By Capt. Angie Douthit
Lake O’s water level has been around the 13.5 ft mark, which makes for safe boating a priority, especially if you are unsure where you are as you navigate Okeechobee’s expansive fishery.
Bass and crappie fishing have been consistent in both quality and quantity, with larger bass and limits of crappie. If you haven’t booked your fun time fishing on beautiful Lake Okeechobee, now is a great time to get your trip of a lifetime booked for bass and/or crappie before the spawn season ends.
Bass are being caught in a few major areas on the lake, including Observation Shoal, Dyess Ditch/Horse Island, Indian Prairie/Tin House, Buckhead Ridge, Kings Bar, and a few areas on the East side around Nub N Slough, as well as a few small areas around J & S.
Some areas of the lake have lots of eel grass and other vegetation that is taking hold and growing back, and both crappie and bass love those areas. Lures for bass are: senkos, popping frogs, swim jigs/baits, cut tail worms, spinner baits, shallow crank baits, and some top water. Good color patterns for this time of year include Junebug, Redbug, White, Crawdad, Tilapia, and Green-Pumpkin/Gold Flake.
For the crappie bite, both drifting/pushing/pulling with live minnows are working in the deeper water areas, such as the canals and the Kissimmee River. Lure colors for crappie jigging are chartreuse, white, orange, pink, and green. Water color/clarity can guide color selection, as well as the jig head color, but I prefer simple black with a chartreuse/white eye. Areas for crappie are essentially the same as for bass. Some crappie are being caught in mixtures of various vegetation clumps.
To book your fun and educational day on the water, call 863-633-0034 or 863-228-7263 for more information about trip details and inclusions. Check out my website, www.southfloridabassfishing.com, for hotel discounts available at the time of booking at a top hotel in Okeechobee, as well as Veteran/One-person discounted trips.
My Sponsors include: Toho Marine; Mercury; Lew’s; Bullet Weights; G-Loomis; Gill; Real Magic; BnM Poles; Mid-South Tackle; Tru-Turn hooks and Road Runner crappie lures.
