Lake Sinclair Fishing Report July 2017

Sinclair: Level: 0.8 feet below full pool. Temp: Mid 80s. Clarity: Some stain.

Linesides: Guide Doug Nelms reports, “The water should heat up from 85 to as high as 90 degrees this month, which means there will be lots of fish in the tailrace at Wallace Dam. The Sassy Shad is by far the best bait to throw in the rushing water in the tailrace. Throw a 3-inch Sassy Shad on a short-shanked hook. The hook is the key because you want as much tail action on the plastic, whereas a long-shank hook eliminates the action of the Sassy Shad. I like DOA Short Shanked hooks, and you can find the very ones I use at Sugar Creek Marina. Georgia Power needs to be moving water for this bite to work, which usually means the late afternoon will be the best time to go. I have found when at least two generators are on, the fish respond very well. Stay behind the barrel line, use a spinning rod that you can throw a mile, and hit the concrete wall with your bait. It’s a pretty good throw, about 300 feet, but with practice and patience and proper boat setup, it can be done. I have always told customers that when everything lines up down there, it is a fish each cast. A word of caution: When all six turbines are on, it is one of the most dicey places I fish in the Southeastern U.S. It’s hard to get your head around how much water is coming out of that dam, and it is easy to see why Wallace Dam is the largest single producer of hydro-electric power in Georgia. Always wear your life vest, never anchor your boat from the aft position, and always keep a sharp eye for other boaters and debris. The DNR monitors the tailrace diligently, and they should, because no fishing trip is worth being involved in an accident.”