[adrotate banner=”24″]
FISHING REPORT OVERVIEW
After a great week of fishing on Lake Okeechobee and Istokpoga, a cold front bringing cooler temperatures will have the bass on the retreat or holding up under the mats. This past week the bass bite on Okeechobee was on the south end of the lake and though the artificial bite was slower than the shiner fishing, overall the fishing was excellent. The north end of Okeechobee remained steady though it favored the live bait fishermen. Wild shiners are in tight supply, if available at all, so call around to local bait shops and check on availability of wild shiners or just use domestics. On Lake Istokpoga a few 10+lbs bass were brought in on Saturday and in the Dixie Country Bass Club tournament it took 24.89-lbs to win the weekend tournament. The first place team of Johnson & Dorman had one kicker of 10.22lbs and several other nice fish. Other tournaments over the past week in the lakes through-out Highlands County recorded weights over 20-lbs with one topping over 34-lbs on a 5-fish limit. Overall the fish responded nicely to the warming temperatures. Too bad it won’t last long.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
This weekend should be a sunny weekend but with cool temperatures and light to moderate winds. The cold front that pushed through on Wednesday will bring gusty conditions to the area on Thursday. In the northern parts of Highlands County the winds should be in the 15-20mph range while further south around Lake Okeechobee the winds should be in the 20-25mph range. We mention Thursday’s winds for they will be impacting the conditions you find out on the water on Friday and through-out the weekend. The shallow lakes might get stirred up with these winds and force fish to seek cleaner water. On Friday the temperatures in the Sebring–Avon Park area should start in the mid to low 40°’s and climb only to the mid 60°’s during the day. Saturday will be just about the same though the morning low could be a little bit colder. Sunday temperatures will start near 50° and peak in the low 70°’s. A bit further south near Clewiston the morning lows will be about 5-10°’s warmer but the day time highs will be the same as those of their northern neighbors. The winds will be decreasing through-out the region on Friday and will be mostly under 10 mph for the entire weekend with a NW component on Saturday and shifting eastward on Sunday. The barometer will be rising on Thursday after the passage of the cold front and remain steady though the weekend. With clear skies at night the morning twilight will appear early with the sun rising at 6:50am on Friday and setting at 6:21pm. It won’t be long before we have 12-hours of sunshine. The moon will rise on Friday at 9:53pm and set on Saturday 9:04am. Friday’s AM:Major occurs at 1:39am and the PM:Major occurs at 2:00pm. Remember to add approximately 45-minues for each consecutive day thereafter. The moon will be waning and coming off a full moon this past week and should be 80% reflective. Overall it’s going to be a nice weather weekend though the bass might develop a case of locked-jaw as a result of the cooler temperatures.
WATER LEVELS – 02/25/2016
Lake Okeechobee: 16.19 16.06 ASL ↓ 0.13-ft, Temp 68°
Lake Istokpoga: 39.42 ASL ↑ 0.11-ft, Temp 68°
Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 4.3-ft ↓ 0.2-ft
Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 4.89-ft ↓ 0.58-ft
Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 9.95-ft ↑ 0.30-ft
Kissimmee River @ S-65E: Head 20.93-ft, Tail 15.32-ft, Flow 3412 CFS
Caloosahatchee River
Moore Haven Locks S-77: Head 15.51-ft, Tail 10.93-ft, Flow 5070 CFS, 7-day avg 6,148 CFS
Ortona Locks S-78: Head 10.48-ft, Tail 3.42-ft, Flow 6200 CFS, 7-day avg. 6,305 CFS
W.P Franklin Lock S-79: Head 2.69-ft, Tail 1.55-ft, Flow 7530 CFS, 7-day avg. 8,510 CFS
Lake Okeechobee Locks
St Lucie Lock S-80: Head 13.17-ft, Tail 1.86-ft, Flow 6516 CFS, 7-day avg. 6,420 CFS
Port Mayaca Lock S-308: Head 16.34-ft, Tail 16.00-ft, Flow 3548 CFS. 7-day avg. 3,587 CFS
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade; 561-996-3844: Jim reports it was a fabulous week of fishing on the Big ‘O’ straight across the board; bass, specks, and even catfish were on the feed. Lake temperatures rose and there was a stable weather pattern and the fish responded nicely. Shiner fishermen were catching plenty of bass in the 6 to 8 lbs bracket with quite a few 9’s and some 10’s in the mix. Those flipping and pitching jigs and plastics also did well which was nice to hear. There is also a top-water worm bite that has been taking place. Speck fishermen have been going out in the early evening and bringing back limits of quality sized fish within a few hours. Though the next day or two might see a slight turn-down in the bite, the weatherman predicts a relatively stable and consistent pattern this weekend so it could be another awesome time on the lake though a bit cool by Florida standards. For live bait fishermen, Slim’s has plenty of minnows and wild shiners for this weekend.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport; 863-946-0170: Jonathan reports that though the water has cleared and lost much of that sediment look, it still remains red stained. Female bass are spawning and there are plenty of smaller buck bass it the area. Look for areas with large lily pads or floating islands of hydrilla. In the stained water, darker plastics are working better and the morning white spinner bite continues. If the fish pull off the beds this weekend due to the colder temperatures they won’t be going too far so look for cover just off the shallows and be ready to punch and flip with high profile and slow moving presentations. Speck fishing still remains strong with Bird Island and the area between Horse Island and Indian Prairie remaining active during the day and night. A few specks are now being caught in the canal. Minnows and blue jigs are working best.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-763-3416: Lief reports not much has changed though the artificial bite has picked up some. Lake temperatures rose nicely during the recent warm spell and in some areas topped the 70° mark. Most of the anglers are still flipping and pitching with ¼ – ½ oz weights and using darker colored baits. Senko style speed worms are a favorite and the Swimming Senko has picked up some momentum. Shiner fishing still remains the best way to improve your chances for a large female bass. As for Speck fishing the action remains steady at Little Grassy Island, Kings Bar and south to Indian Prairie. Minnows are the preferred bait though white, white w/silver, pink/grass shrimp, and pink w/white jigs are producing well. Most of the Specks remain in the lake and the Kissimmee River bite remains light.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee; 863-484-8126: Tyler reports the bass bite on artificials remains off this week though the shiner bite is steady. Most bass are being taken in the morning on spinners and then working the edges with swim plastics and crank baits during the day. There are pockets of warm water eddies so locating these can improve your chances. The Speck bite remains consistent with pink jig, tube jigs and minnows all producing well. Some Tilapia are beginning to show up near Taylor Creek and they are taking grass shrimp. In the Kissimmee River the catfish bite has come on strong as the flow rates have decreased.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove, Lake Placid; 863-465-0982: Bass and Speck fishing this week were great. There was plenty of spawning activity in all the local lakes and the catching was bad either. Bass were taking shiners, plastic worms, swim baits and jigs. Minnows remain the primary bait for Specks.
Performance Marine, Lake Placid, 863-465-2814: Geoff Baylock reports local tournaments were bringing in some nice weigh-in bags over the weekend. The bass were moving into the shallows and then staging in post spawn areas where they were feeding aggressively. Shiners remain the best bait for those fishing in the post spawn areas though plastics and crank baits were producing as well. This cold spell may pull some of the bass out of the shallows but they will remain close enough to move right back in once the temperatures return to their liking.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida; 863-655-2323: Lake Istokpoga was a very active lake this past week. Bass, Specks, Bluegills and even Warmouths where being caught in good numbers. The bass were in the shallows and spawning so it took big baits to get their attention. Big Easy’s, 10-inch Zooms, and other larger profile baits were attracting the bigger fish. However be careful in the shallows and especially under overhanging trees, the snakes are out and some of them are pretty aggressive. If you’re in one of these areas, best prepare yourself with a defensive chemical spray or some means to physically remove them from your boat, and some may be poisonous. Specks fishermen are doing well with minnows and green jigs. Bluegills are taking crickets and catfish continue to be active and taking nightcrawlers.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park; 863-452-2248: This is probably Rob’s last week at the US 27 location in Avon Park. If you need to stock up on plastics, terminal tackle, and other necessities this is the week to do it. Rob’s bait tanks are already down so there is not live bait available. Fishing remains good in the northern part of the county. The lake waters remain clear and bass are in the shallows to spawn. Speck fishing also remains very active.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle; 863-342-8264: The Corps is still moving water from the Big O. Fishing outside the strong currents remains the best bet.
IN-CLOSING
We saw a lot of great fishing this past week and the bass were in the shallows to spawn. Whether the effects of this cold front will last long is something we’ll have to wait and see but with a steady weather pattern after the front and the drive for the bass to spawn, it could be another great weekend on the water. See you out there.
