Overview
Finally some cool weather has set upon us with most of the area seeing upper-50’s to low 60’s at night. According to all pundits, this is exactly what we have been waiting for to turn-on the fishing. The north and west sides of Lake Okeechobee have been on fire for shiner fishermen these last few weeks so expect conditions to improve on the rest of the lake. Deep water lakes in Highlands County have been stable and productive so expect the shallow lakes to come alive as their water temperatures drop.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
OMG! Fair skies and moderate winds for the whole weekend, forget about Christmas shopping, it’s time to put the boat in the water and go fishing. High Pressure will build through-out the weekend and peak on Sunday. Winds should be out of the NE to E for the next few days and under 10mph until late Sunday afternoon where they will pick up to around 15 mph. Morning temperatures will start in the mid 60’s and peak out near 80 in the Sebring area and slightly lower near Lake Okeechobee. There will be a slight chance of rain on the breeze. The New Moon is on Friday so Speck fishermen take notice. The AM-Major on Friday will be at 10:50am with the PM-Major arriving at 11:20pm. Remember these periods advance by approximately one-hour per day.
Water Levels (12-09-15)
Lake Okeechobee: 14.73-ft ASL ↑ 0.07-ft, Surface Temp 72.2
Lake Istokpoga: 39.26-ft ASL ↑ 0.10-ft
Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 4.20-ft ↑ 0.20-ft
Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 5.50-ft ↑ 1.01-ft
Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 7.31-ft ↑ 0.23-ft
Kissimmee River @ S-65E: Head 21.14-ft, Tail 14.52-ft, Flow 1338 CFS
Caloosahatchee River
Moore Haven Locks S-77: Head 14.71-ft, Tail 10.92-ft, Flow 0 CFS
Ortona Locks Head S-78: Head 10.76-ft, Tail 3.04-ft, Flow 456 CFS
W.P Franklin Lock S-79: Head 3.20-ft, Tail 1.62-ft, Flow 1491 CFS
Lake Okeechobee Locks
St Lucie Lock S-80: Head 14.49-ft, Tail 1.84-ft, Flow 814 CFS
Port Mayaca Lock S-308: Head 14.70-ft, Tail 14.35-ft, Flow 0 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade; 561-996-3844. Fishing still remains a bit off the pace. Specks remain hit or miss with minnows still being your best bait. Bass fishing with artificial lures also remains slow with flipping and jigging in the hay-fields your best bet. Shiner fishing remains steady though the fish are somewhat small in size.
Roland Martin Marine Center, Clewiston; 863-983-2128. Mike Krause Jr. reports little change from last week. Baitfish have been moving in and out of the shallows in the mornings due to the change in water temperature so top water baits, flukes, and swim baits have been producing. Most of the fish have been small males with wild shiners producing the bigger fish. Females have yet to return to the beds. Water clarity still remains an issue due to the long windy period so search for clean water areas protected by vegetation patches. Specks remain spotty with no reports of schooling fish.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport; 863-946-0170. The folks at Harney Pond Bait Shop report little change from last week. Mostly small males in the under 4-lbs class being caught in the eel grass around Bird Island which is attracting a lot of fishing pressure. Those fishing large shiners are able to coax a few 7-8-lb fish to the boat. Specks are still spotty though the canals in the Buckhead Ridge area are producing results. Head out an hour before sundown and fish the early twilight with minnows and jigs. Go deeper as the night grows longer. Much of the water remains stained red and stirred up by the month long blow. Look for clean water to locate the fish.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-763-3416. Lief reports shiner fishing has been excellent. Larry Wright picked up some beautiful 9’s and a 10 just the other day. See the pictures for an example of an outstanding day of fishing. The artificial bite is improving but shiners have been ruling the day. Speck fishing has remained steady. In the Kissimmee River they remain deep, while Harney Pond and the Weather Observation Tower remain active. Minnows and jigs in chartreuse and grass shrimp colors remain the best baits. The New Moon is this weekend so that should help the Speck bite. Remember this Saturday is Garrard’s Annual Customer Appreciation Day and there is a 20% store wide sale and free BBQ.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-484-8126. Tyler reports not much going on with the artificial bite but shiner fishing has been strong and steady. Those using artificials are sticking to swim baits and flukes. Specks have fallen off a bit though the ones being caught are bigger in size. White tube jigs have overtaken chartreuse jigs as the jig of choice. There have been reports of schooling Sunshine Bass coming closer to shore. They’re probably following the schools of baitfish which have been testing the near-shore waters. Sunshine Bass are fun to catch and great table fare. They’ll take shiners, spinners, worms, and minnows. They have a smaller mouth than a normal bass so live baiters should practice patience before setting the hook.
J&S Fish Camp, Okeechobee; 772-597-4455. Ed, the bait & tackle shop manager reports drift fishing the grass lines along the east side of the lake is producing Specks, Channel Catfish, and small male bass. For those targeting catfish, small domestic shiners and stink baits such as chicken liver have been producing some nice size cats in the 4-lbs+ range. Bass fishermen are using plastic worms and swim baits pitched into the weeds and along the edges to produce fish in the under 4-lb class size.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove, Lake Placid; 863-465-0982. The south lakes of Highlands County have seen light fishing pressure over the last few weeks. Probably due to the windy conditions. As the Holidays approach and the weather improves, expect much better fishing. This weekend will be a good test for both bass and crappie. For these shallow water lakes, continue with late summer fishing patterns, i.e. top water baits in the shallows in the early morning and twilight hours, and plastic worms and swim baits as the sun gains altitude.
Performance Marine, Lake Placid; 863-465-2814. Jeff reports little change from the past week. In the deeper lakes the bass remain offshore in the 11-15 ft range and holding on structure like brush piles and unique bottom contours. If drifting though these areas, a Carolina Rig or a Drop Shot will get you bait down quickly and near the fish. Just be mindful of the snags. In the shallower lakes, the bass bite remains an early morning or late afternoon affair. Top water presentations are still working in these periods if you can find calm water. Speck fishing has been good on many of the lakes including June and Placid.
On a side note, today I attended the weigh-ins for a tournament on Lake Josephine held by a small fishing club at the Buttonwood Bay RV Resort in south Sebring. Just a small friendly tournament among the park’s residents. Top Bass Division went to Gary Whrrick with a 2-fish weight of 13.86-lbs with the Big Bass weighing 8.11-lbs. The Speck Division required a 1.50-lb fish to win and there were plenty of 1 to 1.4 lbs fish brought home to the dinner table. For a small friendly club, they had 52 fishermen participating in this monthly tournament.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida; 863-655-2323. Scott reports of improving conditions for Lake Istokpoga. Water temperature is down into the low 70’s and water clarity remains good. In spite of windy conditions, bass fishermen have been reporting some quality creel bags. Over the weekend the Tampa Pro Bass Club held a tournament on the lake which produced a nice 8.3-lber and plenty of 4-6lb fish. Most guys are using speed worms, easy swimmers, and top water plugs when the surface is calm. Crappy are moving onto their beds and plenty of 12-16 inch fish are being caught. To locate the beds look for lily pads or other vegetation with deep clear water. Minnows and jigs remain the best baits for these fish. Pink with Chartreuse and Yellow with Chartreuse are the colors of the week. Catfish remain plentiful in the creeks and Kissimmee River and are taking night crawlers and stink baits.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park; 863-452-2248. Those that are venturing out are finding a good bass and speck bite in the lakes around Avon Park. However for some reason the number of active fishermen is down these past few weeks. Perhaps a New Moon and cool temperatures will bring them out this weekend. Rob also wants to remind people of his kayak fishing club. Those willing to fish the local lakes and venture to the west coast for some saltwater fishing should contact him at the bait shop.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle, 863-342-8264. Many of the local fishermen have been heading to the lakes near Lake Placid for Speck fishing. Lake June is mentioned quite often though all of the deeper lakes have been producing fish. In the river, recent rains brought a surge in water flow and that perked-up fishing in the river. Since last weekend the Franklin spillway has been releasing water at a good clip, between 2,000 and 2,600 CFS so Snook fishing should be good below the locks. Up river catfish remain active and bass are becoming more abundant. Watch the flood gates at the various locks and time your trips to periods of increased water flow.
Peace River
Peace River Charters, Arcadia; 863-444-0693. The folks at Peace River Charters just off of Route 17 south of Arcadia report Snook still remain very active in the river. They seem most active after the cool fronts pass through. Those fishing with shiners have been doing well both during the day and evenings. On this section of the river the typical Snook is under 24-inches though slot fish, 28-33 inches, are commonly caught. For artificials try Tiger Striped Bombers or Bass Assassins. Fish the eddies and areas just off the current. Just remember Snook are out of season now and until March 1st. River bass have been active though small in weight. Shiners and Bass Assassins are doing double duty on the river catching both bass and Snook. The Crappie bite is picking up with crickets and minnows being the favorite bait. If targeting Crappie, cruise the river and look for deep holes with calmer waters and areas with vegetation such as lily pads. As a result of the recent rains, the river had a spike in water levels. Last week from Thursday to Friday, the river rose from 6.6-ft to 10.0-ft but has fallen to 7.3-ft by Wednesday of this week. This rapid rise flushes the river and clears the way for better fishing.
In-Closing, it’s shaping up to be a great weekend for fishing so get out there and catch-em-up!
CAM Okeechobee
