring Creek and fish deep grass lines with
a crank bait and Texas-rig. For cranking, use a Spro Little John DD in
Chartreuse Shad and for the Texas-rig, go with a Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Tail
Worm in green pumpkin. Rig both the crank bait and Texas-rig on 16 lb Sunline
Super Fluorocarbon. See www.bigbitebaits.com and check out the new Sugar Cane
Worm that is soon to be released. The infamous Paddle Tail worm made by Zeta
Bait Co. has long been an absolute hammer on Lake Seminole. The Sugar Cane Worm
from Big Bite is going to be an absolute beast on Seminole. It has a unique head
design similar to the Cane Stick and a big paddle tail that gives out a lot of
vibration and thump. It is going to be offered in two sizes and I can't wait to
get my hands on it. Once again please visit
www.bigbitebaits.com to see their new line of
baits.
July 24, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .5 feet, 86*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has gotten somewhat tough over the
past couple of weeks. There is still a good early morning top water bite if you
are in the right spot. Grass beds that are near the river channel on the main
lake have seemed to be producing a little better. For top water, use a Spro Dawg
100 in Old Glory. For best results use braided line and a good long rod such as
a 7'6" Falcon Lowrider to get the bass out of the grass. We change the hooks
over sized #2 Gamakatsu EWG Treble hooks. These hooks seem to be a little more
weedless than the round bend hooks. When the top water bite is over, fish the
same areas with a Texas rig. Use a Big Bite Baits 6" Kreit Tail Worm in
Watermelon or Tilapia on a 1/4 ounce Tungsten weight, 4/0 Gamakatsu off-set
hook, and 20 lb. Sunline Fluorocarbon. The Sunline fluorocarbon is extremely
sensitive and has high knot strength. Big Bite Baits is in the process of
developing some new baits. One particular bait is called the Sugar Cane worm and
should be awesome for Seminole because it is similar to a paddle tail. Make sure
you go to
www.bigbitebaits.com to see the Sugar Cane Worm and other new baits.
July 16, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, 87*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. Top water in the early
morning before the sun comes up is still working pretty good as long as you are
in the right spot. Grass lines that run close to the river channel seem to be
best. Fish a Spro Dawg 100 in any color that resembles a shad, such as Old
Glory. Use braided line and a 7' Falcon Buco medium heavy action rod. The top
water bite only lasts as long as the Sun is down and ends pretty much as soon as
it rises over the tree tops. If the weather is cloudy, then you can pretty much
catch them on the top water all day. When the Sun comes up, the fishing gets a
little tough. One way to still manage some bites is to slow down with a
Texas-rig worm on grass points on the main lake. Use a Big Bite Baits 10" Kreit
Tail worm in Green Pumpkin or Watermelon Red. Use the BioBait formula because
fish bite and won't let go. Use a 3/8 to 1/2 Tungsten weight and a 5/0 Gamakatsu
off set shank hook. Fluorocarbon line is a must with this technique and the best
out there is Sunline. Sunline FC Sniper in 20 pound test is hard to beat when
teamed up with a 7'3" Falcon T7 Cara Amistad Micro Guide Rod. You can feel
everything little piece of cover which is very important when worm fishing in
Hydrilla.
July 9, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, 86*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The frog bite is still one of
the better techniques happening right now on Seminole. There are basically two
different techniques for frog techniques that seem to be working well. Swimming
a 3.5" Bite Baits Top Toad in Green Pumpkin Pearl over the tops of matted grass
has been working real well when fish are in a chasing mood. You can usually tell
when that fish are in this type of mood, because you will see the bass chasing
minnows, bream, and shad up in the grass. When this type of action is present,
use the swimming technique with the top toad. For this method, I like to use a
heavy action Falcon 7'4" Cara T7 with 20 lb. Sunline Super Fluorocarbon. The
best hook for this frog is simply a 5/0 Gamakatsu EWG. If you are not seeing
much action in the grass, then the bass are probably inactive and they may want
a slower presentation. There is no better frog on the market right now than the
Spro Bronzeye Popper. Working the popper can be a bit tricky, but really there
is no right or wrong way, just experiment with the bait and make sure you get it
to pop when retrieving. Color depends on how bright the sky is. On bright, sunny
days use a Natural Green, Green Tree, or Toad. On dark, cloudy days use a darker
color such as Natural Red or Rainforest Black. Look for holes in the grass and
work the frog over the holes with a fast steady retrieve. When you fish over the
tops of mats, slow the bait down. For this technique, you need a longer rod and
heavy braid. Use 50 to 65 pound braid and a rod such as a Falcon 7'11" Bobby's
Perfect Frog Rod.
July 2, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, 88*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and top water baits are the
ticket at daylight and dusk. Buzz baits from 1/8 to 3/8 ounce have been the best
along with Pop R’s, Chug Bugs and Torpedo’s. Most fish are coming from any type
cover in the coves and creeks. Don’t waste much time in areas with little or no
shad present. Grass can be the best cover on days when the lake is a foot or
less below full pool. Make sure to use a trailer hook for a higher hook-up
percentage. If fish are still missing the bait, down size the bait or find a
comeback like spinner baits, Flukes, Rapala, weightless worms and other top
water lures. Bass are being caught from docks and brush piles, mainly on soft
plastics and jigs. On the docks, try a Zoom 6 inch Dead Ringer with a ¼ ounce
weight for more active fish. If the fish are inactive, use a Zoom Finesse worm
with a 1/8 ounce weight and fish slowly. Good colors for both are June bug,
green pumpkin, and red bug in clearer water.
June 18, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, 88*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and it’s taking way over 20
pounds to win most tournaments. There are several different patterns that are
working right now on the lake, but the best seems to be fishing frogs over heavy
cover. Frogs have been catching fish over any type of cover as long as it is
thick and blocks out the sun. There are two types of frogs to fish and both will
catch big bass. For a early morning bite, fish a Big Bite Baits Top Toad in
green pumpkin pearl. We rig this bait on a 5/0 Superline Gamakatsu on 20 pound
Sunline Super Fluorocarbon. You need a good frog rod that is long enough to make
long casts such as a Falcon 7'3" Cara Amistad. The other frog pattern is using a
Spro Bronzeye Popping Frog in natural green or green tree. This pattern works
all day and catches big ones. Lily pads, hydrilla, scum, coontail and pepper
grass are all good types of vegetation to fish both frogs in. For the popper be
sure to use braid and a heavy action rod such as a Falcon 7'10" Bobby's Perfect
Frog Rod. Be sure to use the Lowrance Structure Scan to scout out waters with
the long range beams.
June 11, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 80*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has been good
early on double blades buzz baits with an all white skirt. Cast over the grass
and hit the pockets. The all white trick worms and gold black back Rapalas on
the grass lines in Spring Creek are good. Shad crank baits and jig and pigs in
reds and blacks are good. Cast to the grass and work the stumps on the edges of
the creeks. Crank baits should be in bone and orange bellies in the creeks on
secondary points. Live bass shiners or live lizards on the creek bends and on
the river ledges are fair. There is a major feeding period this week right in
the middle of the day. The best bet for fishing is to head up the rivers to beat
the heat. Be sure to use the Lowrance Structure Scan to scout out waters with
the long range beams.
June 4, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 80*
MAIN LAKE IS STAINED, CREEKS ARE CLEAR
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is somewhat slow. The fishing has been
a little up and down lately. The fish are some what scattered all over the lake.
The best fishing has seemed to be shallow around sand and grass. The bass are
cruising near bream beds and can be caught using several different techniques.
The best techniques are to either fish with top water, frog, or Texas rig. For
top water, use a Spro Bronzeye Popper in Natural Green. This bait can be fished
several different ways. You may fish it with a steady retrieve with short pops,
or a slower retrieve with long/harder pops. Just experiment with the bait until
you find which works. Make sure to use braided line and a good frog rod like a
7'11" Falcon Bobby's Perfect Frog Rod. A Texas rig may also be used to catch
these cruising bass around bream beds. Use a 6" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm
in Tilapia color with a 1/4 oz tungsten weight and a 4/0 Gamakatsu Off set shank
hook. Make sure to use good sensitive line with your Texas rig so that you can
detect those "light bites". Sunline has a new fluorocarbon line called Super
Fluorocarbon. It has a great price and is an awesome line for Texas rigs. We use
20 lb in stained water and 16 lb in clear water
March 26, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 64* MAIN LAKE IS STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and
rivers are muddy and creek is clear. The bass are either on the bed spawning or
very near to these areas. The places where I have been catching the pre spawn
bass are not producing anymore, because the fish have moved up near sand.
Anywhere you find sand in the creek or Fish Pond Drain is a good place to fish.
Use a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Pro lizard in green pumpkin or a Carolina
rig 6" Big Bite Baits Finesse worm in green pumpkin. If you find it hard to
catch the fish directly on the sand, then back off and fish the edges of the
bars with the Texas or Carolina Rig. If this pattern isn't working, then
sometimes the fish want an even slower presentation. If there is no wind, use a
weightless 5" Big Bite Baits Cane Stick in green pumpkin. If you really enjoy
sight fishing another option is to fish a little faster. Tie on a Spro Little
John in Chrome Olive and crank with your trolling motor on 50 % looking for
beds. This allows you to at least do some fishing while you are looking for
beds, and every now and again you get lucky and catch a good one on the Little
John. Make sure to use a good limber rod with the Little John, like a 7' Falcon
Bucoo in medium action. As the fish come off of the beds, they get a little
lethargic and don't move very much. The males and the females both will hang
around some type of cover, deep or shallow and just suspend. The males will be
guarding fry and the best way to catch these fish is with a jerk bait. A Spro
McStick in Blue Bandit is a good way to catch these fish that are either
guarding fry or just hanging around recovering from the spawn.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being caught in backwater ponds on
the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the bowl in Big Jim's, Grassy
Flats, and the run leading into Jack's has been producing some nice fish. Fish
these areas with a 1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and Head
Firecracker Tail. Use 6 lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6" Falcon
Bucoo spinning rod. Fish the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to grass or
stumps in these areas.
March 19, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 58* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and
Rivers are muddy and creek is clear. The bass are either on the bed spawning or
very near to these areas. The places where I have been catching the pre spawn
bass are not producing anymore, because the fish have moved up near sand.
Anywhere you find sand in the creek or Fish Pond Drain is a good place to fish.
Use a Texas-Rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Pro lizard in green pumpkin or a Carolina
rig 6" Big Bite Baits Finesse Worm in Green Pumpkin. If you find it hard to
catch the fish directly on the sand, then back off and fish the edges of the
bars with the Texas or Carolina Rig. If this pattern isn't working, then
sometimes the fish want an even slower presentation. If there is no wind, use a
weightless 5" Big Bite Baits Cane Stick in green pumpkin. If you really enjoy
sight fishing like w do, then another option is to fish a little faster. Tie on
a Spro Little John in Chrome Olive and crank the bars with your trolling motor
on 50 % looking for beds. This allows you to at least do some fishing while you
are looking for beds, and ever now and again you get lucky and catch a good one
on the Little John. Make sure to use a good limber rod with the Little John,
like a 7' Falcon Bucoo in medium action.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being caught in backwater ponds on
the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the bowl in Big Jim's, and the run
leading into Jack's has been producing some nice fish. Fish these areas with a
1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and Head Firecracker Tail. Use 6
lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo spinning rod. Fish
the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to grass or stumps in these areas.
March 12, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow and there
is a lot of water on the way. Fish are still being caught near their spawning
areas, such as the sandbars in Spring Creek and Fish Pond Drain. Fish the
ditches and deep water ponds that are near sand. Use a crank bait such as a Spro
Little John DD in Cell Mate color on fluorocarbon line and a good cranking rod
like a 7' Falcon Bucoo crank bait Rod. Use the crank bait to find a school of
fish, and when they slow down on the crank bait bite, switch to a Carolina rig
with a 6" Big Bite Baits Kriet Kreature in Green Pumpkin Red. Make sure you use
a big hook like a Gamakatsu 5/0 offset shank. This is a big bait. The bass are
ready to spawn, as some reports of bedding bass have been seen on the lake this
week. When the weather warms and gets more stable, expect to see a major spawn.
When bass move up on the beds, there is no better bait to catch a bedding bass
than a white 3" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog. Bass will absolutely inhale this
bait almost every time it hits a bed.
The Fish and Game Forecaster has good feeding periods from 10am until 1pm
Saturday and 11am until 2 pm Sunday. Get your own copy from our web site.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being caught in backwater ponds on
the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the bowl in Big Jim's, and the run
leading into Jack's has been producing some nice fish. Fish these areas with a
1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and Head Firecracker Tail. Use 6
lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo spinning rod. Fish
the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to grass or stumps in these areas.
March 5, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and will
only get better as it warms up this week. Fish are still being caught near their
spawning areas, such as the sandbars in Spring Creek and Fish Pond Drain.
Fish the ditches and deep water ponds that are near sand. Use a crank bait such
as a Spro Little John DD in Cell Mate color on fluorocarbon line and a good
crank it rod like a 7' Falcon Bucoo crank bait rod. Use the crank bait to find a
school of fish, and when they slow down on the crank bait bite, switch to a
Carolina rigged with a 6" Big Bite Baits Kriet Kreature in green pumpkin red.
Make sure you use a big hook like a Gamakatsu 5/0 Offset Shank, because the
Kriet Kreature has a big profile. The bass are ready to spawn, as some reports
of bedding bass have been seen on the lake this week. When the weather warms and
gets more stable, expect to see a major spawn on Lake Seminole. When bass move
up on the beds, there is no better bait to catch a bedding bass than a white 3"
Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog. Bass will absolutely inhale this bait almost every
time it hits a bed.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being caught in backwater ponds on
the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the bowl in Big Jim's, and the run
leading into Jack's has been producing some nice fish. Fish these areas with a
1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and Head Firecracker Tail. Use 6
lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo spinning rod. Fish
the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to grass or stumps in these areas.
February 26, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* STAINED
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has slowed
somewhat towards the end of the week with the cold weather. However, expect big
bags to be brought in during the Backwoods Tournament this weekend. Fish are
still being caught near their spawning areas such as the sandbars in Spring
Creek and Fish Pond Drain. Fish the ditches and deep water ponds that are near
sand. Use a crank bait such as a Spro Little John DD in Cell Mate color on
fluorocarbon line and a good crank it rod like a 7 foot Falcon Bucoo crank bait
rod. Use the crank bait to find a school of fish, and when they slow down on the
crank bait bite switch to a Carolina rig with a 6" Big Bite Baits Kriet Kreature
in green pumpkin Red. Make sure you use a big hook like a Gamakatsu 5/0 offset
shank, because the Kriet Kreature has a big profile. The bass are ready to spawn
as some reports of bedding bass have come in from the lake this week. When the
weather warms and gets more stable, expect to see a major spawn on Lake
Seminole. When bass move up on the beds there is no better bait to catch a
bedding bass than a white 3" Big Bite Baits Fighting Frog. Bass will absolutely
inhale this bait almost every time it hits a bed.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being caught in backwater ponds on
the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the bowl in Big Jim's, and the run
leading into Jack's has been producing some nice fish. Fish these areas with a
1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and Head Firecracker Tail. Use 6
lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo spinning rod. Fish
the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to grass or stumps in these areas.
February 19, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 52* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. Heavy
stringers are being caught in many different areas on the lake. The deep water
in Spring Creek and Fish Pond Drain has been producing some nice catches. The
fish are staging in deep channel bends and pond bottoms that are very near to
spawning areas. Use a Spro Little John DD in Cell Mate color to fish the deep
water. You can fish the crank bait on the edges of the channel or in the middle
of the pond bottoms next to stumps and grass. If you find an area that has fish
and the crank bait bite slows, switch to a Texas rig Big Bite Baits 6" Trick
Stick in black with blue flake. Use it on a light 3/16 ounce. unpainted Tru
Tungsten weight with a 5/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook. The Tru Tungsten has a
shiny coated dura sealed finish that draws more strikes due to the flash
resembling shad. Believe it or not, I have used other tungsten weights and have
found that nothing works as well as Tru Tungsten. They are absolutely the most
sensitive weights out because of their insert free technology. Fish the Texas
rig next to stumps and let it fall slowly. If your line jumps or stops falling
set the hook! Another good pattern that is working is to find clear water and
throw a jerk bait. Clear water can be found in Fish Pond Drain and backwater
ponds on the Hooch and Spring Creek. Use a Spro McStick jerk bait in Blue Bandit
color for this technique. Use 14 pound fluorocarbon and a good limber jerk bait
rod such as a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo in medium action. As the weather warms, look for
the bass to move up on sandbars and in the backs of coves and pockets to get
ready to spawn.
Crappie fishing is excellent. Nice specks are being
caught in backwater ponds on the Hooch and Spring Creek. Saunders Slough, the
bowl in Big Jim's, and the run leading into Jack's has been producing some nice
fish. Fish these areas with a 1/16 Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube in Blue White and
Head Firecracker Tail. Use 6 lb. flour carbon and a spinning reel with a 6'6"
Falcon Bucoo spinning rod. Fish the tube with a steady slow retrieve next to
grass or stumps in these areas.
February 5, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is barely are fair but there are fish
and small ones shallow all over the lake. Stay in the creeks as there are
already reports of bass moving to shallows. The Texas rig or the Carolina rig
with u tail worms worm’s in red shad or purple and use the brass and glass
weight for extra sound will work later in the day. Work all slow lures patiently
all the way back to the boat on the points and ledges. Up river in the creeks
mouths slow roll a larger 1/2 ounce spinner bait with gold and silver willow
leaf blades. Later each day the fish are moving to river points. Run a gold
Rapala by any grass and let the bait sit dead still.
January 22, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 51* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The fast moving water from all
the recent rains and the warming temperatures are moving the fish into the
backwaters of the rivers. These fish can be caught with crankbaits such as a
Spro Little John in Old Firetiger when it’s muddy and Nasty Shad when the water
is clearer. Fish the crank bait near the bank where reeds, hyacinths, and dead
lily pad stems are present, as the fish use this type of cover for warmth.
Another way to catch fish in these same areas is flipping. The dead hyacinths
are good for flipping. Use a Big Bite Baits 4" Yo Momma in Hematoma color. Rig
this on a 1 1/2 ounce Tru-Tungsten weight in black, along with a 5/0 Gamakatsu
straight shank hook. You definitely need a good flipping rod for this technique
such as a 7'6" Falcon Expert. Another good area to catch a good stringer is in
Spring Creek. The fish are still holding deep on grass points with timber that
are located near the old creek channel. The best places are the grass points
where the creek channel swings right up next to them. There are several of them
out in front of Big Jim's and near Rattlesnake Point. A Carolina rig is about
the best lure to fish these areas but a crank bait can also work. Use a finesse
worm on a long leader for the Carolina rig. A 6" Big Bite Baits BioBait Finesse
worm in Plum Apple works real well. Spro makes a Little John crank bait in a
medium diver that runs down to about 9 feet. This bait is awesome for the creek
because it has a tight wiggle similar to a shad rap. Chrome olive is the best
color for the creek.
January 15, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. Use a Culprit red shad worms
in the grass as tight as possible can draw a strike. Look in the backs of the
creeks for clearer water. Then use a light wire hook and light line and a Guido
Bug in natural blue. In the Spring Creek area, use a small jig and pork trailer
and fish them dead slow. Try a Culprit worm in dark colors on the grass and wood
cover. Green finesse worms on a light weight on the grass beds or a u tail worm
in dark colors might get a bite after mid day after the sun is up. Use greens
and crawfish colors on a light 1/16 lead weight on the edges of the grass. Later
each day use a larger 10 inch Mann’s grape or strawberry worm on a Texas rig on
the old Chattahoochee river channel mid lake.
January 8, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 46* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is tough.
Many fishermen have reported it being tough on Lake Seminole. Some reports of
bass are being caught in Spring Creek on Texas rigs with a 5" Big Bite Baits
Trick Stick in Black/Blue Flake. Use a 3/16 ounce black Tru-Tungsten sinker and
a 5/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook. Use this rig in the points and channel bends
of the old creek channel. The old creek channel ranges from 20 to 26 feet in
places and the edges of it range from 15 to 18 feet. Your electronics really
come handy when finding these places because shad use this old channel to
migrate during the winter time. See the new Lowrance Structure scan Down Scan on
lowrance.com. Once you find the bait balls, the
bass will be suspended near and around them in the timber. Another pattern that
works pretty well is flipping dead hyacinths pretty much anywhere they are found
in backwaters of the Flint River and Chattahoochee River. Use a 1 1/2 ounce Tru-Tungsten
and a 5/0 Straight Shank Gamakatsu hook along with a 4" Big Bite Baits Yo Momma
in Hematoma. If we get a little warm spell and the water temperatures start to
climb, then break out the Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red and start cranking
grass flats. The ones near spawning areas are best such as the Oil Well Flats
and the Duck Refuge area.
January 1, 2010
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET 53* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. The super muddy
water has somewhat slowed fishing a little bit, but there are still some pretty
nice bass being caught. Surprisingly, good fish are being caught in shallow
water from 2-4 feet. Look for current breaks at the mouths of both rivers. The
fish are grouping up in the slack water behind islands and points on the main
part of the rivers and in the backwaters. Fish a Spro Little John in Old
Firetiger or Chartreuse with Black Back. Use a slow retrieve, as the fish are a
little finicky with the cold water. If the cranking bite slows down, switch to a
Texas-rig in the same areas. Use 20 pound fluorocarbon a good stiff and
sensitive rod such as a Falcon Amistad, 3/16 ounce black Tru Tungsten, a 4/0
offset shank Gamakatsu hook, and a 6" finesse worm from Big Bite Baits in black.
Fish super slow in the areas where you find fish. With the cold weather
dominating, look for the grass to start dying off and the shallow cranking bite
will turn on better. At that time, use a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Red Crawfish over
the tops of the milfoil and hydrilla. Another pattern that will soon be on fire
is flipping dead hyacinths in the backwaters of the rivers. Use a 1 1/2 ounce
Tru Tungsten weight, 5/0 straight shank Gamakatsu hook, and a 4" Big Bite Baits
Yo Mamma in Hematoma color.
December 11, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL 58* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and it’s best to start mid day
fishing. Cast the Zoom lizard in green pumpkin in the grass with a light weight
and let it float into holes on the grass. In the creeks, use a Texas rigged
Culprit worm in dark colors over the grass and wood cover will be better later
each day as the water warms. Finesse worms floated over grass beds or a u tail
worm in dark colors can work after the sun is up. Use greens and crawfish colors
on a light 1/16 lead weight on the edges of the grass. With a warm couple of
days, run the 3/8 ounce all white Strike King spinnerbait or a Chatterbait over
and around the grass in the backs of the creeks.
December 4, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL 58* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. With the lake muddy, your best
bet is to fish shallow grass flats on the lake such as the one's in front of
Wingate's and Carl's Pass. A Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Mudbug Red is a good bait to
use right now. Fish the Aruku Shad over the tops of milfoil and hydrilla ripping
it free when it ticks the grass. For this technique, we use 20 pound Gamma
fluorocarbon a 6:31 gear ratio reel, and a 7' Falcon Bucoo MH action rod.
Another pattern that is emerging is to use a Carolina Rig on grass points in
Spring Creek. The best places right now are above Rattlesnake Point because that
is the only clear water. Use a 1 ounce Tru Tungsten weight not the Denny Brauer
Flipping Weight, the regular one with a bead, a Spro swivel, a long 15 pound
monofilament leader. Add the 4/0 Gamakatsu offset shank hook and use 20 pound
fluorocarbon for my main line. You need a long, sensitive rod for grass fishing.
Falcon makes a rod specialized for Carolina rig fishing. It's a 7'6" Heavy
Action rod called a Carolina Cara. For baits, there are a number of baits that
will work well on this rig. We either use a Big Bite Baits 4" Kriet Kreature in
Watermelon Red, or a 6" BioBait Finesse Worm in Watermelon Seed. Make sure you
check out the many assortments of plastic baits on and expect another awesome
line of baits to be coming out in the near future from Big Bite I know I harp on
these baits a lot, but they truly have helped me in many tournaments over the
past year since I have started using them.
November 27, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL 62* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing has been fair early but the afternoon
bite is picking up. Floating worms, ghost frogs, French fly worms and buzz baits
have been working. Larger u tail worms on a Texas rig with a light sinker will
work mid lake. The river fish usually feet on crawfish early so stick with a jig
and pig until noon. Pitch and flip these darker baits in greens and browns
around any wood especially in the little creek and coves right at the river. Use
a Texas rig worm and cast this bait right to the banks and grass beds and work
them slowly.
A Zoom U tail worm in watermelon or watermelon candy in the clear water is the color of choice and a green pumpkin is best when used in the
stained water.
November 20, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL 62* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. There are two productive
patterns working at this time. Fish a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in Old Glory or Purple
Rain color on main lake flats with ditches nearby. The best flats are the ones
closest to deep water such as the Oil Well Flats in between the Flint Rover and
Spring Creek. Fish the Aruku Shad over the top of the hydrilla and rip the bait
free when it snags the cover. The other pattern that works extremely well with
both numbers and quality is drop shotting. Use the drop-shot in the old
creek channel bends in Spring Creek. The best places are in between Big Jim's
and Sealy's. Use a good sensitive spinning rod such as a Falcon 6'6" Buccoo and
8 pound fluorocarbon line. Use a Gamakatsu finesse wide gap hook in 1/0 with a
1/4 drop shot weight. Nose hook a Watermelon Seed Big Bite Baits 6" finesse worm
in the BioBait formula.
When fish grab this bait, they do not let go.
November 13, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL 62* MUDDY & FAST LAKE WIDE
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. With the recent rains, the
water is moving and is muddy. This actually helps turn on the bite on grass
flats. The main lake grass flats have been doing pretty well, especially the
ones near the Tractor Bank and Carl's pass. Fish a SPRO Aruku Shad75 in
Gold/Black or Purple Rain color. The best flats have 5 to 6 feet of water with
submerged milfoil and hydrilla. Flats with 10 to 12 foot ditches close by are
magical spots. Fish the SPRO with a steady retrieve and rip it free from the
grass when you feel it tick the hydrilla. If this bite slows, fish these same
areas with a Big Bite Baits 6" Kreit Tail worm in Junebug. Texas rig the bait
with a 5/16 ounce Tru-Tungsten sinker in unpainted color. The unpainted Tru
Tungsten is very shiny because of the Dura-Seal finish that they use to coat
their sinkers. Use a 5/0 Gamakatsu offset shank hook for this worm. The Big Bite
Kriet Tail worm has a hook slot that is perfect for hook sets. The worm bite can
feel super subtle, so make sure you use a good sensitive rod such as a Falcon
7'3" Cara T7 Amistad Special. Also reach for some Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon 20 lb.
test.
November 6, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 70*, THE FLINT IS STAINED,
THE CHATTACHOOCHEE IS MUDDY AND SPRING CREEK IS CLEAR AND 80*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the shad are starting find
their way into shallow water on flats and backwater pockets off of the main
river. The shallow cranking bite is starting to pick up. Fish a Spro Little John
in the new nasty shad color over grass flats on the main lake. Ripping the bait
through the grass draws more strikes. Another good pattern for this time of year
is to flip shallow grass and hyacinths in the backwaters of both rivers. Use a 1
ounce Tru Tungsten lead pegged with a 5/0 straight shank Gamakatsu hook. Make
sure to use a heavy action flipping rod to pull the bass out of the thick cover
such as a Falcon 7'6" Lowrider Heavy Action flipping stick. As the water
temperatures continue to fall and the grass continues to die, expect the trap
bite to pick up all over the lake.
October 23, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 70*, THE FLINT IS
STAINED, THE CHATTACHOOCHEE IS MUDDY AND SPRING CREEK IS CLEAR AND 80*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The shad
are starting find their way into shallow water on flats and backwater pockets
off of the main river. The shallow cranking bite is starting to pick up. Fish a
Spro Little John in the new nasty shad color over grass flats on the main lake.
Ripping the bait through the grass draws more strikes. Another good pattern for
this time of year is to flip shallow grass and hyacinths in the backwaters of
both rivers. Use a 1 ounce Tru-Tungsten lead pegged with a 5/0 straight shank
Gamakatsu hook. Make sure to use a heavy action flipping rod to pull the bass
out of the thick cover such as a Falcon 7'6" Lowrider Heavy Action flipping
stick. As the water temperatures continue to fall and the grass continues to
die, expect the trap bite to pick up all over the lake.
Crappie fishing is fair and they are still being caught fairly shallow. Fish
grass lines in 7-10 foot of water up above Jack's. Fish a Big Bite Baits 1.75"
Slab-Tube in Lemon Meringue color. Fish the Slab-Tube on a Big Bite Bad Boy 1/16
Jig Head in white. Use a spinning reel and a good limber, but sensitive rod such
as a Falcon 6'6" Bucoo Spinning Rod. Fish the tube parallel to the grass and
work it slow.
October 16, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 76*, THE FLINT IS
STAINED, THE CHATTACHOOCHEE IS MUDDY AND SPRING CREEK IS CLEAR AND 80*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and the bass are shallow. Use
the Zoom Ol' Monster worm in red shad or June bug on the ends of deep brushed up
docks. Some fish are moving on the grass mats in the creeks. Use a quarter ounce
jigs with a Zoom twin tail grub as a trailer. This will slow the fall of the
bait and get more strikes. An all white Zoom Super Fluke is working and it
imitates the shad well in clearer water. Adding some Bang shad scent will help a
lot. Be sure to have a Strike King crank bait in the Sexy Shad pattern in tow or
three deep diving models and use them on the main lake ledges. It’s hard to beat
a Zoom 6 inch pumpkinseed lizard on a Carolina rig for all day fishing.
October 9, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 76*, THE FLINT IS
STAINED, THE CHATTACHOOCHEE IS MUDDY AND SPRING CREEK IS CLEAR AND 80*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. A local bass tournament was
won with 25 pounds and 5 fish. Fish are biting top water in the morning hours
extremely well. Fish a Spro Dawg 125 walking bait on main lake grass beds. If
fish are striking in the grass beds, throw a white Big Bite Baits 3.5" Top Toad
up in the grass on braided line. This bite is short-lived unless you have some
cloud cover. With cloud cover present, keep fishing the Spro Dawg and the Top
Toad because they will draw strikes from big ones. If the sun comes out, a good
pattern that is working now is to find the old deeper grass lines at the lower
end of Spring Creek that have not yet reached the surface. Once you find these
grass lines, fish them slowly with 2 baits. Either a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits
6" Kreit Tail worm, or a Spro McStick Suspending Jerk bait. Fish the Kreit Tail
worm in green pumpkin with a 4/0 offset shank Gamakatsu hook with a 5/16 ounce
tungsten lead with Sunline Fluorocarbon. The best worm rod I have found for
fishing deep grass is a Falcon 7'3" Cara T7 Amistad Special. Fish the Spro
McStick Jerk bait on a 6'6" Falcon Bucoo Spinning Rod with Sunline Fluorocarbon.
October 2, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, 78*, THE FLINT IS
STAINED, THE CHATTACHOOCHEE IS MUDDY AND SPRING CREEK IS CLEAR AND 80*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair. With the changing
conditions such as the varying water temperature, water levels, and water
clarity the fishing has been somewhat tough. The bass are in the summer to fall
transition phase and can be caught on many different techniques. Spinnerbaits
and shallow running crankbaits such as a Spro Little John in Spooky Shad are a
good choice for the main lake grass flats. Another good pattern is flipping
grass mats in the Spring Creek area. Use a Big Bite Baits 4" Fighting Frog in
Tilapia color. Rig it on a 1 ounce tungsten lead, 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG hook and use
a good flipping rod such as a 7'6" Falcon Expert rod for pulling the bass out of
the deep mats. When the cooler weather settles in, expect the grass to start
dying off on the flats which will ignite the Rat L Trap and shallow crank bait
bite.
Setptember 17, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, STAINED AND 81*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is
good. My brother and I won the "Hooked on Hope" bass tournament over the weekend
with 25.40 pounds. It was a good day with overcast skies. Fish a Spro Dawg 100
in the early morning hours around grass beds at the mouth of the Flint. After
the morning bite runs out, switch to a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Minnow in Silver
or White and fish around the same areas as the top water. Fish this bait on 16
lb. Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon Line and a 5/0 EWG Gamakatsu Hook. We used a 6'9"
Falcon Lowrider top water rod with the Spro Dawg. For the Jerk Minnow we use a
6'10" Falcon Cara T7 Grass Rod.
Crappie fishing is fair and these fish will spend the summer on the river and
the lower lake creeks. Fish are on the bottom at 13 feet or more but can be
tough to catch. Use live minnows after trolling bright Hal Flies and Deep South
Jigs until the fish are found then use both live bait and jigs.
Setptember 11, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6', STAINED AND 78*
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is fair and this is a good time to
break out some top water baits. The gold and black Devil’s Horse and a huge grub
fished on and around wood and grass beds can draw a big fish. Be sure to gear up
for these fish in the heavy cover with a Power Pro or a strong fluorocarbon
line. Fishing a Zoom watermelon candy or watermelon finesse worm on a drop shot
rig with 8 pound line and a 1/0 Gamakatsu offset shank hook set about 12 inches
above the weight using a worm will also bring a few bites. Fish this bait in the
pockets off the main lake around docks and blow downs. A few fish are still
being caught under docks on a Zoom green pumpkin Magnum worm. Look for shad in
the back of coves off the main creeks and use a ½ or a ¼ ounce Rat T Trap and
fish around and though the shad.
Crappie fishing is fair and these fish will
spend the summer on the river and the lower lake creeks. Fish are on the bottom
at 13 feet or more but can be tough to catch. Use live minnows after trolling
bright Hal Flies and Deep South Jigs until the fish are found then use both live
bait and jigs.
September 3, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .5', LIGHT STAIN AND 82*
Lake Seminole waters are 82 degrees and the
rivers are muddy and the main lake is stained. Many creeks are clear. Bass
fishing is still tough. Fishing has been somewhat slow, as it usually is about
this time every year. However, bass can still be caught on main lake grass beds
and grass flats early in the morning with top water plugs and buzz baits. A Spro
Dawg 100 is a good walking top water bait that attracts big bass. After the sun
comes up is when the bite gets tough. The same areas where the top water fishing
is good can still be pretty good after the sun comes up. Back off to the edge of
the grass lines and throw a Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Tail worm in Tilapia color.
Rig the Kriet Tail worm on a 5/16 ounce. Tru Tungsten lead, and a 4/0 offset
shank Gamakatsu hook and fish it slow on the grass lines. Another pattern that
works is to fish a weightless 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk Minnow in shad color or
watermelon red. Throw the Jerk Minnow up in the grass and let it sink down in
the grass and work it back to the boat with a slow twitching motion. Try
different ways of working the bait to see how the fish will want it on that
particular day. Once you find a pattern that works, stick with it all day and
commit to an area. You really need a good sensitive rod and line when fishing
the Kriet Tail worm and the Jerk Minnow because the bites are very light right
now and the fish are not holding onto the baits very long. Gamma Edge
fluorocarbon line in 16 pound and a 7'3" Falcon Cara T7 Amistad Special rod is
an awesome combination for detecting the light strikes.
Crappie fishing is fair and these fish
will spend the summer on the river and the lower lake creeks. Fish are on the
bottom at 13 feet or more but can be tough to catch. Use live minnows after
trolling bright Hal Flies and Deep South Jigs until the fish are found then use
both live bait and jigs.
August 28, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229
* 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .1', LIGHT STAIN AND 86*
Bass fishing is good and the fish are still biting.
Stick with the early morning and late evening top water bite with frogs in the
grass. Swim the frog over the tops of the holes in the grass and wait for
explosive strikes. Fish any topped out grass beds near deep water with a 3.5"
Big Bite Baits Top Toad in any light color. Always have a 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk
Minnow rigged up for missed strikes. Later in the day when the sun heats the
water up, move to either Spring Creek or main lake river ledges and look for
deep grass. The best spots are near the bends and points of the creek or river
ledges. Type of grass will either be milfoil or hydrilla. Fish these spots with
either a Texas-rigged 6/10" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in watermelon seed,
or a Carolina rigged Big Bite Baits 6" finesse worm in watermelon seed. Fish the
Texas rig on a 1/4 ounce Tru Tungsten sinker and the Carolina rig on a 1 ounce
sinker.
Crappie fishing is fair and these fish
will spend the summer on the river and the lower lake creeks. Fish are on the
bottom at 13 feet or more but can be tough to catch. Use live minnows after
trolling bright Hal Flies and Deep South Jigs until the fish are found.
August 21, 2009
"According to Steve"
Crappie caught in 8 to 12
feet of water about 150 yards offshore. Fishing structures produces the
best dividends. Minnows being the bait of choice.
August 21, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .1', AND 86*
Bass fishing is good and the fish are being
caught around shallow cover including lily pads and grass. The Chattahoochee and
the main lake have been a good option for finding shallow cover. The best baits
to use in the shallow cover are frogs and flipping baits. There are two frogs
that work extremely well. For fishing sparse vegetation, use a Big Bite Baits
3.5" Top Toad in white. Rig it with a 5/0 Gamakatsu Superline hook and braided
line. For the thicker vegetation, use a Spro Bronzeye 65 floating frog in
Rainforest Black or Natural Red. Use a Falcon Cara T7 7'10" XH action frog rod
for pulling the bass out of the thick cover. Flipping is also another good
option for fishing the shallow cover. Use a Big Bite Baits 4" Fighting Frog in
Vegas Sunset color. Rig the frog on a 5/0 Straight Shank Gamakatsu hook and a
1 ounce. Tungsten lead. Use a good flipping rod such as a Falcon Cara T7 7'6" H
action flipping rod for hauling the big bass out of the heavy cover.
Crappie fishing is fair and these fish
will spend the summer on the river and the lower lake creeks. Fish are on the
bottom at 13 feet or more but can be tough to catch. Use live minnows after
trolling bright Hal Flies and Deep South Jigs until the fish are found then use
both live bait and jigs.
August 7, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 1.1', CLEAR AND 87*
Bass fishing is fair. Early morning, fish grass beds on the main lake that are
close to deep water. Throw buzz baits, prop baits, or a 3.5" Big Bite Baits Top
Toad in white. When the morning bite ends, work these same areas with a floating
jerk bait such as a Smithwick Rattlin Rogue, Rapala Minnow, or Bomber Long A.
Just like the top water bite, this bite is pretty much short lived. After the
Sun gets high in the sky, head up either river and look for cover to flip. The
types of cover to flip can be grass, lily pads, or hyacinths. The closer you
find these areas to the river channel, the better they are. For the best
flipping set up made, I recommend a Dobyns Champion 805FLIP flipping rod for
punching the mats. I team this with heavy braid, a 1 ounce tungsten sinker, a
5/0 Gamakatsu hook, and the best flipping bait on the planet which is a Big Bite
Baits 4" Dean Rojas Signature Series Fighting Frog in black and blue. Stick with
this pattern for the rest of the day as long as the Sun stays out. If it gets
mostly cloudy, then go back to your top water grass beds and throw top water
such as the frog.
Crappie fishing is fair and the fish are in the 6 to 10 foot grass beds near
Carl's Pass and the Tractor Bank. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon and a spinning
reel with a good sensitive rod such as a Dobyns Champion 681SF. For bait, use a
Big Bite Baits 2" Triple Tip Grub in white. Put the grub on a Big Bite Baits
Darter Head in 1/16 and 1/8 ounce. Swim the jig real slow parallel to the grass
beds.
July 31, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6', CLEAR AND 86*
Bass fishing is good and the grass beds above Jack's on the lower end of the
Flint have been a good opt for early morning and late evening strikes. Fish a
3.5" Big Bite Baits Top Toad in white. Swim the frog over the grass and wait for
explosive strikes. Always have a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Shad rigged up for
missed strikes. Later in the day as the sun heats the water, move to either
Spring Creek or the main lake river ledges. You want to find bends and points in
the creek or river ledges that have grass present, either milfoil or hydrilla.
Fish these bends with either a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits 6" or 10" Kriet tail
worm in watermelon seed, or a Carolina rigged Big Bite baits 6" finesse worm in
watermelon. Fish slow and use a 1/4 ounce Tungsten lead for the Texas rig and a
1 ounce bullet sinker for the Carolina rig. Don't forget to check out the new
Dobyns Champion Extreme rods, especially the DX 704C split handle. Go to
www.dobynsrods.com to see the lengths and
actions they offer.
Crappie fishing is fair. Crappie can be caught on 6to10 ft. grass beds near
Carl's Pass and the Tractor Bank. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon and a spinning
reel with a good sensitive rod such as a Dobyns Champion 681SF. For bait, use a
Big Bite Baits 2" Triple Tip Grub in white. Put the grub on a Big Bite Baits
Darter Head in 1/16 and 1/8 ounce . Swim the jig real slow parallel to the grass
beds.
July 24, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6', STAINED AND 88*
Bass fishing has been slow almost all day and it’s been hot. Early and late
Lunker Lures buzz baits on the wood or grass lines can draw a fish but run and
gun all day. Float a large dark Gilraker worms or lizards on Texas rig with no
weight on around the grass beds. Add a Mann’s Rat in green frog then follow up
with a big lizard in June bug on a large #5 Mustad hook. Zoom Swamp crawlers are
working on a long Carolina rig with the Lindy No Snag rig in the ounce size. To
get away from the heat, try after dark and a green pumpkin and June Bug will
work. Use the all white Ledge Buster one ounce spinner bait and slow roll the
bait but this will tax the arms if the fish do not bite. Try this large bait for
30 minutes each trip and use it on the feeding periods. You can see the feeding
times daily with a Data Sport Fish and Game Forecaster at
www.moontimes.com.
July 16, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6', STAINED AND 90*
Bass fishing is good and despite the heat, the fish are still biting. There is
still a good early morning and late evening top water bite with frogs in the
grass. Fish any topped-out grass beds near deep water with a 3.5" Big Bite Baits
Top Toad in any light color. Swim the frog over the tops of the holes in the
grass and wait for explosive strikes. Always have a 6" Big Bite Baits Jerk
Minnow rigged up for missed strikes. Later in the day when the sun heats the
water up, move to either Spring Creek or main lake river ledges and look for
deep grass. The best spots are near the bends and points of the creek or river
ledges. Type of grass will either be milfoil or hydrilla. Fish these spots with
either a Texas rigged 6/10" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in watermelon seed,
or a Carolina rigged Big Bite Baits 6" finesse worm in watermelon seed. Fish the
Texas rig on a 1/4 ounce Tungsten sinker and the Carolina rig on a 1 ounce
sinker.
July 10, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6', STAINED AND 90*
Bass fishing is fair and it is hot during the day on the water. There are some
shallow fish on points right off the river after mid day. In the upper rivers,
the water is clearing so use a 200 series Bandit crank baits in bright colors
and Leverage gold bladed spinner baits. The flat side crank baits seem to get
more strikes and warming weather has the fish active. The bass are on the stumps
and points all day. Pitching and flipping a black Zoom u tail worm on a Texas
rig is fair and hit every stump that you can see. For fishing the lower lake, go
to the river ledges. Mid day go to the creek ledges that drop right into the
river and use a 1/2 ounce Strike King buzz bait or a ½ ounce spinner bait with
large silver willow leaf blades. Slow roll this lure on the structure and use a
single #6 Colorado blade and a chartreuse and white skirt. There are some fish
biting after dark on black buzz baits and black Jitterbugs.
June 26, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 88*
Bass fishing is good and there is a pretty good top water bite going on early in
the morning. Fish any topped out grass beds that are visible on the main lake.
Throw a Big Bite Baits 3.5 Top Toad in June bug with chartreuse Swirl. Swim the
frog over the grass mats and in the holes.. If you miss a strike, have a back-up
rod with a Big Bite Baits 6 Jerk Minnow in shad color. This is an awesome 1-2
punch for early morning bass on Seminole right now. Once the sun gets up, then
head to deeper grass lines on the main lake or Spring Creek. Fish a Texas rigged
Big Bite Baits 6 Kriet Tail worm in Tilapia color and use a ¼ or 5/16 Tungsten
sinker and fluorocarbon line. This pattern works for quality and quantity. The
best rod I've seen for this technique is a Dobyns Champion Extreme 744c. Be sure
to go to www.dobynsrods.com to check it out.
June 19, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 88*
Bass fishing is good. There is a pretty good top water bite going on early in
the morning. Fish any topped-out grass beds that are visible on the main lake.
Throw a Big Bite Baits 3.5" Top Toad in June bug-Chartreuse Swirl. Swim the frog
over the grass mats and in the holes. If you miss a strike, have a back up rod
with a Big Bite Baits 6" Jerk Minnow in shad color. This is an awesome 1-2 punch
for early morning bass on Seminole right now. Once the sun gets up, then head to
deeper grass lines on the main lake or Spring Creek. Fish Texas-Rigged Big Bite
Baits 6" Kriet Tail Worms in Tilapia color. Use a 1/4-5/16 Tungsten Lead and
fluorocarbon line. This patterns works for both quality and quantity. The best
rod I've seen for this technique is a Dobyns Champion Extreme 744c. Be sure to
go to www.dobynsrods.com to check it out.
June 12, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 80*
Bass fishing is excellent. Over the weekend, my partner and I caught consecutive
20 pound + stringers on Saturday and Sunday. We placed 9th in the RSC tournament
on Saturday with 20.97 and 3rd in the Media Bass tournament on Sunday with
21.54. All of our fish were caught on 3 different techniques. Early morning,
throw a Big Bite Baits Top Toad in 3.5". We were throwing different colors the
color didn't seem to matter. We were using the floating Top Toads. These frogs
are absolutely awesome because you can swim them on top, then stop them and they
float! Rig them on a 5/0 Superline hook. If you have a fish miss the frog, back
it up with a Big Bite Bait 4" Dean Rojas Fighting Frog on the back of a swim
jig. Choose color according to water clarity. Green or white for clear water and
black/blue for stained water. This technique makes an awesome one two punch for
bagging early morning bass on Seminole right now. Really don't like to give my
technique away, buy hey - it's my job! Later in the day when the sun is high and
the heat is nearly unbearable, switch to a 6" or 10" Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail
Worm. Rig the worm Texas Style on a 5/16 ounce tungsten lead and fish it on 7 to
10 feet grass lines on the main lake. This pattern catches quality and quantity.
My rod of choice for the frog, the jig, and especially the Texas rig is the new
Dobyns Champion Extreme 744C. This is the strongest rod on the market right now
with unbelievable sensitivity and low weight.
June 5, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 78*
Bass fishing is excellent. The backwoods tournament was held over the weekend
with nearly 28 pounds winning first place and several boats having over 20
pounds. With the high muddy water on the rivers, the bass are still relatively
shallow. An awesome pattern that I have found to be working extremely well is
one that I really do not want to share, but it is my job so here we go! The
banks of the Chattahoochee River and the Flint River are all lined with some
type of vegetation whether it be hydrilla, milfoil, peanut grass, or lily pads.
It really doesn't matter which type of cover you fish, some days the fish will
be in the pads while there are other days that the fish will be holding in the
grass. Whatever the case may be, get you a Big Bite Baits 3.5" Floatin Toad in
Green Pumpkin Pearl with green pumpkin legs. Black with chartreuse legs also
works. Rig the toad on a 5/0 Super line hook weightless. The Big Bite Toad is
absolutely the best frog on the market for two reasons - it floats when you stop
it and it makes a lot of noise. I use a 7'4" Dobyns Champion Extreme 744C bait
cast rod teamed with Gamma braided line. This rod has plenty of backbone with a
fast tip and is the lightest rod I have ever used. See www.dobynsrods.com. Throw
the frog in the cover and swim it on top of the grass stopping it every so
often.. Here's the kicker, you're going to have a lot of fish miss the frog. If
that is the case, then as a follow up bait use a black and blue swim jig and a
Big Bite Baits Dean Rojas 4" Fighting Frog as a trailer. This is the best bait I
have ever used as a jig trailer. Throw the swim jig in behind the frog and I
would say 9 times out of 10 the fish will eat the jig. This is an awesome one
two 2 punch that I have been using to catch fish in tournaments. You know I
really hate to give this type of information out, but it is my job and I enjoy
helping people catch fish.
March 19, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 INCHES, SLIGHT STAIN AND 65*
Bass fishing is good and the fish are still up on the beds and cruising around
on the main lake sandbars. The best way to catch bass right now is to sight
fish, or fish real slow in bedding areas with a Texas rigged lizard. Big Bite
Baits makes an 8" Kriet Tail Lizard that works extremely well. Use green pumpkin
or June bug on a 5/16 ounce tungsten lead. Use a big 5/0 hook because the lizard
is pretty big. Another excellent pattern to use on these sandbars is to throw a
swim bait. Throw a Big Bite Baits 5" Super Shad in Tennessee Shad, perch, or
bluegill color. Use a 5/0 swim bait hook that has a weighted belly. Just fish
the swim bait over the shallow sandbars in search for a big cruising female.
This patterns works well because it allows you to fish for a "Big Bite" while
searching for a bedding bass to catch. This pattern will hold up until about mid
April when the bass start to head back out to their post spawn areas.
March 13, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, SLIGHT STAIN AND 63*
Bass fishing is great. The fish are really up on the beds at this time with the
full moon this week. Now is the time to sight fish. Once the bedding bass have
been located, throw a 4" Big Bite Baits Salt Tube in any green color. Use the 6"
Big Bite Baits Disc Lizard or Pro Lizard in any green color. White is also a
good color choice because of it's visibility to the fisherman. Another excellent
pattern to catch bass right now is to find sandbars in 6 feet of water or less.
Throw a weightless 6" Big Bite baits Trick Stick in Tilapia color. Just dead
stick the bait and let it free fall until one grabs it. The bait has a large
profile so use a 6/0 EWG hook.
March 5, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, SLIGHT STAIN AND 57*
Bass fishing is good. The recent cold front has somewhat slowed down the bed
fishing, but it should pick up by the weekend as 80 degree temperatures are in
the forecast. Look in the backwaters of the Flint River and the Chattahoochee
River. Find areas with sand and look for the bass to be in about 3 feet of water
or less. While looking, throw a 4" or 6" Big Bite Baits Kreat Kreature Texas
rigged on a 1/4 lead. Swim the worm through grass and lily pads. Once a bass has
been found on the bed, use a 4" Big Bite Baits BioTube in any green color. Let
the tube sit in the bed and shake it to aggravate the bass into biting. If that
doesn't work, try a 6" Big Bite Baits Pro lizard or Disc Lizard. Either bait
will eventually work. The flipping bite is also going to start getting better as
the big females stage under the hyacinths near spawning areas. Find water
hyacinths along reed banks with at least 1 1/2 to 2 foot of water underneath the
hyacinths.
February 27, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, SLIGHT STAIN AND 59*
Bass fishing is excellent and it will take 25 pounds to win most tournaments.
The fish are now moving onto the beds. Bass can be found in the backwaters of
both rivers, Spring Creek, and Fish Pond Drain. While searching for bedding
fish, swim a Big Bite Baits 4" Kriet Kreature in watermelon red magnum or green
pumpkin. Use a 4/0 hook with a 1/4 lead that is pegged to your line. This bait
has an awesome swimming action and can also be used to catch bedding bass.
Another pattern that works real well is to throw a weightless Big Bite Baits 5"
Trick Stick Senko. Bama Bug is an excellent color on the lake right now. The
best places to throw the Trick Stick is in bedding areas. Dead sticking and a
slight jerking method is a good way to fish the Trick Stick. Towards the end of
this month, expect the fish to move up and start spawning on the main lake
sandbars.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish have moved back to deep water with the cold
temperatures. Fish the channel bends on the lower Flint to catch crappie. Use a
1/16 ounce Hal-Fly made by Big Bite Baits in lemon meringue color. Use light
fluorocarbon line and swim the jig extremely slow. I have found that the jig
catches better quality crappie than minnows.
February 20, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 59*
Bass are moving up on the beds. Fish can be caught in less than 3 feet of water.
The backwater of the Chattahoochee, fish pond drain, and the ponds in between
the carp gates are the place to be right now. Fish lily pads and sandbars with a
Big Bite Baits 4” or 6 “ Kriet Kreature. Rig this worm on a ¼ Tungsten Lead and
peg the lead. Swim the worm through the pads and on top of the pads. If you find
a bass on the bed, drop the bait in the bed and shake it. This pattern will work
through April, until the fish move back into their summer like patterns.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish have moved back to deep water with the cold
temperatures. Fish the channel bends on the lower Flint to catch crappie. Use a
1/16 ounce Hal-Fly made by Big Bite Baits in lemon meringue color. Use light
fluorocarbon line and swim the jig extremely slow. I have found that the jig
catches better quality crappie than minnows.
February 13, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED AND 53*
Lake Seminole is great. Bass are biting traps and are around grass points and
ditches on any part of the lake. The fish are staging and are ready to move up
on the beds. Use 1/2 to 3/4 ounce sexy shad rattle traps to locate fish. Once
you find an area that has fish slow down with a Texas rigged or Carolina rigged
Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Kreature. Use Bama Bug or Watermelon red magnum. This
bait is absolutely awesome on Seminole because it has tremendous action when
pulled through the grass. Concentrate on areas near spawning flats on the main
lake. Make sure you are fishing around grass. Ditches, depressions, and grass
points near these areas are what have been holding the most fish.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish have moved back to deep water with the cold
temperatures. Fish the channel bends on the lower Flint to catch crappie. Use a
1/16 ounce Hal-Fly made by Big Bite Baits in lemon meringue color. Use light
fluorocarbon line and swim the jig extremely slow. I have found that the jig
catches better quality crappie than minnows.
February 6, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .5 inches, STAINED AND 53*
Lake Seminole is wide open right now. My brother and I had 18 pounds in the
Fishermen for the Hungry tournament over the weekend and did not get a check.
Terry Stevens and Mason Brock from Marianna, FL had the winning stringer of 25
pounds. There were 4 sacks over 20 pounds! Most fish were caught on traps and
were caught around grass points and ditches on any part of the lake. The fish
are staging and are ready to move up on the beds. Use 1/2 to 3/4 ounce sexy shad
rattle traps to locate fish. Once you find an area that has fish slow down with
a Texas rigged or Carolina rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Kreature. Use Bama Bug
or Watermelon red magnum. This bait is absolutely awesome on Seminole because it
has tremendous action when pulled through the grass. Concentrate on areas near
spawning flats on the main lake. Make sure you are fishing around grass.
Ditches, depressions, and grass points near these areas are what have been
holding the most fish.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish have moved back to deep water with the cold
temperatures. Fish the channel bends on the lower Flint to catch crappie. Use a
1/16 ounce Hal-Fly made by Big Bite Baits in lemon meringue color. Use light
fluorocarbon line and swim the jig extremely slow. I have found that the jig
catches better quality crappie than minnows.
January 30, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN FULL, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND 53*
Bass fishing is good and there are some huge bass are beginning to stage all
over the lake. A recent Media Bass tournament was won with 25 pounds. Fish were
caught on a Carolina-rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Kreature. This bait is
similar to a Zoom Brush Hog, but has legs and tentacles that have an awesome
swimming action. Fish are located on 7 to 10 foot ditches and depressions that
are adjacent to spawning flats. To locate fish, use rattle traps or spinnerbaits
in order to cover water. Once fish have been found, slow down and use a Carolina
rigged Big Bite Baits 6" Kriet Kreature or 10" Kriet Tail Worm. As the weather
warms and the water temperature continues to climb, look for the fish to move
further up onto the spawning flats. When this occurs use a weightless Big Bite
Baits 6" trick stick in June bug or watermelon.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish have moved back to deep water with the cold
temperatures. Fish the channel bends on the lower Flint to catch crappie. Use a
1/16 ounce . Hal-Fly made by Big Bite Baits in lemon meringue color. Use light
fluorocarbon line and swim the jig extremely slow. I have found that the jig
catches better quality crappie than minnows.
January 23, 2009
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND 51*
Bass fishing has been relatively tough with the falling water temperatures. Some
fish are being caught on main lake flats and the mouth of coves of the
Chattahoochee River with spinnerbaits and rattle traps. The most productive
method is finesse fishing in the Spring Creek area. Drop shotting has been the
ticket. Target the bigger stumps in 20 foot of water or deeper in any area of
Spring Creek and use 8 pound fluorocarbon line. Rig up the drop shot with a
Gamakatsu Weedless finesse hook in size #2. Use a 3/8 ounce drop shot weight and
rig the hook about 18 inches above the lead. Use a Big Bite Bait in the 4" or 6"
finesse worm in green pumpkin purple or green pumpkin and June bug. Fish your
bait slowly and fish it vertical beside the stumps using a shaking method. The
bite will be very soft. Just lift your rod to set the hook.
Crappie fishing has been a little off and on. Some crappie are being caught in
the fish pond drain area in deep water. Use a Big Bite Baits Ring Grub in
pumpkin pepper green color. For a jig head, use a Big Bite Baits Bad Boy black
jig head in 1/16 ounce. Swim the jig real slow besides standing timber in 20
feet of water for a good way to catch quality sized specks.
January 11, 2009 Swede
Got back out to lake Seminole yesterday. Launched from Seminole Lodge at day
break. Monte had not even opened the store yet. Fished in Spring Creek the first
half of the day - until 11am. Fished up the Chattahoochee the second half of the
day. The day started out warm and humid and ended cold and humid. Cloud covered
most of the day. Water temp in SC at 63 and Hooch at 61. Not much to report from
Spring Creek - did not get the first bite there. Fished mostly deep water with a
variety of baits. I believe with the extended warm weather - the fish went
shallow and into the grass, but with the cold weather this week - the lower
water temps ought to bring them back deep. Ran over to the Hooch and fish a few
areas. Surprisingly found the fish in shallow water (2-4 ft) - but even then did
not bite for long. All fish came on a V&M black grape finesse worm. The first
and biggest was in the 5-6 pound class, then a 3 pound fish, and finished with a
1 pounder. Estimate 9-10 pounds with 3 fish. Half hour worth of action - the
rest of the time the temps continued to drop after frontal passage and wind blew
10-20. Tried SBs, CBs, and Swimbait with no takers.
January 9, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND 60*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is excellent and there are several different patterns that can be
used to catch fish on Seminole right now. With the warm water temperatures, bass
can be caught in the shallows. A recent ABA tournament was won with 5 fish at 32
lbs! Fish can be caught on main lake grass flats. Use a 5/8 ounce Spro Aruku
Shad in Mud Bug red color. Flipping dying water hyacinths is also a good way to
catch fish during the unstable weather patterns. Flip the shallow coves and
backwaters up both rivers. Use a 1 1/2 ounce Tru-Tungsten Lead and a heavy wire
flipping hook. Flip a 4" Big Bite Baits Kriet Kreature in Redbug color.
Crappie fishing is also excellent! Specs can be caught on the Flint River where
water hyacinths are present near deep water. Use a Big Bite Baits Hal-Fly in
1/16 ounce Lemon Meringue color. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon with a good
sensitive, but limber rod. Cast the jig out, let is sink to the bottom, and then
retrieve it painfully slow. The jig seems to catch bigger specs than the
minnows. Expect to catch a fairly quick limit.
January 4, 2009 Swede
Went out to Lake Seminole yesterday - arrived at 7:30am. Spent 45 minutes
talking to Monte (owner) before getting launched. My purpose for the day was to
try a new and not yet released bait by V&M - the High Tail Shad. Received a few
of them to try out and figured Seminole would be the best place to do just that.
Arrived in Spring Creek at 8:30am. Fished for a short time before speaking with
one gentleman who had caught 5 good keepers that morning. Fished through a lot
of timber catching my first two keepers on the new bait. These two fish came
where grass met timber in 20-22 ft of water. Bites were light. Rigged the new
bait with a V&M weighted frog hook with keeper and tungsten bullet weight. The
extra weight allowed the bait to sink faster and punch through a couple of small
grass mats still out there. This bait is about the same size as flukes I fish
regularly. Spoke to a couple other gentlemen about 11 am - they said they caught
a couple 8 pound fish earlier that morning worming deep water but nothing since
8 am. The water had cleared a lot from previous week's water description. About
1pm, the gentleman I spoke with in the morning stopped back by and said the fish
had completely shut down - no bites since seeing him earlier. He left to go
watch football. Threw a couple CBs for a while thinking the fish may have
suspended, but nothing happening there. Pitched a drop shot around for a while
as well and nothing. Went back to the new High Tail Shad and picked up another
keeper about 3pm. Headed back to Seminole Lodge about 4pm. The coots are out in
force feeding on hydrilla. Duck hunters broke the relative silence a few times
throughout the day. Blue Winged Teal have arrived even with the warm temps. A
couple good flocks circled the creek intermittently during the day. Spent all
day in Spring Creek. The new bait worked really really well. The tail puts out a
good wag. I wish I would have made it out earlier when the bite was on. This
bait produced when the bite was off though - something I was glad to see. Good
luck out there!!
January 1, 2009
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND
53*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and Spring Creek is the place to be now with the cold
water. I have seen water temperatures as low as 51 degrees in places already.
That is pretty cold considering we haven't even entered winter yet. Big bass are
being caught in Spring Creek on big Texas-rigged worms. Use a Big Bite Baits
Kriet Tail Worm in 10 inch. Watermelon Seed or Red Bug are good color choices.
Use a big 5/0 wide gap hook, fluorocarbon line and a 1/4 Tru-Tungsten lead. This
time of year, I have found it best to try and match the color of the worm with
the lead. The bite can be slow, but big ones like to eat in Spring Creek. The
channel bends that sweep across I-75 run are a good place to start looking for
bass. If the bite is really slow, you can use a straight tail worm instead of a
big curly tail. A Big Bite Baits 5" Trick Stick or 6" Finesse worm in watermelon
seed works well on the same rig.
Crappie fishing is still excellent! Specs can be caught on river ledges of the
Flint in any range of depth between 10-30 feet. Use a Big Bite Baits Hal-Fly in
1/16 ounce Lemon Meringue color. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon with a good
sensitive, but limber rod. The fish can be caught trolling or casting. As
always, the specs can be caught on minnows, but the jigs catch bigger ones.
December 19, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED &
53*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. Spring Creek is the place to be now with the cold water. I
have seen water temperatures as low as 51 degrees in places already. That is
pretty cold considering we haven't even entered winter yet. Big bass are being
caught in Spring Creek on big Texas-rigged worms. Use a Big Bite Baits Kriet
Tail Worm in 10 inch. Watermelon Seed or Red Bug are good color choices. Use a
big 5/0 wide gap hook, fluorocarbon line and a 1/4 Tru-Tungsten lead. This time
of year, I have found it best to try and match the color of the worm with the
lead. The bite can be slow, but big ones like to eat in Spring Creek. The
channel bends that sweep across I-75 run are a good place to start looking for
bass. If the bite is really slow, you can use a straight tail worm instead of a
big curly tail. A Big Bite Baits 5" Trick Stick or 6" Finesse worm in watermelon
seed works well on the same rig.
Crappie fishing is still excellent! Specs can be caught on river ledges of the
Flint in any range of depth between 10-30 feet. Use a Big Bite Baits Hal-Fly in
1/16 ounce Lemon Meringue color. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon with a good
sensitive, but limber rod. The fish can be caught trolling or casting. As
always, the specs can be caught on minnows, but the jigs catch bigger ones.
December 17, 2008 "Swede"
Fishing has been pretty good for the past 3 - 4 weeks in Spring Creek - deep cbs
and plastics around timber. I've heard reports of 50+ fish days with half of
those fish 3 pounds or better. All that good fishing turned sour as of late with
heavy mud from recent rains. Now hearing reports from Wingates that logs are
floating through the Flint arm - assuming similar in Spring Creek and Hooch arms
as well. If anyone heads out there - be extremely careful - floaters can be hard
to see and avoid at the speeds these bass boats can travel.
December 12, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED &
53*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. Spring Creek is the place to be now with the cold water. I
have seen water temperatures as low as 51 degrees in places already. That is
pretty cold considering we haven't even entered winter yet. Big bass are being
caught in Spring Creek on big Texas-rigged worms. Use a Big Bite Baits Kriet
Tail Worm in 10 inch. Watermelon Seed or Red Bug are good color choices. Use a
big 5/0 wide gap hook, fluorocarbon line and a 1/4 Tru-Tungsten lead. This time
of year, I have found it best to try and match the color of the worm with the
lead. The bite can be slow, but big ones like to eat in Spring Creek. The
channel bends that sweep across I-75 run are a good place to start looking for
bass. If the bite is really slow, you can use a straight tail worm instead of a
big curly tail. A Big Bite Baits 5" Trick Stick or 6" Finesse worm in watermelon
seed works well on the same rig.
Crappie fishing is still excellent! Specs can be caught on river ledges of the
Flint in any range of depth between 10-30 feet. Use a Big Bite Baits Hal-Fly in
1/16 ounce Lemon Meringue color. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon with a good
sensitive, but limber rod. The fish can be caught trolling or casting. As
always, the specs can be caught on minnows, but the jigs catch bigger ones.
December 5, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED &
56*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is excellent. A local club tournament was won with 21 pounds and
second being 19 pounds. The fish were caught on rattle traps on grass flats out
in front of Wingate’s. Throw a 5/8 ounce Spro Aruku Shad in Mudbug Red. As
always, the bass bite better when the bait is allowed to bog up in the hydrilla
and then ripped free. Another pattern that I have found to work well is to fish
ledges up the Flint River with a 6" Texas rigged Big Bite Baits finesse worm.
The BioBait formula works best, but the regular Big Bite finesse worm works
also. Green pumpkin seemed to be the best color. This pattern was found while I
was crappie fishing on the flint. I caught over 20 bass doing this while fishing
for specs! Most of the fish were in the 1 to 2 pound range, but I did catch one
over 6 pounds and one about 4 pounds. Just fish the outside bends of the river
around the Faceville Landing area. Ledges with grass present seemed to work
better, but fish were also caught on ledges with rock and wood.
Crappie fishing is also excellent! Specs can be caught on river ledges of the
Flint in any range of depth between 8-25 feet. Use a drop shot rig with minnows
to locate the fish. Once the fish have been found, then use a Big Bite Baits
Hal-Fly in 1/16 ounce Lemon Meringue color. Use 4 pound test fluorocarbon with a
good sensitive, but limber rod. Cast the jig out, let it sink to the bottom and
then retrieve it painfully slow. The jig seems to catch bigger specs than
minnows. Expect to catch a fairly quick limit.
November 27, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND
62*
BY Matt Baty
229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is slow. The water temperature is dropping fast with the freezing
temperatures. Some days the bass can be caught on grass flats in the 4 to 5 foot
range. Throw shallow running crank baits or rattle traps over the grass. The
flats on the Florida side of the lake have seemed to be working better. A 1/2
Spro Little John works well in Bloody Craw or Spooky Shad colors. Also, a 5/8
Spro Aruku Shad in Mudbug Red or Clear Chartreuse colors are good to throw. Use
a slow, steady retrieve and rip the baits free from the grass when they get
bogged up. Also, some fish have been caught on lizards in the Indian Mounds area
on 10 to 12 foot grass lines. Throw a 6" Big Bite Baits Pro Lizard in watermelon
or green pumpkin. Use a 1/4 ounce Tru-Tungsten lead in watermelon or green
pumpkin color to match the color of the worm. Throw the lizard up in the grass
and bring it out to the edge and let if fall slow. This pattern works well with
little wind and bright skies.
Crappie fishing has somewhat slowed. Specs are being caught in 6-8 feet of water
near grass lines on the Flint River. Throw a Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube Tail in
the Electric Chicken Head/Clear Sparkle Tail color in 1/16 oz. Use fluorocarbon
line in 6 lb test and swim the jig real slow near the grass lines.
November 21, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, SLIGHTLY STAINED AND 62*
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is relatively slow on Seminole. The water temperature is dropping
fast with the freezing temperatures. Some days the bass can be caught on grass
flats in the 4 - 5 foot range. Throw shallow running crank baits or rattle traps
over the grass. The flats on the Florida side of the lake have seemed to be
working better. A 1/2 Spro Little John works well in Bloody Craw or Spooky Shad
colors. Also, a 5/8 Spro Aruku Shad in Mudbug Red or Clear Chartreuse colors are
good to throw. Use a slow, steady retrieve and rip the baits free from the grass
when they get bogged up. Also, some fish have been caught on lizards in the
Indian Mounds area on 10-12 foot grass lines. Throw a 6" Big Bite Baits Pro
Lizard in watermelon or green pumpkin. Use a 1/4 oz. Tru-Tungsten lead in
watermelon or green pumpkin color to match the color of the worm. Throw the
lizard up in the grass and bring it out to the edge and let if fall slow. This
pattern works well with little wind and bright skies.
Crappie fishing is slow but some fish are being caught in 6 to 8 feet of water
near grass lines on the Flint River. Throw a Big Bite Baits Bad Boy Tube Tail in
the Electric Chicken Head/Clear Sparkle Tail color in 1/16 ounce. Use
fluorocarbon line in 6 lb test and swim the jig real slow near the grass lines.
November 14, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR &
66
DEGREES
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good and the cooler weather and shorter days is causing the
grass to die off rapidly. This is making the shallow cranking bite turn on. Fish
a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in magic or spooky shad over the top of submerged hydrilla
and milfoil on flats near the Flint side of the lake. Allow the bait to bog up
in the hydrilla and then rip it out. The strike will usually occur when the bait
is ripped free of the hydrilla or milfoil. The flats on the Hooch are good also
but dingy. A spinnerbait works well on all of the grass beds at the mouth of the
Chattahoochee river. Use a 1/2 or 3/8 War Eagle spinner bait with double willow
leaf blades in fire tiger color. Use an erratic action with the spinnerbait.
Throw it up in the grass, use a fairly fast retrieve, and then shake it when it
gets to the edge of the grass bed. The strike will be hard and fast, so be ready
to set the hook. If skies are blue and there is no wind, the cranking and
spinnerbait bite tends to be a little slow. If this is the case, go to these
same areas and throw a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in 10 inch
Tilapia color. Use a 1/4 Tru Tungsten lead and fluorocarbon line. Just work the
worm real slow around the grass. This is a good big fish pattern.
Crappie fishing is excellent on the lake right now. Nice sized specs are being
caught on the old river channel of the Chattahoochee river with minnows. Also,
specs are being taken on jigs such as 1/12 and 1/16 ounce Hal-Flys along 8-10 ft
grass lines on the Flint River area of the lake. Any color with a little white
in it works well. Just cast the jig to the grass and swim it back to the boat
slowly.
November 6, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR &
68
DEGREES
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is still pretty good. The cooler weather and shorter days is
causing the grass to die off rapidly. This is making the shallow cranking bite
turn on. Fish a Spro Aruku Shad 75 in magic or spooky shad over the top of
submerged hydrilla and milfoil on flats near the Flint side of the lake. Allow
the bait to bog up in the hydrilla and then rip it out. The strike will usually
occur when the bait is ripped free of the hydrilla or milfoil. The flats on the
Hooch are good also but dingy. A spinnerbait works well on all of the grass beds
at the mouth of the Chattahoochee river. Use a 1/2 or 3/8 War Eagle spinner bait
with double willow leaf blades in fire tiger color. Use an erratic action with
the spinnerbait. Throw it up in the grass, use a fairly fast retrieve, and then
shake it when it gets to the edge of the grass bed. The strike will be hard and
fast, so be ready to set the hook. If skies are blue and there is no wind, the
cranking and spinnerbait bite tends to be a little slow. If this is the case, go
to these same areas and throw a Texas rigged Big Bite Baits Kriet Tail worm in
10 inch Tilapia color. Use a 1/4 Tru Tungsten lead and fluorocarbon line. Just
work the worm real slow around the grass. This is a good big fish pattern.
Crappie fishing is excellent on the lake right now. Nice sized specs are being
caught on the old river channel of the Chattahoochee river with minnows. Also,
specs are being taken on jigs such as 1/12 and 1/16 ounce Hal-Flys along 8-10 ft
grass lines on the Flint River area of the lake. Any color with a little white
in it works well. Just cast the jig to the grass and swim it back to the boat
slowly.
October 31, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN .6 FEET, CLEAR &
68 DEGREES
BY Matt Baty 229 * 726 * 0513
Bass fishing is good. The BFL regional was here recently and was won with a 3
day total of 61 pounds. The tournament was won by flipping grass mats in the
spring creek area. This is a good pattern to win tournaments as long as the
grass is still matted. Fish the grass points in Spring Creek that have topped
out hydrilla. Use a 1 to 1 1/2 ounce plain Tru-Tungsten lead. The unpainted Tru-Tungsten
is very shiny and gives off a lot of flash to imitate a shad while busting down
through the hydrilla. The best bait to use for flipping is a 6 inch Kriet
Kreature made by Big Bite Baits. Any color that has green or watermelon in it
works well. We have used many different baits for flipping deep grass and this
bait is absolutely the best because of the action of the legs and tentacles.
They also make it in a BioBait formula which is a biodegrable type plastic that
fish hold on to longer. Flipping works all day, but works better in bright sun
conditions with little wind. Another pattern for catching fall bass this month
is fishing flats on the main lake with submerged hydrilla and milfoil. Watch for
needle fish on the flats. Needle fish are a good indicator that shad are
present. Bass will eat them too! Flats in the 4 to 5 foot range work best. If
the wind is blowing, throw Rat L Traps over the grass and rip them. A Spro Aruku
Shad 75 in magic or spooky shad works well. If there is no wind, take a
Biodegradables Kriet worm in 6 inch watermelon seed on a 1/4 Tru-Tungsten lead
and swim it over the grass. Use a steady, slow retrieve and this pattern will
catch numbers of fish.
October 23, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED &
80
DEGREES
Bass fishing is fair mid day to dusk. Use a Culprit green or red shad worm in
the grass with a light weight and let it float into holes on the grass. In the
Spring Creek area use a Texas rigged Culprit worm in dark colors over the grass
and wood cover will be better later each day as the water warms. Finesse worms
floated over grass beds or a u tail worm in dark colors can work after the sun
is up. Use greens and crawfish colors on a light 1/16 lead weight on the edges
of the grass. With the warm weather run an all white buzz bait over and around
the grass in the backs of the creeks. Scum Frogs in white and green back are
also working but be sure to use a braid to get these fish out of the slop.
October 16, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED &
80 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair to good and the patterns have changed a little bit. There
are bass on points and drops. There has been a good top water bite on Pop R’s on
grass and river bends up lake. Shad Raps broken back in the perch pattern are
working well. The bass were schooled up in shallow, shallow water. They are
still reasonably shallow but they seem to be pulling back to the deeper water.
Always have a white buzz bait and a large with Senko ready in case any fish blow
up on a buzz bit or other top water lure and miss this bait.
October 3, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing has been fair and picking up. Some fish are moving on the grass
mats in the creeks. Use a quarter ounce jigs with a Zoom twin tail grub as a
trailer. This will slow the fall of the bait and get more strikes. An all white
Zoom Super Fluke is working and it imitates the shad well in clearer water.
Adding some Bang shad scent will help a lot. Keep a Pop R and a Zara Spook Jr
ready as well as a Rooster Tail in line spinner. The Zoom Ol’Monster worm in red
shad or June bug on the ends of the up lake points will get some bites. All
white buzz baits can work all day in the small pockets right off the main river.
September 27, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair late in the day after some warm sunshine. The early bite is
slow, but try frogs on and over grass beds with some 50 pound Sufix Braid. Cast
the dark Zoom Bush Hog in green and pumpkin in and around the grass with a light
weight and let it float into holes on the grass. In the Spring Creek area, use a
Texas rigged red shad Zoom U tail worm over the grass and wood cover will be
better later each day as the water warms. After the sun warms the shallows, get
out the Chatterbaits and work the grass edges down lake and the river bends up
lake. Finesse worms floated over grass beds or a u tail worm in dark colors can
work after the sun is up. Use greens and crawfish colors on a light 1/16 lead
weight on the edges of the grass. With the weather still warm, never overlook an
all white buzz bait over and around the grass in the backs of the creeks.
September 19, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, STAINED &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is barely fair as the water starts to cool. Rains dropped the water
temperatures but try the early and late top water lures on the grass is hit or
miss. Anglers have had some success throwing frogs in the grass, but buzz baits
have not been as effective as they normally are this time of year. When the sun
gets up, about the only bite going is on the grass lines in 8 to 12 feet of
water. Throw a Texas to rigged 8 inch ribbon tail worm in blueberry, black or
watermelon. Mike said not to expect more than four or five bites a day. However,
early fall patterns should be right around the corner. Mike said if the water
temp drops another 3 or 4 degrees it will be time to start cranking. Look for
grass that is beginning to die back a little, and burn a Rat to L to Trap or
shallow to running crank bait over the top of it and stick to shad patterns.
September 12, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and the bass are biting on secondary
creek points and creek ledges. Use a Texas rigged lizard in pumpkinseed or water
melon and add some Real Craw scent. Crank baits that are working are Shad Raps,
Rat L Traps and Sisson lures in the brighter colors. Stay with smaller lures but
in the river; go to the next larger size. All white buzz baits on the grassy
points and a small Bang A Lure will work fro some smaller fish. The river fish
are active and a dark jig on a stump ledge or across a creek pocket will attract
a hungry bass.
September 5, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over
the past few weeks. Fishing top water baits around grass beds like buzz baits,
Spooks, and Pop R. Be sure to fish any grassy points or indentations. Once the
sun rises the fishing is rather slow. Try flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom
Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the rivers and Spring Creek with a
Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your plastics need to be either
watermelon seed or green pumpkin or some other clear water color.
August 29, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and the main lake creek points and creek bends have some
good fish feeding on small baits. UP the Hooch, the river is clear for now but
the storms may change this by next week. Work the points right next to the river
bends or go into the creeks and look for clearing water. Down lake, use the
bleeding shiner Rat L Traps, white spinner baits, Larew Craws with the bright
pinchers, Zoom green lizards and #5 Shad Raps and cast anything on the shallow
bank cover. Road beds and trees in the water are holding schools of fish. The
crank bait and spinner baits cast on the bank cover will get strikes. This is
always a good idea, use a spinner bait. Work heavy bank cover. Enticer spinner
baits with bright blades will draw shallow strikes as the bass move to the creek
banks and points during the day.
August 22, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
84
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and the main lake creek points and creek bends have some
good fish feeding on small baits. UP the Hooch, the river is clear for now but
the storms may change this by next week. Work the points right next to the river
bends or go into the creeks and look for clearing water. Down lake, use the
bleeding shiner Rat L Traps, white spinner baits, Larew Craws with the bright
pinchers, Zoom green lizards and #5 Shad Raps and cast anything on the shallow
bank cover. Road beds and trees in the water are holding schools of fish. The
crank bait and spinner baits cast on the bank cover will get strikes. This is
always a good idea, use a spinner bait. Work heavy bank cover. Enticer spinner
baits with bright blades will draw shallow strikes as the bass move to the creek
banks and points during the day.
August 15, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
89
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and the early mornings and in the evenings try a top water
jerk bait. Work large spinner baits and buzz baits on the lower lake around the
grass beds. The largemouth bass have moved to the river ledges at 12 to 18 feet
of water. Large the diving baits and big plastic worms in dark colors on a Texas
rig has been fair. It’s really hot during the day on the lake so be prepared to
move around to try and keep cool. Try and slow roll a large white spinner bait
in the beat of the day super deep. White buzz baits early around the grass beds
has been very good. After dark, try black Jitterbugs and black or red buzz baits
on the edges of the grass in the creeks. This can be a surprise tactic the fish
do not usually see on this lake and can be very productive.
August 8, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
89
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and there are a few fish in the shallows early. With the
surface temperatures running high, the fish are offshore. When there is current,
the offshore bite can be absolutely fantastic both for numbers and quality and
the crank bait is tough to beat. When the current is present, ledges that top
out from 8 to 12 feet have worked the best. When there is no current the fishing
can be tough. Use a Carolina rig and Texas rig on river ledges in about 16 to 25
feet. Green pumpkin and watermelon seed plastics are tough to beat. If the ledge
has standing timber, really work the timber thoroughly as the fish will suspend
in the trees. At this time of year, use of your electronics to find the fish is
critical if you are going to fish structure. If you find the shad, you will find
the bass. In the early mornings, shallow grass early in areas with deep water
access can produce quality fish as well. If you are going to be throwing a shad
colored crank bait.
August 1, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and the fish are on the creek points
and creek bends mid lake and the river bass are a little more active with the
current. The river is clear so work the point’s right nest to the river bends or
go into the creeks. Down lake, use the bleeding shiner Rat L Traps, white
spinner baits, Larew Craws with the bright pinchers, Zoom green lizards and #5
Shad Raps and cast anything on the shallow bank cover. The Sebile minnow is shad
is also working. Road beds and trees in the water are holding schools of fish.
The crank bait and spinner baits cast on the bank cover will get strikes. This
is always a good idea, use a spinner bait. Work heavy bank cover. Enticer
spinner baits with bright blades will draw shallow strikes as the bass move to
the creek banks and points during the day.
July 25, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair on worms and jigs. The grass lines mid lake are fair early
and late but the better bite is up the rivers. In the lower lakes creeks, flip
wood early and use a Texas rigged Culprit black shad worm. Use larger worms in
red shad or greens. Up the rivers flip a large worm or spinner baits around the
banks and drop them into the cuts under the big trees right on the bank. Try a
Stanley jig in black and blue or all black 1/2 ounce jig and a larger Pro Pork
Trailer by Uncle Josh. Cast to the banks cover and work baits tight. Afternoons
are better for faster moving baits with a small all white Fat Free Shad on main
river points. Small floating Rapala’s in gold’s are fair in the creeks. Never
overlook a small shallow Mann’s Baby Minus One crank bait in gold’s and bream
colors on this lake even up the river.
July 18, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing has been slow almost all day but the bright spot is any current
during generation. With the slow day fishing, get out the large dark Senko’s,
rig the wacky style with a large hook and cast them to points on grass lines and
on main lake ledges. Early and late Lunker Lures buzz baits on the wood or grass
lines can draw a fish but run and gun all day. Float a large dark Gilraker worms
or lizards on Texas rig with no weight on around the grass beds. Add a Mann’s
Rat in green frog then follow up with a big lizard in June bug on a large #5
Mustad hook. Zoom Swamp crawlers are working on a long Carolina rig with the
Lindy No Snag rig in the ounce size. To get away from the heat, fish early and
late and use a green pumpkin and June Bug Zoom U tail on a Texas rig. Use the
all white one ounce spinner bait and slow roll the bait but this will tax the
arms if the fish do not bite. Try this large bait for 30 minutes each trip and
use it on the feeding periods.
July 11, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing has been fair. Fishing is good early on top water baits and buzz
baits. Then use the darker red colors in worms and jigs and shad crank baits are
good. The bass are shallow early each morning on grass and grass points mid
lake. Down lake use a Shad Rap in #7 sizes in any color and bump the bait across
the bottom and use light line. Then go to the points and flats at 10 feet.
During the middle of the day head up the river and use big Enticer spinner baits
and fish them right on the banks. The Zoom water melon seed lizard and a long 3
foot Carolina rig can draw a few strikes on river ledges but it’s very hot all
day.
July 4, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair to good early on double blades buzz baits with an all white
skirt. Cast over the grass and hit the pockets. The all white trick worms and
gold black back Rapalas on the grass lines in Spring Creek are good. Shad crank
baits and jig and pigs in reds and blacks are good. Cast to the grass and work
the stumps on the edges of the creeks. Crank baits should be in bone and orange
bellies in the creeks on secondary points. Live bass shiners or live lizards on
the creek bends and on the river ledges are fair. There is a major feeding
period this week right in the middle of the day. The best bet for fishing is to
head up the rivers to beat the heat.
June 27, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing has been good and not much has changed since last week. Some
anglers are on the lake after dark using black buzz baits and large 10 inch
black Culprit worms in the creeks. The river fish have been fair as the current
is moving daily with all the up river runoff. Bright large Mann’s crank baits on
the sand bars mid river has been fair and dig the bottom with the baits. In the
clear creeks, buzz baits and spinner baits along with rats still lures on and
over the grass beds will work. June bug worms are fair on the creek sand bars
with a light weight. Also, large Senko's in bright colors on a large worm hook
with no weight will work as well.
June 20, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and it is best to fish the mid lake creeks early. Then head
to the dam and work the lower lake creeks are best. Up the river bass relate to
any wood on the river banks and flip a jig or a green shad Zoom u tail worm on a
pegged 3/16th ounce sinker. Down lake, bass are in tight schools over the old
structure on main lake points at 10 to 14 feet deep. The river is clear also.
Later in the day use a large Berkley Power Worm on a Texas rig over the grass
lines. Rat L Traps are getting a lot of strikes and the gold baits are the hot
color along with red. Floating the Rat on and over the grass beds should work
all day over the grass beds. Drop the bait into the grass holes and around wood
in the back of the creeks. With warm rain and a few more days’ warm weather, get
out the spinner baits and buzz baits.
June 13, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing had settled in for a typical summer pattern. Early go shallow to
the grass with a frog or buzz bait and then the main lake ledges. Some bass will
be holding right on the edge of the channel ledges. Fishing the deeper grass
beds. As the air temperature continues to warm up, the bass will move to the
deeper water ledges. Use the large crank baits and the suspending jerk baits
with a slow presentation will work. Mid day heat means deep water and the slow
moving Carolina rig and a lot of patience. Go to the Down Deep Husky Jerks, DD22
crank baits and Carolina Rigs.
June 6, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
86
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and there is still some top water action. Black buzz baits
and black Jitterbugs and very large grubs are fair. Early in the mornings and at
dusk in the evenings try a top water jerk bait. Work large spinner baits and
buzz baits on the lower lake around the grass beds. Daytime fishing has moved to
the river ledges at 12 to 18 feet of water. Large shad and Tennessee shad diving
baits and big plastic worms in dark colors on a Texas rig has been fair. It’s
really hot during the day on the lake so be prepared to move around to try and
keep cool.
March 28, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
61 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is good and what can I say about Lake Seminole, it is March and the
bass are on the bed all over the lake. Virtually every sandbar has fish on it.
If you enjoy sight fishing for bedding bass, head to Lake Seminole and get ready
to have a ball. If you don't like sight fishing, I would recommend throwing a
Carolina rigged lizard around deeper sand bars (4-8 feet) or slowly fishing a
Texas rigged lizard in the same areas. For some flipping action, go up the
rivers and flip and pitch black or blue Stanley jigs with a matching plastic
Zoom pork style trailer to the docks and heavy bank cover. Use the darker red
colors in all worms and lizards and shad crank baits are good casting them right
on the banks. Early and late each day, use a bubble gum Zoom trick worm on the
wood and even rip rap on bridges. The bass bite better later in the day, on the
grass lines or the rip rap on bridges. During the middle of the day, the river
bass are fair on a larger Gilraker worm and fish them right on the bank cover.
The Zoom Ole Monster water melon seed worm on a Texas rig is hot also.
Crappie fishing is great and all day minnows around wood will work. Live bait is
best on main creek brush piles. The night fishing is fair on the bridges and
around the lighted boat docks. Minnows will be best at 10 feet.
March 21, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
61
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is good and the fish are shallow lake wide. Grass beds in the
creeks have spawning fish roaming around beds and pink trick worms; white Stick
O’s or a Zoom lizard will work. For some flipping action, go up the rivers and
flip and pitch black or blue Stanley jigs with a matching plastic Zoom pork
style trailer to the docks and heavy bank cover. Use the darker red colors in
all worms and lizards and shad crank baits are good casting them right on the
banks. Early and late each day, use a bubble gum Zoom trick worm on the wood and
even rip rap on bridges. The bass bite better later in the day, on the grass
lines or the rip rap on bridges. During the middle of the day, the river bass
are fair on a larger Gilraker worm and fish them right on the bank cover. The
Zoom Ole Monster water melon seed worm on a Texas rig is hot also.
Crappie fishing is great and all day minnows around wood will work. Live bait is
best on main creek brush piles. The night fishing is fair on the bridges and
around the lighted boat docks. Minnows will be best at 10 feet.
March 15-16, 2008 Swede
Fished the second of 5 qualifiers at Lake Seminole this weekend - this is a
two-day event. Found winds gusting to 30mph on Saturday which forced many of the
43 boats into protected areas of the lake. Water temps found to be mid-60s in
back water areas - 66 in area I fished. I fished the Florida side of the lake
much of the time and found fishing tougher than it has been. Caught just two
keepers each day for about 9 pounds. Partners managed just one fish between
them. Caught all my fish on a V&M Pork Shad in a color I have never used before
- but seemed to be my ticket to getting bit this weekend - Huckleberry was the
color. Winner had 37+ pounds, 2nd had 29+ pounds, and 3rd had 28+ pounds.
Predominate winning patterns were bed fishing and flipping matted vegetation.
Top daily weights were 19+ pounds each day.
March 14, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
havefunfishing.com
Bass fishing is good and what can I say about Lake Seminole, it is March and the
bass are on the bed all over the lake. Virtually every sandbar has fish on it.
If you enjoy sight fishing for bedding bass, head to Lake Seminole and get ready
to have a ball. If you don't like sight fishing, I would recommend swimming a
paddle tail worm around sand bars or slowly fishing a Texas rigged lizard in the
same areas.
March 9, 2008 Swede
Fished club tourney out of Seminole Lodge Sunday - water temps upper 50s at
start warming to 60-62 in afternoon. Cold fronts changing the bite daily. Tough
for most - 12.09 took first place with 7.58 kicker. 9+ pounds second and only
limit of the day. Three of us with 5+ pounds - 12 participants. Much muddy water
in the system right now. I fished the Flint and Fish Pond Drain arms for my only
two keepers going 5.52. Slowed way down with a V&M black grape ringer to get
bit. Water levels are at normal or just above normal pool. Muddy water in much
of the system. Temps upper 50s to low 60s depending on time of day. First wave
has already spawned out - and moved to deeper water.
March 7, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is barely fair and another cold front is on the way. The best bite
is fishing 10 to 12 foot brush piles in the creeks. Use the Rapala DT 16 in fire
tiger and chrome Rat-L-Traps just running the banks. These colder temperatures
has slowed the migration for bass. Muddy conditions still hamper the deeper bite
and the shoreline grass hasn't had a chance to get going yet. Spinner baits and
jigs are going to be heavy favorites this week and with a stained lake. Use the
chartreuse and white with a Colorado blade will be a good choice.
Crappie have been coming in off the bridges around Pataula & Sandy Creeks are
producing some good fish. Shiners tight lined in 12 to 15 feet of should work if
the weather cooperates.
February 29, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and there are some fish on wood and deep grass lines later
in the day. Worms on a Texas or a short Carolina rig are fair in greens or smoke
colors are fair but fish slowly in and around brush. The down lake fish are
biting blue back Shad Raps crank baits on the points and humps. Try the white
skirts and silver blades on a Leverage 1/2 ounce spinner baits up the rivers in
coves and hit wood on the banks. Small Shad Raps and Bang A Lures in silver and
black back on banks and wood has been fair. Cast to the steep banks in the
creeks with a Rattlin’ Rouge in the shad or bream color. Spinner baits with
willow leaf blades in silver and gold’s on the banks can draw strikes.
Crappie fishing is slow as the stained water and cold nights continue to
dominate. A few are being caught while trolling and even a few on live minnows
up in the middle of the creeks. The crappie bite has been real slow due to the
muddy water but as soon as the water clears a little these fish will be jumping
in the boat.
February 15, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is slow. Watch the water temperatures all day and find the warmest
water in the north west coves for any active fish. Any warm up this month should
spark the fish to start to the shallows. The fish are on deep creek bends down
lake. Mid day spinner baits down lake in the creeks may work but drag the baits
slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner baits with bright
blades. With any sun warming look for the bass to move to the creek channels and
points during the day. Use the all black or all brown 1/2 ounce jig and a Pro
Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the points. After a few days of warm weather look
for the crank bait and spinner baits cast on the bank cover and slowly worked to
get small strikes.
Crappie fishing is fair and there is clear water in Spring Creek. There are
shallow fish at less than 5 feet and use both live minnows and bright jigs. Dip
a minnow into the grass holes mid day. Also fish in the creeks on ledges at 7 to
14 feet for the deep fish.
February 8, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is slow. The water is cold and the bass are biting later in the day
with a warm up. Stay down lake and use worms and jigs. Fish the humps and points
half way to the backs of the creeks. In the mouths of the main lake creeks blue
pumpkin Zoom mini lizards. The backs of the lower lake creeks are clear and a
use 1/2 ounce Stanley jig in black and blue Zoom pork imitation. The ledges
right off the main lake are still good locations to find a schools of fish. But
getting them to bite has been tough. Use a large jig with the Uncle Josh trailer
and fish this bait just like a jigging spoon.
February 1, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
51 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is slow and Lake Seminole is full and surface temps are running
50-52. The fishing at Lake Seminole is sporadic-which is absolutely typical for
this time of year. After 2-3 warm days, the bite really gets good. Only to be
followed by a cold front which slows them down. To see just how sporadic the
fishing is, you should take a look at the weights brought in during the recent
Stren Series tournament. If you are heading to Lake Seminole, I would recommend
that you either flip mats with a 1.5 ounce jig; rip a Rattle Trap through
outside grass lines; or, Carolina Rig/Drop-Shot the creek channel in Spring
creek. But do know this----If we get 5 days for warm weather-LOOK OUT because
the fishing at Seminole will EXPLODE.
January 25, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
55
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing is slow with the cold temperatures and runoff. While there are some
fish up on the flats, these fish are very unreliable. The most reliable bite is
in deeper water staging areas. Grass points out from spawning flats in the
10'-15' depth range have been producing some really nice fish. These fish can be
caught on crank baits, Texas rigs, or Carolina rigs. The best crank baits in the
cold, clear water are those that have a very tight wiggle. The other good deep
water pattern is fishing any of the numerous springs, depressions, or old ponds.
These areas offer deeper water and the fish will really stack up in them. There
are several ways to catch these fish. If the fish are holding deep out in these
areas, a jigging spoon or drop shot is your best bet. A Carolina rig will also
catch these fish. If the fish are relating to the grass lines along these edges,
a crank bait, suspending jerk baits, lipless crank bait, or Texas rig will do
the trick. Look for these areas on or near shallower flats, as they seem to
concentrate fish better. There are some fish shallow in the creeks but they are
stuck heavily under the grass beds. Zoom Bush Hogs on a pegged Texas rig may
work on the grass beds but be sure to use a heavy weight to get though the
grass. If there is a warm up this week, get the weights off the baits and look
in the sandy areas for small bass to start roaming around. There is little fresh
water coming down the rivers but this weekend, all that may change with fresh
runoff. Stay down lake to the dam and fish any clearer water with a Zoom all
black trick worm and no weight around wood in the creek mouths. Add some scent
too.
January 18, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
55 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
HaveFunFishing.com
Bass fishing has been slow. Expect only a warming trend to get them going. There
are some fish shallow in the creeks but they are stuck heavily under the grass
beds. Zoom Bush Hogs on a pegged Texas rig may work on the grass beds but be
sure to use a heavy weight to get though the grass. When we get a warm up, get
the weights off the baits and look in the sandy areas for small bass to start
roaming around. Avoid any fresh muddy water and go down lake to the dam and fish
any clearer water with a Zoom all black trick worm and no weight around wood in
the creek mouths. Add some scent too.
January 11, 2008
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR &
55 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
HaveFunfishing.com
Bass fishing is fair and a little warm weather will get them going.
Spinnerbait’s and crank baits are locating them the best with cranks coming in
at number one in production. Medium divers like the shad raps are working under
all the toughest conditions this time of year and especially while cranking the
ledges mid lake. Use both the suspending and floating models in a variety of
colors. On the sunny days start off with the lighter colors and move to darker
colors later on in the day or if clouds become present. A few fishermen are
reporting larger but fewer bass are being caught while throwing a pig-n-jig in
and around heavy cover along deep drops at 14 feet on the river.
December 29, 2007 Jim
I fished yesterday with a couple nice fellows from south Carolina. I started out
with high hopes due to my last few trips out but you know how that works. We
started on the flats with traps where I'd caught the big one the day before only
this time nothing was stirring. I had one fish hung that felt decent but it came
off. After a couple hours of that we moved over to the creek and fished what
little grass we could find that had the look of holding some fish. We flipped
most of the rest of the day with a little tx rigged worming and rattle trapping
thrown in but all our fish were caught flipping. We caught nine or ten up to
around 4lbs. I lost one more that felt pretty decent and missed a few. One of
the other guys broke one off on 20lb mono (I warned him) and missed a couple.
The bite was slow, soft and mushy and half the time you'd set the hook then come
up with part of your bait or no bait at all on the hook, Unfortunately the other
fisherman didn't catch a fish but then he wasn't feeling good and sat it out not
fishing quite a bit. I only took two pics because it was wet part of the time
and the fish weren't all that great anyway. Water temp was 60-65, the creek was
clear and the Flint was slightly stained.
December 28, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN ONE FOOT, CLEAR & 61 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
229-431-3036
Bass fishing has been off all week. The warm weather usually gets these fish
active but this week it’s been off after a cold week of wind and runoff. Expect
only a warming trend to get them going. There are some fish shallow in the
creeks but they are stuck heavily under the grass beds. Zoom Baby Bush Hogs in
green pumpkin on a pegged Texas rig may work on the grass beds but be sure to
use a heavy weight to get though the grass. If there is a warm up this week, get
the weights off the baits and look in the sandy areas for small bass to start
roaming around. A Senko on a swivel rig and a small spilt shot will work on and
over grass beds. Try both large bait and a small one.
December 28, 2007 Jim
I was nearly blown off the water today out there. The wind was 20 from the south
and my fish were all on the north side of the Flint. I stayed with it till 1:00
before giving it up. Caught six fish and two were good ones.... a 4 and 7.4. The
pics make them look small but it's all I could do with the wind howling and my
boat bobbing like a cork, lol. Water temp was up to 57 today. I caught one on a
tx rig worm, two flippin and three on traps. Stayed down stream today.
December 27, 2007 Jim
What a great day to be on seminole. It finally warmed up although I found the
water surface temp had dropped to 54.9. I decided to try traps along the edge of
the flats for a couple hours and caught three nice ones before going flippin.
Would have thrown traps a little more but my wrist was sore from jerking grass
and I wanted to flip . As you can see the quality was up today. I think i caught
fourteen and my smallest fish was 2lbs. I mostly just missed fish all afternoon.
The flippin bite was very soft and mushy.
December 15, 2007 Jim

I took this picture to try to show that it doesn't take a big bass to give you
trouble pulling one up out of 16-18ft of hydrilla. In fact the bigger fish seem
to bust through better than the 1-3lbers. What you see just under the fish is my
rake covered in grass which I used to dig this one out. I could not pull this
fish out with 65lb pound braid and an XH flipping stick. Well on second thought
I might possibly have pulled it out but I've torn off so many lately that I
thought it might be good for the fish and my ego if I started thinning the grass
a bit once I get them close to the surface. With this one I just pulled grass
and fish up in one ball. If you look closely you can see the hydrilla just below
the surface. The grass is extremely tough and stringy this time of year on
Seminole and a lot of fish have been buried in it. I never use a net but from
now on I'll carry my rake. It'll be a lot easier on me and the fish that way
December 14, 2007 Jim
I was out yesterday trying to get in one more day of fishing before the storms
and cold air blows in. I caught nothing to brag about on size but weighed four
that went 3-31/2, three or four 2's and I touched a 5. I lost the 5 while
holding my rod between my knees and my garden rake in one hand while trying to
reach down in the mat and lip the fish with the other I had to slow down and
downsize compared to the way I've been fishing to get bit. It was foggy all
morning then overcast all day with no wind at all and quite a few gnats. A
pretty good day to be out in my little skiff with all of it's five horsepower
except that I couldn't blow the gnats off. I launched at Sealy and stayed below
Sealy all day flippin down sized weights and creatures.
December 13, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS DOWN 2.5 FEET, CLEAR & 71
BY JOE DURHAM
Largemouth bass fishing is slow. The fish are on deep creek bends down lake.
After a few days of warm weather look for the crank bait and spinner baits cast
on the bank cover and slowly worked to get small strikes. Watch the water
temperatures all day and find the warmest water in the north west coves for any
active fish. Any warm up next month should spark the fish to start to the
shallows. Mid day spinner baits down lake in the creeks may work but drag the
baits slowly over the structure. Use the 1/2 ounce Stanley spinner baits with
bright blades. With any sun warming look for the bass to move to the creek
channels and points during the day. Use the all black or all brown Denny Brauer
Rattle Back 1/2 ounce jig and a Pro Pork Trailer by Uncle Josh on the points.
December 12, 2007 Jim
Our best five averaged over 3lbs. We caught a couple smaller ones. Look for
heavy grass that has minnows working the surface and don't be afraid to pitch
pretty far back in there because that's where they are.... better have 65lb
braid because you'll break anything less tying to pull a fish through We had a
lot of bites that were nowhere near the edge but they're tough to catch with the
grass as thick and stringy as it is on top since the coots have been working it
and the water level has dropped. A rake will be handy to have in the boat and
I'll have one with me from now on. The fish seem to be schooled up when you find
them so work the area thoroughly when you get a bite.
December 11, 2007 Jim
We had another beautiful winter day on Seminole today. It started out a little
cool and foggy but ended up quite warm for December. The gnats ran us off from
one area but we found another spot where they weren't bad. Ended up with 22 fish
counting the little ones which were much fewer today them last time. I'd guess
we had over 12 keepers with one just under 4 and one over then a couple 3's and
several 2's if I remember correctly if not maybe Bruce will refresh my memory.
Once again we caught them flipping creatures on Spring Creek between Sealy and
the old powerhouse.
December 8, 2007 Jim
Speaking of big fish......I'm quite sure I lost a big fish late in the day. I
pitched into the grass as I'd done a thousand times already, hit bottom and
lifted my rod tip just enough to check for weight as I always do and felt solid
dead weight as if hung on bottom or a big fish. I suspected it was a fish and
called it to Bruce but I'm not one who swings at anything so I lifted again a
little harder and nothing moved ,twitched or bumped. On my third try she nudged
me just a little and I set the hook hard bowing my flippin rod pretty good. Had
her on and felt like a real solid hookset but half way up through the mat she
came off. In case you're wondering we've been getting a lot of those pressure
bites so you really have to be careful or you'll pull it right out of their
mouth. The good part of that is the fish buried in the mats usually hold on to
your bait a long time.
December 5, 2007 Bruce
My two buddies from Indiana and I were out on the lake again today. This was
their last day to fish before they head back north to the snow in Indiana. We
caught 21 today mostly by flipping the grass. Big fish was 5.4 with a 4.0 and
3.9 behind it. Several in the 2-3# range. Probably 6 of the 21 were small fish.
Jim put me on the pattern we used today so I thank him. He makes me look like I
know what I am doing when my friends come to visit, lol.
December 5, 2007 Jim
Found some more good flippin grass further up the creek and caught five from
it with baby brush hawgs on 65lb test . It was a little better day than last
time even though I still caught nothing over 3lbs. At least I caught most of
what bit with total of nine. Bruce has been out every day since Sunday fishing
with a couple friends from Indiana. After he convinced them to flip they had a
pretty good day yesterday although it sounded like they missed many because they
had never flipped before. It's been a little cold here too but there's no snow
on the mountains yet I'm fishing with Bruce again Friday and will take some
Seminole pics for you.
November 28, 2007 Jim
Fishing was still pretty slow for me yesterday. I could have caught a few more
but had to settle for four fish because I couldn't remember how to set the hook
with a tx rig on 10lb test mono Caught one around 2lbs on a sb another around
3lbs on a cb, one smaller flipping and another 2lber on a tx rigged zoom speed
craw. the ones I should have caught were in the wood around 18-22ft deep in the
creek. It was just one of those days when I missed more than what I caught. My
flippin bite was gone and the grass is going so I'm starting to learn how to
fish all over again Water surface temp was 59-62 and it was cool and breezy all
morning. The lake is full and the water clear.
November 23, 2007 Jim
Had another cold day on Seminole yesterday fishing with Jason . If the north
wind hadn't blown all day it would have felt much warmer out there. It looked
like the water level was dropping which may be the reason we couldn't catch them
along the flats on the river or maybe it was just too cold for those shallow
fish. We ended up fishing the creek most of the day caught 7 or 8 bass but our
biggest not counting the big mudfish was only 3lbs. Hopefully we'll get back out
again soon under better circumstances. All our fish were caught in the deeper
grass lines between Sealy and Big Jim's on creatures.
November 19, 2007 Jim
I got on the lake as the sun was coming up this morning and found the
weather much nicer than Friday. I quickly found out that my early morning
shallow fish had duck hunters guarding them. They'd set up their blinds in two
different areas I wanted to fish but I wasn't about to argue so I moved around
here and there trying different spots and different lures and couldn't get a
bite. Finally I couldn't stand it any longer and went looking for some decent
flippin grass that the coots hadn't tore up and that had no hunters on it I
found a few clumps out on the river that I was sure held some fish and missed my
first two in a row. Within the next thirty minutes I caught five from that same
small area. It's already getting hard to find the good mats that aren't shredded
but when you do and if there's bait present there's fish there also. I
ended the day at 3:30 having caught 16. I intentionally didn't weigh any and
only took two pics so I could keep count this time Besides the big one and the
one that I almost didn't get in the in the picture they were all in the 1.5-3lb
range and all caught flippin and pitchin green creature baits . Big fish was
caught on spring creek just above Rattlesnake pt.
November 16, 2007 Jim
After the blizzard that rolled through yesterday I had low expectations as I
left the dock this morning but I guess I fooled myself. The cold front must have
put a few more good fish in the grass. Never mind the attractive attire that
would scare charles Manson to death I was trying to stay warm I tried weighing
them and keeping track in my head for awhile but that was not a good idea. Big
fish was 5/15 and was my first fish, caught on a rattle trap. Caught all the
rest flippin. I had another one that was 5/8, one just under 4 and a 4/15 then a
few 3-31/2's and some 2's. The smallest fish I caught today was an even 1lber.
Lost tract of the numbers but 15- 20 would be in the ball park.
November 12, 2007 Ken & Jim
We did have a great time even though the gnats tried to choke us to death. I
think that I am still finding them in my ears. Well my middle finger on my left
hand is just starting to get feeling back after setting hooks all day with my
flipping stick. We caught all but 3 of our fish flipping, with a total of around
14-15 fish caught from 1-6lbs. Jim and I each caught a 6lber and a 5lber, he had
a 4 and we both had several 3s and some smaller ones mixed in for good measure.
This was most likely my last trip before I head overseas for 6 months and I
could not have asked for a better day of fishing with a better friend. I had a
great time catching and talking and we did lots of both from sun up to sundown.
Jim thanks for another great fishing trip. All our fish were relating to grass,
the 3 we caught early 2 on a fluke and 1 on a SB were caught over the grass and
the rest were deep in the grass from 4ft to 17ft. All the grass (hydrilla) we
were fishing was topped out at the surface. Water temps started at 60 and were
up to 65 by late in the day. It did get a little slow from around 1:00 to 3:00.
Flipping rigs with 3/4-1oz tungston weights and creature baits. Mine was a
Bitter Special in green pumkin.
November 5, 2007 Jim T
Got on the water around 6:30 with Bruce this morning and right away he landed a
41/2 on a sb near the Indian mounds . From there we moved out to the river and
fished the main channel grass before we moved over toward Seminole lodge where
we also caught nothing. At the bottom of the Hooch Bruce picked up another small
one on a sb while I was flippin mats but that was all we could do. On our way
back to the creek I noticed the water was moving around the buoys and suggested
we check the old river channel grass. I'm glad I did because I caught a 3+ on sb
on my third cast which made me feel just a little better. Once we decided no
more bites were to be had there we moved back to the creek and hit a couple
honey holes where we caught five more including another 3+ flippin craws. We
sure did cover a lot more water than we normally do but the way fishing has been
recently I felt we did ok. Our best five fish were in the 13-14lb range which is
not huge but that was good enough compared to our last day out. In any case I
always enjoy being on Seminole.
November 4, 2007 Talk Around the Lodge
Water temp 68.5 Some were catching keepers on plastic in 7'-12' Topwater bites
have been good first thing in the morning and coming on again at dusk
Bream being caught on wigglers and Big Reds along the shoreline
November 2, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79
DEGREES
BY
JOE
DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is difficult. FLW Outdoors had a recent BFL
regional that was dominated by anglers fishing for shoal bass. For those of you
who are going to the lake, top water baits around grass beds can produce some
bites. Buzz Baits, Spooks, and Pop-Rs all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy
points or indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I
recommend flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing
ledges in the rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is
clear, so your plastics need to be either watermelon seed or green pumpkin or
some other clear water color.
October 24, 2007 Jim
Fishing was terrible today. It was cold and windy and there was nothing I could
find that they wanted. I caught four but they were all small. Today was the last
practice day for the BFL guys. I keep thinking it's Feb with all the tournament
boats out lately.
October 18, 2007 Jim
It was a good day to be on Seminole but then any day is if you ask me. My only
regret is that I was getting most of the bites and when Bruce got one his 30lb
braid would break. It's guaranteed he won't have that light line when he returns
in ten days. Most of our fish were caught before 1:00 but there was still a bite
to be had at 3:00 when we left. Big fish was 6.4lbs, must be a bunch of 6's
right now. Neither of us did any counting this time but we caught several (a few
more than ten I'm sure) and the quality was up to Seminole standards again.
We forgot to mention that my first fish this morning was caught on a Ghostbait's
Frogzilla. Thanks again Jim for making some great frogs. The second fish before
the ten minute topwater bite ended was a 11/2 lb crappie caught on a Super Spook
(not the little one) and I was walking it pretty darn fast too.
October 13, 2007 Jim
Saturday Bruce had a great morning catching eleven total with around 16lbs and
another 6lb big fish on a sb. Today was quite a bit harder. We started off with
one on a sb and one on topwater then they disappeared. We persisted on and
caught three more by flipping the green stuff and another on a c-rig then we
headed over to Wingate's to gas up Bruce's boat. While over there we decided
what the heck might as well fish a little while we're here and we caught two
more flippin and one on a sb. Only 9-10 pounds today but at least we caught nine
fish with a couple fat 3's among them which is better than some days we've seen.
I think fishing will pick up again later this week as the clouds continue to
roll in. One more other tidbit I almost forgot that could affect fishing is I
noticed the water level had dropped over the weekend. Couldn't tell if it was
still dropping today or not.
October 11, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79
DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has started to change some. However, the primary
things haven't changed. For those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know
that this is normal. Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some
exciting action. Buzz baits, Spooks, and Pop-Rs all work well. Be sure to fish
any grassy points or indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather
slow. I recommend flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or
fishing ledges in the rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the
lake is clear, so your plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or Green
Pumpkin or some other clear water color. If we could get some cooler weather,
the fishing would improve substantially.
October 10, 2007 Jim
This morning we started with topwater and lost one fish then I picked up a small
keeper on a worm. From then until lunch time it was awful slow and right when we
thought we'd not get another bite we hit a good stretch or they just decided to
eat and we boated nine more in an hour or so. Big fish was a 6.2 on the digital
scales. We left around 3:00 because they'd knocked off again and we couldn't buy
another bite. I reckon we had around 15lbs about the same as last trip only less
bites and a couple more fish today. We stayed on the tm, fished slow and only
cranked up the big motor for one short move. In other words we kept our baits
wet.
October 8, 2007 Ken
Fished Seminole today and caught one about 4lbs on a frog in the grass. My
partner caught 3 a 4lber and two about 2lbs each. We did a lot of running and
looking today. 2 fish came off of flipping and I broke one off on 50lb braid.
October 5, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has started to change some. However, the primary
things haven't changed. For those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know
that this is normal. Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some
exciting action. Buzz baits, Spooks, and Pop-Rs all work well. Be sure to fish
any grassy points or indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather
slow. I recommend flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or
fishing ledges in the rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the
lake is clear, so your plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or Green
Pumpkin or some other clear water color. If we could get some cooler weather,
the fishing would improve substantially.
October 1, 2007
The early topwater bite wasn't there. Rex had only one good blow up on a frog
and I got one around 3 1/2 on my spinning rod with a white fluke on our first
stop. We wormed and flipped a bunch of grass off Sealy with no results then
moved out to the lake. By now the wind was pretty strong making it tough to keep
the boat in position and fish it the way we wanted. We caught three on worms
before giving up and heading into cypress pond where we didn't get a bite so we
headed back out to the creek. We flipped in and wormed around a bunch of grass
outside Big Jim's but had no takers. We finally found two keepers flippin
further down the creek just before loading up around 3:30. I'd guess we only had
around 10- 11lbs but if not for the wind......well, you know they've been
wanting it slow and with little weight lately which is kinda hard to do when the
wind is blowing 18-20 out on the open water. Rich was back out with a buddy
Thursday and caught a nice 9lber on a worm. They had around 19lbs and no wind
with plenty of gnats.
September 27, 2007 Jim
Got back out with Rich today and found three hungry for frogs between 6.30-7.00
then things went dead until around 12.30 when we finally found a very slow worm
bite and caught twelve more. No big ones but they were very fat and strong
pullers. Our best five was 12-13lbs which isn't great fishing but it's a big
improvement. The lake level is real good, the water is clear with surface temps
79-80 and the grass is bright green if you pull some off the bottom. All our
fish were caught on the lower creek and the main lake from grass 5-7ft deep
falling off to 12-16ft. Just one pic because I was busy working all day trying
to get bit. My best advice on Seminole for now would be to fish hard and ride a
whole lot less. I think they are starting to come around some, should get better
once we lose this full moon. All the ones we caught in the 2-3lb range were very
fat and healthy from eating around midnight. I'll be fishing some more before
you. Keep it wet.
September 22, 2007 Jim
Met up with a friend of mine at Wingate's this morning. Fishing was tough same
as it has been last few trips out lately. We worked the river pretty hard around
Wingate's area for one fish and one missed bite then we motored through the cut
and fished a LOT of really nice deep grass edges along the creek channel for two
more and another missed fish. Around 3:30 we saw the rain coming across the
river and decided to call it a day. Once we got back to Wingate's flats it had
cleared so after a short discussion we decided to give them 15 minutes more. We
were both glad we did after Dick caught fish number four. The ONLY bites we had
today were flipping baby brush hawgs in the grass and believe me when I say they
were extremely tough. During a brief conversation inside Wingates we were told
that no one was catching them and many weren't even getting a bite. I spoke up
and declared that the fish must be biting at night. My answer was that so and so
launched at dark the other night and caught around 27lbs. From what I've
experienced lately I do believe it. The few we have have caught are nice and fat
and it's no wonder with the amount of baitfish in the grass. They aren't lacking
for chow. I'd guess we had around 9lbs today. It sure was a nice day out with a
little extra wind and very little boat traffic for a Sat. The grass is mostly to
the surface all the way out past the set of poles after the leaning pole or
nearly out to the channel where the markers run close in on that side. We fished
it today with frogs, sb, buzzbait and worms then flipped the edges. Only caught
two and missed one flippin along there. The grasslines are perfect for flippin
over on the creek imo but just two fish caught over there also. Fishin's been
tough.
September 21, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over the past few weeks. For
those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know that this is normal.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, Spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I recommend
flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the
rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your
plastics need to be either watermelon seed or green pumpkin or some other clear
water color.
September 18, 2007
Jim
I was honored with an invitation to fish with Rich Mulder in his new Skeeter
yesterday. Rich is an Air Force Ranger just a few weeks away from being back in
Iraq. Once again fishing on Seminole was difficult. After I spoke briefly with
Jack we left Wingate's canal in the dark and shut down just past the leaning
pole where we started fishing. It wasn't long before I had the first fish (a two
pounder) hit my sb then Rich caught a 3.5 soon after also on a sb. As you can
see in the picture it wasn't even good daylight yet and we probably should have
gone home then, lol. We missed a couple, caught one more and a big Jack in the
area then tried a couple dry holes farther down river before heading down to the
dam. I caught a small one and missed another with a green worm off the first
hump and after trying two more with no bites we ran up toward Manmade and fished
grass along the river channel. It's really looking good along there but we only
managed one fish that got off while flipping mats so we ran back to the creek
and fished around the Rattlesnake area before calling it a day around 4:30.
While we were loading a couple locals were just launching. One of them made the
remark that the only time they're catching anything is just before dark. Seems
to me the fish may be feeding at night right now but then what do I know.
September 12, 2007 Jim
I made it out this morning hoping to find the fishing had picked up some. Well
it hasn't. I should have known when I caught a 4lb catfish on my third cast with
a sb. I fished all the way around Sealy flats at depths from four to twenty six
feet and never got a bite. Started out with a buzz and sb, then crankbaits, then
Tx rigged worms and grubs, then I flipped mats with BB brush hawgs & ended up
with a C-rig and DD22 in the timber. Left at noon with not the first bite. Just
one of those days I guess.
September 7-14, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79
DEGREES
BY JOE
DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over the past few weeks. For
those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know that this is normal.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, Spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I recommend
flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the
rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your
plastics need to be either watermelon seed or green pumpkin or some other clear
water color.
August 30, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
85
DEGREES
BY JOE
DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over the past few weeks. For
those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know that this is normal.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I recommend
flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the
rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your
plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or Green Pumpkin or some other clear
water color.
August 23, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
89 DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over the past few weeks. For
those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know that this is normal.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I recommend
flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the
rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your
plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or Green Pumpkin or some other clear
water color.
August 21, 2007 Swede
Launched out of Spring Creek Resort for this
tourney. Monte and Becky had a family reunion gathering at their place (Seminole
Lodge) and they had all the rooms taken. Fishing was slowwwwwww. My partner won
the tourney with 5.77 pounds and 3 fish. Second had 2.79 pounds. Can't ever
remember a tourney on Seminole taking so little to win. I got skunked there for
the first time in many moons. Big fish was 3.20 on a frog in slop. Them fish
were in a definite no bite mood. The hydrilla gnats really were not too bad this
trip. Water temps in the low 90s were found most places - I guess we should have
looked for more current - but none to be found.
August 17, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
89
DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed
much over the past few weeks. For those of you who are familiar with Seminole
you know that this is normal. Fishing top water baits around grass beds can
produce some exciting action. Buzz baits, spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be
sure to fish any grassy points or indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing
is rather slow. I recommend flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster
worm or fishing ledges in the rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most
of the lake is clear, so your plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or
Green Pumpkin or some other clear water color.
August 2, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole has not changed much over the past few weeks. For
those of you who are familiar with Seminole you know that this is normal.
Fishing top water baits around grass beds can produce some exciting action. Buzz
baits, spooks, and Pop-R’s all work well. Be sure to fish any grassy points or
indentations. Once the sun rises the fishing is rather slow. I recommend
flipping matted hydrilla with a Zoom Ol' Monster worm or fishing ledges in the
rivers and Spring Creek with a Carolina rig. Most of the lake is clear, so your
plastics need to be either Watermelon Seed or Green Pumpkin or some other clear
water color.
July 27, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is what I would call typical for Lake Seminole,
with some unbelievable top water action. Buzz baits and Spooks on grass lines
near ledges and channels are producing some wonderful fish. When the sun is up,
Texas rigs, Jigs, and Carolina rigs on the edges of grass lines can produce some
fish. I recommend at 10 inch worm fished slowly. A good friend of mine and I
were able to catch several nice keepers last week. The best five weighed just
over 23 pounds with most of the fish coming on top water and then a few being
caught on grass lines after the sun was up. The Carolina rig on main lake ledges
can be good, but that bite is somewhat sporadic. Soft plastics in the green
pumpkin, green shad or red bug are working mid day till dark. Once the grass
mats up a little more, a grass rat or frog will work during the middle of the
day
July 19, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 89
DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is what I would
call typical for Lake Seminole, with some unbelievable top water action. Buzz
baits and Spooks on grass lines near ledges and channels are producing some
wonderful fish. When the sun is up, Texas rigs, Jigs, and Carolina rigs on the
edges of grass lines can produce some fish. I recommend at 10 inch worm fished
slowly. A good friend of mine and I were able to catch several nice keepers last
week. The best five weighed just over 23 pounds with most of the fish coming on
top water and then a few being caught on grass lines after the sun was up. The
Carolina rig on main lake ledges can be good, but that bite is somewhat
sporadic. Soft plastics in the green pumpkin, green shad or red bug are working
mid day till dark. Once the grass mats up a little more, a grass rat or frog
will work during the middle of the day.
July 13, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
90 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is what I would call typical for Lake Seminole ,
with some unbelievable top water action. Buzz baits and Spooks on grass lines
near ledges and channels are producing some wonderful fish. When the sun is up,
Texas rigs and Carolina rigs on the edges of grass lines can produce some fish.
I recommend at 10 inch worm fished slowly. A good friend of mine and I were able
to catch 9 nice keepers last week. The best five weighed just over 26 pounds
with most of the fish coming on top water and then a few being caught on grass
lines after the sun was up. The Carolina rig and main lake ledges are good.
Almost all the fish are taking plastics but try a white buzz bait any time of
the day. Soft plastics in the green pumpkin, green shad or red bug are working
mid day till dark. A grass rat on the edges has been working when the sun is
straight up. Work the bait just like a Zara Spook and walk the baits on the
edges with an extra rattle in the bait.
July 8, 2007 Ken
I fished the Paradise Buddy team classic this weekend with my partner. It was
very hot and the fishing was still tough. We managed to squeek out 12.05 lbs on
Sat to win first place and a 5.05 lb'er to take big bass honors. The top 5 from
Sat stayed and fished today for the big money. We only managed to get 5lbs total
today with 3 fish for 4th place out of 5 but it was a great time none the less
and we got some money to boot. We caught our big fish on Zara Spooks. After the
sun got up we slowed down and went to throwing Senko's in my favorite color to
the trees in 20+ feet of water . The water is very warm 80's. The water is up
from what we saw last weekend and I spotted some water hyacinths along the bank
but they are still surrounded by hydrilla hopefully they will continue to grow
and we will have something to flip soon.
July 6, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 79
DEGREES
BY
JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is still strong and recent tournament winning
weights are averaging 23+ pounds. In the mornings buzz baits and Pop R’s around
hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. When you get in the right area, the
fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun gets up, get ready to slow down
and head to the ledges and grass lines in the mouth of Spring Creek. I recommend
a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed lizard or a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
Information provided my
MyFWC.com July 2007 - September 2007
As water temperatures continue to climb, good fishing opportunities will begin
to decline. Larger striped bass and sunshine bass will seek refuge in springs
(which are closed to fishing May 1 to November 1) and cool water creeks to
survive the hot summer. Smaller hybrids and stripers will school in the lower
lake, especially near the dam where there is some water flow. Watch for birds
working schools of shad and cast spoons or diving plugs to gamefish feeding
beneath the baitfish, or work poppers and surface plugs near the bait. If you
are on the water early or late, fish the flats for largemouth bass. The
Cornfield and the Man-Made-Island may be good areas to try on the Chattahoochee
side, or try the flats near Fishpond Drain and Spring Creek on the Flint side.
Many largemouth bass will be moving to deeper water during the summer, so fish
vertically along the channels with spoons, jigs, or worms. Work the lure up and
down along the edge, especially where there is a wall of hydrilla right up to
the channel. Bream and shellcracker will continue to bed sporadically through
the summer, particularly around the full moon each month. However, look for
panfish to also move toward deeper water as the summer progresses. Beat the
summertime heat by fly fishing for bream along deep banks after dark using glow
bugs. The best action will be around the new moon or on overcast nights.
June 30, 2007 Jim
Got back out on the creek for half the day yesterday. I'm not sure what's going
on with the creek but it's sure fishing different than I expect. Caught six
keepers above Big Jim's from 1-3lbs and they were all pretty deep. Had to fish
light and real slow with worms for a bite. Not exactly what I like to do but oh
well. Saw quite a few boats come out of Big Jim's readying for weekend tourneys.
I know it was hot out there on Friday. I figured conditions were about right for
flippin but I had no takers. All the fish seem to be on the bottom in deep water
even though the baitfish are up shallow. I'm pretty sure you could have caught a
limit and fished 18- 20 feet deep with weightless Senkos.
June 29, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
79 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is still STRONG…Especially in the mornings. Buzz
baits and Pop-R’s around hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. When you
get in the right area, the fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun gets
up, get ready to slow down and head to the ledges and grass lines in the mouth
of Spring Creek. I recommend a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed lizard
or a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
June 25, 2007 Jim
I got in half a day on the creek before a nasty thunderstorm scared me off the
water around 1:00. From what I saw the fish appeared to be down pretty deep even
though there were a lot of baitfish up in the grass. I fished about 50% in the
grass and 50% along the creek ledges. Missed one fish flippin grass and one that
felt large about 22 ft deep. Ended up catching four nothing special keepers
totaling around 8-9lbs from deep water.
June 22, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
80 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is still STRONG…Especially in the mornings. Buzz
baits and Pop-R’s around hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. Meet When
you get in the right area, the fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun
gets up, get ready to slow down and head to the ledges and grass lines in the
mouth of Spring Creek. I recommend a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed
lizard or a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
June 15, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
81
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is still STRONG…Especially in the mornings. Buzz
baits and Pop-R’s around hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. Meet When
you get in the right area, the fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun
gets up, get ready to slow down and head to the ledges and grass lines in the
mouth of Spring Creek. I recommend a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed
lizard or a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
June 08, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
73 DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Bass fishing on Lake Seminole is still STRONG…Especially in the mornings. Buzz
baits and Pop-R’s around hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. Meet When
you get in the right area, the fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun
gets up, get ready to slow down and head to the ledges and grass lines in the
mouth of Spring Creek. I recommend a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed
lizard or a Zoom Ol’ Monster.
June 2-3, 2007 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Fished the Florida Federation Nation 2-day out of Seminole Lodge Sat/Sun. Got
paired with two very good boaters - enjoyed fishing with both very much. Wind
and mist were with us all day Saturday as the tropical storm passed to the east.
Everyone found places to fish out of the wind. Fished spring creek most of the
day getting 5 keepers going 9.67 to lead co-anglers. Boater leading day 1 had
10+ pounds. Fished spring creek again today and got another 5 going 9.70 pounds
to collect the win on the co-angler side with 19.37 pounds for the two days.
Boater winner was my first day partner - weighed largest sack of the tourney
today going 14.16 pounds and had a total weight of 23+ pounds. Fished watermelon
and black grape plastics and a Bandit CB both days. The CB was more effective
and the morning bite better than afternoon. Water had slight stain in spring
creek.
June 1, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
73
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
Fishing on Lake Seminole is still STRONG…Especially in the mornings. Buzz
baits and Pop-R’s around hydrilla are producing lots of quality fish. When you
get in the right area, the fishing can be fast and furious. When the sun gets
up, get ready to slow down and head to the ledges and grass lines in the mouth
of Spring Creek.
I recommend a Carolina rig with a zoom watermelon seed lizard or a Zoom Ol’
Monster.
March 30, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 63
DEGREES
BY
JOE
DURHAM
Bass fishing is very good and much like last weeks report, the dominant pattern
on Lake Seminole is sight fishing. However, over the past weekend, the top water
bite begin to come alive. If you have ever been on Seminole when the top water
bite is on, you know how much fun it can be. Lots of people are catching fish
swimming worms and jigs in grass close to the sandbars. If you like to throw a
Carolina rig, now is a good time to fish making lake sand bars with a Carolina
rig, as the fish are now starting to spawn on the main lake bars and a 6 inch
lizard in Watermelon Seed and Green Pumpkin are tough to colors to beat. For
sight fishing, white tubes and white lizards are always good choices. Expect
these patterns to hold steady for about another month or so. If you are looking
for a place to catch an 8 pound+ fish, SEMINOLE IS THE PLACE TO BE.
March 27, 2007 Jim T
I spent a beautiful Tuesday on the lake with my buddy Bruce today. We fished a
bunch of unproductive water from 2-15ft with a little bit of everything and
could not get a bite. Around noon I decided it was time to sit down and break
out the watermelon Senkos. I ended up catching five, unforunately Bruce never
got a bite even though he was fishing the same bait, same rig I was. Anyway I
caught my fish out on the Flint side of the flats with the boat sitting on 12ft
fishing into shallow grass around 3-5ft with weightless Watermelon Senko on 14lb
flourocarbon. Total around 12lbs +. Big fish was also the skinniest fish. The
rest of them were stuffed full of shad.
March 25, 2007 Keven "Swede" Oleen
Fished the Florida Federation Nation NW Regional Qualifier out of Seminole Lodge
Saturday. My draw partner just happened to be the same guy I rode over with.
Rolled in on our first spot - I through a weightless V&M Chopstik - and on cast
four or five I hooked up with my first keeper of the day. An hour later I hooked
up with keeper number two. That was it for the day. Partner got two that went
4.70, I got two that went 4.60. Fish were in 2-3 feet of water around grass and
pads on Florida side of Seminole. 20 pounds took the angler title and 8+ took
coangler title. Winning stringer came from the Flint side off beds.
March 24, 2007 Ronnie
Found the bass in a protected area that had some extremely shallow water. If no
one caught fish this weekend it's probably because you didn't fish shallow
enough. We saw numerous bass (decent size bass) in water less than 1 foot deep.
Many of the largest fish totally ignored our bait, and us. We caught 6 bass. I
fished the front of the boat with fluorocarbon, my wife fished the back with
braided 20# with trickworm and split shot.
March 23, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
63
DEGREES
BY JOE
DURHAM
Bass fishing is fair to good and much like last weeks report, the dominant
pattern on Lake Seminole is sight fishing. The cold front this past weekend
knocked the fish back somewhat. However, I was on the lake yesterday and saw
plenty of fish. Over the past weekend, despite the tough conditions (cold front
and high winds) it still took five fish weighing in at over 20 pounds to win. I
was able to catch several fish swimming worms and jigs in grass close to the
sandbars. If you like to throw a Carolina rig, now is a good time to fish main
lake sandbars with a Carolina rig, as the fish are still holding in
approximately 6ft, right where the grass meets the sand 6 inch lizard in
watermelon seed and green pumpkin are tough to colors to beat. For sight
fishing, white tubes and white lizards are always good choices. Expect these
patterns to hold steady for about another month or so.
March 22, 2007 Ronnie
Fish have moved shallow but they are small. Most
fish I caught were small bucks. Largest fish was about 5 lb. Best 5 would be
around 15 lbs. Lizard was the bait. All the tails were in perfect condition.
River was 62 degrees. It was a beautiful day to be out. The southerly wind was
a bit stronger than the weather man said. I switched from braided to
florocarbon for some unknown reason. I broke my largest fish off.
I was thankful for the day of fishing.
March 22, 2007 Jim T
Back out on the creek with my friend Bruce today. The water is looking much
better but the fish still seem a bit lock jawed from all the lures they've seen
lately. We hit a lot of areas up and down the creek but it seemed to be one of
those days where every time we made a move we'd catch one fish then nothing
until we moved again. We ended up with seven fish...... one on a sb, three on
traps, one on C-rig and two flipping. Best five today were guestimated at 11lbs.
I'm pretty sure I won the weirdness award by catching three shad then one of
those slippery silver toothy mouthed snakes on my LC pointer. Forgot the proper
name for those things that resemble a needle fish but are bigger. Maybe I never
knew to begin with but I've always called them snakes
March 18, 2007 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Lake Seminole's first wave of spawners has come and gone. The second wave has
not yet went shallow. Fished two tourneys out of Seminole Lodge Sat/Sun -
Panhandle Tourney Trail on Saturday and Miracle Strip Bass Club tourney on
Sunday. My partner and I only weighed three fish (4lbs 8ozs) Saturday. Fished up
the Chattahoochee - water temps around 60 - warmer in pockets and coves. Wind
howled most of the day (25mph) - bite suffered through cold front pushing
through. 18 pounds weighed by winning team. Worms were the only thing we were
able to get a bite on. Same partner for our club tourney today. Fished in Fish
Pond Drain most of the day. I put five in the boat today weighing 7.27 pounds
for second place. Winner had about a pound more. Fish came out of shallow water
(3 ft or less) as the wind had died and the sun came out and started warming the
water. In the afternoon - we saw many bass cruising around. flukes were the
ticket today - partner got his 2 fish on a worm.
March 17, 2007 Jim T
The wind was really bad. We caught a 4 and 5 1/2 out on the flats before giving
up and heading up into Decatur lake where we got a couple more 3's and a couple
1 1/2's. Our fish came on sb, jerk bait and flipping baby brush hawgs.
March 16, 2007
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
60
DEGREES
BY JOE DURHAM
www.havefunfishing.com
Lake Seminole is clear and the fishing is HOT. For those of you who are familiar
with Seminole in March, you know what that means, fish the sandbars. At this
time, fish can be found spawning all over the lake. Tube Jigs and Texas rigged
lizards are good choices The sandbars in Spring Creek are loaded with nice fish.
If sight fishing isn't your specialty, use both the Texas rigged and or Carolina
rigged plastics on the deeper sandbars. Ideally these bars will be in 4 to 6
feet. Both the Flint and Spring Creek are loaded with this type of sandbar. As
always, you can always catch some nice fish on the edge of the hydrilla.
Although the cranking' bite has slowed down some, you can still catch some nice
fish. To demonstrate the strength of Lake Seminole, recent tournament winning
weights have been in excess of 25 lbs (5 fish).
March 11, 2007 Ken S
I fished Fri Sat and Sun, I was practicing on Fri for our club tournament, and
fishing the TX on Sat and Sun. Sat was really good for me I caught a limit and
was able to cull by 1:00. My big fish was 8.03 and I had 16.04 for my total
weight. The big one was in 10ft of water. I got 3 on a Seminole Green Senko
including the 8lber, and the others I pulled off of beds with a white tube.
There were lots of buck bass on the beds getting ready for the ladies. I didn't
see any big ones up yet but I did hear of some from the other guys fishing.
Spring Creek is very muddy, and it is starting to muddy up the flats. I found
fish on the beds on Fri that I couldn't see on Sat because it had muddied up so
badly. I did make it over to the Flint and it is not bad just a little dirty.
Today I was only able to catch 3 all were on the Senko and holding close to wood
on the sand. Had a total weight today of 5.11 total tournament weight of 22.13
if my math is correct. There were some good fish taken out of the Hooch by other
members. It seems that the fish are biting on that side of the lake as well.
March 9, 2007 Ken Sturdivant,
Have Fun Fishing
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
60
DEGREES
Bass fishing is fair to good and the bass are now on the move. Try working
spinnerbait’s in the shallows along with crank baits. Shad Raps is a favorite
this time of the year and the Glass Shad Raps will also work. Be sure to try the
Senko with a 4/0 Mustad hook in Jun Bug and let it sink and hop it slowly around
grass beds and grass lines. With the water showing a little color, the black
glass color is really working. Fish the coves and secondary points up in the
creeks and rivers and make several casts to each location. Crawdad and perch
colors in the DT6's is another good choice while throwing cranks. The cold front
that is passing through the area will probably move the bass back off the banks
a little but they can still be caught with Husky Jerks and DT10's along with
number seven and eight Shad Raps. A gold black back #9 Rapala will also be a
good choice this week and let it die on the surface with only an occasional
twitch of the rod.
March 7, 2007 Jim T
Got out today to test my boat and do a little fishing. The creek is a muddy mess
above Rattlesnake and the Flint looks the same along the flats. Caught one on a
paddle tail and one flipping then lost one on a trap in the morning and then I
couldn't catch anything. I was down to fishing my desperation rig (#5 shad rap
on 8lb test) when I finally gave up and went looking to see if any are bedding.
I saw several small ones on beds. It was a nice day to be out even if the water
was muddy every where I wanted to fish. Water temperature was 64-66
March 3, 2007 Ken from Georgia
Fished a buddy tournament Sat. The water looks
alot better than it did 3 weeks ago. I stayed in Spring Creek all day. It is
clearing up some, the north end is pretty dirty still and there was some muddy
water coming out of Decatur lake. The south end is pretty clear especially on
the flats. We caught 5 fish nothing big, 9.9lbs total. I think that it took
around 13lbs to win. We caught 4 fish on reaction baits on the flats early and
then ran up Spring Creek to catch our fifth flipping mats. Just couldn't get any
big ones. There were numerous reports at the weigh in of bass on the beds. We
didn't see any but we were not looking for those fish anyway. Water temps on the
creek were 51-56 degrees. We have another tournament next weekend hopefully the
weather will not mess up the fishing this week. Good Luck and have fun.
March 2, 2007, Ken Sturdivant,
Have Fun Fishing
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR & 60 DEGREES
Bass fishing
is picking up as the full moon starts making it way in this week. The bass are
trying to move shallow. The fish are ready to bed fish and pre spawn fish are
best in the pockets off the Flint River in the clear water. Look in Spring Creek
above the gates. All the fish will react to floating worms and lizards and pink
has been very good. The tubes will work for the bigger fish. In a week the
fishing should get even better with trick worms and top water. Trick worms and
Zoom frogs over shallow grass and sand areas will get strikes Some top water
will get started this week and Pop R’s and Zara Spooks will work.
Shad and bream
colors are best.
Crappie fishing is good and the fish are relating to the
creek bends and wood close to the creek mouths. Fish in the creeks on ledges at
4 to 7 feet and minnows are hard to beat.
March 3, 2007 Fishin Chat at Seminole Lodge
Report from the local guys out fishing today.
With the full moon and warmer temps this week, fish are definitely on the beds,
finding them up the Hooch in the weedy areas and the shallow flats on the Flint.
Will be curious to see if the cold front coming in will cool temps down enough
to make them move off again. Water level is up and muddy from the rain a couple
of days ago.
February 23, 2007 Ronnie
I managed to get in a few hours at Lake Seminole
Friday afternoon. It was beautiful out there. Crappie fishermen everywhere. Bass
fishermen running up and down the river. Had a pretty strong northerly wind most
of the time I was there. I was fortunate to catch 4 bass, all in water less than
3 feet, on the windy bank. Normally, I would expect the fish to be out of the
North wind but today that north wind was almost 70 degrees and the windy bank
was at least 3 degrees warmer than the north bank. It was great to finally be
back out there.
February 23, 2007 Ken Sturdivant,
Have Fun Fishing
LAKE SEMINOLE IS FULL, CLEAR &
55 DEGREES
Bass fishing is fair.
The fish are starting to
head to sand flats and gravel areas as well as on some wood. There are still
some fish on deep grass lines all day. Small #5 Shad Raps and 7 inch Bang A
Lures both in silver and black back on banks and wood has been fair. Cast to the
steep banks in the creeks with a Rattlin’ Rouge in the shad or bream color.
Spinner baits with willow leaf blades in silver and gold’s on the banks can draw
strikes. Zoom u tail worms on a Texas or a short Carolina rig are fair in greens
or smoke colors are fair but fish slowly in and around brush. The down lake fish
are biting blue back Shad Raps crank baits on the points and humps. Try the
white skirts and silver blades on a Leverage 1/2 ounce spinner baits up the
rivers in coves and hit wood on the banks.
Crappie fishing
is slow as the muddy water
and cold nights continue to dominate Georgia . A few are being caught while
trolling and even a few on live minnows up in the bigger creeks off of docks.
The crappie bite has been real slow due to the muddy water but as soon as the
water clears a little these fish will be jumping in the boat.
February 20, 2007 Lake Seminole Fishing Report
By Jim, Georgia
Got out the creek today with Bruce to see if we could break in his new flippin
rod. We started out around 10:00 and fished reaction baits on the flats for two
hours without a reaction so we tried flipping in the afternoon. I missed the
first fish then hung one that felt decent but it got off. Thank goodness Bruce
came through with this nice 5lber or we would have been skunked. The water is
still very high but at least the creek is clearing. Surface temp was 52 early
and 55 when we left. We still need a few warm days and nights to get them right
again.
February 16, 2007 Lake Seminole Fishing
Report
By Jim, Georgia
Got out on the lake yesterday afternoon
for what turned out to be a cold boat ride. The water level is still up with
surface temps running 50-51 on the Hooch, 51-54 on the creek and lower Flint
river side. The water is still stained in the creek, the Flint and lake but
surprisingly clear on the lower end of the Hooch in comparison. The fish are NOT
biting but that's no surprise. In four hours of flippin and throwing cranks and
rattle traps I managed one bite on a trap and it got off.
January 29, 2007 Jim
The water temp continues to fall. Was it ever
COOOOLD out there this morning. We both had ice forming on our lines and
plugging up the first guide early. We saw water temp as low as 51 and barely 55
later in the day. Only a couple dinks this morning then mid day I missed one
that felt heavy then caught a 5+. We moved out of the area to another similar
spot where my partner missed a good thump then I set the hook on a 6.14. We
spent the rest of the afternoon moving around and never caught another fish.
January 15, 2007 Jim
Couldn't get them to bite much today. Water temp
59-62 and stained. Fished the same areas along the flats where I caught fish Fri
plus a few more. Ended up with six fish on sb, fluke and crankbait and only
three were keepers in the 2-2.5 range. Left the lake at 2:30.
January 12, 2007 Jim
Had another great day on Seminole today. I was
able to get out on the flats. The water is stained and surface temp has dropped
a few degrees but still holding at 57-59. I caught fish today on sb, jerkbait
and traps in 4-10 feet. Ended up with thirteen with best five around 19lbs.
January 8, 2007 Jim
Got on the creek around 8:30 this morning and
found a cold wind blowing out of the north so I decided to go with reaction
baits. When I lifted my seat I found I'd left all my crankbaits and all my
spinner baits at home, lol. After digging around a bit I found a #8 Risto rap
and a 1/2 oz Rattle trap so that's what I fished with. Ended up with fourteen
keepers from 2 to 5 3/4lbs. Had one over five and two over five and a half with
best five @ 23-24lbs. Most were caught on the Risto Rap in the 10-14ft range.
Surface temp was 59-61 degrees.
January 4, 2007 Jim
What a strange day it was today. It started out
kind of misty then the fog set in early and I was in it all day. I don't think
the fish cared for it too much because fishing was very slow. Started on the
flats hoping to catch a couple big ones off the sand but didn't get a bite so I
figured the weather kept them deep. After a couple hours I moved back into the
creek and caught four keepers on tx and c-rig worms. Best fish was just under
four pounds caught on watermelon Yamamoto worm c-rigged 22 ft deep. Caught the
other three by fishing light and slow with the texas rig just off the grass.
Surface temp was 58 and the water is high and rising.
December 1, 2006 Ronnie
Fished the northern lake for a few hours
Thursday. Caught 6 fish with the largest only being maybe 2.5. Had strong
current all day. River was down close to 6 inches but is now on its way back up.
River was 58 degrees. Protected water 63 degrees. Caught fish on white
spinnerbait.
December 31, 2006 Jim
We had a pretty good day catching around ten or eleven keepers in the 1.5 - 4lb
range. Our Big fish was caught along the flat's on the Flint river side and
weighed 4lb 12 oz . We caught the rest off a ledge in the creek above
Rattlesnake on crankbaits and Carolina rigged worms. Our best five weighed 14lbs
in my estimation. The water temp was running 57-58 degrees a foot high and the
fish were biting a little better than yesterday. It was another really nice day
to share with good company on beautiful lake Seminole.
December 18, 2006 Jim
Got back out on the creek today and found the flipping bite is mostly gone and
so is the best grass. Caught four between 1.5 and 2lbs dragging a worm on mostly
clean bottom around 18-20 ft deep outside the grass and three flipping in the
grass. Big fish today was caught flipping and was just under 4lbs. Water temp
was 58 so I figured they'd be biting better than they were.
December 13, 2006 Jim
Got a late start Sat because it was so cold. The
water surface temp stayed below 55 all day and the fishing was tough. I got my
two predicted bites and missed both of them. Monday was a LOT warmer. Water temp
started out 54.6 but reached 57 in the afternoon. Fishing was still slow but at
least I wasn't skunked. Caught one around 11/2 and two 2 lbers and missed one
more. I tried c-rig and deep cranks out in the wood with no bites so I stayed on
the grass. The coots are tearing up the grass at alarming speed. I guess it's
about time to dig out the jerk baits, spinnerbaits and rattletraps.
December 6, 2006 Ken & Jim
The water in Spring Creek is clear and around 60
degrees. The Flint is stained and 58 degrees. We didn't fish the Hooch. Only one
fish we caught came over on the Flint side it was on a crankbait. All the other
fish came off grass in Spring Creek, pitching soft plastics. The fish today had
to hold the bait for a long time, if you set the hook right away you would just
pull it out. It was like they had to taste it before they would take it good.
All the fish were very healthy and couple were very fat like they were holding
eggs.
November 29, 2006 Jim
Well three days of warm weather did make a
difference. Only problem was the little fish were biting. I caught 14 and
a couple over 3lbs. It was slow in the morning but once the grass warmed up the
minnows started moving and the little guys were biting. The water level has
dropped since Sat which could have run the quality fish out into open water. I
tried dragging a c-rig and threw a DD22 through deep timber awhile today but no
takers so I went back to flippin. It was a nice day to be on the water.
November 25, 2006 Ken & Jim
We flipped most all day with very few bites. Jim went from a 1oz sinker all the
way down to a 3/4 oz and he was even throwing 30 instead of 50 lb test with a
6in ring worm. I think that you could call that finesse for Seminole. We fished
Spring Creek and then went up the Hooch. They have sprayed most of the water
hyacinths and lily pads it looks pretty bare up the Hooch. We didn't get any
bites on the Hooch so we went back into Spring Creek. We finally got on a solid
pattern of fishing rocks in the shade and put one fish in the boat. Tough day on
Seminole today, I think that we went through every color soft plastic that we
had. Hooch is pretty stained, Spring Creek is still clear and we had current
most of the day on both.
November 23, 2006 Jim
Fishing was slow as I expected after two days of wind and cold. I had to resort
to my finesse rig today which consisted of a 3/4 oz weight instead of the usual
1oz. Caught seven and all but these three were just a pound something. I
missed four because they were just so dadgum hard to hook and keep hooked. It
was a beautiful day to be on the lake and there were a few other die hard
fishermen out there besides me.
October 13, 2006 Ronnie
Started the day shallow, off the river. My only company on the river was the
airboat that was spraying vegetation. That always makes for a good fishing day.
The only fish I caught was a 7.5 lber out in the river in 16 feet of water on a
trickworm with 3/16 weight.
September 27, 2006 Ronnie
I fished Lake Seminole Tuesday afternoon.
I fished the upper part of the lake. Water was a little lower than recent but
there was current all afternoon. Water temp in river was 80. I caught 6 fish, 5
were keepers. All were small. No real pattern at all. I tried other things but
only caught with trickworn and 3/16 weight.
August 8, 2006 Ronnie
Fished Monday afternoon till dark. Caught
a lot of bass, for me, but fish were mostly small. 2.5 lb was probably the
largest. I caught 9 or 10. There was good current and that's where I found the
fish; on the river bank in the current. It sure was hot. The lake is about one
foot low.
August 2, 2006 Ronnie
When I say hot I'm referring to the
temperature, not the fishing. I fished for 4 hours yesterday and caught nothing.
There was no current. Current was suppose to begin at 1200 but it didn't.
Probably wasn't enough water coming down the river to tell. Water temp was 84
when I arrived.......... 88 when I left. No fish.
July 16, 2006 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Ole Sem has entered the dog days of summer. Even the presence of Waldo - the
official Ultimate Bass flag -couldn't get them bass biting real good today. Only
6 boats showed today for our club tournament which was moved from Wewahitchka
due to low water conditions. Hot - hot - hot. Afternoon thunderstorms cooled
down the area a little in the afternoon. I'm still sucking down water here that
was lost in my shirt and shorts. Our club winner had just two fish in his sack
at weigh-in. Them two fish weighed in at over 10 pounds. Spinnerbait and
chatterbait were used. Second place had 7 + pounds. Big fish belonged to the
first place finisher and topped the scales at 6.49 pounds. Other fish came on
jigs, soft plastics, and crankbait. I weighed in two fish for just 2+ pounds,
and was glad to have something to weigh in. Mine came on a black grape V&M
finesse worm. I caught some shorts and a mudfish too, but couldn't get the size
this month.
Information provided my
MyFWC.com July
2006 - September 2006
If you are on the water early or late, fish the flats for
largemouth bass. The Cornfield and the Man-Made-Island may be good areas to try
on the Chattahoochee side, or try the flats near Fishpond Drain and Spring Creek
on the Flint side. Many largemouth bass will be moving to deeper water during
the summer, so fish vertically along the channels with spoons, jigs, or worms.
Work the lure up and down along the edge, especially where there is a wall of
hydrilla right up to the channel.
June 23, 2006 Ronnie
I launched at Parramore's at 10:30 AM this morning. The river is so low I
thought I was going to get my feet wet backing the trailer down the ramp.
Hydrilla was everywhere. My trailer looked like a high school homecoming float
on the way home with all the hydrilla hanging from it. I fished until 3:30 and
never had any river flow at all. The slight southerly wind placed the river in
reverse gear. Fishing was terrible. I caught two fish 3-4 lbs in the river about
300 feet deep. It was a hot one today.
March 26, 2006 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Fished the Southern Anglers Challenge
tournament Saturday. About 15 teams participated. Decided to try areas up the
Hooch. Pulled into my first area and started throwing V&M Bayou Bullfrog -
nothing. Switched to a black n blue jig, partner throwing fluke. Caught 4 out of
this area - 2 by partner, 2 by me. Jig fish bigger (about 3 lbs each). Fluke
fish smaller (2 lbs each). This all before 8am in morning. Moved to another area
- nothing. Wind picked up and bites hard to come by. Went back to first area -
lost a 4 pound fish next to the net. Went up the Hooch to Paramore area - found
a small area out of the wind - caught 2 pound fish on the frog. That was it the
rest of the day - went into Fairchilds and fished a couple areas in afternoon
with no results. Weighed 12-02 for 4th place. 15-06, 15-03, and 14-04 took 1st
thru 3rd. 6+ pounds for big fish. Our fish came from shallow water around
bullrushes.
March 15, 2006 Ronnie
On Tuesday I fished from 10:30 until 6 pm. Wind and catching was terrible until
3 pm. Caught several bass in 4 feet of water on Junebug trickworm with small bb
shot for weight. Also caught plenty of Pickerel. Water temp was 69.
March 13, 2006 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Fished the ABA tourney this weekend.
Didn't fair too well. Only weighed one fish, but had the opportunity for more -
just didn't get it done. Had one real nice sow on - she wrapped me around a
stump - I got her out of that mess, but on the way to the boat she broke me off
and came out of the water once, twice, three times to thumb her nose at me. She
went 6-8 pounds. Others did the same - was getting the bites including a couple
nice slab crappie and numerous jacks. A majority of the bass aren't on bed yet,
but real close to going there. I caught my loan keeper (1.72lbs) on a V&M Bayou
Bullfrog. The others hit the V&M 4 inch black grape ringer. Water 60-62 degrees.
Heading to MIllers Ferry Reservoir in Alabama next weekend for a club two-day
tourney. Should be exciting and that V&M 4inch ringer above will be getting a
workout. Spotted bass just eat that thing up.
March 1, 2006 Ronnie
I fished 5 hours on Tuesday. Fished manmade; fished a river ledge; fished
shallow grass near the river; and fish a shallow spawning bay. I caught 3 small
fish in the very back side of the spawning area. Water temp was 58. River temp
was 56 and moving very fast. That's all the fish I caught. I caught a 7 lber
last Friday in 59 degree water but she was the only fish I caught in about 6
hours fishing. This post-spawn fishing sure drives me crazy.
February 12, 2006 Kevin "Swede"
Oleen
Fished the American Bass Anglers
Tournament held at Seminole Lodge yesterday. Actually took Friday off from work
to prefish - I knew just as much after Fridays day on the water that I knew
before starting. One bite all day. Rain then wind and 53-54 degree water greeted
all participants Saturday. Started out in the lake up by the state park - caught
one in short order in 10-11 feet of water that weighed 2lbs. Ahhh - the pressure
is off. Only got one more alll day. 2.5 lbs in the lake as well. Weighed in
4.47lbs - both fish coming on the V&M 5 inch Chopstik in black and black/blue
flake. Must have been rough for all because I placed 3rd of 24 with that little
sack. Winner had 13+ that included a beautiful 9.93 pound monster. That is the
largest bass I have personally seen weighed in at a tournament. 2nd had 2 fish
going 7+ pounds. Some decided not to fish as it was a miserable day out there.
Alll glad to be warm again - if you are fishing Seminole anytime soon - good
luck and bring your dynamite.
February 8, 2006 Jim
Spring Creek is 54 degrees and fairly
clear below Rattlesnake and just a little bit high on the water level. The water
temp at the lower end of the Chattahoochee near manmade island is 50 degrees
with a slight stain or about normal for that area. The Flint looked like it was
a little high and muddy when I crossed the bridge. The fishing was real tough
for me today. I caught two dinks on a C-rig and one small keeper flipping and
that was all. The water temp is falling and will be going down some more by this
weekend if the weather man is telling the truth this time. It was 32 this
morning and cold most of the day.
January 27, 2006 Ronnie
I stuck to the river bank today and I
really enjoyed it. I caught 6 bass. No giants but who cares. Only one was to
short to have weighed. A couple of the fish were over 3. I had a good fish
on and he wrapped a small submerged tree. The bass obviously moved with it but
would not surface. I was fishing with PowerPro so I knew the fish wasn't going
to break off. Finally, he unhooked himself, I tossed the tree trunk back in the
water, and went on my way. My fish came came mostly off stumps in 10 feet of
water. Stumps were better than treetops and trash. Caught all fish on Pumpkin
Seed even though I tried other colors. River was 55 degrees.
January 15, 2006 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Fished Miracle Strip's first tournament of
the year out of Seminole Lodge today on beautiful Lake Seminole. Monte and Becky
were great as always catering to your every need. We launched at safe light -
6:20am. My partner and I fished 30 minutes on main lake shoreline before locking
through to the river. One other boat went with us - the remainder stayed in the
lake and connecting rivers. It can be described as a Crankbait day - fished many
different brands and colors - but the Bandit Brown Craw produced best. Finished
the day with a limit weighing 10.77lbs and second place. My partner also had a
limit weighing 10.64lbs. The fisherman of the day was Stan Chandler - weighing
in a real nice sack at 15.03lbs taking home the coveted first place title. He
was fishing a black/blue worm in the Chatahoochee. Big fish of the day was a
5.27lber taken by Mr Joe Brooks. Water temp is about 55-56 degrees in the lake.
January 5, 2006 Ronnie
Fished yesterday from 10 am until about
3pm. The river was 6 inches above full pool and really ripping. It looked like a
dirt road, except not dusty. I caught no fish at all. I looked everywhere. I
found some clear water a long way off the river but there were no fish there. I
even found some 60 degree water, but it won't last long.Hooch temp was 53.
December 30, 2005 Ronnie
Had a good day of fishing yesterday.
Caught several bass off wood up in the river. Things started slow with my black
trickworm. I switched to a pumkinseed and things immediately turned on. Caught
fish from 8 feet to probably 15 feet. Caught them all using powerpro braided
line.
December 27, 2005 Ronnie
Launched out of Parramores, water temp
around 51 this afternoon. Water is down and no current this afternoon. I caught
fish very shallow (flipping) and I caught fish out on the river with worm. I
caught 4 fish. It was a beautiful day.
October 9, 2005 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Fished the Bassmaster Weekend Series
Panhandle Division tourney on Seminole today. 41 boats participated. 16+ lbs
took 1st and 2nd on boater side. Winner got his flipping on something black and
blue - not sure what it was though. I found some biting fish in Fairchilds on
Saturday prior to a front pushing through. The front changed the bite - as I
weighed 4.7lbs with 3 fish. 3 of my pounds got nullified for being late by 3
minutes. Stopped to help a fellow competitor whose motor broke down and gave a
lift in. That's the rules folks - come in with your fish and then go back out to
help. Plastics and topwater were the ticket today. Find some thick vegetation
and either flip or run frogs or flukes across the top. I got two on flukes and
one on a V&M black grape 4 inch ring worm. Overall - a great day to be out on
the water.
March 13, 2005 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Tough weekend on Seminole for me. Weighed
just two keepers (3.57lbs) in two days of fishing. One came on watermelon seed
lizard in 7 ft of water and the other came on Wave Bamboo Stick (watermelon Red)
in 6 ft. Winning stringers (37+ lbs won) taken from beds and flipping and from
staging areas. Prespawn/Spawn patterns. My deep fish were still there but wanted
T-Rigged baits in green just sitting on bottom. Found this out after the fact
from someone who accidently found this out himself while setting his rod down to
take bite of sandwich and fish picked the bait up while he was eating. He had a
limit by 7:45 this morning. Always learn something from failure - I learned a
thing or two today and that is what really matters.
March 6, 2005 Kevin "Swede" Oleen
Prefished Saturday 3/5/05 for Miracle Strip Bass Club monthly tournament. Tried
a few places I have not tried before. Kind of nice just being out and exploring
new water. Did catch one 3 lb fish up on the Hooch on a steep bank on a Norman
Deep Little N Red Craw CB. Caught another pound and half fish on drop shot in
Spring Creek. That was it for the day. Tried a couple new spots today (3/6/05)
and the areas I caught fish yesterday. Had one fish in the boat at 11am which
came on Carolina Rig in 6-7 ft of water in grass (2 lbs on Zoom 6 in. watermelon
seed lizard/chart. tail). Tried a couple of spots with nothing biting before
running to Spring Creek. Pulled the drop shot from the rod box and did not put
it down until I had my limit about 2pm. Fish came out of 18-25 feet of water.
Fished black finesse worm with chart. tail made by V&M Baits. A couple good fish
in the bunch and weighed 12.54 lbs for the win today. Second place was 9+ lbs
and also included Big Fish. These fish came from main lake throwing Rat-L Trap
over the grass. BF was a 7.43 lb monster. Third and Fourth place fish caught
from same boat and these came from 1 foot of water - assume spawning fish. Not
sure what their baits of choice were. Flipping bite on today from reports. 14+
lbs won the Bay County bass tourney. Good Fishin' Y'all!
Water temp ranged from 55 in main lake in morning - 58 in back water coves -
60-63 in Spring Creek in afternoon. From weather reports - we have a couple of
cold days ahead of us and deep bite should continue to be a player. Shallow fish
can be found, but the ones not under the hyacinth are spooked easily. Will be
fishing deep to shallow this Saturday/Sunday if winds allow. Looks good
according to forecast. Temps above are surface temps. I'll be looking for air
temp of 70s in day and 50s at night to get the lake where it needs to be for
spawn time.
February 20, 2005 Kevin "Swede"
Oleen
Fished Bassmaster Weekend Series Panhandle
Division tourney 20 Feb. Launched out of Wingates, but fished mainly Florida
side of lake. Carolina rigged lizards and senkos were the ticket to 6 keepers,
however size dropped off from practice day. Weighed in 7lbs8ozs for 29th of 60
boaters. Fish located in 5-8 foot of water getting ready to make the move to the
shallows. 21 lbs won the tourney. To tell you the truth I think deeper water
would have worked better. Fish spread out through the water column right now
though and recommend fishing depth you are comfortable fishing. Confidence is a
big factor to everyone's success.
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