Lake Sinclair Fishing Report September 2014

Sinclair: Level: 1.5 feet below full pool. Temp: 86-88 degrees. Clarity: Light stain.

Bass: Tournament fisherman Aaron Batson reports, “Bass fishing is fair. Fishing is best when there is current being generated. Look on main-lake points and ledges, and work a big crankbait, like a Strike King 6XD or Normans DD22, in shad colors. I am throwing the big plugs on a Kissel Kraft custom MB 845 custom crankbait rod with 10-lb. floro. Some fish are hanging around docks and can be caught on 1/4-oz. Net Boy Baits Flipp’n jig or a Texas-rigged Wackem Crazy Baits 5-inch Pointy Tail worm. Some schooling fish will begin to show up in the coves late this month. A Pop-R or small Sammy will work very well on these fish.”

Crappie: Allan Brown reports, “The crappie should start moving some in September as the water starts to cool. Look for them in the river channels or mouths of major creeks in 15 to 25 feet of water. Trolling should work good. Also pay attention to your electronics to pinpoint the proper depth, and adjust speed accordingly. Some fish can be caught fishing brushpiles and dropping minnows down to them, too. Once located, mark the spot on your GPS to help stay on top of the fish. Later in the month, dock shooting gets cranked up. Look for docks close to deep water or on points. Current plays a key role in finding which docks hold fish. Trolling Triple Ripples, jigs or both will work. Some good colors to try are ice blue, popsicle, acid rain and green hornet. Try using two 1/16-oz. jigs in tandem for fish suspended over deeper water. Some fish can be caught shallow as the water cools later in the month.”

Catfish: Guide Chad Smith reports, “Catfishing is good at the present fishing deep ledges that drop off into the river channel. I am using big chunks of cut gizzard and live bluegill on the bottom and on the edges of the ledges. The best technique has been anchoring up. A good creek to concentrate in is Crooked Creek, which has a ton of deep water. This will be hot all through September.”