Lake Sinclair Fishing Report – September 2022

Sinclair: Level: 1.2 feet below 340. Temp: 80-85 degrees. Ed at Lakeside Chevron says he’s never seen the lake temps this low in August. Clarity: The lake is muddy up the rivers and stained all the way to Nancy Branch. 

Bass: Tournament angler Karl Pingry reports, “It took 24 pounds to win last week’s Friday night tournament and 22 to win Saturday. Right now, the hot areas are in the backs of pockets and in Rooty Creek, Little River, the mouth of Beaverdam Creek and up the Oconee River. There are mayfly hatches almost every morning after the rain, according to Ed. Fish the mayfly areas with a frog, prop bait, swim jig or shaky head. Otherwise, there are two main patterns to rely on: one, fish the backs of the pockets. Ed says don’t fish deeper than 6 feet. Try a clacker black buzzbait early, a chartreuse-and-white spinnerbait or a squarebill in bluegill color. Extra hint—really concentrate on the mudlines where there is a distinct water color change. The second pattern is fishing parallel to the grass (hydrilla) edges with a swimbait. When I pressed Ed for his definition of a swimbait, the answer was a medium- to large-sized, paddletail-type plastic, such as a Zoom Swimmin’ Fluke. Complete your arsenal with a junebug-red Ole Monster worm or a shaky head rigged with a black grape Trick Worm for fishing the docks and blowdowns. In September, Ed says to stay shallow if the rain continues and the water temps stay down. The grass-edge pattern is now a pattern to try every time you come to the lake. The grass is here to stay and the bass have gravitated to it full time. If the rains finally stop for a week, look for the bass to follow the mudlines as it moves out from the backs of the pockets. However, Ed disagreed and thinks that the backs of the pockets pattern will stay strong since it has been a working pattern most of the year. Near the end of September, keep an eye on the water and your electronics for the baitfish. Find the bait—shad or bluegill—and you’ll find the bass nearby.”

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