By Capt. Angie Douthit
Lake Okeechobee’s water level is still getting lower, but I do see lots of vegetation growing in the shallows. The bluegill have been on the beds since the month of March, so now is a great time to book your next fun day on the water. When the bream are on the beds, big bass are on the prowl for a meal, so keep your bass rods handy, tipped with a frog, swim jig, worm, and topwater. As the Summer months progress, the bream will continue to bed throughout the coming Summer in the shallows and in deeper water along the Kissimmee River edges, ledges, and points.
With that said, it would be a great time to brush up on your crank bait; Carolina rig skill sets working the ledges in the River and the Canals, such as Taylor Creek, which is always a great time to fish, especially when it’s windy.
Areas on the lake that have been producing both bream and bass are the Buckhead Ridge area down to about 3rd point; on into Tin house working the outside and just inside grass areas; some spots around Indian Prairie and the point of Horse Island.
If you’re launching from the West side of Harney Pond canal, try around the Monkey box area and spoil islands on the North side; that’s always a good area for big bluegill. Past the Monkey box, running south along the Shoal, there are some areas that are hot right now for bass and bluegill. The Shoal is a good long stretch of grass, so take your time, drift, and work some areas really slow.
If you want to fish the East side, some areas on the outside edge grass line are producing early morning bites, such as Nub n Slough, and down towards the water release, and just past it, going towards J & S. Lots of rock on the East side, so be aware and idle when in doubt.
To book a trip, give me a call at 863-228-7263. Be sure to check out my website, www.southfloridabassfishing.com, for all your booking questions. If you’re in need of a good hotel, I recommend the Hampton Inn on Highway 70 East in Okeechobee. Also on my website, you’ll see updated customer pics with their catches, past fishing reports, and guide trip info. I can accommodate group trips and multi-day trips, and with a start time that’s convenient for you. A big thank you to all my Sponsors for your Support throughout my 21 years guiding here on the big O: Caymas bass boats (Toho Marine); G-Loomis; Lews; BnM Poles; Mid South tackle; Real Magic; Bullet Weights; Gill; Gene Larew and the Mercury brand.
