Capt. Angie Douthit
Over the past few months, Okeechobee’s water level has continued to drop, and most, if not all, bass and panfish will be caught in the Kissimmee River and the canals such as Indian Prairie, Harney Pond, and J&S.
This is a great time to brush up on your deep-diving crankbaits, Carolina rigging, and throwing jigs when working the ledges and drop-offs.
A good color choice for jigs is Junebug plastics and skirts: white, watermelon/red, tilapia, plum, and red bug.
The pan fish have already started spawning, catching them on live-red wiggler worms and crickets on light spinning gear tipped with 4lb mono line. Fishing around the moon phase, catching bream when they are most active on/around the beds, will provide non-stop, fun action and is a good time to take the kids, enjoy a beautiful day on the water, and bring home fresh-caught fish for tasty meals.
The two main areas to launch when fishing on the north end of the lake are the Scott Driver boat ramp, located in Okeechobee on the Kissimmee River, and Harney Pond canal, located on the west end in Lakeport.
Areas that are still accessible and easy to get to if you want to fish out in the lake: East side of Kings bar; West side of Grassy; outside grass edge from Buckhead to 4th point; outside grass edge of Tin house on down and past Indian Prairie; and outside edge of the Shoal area.
As the water temperature typically heats up in June, it can be challenging when bass fishing with live bait (shiners) because the water temperature in the holding tank where the shiners are kept before purchasing your bait differs from the lake water temperature.
Fishing deeper water, such as the Kissimmee River, is a good choice for this time of year to help keep the bait alive longer. To book your next fun time on the water, call 863-228-7263.
You can check out my website at www.southfloridabassfishing.com. I can accommodate groups, multi-day trips, offer one-person and Veteran discounts, and provide all tackle, ice, bottled water, sunscreen, and rain gear if needed. For all your tackle needs and bait stop by Big Water Bait & Tackle store located in Lakeport near the Harney pond canal boat ramps.
