Seminole November Bass with Steven Wells with GPS Coordinates to ten spots
All summer
long the hydrilla beds at Seminole have been full of bass, but often the weeds
are so thick you can’t fish it very effectively. In November the hydrilla
begins to die back and open up, giving you access to those bass. And the cooler temperatures mean they feed
even better.
Seminole
is a one-of-a-kind lake in Georgia with its huge grass flats and stumpy water.
So far south the dam is in Florida, it is like a Florida lake in many ways. The
bass grow fat and spawn early in its warm waters. And every bit of the lake looks bassy, like
you should be able to cast anywhere and hook a hog.
Unfortunately
for the bass fisherman used to other lakes, looking good and being good are not
always the same thing. The sheer size of
the grass flats often make it difficult to locate bass unless you have an idea
what they are doing and where to start.
The bass are in the grass but you still have to find patterns within the
grass to catch them.
Seminole
is right in the corner of Georgia, Alabama and Florida on the Chattahoochee and
Flint Rivers. It covers 37,500 acres and
has been famous for its bass fishing for many years. Jack Wingate and his Lunker Lodge are one of
the reasons for that fame and many happy bass fishermen have passed through his
restaurant and dock over the years.
Steven
Wells grew up right on the lake in Faceville, and is kin to Jack. He loves to
fish and was on the lake so much Jack talked him into guiding there. Jack told him “As much as you like to fish
you might as well let somebody else pay for your gas.” Steven also manages Outland Plantation, a
hunting preserve near the lake, so he gets to spend all his time outside
studying nature.
His time
fishing paid off in another way this year when he married Pam Martin, a top
angler on the Women’s Bass Fishing Association professional trail. She guides
on Seminole out of Wingates with Steven when she is not off on the national
tournament trail. She and Steven share
patterns, tips and fishing spots and help each other out on the lake.
“If you
are not fishing the hydrilla you are not fishing where the bass live, they get
in the hydrilla,” Steven told me. We
were fishing on a hot early October day and he was showing me patterns and
places that would be good in November when the water cooled down a little.
In
November you should start with topwater, then switch to spinnerbaits and
lizards as the sun gets up,” Steven told me.
He likes to fish a topwater bait around the hydrilla early in the
morning, varying his bait according to the wind. If it is dead calm he throws a Mirror Lure
topwater bait but if there is some ripple he switches to a Pop-R.
“Throw the
plug within inches of the grass mat,” Steven said. You have to get it close to the edge,
especially early in November when the grass is still thick. Work it slowly in place, keeping it as close
as possible to the grass while making it act like a hurt baitfish. The longer you can keep it close to the grass
the better your chances of getting bit.
Steven
chooses a silver plug and throws it using 12 pound Stren line. The lighter line helps the bait work better
and will still bet most fish out of the grass if they head back into it after
you hook them. You can also make longer casts
which are needed if the water is real clear.
Later in
the month when the grass mat on top is breaking up, Steven will throw a buzz
bait since it can be worked better. He
likes a white one and ties it on 14 to 17 pound Stren line. If the grass is
thick under the water he uses the heavier line to horse big bass out of the
cover. The lighter line allows longer
casts.
As the sun
gets up Steven will switch to a spinnerbait
and work it through openings and channels in the grass. Some of his favorite places will have clumps
of grass out from the main mat even early in November and he tries to run it
right beside those clumps, too.
Steven
always chooses willowleaf blades since they come through the grass better and
he varies the color depending on the water color. White with silver blades is
better in clear water and gold blades and chartreuse skirts are best in stained
water. The spinnerbait is fished on 14
to 17 pound Stren like the buzzbaits and for the same reasons.
“Bring two
packs of watermelon seed lizards and leave everything else at home and you won’t
go too far wrong,” Steven said. His
go-to bait and what he uses most of the day is a Texas rigged Zoom watermelon
seed lizard. He uses a 1/8th ounce lead
unless the current or wind forces him to go heavier since the slower fall seems
more attractive to Seminole bass.
Tie your
lizard on 12 or 14 pound Stren since you will be fishing right in the
grass. If the water is heavily stained
Steven will go to Junebug lizards and sometimes he dies the tails of both
colors chartreuse. Lizard fishing is slow so he likes to start with topwater
and spinnerbaits, but the lizard will produce all day long.
“Cast the
lizard right on top of the hydrilla and slide it to the edge, letting it fall
when it hits open water,” Steven said.
You must watch your line carefully since bass hitting on the fall often
don’t give much indication they have taken the bait. If you see your line tick or move at all, set
the hook hard to pull them away from the grass.
Steven
shared 8 of his favorite November spots with me and they will all produce fish
this month. They are just a few of the hundreds of similar places but there are
key things to look for. Most of these
are within a few miles of Wingates and Steven says some of the best fishing on
the lake is a couple of hundred yards either side of the channel going in
there.
1. N 30 47.355 W 84 43.050 – Upriver from
Wingates at channel markers 13.8 through 13.3 the Flint River makes a sweeping
turn across the lake. Along the
downstream edge of the channel the water is shallow and hydrilla grows in a
thick mat all along it. People use a
cut-through behind a small island to run down to Wingates so sometimes there is
a channel in the grass there.
Start at
the first red channel marker just downstream of the grass island and work the
edge of the hydrilla all the way past the turn back up river to the third red
marker. The grass drops off deep here so
you must cast topwater baits right to the edge of it. Concentrate on any cuts or holes in the edge
and try to work your topwater bait in it as long as possible.
After the
sun gets up switch to a lizard. You may
need a 3/16 or even a 1/4 ounce lead here if there is any current since you
want the lizard to drop straight down the side of the grass. The bass will hold all along the vertical
face of the grass and suck in food, and your lizard, as it falls.
Cast your
lizard up on top of the grass and pull it off.
That insures it is as close to the wall of grass as possible. Watch your line carefully. When it stops
falling, make sure it is not a fish then twitch it to make if fall on down. If
it is on the bottom twitch it a couple of more times then reel in for another cast.
If you
start here early, it is worth a pass with topwater then another pass with the
lizard, especially if you catch a few fish on the first pass. The fish may be scattered the whole length of
the bed or concentrated in one place, so pay attention to where you get bites.
2. N 30
46.736 W 84 44.381 – Just upstream of
the Wingate cut there is a rockpile out on the old river channel where the
ferry used to cross. You can see the old road bed on most maps. The grass bed along this edge is another good
place to fish. The fish hold in the grass
and also hold on the rocks and move into the grass to feed.
Fish the
outside edge of the grass here. There is
a wide band of grass and there is some open water behind it, but the best
fishing in November is usually on the outside edge. Work it with topwater first then come back
with a lizard. The water is not as deep
on the outside edge of the grass here and a light sinker is usually best.
3. N 30
46.397 W 84 45.351 – The poles marking the Wingate cut have grass around them
out where they get to the river channel and this can be an excellent place to
fish. If you start upstream of the
marker poles you should work the outside edge of the grass. Below the cut there is a bed of grass on a
ridge and it has water 9 feet deep on the back side of it. This is a good place to work both sides of
the bed.
The
outside edge has clumps of grass growing out from the main bed and a
spinnerbait or buzz bait is good in that area.
The inside edge drops to 9 feet and a lizard falling down that drop is
an excellent way to get a bass to bite.
You can fish down the outside edge then cut through and fish the inside
edge going the other way to cover both sides.
If you catch a fish, concentrate on that area since there should be
others nearby.
4. N 30
46.143 W 84 45.710 – Further downstream
out from a couple of docks and pontoon boats on the bank the grass bed continues in closer to the bank. The river channel is a long way away here and
the big flat has some grass on it, but as you get closer to the bank you will find
a thick ridge of hydrilla. There is standing timber out toward the channel but
it will be well behind you when you are fishing the outside edge of the grass.
On the
outside edge clumps grow up well out from the mat. This is a good area for spinnerbaits and
buzzbaits. The inside edge has enough
water to be worth fishing and the lizard should be better here. Work all around the ridges of grass and fish
both sides. Again, if you catch a fish work that area carefully since there
should be others nearby.
5. N 30 45.943 W 64 46.122 – Straight
downstream from areas #4 you will see a red channel marker where the channel
swings back across the lake. Where it
turns and runs down the bank is another good ridge of grass to fish. It is
right along the channel and drops off fast.
Fish the outside edge of it, keeping your boat in the channel and
casting to the edge of the hydrilla.
6. N 30
46.036 W 84 48.063 – The Tractor bank is a well known local fishing spot. It is called that because the DNR used to
keep a tractor there to use in the management area. You can follow the channel downstream then
cut across to the north bank just downstream of a tall dead tree standing in
the water. Be careful, there are a lot of stumps in this area and you need to
find the clear area before running it if you don’t know it.
You will
see a point of land with a cove on the upstream side. In the mouth of the cove is a small grass
island and you will see a yellow sign on a pole out in the water upstream of
it. There are big grass beds all along
this bank. Start fishing near the management area sign and work down the
bank. You can fish all along here,
concentrating on areas where you catch fish.
Watch here
for scattered clumps of grass out from the main bed and fish them with
spinnerbait, buzzbait and lizard. It
often pays off to drop a lizard down beside one of these clumps after running a
buzz bait or spinnerbait through the area to catch a bass that is attracted by
the faster bait but will not hit it.
There are
also scattered stumps near the bank here so watch for them and cast to
them. You also need to keep your boat
out in 10 feet of water or more when running this bank because of the stumps in
closer to the bank.
7. N 30 45.550 W 84 47.903 – Back across the
lake at red channel marker 7.3 a ridge runs out from the bank and hydrilla
grows on it. Fish both sides of this
grass bed. It runs down to channel
marker 6.9 and there are several sand bars in the area. This
is a spawning area for bass and most of these grass beds are good in November
because they are near spawning areas. At
Seminole bass are often moving near spawning beds to hold until the water
warms, which can happen in January here.
When looking for similar places to fish keep in mind that you should look
for fish near spawning areas.
8. N 30 44.134 W 84 51.837 – Down near the dam
where the bank turns south, a huge area of grass runs all the way from the
swimming area at Chattahoochee Municipal Park down to the Coast Guard station
at the dam. There is an old road bed
running parallel to the bank and some real shallow places on it are marked by
danger poles. Grass grows all along the
ridge the roadbed is on and also behind it.
You could
easily fish this area all day. Work both the inside and outside areas of
grass. This is a big spawning area full
of sandbars so fish will be positioning themselves here in November. Concentrate on areas where you catch a fish
and look for keys. Is the bottom a
little deeper, are there cuts in the grass or is it a solid mat? All those keys can point to concentrations of
bass in similar areas.
Seminole
is a great place for a November trip. It
will be much warmer and the bass more cooperative than in more northern lakes
if we have a cold month. And just
fishing legendary Seminole is a thrill.
Check out these patterns and spots and you will be able to find many
more like them.
