Lake Seminole Fishing Report January 2010

Seminole: Level: 0.8 feet below full pool. Temp: 53 degrees. Clarity: Muddy and fast.

Bass: Fair. Matt Baty reports, “Suprisingly, good fish are being caught in shallow water from 2 to 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. I like to use 20-lb. flourocarbon, a good stiff and sensitive rod such as a Falcon Amistad, a 3/16-oz. black Tru-Tungsten weight, a 4/0 offset-shank Gamakatsu hook and a 6-inch 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. Then the shallow cranking bite will turn on. 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-oz. Tru-Tungsten weight, a 5/0 straight-shank Gamakatsu hook and a 4-inch Big Bite Baits Yo Mamma in hematoma color. That’s a way to catch some real toads this time of year!”