Lake Okeechobee has been churning out great catches of all species of fish for several years now and is showing no signs of a downturn. During these summer months, the early morning bite can be exceptional. Top water baits fished over the top of underwater cover and around thick grass lines can draw explosive strikes from bass. A walking style or a popper style bait will draw vicious reaction strikes from even the wariest fish. There are mornings when the fish are really on, and an angler may catch 15 to 25 bass in the first hour of the morning, then there are days the fish may completely ignore your top water offerings.
There are huge schools (pods) of shad that have hatched in the lake that attempt to hide in the Kissimmee grass lines that line the periphery of the lake. During the very early morning bass can be seen chasing and eating shad, violently crashing the surface. Casting a Double Willow Leaf Spinnerbait deep into the Kissimmee grass and slowly retrieving it can elicit bone jarring strikes. The variety of spinnerbaits available in both size and color is staggering. A 1/2 to 3/4 ounce bait with silver blades and a white or white/chartreuse skirt is a good place to start. Many times in the past we have had great success with copper blades or gold blades, there is a time and situation for each blade and skirt color, water color and light conditions will dictate what color works best.
At times, schools of baitfish will get chased out of the grass and the bass will follow. Astute anglers will see the fish schooling well out into the open water. When you see this occurring, a rattling lipless crankbait can produce bites as fast as you can cast, hook, and land a bass, and then quickly cast it back into the schooling melee. A chrome body (rattle trap) with a black or blue back is our go to color. Size variations from 1/4 to 1 ounce are available. Normally when the bass get keyed in on one particular size of bait, matching that size as close as possible can be essential to your success.
The entire northern sector of the lake is yielding good catches of fish. An angler could start fishing at J&S fish camp on the east side and work around the lake counter clockwise and catch fish all the way. Points of interest are Grassy Island, Kings Bar, Second Point, Tin House Cove, Indian Prairie, Horse Island and the North Shore all the way West to Harney Pond, Fisheating Bay and Point of the Reef.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Mike Shellen
Shellen Guide Service
Phone: (863) 357-0892
Email: sjmike7@aol.com
www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
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