It’s the most wonderful time of the year for fishing! Most of the cold weather is behind us and as the season progresses and the water warms up, the artificial bite will be turning on. Local Okeechobee anglers and visitors have been experiencing great bass fishing this winter. We see the bass in traditional areas like Grassy Island, Tin House Cove, and Indian Prairie. Also, we see good bass fishing on the eastern side of the lake, all the way south down to J&S Fish Camp. All anglers are catching fish with wild shiners, and for more skilled anglers, topwater baits, 10-inch plastic worms, flukes, spinnerbaits, Skinny Dippers, Big Easy’s, and Wacky Worms are all picking up bites. More big bass fall prey to live wild shiners than all the artificial baits combined; average catch rates vary from 10-to-20 bass per trip, and we have even landed a few in the 10-pound range.
Panfish time is right around the corner! Normally, shellcrackers are the first to show up, looking to spawn traditionally in March, but sometimes as early as a late February moon phase. Bluegills will not be far behind the shellcrackers, often using the same bedding areas to spawn. Red worms, crickets, and of course, grass shrimp are the primary baits for catching large numbers of panfish. Simple rigs are best for pan fishing; we use jig poles, primarily with 8-pound test line, a small hook and a tiny bobber to dip our bait into holes found in the cover or along the canal edges.
The MLF Toyota series took place on Lake Okeechobee Feb. 3-5. Many of today’s top pros were fishing this tournament and many have experienced big bags and big checks on this lake. Rob Branagh from Palm Bay cashed a 65k check with his final bag over 19 pounds.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Nate Shellen
Shellen Guide Service
Okeechobee Bass Fishing Guides/Charters
Telephone: (863) 357-0892
Email: sjmike7@aol.com
Website: OkeechobeeBassFishing.com and FellsmereResevoirBassFishing.com
