by Paul Tyre
Water temperature: 88 degrees, lake level: 8″ below full pool, clarity: stained and clearing.
The bass fishing on Lake Seminole has been incredible this summer. The topwater bite has been amazing. Three baits have been very productive; a frog, a buzzbait and a walking bait. A KVD Sexy Frog and a KVD Poppin’ Perch have worked well over the top and through the holes of the topped-out hydrilla.
It takes the right equipment to properly cast a frog. To get the big bass out of the thick grass, braided line is a must. You’ll need at least 50-pound line. I prefer 65-pound line on a heavy action rod at least 7 feet long to wrestle the bass out of the grass. A high speed reel, at least 7.1.1, helps too.
The buzzbaits have been getting some aggressive strikes along the edges of the grass lines on the main lake. I prefer a Strike King Tour Grade buzzbait in white and chartreuse. When fishing a buzzbait on Lake Seminole, you’ll want to use at least 50-pound braided line to get a good hook set. A 7′ medium heavy rod is a great tool for this.
A Strike King KVD Sexy Dawg has been seeing some great action this summer too. This bait has a unique sound that drives the big bass crazy. I like to throw this bait on a 7′ medium action rod with 30-pound braided line, and I replace the back treble hook with a feathered treble hook.
I have had quite a few guide trips with several big bass being caught. One husband and wife team, Chase and Brittany Crowe, who came up from middle Florida, caught several big bass while out on Lake Seminole using the techniques I described. They were happy with their catches and promised to come back again for another trip soon.
The bream and the shellcracker are still bedding strong on the lake. They’re being taken on red wigglers around mayfly hatches, which are still hatching. The mayfly hatch has been really productive this summer, resulting in a lot of fish being caught and coming across the docks at Wingate’s Lunker Lodge.
For current information and/or to schedule guided bass, bream or shellcracker trips, contact me at (850)264-7534 or paultyrefishing@yahoo.com.