Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – January 2024

Sinclair: Level: 1.4 below 340. Temp: Mid 50s and cooling off. Clarity: The lake is clear from just above Nancy Creek to the dam and stained in the rivers.

Bass: Karl Pingry spoke with Ed at Lakeside Chevron who said the bass are still biting. A recent BASS tournament took 19 pounds to win, and a club tournament took 18 pounds on the same day. The crankbait bite has really turned on. Ed recommends a Bandit 200 or a Shad Rap No. 7 in chartreuse and pearl and a No. 5 Shad Rap in crawfish if you are fishing Rocky Creek. A 1/2-oz. Rat-L-Trap in chrome/blue back is also working over the grass and on the shallow rock banks. A new bait that is working along the grass edges is a Rapala Rap-V Blade O6 in blue ghost. If you’re fishing up the Oconee near Shoulder Bone or up Little River, a chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait in the stained water is really working well.  Last, a swim jig, Ole Monster worm or shaky-head worm around the docks are your go-to baits. Ed said that all the reports he’s getting from guys on the lake are fishing less than 14 feet deep.  That eliminates a lot of water! January will be a tough month simply because the bass will need to feed less as the water temps drop. Ed doesn’t think the lure selection will change much. A Chatterbait will be a good follow-up bait behind a spinnerbait. A crankbait that runs 4 to 6 feet or 8 to 10  feet will continue to work. Target rocky or hard clay bottoms, and slow your retrieve down. Jigs followed up with a shaky-head worm will be the consistent baits to use around the docks, blowdowns and grass edges. Stay patient because the bite windows will be short. You’ll get two or three bites in one pocket and then go a few hours before you get bit again. Ed commented that using your electronics to scan some of the submerged brush in the lake will help you find the depths the fish and bait are holding, and a drop shot might be the way to coax those bass to bite if you see them in the brushpiles. See Ed for a parking spot, a hot cup of coffee and an updated report as the lake starts to really cool off.”

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