Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – May 2021

Sinclair: Level: 0.9 feet below full pool. Temp: It was near 78 degrees, but the day after we had 4 inches of rain the water temps were 68 early and 72 in the afternoon. The water temps will rebound this last week of April. Clarity: The water is stained up both rivers and clear on the south end. Look for both rivers to be extremely muddy for the end of April and the first few days of May.

Bass: Tournament angler Karl Pingry reports, “The shad spawn is full on! Get on the water at first light casting a spinnerbait and a merthiolate Trick Worm, according to Ed at Lakeside Chevron. Target seawalls, dock pilings, rip-rap and grass where the shad are bumping up against those objects. Once the shad spawn finishes, stay in the same areas and work from the bank out to about the 3-foot depth with a spinnerbait, topwater plug, buzzbait, frog and/or a shallow crankbait. As the sun gets up, it’s time to hit the docks and pockets with plastics. A magnum lizard (6 to 8 inches) is the hot bait to be throwing right now. Other plastics include a shaky head with a Trick Worm and a Texas-rigged Zoom Ultra-Vibe Speed Craw. Ed says there are two other techniques that are just starting to work and will only get better. One is a white frog skipped way under the docks. The other pattern is a Little Earl crankbait as the bass start moving out of the pockets and on the main-lake points. These baits and techniques should work for most of May. Once the shad spawn ends for the spring, look for the mayflies to start appearing on the trees and banks. Topwater, swim jigs in bluegill colors, frogs and shallow cranks will be the baits to use. The end of May will also see the crankbait and Carolina rig bites offshore start to pick up. Be careful and safe now that the pleasure boaters, wave runners and skiers will start to increase as the air and water temps continue to rise.”