Lake Seminole Fishing Report – September 2022

Seminole: Level: 0.7 below 77.5. Temp: Mid to upper 80s. Clarity: Clear with some stain in the rivers.

Bass: Guide Paul Tyre, of Lake Seminole Fishing Adventures, reports, “The big bass have been bitting, and we expect it to continue through the fall. Currently the bass have been biting topwater lures in the mornings and afternoons. Walking baits like a Zara Spooks and buzzbaits continue to generate some explosive strikes on the grasslines on the main lake. Plastic worms like a 10-inch Ole Monster in junebug fished along the grasslines have been very productive after the topwater bite slows. The topwater bite should continue and get even better as the bass start the fall feed. If coming to Seminole in September, bring swimbaits, crankbaits and jerkbaits, especially if the shad are running. The hollow-belly frog is a must in the fall on Seminole. As the bite begins to slow down, that’s when I like to pick up the frog rod and start working the thicker grass, especially paying attention to any holes in the grassbeds. My favorite frog for doing this is a Spro Bronzeye Popper Frog. When fishing the frog, you need a rod that has enough backbone to get the big bass out of the grass. My go-to rod is a 7-3, heavy-action Temple Fork Tactical Bass Casting Rod in fast action. This rod has a soft tip and enough backbone to get Lake Seminole’s biggest bass out of the grass.”

Bass: Guide Aaron Crews reports, “Bass have been on ledges and on a flipping pattern. Topwater has been working early and late. With cooler weather, the bass will be following schools of baitfish. Ledges require working lures such as football jigs, Carolina or deep Texas rigs and deep crankbaits. Now with fall and cooler weather, baitfish will be schooling. This means jerkbaits, such as A.C. Shiners, Shad Raps, spinnerbaits, like a 3/8- to 1/2-oz. Nichols Lures double willowleaf, or a good buzzbait with a clacker-type action will start to work. The flipping bite will remain strong. A popping-type frog will do better than a regular type this late in the frog bite. Bass will also feed on topwater baits early and late, such as a Tiny Torpedo, a Devil’s Horse or a Jitterbug.”

Lake Seminole Page: Archived Articles & Fishing Reports

Crappie: Guide Paul Tyre, of Lake Seminole Fishing Adventures, reports, “The crappie fishing on Lake Seminole is good all year long, but the fall through the winter months are exceptional! My favorite lures for catching crappie are from Panfish Assassin. They have an extensive line of panfish lures, but my favorites are the 2-inch Curly Shad and the 2-inch Pro Tiny Shad. These baits are offered in a variety of colors, but a couple of my favorite colors are alewife and chartreuse/white. I rig these on a 1/32- to 1/8-oz. jig head, depending on depth and wind conditions. I combine these with a size 10 open-face spinning reel and 4- to 6-lb. monofilament line. When fishing a light bait, the rod, reel and line are important to have the best results. I prefer a Temple Fork Outfitters 6- to 7-foot, light-action rod from their Trout-Panfish line. These rods are so sensitive that I believe I can feel the bite when the crappie thinks about hitting it!”

Multiple Species: Guide Aaron Crews reports, “The crappie bite is slow. They are in 15 to 22 feet of water on minnows or jigs. Catfish are on cutbait or worms in 10 to 20 feet of water. Brush hooks are doing well on the Georgia side of the lake. Florida fishing rules and size limits are different than Georgia. Bluegill, redbreast and shellcracker are in 8 to 15 feet of water on wigglers and worms. Stripers and hybrids are going to be following the schools of baitfish. They can be taken in small, shad-patterned crankbaits and blue/chrome Rat-L-Traps.”