February is here and the Lake Okeechobee fishing is off the hook. We are catching huge numbers of bass and the size has been pretty good. Fish from three to six pound are coming to the boat as fast as you can reel them in and we have been mixing a few really big ones in to make this one of the best fishing destinations in the world. The water level has been hovering around fourteen and a half feet above sea level so we are able to fish almost anywhere on the lake as long as the wind will let us. If you are looking for a good time to come to Lake Okeechobee to catch some bass then now is the time to get on down here.
The live bait bite on wild shiners has been awesome with six dozen shiners not being enough to last till noon. The artificial lure bite has been improving daily and we have been catching some really nice ones in a lot of different areas. I have been catching them from Pelican Bay all the way up to the Harney Pond area, but this all depends on what direction the wind is blowing and how hard. The Gambler Ace rigged with a 1/8 ounce bullet weight has been my go to bait for the last couple weeks but the Gambler Why Not has also been producing some really nice bass by pitching it into isolated reed heads. The swimbait bite hasn’t picked up yet but it will as soon as more bass move in off the main lake toward spawning areas. Some of the areas I have been concentrating on are the East Wall, Ritta Island, Pelican Bay, and Bay Bottom with the wind deciding which area I fish. Remember if you are coming to Lake Okeechobee to fish this time of the year bring some extra clothes because it just might be chilly and bring some heavy tackle including braided line in the 50 # class and heavy action rods. The bass are back in the grass and medium action rods are just not enough to get them out. Of course if you are going with one of the guides they will already have all the top quality gear on board to make your fishing experience the best. The crappie bite has been good with some of the better areas being around Bird Island, Harney Pond, and the rim canal south of Clewiston in the lily pads. February, March, and April are some of the busiest months on Okeechobee and the reason is that these are some of the best months to fish here so now is the time to get a trip planned.
