by Matt Henry
Lake Sinclair is down 1.05 feet with water clear and the temperature in the 50’s.
Bass fishing is fair. On most days the shallow water will work with a spinnerbait, jig or worm. Add the Rapala Shad Rap or other small crankbait. The number of daily bites will be lower than during spring, but the average size of fish may be higher.
For the spinnerbait, try a ¼ ounce Stanley in chartreuse and white with tandem Colorado blades, one nickel and the other gold. Slow roll the bait around blow downs, brush piles, rocks, rip rap, grass and docks.
Several large fish have recently been caught on Shad Raps like a #5 or #7 and a #4 or #5 in the RS series in chrome blue and fire tiger on bright days and fire tiger, shad or gold black on cloudy days. Fish these small crankbaits around any of the fore mentioned cover and just about anywhere else. Retrieve the bait slowly. Try moving the bait with a slow sweep of the rod tip and use the reel to take up slack only. Repeat casting to the same cover will also work well on some days.
Jigs with pork or plastic should also be tried. Stay with lightweight jigs if possible. Try a 3/16 or 5/16 ounce Stanley casting jig with a #11 Uncle Josh pork frog in black blue, black and or pumpkin brown. Texas and Carolina rigged worms are also catching fish from shallow water.
Bass are also coming from deep water in the central and lower lake. Depths are ranging from 15 to 30 feet. Some of these fish are following shad schools and moving a lot. Others are holding on humps, points, and flats along the main river and creeks. The best baits are jigging spoons and Carolina rigs.