Lake Sinclair Fishing Report February 2011

Sinclair: Level: 0.5 feet below full pool. Temp: 45 to 50 degrees. Clarity: Stained to clear.

Bass: Good. Aaron Batson reports, “Bass fishing should begin to get hot in February. Several baits will get stronger. One bait is an Ol Nelle Chatterbait. It will begin to catch some big fish as they pull shallow. Look for them to get around shallow cover like docks, grass, stumps and blowdowns. Fish the Chatterbait slowly, and almost yo-yo it around the cover. Most bites will occur on the drop. Also, big shallow-running crankbaits will work. Try a big Bagley’s B2 or Norman’s Fatboy on hard-bottom banks, especially in muddy water. Bright colors like firetiger or chartreuse/black will be best.”

Crappie: Slow. Allan Brown reports, “With warm weather around the corner, look for crappie to move up and start feeding in all the major creeks. By the middle of the month, concentrate on creek channels and flats to catch prespawn crappie. Trolling will be the most effective way to catch a cooler full of slabs. Try 1/16- to 1/32-oz. jigs in your favorite colors in 10 to 12 feet of water. It only takes a few days of warm weather to send them shallow, so pay attention to your depth sounder and water temp to find the fish.”

Catfish: Fair. Chad Smith said the freezing temps and snow pushed the bait and catfish deep. “Over the next month, concentrate your fishing around the bait, hot-water discharge and the Rooty Creek area because where there is bait, there will be catfish. I have found a large amount of big baitfish on the points all around Rooty Creek in 25 to 35 feet of water. I am having to tie more rope to the main line of my cast net to reach the bait, and the threadfins are bigger, 5 to 7 inches, and healthier than I have ever seen. In the coming month, once we start getting a few warm days in a row, expect the baitfish and catfish to move into shallower water around the main-lake flats with the main-lake channels close by. Also, look around any humps and points with brushpiles.”