By: Capt Roan zumFelde
March is here and everyone will be looking for bedding bass this month. Whether on lakes or canals, the bass should be hungry for forage to sustain themselves through the spawning time on the new moon and full moon. I am a big believer in not messing with the fish on the spawning beds, but if you must disturb them, please catch and release them swiftly and gently. The pre-spawn and post-spawn fish should be very aggressive and searching out food, which means top water baits should be on fire. Great month to fish, no excuses!
Lake Okeechobee I would expect roughly the same conditions on the lake to apply from last month. With the exception being an actual increase in the spawning fish this month. Top waters near the spawning areas where the bass are staging or coming off the beds should be excellent. I like noisy baits this time of the year like the Devil’s Horse. If I was a fly fisherman (and I am), this would be the time of the year to try and target Lake-O. The bass will come out of the cover and look to eat after they do their spawning thing which in turn should make them accessible. Poppers and HJB’s should be in your arsenal.
For the Everglades Canals this is the month that everything starts to come into alignment. The canals across I-75 should be excellent for both bass and cichlids. Hopefully for you bass guys there will still be cool water temperatures, which will reign in the cichlid onslaught and give you a few more bass, especially early in the mornings. If it is warmer, then expect to be releasing 4 to 8 cichlids to each bass you catch. This is not such a bad thing if you are into numbers and cichlids, they do pull hard. The Peacocks will still be a little shy this month- they are going to need a little more warmth to the water for them to really turn on. If you want to target bass and the larger bass, try larger flies and worms. This is going to give you less strikes, but it might help you put a true lunker on the line.
Hopefully everyone is coming out of their winter doldrums and wants to get out and catch a few. Everyone is starting to get their Covid shots and feeling a little less at risk, so get out and get fishing. OH, and please be respectful of other anglers, please don’t drive right up to people and start fishing on top of them; lots of water out there and if someone got to the spot first go on to the next one.
Come visit Mike and me at Mike’s Bait House and Indian Pass Outfitters on Danford Street, next to Bayview Park in Naples and we can talk fishing. We carry a full line of tackle including: fly fishing needs and both saltwater and freshwater gear, food, drink, and bait. Thanks and good fishing. Roan z
If you want to contact Capt. Roan z for a freshwater fishing trip or ask any fishing questions he can be contacted at the Shop 239-775-2248 or cell number 239-269-4426. Check the Web Site www.indianpassoutfitters.com and www.mikesbaithouse.com
