Capt. Roan zumFelde
JoGene Holaway
May is here and this means the start of the summer heat and tougher conditions for you intrepid bass anglers out there. Not impossible but certainly a little more difficult. Long days of catching fish are going to have to be shortened to early morning and evening fishing forays either into the Glades or on the lakes of SWFL. If the weather cooperates then fishing should still be pretty good. Most of the bass spawning for the year should be over, but the bluegills should be on the beds and this can lead to great action on the fly rod. The other benefit of the heat in May is it should really turn on the peacock bass in the canals. They will become more ravenous as the water heats up and should be easier to get to bite the fly or small jig. This should continue strong until the summer rains pour water into the canals.
Lake Okeechobee in May can be an excellent month on the lake. Fish are usually available to all anglers including the fly flingers since there is a great chance the water levels are going to be at their lowest all year. This should really bring the Rim Ditch Canals into play and make it easier for you to find the bluegill and shell cracker beds that the big bass should be patrolling for an easy meal. Fly-rodders, this is the time of the year when you can really smoke some fish on the lake. They should be in the right places for you to catch them and if you fish early and late, you just might get a fish of a lifetime this month. This is a dire Warning- if you are going to fish the lake and the water levels are low, PLEASE BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU RUN YOUR BOAT!!! Large hard rock boulders abound in this lake and can quickly make for a bad day on the water and a dangerous and costly disaster.
Trafford Fishing has been a little disappointing this year so far. Bass catches have been very, hit and miss for April and I am not sure it will be any better for May. Wind may have been a contributor for this stirring up the lake some as it is a fairly shallow lake and the water levels are low. I am not saying that the lake is not worth fishing; the reports I am getting are sporadic with some good days and some great reports but also slow days. On the brighter side the bream and bluegill fishing on fly rods should be excellent this month, just find the bedding areas and it should be fast and furious action. (They bed on the new moon and full moon.)
The Everglades Canals are coming off a great month with lots of 100 and 200 fish days and even a few 300 plus days. The fishing should still be very good through May with lower water levels and great cichlid and peacock action. Bass will be more likely to bite early in the mornings or late, late, in the afternoons, but I prefer the mornings. Poppers should rule this month in the canals. Work them slow for cichlids and faster for bass and peacock bass. Another species of fish you might want to try and target in the canals is called a bowfin or mudfish. You will see these fish a lot of times rolling on the surface just like tarpon. They are prehistoric looking creatures and are fairly easy to fool on a white baitfish fly or a medium size Rapala, black gold or black silver. If using the Rapalas I would change the hooks to singles and be extremely careful while removing them from these fish. They are biters, have a formidable set of teeth, and when they lock down on something have a tendency to not let go. Good luck and do not try and lip them like a bass.
Come visit Mike and me at Mike’s Bait House and Indian Pass Outfitters on Danford Street, next to Bayview Park in Naples and we can talk fishing. We carry a full line of tackle including: fly fishing needs and both saltwater and freshwater gear, food, drink, and bait. Thanks and good fishing. Roan z
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