click here. Then you have a better idea of what to do.
To go to the Arizona Fish and Game Lakes Report click here.
|
|
|
|
Lake Huites Fishing Report Nov 2, 2002-11-04
It was a volume fishing week at Lake Huites. The dropping temperatures have cooled the service water to around 74 degrees. The fish have started moving into the shallows producing great fishing. The big fish seemed to be lagging behind somewhat as the largest fish caught this week was an eight plus. Average volume per boat per day was 120 Bass.
The morning top water bite was short but produced some good action. Spinner baits and rattle traps seemed to produce the best mid morning action. In the afternoon it was all worms. .12 inch worms using a Texas rig in the shallow water kept the action going through out the afternoon. The best colors were watermelon seed and cranberry. As the sun stared to set over the mountains a short but excellent top water bite returned.
If the weather stays as it is the bigger fish should be moving into the shallows soon. We look forward to a great November and December. If you haven’t yet made your reservation for this year give Terry Hollan a call toll free at 1-888-744-8867 or email Daniel at daniel@mexicanadventures.net
Water temp 75 degrees Air temp 82 degrees water clarity 2 feet Location south farm13 in the grass wind 5 -10 mph
Hello Friends - Splish splash might we be taking a bath? WOW! Thursday morning turned out to be a double edge sword as far as a guided bass fishing trip goes. It all started with the feeling that things just weren't right after the time change. Up earlier than ever and not really on fish. This seemed like it could be a long day. One of my guest had fished in the Stickmarsh before and knew the area well. The other was a rookie. They both wanted to shiner fish and were originally going to fish with Jerry Austin of Awesome Austin's Guide Service. Jerry had an appointment out of town and passed them to me. Meeting at the bait shop at 5:30 am we decided 6 dozen shiners would be enough if we could get on fish. The previous 2 days I had spent in the private reservoir fishing so I really was not on any bass in the Stickmarsh/farm13. Before we even hit the ramp I had Glenn and Sean convinced of a potentially slow day. The winds had blown hard the previous day and I might have to run around to find the bass. After unloading the boat I remembered that I forgot to take my daily BP medicine so this only added to the odd feeling I was having about the day. Off we went headed for the fram13 side of the compound. This area has been the best lately. Avoiding stumps and watching for floaters we made our way towards the South end of farm13 darn near the middle of the reservoir or the center n/s ditch. Yes, I have fished this area before and It can be good. Nearing our destination the OLE lean mean fishing machine let us down. Suddenly and without warning the motor went. Timing chain, gear box or thing a ma bob. It was not going to do us any good for the rest of the day. O. K feller's were back here with no way of getting out anytime soon so we my as well fish. AS I was setting out the shiners a calmness came over me. For some strange reason I just new it was gonna be this way. What I did not know was BAM! fish on...BAM! fish on...everything went down! Time after time. before I could even ponder the situation I was working my tail off. Using floating line and small light green colored bobbers with 4/0 offset worm hooks tied to 50 LB test we just plain jacked their jaws. I lip hooked each bait from the bottom out thru the top just behind the lips using featherlite hooks. Now if you let those shiners loose on too long a leader they just would not get bit so keepem up tight at 14 to 18 inches from the float. Again if they got in the grass or just in the edge of it they would not get hit either. Pull them out just in the open for easy pickings. Too far out from the grass and the bass would not stray to get them. Again bass after bass and some quality fish too! 3lbers then 4lbers then 5lbers. It was an excellent consistent bite that lasted non stop until I had run thru all 6 dozen shiners. Several big fish were lost after short fight's. Everyone was excited and it was a great trip. A trophy mudder was caught but we won't talk about that. Picture after picture made for great memories. Who knows? Maybe 40 plus fish. I was too busy to count. As it was happening I did manage a call to a dear friend MR. PORTER WHIGHAM who offered to come from his home and tow us to shore. Thanks PORTER. Just as we finished the last shiner we could hear him coming in the air boat. Again the keys for today seemed to be short leaders on light rigs near the grass to keep the shiners active and in the strike zone. Large bobbers, heavy tackle and sinking mono line will drag the life out of already weak shiners. The fishing ended at 10:45 am and we were back at the ramp by noon. A great adventure that none of us could have planned. Two thumbs up to my guest Glenn Gottlied and Sean Curran who caught all those bass and made my trip a memorable one. Thank God For Fishing! Have A Great Day! Capt. Randy Camps
BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day!
Water temp 80 degree Air temp 85 degree high sky wind calm to 5mph Date 10/24/02
Hello Friends- Thursday was a Fantastic day for live wild shiners in the Stickmarsh/farm13. Yep, you might catch a trophy bass without them but WHY? Trophy bass hunters without shiners is like a deer hunter not using a gun. Yes, you can still use a bow but WHY? O.K. your the sporting type. I understand. Well, don't complain when your hunt comes up short because you did not bring the best tool for the job. Thursday we brought the big guns and boy did it pay off. We used 5 dozen large wild shiners and by 9:30 am we had landed a dozen bass over 6lbs. One nice trophy bass in excess of 10lbs and one bass over 8lbs. No we did not use any rocket science just large live wild shiners in the right area and BAM! Now if your stickily the artificial type guy then just skip this part... Live Wild shiners work and increase your odds of landing a trophy bass dramatically. When you come to Florida for that trophy bass bring along the big guns for success. Personally I would never ever go Trophy hunting without them If I was serious about catching a big fish in a day. Now I love to artificial fish for bass and I have caught my fair share of lunkers using this presentation. But the fact remains anglers who only have a day to get that trophy bass need to be prepared. Even on the best day shiners can make the difference. Now the big bass are holding very tight to cover in the farm13 area. All of the grass or hydrilla along the n/s ditches and on the far south end of pond are holding trophy bass. Fish the edges with live wild shiners and hold on... Thank God For Fishing! Have A Great Day! Capt. Randy Camps
BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day!
Date Fished: 10/18/02 Water Temperature: 71 Water Clarity: 1 foot Water temp 71 degrees Air temp 70 t0 84 degrees Wind 10 to 18 mph and gusty Water clarity murky Date 10/18/02\
Hello Friends - We arrived Friday in the search for a double digit bass. A mild cool front was upon us and the wind was blowing from the start. The water was turning murky so I knew we had to find the best water possible to have a chance to catch that big fish. We did have a fair amount of shiners on board to help us out and I had a small area that was producing some nice bass. My guest Rick Alekna from Opelika Alabama had been on this type of hunt before. As it turned out Rick was no novice bass fisherman. His skill with a variety of baits along with his great handling ability with a rod and reel made for an easy day of watching Rick reel them in. His largest bass up to this trip was 7lbs and he was eager to top that. I knew our ability to fish the open water would be limited due to the high winds. I moved us to the clearest shallowest water I could find on the South end of farm13. It would be here we could fish in the high winds and still have a chance at a lunker. Right from the start we landed one quality bass after another. The first 5 bass were all between 4 to 6lbs. All the bass were caught on a weed bed corner facing the wind. Rick decided to toss a shiner out the opposite side into the open water just to see if anyone was home. BAM! The green bobber was gone folks. Rick got up moved into a good hook setting position. Closing the bail Rick let her have it as soon as the line drew taught. YES, It's a good one. The drag was paying out and Rick could feel the weight. I began my typical screaming and hollering as Rick reeled her to the boat. It was only Rick's 7th bass of the morning and all in just minutes. WOW! It looks big. I reach over the side and finger lip Rick's bass. As I slide her from the water I can see the smile on Ricks face. It's the biggest bass he's caught. Rick calls for a weight so I break out the scale and she's a healthy 9lbs. Both cameras come out and we record the moment for all time. The next 40 minutes Rick lands another 11 bass all of good quality. We've reached around 17 bass when the conditions change and the bite stops. The wind has really began to blow with some fairly strong gust. I move in shallower for more fish but find nothing. After several hours with only a few more fish I decide to moved across the choppy open lake and head for the North end of the stickmarsh. While crossing in center ditch between farm13 and the stick I can see hundreds of big fish marking just a few feet of the bottom in deep water. Rick is game and we stop to try our hand at these fish. Rick's got one. His rods bent over and he's hook a nice fish on a rattle trap fished deep. A Channel cat. Darn before I can get to her the line breaks. After another few minutes with no luck we move farther north and anchor up at the entrance to the main canal that runs south along the East wall. I set out a battery of shiners while Rick continues to land a few fish on rattle traps and spinnerbaits. Finally our day is over. The high winds and cooler weather seemed to slow the bite but Rick's happy he caught all the fish and beat his personal best. Not bad for a day in the Stickmarsh/Farm13..
BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day! for updated fishing reports goto www.bassbusterfla.com Capt. Randy Camps
Fishing Report Stick Marsh/Farm 13 10/11-12/02
Friday was a day that I wanted to spend fishing the south end of Farm 13. Starting in the SE corner with a buzzbait I managed 2 fish one around 3 pounds and the other near 6, but that was it. So with lots of grass topped out and really clear water I switched over to a zoom trick worm(white). This was the ticket, quiting around noon I had boated 30 fish with one 5 pounder. Most of the fish were in the 12 to 16 inch range. The key to the trick worm was the clean water, the further south you go the cleaner the water gets. So clear that if you are sitting in 3 feet of water you can see the bottom. It seemed that as you moved out into water that the visibility was only 6 inches to a foot you had to go with a t-rigged worm, but you could still catch fish. On Sat. I took my dad out with the intentions of catching a few specks for the skillet and then spending a little time chasing the largemouths, the plan worked out. Arriving at the lake at 3:00 PM we started out on the south end of the east ditch on the Farm. By 5:00 we had 20 specks which dad said was enough for him, so we then we headed on down to the south end of the Farm were I had been on Friday. The catching started on the first cast, quiting after 2 hours we had boated 16 bass up to 5 pounds. Again the trick worm and t-rigged worms were the ticket.
There are still lots of fish to be caught along the old canals in Farm 13 and the fish are still chasing shad, if you see them start busting the shad stay with them, if they go down t-rigged and c-rigged plastics will catch them,rattle traps and top waters while they are up.
If you would like to book a guide trip or just get a little info. about the lakes you can call me at 772-344-7148 or e-mail at shd126@aol.com . Be safe and see ya out there. Stan Daniel The Fish Catcher's Guide Service www.catchbigbass.com
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 10/10/02 Water Temperature: 84 Water Clarity: 1 foot
I sat down to write a report and crash, bang, boom, my hard drive bit the big one. Fortunately I was able to back up just about everything before I just couldn't get to it anymore.
Tuesday AM Bob Brewster came back for a 1/2 day so off we went to the Farm. Working our way south in the 1st N/S ditch we managed a few and then we moved over to the center N/S ditch. We entered about half way between the north end and the intersection. I don't think we were there more than 3 minutes before we spotted the first shad bust.
With rattle traps we went to work and by quitting time at noon we boated 50+ bass to 3.5 pounds. It was a great memory for Bob to take back to Kansas and the making of a very successful day for us.
The shad busts seem to be coming with more and more regularity and although they are not coming throughout the day the timing has been consistent. Each day the busts that we have seen have been happening between 10:00 - 11:00. When they do, grap you trap and have a ball. If they stop hitting the trap, toss the anchor and go to a Carolina rig or a Texas rig, or a Florida rig and pick away at them. We have also had some success with a wacky rig. In every case our best plastic has been the Senko.
Top water baits will work extremely well when the busts are active and chug bugs, buzz baits, and walkers will all do well. I understand that the buzz bait has been doing quite well so it is a good idea to have one at the ready.
See you on the water. Say hi if you get the chance.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
George & Scott
Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Days: (772)370-1606/1607
Evenings: (772)370-1606/1607
Toll Free: (877)890-6809
Water temp 80 degrees Air temp 84 degrees Clarity 1 to 2 feet Location South Farm 13 High Blue Bird SKY Wind 5-9 mph Date 10/07/02
Hello Friends - Monday morning was filled with good times fishing with a couple of new friends. The object was to share some info with a couple of local fisherman that needed to be brushed up on bass fishing the stickmarsh compound. We started with navigating the area and finished with bait talk and line selection. Everything went well and we all had a great time using the info to catch fish. Yep, we practiced what I was preaching and it worked well. The first thing was navigating the compound. I showed them several safe ways to get to key locations were they then could troll into and cover most of the marsh. These pathways are generally clear and free from stumps but floaters and current changes will always cause you to look carefully anytime your out in the marsh. Be careful out there. With high sky and a slight NE wind I decided to show them a basic soft plastic technique that I use to put fish in the boat on a daily basis. This is as simple as it gets but is highly effective. First due to the overall color of the water in the late summer and early fall monofilament line is not a necessity. We started with power pro 30lb line on a medium heavy worm rod. Second a harden steel strong hook is for those of you that wish to stay stuck to those stumps. I prefer a 2.5 featherlite offset hook that can be pulled loose from just about any stick in the marsh. Lastly we offered a watermelon color senko worm with red and purple flake. We fished it weightless in less than 5ft of water on the farm 13 side. The fish slapped our baits from the get go. Right from the very first cast we were on fish. I talked the whole time as they caught bass after bass using this method. Open water, sticks and stumps and grass lines all produced bass. They key was the presentation and location close to structure. Surprisingly we landed well over 30 bass by 11am. I could tell the bite was off from previous trips due to the sky and moon conditions. It was still fun as all the bites were evenly spread thru out the morning. A few fish were missed but in general the hook-up ratio was good. They caught most of the bass and I did most of the talking. Several nice bass called for the camera but no trophies were caught. Back at the ramp area we talked to several folks who also reported that things have slowed down from the big numbers they were catching just a few days ago. The marsh is in fine shape and not crowded yet. If you have the time spend the dime to come down and fish. Take the time to say hello and we will see you out on the water. For more info and updated fishing reports go to www.bassbusterfla.com .
BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day! Capt. Randy Camps
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 10/2/02
Water Temperature: 88 Water Clarity: 1 foot
Today was a full day's work to locate the bass we know have to be holding on the Farm. We could find all the smaller fish that we wanted, but where oh where were the bigger fish.
Starting out on the Marsh side at Twin Palms we saw fish indicated on the finder but no bites to be had. We worked our way southward but our best catch was a whopping 1.5 pound bass. We decided to head to the Farm to see if we could improve on that.
First we went and checked the spillway and found that to be closed. Next we went to the first ditch out of the spillway and worked our way northward but that didn't pan out. Next we tried a drift across the Farm until we hit the center N/S ditch. Lots of casts, but nothing to write home about.
Moving over towards the southwest area we started a drift westward and we continued on this until we hit the west wall. Our reward for this lengthy drift was a few more small bass. Fortunately the wind was blowing pretty good out of the east and kept the pace up. Oh, I almost forgot, Scott did manage a 3-pounder out of the very southwest corner.
At this point we moved clear over to the east side of the Farm in the northern half. We started a drift westward through some hydrilla that is up there looking for those big fish. We continued this drift until we came to the center N/S ditch and started working our way south working both sides of the ditch. By this time it was already 11:00 and we were thinking that the intersection might be the answer. However, as we fished we watched intently for any type of surface feed and suddenly Scott yelled, "paydirt", shad busts just outside the ditch on the west side.
As Scott reeled in what was our first from this school I set the anchor. Using chug bugs, and rattletraps, and even a couple Senkos we hauled in bass that ranged from 2-pounds to over 10-pounds. Most fish went 4-pounds to 5-pounds, and there were plenty even a little bigger. By the time we quit at 2:45 we had boated throughout the day a total of 143 bass with almost all coming from this one anchored position. This particular position was not one that I can ever remember having a bite of this kind on.
As the season rolled in it began with a bang. I have not seen a bite like this in a long time, but it has been much anticipated as the conditions have been right for some time now. Keep your eyes and ears open as you fish along as I think this bite is going to get stronger and stronger as we progress into October. Last year topwater didn't die out until mid-December. If you have been hanging back waiting for this event, now is the time to make your move. We still have some openings in October and would love to show you what the Stick Marsh/Farm 13 can be like.
I will be on the water most days now so if you happen by, stop and say hi.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
George & Scott
Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Days: (772)370-1606/1607
Evenings: (772)370-1606/1607
Toll Free: (877)890-6809
Wednesday September 25th 2002 Tricia and I headed to the marsh a little late Wednesday, by 10:00am winds were howling and with two new reels to be broken in we headed to one of those "secret spots" in the farm that everyone knows about. The water was flowing and after acessing the current and anchoring accordingly Trish and I proceeded to fish for 5 hours landing 59 fish from .5 -4 lbs. Tricia caught 24 on her 1/2 oz. S.O.B Rattlin' Shad while I caught 35 carolina-rigging a 6" Gambler Icesickle worm in "sour grape". September 27th Off to the marsh by myself Friday, two ditch intersections, a point, 24 fish, 19 on the c-rig and 5 on a S.O.B Rattlin' Shad 151 fish were caught on 4 trips to the marsh this week, fish were split between the c-rig and lipless crankbaits. Gotta go, they're bitin' !!! "stick martian" Randy Sanders www.BASSTRIPS.com With hard-core experience to put you on the fish, show you the feeding habits,and migration routes of BIG BASS, you'd better not miss the boat!
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 9/30/02 Water Temperature: 80+ Water Clarity: 6 inches
The heat is on but after almost two weeks of not fishing we had to get out and see what was going on. The road was not bad and for a weekend the lake was not packed.
Saturday we launched at about 7:30 and left by 12:30. In that time we fished the following: NW area of the Stick Marsh using weightless Senkos, Chug Bugs, rattletraps. We caught several fish with all coming on the east side of the palm trees. Once we headed westward that was the end of the catching. We then worked our way south past the stump field that is on the west shore and tried several areas about 200 - 300 feet offshore and although we did see some bait fish we didn't catch any bass.
Heading southward to the Farm we started working our way south from the north end of the center ditch. We did manage a few but no earth shakers here. Next we headed over to the pump house and although the pump was running there was very little water movement. We anchored for a short while and gave it a try but to very little avail.
Heading west to the shack on the west wall was our next thought and we did find fish but small for this lake would be an understatement. By noon we had boated 22 fish with the largest fish in the three pound range. Heading south we decided to drift some of the timber in the SW corner and before quitting we boated another 4 fish.
Sunday we were later yet due to a quick foray at Ansin/Garcia. We headed directly back to the Farm's west side, south of the E/W ditch and ran a drift but for the most part we had a repeat of small fish. We moved over to the Center N/S ditch and proceeded north towards the intersection. We reached the intersection around 11:00 AM and it was there that we called it quits. During the day we used top water, Carolina rigs, weightless Senkos, rattletraps, and where's the big fish dances. For our endeavors we did manage to boat 36 bass, but again today the biggest was a little over three pounds.
I'm going to kill them tomorrow> See you out there. Say hi if you get the chance.
PS: We are expecting a cooling of temperatures this week, but in the meantime have plenty of fluids and sun protection out there.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
George & Scott
Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Days: (772)370-1606/1607
Evenings: (772)370-1606/1607 Toll Free: (877)890-6809
AFTERNOON DELIGHTS!
Water temp 81 degrees Air Temp 85degrees Wind 5 to 9mph ESE Partly Cloudy
Hello Friends - Friday afternoon at the Private Reservoir was full of fun. The bass were striking all our offerings and we landed over 30 bass in just 2 hours of afternoon fishing. The largest bass was just under 3lbs with most right at 1 1/2 lbs. The under foot bite was on and just below average size to small bass were feeding in our area. The rattle trap along with plastic soft baits dominated the action. Everything was caught the last 2 hours before sunset. Bacon rind in watermelonseed color produced the most fish. Bacon Rind is put out by Gambler baits.
Saturday Hello Friends - After yesterdays results we decided to fish the last two evening hours again out in the Private Reservoir. I brought along another bag of those Bacon rind baits in the watermelonseed color. WOW! The better fish were stacked up right were we started to fish. That bacon rind was hot hot hot... It consistently produced 2 to 5 LB Bass cast after cast. My partner was throwing everything in the tackle box and couldn't produce the size or numbers that my bait did. 14 bass over 3lbs with 3 bas topping the 5lb mark. Good quality for any lake. This reservoir can produce great catches of bass on any given day. With full access quality like this can become a daily occurrence. The main factor lately has been access due to low water. If the better quality bass have moved into an area that is fishable then you get great results catching 3 to 6lb fish. Generally we can always find quality bass when the water level is high enough to access the entire reservoir. Smaller fish in the 1 to 3lb range are always in the mood for a fight. They can be caught in numbers just about anywhere in the reservoir on a daily basis. This makes the Private Reservoir one of the best places to fish artificial baits period. Plenty of action on a consistent basis with quality fish mixed in. The best bass this season was just over 12lbs and was landed in the irrigation canal feeding the reservoir. The bass have access year round in and out of this canal from the main reservoir. Live shiners up the ante with 4 to 8lb fish smacking those babies dead. If you up to a full day of reeling them in then goto www.bassbusterfla.com for more details... BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day! Capt. Randy Camps
Monday Sep. 23rd
The pressure was on as I was scheduled to take my mother-in-law Vicki McGee for her first Stick Marsh/ Farm 13 trip. Vicki has some fishing experience mostly with live bait but it has been a little while.
Even in gusty winds Vicki quickly caught on and was casting like a pro. Several storms came through and cut our trip short but Vicki was persistent and did not let the weather deter her. We only caught 13 fish but the quality was good, good job Vicki, no charge.
90 % of our bass were caught on 1/2 oz. S.O.B Rattlin' shads by Bill Dee as gusty winds made fishing soft-plastics very difficult.
Most fish were caught on ditch 13 in the Farm with one caught by the ramp in the Stick Marsh.
Many lures and retrieves will work but if I only had two choices to fish with now, it would definately be the 1/2 oz. Rattlin' Shad by S.O.B. in any color with an orange belly, or a 1/2 oz. carolina-rigged 8" Gambler ribbontail in red shad or junebug.
Go fishing and relax, want pressure ? Take your ma-in-law !!!
Get out there, have fun, hook a loved one !!!
"stick martian"
Randy Sanders
Water Clarity: 6 inches
Sunday Sep. 22
Bob Wilisch, a Merrill Lynch man from Tallahassee, Fl fished the Stick Marsh /Farm 13 for the first time with me Sunday. Bob brought his boat down for a week but wanted to see where he could run safely and fish for the week
I showed Bob the way through the Stick Marsh and some areas to fish there but we mostly fished the farm ditches due to wind in excess of 20 mph, we caught fish evenly on carolina- rigs and rattletraps. Bob had never fished a c-rig but quickly adapted, Bob and I caught 31 fish by 1pm . Bob agreed without Power Pro braided line many of the c-rig fish would never have been felt in the wind.
Bob and I c-rigged with a 1/2 oz. of weight, 24-30" leaders to 3/0 Gamakatsu superline hooks and 8" red shad Gambler ribbontails.Pinnacle Limited Edition Rods & Reels did the rest.
My wife took my friend Bart out Sunday and caught 13 fish in the SW corner of Farm 13 on topwater before the whitecaps forced their Gheenoe back to the ramp.
Monday I saw Bob out again, he was managing to catch a few in each of his new-found honey holes, nice work Bob !!!
"stick martian"
Randy Sanders
With hard-core experience to put you on the fish, show you the feeding habits,and migration routes of BIG BASS, you'd better not miss the boat!
Water temps 80 degrees Air temps 88 degrees Clarity 2 to 3 feet winds east 5 to 10 09/21/02 Hello Friends, Saturday - The big draw down is on in the private reservoir. With the water flowing into the irrigation canal and out of the reservoir the bass are on the move. Spinnerbaits and rattle traps along with Carolina rigged worms dominated some very fast action. The cuts in the inner dike from the reservoir are holding bait and bass. Slam.. Bam ...Thankyou Mam! all morning long with 1 and 2lb bass. Moving from cut to cut and fishing the moving water we landed ton's of yearling bass up to 2lbs. Hundreds made there way to the boat with very few quality bass. 4 lbs was as high as we could go in the lunker hunt. The big bass are feeding just not where we were fishing. With very low water conditions to begin with our access was limited as far as fishable area in the reservoir. Still 2 hundred and 11 bass is over 300lbs of fish. Tomorrow we will try the irrigation canal. Tonight we will rest our arms. BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day!
Water temps 79 degrees Air temps 84 degrees Clarity 2 to 3 feet winds east 5 to 10 09/22/02
Hello Friends, Sundays report is from our second boat. WOW! 250 bass and 50 plus specks with 25 nice pan fry keepers. Yes, the water was still moving and the irrigation canal was the happening spot. Right from the first to the last cast the action was non stop. Everyone was catching bass all at the same time. Multiple hook ups was the name of the game all day long. Fishing running pump stations our second boat was on the fish and never got off them all day long. 3 of our guest managed the best bass catching day of their lives. When the bass action got to be too much they tried their hands at specks. In just minutes they were filling the cooler with delicious pan fish. It's my day off to catch up on the house work. Man I wish I could have gotten in on that action. The baits of the day in order Weighed worms, Rattle traps, spinnerbaits, buzz baits, curly tail grubs, and jigs. Many other presentations worked including top waters but most of the fish bit soft plastic baits in the moving water. Numerous 4 lb fish were caught with the general overall size up from yesterday. 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pound fish were common. Still nothing to brag about when it came to lunker bass but a great day of catching. They were still moving lot's of water. Tropical storms have the growers worried so they just might drop this reservoir to the minimum level making bass fishing the reservoir near impossible.BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day!
Water temps 80 degrees Air temps 88degrees Clarity 1 to 2 feet Winds east 5 to 10 09/23/02
Hello Friends, Mondays adventure turned out to be short and sweet. I was back in action with my guest a local guide and new friend John Peace from Trophy South bass Fishing. I had invited John out to fish in the reservoir when the water levels were just low. Today it was all the way down to the minimum level for fishing and just high enough so we could use the boat ramp. I choose to fish the reservoir side rather than the irrigation canal. This turned out to be a poor choice. The bass bit hard right from the first cast but nothing but dinks remained in the area's we had access to. The largest fish may have been two pounds. After 30 to 35 fish we put it on the trailer and decided to try again when there was more water. John has a flats boat and we had planned to pole across the reservoir to a deeper section and bust some nice bass. All the cuts into the reservoir were just to shallow. A known deeper entrance was blocked with water hyachins about 200 yds thick. John was not impressed but he really has no idea what he's missing. I'll get him back in here when the waters right and make a believer out of him. It was fun and he was interested in coming back. The ramp into the irrigation canal was just alittle to steep for his rig so I'll return tomorrow and fish it with mine.BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day!
Water Temps 80 degrees Air temps 79 degrees Clarity 2 to 3 feet Winds east calm to 10mph
Hello Friends, Tuesday turned out to be a near perfect fishing day in the Private Reservoir. Everyone should get the chance to fish like this. No, we did not catch any record fish. Not even a lunker. Nor did we use live bait. What we did do was just plain clean there clocks for hours on end. Yes, friends the bite was on and the quality up. Some larger bass had moved into the irrigation ditch and a few pumps were running. 4 lb bass were not that uncommon. A 7lb mini lunker slammed a fluke at midday and several 6lb bass were caught on worms. Numerous 5 lb bass fell for everything from rattle traps to inline spinnerbaits. It was a day for the tackle box. Catch them on one bait for a while then switch. We covered several miles of shoreline and never got off the bite. We fished from top to bottom and everything worked. I was worn out by 11 am but my guest was having a trip to remember. I watched as she landed bass after bass. Every cast could have been that lunker fish she was after. A lot of big fish were just moving in. If they don't change anything tomorrow will be a better big fish day. We finished with 82 bass on my counter and 147 on hers. Yep, out fished by a women again! Heck it was fun watching her have the time of her life. The lull never came and a thunder storm finally drove us from the honey hole. Can we impress you with stories of giant bass brought to the boat. NO. But it didn't seem to matter. Man did we catch a lot of fish....BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day! Goto www.bassbusterfla.com for daily reports and more info.. Capt. Randy Camps
Saturday September 19th 7am.
Janine & Jim Shively of Ocala, Fl celebrated Janines 1-day belated birthday by hitting Stick Marsh/ Farm 13 with me today, Janine chose bass fishing over a trip to Aruba for her present and was grinning ear to ear like the cat that ate the canary all day. Both Jim and Janine were very persistent, thorough, and alert in their approach so I had no excuses.
We started about 7:15am on a ditch intersection in Farm 13 with winds about 8 mph, I had them both start with 1/2 oz. rattletraps in "limon" color while I searched the bottom with a heavy texas-rig and a carolina-rig. There was very little visible activity due to a small chop and the fish weren't quite jumping in the boat but the birthday girl was catching 2 or 3 every 30-45 minutes as Jim and I pretended to "let her" take the lead . We fished a 40 yard circle until the wind made my circle look like !#@*?!!!
11:00am.
14 fish was the count, about 8 fish to Janine, 4 to Jim, and 2 for me. Our next stop was to a good windy day spot, a point between the Farm and the Stick Marsh. It was to be our last stop of the day, by 2:00pm we had hooked over 50 bass, at least 36 made it to the boat. All of their fish were caught on rattletraps, every fish thought it was 10 lbs., none were but they were all 1-4 lb. scrappers. About 8 or 9 of those fish ate c-rigged 8" Gambler red shad ribbontails but the traps were definately the chosen tool for the day, for the week for that matter.
4 days at the marsh this week and there is no doubt in my mind that a 1/2 oz. lipless crankbait is the way to go right now.
The fish that I have seen this week have been primarily feeding on threadfin shad from 2-3" in length, not shiners, needlefish, etc.
During full moon phases the abundance of bait can make fishing confusing, too much bait.
To catch fish we usually attempt to "match the hatch" or use very similar sizes and colors to the preferred bait at the time. However, during these full moon phases in these "areas of bait abundance" I prefer to match the size of the bait but not the color, in other words I prefer wildly colored baits over chrome or other reflective baits that too closely resemble the thousands of shad in the area.
If your not in an area of bait abundance match the size and color of the preferred bait.
Retrieves will differ but steady retrieves with occasional pauses to fall below the shad is usually a good start.
GET OUT THERE, HAVE FUN, HOOK A LOVED ONE !!!
"stick martian"
Randy Sanders
September 15th In the last 12 days I have fished the marsh 7 times with nearly identical results on every trip, to sum things up for us, larger fish have been in the wood of the Stick Marsh with numbers of fish being caught in the ditches of Farm 13 I have been starting about 7 am.in the C-54 extension canal about 100 yards north of the boat ramp. The canal is about 12 deep now and casting buzzbaits and soft-jerkbaits to the south side of the canal is usually good for 6-12 fish by 8:30 am or so, the fish are usually 1-4 lbs. I like to start with a 6 inch soft plastic stick bait that I designed myself, my wife hand pours the baits and does an incredible job of developing my color requests, my exact baits are not necessary to catch fish however, they just help my confidence. First thing in the morning I like a color we call "milky june", it's a "junebug" and white mix with no glitter, why reflect darkness ? As the sun rises I will move to a "gold melons" color, it's translucent green with lots of gold flakes. A Gambler flappin' shad also does the trick. Approx. 8 30 - 9am I run into the Stick Marsh and back to the NW corner by the palm forest, don't run there because you saw me run there, idle recommended. There are several small depth changes here with specific stump rows on them in 6 feet of water. Some days are better than others but we usually claim 3-8 fish here by 10:30 am on Bomber model "A" crankbaits in "firetiger" color. If the crankbait bite does not exsist we will pitch 10 inch Gambler ribbontails in "junebug" or "emerald blue" texas rigged to 1/4 oz. rattlin' weight and a 4/0 Gamakatsu superline hook, as you know Power Pro microfilament is always on all my reels. Approx. 11:00 am Now that the sun is up and hot, many fish will congregate and suspend above the shellbeds located on drops in Farm 13 so it's off to satisfy the carolina-rig craving. I and others prefer the middle E/W ditch in the farm. Our chosen rig has been the 1/2 oz. c-rig with about 30" of leader. With the hot and sometimes still conditions I prefer a 8" Gambler icesickle worm or the same hand poured baits I described earlier which we call "Martian Baits". Any dark forms of blue, red, black, or purple seem to work. By 1:00 pm I'm at the ramp with 10-25 fish, nothing was different yesterday as Trish and I caught 17 fish, no big fish. We were on a decent crankbait bite for big fish last week, several 7's, one 8 lb. fish and some 4-5 lb. fish as well. This week we have not had the big fish bite In my OPINION the best place to catch fish is probably still the ditches of Farm 13, for us however they have been small fish which has been my reason for spending most of my time lately on the Stick Marsh side searching for hawgs. In my OPINION you should fish both sides of the reservoir, in summer the farm is especially awesome for c-rigging the ditches, 4-12 feet drops loaded with mussels, shell, etc. The sticks is great for crankbaits and texas- rigging, 5-6 feet deep with oodles of palm stumps, pepper and wild fruit trees mostly submerged 3 feet below the surface. Bring your lure retriever as snags are to be expected. Many lure styles will work on either body of water, these are just my first picks. I'm out there 4-7 days a week regardless of a paying trip to give you true Stick Marsh experience since 1992. "stick martian" Randy Sanders www.BASSTRIPS.com
Water Temp 83 degrees Air temp 85 to 90 degrees Water Clarity 2 to 3 feet to dirty Sky high to partly cloudy Hello Friends - Fishing in the stickmarsh lately has been a pure pleasure. Find the clearer water and hydrilla and your in the money or should I say fish. The NW corner is holding a few small bass. Baby Bams and Booms..Yes, you can catch a big fish there but your odds are not as good as elsewhere. I would not recommend this area at this time. The Deep center ditch between farm13 and the stickmarsh is holding a ton of fish deep. Try a weighted shiner or a spoon jigged vertical. These fish are the hardest to catch. You will have to have a lot of patience. To get them really coming to the boat in a hurry fish 5 ft. of water or less using a weightless senko worm. Be sure your in or around hydrilla. Farm 13 has the best hydrilla for this approach. This morning we just kicked bass and took names. 35 plus bass in just 3hrs. Many of these fish were between 3 to 5 lbs. Some dinks were caught and no lunkers hit. The action was fast and fun. We used the weightless sticko worm watermelon red color with purple flakes fished on 30lb power pro line tied to a 4/0 featherlite hook. The boat position was parallel to the cover and the presentation was very slow. All the cast were long and at angles from the boat. The front and rear anglers caught about the same amount of bass. One used a medium heavy 6ft 3inch spinning rod and the other a medium heavy bait caster 6ft 6inches long. No tricks just a simple technique used in the right area. The line was tired direct to the hook. The first thing we tried was a baby torpedo black with white stripes. This bait was tied direct to monofilament line. Triple fish camo 12 lb test. This produced two yearling bass. Next we thru rattle traps and spinnerbaits for a few minutes. Again we used monofilament line tied direct. This time we used 14lb test. Lastly we dropped the pop-r on them. Again the 12 lb mono . Nothing. The weightless approach has been working wonders all summer long so we switched over to it and BAM! Bass after bass fell for this presentation. In just under 3 hours we landed 35 plus bass. To keep track of how many fish we catch a clicker or counter is used. Sometimes we forget to click or count a fish but it gives us a good number to put into the OLE fishing log. The catch was full of Bass that slapped our baits like no tomorrow. My guest actually had three fish leap out of the water several feet. WOW! What a sight! The weather was clear with no wind when we started. Then it slowly changed to partly cloudy with 5 to 10 mph winds. Perfect for bass fishing and staying cool. Rain clouds stayed on the horizon and the pressure was slightly falling. Combine all these factors along with a good presentation and location and you have a great trip made for bass catching...
BASS BUSTER GUIDE SERVICE Thank God for Fishing! Have A Great Day! Capt. Randy Camps
Bass Fishing at Lake Fork for this week has been good once again. We have caught mostly small Bass and some real nice slot fish up to 23 inches but nothing over the slot so far this week. Our largest Bass this week was 8 lbs and was caught on a Baby Brush Hog in 18 feet of water. We are still catching 15-20 Bass early on most days and 15-20 Bass again in the afternoon and we are starting to get a short mid day bite in 20 feet of water. I did have one day this week that we did catch a total of 51 Bass and all the larger Bass were caught in the evening. This was one of those weeks that we managed to catch Bass on a lot of different baits. We started out on top water early using small Pop R's and small Buzz Baits and then after the sun was up, we changed to Texas Rigged worms and Carolina Rigs. Drop shots also worked well this week. In some cases, we are getting more bites by down sizing our line and baits because the bite has been real light and fishing very slow has really paid off. The best depth for us this week was in 4-12 feet of water but the deep water bite is also starting to get good again. As the water continues to cool down, mainly because the nights are are in the 70's, the bigger Bass should start to make their move. The fishing at Fork is already good and it's only going to get better for the rest of the Fall season.
This week the water temp is around 85 degrees and the lake is real clear. The grass that we keep talking about is the main reason for this and it's also what is making the fishing so good again. Fork looks to be about 2 1/2 feet low and the over all conditions couldn't be any better. There are lots of Bass being caught all around the lake right now and if you find a group of Bass, fish slow and stay in the area and give the fish a chance to feed.
The Crappie fishing this week was good but you had to know where to look. There were still some Crappie being caught from under the bridges, but the timber in about 20 feet of water was the place to be. Jigs worked better for us this week than minnows. The Catfish fishing also started to pick back up and we had some really nice limits of Cat's this week. In the timber on the edges of the creeks at 25 feet was the place to catch a lot of Catfish. The Crappie fishing is about to get real good for the next few months and we are just now starting to catch some good size fish.
Don't forget that the Mc Donald's Big Bass Tournament starts this next Friday and if you are not fishing it and don't want to be around a ton of boats, go somewhere else to fish. If you are fishing the tournament that's great! It is for a Great cause and you have the chance to win a lot of good prizes. It will take a few days after the tournament for the lake to settle back down and then you should see a bunch of Big Bass caught throughout the Fall. October and November is going to be real good this year for Bass and Crappie at Fork and now is a great time to book a fishing trip for the Fall. Until next week, Good Luck and Great Fishing.
J.W. Peterson www.lakeforkproguides.com 903 383-3282
September the 6th
Tricia "marsh mama" Sanders strikes again with an 8 lb. Stick Marsh bass Friday on a Bomber BO6A, G-fleck bengal fire tiger is the color name. Her fish was caught on a big submerged pile of crap.
Randy "stick martian" Sanders attempted to hang with her landing a 7 lb. bass on a Bomber BO5F in lemon lime color. My fish was taken from a beautiful log near the middle of the Stick Marsh.
Randy
Wednesday , September 4th
In the last two weeks the fish quality for me and many other anglers has slightly diminished in Farm 13, the big fish are there but it seems the small fish are beating them to the bait, not all the time of course. The competition among bass in the ditches of Farm 13 is unbelievable when they decide to eat. Don't get me wrong, I will never complain about a fish that will bite and fight even if small but we were due for some big fish, I felt it was time to search for individuals, territorial ones.
I had spoken with Darren of St.Louis, Missouri and discussed his priorities the night before on the phone, " big fish " he said. I felt his best opportunity of getting a BIG FISH RIGHT NOW IN THE STICK MARSH ON "COVER" RATHER THAN "STRUCTURE". In other words on brush, stumps and grass, which have less potential to hold numbers of fish like the shellpiles and drops-offs of Farm 13, LESS potential, not unheardof by any stretch.
After a half days fishing only 7 fish came aboard with no hawgs, but no dinks either all on carolina-rigs. Darren tried one of my rods and was immediately amazed with Power Pro braided line, he said "this is my rod now", he's big, I said "ok". I dropped Darren off so he could rest up for Sea World with the family the following day. I shot back out through the Stick Marsh (NOT RECOMMENDED) to an area roughly a 1/2 mile south of Twin Palms, (you'll see me). I began fishing a roughly 100 yard area that has been good to me in the past for big fish, it has pepper trees , citrus trees, and sum-uda trees in water that is now about 7 feet deep.
Most of the "cover" in this area is about 3-4 feet down though some is visible above the surface. A great tool in this scenario is the Bomber BO5F , several colors are good but I chose chatreuse/ lime green back for the less than 1 foot visibility. I casted for about 15 minutes before I hooked a big fish that had me under "some type of wood" if I had to bet, we tugged back and forth about 10 seconds before my hooks straightened out and she was free.
I was pretty excited, I didn't see the fish but I felt very strongly it was over 6 lbs or so though I admit these fish have fooled me before. I straightened my hooks and continued crashing my crankbait into submerged branches and occasionally through hydrilla at a medium pace. In the next two hours I had 2 more good strikes, a couple "suspicious feelings" and a solid hook-up resulting in the above pictured fish who went just under 7 lbs. on the Bogagrip scale.
There may not be as many bites right now in the Stick Marsh as the Farm but from what I have seen they are quality bites well worth the casts.
Most brush is not visible though roughly 80% of the Stick Marsh side is littered with wood, every 3-5 feet, another log, another bass possibility.
Blind cast a crankbait that runs at least 5 feet to locate wood and then repeat casts to that area from different angles, then throw in the texas- rigs, etc.
Not everywhere holds fish though they may seem the same, watch your electronics for bait and bass. Pay close attention to the depth they are holding and target that depth.
I like to let the crankbait bounce of the wood and create its own strikes though many retrieves can work at different times, stay open minded and creative.
Hang-ups are part of the business and lures will be lost to fish and wood that you can pretend were fish, a good lure retriever will pay for itself quickly.
Be patient and persistent, you will probably get an opportunity to land a fat one, come with me, I'll get the net and take your picture !!!
MANY ADVERTISE BUT HONESTLY FISHING / GUIDING 4-7 DAYS A WEEK YEAR-ROUND ONLY AT THE STICK MARSH / FARM 13 IS SOMETHING ONLY A COUPLE CAN CLAIM.
"stick martian"
Randy Sanders
(321) 544-4534
With hard-core experience to put you on the fish, show you the feeding habits,and migration routes of BIG BASS, you'd better not miss the boat!
Friday the 30th
22 fish did make it to the boat in 6 hours of fishing though things were not easy, the carolina-rig bite had all but dissolved and only 3 fish fell victim to the c-rig. Tricia insisted that if we weren't going to catch lots of fish then we should at least try to catch a big fish so I agreed, like I had a choice. At this time of year we always consider the buzzbait for big fish suspending under the grass, even 3 lb. fish hit them hard and pull enough to keep you guessing for a minute or two. We were already on a Farm 13 ditch that I knew had thick grass and bait on the south end so off we went.
Upon arrival I noticed very little shad activity but we threw buzzbaits for about 15 minutes anyways trolling on high speed , when we were just about to run somewhere else we noticed a needlefish skip across the surface once, twice, then dissapeared in what looked like a cinder block dropped from a helicopter, a big fish, as expected we stayed but could not hook up on the buzzbaits. We continued to see needlefish sometimes running for there lives, sometimes chasing our buzzbaits but no bass. We knew the fish were there, bait, grass, shade under the grass, hard bottom under the shade, and water from 5-11 feet deep. I couldn't stand it, I felt the surface was the place to fish, partially because of the activity we saw and because of the lack of success in the earlier part of the day. I then tried a bait that I am still finding applications for, a Gambler Flappin' Shad, this time rigged weightless, weedless, on a 4/0 Gamakatsu EWG superline hook and with glass rattle inserted, also by Gambler .
When fishing a gambler Flappin' Shad I will usually use a shad-base color however the fish were clearly eating the needlefish so I went with the "rainbow trout" pattern mostly for my confidence. If you ever have the pleasure of hooking a needlefish, NOT, you will notice a lizard-green color to most of there body and a slight pink tint on the belly, a near perfect match to Gamblers "rainbow trout" pattern. I fished the bait for a while with nothing, then at the end of a cast when I speeded the retrieve steadily for the last 10 feet I was visiously assaulted, no hook-up but I could tell it was a substantial fish. I began casting and steadily retrieving quickly, no twitching or stopping the bait but just retrieving and letting the baits tail slap the water's surface. It was the ticket for 19 fish in a little over 2 hours but we never did get the big fish, I was a little dissapointed but I didn't realize this would be the most excitement for at least a few days. All fish were caught casting to the east side of the ditch, I positioned my boat on the west levy.
* When fish strike in this scenario, do not set the hook when you see the strike, reel til' you feel, then cross her eyes !!!
Saturday the 31st
Craig Alexander of Virginia was to be my victim for the day, I had plans of carolina- rigging a couple locations on the way to my new found needlefish eating Farm 13 bass. The fish were once again not on the c-rig pattern so I thought maybe all would be in order to go through a bag or two of Flappin' shads but boy was I wrong. Even with Craig's persistence and patience only 5 fish made it to the boat by 12:30, it was truly a tough day and without Craigs excellent company it would have been a really tough day. With things heating up quickly we agreed to try again Sunday. It was not the best day I've seen but if I said I never experience slow days I would be lying.
Sunday the 1st
Craig had never caught a fish on a buzzbait and I really wanted to see a Stick Marsh monster scare the split shot out of him for lack of better explanation. One fish at the north end of the sticks took a swing but no hook-up. After hitting several areas in the farm with no success we came across some small fish at the east side, action had been very slow for 2 days now and Craig was ok with catching the smaller fish knowing the possibility for a hawg is always there. It didn't happen but we did manage to scrape up 20 small fish and have fun, that would be pretty good on alot of other lakes but I really wanted Craig to catch 100 fish from 5- 15 lbs., that's a near unrealistic expectation but I am always incredibly optimistic because I have seen what the marsh can do, it's powerful stuff. I cannot say enough about Craigs character, not to mention he told me on the phone he's a novice fishermen, he's an excellent fisherman and will be back with the rest of the gang. See you this winter Craig, Rob, and George Alexander.
Monday the 2nd (Labor Day )
My wife Tricia and my best friend Bart said they could crack the big fish code for me so once again I was at the marsh on the hunt. Shad activity was up and so was the bass activity slightly but the fish were still small, 27 fish between all three of us in 7 hours biggest being just 3 lbs. Most fish were caught on c-rigs on farm ditches.
HONESTLY GUIDING / FISHING 4 - 7 DAYS A WEEK YEAR ROUND ONLY AT THE STICK MARSH IS SOMETHING ONLY A COUPLE CAN CLAIM.
I'm there regardless, guide trip or not because I love being there, I believe you worked hard for your money and deserve the best opportunity possible to catch fish and have fun.
GUARANTEED SATISFACTION !!! Try it, you'll like it, if you don't, keep your $ !!!
"stick martian"
Randy Sanders
www.BASSTRIPS.com(321) 544-4534
Fish on Bass & Saltwater Fishing Excursions
With hard-core experience to put you on the fish, show you the feeding habits,and migration routes of BIG BASS, you'd better not miss the boat!
Fishing Report Stick Marsh/Farm 13 08/25/02
The last two days of fishing have been really good. My parents were visiting over the weekend and Dad wanted to go fishing, but not the Marsh. It was off to Okeechobee for about five hours of fun. First 10 fish on chug bug, next 21 on flukes and t-rigged worms. Biggest fish was around 3 lbs.. We fished the north end of the lake in the Little Grassy Island area.
I am sure many of you do not know, but my friend Hugh Crumpler was involved in a boating accident a couple of months ago and has been recovering from leg injuries ever since. Well today he felt like he was ready to try the Stick Marsh bass, so with braces on both of his knees we headed out at about 7:00 AM in his boat. Starting point was the shack on the west side of Farm 13. Recently there have been some quality fish out from the shack willing to take c-rigged plastics. Today there were fish in the area but very small. After about an hour we decided that we should move on and look for some better quality, which we found. Hugh began throwing a baby bass boat(buzzbait, made by Hugh), over the levees at the edge of the ditches and I began with a chug bug. After a short period of time Hugh had already had several fish come up and hit at the buzzbait and had caught 1 good 4 pounder, and I had had only 1 fish blow up on the chug bug and he missed it. I figured at this point I needed to switch to the Buzzbait. I began going through my tackle and discovered that I had left out my buzzbaits, so I had to do some begging to get a baby bass boat from Hugh, which he finally gave in and let me have one. As we continued throwing the buzzbaits over the canal levees near isolated Hydrilla patches we continued to get blow ups, but few hook ups. We were able to catch a few of the fish as we worked the canal, and suddenly out of nowhere my baby bass boat was attacked by a bass that came completely out of the water to eat it. The fish looked huge as it ate the buzzbait and after setting the hook I was more excited about the strike that had just ocurred then I was of the battle that I had on my hands. After landing the fish we wieghed her, digital scales 10-6 pounds, measured length 28.5 inches, girth 17 inches, great fish. Take note that these fish were in 3 ft. of water hitting buzzbaits at 10:00 in the morning with a brite sun and near 90 degree temps.
Catching that fish was really great, but it was even better to see Hugh back on the water, although not at 100 % he is on the way back.
If you would like to book a guide trip or just get a little info. about the lakes you can call me at 772-344-7148 or e-mail at shd126@aol.com . Be safe and see ya out there. Stan Daniel The Fish Catcher's Guide Service www.catchbigbass.com
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 8/17/02 Water Temperature: 83 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet
Thursday was one of those bass fishing days made in heaven. All the conditions were there to participate in a hog-fest and I was not shy about taking advantage of it. My original plan took me to the NW area of the Marsh and I managed several fish in the 2-4 pound class, but no heavy concentration of fish. I used a weightless Senko T-rigged, and a rattletrap.
With the wind picking up I moved to the Farm and as I rounded the center levee I could see the smoke rising from the pump station.
Once there and anchored up I call Randy Sanders who was working up front to come on back and join the fun. Anchor position was critical today so once Randy arrived he dropped anchor and came on board my boat. To make an excellent days catch story short, let it suffice to say that we stopped counting when we surpassed 100. Some bass were small and some bigger, but no true monster bass.
Friday's trip was with Mike Elsenbein and girlfriend Jamie and it was to be a totally different day. The first thorn thrown at us was the wind, which got stronger and stronger throughout the day. The second was a tough bite and the third was no current. However, although the bite was light we had a great time, as both Mike and Jamie were excellent fisher people and great personalities. Mike is a 1st Mate on a charter boat out of Miami and no stranger to the vagaries of fishing.
Hope to see you out there soon. Say hi if you get a chance.
Date Fished: 8/15/02 Water Temperature: 80 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet
Towering clouds offshore gave us one of those spectacular sunrises that really makes you appreciate life and all its wondrous opportunities. Eric Anderson, Tom Kaleta and I were in the NW area of the Stick Marsh when this event took place. I guess the bass were also watching the sunrise because they weren’t biting. We moved to the Farm ditches and started southward. Carolina rigs, top water baits, spinner baits, and Texas rigs were being ignored but we were not to be deterred. Watching the eastern shore I noted smoke from one of the pumps so off we went. There wasn't much current but we set anchor and started probing the waters. Within ten minutes along came a farm hand and the pump was off.
Since we were this far I suggested that we might take a look at the spillway. Arriving in the spillway we noted two boats, a running spillway, (spillway has been open for over a month), and one of the pipes east of the spillway open. Other than moving around in the spillway area that was our little bass producing lake for the day. Lots of bass in various sizes looked with favor upon the plastics that were offered, but today was not the day for a truly big bass. St John's people showed up at about 1 PM and closed off the pipe. The current through the spillway is very strong and once the pipe stopped carrying water it almost doubled in strength.
3 PM we were pulling the boat and putting the cover on when we heard a loud explosion. I thought possibly St John's people were blasting something but what it turned out to be was a boat that was around the bend on the C54 had exploded. Getting our boat back in the water we raced around the corner expecting the worst.
Fortunately, there was only one on the boat and although dazed the gentleman was uninjured. The boat, which had an IO, had backfired through the carb and blew. Whether there was a flame arrestor I don't know, but it was on fire and the engine cover was some 30 feet away. We suppressed the flames with my fire extinguisher, but there was no putting it out. With the gentleman safely back at the ramp and the fire department on its way we headed out. The boat was a total loss and almost completely burned to the water line when we headed down the road.
Be careful out there, and have all required equipment on board. See ya out there.
Date Fished: 8/12/02 Water Temperature: 83 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet Techniques and baits continue to be the same for most of the lake. Carolina rigged plastics, 3/8 ounce of weight to keep you down, 1.5 to 2 foot leaders, and fish the adjacent roadbeds along the canals in the Farm are the ticket.
If something happens that gives additional current such as the Pump House being run on the Farm you can have a bonanza day. Such was the case for Scott and I on Monday. We did a bit of exploring and then settled in for a laid back day of catching at the pump house area. 127 bass days aren't hard to take.
Yesterday I went out for a bit more of exploration and of particular interest was the NW area of the Stick Marsh. The bass are moving in that direction and it shouldn't be too much longer before that area really turns on.
Good luck out there. Say hi if you get the chance.
Date Fished: 8/10/02 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet
I departed the ramp at 6:30am with Jeff Oxenreider onboard for a half day of show and tell on the Marsh. We spent most of our time running around the lake going over areas to fish and techniques to try, however we did manage to find a little time to fish. We started out throwing Carolina rigged Senkos on the north end of the center boat trail working our way south towards the intersection of the E/W trail.
With little time to fish and a stiff wind out of the east we fished a lot faster then I normally would. Not only was this Jeff’s first time to the Marsh it was also Jeff’s first time using a Carolina rig. Most of our fish came midway down the trail near the heavier Hydrilla including 2 fish over 6lbs. We did manage to pick up a few fish near the north end, but we kept on moving due to the short time we had to fish. We also spent a few minutes fishing the E/W boat trail, but only managed to miss a couple.
Remember fish as slow as the conditions will allow, and if you catch a fish throw a marker out and really work that area. When marking an area where you caught a fish don’t throw the marker right on top of the fish throw it where your boat was positioned at the time. This will ensure that you don’t chance spooking the fish or possibly having a fish wrap you up in the marker.
Scott George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
George & Scott Imagination Bassin Guide Services Days: (561)370-1606/1607 Evenings: (561)370-1606/1607 Toll Free: (877)890-6809
Fishing Report Stick Marsh/Farm 13 07/29/02
Fishing at the Stick Marsh remains very good, but remember to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. On Monday I took out Jim King from Indiana, we started out on the south end of the farm throwing buzzbaits and picked up several fish around the isolated patches of topped out hydrilla. After this bite slowed we moved to the spillway and found the water flow had been cut back drastically and after spending about an hour without the first bite we moved on. Stopped at the pump on the east side of the Farm and found it running, but again the flow was minimal. We did manage a few fish on c-rigged senko's before heading out to the center N/S ditch in the Farm. Fishing the northern end of this ditch with c-rigged plastics we picked up several fish up to 5 lbs. The fish seemed to be mostly on the east side along the old roadbed. With a storm brewing to our southeast we decided to move a little closer to the ramp to finish out our day. We ran all the way back to the gates were the water is being let out of the lakes and found the bass chasing shad in the swift water. With the storm moving closer and knowing our time was short we started throwing chug bugs in the swift water and catching bass. After about thirty minutes we had to head in due to the lighting and called it a day. Again if your headed to the Marsh water and sunscreen are a must as the heat is on right now. Also keep a close on the sky because the afternoon storms can be upon you before you know it.
If you would like to book a guide trip or just get a little info. about the lakes you can call me at 772-344-7148 or e-mail at shd126@aol.com Be safe and see ya out there. Stan Daniel The Fish Catcher's Guide Service www.catchbigbass.com
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services Date Fished: 7/8/02 Water Temperature: 82 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet As was suspected the Marsh hummed this entire 4th of July weekend. Many people came and sampled some of the best fishing they have ever participated in. If they found current, patiently worked it, and threw what the bass wanted they had a great day. Today it was "catching" as usual for Chris Corum and Holly Foster who are vacationing here and are down from Tenn. Working Carolina rigged Senkos in areas of current they hauled in over 100 bass for the day. That kind of catching was in stark contrast to their no fish day on "Walk-In-Water". We did have to sit out one real nasty storm at the ramp area. We did make it back before the storm hit as I keep a constant eye on weather at this time of the year. I can't stress the importance of be "weather conscious" as you can get in trouble out here real fast. HERE IT IS! We had a period of top water bite today that was very strong. We boated over 30 of those 100+ bass with a chug bug!!!!!
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services Date Fished: 7/10/02 Water Temperature: 82 Water Clarity: 0 Yesterday was like a client old home week for me. On the west shore at the spillway was a customer from two years ago. On the pole was another, out working in the current along the grass was another and fishing the point of the island was another. It's great to see people coming back and having a great time on the Marsh. Mark Wintersole and I left the ramp at daylight and headed down for some good old spillway fishing. Carolina rigged Senkos and multiple casts landed us some 80 bass to just under 5 pounds. It was a great day with a great fishing companion. Mark was headed off to Toho to fish with Eddie Bussard on Toho today. I hope he does as well there. The current is strong in a lot of places so if you come to one of the community locations and there is crowds don’t forget those ditches and intersections. As you can see from the previous report there is some big fish out there. See you on the water. George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
Fishing Report Stick Marsh/Farm 13 07/04/02
Fishing at the Stick Marsh and Farm 13 remain awesome. On Monday I was out with Dennis Riley from Denver, Co. and although Dennis did not get that 10 lb. bass he wanted, he did get to set the hook alot. Spending the biggest part of the day at the spillway 109 bass made it to the boat, c-rigged senkos proved to be the best producer but fish could also be caught on trick worms and tubes. On Wed. it was Randy Murray and son Ben, both very avid fisherman and very competative. With 122 bass being caught mostly at the pump on the east side of the Farm and a couple of dollars lost by Dad it was a fantastic father son outing. All of these fish were also taken on c-rigged plastics. Today Randy returned for about four hours fishing before heading out to watch the time trials at Daytona, Randy and I decided to spend some time in the sumerged canals on the Farm. There are fish to be caught here also, same bait c-rig. Lots of moving water still, fish at the spillway, pump station, canals on the Farm and anywhere else you can find some current. Until next time be safe and see ya out there.
If you would like to book a guide trip or just get a little info. about the lakes you can call me at 772-344-7148 or e-mail at shd126@aol.com . Be safe and see ya out there. Stan Daniel The Fish Catcher's Guide Service www.catchbigbass.com
Fishing Report Stick Marsh/Farm 13 6/23-6/28
Fishing at the Stick Marsh and Farm 13 has been fantastic this week. With the water still moving through the lakes the bass are on fire. On Sunday the 23 we sat at the spillway and caught 41 bass up to 5 lbs., Tue. the 25 it was the spillway again with 103 bass being caught in 5 hrs. of fishing. Then on Thur. the 27 we brought 80 bass to the boat, these fish came at the spillway and off of points were the current is crossing. The bait of choice has been a C-rigged senko and a C-rigged zoom wacky worm. The fish at times will also turn onto a crankbait but this bite has not been as consistant as the plastics. Just remember that if your coming to the lakes to look for current in the cuts (ex. cut into marsh from boat ramp), also fish are at the spillway and according to other fisherman they are at the pump station on the east wall. It is important to work the area well and once you locate the fish in an area stay with them because there will be plenty there to catch. If you have a chance to fish the lakes right now you need to get out there, it is a fantastic time.
If you would like to book a guide trip or just get a little info. about the lakes you can call me at 772-344-7148 or e-mail at shd126@aol.com . Be safe and see ya out there. Stan Daniel The Fish Catcher's Guide Service
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 6/9/02
Water Temperature: 86 Water Clarity: 6 inches
A previous customer and friend, Thad Fineran and his wife spent the last week here fishing. As it happens, Thad stayed at the Encore RV Park right here in Vero, and was two units away from Bruce Allen who was here to fish with us on the 6th. On the 5th we spotted Thad on the E/W ditch, however his wife was missing. Instead Bruce Allen and his friend Bill were accompanying Thad on the Farm. It seems that Thad had offered to take these gentlemen out which leads me to my point. They say you only get back what you give and on this day Thad landed a beaut of a 9.5 pound bass. Thanks and congratulations Thad.
This last week the fishing has been really good with some minor rain and late afternoon major T-storms. The same pattern and procedures as we have been using we followed this week and the pattern is paying off. Carolina rigged worms fished on the edges of the ditch are producing not only numbers but stout and healthy fish also.
On Thursday Bruce landed a 9 pound bass early in the day and continued catching until we got chased off by a storm. We found a large school that has produced well on Tuesday and it has been producing well all week. Basically you can find fish along any of the ditches but we have found the north ends to be better than the south ends. The E/W ditch has been better between the intersection of the middle N/S ditch and the pump house on the east shore.
We did find the pump house running but no bass stacked up which has been the case many times this year.
See you out there.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
George & Scott Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Lake Huites Lodge Catch Report for week ending 13 May 2002
The weather has been good to us. We have been blessed with a week of partly cloudy days which has kept day time temperatures in the low nineties. Evening temperatures drop into the mid sixties. Current surface water temperature is 73 degrees.
That’s enough about the weather. Summer fishing has begun. Summer fishing at Lake Huites can be divided to two approaches. The first being Volume and the second size.
Most of our anglers go for the volume for two days and the large fish the last day. The volume fishing is all top water. The most popular lures are pop-r’s, plugs and buzz baits. The top water action lasts all day. This week’s group from Texas and Oklahoma averaged more than 150 fish per boat per day
Fish Sizes ran from 2 to 6 lbs with a few 8’s and one nine caught on top water.
The big fish are still in a little deeper water. Island points and also the drop offs are ideal locations. When you are fishing for the big fish, your volumes will decrease considerably, possibly to as low as 50 fish per boat. If a 9 to 12 pound lunker is what you are after, than I suggest you spend a day at it. You won’t be disappointed.
The big fish like the white spotted flukes and the watermelon seed worms or lizards. When fishing for the big fish go to a little heaver equipment. The fish are powerful and will make a mess of light tackle in a minute. Pay closer attention to details. Retie your knots. Monitor your drag settings. Use a little stiffer pole. If you pat attention to the details you have a real good chance of getting your lunker to the boat.
Terry Hollan Reel Mexican Adventures is pleased to announce their sponsorship of a Lake Huites Bass Tournament in October of 2002. $25,000 in prize monies will be distributed. Full details will be released soon.
Contact the writer, Daniel at: email lakehuites@yahoo.com web http://www.lakehuiteslodge.com/ USA Toll Free 1-888-744-8867
Caught one 4 pound bass on Ray Roberts yesterday in the back of Mustang Cove on a chartreuse/orange spinner bait. Although we only caught one fish, I am still encouraged for what spring has to offer on this lake. Largely because a front had already blown through with high winds and dropping temperatures. See the picture at: http://users.myexcel.com/metromonte/
March 06, 2002
Bass fishing is fair. Use a EASYSEE 80 , and a RatL Trap crank bait in 0 -15 ' of water. Also the Big trout baits are producing on the main river points. The water Temperature is 53 Degrees. Fish the North Shore Line. An 11.50 pound bass was caught by James Hanohano. SEE Photo (Pending ) http://www.vsps.com/newbass3.htm
Bill Warman
Fished TTL with new Yamamoto's Wacky Worm drenched in Garlic. Two fish during Lunch dink and 2#. Good lunch time wind also!
January 28, 2002
Bass fishing is excellent. Use a EASYSEE , and a RatL Trap crank bait in 0 -15 ' of water. Also the Big trout baits are producing on the main river points. The water Temperature is 51.8 Degrees. Fish the North Shore Line. An official 16+ bass was caught by Jim Johnson. and a 17.13 pond bass was caught by myself and witnessed by Steve Bozek and the night Security guard at Canyon Lake. SEE Photo at http://www.vsps.com/1-28-20022bass.jpg http://www.vsps.com/newbass3.htm
Bill Warman
good on worms if you put garlic juice on it
Toledo Bend Fishing Report Mid Lake and South End January 25, 2002
Water Temp.~ 50* to 57* Lake Level ~170.22 1 unit generating 24 hrs. at this time All flood gates are closed at this time
BASS ~ Slow. Concentrate on main points dropping sharply into deeper water. Look for water depths ranging from 10' to 14'. Throw Carolina rig a 3.5" Riverside black and blue tube.
BREAM ~ Dylan caught ONE in 20' of water.
CRAPPIE ~ Slow. Fishing over brush along creeks and old river using shiners in 35' to 45' of water.
STRIPERS ~ Fair in old river bends towards South end of lake on 1 oz. slab spoons in white or 3/4 oz. yellow Rinky Dinks. Use graph to locate bait fish and cover lots of water. When wind lays watch for schooling action or working birds. Then throw Rinky Dink or Zara Spook.
CATFISH ~ Slow. Best over baited holes on catfish Charlie in 28' to 48' of water. ** For those of you who live in the area or might be in the area don't forget to listen to "Lakes Area Fishing & Outdoor News" every Friday at 8AM on 103.9 I'm your host.
Darrell Lyons RR1, Box 1511 Hemphill, Tx 75948 409-625-4585 e-mail: DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM WEBSITE: WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE
LAKE HUITES
WARNING! If your arm can’t take constant pulling don’t go to Lake Huites Lodge WARNING! If you can’t stand laughing constantly don’t fish next to Jack and I
The only tough part to any successful fishing trip for me is the travel to the lake and then the trip home. The trip to the lake is difficult because the level of anticipation has you “chomping at the bit” to get your lure in the water. The trip home is difficult because you are pretty well worn out from all the fish you have reeled to the boat. According to the “rules for a successful trip” the above statements couldn’t be truer for the trip to Lake Huites, in Choix, Mexico.
I met my fishing partner and friend, Jack Goldsmith at Continental Airlines ticket counter in Orlando at 5:30 AM on the first day of our venture to a reported fantastic destination. We were scheduled out at 7:10AM to Houston with connections to Tucson, Arizona, and then on to a short stop in Hermosilla, Mexico to go through customs and then on to our final destination by air, which was Los Mochis, Mexico. The final leg of our trip would be by van to the Lodge at Lake Huites. We arrived in Los Mochis a little bit after 5PM their time and were met by the people from Lake Huites Lodge. A little over three and a half hours later we arrived at the lodge. The distance is not great but the drive was an experience in itself. The last seventeen or so miles are over a dirt road that unless you have worked on power-line roads or something of the such you just could not appreciate. The road is so rough that wearing a helmet might not be such a bad idea.
Once at the lodge our luggage was put in our rooms by lodge personnel and we were shown the way to the dining hall. Although the hour was late a full dinner awaited us. Our introduction to the food that is served at the Lodge was one of extreme pleasure. A delightful medley of chicken prepared in a sauce with peppers and onions and Spanish rice gave promise to the meals we would be served over the next four days. The cook, a young Mexican lady, certainly could work in any restaurant with the expertise she showed in both preparation and presentation. I would definitely give the dining hall a “four star” rating.
After dinner we headed to our rooms, which I have to tell you would compete with a lot of the good motels in the good old USA. The floors are all tiled, the bath has a full shower, and the beds were some of the best I have ever slept on. Everything was clean as a whistle and the rooms were quite big. After unpacking it was immediately to sleep with anticipation of the fishing to come.
Rising at 5:00 we were greeted with the fresh aroma of coffee, and bacon and eggs emanating from the dining hall. Their were only two other fishermen at the lodge so Jack and I shared the table with Mark and “Bud” from New Mexico. Once breakfast was done we headed down to the lake at 6:30 and met Manuel Vega who would be our “guide” for the next three days. Jack had fished with Manuel previously so it was like “old home week” for the two of them. PS: Jack pounced on the front deck and then announced that it would be a great idea if we had a friendly competition for the day. You know the results of course. The winner was “Moi”. MAYBE!
The boat was a lake type skiff about 17’ in length with a pitching deck on the front. The second position was mid-station but with more than ample room to fish. I used the center bench seat as a dance platform to entertain the fish from with several fish dances and songs. (It is important to entertain the fish if you want them to entertain you. I learned that in Bass fishing 101) Powered with a 65 horse Johnson it moved us around the lake at a good clip. The guides don’t speak very much English but communication was not a difficult problem. With the limited Spanish that we knew, the limited English that Manuel knew, and sign language we got along quite well.
The lake is a man-made creation located in the foothills of the Sierra Madres. Very similar to many of our TVA lakes, it consists of a combination of river-like areas, small lake areas, and the setting is magnificent. Most of the time the canyon walls are quite steep right to waters edge and continue the rapid down slope into deep water. There are a lot of points, lots of trees and brush, and fantastic fishing at every turn. Manuel knew the lake very well and because he sees it at low water conditions he knows where the brush was and how the points ran. Throughout our three days of fishing he was able to keep us on fish for most parts of the day. Each day of fishing is broken for lunch at 11:30 – 1:30 with fishing until 5:30PM. If we got to an area that wasn’t producing Manuel quickly moved us to an area that did produce. The guides do not come equipped to fish but we quickly remedied that by setting Manuel up with a rod, reel, and baits so that he fished right along with us. Manuel had a great sense of humor and it took no time before he was laughing and joking right along with us.
The results of our trip were outstanding: Day one: two hundred and forty some bass to the boat. Day two: one hundred and fifty some bass to the boat. Day three: two hundred and fifty some bass to the boat. Day one saw a lot of bass coming to the boat with most of the fish in the one and a half to three pound range. We did get several four-pound bass but we only got one big fish, which weighed in at six pounds. Day two was a repeat of day one however we saw more fish in the four-pound range. Jack landed a 6-pound bass just before lunch and we were even up. Jack landed an eight-pound bass late in the day on his Skitter Pop and took the lead but it was only because I was sitting and watching. Day three we headed to a totally new location that was loaded with treetops and brush. (One of Rene’s secret spots) We boated several fish in the six to eight pound range and quite a few four to six pound fish by lunchtime. For the afternoon trip we returned to the location of day one and proceeded to load the boat with fish on every cast. We spent the majority of our trip working top water baits. All the bigger fish came on top water. If we wanted to work more, I think the crank baits and worms might have gotten us more of the bigger fish but we came to top water fish and top water we did.
Fishing side-notes: Your guide will take you to areas that he knows to produce fish. If you are not catching at the moment he will want to move you to another location, however, if you feel you would like to stay and try some other baits don’t be afraid to speak up. Also, while moving about if you see a spot that you feel might be good tell the guide to stop. You are in charge of your boat and need to speak up if there is something you want. The guides worry greatly about keeping you on biting fish and in the process move often. We found that you needed to speak up to slow them down. When the guide does take you to the next spot he will usually tell you what the predominant bait for that area is. If he doesn’t then you need to ask. Also, even if the guide is suggesting particular baits, don’t be afraid to try some of the others you have brought if you so wish.
Some of the better baits: Top water; Jack was using a Skitter Pop that worked fantastically. We got blow-ups on buzz baits, but nothing fantastic. The Skitter Pop produced three 8-pound fish. Plastics: Senkos worked extremely well as jerk baits and as deep baits. A white Senko fished weightless produced the second 8-pound bass of the trip. Dark colors did better than light colors when fished down. If you want to Carolina rig be sure to have some ¾ and 1-ounce weights with you. A lot of your worm fishing will be on steep walls and Texas rigs worked very well. Rattle Traps; Chrome/Blue in the ½ ounce variety produced extremely well. Crank Baits: There will be a lot of points that you will be fishing and crank baits produce extremely well. You will need baits that will dive deep! Best colors were the lighter colors. Spinner Baits: Worked great in and around brush. Best color was white/gold blades and chartreuse/gold blades. Big fish producers were the Skitter Pops, Senkos, and Yozuri deep diving crank baits. I would like to thank Russ Comeau of Gary Yamamota Baits for supplying us with an ample amount of Senkos.
The boats carry a full supply of beer, soda and water on ice. These are included with your trip so be sure to take advantage. The weather is cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Be sure to have some layered clothing, as that early morning trip can really be a chill. There are no bugs to be worried about. Rain is always a possibility so be sure to have your gear. Include in what you bring anything that you will need. Very little is available at the lodge, (although they do have some baits), and the nearest town is quite a distance. Be sure to remember the camera and lots of film. If you’re a scenery bug like I am you could use up several rolls of film just on the fantastic views you will see. In packing remember that this is a short trip so be as frugal with your packing as you can be. Remember, your luggage and rod carrier will be treated roughly so protect anything breakable. I had two tips on my rods broken off because I didn’t wrap them well enough.
Travel: Remember that you will be traveling in a time when security is extremely heightened. What I found very helpful was to empty my pockets completely into my carry-on, which was my camera bag and then retrieve what I wanted when I got on the plane. If you have baggage locked be ready to open it at any stop as you are subject to inspection at any time. The checks are random and you can get lucky like I did and have no checks or you can be unlucky like Jack was and have them go through everything. If you are a smoker be sure to put your lighter away and carry matches. Security will take you lighter in Mexico. Also, be sure that you have ample time between any airline connections as security can really slow you down. Be prepared to have a long day no matter where you are coming from, or returning. Airlines have delays and even with the best connections you still have the drive.
Tipping: Familiarize yourself with the tipping recommendations in advance. We found some confusion as to who was getting what.
You are a guest: Remember that you are a guest in Mexico. From the moment you cross the border most will be unable to speak English but smiles go a long way. The camp is entirely run by Mexican people who are extremely friendly and delightful to deal with. The pace is slower, but after all, you are there to relax.
Communications: There are no phones for incoming calls. They do have a satellite phone for emergency purposes. Your cell phone will not work in Mexico. Language is not a problem as several of the staff speaks English.
Booking your trip: All of our arrangements were handled by: http://www.wmi.org/x-tremeangling/index.html X-treme Angling is owned by the same people that own Lake Huites Lodge so their interest goes above and beyond any of the other outfitters. Gary Laden and Terry Hollan will insure you have complete and thorough trip planning for this fantastic adventure. Check with them in advance for the best baits to bring, http://www.wmi.org/x-tremeangling/index.html?objectid=staff
All in all, be prepared for the fishing adventure of your life. Also be prepared to meet some of the friendliest people that you have ever met. At the Lodge your hosts will be Rene Salazar, Russ, and possibly Dan who will take care of everything there for you. Rene is a local native who does speak adequate English and is an encyclopedia of knowledge about the lake. Russ is an avid fisherman, a USA citizen, and also knows the lake and locality extremely well. Dan is a native who spent considerable time in the USA. If you are curious he can fill you in on local knowledge and politics of doing business in Mexico. In the kitchen you will have Aurora waiting on you and Maria, (I think), doing the cooking. The rest of the staff will ensure that you don’t have to lift a finger whether it be getting you gear to the boats, or moving your luggage as you arrive or depart. You can also contact Dan directly at the camp via e-mail: mailto:lakehuites@yahoo.com
Fishing Companion: This report would be totally incomplete if I did not mention my fishing companion and friend Jack Goldsmith. Although at the end of the report it is the first part of the report for me. Jack kept me laughing from the moment we met at the Orlando airport until we departed company at the Orlando airport upon our return. I felt that his constant humor made this the most memorable fishing trip of my life. Thank you Jack Goldsmith for all the laughs, the fantastic trip, and the fantastic fishing, but thanks mostly for your outstanding friendship. I love you buddy.
Date fished: 12/17/2001 – Time fished: daylight till 3:00PM – Weather: Clear with afternoon breeze – Water temps: Surface – 73 degrees
Areas fished: SW area of Stick Marsh and SW area of Farm 13
Baits used: Hard jerk baits, Buzz baits, Minus One cranks, Senkos
Jeff Nutter and his Dad came out to enjoy the fine weather we have been having here in Florida and to test their skills on the Marsh. We started in the SW area of the Stick Marsh and eventually ended up in the SW area of the Farm. There were two things to note: One, while on the Marsh we were fishing areas where the hydrilla is thinner and the water was clearer than most other areas. Two, while on the Farm we were looking for the duplicate conditions. In addition on the Farm side we stayed well away from shore areas because this will be where the staging females are more likely to be found. Thirty-four bass cooperated with the preferred bait being Senkos. The size ranged for 2.5 to 5.5 pounds and they were aggressive.
Today, 12/18/01 we arrived at the Marsh at 7:30 AM. It was our objective to see if we could find larger concentrations of bass and bigger bass for future trips. It was raining and a bit breezy but we noted about 7 boats working in this area. Working with several different baits we managed a few fish before heading south to the SW area of the Farm. Moving to an area just east of where Scott had worked yesterday we put the Senkos to work. A few casts and we were into a most interesting predicament. I had a big fish that hit as the Senko hit the water that was running out the drag as she headed eastward and Scott had a big fish peeling drag as she raced westward. Scott’s fish had headed under the boat, which made things even worse. The long and short of it is that neither of us got our fish. They are both there for the next anglers bait tomorrow. Don, our fishing partner for the day, just sat there mumbling something about how at least one of them should have bit his bait.
As we drifted along the action suddenly picked up and we had a triple going. This was the beginning of a path that we would drift until we quit at 12:30. We marked one end of the drift with a marker and used a stump for the other end. Every drift yielded several bass but Don’s bait, (which was identical to ours) just didn’t seem to be preferred. Again he proclaimed himself as “the World’s Worst”, but that claim was quickly doused with success. It became his turn and our turn to watch. However, I must mention this, Don has short memory and quickly forgot each fish as it was caught and called the next, his first fish of the day. I have to tell you, it’s just not easy.
The area we were in was well off the shorelines. The area we were in had sparse hydrilla and “coontail”. The area we were in had relatively clean water. Five hours of fishing yielded 64 bass that went from 3 pounds and up, except for two that were lucky if they broke a pound. Except for 3 fish all the fish were caught on Senkos. The Senkos used were all dark colors such as watermelon, and dark blues. Big fish, that’s plural, were over ten pounds.
Find clean water, spaced out weeds, and make casts and you will find fish. Once you find fish, “DON’T LEAVE THE FISH TO FIND FISH”. I watch more people out here running hither and yon and then when they get back to the ramp they complain that the fishing was no good. When you find bait that is producing stick with it. Another thing I see out here a lot is baits being changed without giving them their due effort.
Road conditions for the moment are outstanding. Water levels are up and the bass are in pre-spawn and spawn stages. Those in pre-spawn are staging on the outer edges of spawning beds. If you are wondering, the answer is no, you cannot sight fish. Our water is stained, the bottom is weed covered and the beds remain very hidden. However almost all of you know from all the previous reports what the spawn areas are. If you want big fish, fish outside those areas.
I wish to thank all that e-mail me, and all those that meet us at the ramp and thank us for the reports that we put up on some 19 pages including this one. I heard today at the ramp, as I have in the past, that our reports hurt the business opportunities of some but I just don’t agree with that premise. Those that feel this way feel that we give too much information out and hence less people are using guides. Personally, I think if less people are here this year fishing with guides, it might have far more to do with 9/11, and the economy, then it had to do with me giving away some perceived secret spot. Scott and I fish this lake extensively, with most days going from daylight until 3:00PM, which is when most of you come to fish. We hope sincerely that for those that bring their own boats we have in some small way made your trip a better one. We tell it exactly like it is when we fish whether the report is good or bad. Nobody can come out here and catch large quantities of fish on every trip and that’s just fishing. For this year, between Scott and myself, we will have fished in excess of 550 trips on the Stick Marsh. In addition, we fish the Marsh at least every other day, (schedules permitting), even if we don’t have customers. Our web page hits are in excess of 70,000 hits per month and for all this I have all you people that frequent these pages to thank.
One other thing that I would like to touch lightly on: I have been talking about Senkos in my reports for some time now. I receive baits from several different sources including some from Yamamoto Baits. However, the results with the Senkos have been exactly as printed from my experience. As with my reports, if they didn’t you would have heard it from me.
See ya on the water and say hi if you get a chance. Feel free to e-mail if you have any questions that I might be able to answer.
Date Fished: 12/20/01 Water Temperature: 71 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet The weather today was clear but cool. The wind came up and blew most of the time we were there. Leaving the ramp at 8:00 we headed to the same area we fished on Tuesday. Working a drift line we had established on Tuesday we worked Senkos and small crank baits. Except for two fish in the morning, and 5 fish that came on gold spoons tipped with a Senko trailer, the rest came on weightless Senkos. Just a note: The Senkos work and work well, so I don't consider them expensive. We left at 1:00 and boated 30 bass with the biggest bass being 6 pounds. Our initial drifts were in open water, but with the increase in the wind most of the hyacinth that had been caught on the hydrilla broke up and blew away. We changed our drift to on top of the mat and all of our bigger fish came out of the holes in the mat. An important factor that made the mat workable was that all the alga that has been laying on top of the mats is disappearing. The SW area of the Farm is starting to produce quality fish. Give it a try, you might be successful. See you on the water. I am very approachable and will be glad to help if I can so say hi if you see us.
Got into the stripers again on Texoma last Friday. Birds were everywhere showing the way. We caught em on glow sassy shads at the Willis bridge. See the pictures and details at: http://www.geocities.com/metromonte/
Debra Hengst fishnn59@hotmail.com Texas Falcon Lake October 20/21, 2001 The lake is approximately 41 foot low, launching is fine at the State Park. This past weekend the 8th Annual OPEC Legacy Tourney was held at Falcon Lake. This grand "ole lady" never ceases to amaze me at the quality of bass it puts out. There were 48 teams that competed in the 3 fish limit per day tourney. The winning stringer of 6 fish came in at 40.09 with second place at 30.95. The winning patterns turned out to be everything from white spinnerbaits, crankbaits, lizards and flukes. The winning team culled two 5 pounders on Saturday as they were not needed in their 3 fish stringer. Instead the sixes they had turned out to be much better along with the big bass of the day a 7.55. Not bad for a three fish limit. Sundays big bass was a 8.2 My partner and I came in just out of the money in 13th place thanks to the garlic Kicknbass on my fluke. For more info on this great fishery please visit this website http://www.tackleandrods.com Debs Guide Service
George Imagination Bassin Guide Services acstech@atlantic.net Florida - Stick Marsh/Farm 10-18-2001 Water Temperature: 74 Water Clarity: 0 Date: 10/18/01 - Time: Daylight till 3:00PM - Weather: Cloudy and windy; winds 12 - gusting to 20 - Surface temps: 76 - Water column temp range: 74-76. Baits used: Top water; Chug Bugs and Torpedoes, non-weighted Senkos, Spinner baits, Rattle traps, and Carolina rigs. Areas fished: Open water areas of the Stick Marsh - Pump house current on Farm 13 east wall. When we left the ramp it was just light enough to pick our way through the Stick Marsh in search of open water. As I have stated previously there are a lot of these areas, particularly on the west wall and they are holding fish. I started out with a chug bug, which I stayed with until 11:00 and Scott started with a Torpedo. The bite on top water continues to be very strong, although the fish are scattered, and we boated 47 bass, (2 - 5 pounds) before the bite seemed to drop off. The key to getting these fish is persistence and thorough coverage of every area that we fished. Boat position is very important because the fish will be found in these clear areas on very specific edges or in fingers that push out from the opening. Work the areas from all angles! By 11:00 we found ourselves back at our starting point and ready to work back through the same areas with different baits. I put on a gold/gold 3/8-ounce spinner bait and Scott opted to try a non-weighted Senko. Both these baits were very successful in the larger open areas with the preference shown toward the spinner bait, however I think that was a result of more water covered as the bass are really spread. Working back through these areas we boated another 15 bass. Except for one bass, these baits produced consistently larger bass than the top water, (3 pounds plus). Leaving the Stick Marsh at 1:00 we went back to Farm 13. Although the wind was chugging along pretty good it was almost out of the east so we figured we could work areas along the east wall. First stop was the pumping station on the east wall and the Farm was pumping water out. Although it is a better situation when they are pumping water into Farm 13, this outgoing current will also draw and activate the fish so we anchored up to give it a go. Over the next hour and a half we repositioned the boat several times on the channel. Using Carolina rigs we boated another 6 bass but never did find any "stacked" area or fish of any size. Tomorrow brings a momentous event to our family. Scott will be leaving the ranks of the single population and joining in Matrimony with Tamara. Some of you probably remember seeing pictures of Tamara with some of the bass she has caught on these waters. Scott is fortunate as Tamara loves fishing and frequently accompanies us when we have free time to fish for ourselves. "GOOD LUCK SCOTT AND TAMARA" Saturday I will be out with long time customer and good friend Jack Goldsmith and you can bet we will be hot on the trail of the top water bite that is so strong out here right now. Hope to see you one the water and if we pass say hi as you go by. George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did! *******************************************************************************
George: Imagination Bassin Guide Services acstech@atlantic.net Florida - Stick Marsh/Farm 13 10/21/01
Being a Fishing Guide is not always “strawberries and cream”, but for the most part it is. Unlike a “charter boat”, being a guide means taking “fishing friends” onto the waters that you know and sharing not only the information that you have about a body of water, but also sharing the experience of fishing. The enjoyment that I get from sharing that experience is far more than the joy of just catching fish and I would like to thank each and all of our “Clients-Friends” for sharing your time on the water with us. Date fished: 10/21/01 – Weather: Cloudy and warm – Water Temps: 78 surface – Time: Daylight till 2:15PM Areas fished: Open water areas of the Stick Marsh – Baits used: Various top water, spinner baits, soft jerk baits, and soft floating baits. Jack Goldsmith and I left the ramp and headed west on the Stick Marsh looking for open water. There is a goodly amount of open water on the Marsh and fishing these areas has been producing some good catches. Starting in the NW corner of the Marsh we worked through several areas with only moderate success. Most of our success came on top water but we did get a couple of pretty good bass on spinner baits also. By 10:00AM we had worked through the areas of there twice. My assumption at this point was either they wanted something we weren’t throwing, or even more likely, the fish that we have had in this area lately had moved slightly. I based the assumption of movement on the fact that when the bait was hit it was hit with fury. Working our way southward towards the Farm but still well within the Stick Marsh we continued to come across occasional hits but nothing grouped up at all. About 11:30 the many storms that were hitting everywhere but the Stick Marsh threatened and the wind picked up considerably. I set the boat up in an area that would give us a fairly good drift on a long grass line. The rain that hit wouldn’t dampen anything, but the wind was kicking pretty well. My second or third cast on this drift with a chug bug just disappeared after the first pop and the back of this “giant bass” gave this gal the appearance of a bass that would go well over 8 pounds. That was the last glimpse of her as she surged into a mass of hydrilla and my retrieval only produced about 3 pounds of long green weed for my efforts. By the time I had cleared the bait the wind already had blown us all the way to the west wall. Idling back eastward our eyes and ears told us all we would need to know for some major excitement over the next 2 hours. To our right, (southward) were several areas where the mats of hydrilla were isolated, and areas within the mats were not as dense. We noted several good bass chasing bait in and around these mats. Jack put on a white frog and the catching and excitement of seeing those massive hits was on. The mats were dense enough that for every fish hooked we had to take the boat right into the mess to get the fish out. Again, for us, the bite throughout the day was top water, top water, and more top water. Persistence and thoroughness was key to finding the fish. The paths that the fish would have followed were fairly obvious and following those paths led to fish. Keeping your eyes and ears open when fishing can pay off big time, so be alert. Storms were finally really starting threatening at 2:00 so we left the Stick Marsh with good memories of another great day on the water. See you on the water real soon. Be careful, enjoy the day for the experience, and say hi as you go by.
George Imagination Bassin Guide Services acstech@atlantic.net Florida Stick Marsh/Farm 13 10-12-2001 Water Temperature: 77 Water Clarity: 0 Today's weather conditions just couldn't have been better. Temperatures remained cool with a slight breeze blowing. White puffy clouds sailed by below a clear blue sky. The breeze increased slightly as the afternoon rolled in but nothing that would make for difficult fishing. We left the ramp just before daylight and fished until 2:00PM today. Water temperatures on the surface were 74 and down 3 feet in the water they were 77. Air temperatures were a cool 71 and although they warmed to 84 it felt cooler with the slight breeze that blew. Starting on the E/W center ditch at the pump house we headed west. Working with chug bugs we pitched the north side of the ditch. It didn't take long, (about 350 yards from the pump house), and we ran into a school of 2.5 - 4 pound bass. Although not a large school it was big enough for us to put a quick 14 bass into the boat. Continuing westward we found our next school at the intersection of the first N/S ditch and specifically on the NE corner of the intersection. This area produced another 7 bass. We worked our way back towards the pump house just on the north side of the E/W ditch and stopped at the pump house area. Although the pump wasn't running we were able to pick up 2 bass there using a Carolina rig. We then went to the spillway and using non-weighted Senkos we managed another 4 bass. Since we were on the south end of the Farm we tried drifting with the wind until we hit the first N/S ditch. However our drift did not produce any bass for us. Next we headed for the Stick Marsh to work some of the open areas that we have found up there. The time was after 12:00 and it seemed as if the lake had given up all it was going to give to us for the day. After about 45 minutes with no fish we decided to try the ditch on the north end of the Stick Marsh. Using non-weighted plastics, and lightly weighted Texas rigs we did get two more bass but both need a lot more time in the water before they should be caught again. The weather was great, the fishing was good and best of all we weren't behind a desk. See you out there! George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
Monte metromonte@yahoo.com Lake Texoma, TX 10-11-2001 Had some success with stripers and sandies in Big Mineral Thursday evening. All of them were small but it was fun. We got there late and the birds were already headed to roost but a few were still hanging around to show us the way. We found em at the end of the air strip at Cedar Mills using Prune Picker Slabs, Tail-Hummers, and Spooks. See the pictures at http://www.geocities.com/metromonte /
Date Fished: 7/14/01 Water Temperature: 88 Water Clarity: 1 foot
Today was a 1/2 day trip due to weather that turned sour. The fishing corresponded with the weather conditions and was a bit sour also. Three bass and one mud fish were all the Jack Goldsmith and myself could put in the boat. We did miss a couple but all in all it was a tough day.
Water levels are up, the spillway is running, and the hydrilla is heavy. Fish were not biting in the spillway area yet as the debris coming in through the gates is too heavy. I would expect to see it clear up within the next day or so.
Remember the heat and the sun, be safe, and see you out there.
Got a lot of guys telling me their is a good morning bite on crank baits up the river. Had one guy tell me they were trolling deep crankbaits by they eagles cliffs and they got into striped bass. Said one was 41# and they did not claim it as the state record, just took it home and ate it. Had someone else tell me the moonsoons have thrown the fishing off, but most guys say it has turned them on.
Had another friend go to Bartlell during the full moon last 4th of july week. Said they used 4 inch worms with KNB and got lots of bass. That 41# striper was caugth on KNB too. Everything I hear about you can condisder it caught on KNB because all these guys that call me are from Phx. and they use KNB. So get yourself some and go catch some fish. Remember catch photograph and release. cosmic>
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services
Date Fished: 6/11/2001 Water Temperature: 90 Water Clarity: 2-3 feet
When asked yesterday AM at the ramp what the bait of choice for the day would be, my answer was simply, “chug bug, chug bug, chug bug. When asked, “what would you think the best location would be?” my answer was, “out in the middle of the Stick Marsh.”
Fishing with me again, (a real treat for me), was my grandson Chris and my oldest son. Proceeding directly to the sticks out in the middle of the Stick Marsh where we left off yesterday proved correct as the bass cooperated fully. Chris, who is 8 years old, was working a worm Texas rigged with a 1/8 ounce at one point proclaimed, “STOP, I’m hung on something!” Going to the back deck my son took the rod to help out and when he picked up on the rod a nice 3.5-pound bass went airborne. Chris had grown accustomed to aggressive hits and when this one just took hold and sat in the hydrilla it got the best of him.
Throughout the morning we worked chug bugs when we could and if it got too thick with the sticks we changed over to buzz baits and white shad jerk baits. The bigger fish all came on the chug bug, but there was no shortage of fish on either the buzz baits or the jerk baits.
By mid-day we had worked our way southward towards the cut into the center ditch. The wood inside that cut, (just west and north of the cut) always holds fish and today was no exception. Using a white shad, rigged with a swivel and short leader we added several more nice fish to the catch. The heat was brutal and the bugs were something else today so it was at this point we decided to call it a day. I couldn’t wait to get back to something air-conditioned.
Keys to the better fish were clean water and top water baits. The fish are scattered all over the Stick Marsh but the bigger concentrations seem to be right out in the middle. Fish are still being caught in the Twin Palms region as well as west of there. Fishing the sticks provides great excitement as in most cases you can actually see the bass take the bait. Some of the wakes left by these bass as they pursue your bait will be unbelievable. Just remember, the next cast could easily be a fish in the double digits, so be alert and when they get on keep them up to avoid losing them to the sticks.
Just a reminder: the fishing is fantastic but a great day can be ruined with sunburn and heat related problems. Have good skin protection out there and lots of fluids. Say hi as you go by! See you on the water.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
Toledo Bend Fishing Report Mid Lake and South End June 12,2001
Water Temp.~ 78* to 86* Lake Level ~ 171.32 Generating 2 units, 1:00PM - 8:00PM 1 flood gate opened 4/10' 6:30AM - 2:30PM
BASS ~ Fish are concentrated on grass flats and points in 12' to 16' of water. Shad color crank baits working best. Also, Carolina rig trick worms in Reaction's peanut butter & jelly or smokin' green. Sprayed with Anise Shad Kick N Bass. When wind lays watch for schooling action. 4" slugos working best.
BREAM ~ Good on crickets. Moving out into grass in 12' to 18' of water.
CRAPPIE ~ Best at night over baited brush piles in 18' to 30' of water using shiners.
STRIPERS ~ Best trolling with DLN crank bait. Tie a 2' liter with a pet spoon on it troll around the dam, Pendleton bridge and bends in old river. Fish 30' to 35' of water. Fish are suspended around 12'to 16' of water.
CATFISH ~ Good. Being caught in 8' to 16' of water over baited holes on liver or catfish Charlie blood bait. Best at night.
Darrell Lyons RR1, Box 1511 Hemphill, TX 75948 409-625-4585 e-mail: DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM WEBSITE: WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE
I didn't go out but one of our un-named Pro Staff did. He got on a top water bite with a Zara Spook in the morning. Seems he hit a big fish, a 9 pounder. Well when he was bringing it in they could see 3-4 fish trying to rip the lure out of the hooked ones mouth. They were all the same size (9 pounds!) but here is the kicker.... one of the fish could have eaten his 9 pounder. So somewhere their is a BIG bass on Lake Pleasant that likes to eat Zarra Spooks.
I don't make them up folks, I just report them. I am going to go next week. Dark of moon, best time on Pleasant. Cosmic>
Hit lake at 5 am and Headed for Humbug. Hoping to see some more top water action. We caught only 3 bass 2 topwater one drop shot with KNB SHAD on yammy 92t. We did how ever chase the whites around while they were chasing shad. We had to use casting spoons casting distance to get into the boils. 6 Fish small but great eaten. Bellies full of shad! Left at 9:30 it was already getting hot.
Bryan
The launch yesterday was quite uneventful. Mosquitoes were thick at the ramp and the air was cooler than it had been for the last week or so. Water levels were up slightly due to a few storms that had moved through the area the day before but nothing so significant as to evoke a joyous hooray. The balance of the day however was to be anything but uneventful.
Jack Goldsmith and I had already rigged for the possibilities that had been the patterns on the Stick Marsh lately. Buzz baits, chug bugs, spinner baits, and plastics were ready and waiting, to be used as called for. We both started with chug baits but quickly changed to buzz baits. Working through the brush towards Twin Palms we hauled the buzz baits through the densest stick-ups we could cast to. As the stick-ups thinned out we hit pay dirt!
Jack was working his buzz bait next to a heavy group of sticks and missed a blow up that spread a boil over about a 4-foot circle. Casting to the same area the bass followed but wouldn’t hit. 5 minutes later a cast about 15 feet from the same spot brought this enormous bass onto my buzz bait. She launched herself into the air about 3 feet out of the water and went head first into a large area of heavy hydrilla. The hook was dislodged immediately by the hydrilla and our first bass of the day swam off. If I had to guess I would say she was over 12 but then those kind always look big so I “ain’t gonna say it”! That fish bit at about 6:30 AM.
By 6:32 AM we had our next fish to the boat and from that time until about 2:00 PM it was non-stop catching. During the entire day a couple of bass came on spinner bait including one of the big ones. All of the rest of the bass that were caught hit on buzz baits and they came one right after the other. The longest span of time between bites never exceeded five minutes. If all the strikes made it to the boat we would have had 100 plus bass but even with the misses my guess puts the catch at around 70 bass. The impressive thing about the catch however is that we boated 6, and had on another 4 of the Stick Marsh’s finest. Photos of these fish can be seen in the Lunker gallery for April-May on my pages. Of the four that were lost, only one dislodged the hook due to cover and the rest were just poor hook sets.
Jack is a veteran bass fisherman and as he said, “it just doesn’t get any better”. We had a slight breeze for most the day until the wind came late in the day. Bugs were kept down and the fish were biting. Looks like our summer bite is coming on strong. See you out there.
Toledo Bend Fishing Report Mid Lake and South End May 22, 2001
Water Temp.~ 78* to 86* Lake Level ~ 170.74 Generating 2 units 2PM - 8PM 1 flood gate opened 4/10' 6:30AM - 2:30PM
BASS ~ Fish are concentrated on grass flats and points in 12' to 16' of water. Shad color crank baits working best also Carolina rig french fries in plum apple or watermelon. Sprayed with Anise Shad Kick N Bass. When wind lays watch for schooling action. Small chrome crank baits working best.
BREAM ~ Good on crickets. Fish over sandy humps in 4' to 6' of water.
CRAPPIE ~ Good on edge of grass beds in 16' to 18' of water. Best on pink/chartreuse or black/chartreuse tube jigs.
STRIPERS ~ Best vertically jigging a Rinky Dink tail spin. Also, some schooling. Use Rat~L~Trap in blue/chrome.
CATFISH ~ Good. Being caught in 8' to 16' of water over baited holes on liver or catfish Charlie blood bait.
Darrell Lyons RR1, Box 1511 Hemphill, TX 75948 409-625-4585 e-mail: DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM WEBSITE: WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE
The guys I talk to say the bite is on at Pleasant. White bass have been busting shad schools in Castle Creek area. Whites still have eggs and are not spawned out yet. One person caught a 12# largemouth bass by the buoy line to the river. There are large schools of shad forming up and the bass are below them. The paper says the spawn is over and fishing is tough. This is not what the guys are telling me. They all say the fish are biting on everything, it is a good time to be on the water. Alamo is full of Crappie and the lake level is high. Lots of slot fish from sunrise to sunset. Bartlett has been good for crappie and fair for bass, I just haven't had a lot of reports on it, but that is where I would go if I had the time. If I really had the time I would go to Alamo, but about lunch time when it is 100+ and no shade, you can get pretty sun-sick. It is a long time from first light to dark, especially when the water amplifies the sun and the temps climb pass the 100 mark. Big trees at Alamo are almost all underwater, lake is high. If you go fishing, post a report here, it only takes a second and then we all benefit from the news. Cosmic>
Toledo Bend Fishing Report Mid Lake and South End May 14, 2001
Water Temp.~ 78* to 86* Lake Level ~ 171.03 Generating 2 units 2PM - 9PM 1 flood gate opened 4/10' 3:30PM - 6:30AM
BASS ~ Fish are concentrated on inside edge of grass in 4'to 8' of water. Wacky worms working best in water melon seed/cotton candy by Reaction, dipped in chartreuse Spike It Dip N Dye and sprayed with crawfish Kick N Bass. Some top water fish early and late on small poppers or 4" slugos.
BREAM ~ Good on crickets. Fish over sandy humps in 4' to 6' of water.
CRAPPIE ~ Best at night over baited brush on shiners. Some moving out on grass beds. Use black/chartreuse jig.
STRIPERS ~ Best vertically jigging a Rinky Dink tail spin. Also, some schooling. Use Rat~L~Trap in blue/chrome.
CATFISH ~ Good. Being caught in 8' to 16' of water on live carp and liver. Be sure to put lots of jugs to mark lines so people don't hang up in them while bass fishing.
Darrell Lyons RR1, Box 1511 Hemphill, Tx 75948 409-625-4585 e-mail: DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM WEBSITE: WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET /GUIDE
2 bass 1 crappie 1 catfish and 31 white bass caught in the last part of the evening from 3 to 8 o'clock on shad
The drive to the Stick Marsh is 6.5 miles long down a straight but bumpy dirt road. Most people arriving at the Stick Marsh for the first time hardly notice its length or the bumps however as the anticipation of great fishing occupies their minds. The parking area is a pleasant surprise in that it is fully paved with an additional area in a flat open field for the excess vehicles if needed. There is a men’s and ladies facility, (no running water), two covered picnic areas, a fishing pier, and two ramps for launching of boats. There are sandy areas both sides of the launch for easy beaching of the boats. From here your fishing adventure is about to begin.
A short ride westward from the ramp brings you to a cut through a row of palm trees that will take you into the Stick Marsh. The most common comment I hear at this point is: “I thought this place was a small lake”. However the fact that most newcomers are faced with is Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is actually a pretty good-sized lake. Incidentally, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is one lake with a separating dike that runs from east to west for about ¾ of its width. It is necessary to travel around this structure to go from the Stick Marsh area to Farm 13 area. Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is 10.5 square miles approximately and just about every square foot, (all 291,852,000 of them), look extremely fishy.
However, looks can be and are deceiving even on this great fishery. Although fish can be gotten just about anywhere on the Stick Marsh at different times of the year there are only a few areas that will consistently produce the quantity and quality of fish that this place is famous for. When water levels are up these areas are almost faceless. With present conditions they are accessible but difficult to fish and if the wind plays against you they are almost impossible to fish by any but the very experienced angler. A good map will assist you in finding these areas and can be gotten by e-mailing Hugh Crumpler at bsncoach@gate.net . A better way to learn about these areas is by getting a guide to show you the where and how to of these areas. However, with a map, once you have these areas located the baits that are presently working are spinner baits, plastics lightly weighted, and buzz baits. The areas, Twin Palms, (the middle of Stick Marsh), the Palms, (northwest corner of Stick Marsh), and the middle south area of Stick Marsh are holding lots of fish and big fish. Also while working on Stick Marsh watch for newly emerging grasses. If the weather gets tough< (wind), then it’s time to head to Farm 13.
If there is hydrilla, (it is everywhere), then on most areas of Farm 13 you will find bass. There are a few areas that are not on the top ten choices however and they are the shoreline areas. The bass on Farm 13 tend to hold pretty close to structure and that means out here the old irrigation ditches and roadbeds. Again, a good map is a great value when fishing Farm 13. Even better, as stated above a guide that can show you the where and how is an outstanding approach to learning about this area. Remember that a solid grass line is or can be structure.
26 April Scott had out Bill Maggs and party and fished the Stick Marsh. Using spinner baits and worms they managed 36 bass with the bass of the day weighing in at 10.5 pounds. On the 25th of April Scott and I headed out at 9:00 am and quit at 3:00. Fishing the Twin Palms area of Stick Marsh using plastics mostly we landed 55 bass with the largest being about 5 pounds. The key was laying the plastic in the middle of heavy wood and waiting for the bass to pick it up. On the 28th of April Scott had a ½ day trip with Bill Jackson again in the same vicinity. Mostly spinner baits produced 17 bass for the trip.
On the 1st of this month I had a ½ day AM trip with John Foster. Fishing the Twin Palms area in a stiff wind we only managed a few bass. Heading back out for a trip with Jack Goldsmith we fished until 7 PM on Farm 13. Working primarily spinner baits in and around the heavy hydrilla beds on the north end of Farm 13 produced a good number of bass with the biggest being about 5 pounds. Again on the 2nd Jack, Scott and I headed out. Starting up in the Stick Marsh and then heading back to Farm 13 as the wind increased we caught approximately 30 bass to 4.5 pounds. Friday the 4th presented us with the heaviest winds since last Thursday. Scott had out Paul Schweigert and his wife and I had out Ron Moore. We started on Stick Marsh but quickly sought some refuge from the 25+ MPH winds. Finding running water, (the Farm had some gates open), salvaged the blustery day with about 30 bass being caught.
Saturday the 5th the wind continued to howl. Mark Destefano and his Uncle were out for me and we spent most of the day working grass lines on Farm 13. The bait of choice was buzz bait and they worked all day long. I lost count of the bass that came aboard but the big bass of the day was a 12.5-pound beauty. Last bass of the day hit Mark’s buzz bait at the edge of the boat and weighing in at about 5.5 pounds made a fitting end to a very successful day on Farm 13. Yesterday I had out Steve Falkner and friend and again the operative word for the conditions was windy. However, grass lines, spinner baits and locating clean water made for a great day on Farm 13. We tried for the buzz bait bite of Saturdays trip but it just wasn’t to be. Plastics produced some bass in the same area on the north of Farm 13 but I felt we could do better. Heading to the south end of the Farm was found to be a wise decision and with spinner baits, (chartreuse with gold blades mostly), produced an excellent day for us. The biggest bass hooked unfortunately didn’t make it to the boat for photos but we did get several in the 4-6 pound range.
Spinner baits, buzz baits, plastics, grass and clean water are the patterns for the Farm and those same baits in the thickest of sticks are the patterns for Stick Marsh. Take your time, be careful and have a great day fishing. See you out there.
PS: WANT TO ADD TO THE CATCH RATIO - ALL OUR BAITS DON'T LEAVE THE BOAT WITHOUT K&B GARLIC!!
Went around the back side of the lake and hit the river arm past the eagle closure. Went at noon and caught some shad with a throw net. Went up river and fished some deep holes, fish were showing but we didn't hit them too hard. Then we got to one rock point and pulled 25 whites off. Water was about 30-40 feet deep, we were letting the shad down about 10-15 feet and just letting them swim around. Got more hits in the middle then dragging the bottom. Caught over 25 nice whites about 1# to 2#'s. Caught one largemouth that was about a 2 1/2 pound female. She was gut hooked and bleeding so we kept her. The whites had eggs in them and the eggs were hard, they are not ready to spawn yet. The female had eggs in her and they were not developed at all. So this goes to show you that all the females do not spawn at the same time. There are plenty of reports of females in the main lake bedding and ripe. The bass in the main lake are hitting crankbaits and slugo's, I would imagine they are hitting spinnerbaits and topwater too, just have not hear of it and I have not been fishing. Cosmic>
TOLEDO BEND FISHING REPORT
MID AND SOUTH LAKE AREA
MAY 4 ,2001
WATER TEMP:74* TO 83*
LAKE LEVEL: 171.17
GENERATING 2 UNIT-7 HRS. A DAY 2PM TO 9PM
FLOOD GATES all closed
BASS~ Fish are concentrated on inside edges of grass in 4' to 8' of water. wacky worm working best, in kudzu / cotton candy by Reaction sprayed with crawfish KICK'N'BASS. also 1/4oz GRASS SHRIMP cyclone spinner bait with silver colorado /gold willow leaf combo CRAPPIE~ best at night over baited brush on shinners some moving out on grass beds use orange beetle spin.
STRIPERS~ best on chartreuse texas whirl wind striper jigs. also some schooling use RAT-L-TRAP in blue/chrome .
CATFISH~ Good. Being caught in 8'to 16' of water on live carp and liver. be sure to put lots of jugs to mark lines so people dont hang up in them while bass fishing.
BREAM ~ good on crickets fish over sandy humps in 6 to 10ft. DARRELL LYONS RR1, BOX 1511 HEMPHILL,TX. 75948 409-625-4585 WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE EMAIL:DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM
Crappie were hitting white jigs, bass were hitting on chad and spoons, 10-15 feet. Hell didn't care, at least I wasn't at work!!!!
WATER TEMP:68* TO 78* LAKE LEVEL: 171.33 GENERATING 1 UNIT-24 HRS. A DAY FLOOD GATES all closed
BASS~ Fish are concentrated on inside edges of grass in 4' to 8' of water. wacky worm working best, in water melon / green pumpkln by Reaction sprayed with crawfish KICK'N'BASS. also 1/4oz GRASS SHRIMP cyclone spinner bait with silver colorado /gold willow leaf combo CRAPPIE~ around brush in backs of creeks on shiners and white/chartreuse crappie spins.
STRIPERS~ best on chartreuse texas whirl wind striper jigs. also drifting live bait in current around generator is producing fish.some starting to hit top waters.
CATFISH~ Good. Being caught in 8'to 16' of water on live carp and liver. be sure to put lots of jugs to mark lines so people dont hang up in them while bass fishing.
BREAM ~ good on crickets fish over sandy humps in 6 to 10ft. DARRELL LYONS RR1, BOX 1511 HEMPHILL,TX. 75948 409-625-4585 WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE EMAIL:DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM
Fishing the waters of Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is not much different than fishing any other lake with only one small difference. Within the boundaries of this body of water are more bass per acre than any other lake in the state of Florida, or for that matter the USA, and within these waters are more large bass per acre than any other lake in Florida or the US. Your chances are outstanding for catching a lot of bass and that bass of a lifetime.
Your chances for success do have some limiting factors however with the biggest factor being knowledge of the structure and cover of the lake and how the bass relate to these items. These factors and your knowledge of them will in most cases decide if you will have a good day or a bad day. At your fingertips are the tools needed to increase your knowledge of this lake and it’s associated cover, structure and relative bass hangouts. There are maps available from several sources that fully illustrate this lakes features and likely places to find bass. A map can be ordered from Hugh Crumpler at bsncoach@gate.net. There are maps of lesser content that can be gotten at most of the bait and tackle stores in the area. You can go to my page for an aerial view of the Marsh. You can also go to Jim Porter’s page at www.stickmarsh.com to see an interactive map. Armed with any and all of the above your chances are greatly enhanced for success on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. In addition we all have e-mail and most questions would be gladly answered. If you are coming to the Stick Marsh for the first time you can really enhance your possibilities by hiring a guide. The information they have is invaluable as it relates to the where, when and how to catch lots of bass and big bass on this lake. In addition the information that they can give you that will ensure safe navigation for your trip can only be gotten first-hand. The charts of this lake, like most lake charts are intended to show you places to fish, not to give you navigation information.
The next piece of information that you need is the knowledge of the baits and techniques that are working during your visit. These can be gotten directly from these reports and again from e-mail inquiries. Basically, water levels are such that the arsenal of baits that you will need is far less than most of the lakes in this country. Much of the year our fishing is top water. The baits that will work well are; chug bugs buzz baits, soft jerk baits and stick baits. This is the type of fishing that we are coming into and it won’t be changing in any big hurry. As the summer moves in the baitfish get very active and you can anticipate top water action from sun-up to sundown. Shiners will on most days produce good catches and on some of the days can be a very wise decision.
Presently the top water action is sporadic but one that is worth checking out several times a day. If you see bait moving about the surface pick up the chug bug or some other top water and give it a try. What is working presently and with a strong measure of success is the spinner bait. Casting to targets such as hydrilla or sticks and then retrieving the bait slowly will on most days bring you bass after bass. Another bait that is working very well right now is soft plastic. Whether it be a worm, crawdad, tube or jerk bait, when thrown next to hydrilla or sticks or stumps, the bass have been jumping all over it. On the Stick Marsh side there are bass relating to all that cover that you can now see. On the Farm 13 side the hydrilla edges are virtual gold mines of bass.
Thursday of last week Scott worked the Stick Marsh with his clients. The fish were there, hitting worms and spinner baits. Patience and line sensitivity were the keys with the worms and the wind that was kicking didn’t help. However 19 fish were boated with one 10.5 beauty coming on board for her picture taking session. Friday and Saturday were disaster days for us. Our clients opted to use shiners and to put it simply we did not have great success. In a day and a half of fishing not more than 10 bass made it top side.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of taking a regular customer (Friend and fishing companion) out for his monthly trek. Jack Goldsmith is a very experienced fisherman so even thought the wind was forecast to blow we headed into the sticks and stumps of the Stick Marsh. We each had rods pre-baited with chug bugs, soft plastics, buzz baits, and spinner baits. Jack started with top water and I started with a worm. I rigged the worm with a swivel and short leader and cast it right in the middle of the sticks. I broke the ice first with the worm and then switched to a chug bug. Jack switched from his top water to spinner bait and the day became historical for Jack. I have posted 5 pictures on my page of Jack’s bass. These five are representative of the day he had: 7 bass over 7 pounds with his big kicker being 11.54 pounds. Jack’s last fish of the day came from the Farm 13 side and weighed in at a hefty 8.84 pounds. Over 50 bass visited us yesterday. Jack has fished all around the world and his feeling about this home lake of his is that it is by far the best lake he has ever fished. Jack will usually start the day out with the usual fishing camaraderie banter of chop busting, and will usually close out the day with the same, an act that I am not unfamiliar with, so our fishing trips are always fantastic. Today this younger oldster learned the awesomeness that fishing the Stick Marsh can hold and after many years of seeking that evasive 10-pound plus fish, Jack fulfilled a dream of a lifetime. A note to Jack: The first one is hard! Now that you have filled that goal you will catch so many over 10 pounds that everything under 10 pounds will take on dink status.
The Stick Marsh side is awesome right now. You need only a few things to be successful there: A light wind or less, good fishing skills, stamina as these fish will wear you down, lots of water to drink, and protection from the sun for your eyes and your body. You need to react quickly to the bite and you need to water ski the fish from their cover. Good fishing and tight lines. See you out there.
On any lake that I have ever fished the appearance of the lake and the conditions of the lake change constantly, and Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is no exception. Along with those face changes and environmental issues your methods of fishing, choices of baits, and bait presentations need to change also.
Based on the current conditions, wind plays a vital factor in determining where you fish on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Unlike many lakes that have coves and the like, Stick Marsh/Farm 13 is a wide-open impoundment. The Stick Marsh half of the impoundment is a shallow body of water that is covered over its entirety with stumps and brush. These remnants of the old grove that was there before the flooding create an ideal location for the bass to feed and spawn. Water levels at present make this cover highly visible. If the wind is blowing with any degree of force it will make fishing the hard cover of the Stick Marsh a difficult task at best and very possibly an area of the lake that will damage your equipment or yourself. If you fish the Stick Marsh with the wind at your back, you will probably as so many have, bend the trolling motor shaft, or worse yet, end up falling in the lake. However, when the wind is down fishing the Stick Marsh with the current conditions is best described as a phenomenal experience. Targets in the form of brush and stumps are everywhere and in that cover the bass abound. In most cases it is as simple as put the bait on the target and catch a bass. Bait selection has never been easier: Use a worm, any worm, any color, any size, and rig it with the lightest of weight, or no weight at all. Cast it to the target you have selected and let it sit. Watch the line for movement, lift the bait swiftly when it moves and reel the bass into the boat. If the bite is subtle place your finger in front of the reel with the line over your finger. When you feel the bass pick up the line, pick him up with a swift hook set. Due to current conditions, when you have the bass hooked you need to lift the bass and reel it to the boat as quickly as possible. This is not a time to be tentative or slow with the reel as the bass will surely find the cover if you let it. This is also time for concentration to the task at hand. If you don’t pay attention it is going to cost you tackle. You can keep the bass’s head up by pumping your rod slightly upward as you reel. If you drop the rod while pumping the bass will go down and be gone along with your tackle so the pumping is a lifting action not a line retrieval action. There are several other baits that will supply explosive action on the Stick Marsh. Top water baits such as the chug bug and buzz baits can be worked very successfully in the hard cover. Stick baits jerked in around the brush as well as soft jerk baits will be slammed with gusto at different times of the day. If the wind comes up head for the back end, Farm 13.
As you enter Farm 13 the appearance of the impoundment is totally different. Gone are the stumps and sticks and before you lies what appears to be a wide-open lake with areas of hydrilla. The targets here appear to be the patches of hydrilla that abound. However, Farm 13, unlike the Stick Marsh not only has an abundance of cover but also plenty of structure. The lake has several irrigation canals that criss-cross its area, old roadbeds consisting of gravel, and the hard-packed well-traveled areas that heavy equipment traversed the fields as they prepped them for planting every year. The southern end of this lake is dotted with remnants of trees and brush. There is an irrigation pump and structure located approximately in the middle of the east wall with one of the irrigation ditches running from it all the way to the west wall.
Finding the fish on Farm 13 presents a bit more of a challenge with current conditions than the Stick Marsh. The irrigation ditches are obvious as they are lined on both sides with hydrilla. The ditches themselves present a perfect place for the bass to hide and rest and although there are bass in them they are not the most productive places to fish. However, the adjacent roadbeds to these canals are excellent places for the bass to spawn and feed. The three ditches that run north to south in the center of the lake have roadbeds on the east side of the ditches. Running from east to west along the north end of these ditches is an old culvert and adjacent roadbed, the roadbed being on the north side of the culvert. Target any of these areas and you will find bass. Baits that we are currently using in these areas successfully are top water, worms, (both Texas rigged and Carolina rigged); spinner baits, and rattletraps. Most of the bass found have been on the north end going east to west above the culvert-roadbed, and south of the center east west ditch. Also south of the east west ditch we have had good success with soft jerk baits around the heavier areas of hydrilla. The current conditions have the roadbeds and intersections of the ditches close to the surface so be cautious in their vicinity.
Every year we experience the cream of bass fishing experience. Top water bite takes hold and produces catches that exceed hundred fish days and that time is just around the corner. Shad are present in this lake in huge numbers and the action is already starting to show itself. We are seeing more and more shad busts and May and June are our banner months. Chug bugs and rattletraps account for phenomenal numbers and of course big fish. Last year at this time I know of two guides that had clients that caught in excess of 7000 bass during that period. Are those numbers phenomenal? Not when you consider the population of bass in these waters. Were these bass small? Only if you consider 3 – 15 pound bass small. Multiple bass being caught on one bait becomes a common occurrence during this time!
There are two certainties in our near future on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. The rain is coming and water levels will be coming up. The top water bite is here and getting stronger daily and our clients will be getting lots of bass and their “fish of a lifetime”.
Talked with a couple of friends and they report the Crappie are in shallow at Lake Roosevelt with 50 plus before last weeks cold front, lake should bust wide open. Bass are on the beds and a sluggo bite is on at Lake Pleasant. San Carlos is giving up big 2# crappie at 50 to a boat also. Get out now, fish a little slower the air is hot but the water still is cold. Fish those windy shore, don't run for the cover unless it is productive. Remember dirty water warms faster than clear still water. Cosmic>
Date Fished: 4/10/2001 Water Temperature: 76 Water Clarity: 1 foot Today, I had the opportunity to take my Nitro out with its new motor and everything ran the way it was supposed to. Since the completion or assembly of all the new parts last week we have been plagued with a motor that just didn’t run right. The culprit, a temp sensor, was replaced yesterday. I would like to thank all of the parties that fished with us last week, or were supposed to fish with us, for their understanding and good sportsmanship. Everyone got to fish with no one left on shore, but it was with cooperation and friendship and we greatly appreciate it. Fishing the past week has had its ups and downs. Top water fishing is coming on strong but when the fish go down they can be stubborn. We had days were, although not jumping in the boat, the bass cooperated throughout the day, and we had days were every fish in the boat was a hard fought battle. Even shiners didn’t seem to make great differences during the tough periods. However, the shad have started to show, and when they do the catching is on. All along the north end of the farm amidst the clumps of hydrilla willing bass can be found. Top water baits such as chug bugs, buzz baits, soft jerk baits, and hard jerk baits will work well here. Always be ready for that flurry of action when a school of shad moves through. You have to be quick and accurate with your cast when this happens and the reward for that speed and accuracy will be a bass or two. JUST A MENTION: Don’t run for a bust if it is too far. By the time you get there the bass will have gone back down. However, if the bust is close by be ready for some real excitement. Most of the busts that we noted were taking place east of the stump on the north end of the center ditch. Another area that is still producing good catches is just south of the E/W ditch, and east of the center N/S ditch. Other baits that have been working well down here are spinner baits and Texas rigged worms. Today’s foray took us from the north end of the Farm, down through the SE end and over into the middle south area. The wind, what little there was from the NW quadrant and had almost no effect except to let the gnats fly all about us. About mid-day we headed for the Stick Marsh. The wind had completely died down so navigation amongst the stumps and brush wouldn’t present a problem. We started on the south end of the Marsh and worked our way northward using a white tripletail shad on my rod, and a pumpkinseed worm on Scott’s rod. I had rigged the shad with a swivel about 3 inches above the shad, which was just enough weight to get a medium sink rate. Scott rigged his worm Texas style using a 1/8-ounce weight. We flipped, pitched and cast to brush, stumps, and treetops and about every third cast yielded a bass. Once hooked, the bass had to be water-skied to the boat or they were lost in the brush. A strong line and stout rod is needed up here. Paying close attention to your line is needed as the bass will pick it up and slowly move off with it. Although some of the hits were hard most of the bass were very sneaky. I would hazard a guess that you could pick any location on the Marsh and catch fish in this manner. The only thing I would like to add is that logic and common sense should be applied to fish on the Marsh. If the wind is blowing hard this is no place to be unless you wish to go swimming. Also, if the wind is blowing it makes seeing obstacles in the water very difficult and you will damage the trolling motor. However, if the wind cooperates, look for a spectacular time. With the winds cooperation, the motors cooperation, and 63 bass cooperating that is exactly what we had: a spectacular time! See you out there.
TOLEDO BEND FISHING REPORT MID AND SOUTH LAKE AREA April 12 ,2001
WATER TEMP:68* TO 75* LAKE LEVEL: 171.90 GENERATING 2 UNITS-24 HRS. A DAY FLOOD GATES all closed
BASS~ Fish are concentrated on inside edges of grass in 4' to 8' of water. wacky worm working best, in water melon blue / green pumpkln by Reaction sprayed with crawfish KICK'N'BASS. also 1/4oz chartreuse/white cyclon spinner bait with silver colorado /gold willow leaf combo .if sun is bright fish will move into shallow water around buck brush were a water melon red gator pup sprayed with KICK'N'BASS and fliped with 1/4oz weight is working best. CRAPPIE~ around brush in backs of creeks on shiners and white/chartreuse crappie spins.
STRIPERS~ best on chartreuse texas whirl wind striper jigs. also drifting live bait in current around generator is producing fish.some starting to hit top waters.
CATFISH~ Good. Being caught in 2'to 6' of water on live carp and liver. be sure to put lots of jugs to mark lines so people dont hang up in them while bass fishing.
DARRELL LYONS RR1, BOX 1511 HEMPHILL,TX. 75948 409-625-4585 WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE , EMAIL:DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM
Date Fished: 4/3/2001 Water Temperature: 73 Water Clarity: 1 foot
The Nitro is back and the motor is purring. To test it out we headed out to the Marsh and fished for about 5 hours today. The first note of importance is of course the increase in the water levels. The second note of importance is that the rain turned the fish on big time. We landed 27 bass using top water baits and spinner baits with the big fish of the day weighing in at 11.3 pounds. We fished the north end of the Farm and the SE area of the Farm. With sun shining, motor humming, and smiles we headed for home. Look for hydrilla, (really can't miss it), and you will find the fish. Watch for the shad busts as they are starting to happen more frequently. Cya out there.
George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
This is the prime time to be on Ross Barnett Reservoir water warms up at times and really gets them turned on good. I had a great trip on 03/17/2001, was fishing sloughs and backwaters off of the upper Pearl River used several different lures, Mann's Ti-Classic Spinerbaits and buzzbaits, also caught several on junebug lizards. All were doused in garlic scent KNB. The largest of the catch was a 8.5lb beauty which hit as soon as my lizard hit the water. Caught 20 that day, something to remember when the dog days of summer finally get here.
The fish are up very shallow and you can catch all the slot fish and smaller fish you want in 2-5 feet of water with jerk baits. We caught a couple on spinnerbaits and soft plastics, but the bait of choice if mainly a jerkbait. The only problem is we could not figure out how to catch any fish over 16". Only one fish over 16" was weighed in at our tournament, and needless to say they won it with a total weight a little over 7 lbs. If you want some good fun, tie on a hard or soft jerkbait and find some good brushy shoreline.
WATER TEMP:58* TO 65* LAKE LEVEL: 172.90 GENERATING 2 UNITS-24 HRS. A DAY FLOOD GATES 11 OPEN 3 FT
BASS~ Fish are concentrated on edges of buck brush in 4' to 8' of water. wacky worm working best, in water melon / rose the new color by Reaction sprayed with crawfish KICK'N'BASS. also red crank baits in 12 to 15 ft on main lake flats .if sun is bright fish will move into shallow water around buck brush were a water melon gator pup sprayed with KICK'N'BASS and fliped with 1/8oz weight is working best. CRAPPIE~ around brush in backs of creeks on shiners and black/yellow jigs sprayed with KICK'N'BASS ANISE SHAD.
STRIPERS~ best on RAT L TRAPS Look for fish breaking the water.then throw chrome/blue rat-L-trap troll large crank baits when fish are not breaking the water.
CATFISH~ Good. Being caught in 2'to 6' of water on live carp and liver. be sure to put lots of jugs to mark lines so people dont hang up in them while bass fishing.
WHITE BASS~ Have slowed up river.but some still coming in Look for current breaks at mouths of sloughs. Best baits have been 1/4 oz. rattle trap chartreuse or gold/pink in color or a road runner white in color.
DARRELL LYONS RR1, BOX 1511 HEMPHILL,TX. 75948 409-625-4585 WWW.TOLEDO-BEND.NET/GUIDE , EMAIL:DWLGUIDE@YAHOO.COM
I fished a Club Tx on Badin Lake in Albemarle,NC, this past weekend and finished 3rd.The air Temp was at start 35 and got to the mid 60's and the water was 53. A cold front came throug on Friday night.My fish were all caught on suspended Jerk baits in 12' of water.The Jerk baits were all covered with Kick'nBass Garlic Scent. The only other bait used was a blue and green Little Earl. This guy won the Tx. He is a friend and I know he uses Kick'nBass. The fishing is getting better and I hope to win a big one soon. My wife and I are fishing a team Tx this coming weekend On Lake Wylie in SC. It is a pretty big deal around here. They raise money for a designated charity ever year. Thats all for now .I will give a lake report on Wylie as soon as I know. Sponsors: Kick'nBass Accent Lures Eidolon Bait www.Fishphotos.com
Daryl Whisenant The Whiz
Monday the weather had improved substantially and temperatures here were approaching near normal. Water levels are holding for the moment. In the various reports that have been put up the water level has been mentioned. These reports of the water levels are mentioned so that when you come you use caution when moving about. They do not in any way mean that you can’t get where you want to go, whether that boat be 20’ bass boat or a 15’ Jon boat. With common sense and discretion you will have no problem on either the Stick Marsh, or Farm 13.
Areas of concern: Stick Marsh – from the cut into the Stick to the rim canal; this run should be done at idle and the route is as follows. When entering the Stick through the cut you will see two trees just slightly right of straight ahead. Passing to the right of the trees proceed into the Stick until the cut into the rim canal is 90 degrees to your left. Make a left turn in an arc and proceed to the cut so that you cross into the canal approximately in the middle of the cut. Avoid areas of apparent brush, as there will be stuff adjacent to it. With water levels where they are, this is easier than it was two weeks ago. Once in the canal the water is more than deep enough to run. However, bear in mind that this is a canal and try to stay towards the center of this ditch. The shore side goes shallow in a hurry, and the tree side has stumps adjacent to it. When you get to the end of this first part of the run you will see a stand of grass. Pass this with the grass on your right and favor more to the right than to the left. Make an arc into the divider ditch, as the area immediately around the grass is a mud flat. The divider ditch can be run from one end to the other, as it is deep all the way. When you get to the end of the divider dike make a wide enough turn into the Farm so as to not hit the point area.
Farm 13 – A great deal of the Farm can be run with attention needed only when crossing the irrigation canals or crossing the areas where these canals intersect. With the lower water levels I would recommend that you idle when crossing these ditches and I would recommend the same for intersection areas. When in the area of the pump house, (east end of center E/W ditch) use caution, as there are several shallow areas there. Even at idle if you get up on one of these areas you will probably have to get out and give a push to get off. For the south end of the Farm: draw a mental diagonal line from the fisherman’s shack, (west end of the center E/W canal), to the SE corner of the Farm. Any of the area south of that line should be traversed at an idle. When going to the spillway there is a cut at the north end of the little island. This is shallow so idle through. The area that would be a direct approach to the spillway is a mud flat with very little water covering it and I would not recommend trying to go that way.
For maps of this area: Paper maps are available by mail from Hugh Crumpler and you can contact him at: bsncoach@gate.net . You can go to my page and view an aerial map of the area that I have placed all of the above-mentioned structure. I believe you can also go to Jim Porters page and view a map that he is working on: www.jimporter.org . There are other paper maps that can be gotten at local bait and tackle stores that will give you the basic layout of the area also. I also answer all e-mail with request for information about conditions, layout and working patterns. With all the available information you need have no trepidation about venturing forth on the greatest fishery that I know of in these United States. Of course, if you wish a guided fishing vacation, we’re here! Monday’s trips were both shiner trips for Scott and myself. Dave Davis and son Matt were down from Tennessee for two days of fishing with dreams of the big one. The fish hadn’t quite stabilized from the last few days of buffeting winds and cold weather but they were still able to land over 20 bass in the boat. I had Jim Comeaux from right up the road and his son Clint who resides in Arkansas and we let the bass have “what for” and they let us have it right back. We also boated something in the neighborhood of 20 bass. Bets and bantering made the day go quickly and before you know it we headed for the ramp.
Tuesday Scott again took Dave and Matt for a ½ day AM trip to finish up their fishing journey and things would be more “Stick Marsh”, rated trip. By 11:30 they were out of shiners, (6-dozen), and had boated a 9-pound, and a 12.5-pound bass. An additional 25 bass found their way into the boat also.
The weather is getting great, the fishing is good, and we are looking forward to seeing you out here. Any questions? E-mail me and I will try to answer them. Say hi as you go by and have a great time. Thanks to all the great fishermen that come and share a day with us on this great fishery.
Fished Ray Roberts Tuesday evening with my 12 year old son. It was a great day to be outside. We tried Indian Creek and Bonny Pond with no luck. Only found one sand bass trolling a white Model-A in Johnson Cove. The lake is way up. We took a picture of the fishing pier at Isle Du Bois which is about to go under water. Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/metromonte
Got a report that plenty of small fish are being taken by dropshoting. Understand the whole trick is to just work points leading back to coves and keep the bait on the bottom, with as little weight as possible and light line. 40 fish a day, Cosmic>
A new week has started and although water levels are no worse they haven’t improved either. Small boats and big boats are having problems alike, but you can avoid the more serious by raising the engine and idling your way from the ramp to the canal. If you come in contact with something that is raising the bow drastically stop and back off before you are wedged there. It’s the treetops and brush that are creating the havoc. When coming through the cut from the ramp into the Marsh continue straight ahead past the two trees passing them on their right. Continue into the Marsh until 90 degrees from the center of the cut into the canal. Make the turn to the cut via an arc and you will find the ride more comfortable.
Once out on the Farm, the fishing is fantastic if you are using live bait. You only have to ask Tommy and Lynn Anderson who fished with me on Monday and boated over 40 bass. Tommy hooked and landed several really nice fish as did Lynn, but the fish of the day came to Tommy, and weighed in at a hefty 14+ pounds. Mark Middleton and friends fished with Scott and also covered several areas of the lake, as they would be fishing here for the rest of the week. Fish landed on this excursion exceeded 50 with their biggest being in the 5-pound range.
Tuesday Scott Tinchor and friends arrived alert and ready after escaping from the cold of Kentucky. Their trip also included a tour of the lake as they brought two boats to fish out the week on. Three fished with Scott and two with me, with 6-dozen shiners per boat. The fish cooperated and the shiners quickly disappeared. Big fish of the day didn’t exceed 7 pounds but most were in the 3-5 pound range. Both today’s bass and yesterday’s bass came from the south end of the Stick Marsh. All bass caught during the both days came on free-lined shiners and not on bobbered ones.
Today Scott had Tommy and Lynn Anderson for their second day on the Marsh. Starting with 7-dozen shiners they free-lined over 40 to the boat by 11:30. With shiners gone the rest of the day was spent with artificial baits and an additional 9 bass were placed into the boat using black/chartreuse-tailed worms. They found the fish active in the canal right in front of the fishing dock where the pipes are. Water was flowing towards the farm and the current played an important part in making the fish active. I had Jack Goldsmith out again and he brought his Son-In-Law, Mike Kiedrowski. Some of you might know Mike as he is a long time member of Team Suzuki and involved in off road Motor cross racing. Mike doesn’t get much time off from his busy schedule so this was a special day with great hopes. Jack is an avid artificial bait person but opted for shiners to give Mike a better chance. We fished the E/W canal just east of the first N/S ditch intersection and also the north end of that same ditch. By days end they placed over 40 bass into the boat and had a disappointing miss on one that I think would have been in excess of 10 pounds. We were out of shiners by 1:30 and then reviewed some of the areas that Jack and I will be fishing next week.
Scott got out yesterday afternoon doing some artificial fishing and found over 20 bass in less than 3 hours in several locations. First he worked the east edge of the center N/S ditch, north of the intersection and picked up several bass using a T-rigged black worm. He then worked south of the E/W ditch, east of the center N/S ditch with spinner bait and picked up several more. He then went to the front of the Marsh and found the canal with flowing water and placed the balance of the fish in the boat on a black/chartreuse-tailed worm that was Texas-rigged.
The bass that we have been catching have been in all stages around spawn. The big gal on Monday was as loaded with as much eggs as she could possibly be, and came out of an area that had bass of all sizes and conditions. We have found them also on the south side of the grass line that runs across the north end of the Farm from east to west. Most of the bass that were found relating to the hydrilla, were found at the outer edges and not inside the hydrilla mats. Another thing that we have found: top water bite comes and goes throughout the day and is something not to be forgotten. Both chug bug type baits and buzz baits have been successful. Stick jerk baits have worked in the openings of the hydrilla in areas where the hydrilla is not matted. Toss the jerk bait in and twitch it to get a strike. The technique for twitching the jerk bait without moving it great distances are to have slack line between the rod tip and the bait. Jerk the rod tip quickly and the jerk bait will dance in place. Work it slowly in the openings and you just might aggravate a lunker into striking.
Good luck out there, be careful, and enjoy the day.
Fished Town Lake yesterday, got 6 LM bass. 1 went @2lbs I got 4 and my partner got 2, all Drop-shotting 4" worms only fished for 45 minutes.
Fished a local club tournament, although fishing is still tough, we caught many fish back in Coles while splitshotting watermelon grubs and worms in 20 to 40 feet of water. Too many people are working the shoreline where you can pick up a couple of small fish but the people that did the best in our club were catching nicer fish in 25 feet or deeper water.
Caught 12 LM Bass in 2 hours, using 1/8oz. White Grubs No big ones, but alot of fun catching them.
2/10/2001 Lake Fairfied, TX Caught a few on Lake Fairfield on Saturday. Fished the hot water discharge area with a bubble gum colored weightless trick worm. The fish were deep in the reeds. Water temp was 76 where the fish were. We started outside of the discharge area in 62 degree water but got no hits. Once we moved to the discharge area we started catching fish. See the pictures at: http://www.geocities.com/metromonte
Date Fished: 2/11/2001 Water Clarity: 0 Those that travel the 6.5 mile long, dust laden, and wash boarded Fellsmere Grade Rd. on a daily basis can appreciate these comments fully. This road leading to the Marsh is not meant to be a speedway, but is in the condition it is in due to the inconsiderate idiots that race its length because they think that two more minutes of fishing will get them a fish that they would otherwise miss. Then when they leave they must think that their house is on fire and they have to get there quickly so they speed their way out. Well, last week the inevitable happened! Three in a pickup truck, (I'm not sure if they were coming or going), in their haste to get nowhere important, spun out, flipped several times, and ended up in a ditch. Rumor has it that one is dead and the other two in sad shape. Saturday this was repeated as two fellows either coming or going went over the bank. The road now has speed limit signs every mile but I doubt that it will do much good. The speed limit is 35. Thursday the wind got to a steady 20 MPH on the Marsh and when it does, even if the fishing is good, it makes things very difficult out there. The water levels of this lake, even at full pool, churn into some serious chop and make fishing very difficult. There is no place to hide from it that will be holding much in the way of fish. With present water levels, (at least 3 feet low), wind will take you out of the game. However, Skip you got hit with a combination of, too much wind with no place to hide and fishing conditions that could be called difficult at best. Consistent high barometer pressures have made finding the fish difficult without having some of the intimate knowledge that we who fish it daily have, and even after finding them, putting them into the boat can be difficult. My trip on Thursday was one using live bait and the fishermen on board were very astute at getting a hook set and landing the fish we were able to get on, but I think that for most that were there that day, the results were akin to yours. However, things are slowly coming around and this warming trend that we are having will definitely improve conditions here. Now all we need is a little rain to help with water levels. Friday, the wind in the morning was non-existent but by the afternoon was blowing pretty strong. My people opted to fish with artificial baits. We covered a lot of water, threw a lot of baits and finally located cooperative bass on one of the old roadbeds in the Farm. Working the windblown side with spinner baits we had a moderately successful day. Eric Anderson and his father Jim, down from Atlanta, are both experienced fishermen and they were able to handle the wind. Their successes came because they were able to pinpoint their casts to the fish that we found. Scott’s trip was with shiners and the success that they had was because he put them on a school that we know about and he didn’t have to drift about looking for fish. However, the bite that we had been used to had turned more difficult and sporadic. We are so spoiled down here that when we have a day of 20-30 bass we call it only a moderately successful day. Saturday we had the same clients out and for our artificial trip things would be quite a bit different. Returning to the same area we found yesterday the morning bite was excellent on spinner baits, jerk baits, and floating worms. As things slowed down a bit we moved off and tried some other areas of the Farm without much luck. Returning to the same line of hydrilla on the roadbed we finished out the day with a bite on jerk baits. Today, instead of windy conditions we had no wind. Scott had a super bite going in the AM and then, just as with the artificial bite, things started to slow down. However, persistence and patience paid off and they finished up the day with 25-30 bass in the boat. I think we beat out the shiner bite today. Be careful out there and have a great day. George & Scott Welcome are full time guides and full time fishermen on Stick Marsh/Farm 13. Our goal is to share these fantastic areas and our love for the sport. Two boats allow us to accommodate to six people. Contact us; you will be glad you did!
Lake Fairfield, Tx January 26, 2001 My fishin buddy outfished me again on Lake Fairfield. He caught an 18 1/4 inch long bass on a 12" purple culprit worm in 5 feet of water. He caught another dink bass a couple of hours later and I caught the smallest one of the day right at dark on a bright yellow culprit trick worm. We took a picture of his 3 pounder with his new digital camera. Take a look at http://www.geocities.com/metromonte
Date Fished: 1/26-27/2001 Surface Water Temperature: 58 Water Clarity: 1 foot
Friday, as I stated in my previous report, was the day to work the Stick Marsh and the Farm with artificial baits and look for a pattern or patterns that would produce a somewhat consistent bite. The first area that we went to was the Palms, which are located in the NW area of the Stick Marsh. To get to this area it is necessary to idle all the way there. Follow the outside of the palm stumps until you get to the cluster of palm trees that are well out in the lake. Once there, a slow setting on the trolling motor is necessary or you will end up in the water as the stumps and lay downs are just below the surface. Although you can work a bait such as a rattletrap, the stumps and lay downs will take up a considerable amount of your time as you chase about to get unhooked. We found the best bait was a lightly weighted, short leader Carolina rig and it did produce. Several bass were landed using this bait worked SLOWLY. The bite was the lightest tap or weight and instantaneous reaction was needed to hook the fish. (A note: this area can be worked when you have no wind. If windy (8 mph or better, I wouldn't even recommend going to this area as the stumps will get you.) To get from this area to the Farm at idle we encountered many stumps and lay downs. Don't even think of running on the Stick Marsh. Moving to the Farm we started working the first N/S irrigation canal with both rattletraps and Carolina rigs. On the northern half we encountered one fish that would bite. We then took the middle N/S ditch to the southern end of the Farm. We did find some open area that was fishable, but most of this area is dense hydrilla and nothing but top water could or a non-weighted swimming worm could be worked here. We moved from there to the spillway area and worked beds of hyacinth, which were sparse but did land a couple of nice fish. Moving from there we went to the N/S ditch located on the west wall of the Farm and worked a split shot rigged worm on the east side of the ditch and out through the trees and stumps that are just east of the ditch. With the fish setting up in pre-spawn hold we thought this would be our best area and pattern and our gut feelings paid out. We landed females to 7 pounds in this area. All and all with a lot of work, we landed 37 bass. Slow and thorough were the keys to success and the worm the best producer. The bass in this area were keyed to hard cover and not just anything. Find a stump or lay down and find a bass. Another thing to note! On top of a lot of the hydrilla you will see a yellow algae. A yellow alga consumes oxygen 24 hours a day. Because of this the bass will shy away from this hydrilla. Although they will hang to the edges of it, the chances of any being in a pocket of an area such as this are slim. I have noted a lot of anglers fishing pockets were this algae is present and would suggest that you move outside and fish outer edges of these areas.
Yesterday we did a shiner trip and even with excessive boat traffic in the area we were in our day was a smashing success. We were working the ditch on the west wall of the Farm, south of the fisherman's shack. Free line was the best approach with the shiners and the bass were pretty aggressive. Each time a boat would pass through the channel it would take 5 to 10 minutes to get the bass active again, but for the most part they were cooperating fully. Most boats that passed were very courteous, except for ironically one. That boat, being managed by a guide from Blue Cypress Lake, passed in front of our boat with his customers trolling shiners. We had to pick up our baits so as to not get tangled with his customers. All in all we had an excellent day with over 50 bass in the boat, and very happy fishermen on board.
This week the weather forecast calls for our area to start resembling Florida. Gone will be the temperatures in the 30's and 40's with highs in the 50’ s-60, and back are the high 70's and 80's. Look for the bass to really turn on with these warming trends as our water temperatures return to more normal levels.
It's sure Great to be back on Lake Fork! For the past couple of weeks we have been going to Boat and Tackle Shows around Texas. Everyone we have talked with is ready for the cold weather to end and the Spring Fishing to begin. This week the news of several Bass being caught over 10 lbs. and one Bass that weighed 14.59 have fishermen excited about just what might happen when the water starts to warm just a little. Even though the water temperature is in the low 40's the Bass are biting around the grass in shallow water. We are having great luck with Red Rattle Traps and White Spinner Baits from mid-day until dark. We are also starting to catch Bass on Carolina Rigs in 18 feet of water. All the Bass we are catching are Fat and Healthy. The gates are closed right now and if we don't get to much rain this week you could see a few more Bass go into the Lunker Program soon. If you are looking to take a shot a a Big Bass, NOW is the time to get started! Book your Spring Fishing on Lake Fork now. Call us at 903 383-3282 or look us up at www.lakeforkproguides.com
Good Luck and Great Fishing, J&J GUIDE SERVICE.
FISHED JIGS OFF POINTS WITH ROCKS FISHING SLOW THREE DAYS AFTER MAJOR COLD FRONT GOT SIX BITES WEIGHT IN FIVE WON TOURNAMENT
BASS- Fish are concentrated on edges of points at mouths of creeks. Best bite coming on 3/4 oz. slab spoons. Also on Little George in black/yellow color, sprayed with Kick N Bass. Fish in 20'to 30' of water around major creeks or humps off of old river.
CRAPPIE- Excellent! Over baited brush and in river bends on shiners fished in 30' to 65' of water.
STRIPERS- Good! Best on jigging spoons. Look for bait on graph along old river bends. Better bite has been around the dam. Cover lots of water.
CATFISH- Slow, but some being caught while crappie fishing.
NOTE: When you are in my area tune into 103.9FM KTHP Hemphill on Fridays at 1PM for "Lakes Area Fishing and Outdoor News". I'll be your host.
Let's take a kid fishing and remember... if it tugs on your line SET THE HOOK!!!!
Submitted by George, Imagination Bassin Guide Services Date Fished: 1/11/2001 Water Temperature: 54 Water Clarity: 1 foot
The surface water temperature started at 54 this morning and ended up at 63 by 2:00PM. The air temperature was cold enough to make your hands hurt at dawn, but went to a comfortable t-shirt temperature by 11:00 AM.
We found the first break towards artificial baits that I have seen out here in a while. Working the N/S ditches with rattle traps we were able to get 25 bass to the boat. Most were caught right after shad were busted and then the bass went back down. We couldn't get a bite with a Carolina rig or any other method of plastic presentation, but the rattle trap did the trick.
Most of the bass we caught were at least 50 feet east of the ditch that runs N/S as you enter the Farm. We had bass as far as 300 feet away from the ditch. As the weekend comes in I would expect that even more improvement can be expected.
Keep your eyes and ears open and watch for the shad. Good luck.
Used live shad, dillies, and anchovies at Havasu springs........nothing. The shad were there in force boiling just inches from the fishing dock. Caught lots of shad in nets though. Only one person caught a fish (a 3.5# striper) in the 3 hours i was there(dusk till 8:00). This was the second time in two weeks of being shutout..........
The New Year has come into Florida with temperatures that are to us frigid with wind to make them worse.
We finished out the year 2000 with a full day on the water battling cold and wind but the catching made the trip worthwhile. Eric Johnston and party opted for a day with shiners and Scott took them to the spillway. With a bite that was slow, Scott decided to try the Ansin/Garcia side of the spillway and the catching was on. Several good bass were hanging around over there and they found their way to willing anglers. Also, working the areas where the hyacinth has bunched up on the Farm side of the spillway several others yielded to the beat of the shiner. 30+ fish make for a good day when conditions are as cold and windy. Temperatures at the ramp in the morning were about 33 with a 15-20 MPH wind and warmed throughout the day to a stellar 39 degrees with the wind never letting up. However, all had a good time and appeared none-the-worse for the experience.
Yesterday, Scott launched at first light and headed to a rendezvous with Joe Middleton to get their bait for the day. Bo White was ready, the shiners were ready and Scott headed for the spillway again. Using the same strategy as two days before they got onto a good bite and landed bass to 5 pounds. However, with none landed bigger than 5 pounds Scott moved out into the Farm and started working one of the irrigation canals. As the day wound to an end the Farm came through again and released another 11+ pound bass to the willing angler. The shiner Bo was using was as big as some of the bass he catches at home, but the bass here eat them readily. With some deft rod handling and careful working of the bass through hydrilla, Bo got her aboard, measured and pictured, and then released for another anglers bait.
I launched for an afternoon trip and Gerry Gault and Chris his son also opted for shiners. They brought their boat, which we took so that Gerry could safely navigate over the next few days of working the Marsh. Getting our shiners we headed for the 1st N/S ditch and worked an area I worked last week. We got several good fish when Scott called and told us about his catch. I don't think it took us more than a minute to pull anchor and be underway headed to where Scott was at. We got there in time to see the big bass released. We spent the next 1.5 hours at this site and caught several good fish with our big one being about 7 pounds. Gerry and son are headed there today and I hope they get the big one.
The baits of choice have been shiners for almost a month now. Only a couple of days have been good for artificial and hopefully the bite will be coming back this weekend. Temperatures are supposed to be increasing and I am looking for the barometer to fall. Shiner fishing for bass is a unique experience. As the bass play with the shiner, mouth it, turn it, and hit it, you need to have patience. If you hit too soon you get air, and if you wait too long you get air. It takes several tries for most to get the correct hook-up procedure down and actually land the bass.
Again a reminder: The water is low here! Idle through the Marsh to the canal before getting on plane. On the Farm beware of canal edges and of course stumps in the southern ends. Also, the stumps in the southern end stretch from the fisherman's shack on the west wall to the SE corner, so if you’re south of that line, IDLE! Another note: The irrigation ditches are not your safest place to run. Adjacent to these canals were fence posts and some of these are still present as either submerged obstacles or floaters. You are safer running in the open fields than in the ditches. Be careful out there, catch lots of fish, and be safe. Be sure to have layered clothing for this time of the year.
on the water at 7:30 hit the bank real hard with crankbaits, jerkbaits,topwater not a thing. at 10:30 my partner Rick pulled in a 1.5 lbr. out of 17 ft. water using a lizard ,real windy at times died down in the afternoon.wish i could say more.Good luck
As I am sitting here writing this report, the temperatures are in the 30's, the wind is chugging at 15 plus, the skies are cloudless, and Scott is plying the waters of the Farm with Shiners.
Sunday the 24th we had two trips booked for 1/2 day in the AM. Scott fished with R.L. Abaray of Apopka, Florida and had an excellent day using shiners in the NW Palms of the Stick Marsh. Good friend Jerry Austin came to our assistance as one of our boats was out of commission and took Eric and Josh Engle back to the Farm and also had a fantastic day using shiners.
Tuesday the 26th Shawn Leahy worked diligently at the bass in the lay downs and stumps of the NW Palms on the Marsh and left with good memories of the Stick Marsh/Farm 13.
Wednesday we again had two trips. With help from a great friend we had the use of a boat and I took Jamie Pride's group and Scott took Mary Beth and Eddie Revis out. Working with artificial baits in just about every area I could think of the inconceivable happened. We struck out. We could not buy a bite no matter what we threw. With head hung low and tail tucked between my legs I waited to hear from Scott on his day. Things would be different with shiners however and the Revis trip, which had scheduled a 1/2-day trip, converted to full day and had great success in the SE area of the Farm. The fish came alive for the shiners.
Things would prove to be quite different for artificials on the 28th as Wayne Issacs and party worked the Farm with me. Wayne was down through Saturday and went out to learn the lake, safe navigation, and catch some bass. Working the Farm we located willing bass along several irrigation canals, however the most profitable was the N/S ditch on the west side of the Farm. We boated over 25 with fish to 5 pounds and left one that would have gone to 7-8 pounds. With the wind rising and storms pushing their way across the Farm we headed for the ramp a little early with a great day to remember. Scott continued to work the SE area of the Farm with Mary Beth and Eddie Revis. Through wind and rain Scott said that they never gave up and with the last shiner of the day Eddie was rewarded with one over 7 pounds. Wet, but happy they came back to the ramp and left with good memories of our fantastic fishery.
On the 30th Sean Lackey went with me and opted to fish with shiners. Going to a spot on the N/S ditch that I had found previously with the artificials, theirs was to be a banner day on the Farm. We did try some other areas without great results but this location was to be the one. Located about 300 yards of the north end and on the east side of the ditch we found a school of bass and a half. The average fish that came into the boat was 4 pounds and one came over the rail at 10.2 pounds. After landing something in the neighborhood of 30+ bass we headed north in the Stick Marsh and set up at the NW Palms. The fish in this area however were smaller and less willing to bite. It seems that the big fish up here have finally spawned and moved, but to be honest we didn't try too long as the day was coming to an end.
All and all, the past week has been one of pretty good trips. The barometer still has Florida in a high-pressure grip and shiners are the better bait of choice. However, if you see the barometer dropping, grab the artificial and have a go at it. It doesn't take much of a drop to turn them on. We found the rattletrap to be the best artificial bait and we found the best bites on the north end of the trails of the Farm. Particularly we found the best bite on the western ditch, and on the northern end of it. One thing I would like to mention: the areas of heavy hydrilla have yellow algae on them. This alga eats oxygen and finding fish under these areas is unlikely. However, if you fish the edges of this hydrilla you will find fish. By casting to the edges with the traps and reeling back to the boat the bass we took hit within 4-5 feet of the hydrilla in almost every instance. Another point of reference: There are 5 canals that run N/S on the Farm. The two that run closest to the rip/rap are two that I never refer to. If you go to my page: www.imaginationbassin.com , you will find an aerial view of the Farm and the ditches that are most productive are the three that run N/S and located in the center areas.
Just a final thought: the water is low so be careful out there. Don't run if you're not sure and have safe and enjoyable days fishing.
To return to top of page click here.
To return to Lake reports and make a report click here.
To return to Home page click here.
To view "Testimony" page click here.
To View fishing reports from 1999-2000 click here
To view fishing reports from 1998 click here
For all the Fishing
News you want, tune into
Renaissance Radio in Phoenix AZ on 1100 AM, KFNX Thursdays at
6 to 7 P.M. with your host, "Shake, Rattle and Troll" Mr.
Don R. McDowell Sr. 
