Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – February 2007

Sinclair: Level: 1.4 feet below full pool. Temp: 49-50 degrees. Clarity: Muddy at Little River, light stain on the main lake.

Bass: Slow. Tournament fisherman Mike Blackshear said the late-January cold front made the fishing tough on Sinclair. “After they’ve been in it a while, they’ll get used to it, and you’ll start catching ’em,” Mike said. He has had some luck catching small fish on the main lake, where the water has been a little clearer and warmer. “I’m stuck on the small fish; I don’t know how they’re catching the big ones,” he said. “The normal people are catching them shallow outside the grasslines and rocky banks on Shad Raps and stuff like that. I’m catching keepers but nothing to brag about.” Jig-head Trick Worms in junebug, fished on a 3/16-oz. jig in about 14 feet of water, have produced fish for Mike on the main lake. He has also put some fish in the boat on small crankbaits. “I think there’s always going to be some caught flippin’ docks and around trash. And, the shallow bite should pick back up if we get a few warm days.” Mike keeps a homemade 3/16-oz. jig on hand. He likes to fish brown/black in clear water, and black/blue when the water is stained. He said Rat-L-Traps should start producing fish soon.

Crappie: Slow: An almost 10-degree drop in water temperature over the last few weeks has slowed the crappie fishing, according to Allan Brown. “It shocked ’em. They were out sunbathing, but now they’ve got their jackets on,” he said. “They’ve moved out of the flats and out into some deeper water.” On Saturday, January 27, Allen caught more than 40 eating-size fish, but no slabs. He was trolling jigs at about 12 feet in 20 feet of water around Rooty Creek. He also said people are catching fish at Crooked Creek and Sandy Run. Allan expects the fishing to pick up this month if the weather will cooperate. “February, in my opinion, is the best month. They’ll start picking up as the weather warms up a little about Valentine’s Day.”