The unofficial end of summer (Labor Day) has come and gone. We sure have enjoyed the rain and the break in the heat. What can fishermen expect in September? There is a Boatowners Alert out due to extreme drought conditions. Lake Martin is expected to fall to 478.5 by September 12th. So we need to continue to use caution on the water, but the fish are still there, and they are looking for food. The only thing you can do wrong in September is to stay home!
The water is still hot, so you need to look for Bass suspended over deep water until the lake starts to cool. They are feeding mostly at night. You might find some early in the morning or late in the afternoon chasing shad at the top of the water. They will usually return to the same spots day after day. Look for schooling fish on long shallow points and around islands and humps. You might try a small top water plug or a small spinner like a Rooster Tail. A small crappie jig like the Jordan Deer Hair Jig works well also. Look for one that is the color of shad, a gray or a brown and orange works good.
Everyone has been amazed that they have caught such large numbers of crappie this summer. They will stay in the same places they have been, but they will move a little shallower as the water begins to cool. Small crappie minnows are the bait of choice and they also like the Jordan Deer Hair Jigs, white and chartreuse seem to be the best colors. You’re going to find them over brush piles in deeper water and you can always find them around bridge pilings. Sometimes, you can spot them under schools of shad if you have a good fish finder. Just throw on out in the middle of the shad. You’ll need to fish shallow and they’ll come up for the bait.
Catfish really like hot water, so you can really catch a lot during September. One thing you can do for fun so the kids can always catch a fish is to bait off the end of your dock (that is if you have water there). If not, find a hole about 10-12 feet deep and bait it up with dog food or you can buy sinking catfish food at your local Feed Store. Then go back and catch all the fish you want on worms, minnows or catfish bait.
Larry Collins is still around and fishing regularly. He reported to me that he was out fishing three days this last week. One day he caught a few Bream along rock walls on Rooster Tails and some Bass in about 30 ft. of water doodling a worm. The other two days he was mostly Catfishing on the upper part of the lake. He was using Night Crawlers and had good catches of seventeen one day and twenty the other. Larry can’t take the heat, he’s like the rest of us, so he’s out on the water by daylight and about done by 11:00 AM. He says when the sun gets so hot you can’t touch the metal on the boat, he gets in the going home mood!
You can contact me by email at dduck821@windstream.net with your latest best fishing story or any hints you would like to pass along. I would also love to get photos of your biggest catches. Together we’ll fish Lake Martin bringing in those big catches and telling even bigger stories! Be sure to check www.lakemartin.com each week for updated fishing reports. Until then, lets go fishing!!!
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Deborah Duck
