Bassin in Spring Creek

Question
Mr. Gaither,
Let me first say that I really enjoy reading your posts about bass fishing. The bass club that I'm in,  fishes Seminole alot and I'm very familiar with "the hooch", fish pond drain, main lake, and four foot ditch but the one area that I would like to get to know better is Spring Creek.I have read that you live on this creek and have fished it regularly.Can you give me any info such as where fish hold during the different seasons.What baits and colors you have been successful with in the area.Do the fish hold in this creek year long or some time of the year better than others? Also is there any areas that bass tend to bed in more than others? I appreciate any information you have on the matter. Take care and see you on the water!

Answer
Jeff; Maybe I should ask you to give me some pointers on those other parts of The lake.  I haven't fished many other parts of the lake. I have heard of "Four foot ditch" but never knew just where it is located.  There are lots of places that I have heard names for but I do not know where they are. I know there are names for places here on Spring Creek but I do not know them  I have done most of my fishing on Spring Creek for two reasons. First I am no longer a spring chicken and don't want to get too far from home when I am alone. Second I have found Spring Creek very productive except for those years when the state fish and game people put that chemical in the water.  It killed the hydrilla and also killed the fishing for about five years. Before and after the drip system  on the bridge the fishing here was phenomenal. The fish are slowly coming back.

Sorry you wanted information on where to fish and with what in Spring Creek.  Well I consider the area from About Sealies landing upstream following the boat roads past the one leading into Reynolds landing with Big Jim's and then on upstream to the next landing. I do not know what this landing is now called. It has several names. When I moved here in 1993 it was called Wid-Kin-Place. Later it was Knights landing and another time it was called Heckles landing. The reason I mention this is that on some maps it is called one name and on another map it is called another name.  In all this makes up an area of some approximate 3000 acres.  In many respects it is virtually a lake all to itself quite different from most of the rest of the lake. I would divide it into several sections or divisions.  The lower end is where the Spring Creek area joins the main lake.  Following the boat trail up from where that trail connects with the one coming down from Fish Pond Drain.  The boat trail itself runs pretty much parallel with the Western/Northern shore while the creek itself twists and turns in a general Southwesterly course until it bends sharply and runs out into the lake.  There is no boat trail that runs directly to this area.  The bank of the creek itself runs through about half mile to a mile of drowned timber mostly broken off near the waterline.  I haven't fished this area very much because I found other places more productive.  Along the port side of a boat headed upstream is an area of with many many drowned trees.  On the shoreline in one area is a line of cabins each with a dock. It is really a little difficult to maneuver among the thick stumps of dead trees but if the wind is not blowing hard there are good fish there in the trees and the docks.  I consider this area as the "lower" section of the lake (Spring Creek Lake or arm)up to Rattlesnake Point.

The middle section of the "Lake" is from Rattlesnake Point up to the point at which the creek beds sharply to the north.  The main boat trail crosses the creek channel. The creek channel almost comes to the point before turning North.  This point is the Northern point of the middle part of the middle section. This point has on several occasions been a hotspot for staging bass
where I caught my limit on several days running with the smallest bass being about 3 pounds not counting the one that had the head of a six or seven pound bass and the body of a two or three pound fish.  I have caught two fish like this.  Of course I released all the bass I caught here except a couple that were too weak to swim away so I ate them.

Section three is very different from the other two areas.  It is much narrower just a little ways up and is much shallower for the most part.  The large areas of standing timber peters out and.  There are many small islands on both sides of the creek but the water is very shallow outside of the creek channel.  This does not mean that there aren't bass up here.  I have caught several nice fish in the area mostly on worms or topwater lures.  It is fine when the wind isn't blowing but on a windy day it is tough because there are so many humps of mud to be blown onto and you can't see them you just hit them.  To be honest I don't like this area as well as the other two.

In area I or II fishing the trees in fairly deep water has been productive.  I like to use a big hefty worn with a light weight.  Cast it right up against the bigger stumps in the area and let the worm fall on a completely slack line. If you take up the slack as the worm sinks it will swing out away from the tree.  The bass is rubbing his back on the tree not a foot out from the stump. 90+% of the time he will not move a foot for a worm but bonk him on the head will often wind up with you suddenly hooked up with a tiger by the tail so enjoy it.  Of course, you can use this technique anywhere there are stumps.  Plastic swim baits have been good here too. Cast them out and work them around the trees.  My favorite fishing is in the evening using topwaters.
Crankbaits and spinnerbaits are also good.  I like fishing a crankbait along dropoffs or the edge of the channel or a spinnerbait over the non emergent grass or along the edge of clumps of hydrilla.  Normally casting in the creek channel isn't as productive as sitting in the channel and casting 100 feet or so off the channel but among the stumps or over grass. The middle section is my favorite section although the other sections have also produced some really nice bass.  I could probably go on and on but trying to describe a spot without both of us having a map or being together where I could be specific and say "see that stump", I caught two 8 pound bass off there in April a few years ago using the method I described.  I lost one on that stump.  I cannot do that with a computer yet so I must be general in my answer.

I hope this has been of some help and thanks for calling on me to answer your question.

Jack L. Gaither       (JackfromSeminole)
  Lake Seminole, Georgia