The hot bite is on for bass and crappie in Lake Okeechobee – people are booking their fun filled day on the water to wet lines, catch fish, and have fun and enjoying the wonderful south Florida weather. Trips vary, some customers prefer topwater and soft plastic fishing, but it all depends on how the bite goes. A typical bass outing with Capt Angie includes live bait (wild shiners) plus tackle boxes full of the newest artificial lures available. Bass and crappie spawning on ‘Big Lake O’ will continue throughout the winter months and on into the springtime. The bream bite starts to pick up in early April. Panfish charters run strong all summer long.
Places to try for bass on the west side: Observation Shoal area; Whiddens Pass and the Monkey box, Dyess ditch, worm cove, and Dupree bar. On the north shore try Indian Prairie and Tin house. Buckhead ridge and the end of Kings Bar have been producing as well as some spotty areas throughout Kings Bar and Grassy. On the east side try: Nub n Slough, Hendry creek and the J&S area. Lures producing bass are worms, swim baits, swim jigs, spinner baits (on windy days), shallow cranks on the outside edges of the grass, and flipping/pitching creature-style lures. A good color pattern to try can be June bug, redbug, shad, bluegill and white. Colors depend on water clarity, and how bright the sun is shining.
For crappie fishing – drifting and slow trolling open water, anchoring on grass edges with live minnows, or jigging them off the beds are three popular ways to catch crappie in Lake O. It is all about what the customer prefers. Capt. Angie specializes in jigging with artificial lures in the shallows. She takes first timers quite often, so if you want to learn, it is a quick 5-minute lesson and lots of fun. The best part is being to take your catch home and provide a wonderful meal. Areas to try for crappie will be near the locations mentioned above. Contact Capt. Angie for available dates.
