Lake Seminole Fishing Report August 2016

Seminole: Level: 1 foot below full pool. Temp: 86 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Slow. Tournament angler and guide Matt Baty reports, “The dog days of summer are here, and the Seminole bass bite is slow. There are a few patterns that can still manage to catch bass. There is some schooling activity on the upper end of Spring Creek. Look for bass breaking the surface on schools of small shad. An Alabama rig with 1/8-oz. Gamakatsu jig heads and 3.5-inch Big Bite Baits Cane Thumpers in the reel-shad color work well on the schoolers. A topwater bait also works good, such as a Spro Dawg 100 in old glory rigged on Sunline braid. A good rod and a reel that casts a long way is a must. A 7-foot medium-light Buddha Stick and a Lews 7:5:1 Pro G reel is a pretty good combination for making long casts, working the bait properly and landing the fish. Another pattern that is finally emerging is fishing ledges on the Hooch. Scan the drops and humps with Lowrance Structure Scan Units and a good mapping chip to find schools of bass. Crankin’ a Spro Little John DD and throwing a Texas-rigged Big Bite B2 worm in plum is about the best way to catch ’em on the ledges. As August ends and September draws near, look for the bite to become even tougher and for the bass to get buried up in thick cover. Froggin’ and flippin’ will be about the only way to get bit at that time.” Guide Aaron Crews reports, “Bass are bitting in low-light conditions on topwater. Try musky Jitterbugs in white with red head and black as well as Jackall Pompadours in black. If you have to fish in the middle of the day, try flipping worms or jigs in green pumpkin or black and blue. The Flint River shoal bass are on small crankbaits in shad patterns, as well as Beetle Spins. You will have to use light line because the water is clear right now above Bainbridge. Shoal bass also can be taken on fly rods using yellow or orange flies.”

Bream: Guide Aaron Crews reports, “Fishing is slowing down with the summer heat. Liz at Trails End reports the pan fishermen are still catching bream, bluegill, shellcracker and redbreasts on worms and crickets. There are still a few mayfly hatches on the lake.”