fall bass fishing lake seminole

Question
Mr. Gaither,

I ran across an answer you gave a fellow in 2006, about fishing lake Seminole in February.  It was very informative.  A group of friends and I will be coming down to Seminole the first week of November this year, and will be staying in a house on Lakeshore Drive, I think pretty close to your house.  Was wondering if you could let us know a few good holes to try.  We fished close to the point just east of Reynolds Landing, up in the trees just off the channel with deep crank baits and caught 6 to 8 fish daily in the 4 to 6 pound range.  We were fishing close to all the homes on the point, but in the sticks.    We did not get any bites on top of any grass. We also caught 5-6 Crappie in the back of that same bay.  They bit for approx 15 minutes then quit.  Did not catch any other Crappie that week. Thanks for any help.

Harry

Answer
Harry; I spent nearly three hours yesterday doing research and then typing up an answer to your question.  Just as I was ready to send it something went wrong with my computer and all but the first couple of paragraphs were wiped out.  I don't think I can, at this time, complete the whole message.  I will send you some Latitude and Longitude readings that you can then check out on www.maptech.com. I will give more detail on how to get the right map later.

I am not certain where Lake Shore Drive is unless it is the road running up along the shore of the Fish Pond Drain North of Ga.253.  I live south of 253 just a mile back toward Bainbridge from Reynolds' landing.  If you drive down Reynolds' Landing Road until you come to a paved road going to the left (the only paved road until the park and landing). Following that road you come to a "T" dirt road.  I live 6/10 mile to the right on the dirt road on the left.  The house next before the huge white house.  If you want to give me a call at 229-861-2366 I might be able to show you several places to fish.

Anyway if you put in at Reynolds' landing and head out into the lake until you reach the first set of pilings after leaving the canal mouth.  These pilings will be the first with stickups on both sides. This will be one of the check points I will give. "A".  Just a ways up that channel before you reach the next pilings on the left is the channel of Spring Creek as it wonders up through the stumps upstream (northwest). Keep going until you leave the stumps on the left.  As you pass the last set of pilings in the Reynolds' landing channel you will see sets of pilings both to the left and to the right.  Go right to the first then second set of pilings.  This will be point "B" .  Using the distance from point A to point B as the diameter of a circle fish this circle.  This was a hot spot last winter and has always been a pretty good area.  In fact the whole area of stumps to the west of the Canal from the landing  is good.  Not to brag but for your information I caught two eight pound bass on two casts using a technique that I suggest you try.  Find an area with stumps with as large diameter as you can cast a worm or other plastic critter attembting to hit the stump just at waterline.  Peel off line and let the lure sink with complete slack line.  Use as small sinker as possible to pull it down.  Do not put any tension on the line or it will swing toward you instead of falling straight down the trunk.  The bass is likely to be right at the bottom of that stump and will not often chase anything a couple of feet away.  You want it to drop right on his nose.  Take up slack carefully so as not to pull the lure away from the stump.  Let it lie for five seconds then shake your rod tip just enough to make the lure twitch but not move more than an inch or two.  If after two shakes you do not have a pick up move the worm six inches away from the stump.  If no hit reel in and try another stump.  I have caught several five and six pounders doing this but two eights was my best in here.

If you do not find fish in this area try one of the other places on the list. I have caught good fish in all of them.

I will not try to describe each spot but I will give you points to look for.  If you have a GPS you should be able to find them easily.  If you don't have a GPS the descriptions should lead you to them.  Here is how to get the map that I have on my desk.  Go to http//www.maptech.com, click on "Land Software"  then at top of next page click on "online maps".  Then on next page click on Map Eurvey (My Topos)  The next page will have a place on the upper left to enter name or place then a pulldown for state.  Type in Bainbridge and pull down Georgia.  Click "GO".
This page will have a list printed in red.  Click on "bainbridge" Populated place.  This will give you a map of downtown Bainbridge which of course isn't what we want so using the pull down bar on the right pull down the map and click on the far right rectangle of the "click to zoom".  You should now see a map of most of Lake Seminole.  Look down in the lower left corner of the map and find the letter "E" in the middle of the lake. Click on the "E" and you will get the map dropped a ways.  Now mouse the O in the word Semin"o"le move your mouse up one inch above the "O" where dotted line of the creek channel makes a sharp laeft turn to the North.  click to center the map now go down and click on the second rectangle for "click to zoom"  This will center a point of land andd the creek channel from Rattlesnake point lower left to up Spring creek at the top right.  The little bay just to the right of the red triangle on the left side of the map is the landing pond.  The boat trails are not shown and they seldom follom the creek channel.  They were created for going mostly in a straight line while the creek zigs and zags.  If you have one of the maps of the lake that can be bought at most tackle shops or Walmart the boat roads are shown clearly.  I don't know how much you are familiar with the lake but let me stop and caution DO NOT RUN AT SPEED OUTSIDE OF THE MARKED BOAT ROADS MARKED WITH PILINGS WITH RED AND GREEN REFLECTORS ON TOP. REMEMBER "RED RIGHT RETURNING (FROM SEA OR GOING UPSTREAM) A few places can be confusing so watch carefully.

Now we have one map.  Try looking at the map with our mouse point on the little bay at
Latitude 30-48'18"N Longitude 84-48'38" W. This is Reynolds' Landing.  Next I will give you points to locate on that map for you then to print up to find them on the water.  These points will be locations where I have had good luck with large bass.


Map PT. Lat. N       Long. W                Description
A       30-48'18"      84-48'38"    This is Reynolds' Landing

B       30-47'46"      84-48'26"    First set of pilings after leaving the mouth of channel

C       30-47'42"      84-49'20"    Second piling to the right after entering Main boat channel.

D       30-48'07"      84-47'34"    Cove with tall standing tree in center. Severa docks
                                   along shore.

E       30-47'58"      84-47'34     Fish all the bends and trees.  Very good fishing.

F       30-s48'10"     84-47'15"    Deep slough off creek channel. Good crappie too.

G       30-48'18"      84-47'16"    Channel bends sharply right. Good hole here at bend.
                                   Caught dozens of 5-8 lb bass around this bend and
                                   in stumps off the line of cabins and around docks.

H       30-48'!8"      84-47d'19"   Along docks up to the last one in the line and out in the
                                   trees.  On a calm evening I have caught many 6-7-8 lb bass.
                  to               Of course I have had nights when I caught nothing but that
                                   is bass fishing.  This is one of my favorite areas on
                                   the lake.
       30-49'34"      84-46'-36"


I       30-47'38"      84-46'36"    This is the channel that leads through to Flint River.
                                   Just a short way up the channel it broadens out and
                                    has some trees.  Worth a short try.


J       30-47'05"      84-48'48"    From Rattlesnake point west to where the lone house and two
                                   docks are located.  The first dock looks good with logs along
                                   side.  I know there must be bass there but I haven't been
                                   able to catch any.  The trees out in fronm are good and
                                   at times hybrid stripers gather here to feed.
 
K       30-47'55"     84-48'31"     Fish the big round stumps, The bigger the diameter the better
                                   Cast so that your worm or critter hits the stump at the
                                   water line.  Pull off some line and let the lure fall
                                   straight down.  If you put any tension on the line the lure
                                   will veer away from the stump toward you and it is likely
                                   that the fish will be right up against the stump.  I don't
                                   mean to brag but to give example when I say that one day I
                                   caught two 8 lb. bass by one stump on successive casts.  
                                   When I let the lure swing away from the stump I don't get
                                   a bite.
                To
       30-47'33"     84-48'39"      


L      30-49'22"     84-46'48"     There is a small groupe of stumps right of the main boat
                                  channel.  I hooked a big one that threw my lure here.  BE
                                  careful as the water is very shallow with a muddy bottom.
                                  I had to get out and push my boat once sunk to ankles in
                                  mud.


That's it Harry.  I hope you can make sense of what I have sent.  If you want more info give me a call at 229-861-2366.  Thanks for calling on me to answer your question.  Sorry it took so long.

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