Shad spawn back on at Seminole

Leaders reveal top pattern

BAINBRIDGE, Ga. – As the third and final day of the American Fishing Series on Lake Seminole began this morning, tournament leader Chad Prough of Chipley, Fla., looked up at a cloud-covered moon and just smiled.

Beside him, third place pro David Mock was pretty giddy as well.

“It’s going to be good,” Prough said.

“I can hardly wait,” Mock replied, rubbing his hands together with excitement.

Both pros were alluding to the same thing: the shad spawn bite on Lake Seminole – and the potential for it to be really good today.

In April and May – usually about the time bass are done spawning – shad in reservoirs begin their reproductive rituals of gathering up in tight bunches, usually around some type of cover like rip rap, docks or the hard edge of matted grass. Bass instinctively know this and they hang around these type places for an easy meal.

In recent years, the shad spawn has not been very reliable on Lake Seminole because the hydrilla has been scant. The large clumps, mats and edges of new grass growth have not been there to give shad something to gather and spawn around.

But this spring, Seminole has returned to what made this lake world famous in the late 80’s and early 90’s, thanks in large part to the main lake hydrilla that is lush again.

“Seminole has been on fire this spring,” said Mock, who guides on the lake. “In January and February the rattle trap bite was back on this lake like we have not seen in years. And now the shad spawn is back as well and that only makes things better.”

Prough agreed.

“This lake is all about the grass, it’s that simple,” said Prough, who fishes the lake several times a year. “If there’s grass in the lake, it’s a phenomenal place. When the grass is gone, this is a tough place to catch a bass. Right now this lake is on the rebound, no doubt. The grass is healthier and has grown up fuller on the flats than I’ve seen in years. It’s routinely taken huge weights to win tournaments here all spring. It’s becoming an awesome place to fish again.”

After seeing the grass growth and experiencing the tremendous trap bite earlier this spring, both anglers figured the lake’s classic late-spring shad spawn pattern around grass would return as well – and they were right.

“It started to show up in practice,” Mock said of the shad spawn. “I checked some of the old grass places we used to find the shad spawning on years ago and sure enough, the shad followed my spinnerbait back to the boat just like they used to. Needless to say, that’s when I got pretty excited about this event.”

But instead of using a spinnerbait in the tournament, Mock has resorted to Gambler’s Big E-Z swimbait to catch his fish this week.

Meanwhile, Prough has been fooling the bass with a big buzzbait during the shad spawn.

And the reason both pros were particularly excited this morning was the forecast for wind and clouds, which has a tendency to extend and accentuate the shad spawn bite.

“I’m ready to go!” Prough said.

“Me too!” Mock concurred.

The final day weigh-in of the American Fishing Series on Lake Seminole will begin Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Boat Basin.

Saturday’s conditions

Sunrise: 6:55 a.m.

Temperature at takeoff: 69 degrees

Expected high temperature: 88 degrees

Water temperature: 75 degrees

Wind: SE 10 to 15

Day’s outlook: cloudy and breezy