November brings cooler temperatures and windy days to the Big O. With the first cold front passing in late October the water temps have dropped, and the fish are starting their transition to move to the shallows fattening up for the first spawn. Both bass and crappie will spawn around the Full and New moon phases from November through early spring. It is not uncommon for bass to spawn all the way through May. Bass love eating a big live shiner this time of year. Try one slow trolled behind the boat under a cork with about 15” line while you are up front casting at cover. The top water bite will get better as water temps continue to fall, try a whopper-popper, a spook type bait or pencil popper. The strike you get from these baits will be exciting. The smaller male bass will become very aggressive this time of year and will gladly eat most offerings. Flukes, Senko style soft plastics, Zoom Speed Worms, and big plastic worms
like the 12” Gambler Texas-rigged are the lures to have tied on. Also have a rattle trap and a chatter-bait ready to cover water and find active biting fish. Once you find clean water and get a few bites slow down and work the area thoroughly.
Crappie can be caught in the Kissimmee River and in shallow cover on the lake near the same areas as the bass. Use a jig tipped with a live minnow for best results.
Areas to find fish: Monkey Box and North side of Dupree Bar; Dyess Ditch and point of Horse Island and Worm Cove; some areas in and around Indian Prairie and Tin House; then some spotty places on Kings Bar and Grassy. Over on the East side can be Hendry Creek and J & S canal areas working from the middle part inwards. Lures: white colored frogs and swim jigs; Senkos; top-water; flipping/pitching creature-style lures. To book your next fun and productive day fishing Lake Okeechobee call me at 863-22-7263 and log onto my website to check out the latest customer pictures, pricing, hotel accommodations (discounts offered to Capt. Angie’s customers), purchase fishing license, etc.
