Well, forest fishers, the rain is finally here. Water levels have been super low, which has made it tough to access a lot of our favorite spots, but it’s looking as if we will get plenty of help from this coming hurricane season.
Moss Bluff Dam won’t be flowing this month due to some very impressive repair work being done. St. Johns River Management says that it is scheduled to be functioning again by the end of August. Rodman Dam however, is flowing great and has plenty of fish to entertain families and experts alike. Channel catfish and stripers are the targeted trophy species right now. Some amazing catches have already come from the dam in June, including a 30 pound channel cat which was weighed at Wiggler’s Bait and Tackle on SR 40. The panfish are also abundant. White jigs or flukes work best for the stripers, while chicken livers or cut-bait is working for the cats. Tip: The 30-pound cat was caught on a wild shiner by a bass fisherman, and was said to have put up a 45-minute fight!
Backwoods bass fishing is still good right now, but a lot of bass have had to move to new areas because of the low water levels. Baby bass are running up and down the muddy banks, attacking everything that moves, while the bigger bass are staying close to the last remaining cover. If a spot looks good, it probably IS good. Weightless trickworms and senkos are the go-to artificials, but nothing beats a lively shiner.
Over on big Lake George; the hybrid striper fishing is on fire, and will be for another month or so. Deep water ledges, where the St. Johns River enters and exits Lake George, are the most popular spots. However, big schools of hybrids can be found almost anywhere this month. Grass shrimp and small live shiners are the choices for live baits. Crankbaits and rattle-traps are the picks for artificials.
The full moon is July 9th, and will no doubt produce some amazing night-time catches. Big stripers love the full moon. Search for shade on sunny days, and plan your trips for overcast days, to maximize your bites this summer. Rain or shine, we are catching big bass here in the forest!