Local Okeechobee anglers and visitors have been experiencing great bass fishing this winter. Traditional areas like Grassy Island, Tin House Cove, and Indian Prairie are all teeming with bass. From the eastern side of the lake, all the way south down to J&S Fish Camp, anglers are finding bass willing to cooperate. Topwater baits, spinnerbaits, 10 inch plastic worms, flukes, Skinny Dippers, Big Easy’s and Wacky Worms are all picking up bites for skilled anglers, and shiner fishing is providing anglers with large bass every day. More big bass fall prey to live wild shiners than all of the artificial baits combined; average catch rates vary from 25 to 50 bass per trip, and bass in the 7 to 10 pound range are being caught regularly. As the season progresses and the water warms up, the artificial bite will get better and better.
We are fast approaching panfish time on the lake. 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.
Lake Okeechobee was host to the FLW Tour this past week, starting Thursday and ending Sunday in some very foul weather. The tournament was a huge success again this year, with Randall Tharp from Alabama breaking the 100 pound mark for the second straight year. The first two days of the event were held under relatively benign conditions with warm water and air temperatures. The weekend, however, provided some weather drama; Saturday provided higher winds with periodic rain as a front barreled through the area, limiting many of the anglers to much smaller catches of bass. Sunday was a brutal day on the water, with air temperatures in the very low 40’s and high winds to 30 mph, making fishing ultra tough for all anglers.
The winner of the event, Randall Tharp, was the only one of the 158 anglers who was able to continue catching fish throughout the entire event. Tharp brought 101 pounds, 9 ounces, of bass to the scales for four days, just short of the event record. Tharp’s presentation of baits was methodical and precise, as he used a flipping technique to pick the very thick hydrilla mats apart, gleaning fish from them like a machine. Tharp brought the heaviest five fish limit of the event to the scale on the first day of fishing, weighing five bass that tipped the scales at 33 pounds, 9 ounces.
Lake Okeechobee is finally receiving the acclaim that it deserves for its fishing. For the past three to four years, the Lake has been producing great bass catches like no other lake in the world.
FORECAST BY: Capt. Mike Shellen
Shellen Guide Service
Phone: (863) 357-0892
Email: sjmike7@aol.com
Website: www.OkeechobeeBassFishing.com
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