Ethan Reddish

Captain Paul Tyre talks fall fishing and the value of the lake

(This is an excerpt from the fall 2024 edition of the Bainbridge Living Magazine)

Together, the Flint River and Lake Seminole shape not only the environment and ecology of southwest Georgia, but also the economy. The two are a huge draw to the area, whether that be for those looking to move south, and especially for anglers looking for a destination fishing spot.
Local fishing guide Captain Paul Tyre, with Lake Seminole Fishing Guides, knows firsthand just what an asset Lake Seminole is to the area, and why it’s such an impressive
fishing destination. The title “Bass Capitol of Georgia” is one Bainbridge has earned, of
course in no small part due to Lake Seminole.

“If you did the research throughout the year, there’s times where other lakes produce more, but consistently… Lake Seminole always outproduces,” Tyre said.

“What makes Lake Seminole so good, I think,” he continued, “is it’s got all this grass, this hydrilla, and it’s got a lot of different vegetation, and it gives the fish plenty of places to hide.”
While the lake’s grass matts are usually dying back this time of year, this year already
saw a decline in the usual volume of grass, in part thanks to last winter’s weather.
“This year, there’s not near as much grass because we had a flood in December, and it stayed muddy until what, May?” Tyre explained, “And what that does, is you get a lot of current, and less sun penetration.”