by Paul Tyre
Water temperature is 66 degrees with the water stained.
Hurricane Michael sure put a beating on Lake Seminole. Most of the standing timber on the lake was blown down and a lot of vegetation on the flats and near the shoreline was pulled up and washed up on the shoreline from the high winds and waves.
The bass fishing was slow the first couple of weeks after the storm but has steadily been getting better as the bass continue their fall feed for the winter. If you’re planning a trip to Lake Seminole, don’t leave home without your spinnerbaits and crankbaits. My favorite spinnerbait is a Strike King Tandem 3/8 ounce white/chartreuse with silver and gold blades fished on a steady retrieve over around the grass. The spinnerbait is a great shad imitator and has been producing the best on cloudy and windy days. Crankbaits have been producing well, especially in the square bill variety. A Strike King 1.5 square bill in citrus shad is one of my favorite crankbaits to fish on Lake Seminole in the stained water. This square bill has a great hunting action to it and deflects off cover well.
As the water temperature continues to drop, the hybrid and striper fishing will get even better. Some nice ones have been caught recently on Alabama rigs on the main lake.
The crappie have been starting to bunch up and are holding in 10 to 12 feet of water adjacent to the river channel and are being caught on minnows and jigs. Wingate’s Lunker Lodge suffered terrible damage during Hurricane Michael, but that didn’t stop the campers from crappie fishing. We’ve seen some nice ones crossing the docks.
Now is the time to start booking your guided fishing trips on Lake Seminole for Christmas gift and spring. To book a trip or for more up-to-date information, please call me, Paul Tyre, at (850)264-7534 or email me atpaultyrefishing@yahoo.com.