QuestionQUESTION: Hi Jack,
3 of my friends and I are coming down to Seminole on the 20th of Feb. 2008. This is our first time bassin out of state and any tips on tactics and tackle would be great. I would like to know your opinion on our choice of time to come. From what I can gather via internet it seems to be in the middle of the spawn. The Bass should coming into the shallows or even on beds by then, correct? We are planning on camping in tents at the Seminole State Park. Good choice or bad?
ANSWER: Late February is often a good choice but I doubt the fish be spawning by then. Of course it all depends on the weather. If we have a warm February they may be on the beds but we seldom have a warm first two weeks of Feb. In fact the only snow I have ever seen down here has been in February. It snowed in Panama City one Christmas a year or two after I moved up here but it didn't snow here. Usually it begins to break toward warming up after Valentines day but seldom warms up to stay warm until after Easter.
I would say that more likely the bass would be beginning to state about the time you are coming. To me this is a far better time to catch big bass than during the spawn.
You have to look or have someone else look for spots where the bass are gathering. I have found a few places like that. When you find one you are likely to catch more big bass than you have ever caught in your life. I remember several years ago before the state messed us up by killing the hydrilla here in Spring creek. I found a spot where for two weeks I went out every evening and caught my limit of bass all over 3 pounds and several up to 8 pounds. All were caught in the same hole and hit on about anything I could throw except worms. Of course I released all but a couple that were deeply hooked.
If they are not staging or spawning yet they are likely pretty scattered unless it has been unusually cold. If that is the case they will likely still be in deep water.
Of course deep water on Lake Seminole is less than 35 feet in the river channels and 25 in the creek channels.
The state park has a beautiful camp ground and also has cabins if you can get one. The only thing wrong with the state park is that the landing is so far from much of the fishing areas. Of course it is cheaper to haul your boat and trailer it to one of the other landings to fish different parts of the lake rather than running with your boat. There are lots of good ramps and most of them are free. There are only a couple of places on the lake to get gas anymore so it is best to fill your tanks ashore. Gas is around $2.95 for regular around here right now. Of course no telling what it will be by Feb
Now to specific places and tactics. From the state park go out and turn right to head for the Fishponds. If the one just beyond the highway 253 bridge has a name I don't know what it is. It is mostly a shallow area with what was a small pond in it before the dam was put in. It is ringed with Lilly pads. I haven't fished it much but I see people fishing both along the pads and out in the deeper water (probably not over 10-12' deep). On upstream you come to the 273 bridge leading into Ray's Lake. I have caught some fair bass in the upper end around the few stickups and at the edge of the pads. Worms worked best here that time although I believe if things were right a topwater popper or a Johnsons' Silver Minnow with a pork (not plastic) frog should catch bass.
If you turn left out of the state park this will take you to the bottom end of Fish Pond Drain. This lower end is a lot of drowned timber. The hydrilla should not be too thick at that time of year and some good fish come out of there. Following the boat road on out to its end takes you to the channel of the Flint River not far above where it joins with the Chatahoochee. In the area between the two rivers is an area where there is virtually no timber but quite a bit of structure, humps etc. ( I guess this is as good a time as any to give my standard CAUTION.
CAUTION
LAKE SEMINOLE HAS A SYSTEM OF MARKED CHANNELS WITH TWO KINDS OF MARKERS. THE RIVERS BOTH HAVE EITHER BUOYS OR PILINGS WITH LARGE RECTANGULAR OR TRIANGULAR DAY MARKS FOR THE TUGS THAT USE THE CHANNEL NOW AND THEN. NOT MANY TUGS ANY MORE. THE SECOND SYSTEM IS THE BOAT ROADS OR TRAILS MARKED WITH PAIRS OF SINGLE PILINGS WITH RED OR GREEN REFLECTIVE MATERIAL ON TOP. WHEN RUNNING YOUR BIG MOTOR ALWAYS STAY IN THE MARKED CHANNELS SINCE YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LAKE. THESE MARKED CHANNELS ARE REASONABLY SAFE TO RUN AT SPEED. REMEMBER IF WE HAVE HAD A LOT OF RAIN THEIR MAY BE FLOATING DEBRIS IN THE CHANNELS JUST LIKE ANY RIVER. YOU CAN MANEUVER IN THE STUMPS WITH YOUR TROLLING MOTOR. IF THE LAKE IS DOWN IT IS EASY TO MANEUVER IN THE STUMPS IF IT IS AT OR NEAR FULL POOL IT IS A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT BUT NOT PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS AT TROLLING MOTOR SPEED. THESE BOAT TRAILS AND THE RIVER MARKERS ARE SHOWN ON THE FISHING MAPS OF THE LAKE WHICH ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Now where was I? Oh yes, in the triangle between the rivers. Toward the upper end of the triangle is an area marked by pilings with no markings on them. There may still be a sign marked "stumps". This is Indian Mounds and is a hump or sunken island the top of which is only a foot or two deep at any time. This is probably heavily fished but a few casts are deserved. Heading on west leads to the markers of the Chatahoochee R. The river is about 30' deep and has some good dropoffs from either side.
Look for cover along the ledge or break with your sounder. This is mostly crappie area so there may be several boats in the channel but since you are after bass avoid the boats. Following the right hand channel as you run up river being watchful for occasional drowned wood or shoals you can fish along this side. Upriver on the right you will see a pair of pilings leading in between the islands.
I have never fished this area this early in the year but I have found bass in here later in the season. Going on upriver you will come to a choice. Either take the left unmarked channel around the island with lots of structure and cover to fish or take the new channel cut by the Corps of Engineers, this one marked. The north (upstream) end of the island has some good areas. If you stay in the marked channel you will find a ridge of land along the left side. This ridge has a couple of openings in it where you can get through. Most of the water on the West side of the ridge is shallow but has some holes and lots of downed trees etc. I am not familiar with the river above this area but I do know that many bass fishermen head up between there and the bridge.
Meanwhile back at the end of the boat road out of Fishpond Drain if we turn left instead of right we are in the Flint River channel. Between here and the mouth of Spring Creek the bank falls off on the left from around 112-15' to 25' or so. Up on the flat there were several small riverine ponds before the dam. These may be hard to find but might well be worth looking for. This area has lots of hydrilla but this time of year it should be down. A spinner bait pulled just above the hydrilla should produce. If not try a rattletrap just burned over the hydrilla.
There is one big standing tree on the east bank of the mouth of Spring Creek. The water around it is about 20'. At times the other stickups around the area has produced some good bass. I hooked one one day that I am sure would have given me my ten pounder plus but as they say the big one gets away. She hit a trolled Chrome/blue rattletrap. I don't usually fish this area for bass. If I go way down there I am fishing for hybrids. There are plenty of bass in my home area which I will touch on later.
Just out from the stumps at the mouth of the creek is a hump. It rises from about 25' to 18' or so. If you can fish it and find some trash on it it should produce bass.
Here is one place that I can get you off the marked channel for moderate speed running. Keeping the visible stump tops (the trees have almost all broken off but stumps are visible just around water level.) Keep fairly near the islands on the left. In fact when you reach a set of boat road pilings coming out from the shore, (this leads in to Sealies landing) move in and start fishing the islands. The water may be 5-8' deep or suddenly be 6inches so move carefully. I have had best luck here using a spinner bait but I believe a crank bait could be used this time of year. I have never fished this area this time of year. (too good closer to home). This is an area of brim and shellcracker beds in warm weather. Where you find brim and shellcracker beds usually bass are not far away. There are a couple of islands that you can fish all the way around. When you reach the next set of boat road pilings the road to the right heads into Wingates' landing and to the left leads through the channel or cut leading to Spring Creek. I am not familiar with the area above this except that on the left of the boat road leading to Wingates is a large flats where I hear a buzz bait will work well. Of course this time of year the hydrilla will be down. It is almost impossible to fish in summer due to the hydrilla.
Carefully run through the cut toward Spring Creek. When you come out there is a set of pilings. Be careful here as to the right is a very shoal area. Head out to the next set of pilings. This is in a flats area where I have take some bass out of the breaks between the hydrilla. Keep on going until you come to a single piling with red top. (I don't know what happened to the green top piling, it hasn't been there in 15 years and is the only place I know that there is a single piling. This piling marks the east side of the loop in the creek channel shown on the map. Just before you reach the piling your depth sounder should show between 5 and 10 feet suddenly dropping to 18.
The channel runs about 18-20' all through here and is easy to spot on the sounder. This channel is good fishing all up and down with certain spots being better of course. Ahead to the next pilings the channel is to the left of the group of stumps. There are three or four still standing (if we don't have a big storm) trees. Around the area is a deep hole out of which I have never taken a bass, but I have caught bass all around the hole in the stumps. This is where I caught my two biggest bass, one just a bit over 9 lbs and one just under 9 lbs on successive casts. It was late one night in July and I was throwing a magnum (muskie) jitterbug all black. I cat in and the one hit. I landed her and cast again and the second one hit. I have caught many in the 5 lb class in this area. The set of pilings you come to after passing the single piling or going around the island of stumps marks the beginning of a large flats going to the shoreline. To the right is the channel and not far from the pilings is a small group of stumps. These mark the left side of the channel. To the right are many more stumps. This small isolated group of stumps has produced several nice bass. Along the right side the stumps mark the drop off into the channel. On the left the channel is not as sharp dropping off and there are only occasional stick ups along this side. The right side is often the best fishing but each stickup on the left deserves a cast or two. As you work up this channel running about Northeast you will come to one small group of stickups on the left. If you look closely you will see one limb almost horizontal just at the surface pointing across the creek. This pointer points to the opening to a slough going up into the stumps. The water at the mouth of this slough is 26-27' deep, the deepest water I know of in this area. The slough goes to the left for about 300 yards and is around 20' deep with the trees on either side in 12-15'.
This slough fishing both sides has produced many nice bass.
You can work your way out of the stumps to the right after you reach the upper end of the slough. This leads to a flats with an island at the upper end. Sometimes this shallow area has bass in the hydrilla. Later in the season I work these stumps with topwaters at sunset but this time of year this is unlikely to produce unless it has been extremely warm. I would suggest going back out the way you came in and turn right when you reach the main creek channel. Following the channel which begins a sharp bend to the left leads to the place where a boat road crosses the channel again. This is the main road leading upstream in the creek. Around the pilings at this intersection is often good for a fish or two. Don't take the boat road right now but stay with the channel as it heads toward the left shoreline working the stumps on the right and the occasional stickup on the left. A couple or three hundred yards along this channel is a place where the channel bends right. There is an isolated group of stickups that splits the channel. Fish this group of stumps in about 20' of water and the space to the left of the stumps. This area between the dock on the left, the stumps ahead and the island of stumps. I caught all those bass staging. On up the creek channel and in the stumps to the left is good along with the area between the stumps and the docks along shore has been very good.(
Incidentally the next four of five docks up the shoreline has produced good bass too.) I don't usually work upstream from here in the channel. Instead I go back out and over to the boat road leading upstream running until I see a small group of stumps on the right. I then work carefully toward the shore and the last dock in sight on that shore.
Don't get too close just out from that dock as a point comes way out and is only inches deep. Once past that point head in toward the docks and you will see another isolated group of stumps about 30 yards offshore. Work these stumps with crankbaits, spinnerbaits or plastics. Then start fishing the docks along the shore keeping them on your right. You will be headed downstream again. All along here in the docks on the right and the stumps to the left has places that usually have bass. Not always the same places however.
Lets go back to that set of pilings where we turned right in the creek channel but this time run straight ahead to the next set of pilings. Turn left heading downstream and run down to the intersection of the next boat road. This road leads to Reynolds' landing. This channel for the first quarter mile is dome good fishing at times. Careful there is a deadhead near the center of the channel on the right. It used to be a standing tree but broke under water.
Fish this and the mouth of the creek on the right. You can then either turn right and work the channel of the creek toward the next point on the left. This channel twists and turns through the stumps. I have caught bass all along here but have done better closer to the point.
As you work along the stumps toward the point you will come to an opening in the stumps on the left. The flats to the left just off the channel produced several 6 lb fish in the early spring. Going off the channel onto the flats and working to the north there is a cove with four or five docks. This cove has produced many nice bass for me. One reason might be that it is only half mile from my home and I fish it often and I know there are fish there most of the time. This would be a good staging area as these flats are likely spawning grounds although I have never checked for spawning bass here since I do not fish spawning beds. The deep water here should be a good place for those female bass to gather before the spawn begins.
This point runs quite a ways out and is shallow with a rather sharp drop off. I have caught bass there too. The creek channel comes quite close to the shore here too and then bends South into the stumps toward the boat channel.
I have not fished this part of the creek channel much as I do better off the point to the west.
The docks along the shoreline sometimes contain bass although I have not caught any big ones here. My house is the one just past the huge white one with the big concrete swimming pool and big new dock. That is my unfriendly neighbor but used to belong to my late brother in law. This was home to my present wife for years before we were married.
Back to the channel running into Reynolds' landing, if we keep on the main boat road and round the point to the left we will be approaching Rattlesnake point on the right. Before we get there, however, there is another intersection. This leads through the stumps on the right over to the entrance to the ponds and canal leading to cypris lake and the channel leading back to the main lake on the west side of Sealies Island. I haven't fished that area. Continuing down the main boat road just off the point on the right is an opening in the stumps. Apparently this was an old road leading down to the creek before the dam. I have caught some bass off this (Rattlesnake)point and around to the right back in the cove is a single house with two docks. Sometimes this area is good especially in the stumps. There is a way to get through to the boat road leading to Cyprus Lake keeping very close to the shore as the stumps almost reach shore but there is plenty of water to get through should you want to. Back to the boat road off Rattlesnake point to the left the stumps on the left of the road has some unusual structure. Water may be 20' and a few feet away be only a couple of feet. I have caught some nice bass here too. There is an opening on this side between the stumps leading out to the main lake but unless you know it I wouldn't try it. If you make a slight mistake you are likely to be in thick stumps or aground. If I were along I could show you but there are few if any landmarks showing it. Of course you can fish this area with trolling motor. I have caught some really big brim back here but then you aren't after them. The islands on down are surrounded with shallow water that at certain times have bass but at other times are empty.
The right side of the channel from Rattlesnake point on down has lots of timber and water that is mostly about 20' deep and rather hard to fish but the docks along the shore are known for good fishing for bass although I seldom get that far anymore. (ain't as young as I used to be) I don't like to get caught down here after dark either. Around the next point are more houses and docks and the next point is Sealies landing. All considered good fishing. On past Sealies the creek is well to the left of the boat road. I have always intended to follow it down but never got to it. Next is Fishpond Drain mouth which we have already mentioned.
I realize I haven't given much information on fishing the Flint river because I haven't fished it much. The South side of the lake has a number of homes with docks and a couple of small creek mouths that are probably good but I simply haven't fished there as that is about 6-7 miles from my home by water and 60 miles by road. The area from across from the mouth of Spring Creek and down to Wingates is probably good but I can't give information on places where I have never been. This is a big lake and I have only fished it in the last 20 years. There are lots of areas that I have never seen. But I do know my home area pretty well. Why run miles when there are good fishing places close to home, except to explore which I like to do now and then but not much anymore since Arthur took over--you know Arthur-itis along with years. I will be 75 in 17days.
There are a few more places here in Spring Creek that I could mention but I think if you try the ones I have told you about and don't score those couple of other places will probably not produce either.
I like using crankbaits with a little green and or yellow on them, white or chartreuse skirted spinnerbaits either single or double depending on the situation. There are places when a slow rolled large colorado blade will work and others where a fast moving willowleaf works better. If you have fished much you know what I mean. I find a chrome/black or chrome/blue rattletrap works well here. It can be burned over the grass or worked more slowly along the drops. I seldom use jigs or worms like I used to. I use worms under the docks some though. Not that they aren't good baits but simply because I have become too impatient to work them slowly enough. Since I release almost all bass I catch and I have caught a lot of bass in my years of fishing I no longer worry about whether I catch fish or not. So I fish in a way I enjoy and still catch some bass from time to time.
I will admit that the last time I was out which was a little over a week ago when a guy from Memphus Tenn. came down to prepare for a TX. He took me out and I showed him some places to fish. We didn't have a whole lot of luck until I took him up that slough I told you about. We got six or seven fish that would measure in a Tx. and it was on worms. He fishing a drop shot and I a Texas rigged junebug 6". The last three times someone has come to pick my brains (LOL) we have found some fish. Another guy is supposed to come this week end and we will see what we can do. If you would like to make a follow up question after the week end I will let you know what happened. Meanwhile if you can get a map of the lake try to find the places I mentioned. You can go to www.maptech I think it is and put "Bainbridge, Ga." in and then follow down the Flint river on the maps to the dam. You can zoom in to areas you are interested in and In one case a man called and we both got the same map on the computer and I showed him what to look for and even told him how to find my home and he did. worked fine. We were on the same page.
Well I guess I had better quit. I have probably given you more than you really wanted but when I get started it is hard to stop. As you see I like my lake.
If there is anything more I can help with don't hesitate to either use a follow up or contact me directly.
Thanks for calling on me to answer your question. I hope it has been helpful.
I am
Jack L. Gaither (JackfromSeminole)
Lake Seminole, Georgia
229-861-2366
[email protected]
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Sorry I forgot to add this before. I'm certain we will be just fine but if we were having trouble would you have a problem with us pulling up to your dock for some direction? The more I look at the lake the more I realize how easy a guy could get turned around. I read one of your other answers and you pointed out where your place is. I wouldn't stop without asking first.
AnswerYou are most certainly welcome at my place. You probably have a cell phone so my number is 229-861-2366 and if you have a GPS I am at Lat.. 30-48-10 N and Long. 84-47-46 W. I am the next house upstream from the biggest white house along the shore here. This location is about a mile up from the landing called Reynolds' Landing and Big Jims' resort and restaurant.
