Lake Seminole Fishing Report May 2017

Seminole: Level: Down 6 inches. Temp: 78 degrees. Clarity: Clear.

Bass: Guide Aaron Crews said the main lake yielded Daniel Adams a great day of fishing on April 18. He counted 75 bass beds between the Tractor Bank and the Indian Mounds. He used frogs and Speed Worms in watermelon red with a 1/8-oz. weight and a Devil’s Horse in silver shiner to catch 40 bass. The frog bite is doing well, as the hydrilla is topping out. The main-lake bass are still bedding as they are the last to bed. I expect this will end on the full moon on May 10. There are shad spawns which will continue into June. The best lures for these are a Heddon Torpedo in baby bass, silver black back or clear. Other topwaters I would try are 5/8-oz. Devils Horse in Tennessee shad and silver shiner. Buzzbaits early and late, as well as a Jitterbug in black or white with a red head. As for worms, a Zoom Speed Worm in watermelon red, green pumpkin, or junebug. The flipping bite should start to develop in the next month. The Zara Spook bite should develop next month. Best colors will be baby bass and shad patterns. Best location to fish will be grass points and blowthroughs between islands. I prefer a heavy-action rod with 14-lb. test. I use a loop knot instead of a split ring. I tie a king sling loop knot.” Tournament angler Matt Baty reports, “The most recent Hawg Wild tournament had a great turnout, and there were a bunch of fish caught. The fish are mostly postspawn with some fish still spawning. There is also a shad spawn going on nearly all over the lake. Target main-lake grasslines with a 1/2-oz. Buddha Blade in sexy shad. The new one with the serrated blades puts off more flash and seems to attract more shad and bass. Also, a 3/8-oz. Buddha Bait Snooze Alarm buzzbait in white with a silver blade works good for an early morning topwater shad spawn bite. There are also fish suspended in the timber in Spring Creek. Use your Lowrance DownScan to locate schools of bass suspended next to stumps in the creek. A good bait to catch the suspended bass is a 5-inch Big Bite Baits Suicide Shad in pearly shad. Rig this on 20-lb. Sunline FC Sniper, a 5/0- and 3/8-oz. Owner Flashy Swimmer Hook and a reel that will make a long cast such as a Lews tournament Speed Spool. If you come to Seminole, make sure to stop in at Westside Bait & Tackle on Spring Creek Road to find all of these baits mentioned above.”

Bream: Guide Aaron Crews reports, “The shellcracker and bream are bedding on the lake. I expect this to continue into next month. According to Mike at West Side Bait and Tackle, the shellcracker are on worms, and the bream on crickets. Liz at Trails End says the panfish are hitting well.”