Lake Seminole Fishing Report – March 2020

Seminole: Level: 1.3 feet above full pool. Temp: 62 degrees. Clarity: Stained up the Flint and Chattahoochee; lightly stained in Spring Creek.

Bass: Tournament angler Matt Baty reports, “Slow. The recent rains, water fluctuations and unpredictable weather really have the fish confused. There are very few big prespawn schools staged up like there normally are during this time of the year. There are a few fish spawning and swimming around in the backwaters that have cleaner water. You can catch these swimming a Berkley Powerbait Grass Pig in Bama bug on a 5/0 Berkley Fusion Weight Swimbait Hook over the top of peanut grass and hydrilla. You can also punch mats in these areas with a Berkley Powerbait Pit Boss. For both techniques, I like an Abu Garcia Revo Rocket with an Abu Garcia 7-6 Veracity heavy rod and 50-lb. Berkley x9 braid. For offshore fish, look between all of the sandbars around 6 to 8 feet deep and throw a lipless crankbait or a ChatterBait. The fish are scattered, but if you get a bite near the bars, it’s usually a good one.”

Guide Aaron Crews reports, “Fishing is going to vary from area to area. The full moon is March 9, and the new moon is March 24. Three days before and after the full and new moons should be the best times for planning a fishing trip. Water color is stained on the Flint, Chattahoochee and Spring Creek. When you find temperatures in the backwater areas in the middle 60s to low 70s, expect bass to really be on the bed in 1 to 4 feet of water. For the bedding bass, fish tubes, jig ’n pigs and Texas-rigged lizards in junebug or watermelon red flake. For prespawn fish, cast and crank a junebug Speed Worm, a Carolina-rigged lizard and a ChatterBait. For these prespawn fish, position your boat shallow and cast into the deeper water.” 

Guide Paul Tyre reports, “The bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been very good through February. As we move into March, the bass will be in their spawning cycle. Lake Seminole is nationally known for its incredible springtime bass and pan fishing. Lake Seminole has thousands of acres of shallow flats that the bass love to spawn on. There are some lures you will not want to leave home without. Spinnerbaits are a must-have on Lake Seminole in March, especially on those windy days. My go-to spinnerbait is a tandem Booyah Covert Series in 3/8-oz. with a chartreuse-and-white skirt. This spinnerbait is made with excellent components, has a great hook and Hildebrandt blades, which attract the big bass. This bait is excellent for covering water to find productive areas holding bass on the large flats. A swim jig is an excellent choice for covering shallow, heavy cover, especially when the bass start guarding fry. One of my favorite swim jigs is the Punisher made by Untamed Tackle. This heavy cover swim jig comes with an Owner Jungle flipping hook that can handle heavy braid or can be used with fluorocarbon. Another unique feature of this swim jig is it can be used in the heaviest of cover and with the patent-pending quad keeper. No super glue is required to keep your trailer up on the jig. Soft plastics are also a must-have if coming to Seminole in March. Stick worms like Yum Dingers in green pumpkin and junebug are great choices fished along the edges of the grasslines.”

Crappie: Matt Baty reports, “Good. The crappie are staging up in depressions in backwaters along the Flint River. Look for 8- to 12-foot depressions with bait present, and fish minnows on a slip cork or cast a 2-inch chartreuse Berkley Gulp! Jigging Grub on an 1/8-oz. jig head.” Guide Aaron Crews reports, “Crappie and jackfish should be shallow and bedding. Minnows and jigs are catching crappie in 2 to 10 feet of water. Use small spoons on chain pickerel in 2 to 10 feet of water.”