Lake Seminole Fishing Report – September 2008

Seminole: Level: Full pool. Temp: 85 degrees. Clarity: Muddy.

Bass: Slow. Guide Mike Sloan at Wingates Lunker Lodge said the rains dropped the water temps significantly, but the fishing remained slow. The morning and evening topwater bite on the grass is hit or miss. Anglers have had some success throwing frogs in the grass, but buzzbaits have not been as effective as they normally are this time of year. When the sun gets up, about the only bite going is on the grasslines in 8-12 feet of water. Throw a Texas-rigged 8-inch ribbontail worm in blueberry, black or watermelon. Mike said not to expect more than four or five bites a day. However, early fall patterns should be right around the corner. Mike said if the water temp drops another 3 or 4 degrees it will be time to start cranking. Look for grass that is beginning to die back a little, and burn a Rat-L-Trap or shallow-running crankbait over the top of it. Mike said to stick to shad patterns.

Crappie: “The speckled perch are tearing it up,” Mike said. “You can catch ’em about any way you want to.” Pitching jigs or dropping minnows on the grass lines is productive, and the deep stump fields are also producing limits. Muddy water usually makes them move to clearer water, so if you can’t find them on the grass lines or stump fields, look in the pockets.

Bream: Good. Mike said it’s been a weird summer because the shellcrackers are still bedding some. The bream were bedding as well the last week of August, but the influx of fresh water may stifle some of that activity. There has also been some good action for fly rodders near willowfly hatches.“This is probably the last hurrah for bream,” Mike said.