By Capt. Angie Douthit
Over the past few months, Okeechobee’s water level has continued to drop, despite the past few weeks that brought heavy rain to Florida. The lake is known for its rocky bottom, and when the water drops, it is a great place to fish for bass and bream. This time of year, the deeper-water areas, such as the Kissimmee River and the canals, like Indian Prairie, Harney Pond, and J&S on the East side. This is a great time to brush up on your deep-diving crankbait skill set, as well as Carolina rigging and working jigs up ledges and drop-offs.
Good color choices for trailers on jigs, crankbaits, and plastics for worms and creature-style lures are June bug, red bug, plum, white, tilapia, green-pumpkin, and watermelon-red. The bluegill have already started their spawning season, and if you’re fishing the lake, a good place to start is the Buckhead Ridge area; Tin House and Indian Prairie areas if you’re launching from the River.
If you’re launching from the West side of Harney Pond canal, you can run the ditch markers around the Monkey Box and fish the Shoal area. Crickets and red-wigglers rigged on spinning ultra-light tackle tipped with a small split shot and 4lb mono line is a great choice, especially if you’re taking the kiddos fishing.
Other areas that are still accessible if fishing the lake are: Kings Bar; 2nd and 3rd point; around Dupree bar; Dyess Ditch and Horse Island.
The bream will be on beds throughout the upcoming months, and that’s where you have the best action for bass fishing as well if you choose to fish shallow water. The bass will be near the bluegill beds, so be sure to keep your frog and swim jig rod handy, as well as a topwater lure tied on. A good place to start if you’re bass fishing is to find the bluegill beds, as the bass will not be far.
If you want to brush up on your deep water bass fishing skills, now is a great time to book your trip, as the snowbirds have traveled back north and the big bass fishing tournaments are pretty much behind us.
If you would like more “trip” info, log on to my website: www.southfloridabassfishing.com or pick up the phone and call me at 863-228-7263. I can accommodate up to 3 adults, including 2 adults with small children, and even offer discounted one-person trips and discounts for our Vets. No need to bring anything; I supply bottled water, sunscreen, rain gear, and, most of all, a fun, productive, and knowledgeable day on the water.
