Hybrid fishing in Lake Seminole

Question
We have just recently moved to Bainbridge. We had some luck catching large-mouth bass in April and May. We are now especially interested in the hybrids and how and where to catch them. Also the crappie. We understand this is a good time to catch both. We usually launch out of Faceville landing, but sometimes go to Wingate's.

Answer
While I am not particularly a hybrid fisherman, I have fished for them a few times with some luck.  Most of the hybrids that I have caught or hear of being caught are caught in the main lake within a couple of miles of the dam  Smaller ones sometimes range up the rivers and Spring Creek but I have never caught any larger than 12-13 inches up the creek.  When I go fishing for hybrids I try to get down near the mouth of Spring Creek where it empties into the Flint River.  I usually troll slowly using a lipless crank bait in chrome/black or chrome/blue or a small spoon.  If I get a hit I toss over my marker and begin casting in that area with one of the above lures.  Sometimes you may see the fish attacking a school of baitfish.  Cast past or to either side of the school and try to work under the school because most of the larger hybrids are down there while the youngsters tear into the baitfish above.  Of course this isn't always the case and sometimes it is the big ones that are tearing up the baitfish so try fishing on top of the school too.  Most of the time you will have only a minute or at most three of this action and then they will all go down and pop up somewhere else.  I learned that having three or more rods set up with lures and when I pull in a fish I simply pitch him and the rod into the floor of the boat and pick up another rod and cast again.  When the action stops I take the fish off the lures and get the rods and lines straightened out again.  If you try to take each fish off before you cast again you will probably catch one or two fish. If you do it as I suggest you may catch four of five before they go down.  

Of course live shad make a very good bait for hybrids but they are difficult to get and to keep alive.  I don't use live bait very often for both of the above reasons.

Now when it comes to crappie I often begin with live minnows.  Crappie minnows are easy to find at all the bait places around the lake and keeping them alive isn't too difficult.  If I plan on going crappie fishing I put half a dozen small plastic drink bottles filled with water in my freezer.  When I get the minnows I take one of these bottles out of the ice chest and put it in my minnow bucket.  I keep the water cold and the minnows lively this way.  I like to start out crappie fishing with a long pole and a bobber set up.  I use a #2 gold hook a split shot and a small bobber on a 12 foot pole.  I will go to the area where I have caught crappie before or watch for a collection of boats.  I begin by setting my slide bobber so the minnow goes nearly to the bottom which is about 10-12 feet in many places.  If I do not get a bite in 30 seconds I move a little ways away.  After three such attempts I slide my bobber stop down a foot and try again.  I keep this up until I get a bite or until I have given three tries at every foot of depth up to three feet.  If no bites I try another place.  If I am fishing in either of the rivers just above the dam where the water may be 25-30 feet deep I use a spinning outfit but use the same method of checking for depth.

Where to fish for crappie?  That is always the question with these nomads.  They may be in one place at one depth today and a mile away at a different depth tomorrow.  This lake has large areas of what was standing timber in 10-25 feet of water.  It also has a great deal of hydrilla.
Both of these are good crappie areas and when you find both together there are often crappie.
I am sorry, I cannot give more specific information about crappie in the main lake above the mouth of Spring Creek.  I do most of my crappie fishing here in the Spring Creek area where I live.  Occasionally I go down to the area where the Flint and Chattahoochee join and fish the deep water there.  Mostly Spring Creek provides me with about all the fishing I want except for the occasional jaunt for hybrids.  

Once I have found crappie using minnows I often pick up my ultra light spinner and cast jigs around the area.  It is much easier than hooking minnows after each catch, especially on those cold evenings just at sunset which is when I have found most of my crappie.  I could be more specific about places to fish for crappie here in Spring Creek but you are a long ways from Spring Creek where you put in.  Of course if you put in at Wingates and run across the lake to the cut between the islands it is only a short run to Spring Creek.  If you want more specific ideas about fishing Spring Creek, give me a follow up question.

I hope this has been of some help to you.  I hope you do well fishing for both hybrids and crappie.  Thank you for calling on me to answer your question.

I am
Jack L. Gaither   (JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia.