By: Capt Roan zumFelde
January is here and I want to wish everyone a great New Year. Glad to get 2020 behind us and let us all hope 2021 is a bit better. I hope everyone that needs and wants to get vaccinated for this awful virus gets it fast and it is effective. On a brighter note the fishing was pretty great in 2020, all things considered. Not my favorite month to fish but anytime in the outdoors is better than sitting home watching the fake news. So, get out and get in some outdoor air and keep your distance and have fun and let the outdoors and fishing take some of the troubles away at least for a little while. Good luck and great things to come in 2021.
Lake Okeechobee fishing should be about the same as last month early in January. Bass fishing should be good and around the new and full moon some bass should want to start bedding for the year. This can be very good and with the lower water levels, finding them should not be too difficult. Try targeting the larger flat areas and look for scattered peppergrass mixed with patchy hydrilla. If we have a really cold January it might put them off a little, but you should check anyhow. Go slow and keep looking down and you should be able to see the bedding areas. (Hint they will be light colored.) (Hint Hint, will be harder shelly type bottom.) Plastic soft baits that you can see falling into the beds usually work the best. If it is a cold month then the crappie bite should be excellent. The best way to find out what is going on is to check with a local marina from where you are going to launch.
The Everglades Canals The canals in the Everglades should be getting better every day this month. The only thing that might shut the fish down will be a hard-cold front and a high-pressure system. The lower water levels should get the bass exactly where we can catch them. Bass should rule the canals this month due to lower water temperatures. The cichlids will most likely be hugging the bottom trying to stay warm and alive. I am not saying you will not catch any cichlids they just will not be nearly as aggressive as the bass. The best action should most likely be on small plastic worms. If you want the peacocks, then you will need to fish the canals in Miami and Homestead, they should be on fire. Hope everyone has a better New Year in 2021 and everyone that needs it gets vaccinated.
Come visit Mike and me at Mike’s Bait house and Indian Pass Outfitters on Danford Street, next to Bayview Park in Naples and we can talk fishing. We carry a full line of tackle including: fly fishing needs and both saltwater and freshwater gear, food, drink, and bait. Thanks, and good fishing. Roan z
Fly is a cone head crystal minnow, easy to tie and great for winter both in fresh and saltwater.
