Not a lot has changed from last month other than water levels being down, but the fishing continues to heat up. As water levels continue to drop in the Glades, it tends to push all the fish out of the flats into the canals, allowing us to locate and catch more and bigger fish with less effort. The techniques listed below will take a lot of the guesswork out of your next fishing excursion, and allow you to reel in the big bass.
#1 Holiday Park: The water levels are down, pushing all the bass out of the flats into the canals, making for some really good fishing. Fish the pads and ledges. Baits of choice are top water baits, flipping baits, swim baits, easy swimmers, big worms 10 plus inches long, big sinko’s, frogs (hollow belly and swimming), jerkbaits and live baits.
#2 Lake Okeechobee: Water levels are very low, making the lake complicated to navigate. There are also lots of big rocks in the lake so be careful. I have found fishing to be sporadic. One day you slam them and the next day it’s off. The weather is a big factor. Baits of choice are swim jigs with an easy swimmer or a craw as a trailer, swimbaits, dippers, Bass Assassin Die Dapper, Easy Swimmer, swimming frogs, hollow belly frogs, spinnerbaits, small crank baits, Whopper Plopper. Flip a jig or your favorite bait, Fat Ace or big sinko of your choice. I like to spray them with scent. Bang is my favorite. Live bait on the lake is deadly.
#3 Sawgrass Recreational Park: The bite is on. Fish the edges and ledges. Baits to use are flukes, Gambler Aces, Fat Aces wacky style, 7 to 10 inch worms, EZ swimmers, Flappin Shad, bottom jigs, swimming frogs or buzzing frogs. My Sinko colors of choice are junebug, watermelon red & black.
#4 Holy Land: Fish the Canals edges as well as the pads. Baits of choice are flukes, Flappin Shad, burner frogs, spooks and poppers. Down deep I like a 7 – 10 inch worm on a shaky head. Sinko’s will always produce. You’ll have to figure what color they want that day. Try junebug, green pumpkin, watermelon red, small crankbaits and spinnerbaits.
#5 Browns Farm: Stay in the deeper part of the canals and throw to the edges. Work your presentation out of the grass line into the deeper water. Baits of choice are spinnerbaits, spooks, poppers, wacky worms and jerkbaits.
A new craze here in South Florida are non-native and exotic fish. Peacock Bass, Snakehead, Oscar, Pacu, Mayan Chiclids, Spotted Talapia, Jaguar Chiclids, Clown Knife Fish, Red Tail Catfish, Big Mouth Sleeper, and the Tiger Oscar. As the summer approaches for those of you who don’t have a boat, Everglades Holiday Park, and Sawgrass recreational park both offer boat rentals. Besides offering boat rentals they both offer awesome fishing!
Please be sure to pick up any trash or discarded line that you see. Let’s do all we can to preserve our fisheries for generations to come.
Capt. Neal Stark
(954) 822-1481
Fishing with America’s Finest, Inc.
“Changing Lives One Cast at a Time.”
501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization, FEIN #45-5494005
www.FishingwithAmericasFinest.org
fwaforg@gmail.com
American Everglades Guide, Inc.
www.AmericanEvergladesGuide.com
aeguideinc@gmail.com