OVERVIEW
For the first time in many weeks, the wind is supposedly going to cooperate this weekend and provide some nice fishing conditions. Take advantage of it while you can for Speck fishing has turned up a notch and in Lake Okeechobee the bigger males are coming onto the beds.
WEATHER OUTLOOK
This weekend another cool front will be passing through the region. Friday’s high will approach 85-degrees and continue to fall throughout the weekend until Tuesday morning where the low will be just below 50-degrees. Saturday’s morning low will be approximately 65-degrees and reach the upper 70-‘s by early afternoon. Sunday’s high temperature will be about 75-degrees with a morning low near 65-degrees. Friday will be mostly sunny in the morning and then become partly cloudy by late afternoon. Saturday’s skies will be mainly overcast. On late Sunday afternoon the chance of rain will begin to increase with an 80% chance of rain by the time the sun goes down and will remain through early Monday morning. Winds will be very light on Friday, staying under 10mph on Saturday with a NNE component and then shifting more northerly on Sunday as the front passes. The barometric pressure will be falling through the weekend and bottoming out on Sunday evening as the rain passes through. The Morning Major on Friday will be at 10:48 am and the PM Major will be at 4.59pm. Remember to add approximately 1-hr per day for the next day’s Majors. Sunrise on Friday is at 7:12 and sets at 5:39pm. The moon is on the wane at 55% and will set at 11:57am.
Water Levels: Jan 01,2016
Lake Okeechobee: 14.77 ASL ↔ 0.00-ft temp 76
Lake Istokpoga: 39.36-ft ASL ↔ 0.00-ft
Arbuckle Creek @ DeSoto: 3.88-ft ↓0.07-ft
Fisheating Creek @ US 27: 2.99-ft↓ 1.15-ft
Peace River @ Zolfo Springs: 6.28-ft ↓ 0.14-ft
Kissimmee River @ S-65E: Head 21.06-ft, Tail 14.58-ft, Flow 428 CFS
Caloosahatchee River
Moore Haven Locks S-77: Head 14.57-ft, Tail 11.350-ft, Flow 1174 CFS
Ortona Locks Head S-78: 11.12-ft, Tail 3.11-ft, Flow 642 CFS
W.P Franklin Lock S-79: Head 3.23-ft, Tail 1.29-ft, Flow 646 CFS
Lake Okeechobee Locks
St Lucie Lock S-80: Head 14.28-ft, Tail 0.04-ft, Flow 50 CFS
Port Mayaca Lock S-308: Head 14.75-ft, Tail 14.22-ft, Flow 0 CF
Lake Okeechobee South End
Slim’s Fish Camp, Belle Glade, 561-996-3844: Bass fishing along the south end of the lake from Belle Glade to South Bay is picking up with larger males showing up in the beds and hayfields. Reports of 8 & 9-lbers are becoming more common place. The bite still remains heavily in favor of shiners. Crappie fishing has also picked up with the early evening being a prime time. Minnows and jigs are producing well.
Roland Martin Marine Center, Clewiston, 863-983-2128: Mike Krause Jr reports big males are showing up on the outside edges of the grasses. Shiners are still the most productive baits with quite a few 7-9 lbers being brought onboard. Towards South Bay, if you can find clear water and eel grass beds, try using spinnerbaits and swim jigs. Female bass are not on the beds yet though they are close by and taking shiners.
The Bait Shop at Harney Pond, Lakeport, 863-946-0170: Ed from The Bait Shop at Harney Pond reports Crappie fishing is getting really hot. Boats are limiting out in just a few hours with plenty of 1.5-lb fish being taken. Catfish fish also remain very active. The bass bite is heavily favoring shiners. Artificial remains slow and generally limited to fish 5-lbs and under.
Lake Okeechobee North End
Garrard’s Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee, 863-763-3416: Lief reports the Crappie bite is very active. Minnows and jigs are both producing well. Andie Jigs in the multi-color packs gets you covered whether you’re fishing the river, the weed lines, or drifting the lake. The Little Grassy Island area is coming on-line in both the early morning and late evening bites. As for bass, the largest fish are being taken by shiners with a fair number of 8+ lbers in the mix. The artificial bite is a morning speed worm bite with a switch over to Senkos as the sun rises during the day.
No Bad Daze Bait & Tackle, Okeechobee, 863-484-8126: The guys at NBD B&T reports Speck fishing in the Taylor Creek area is doing well. Even the piers at night are seeing plenty of Specks. Minnows and jig are both producing well. As for bass, plenty of males to take your shiners. Artificals still remain slow though frogs and white spinners in the early mornings are producing some fish.
J&S Fish Camp, Okeechobee, 513-252-1749: Ed reports bass are coming into the grass beds just outside the locks. A few are of decent size though mostly males. Shiners are the most productive bait though swim jigs are working in the submersed grasses.
Highlands County
Admiral’s Cove, Lake Placid: 863-465-0982: Specks are very active in most of the lakes. Local bait shops have been going through tons of minnows. Bass still remain scattered in the shallower lakes and still is an early morning or late afternoon bite.
Performance Marine, Lake Placid: 863-465-2814: All the deeper lakes are seeing an increase in Speck activity. Bass remain deeper on the brush piles and deep water structure. If you use your electronics to local the roaming schools of bait, you’ll find schooling bass.
Lorida Bait & Tackle, Lorida, 863-655-2323: Scott repots Lake Istokpoga is coming alive with both Speck and bass being caught in good numbers. For Specks, minnows remain the primary bait and early evening being the prime time to limit out on some nice slabs. The big Bass remain a wild shiner bite with some nice plump females in the mix. For those using artificials, speed worms and frogs are producing in the morning and then anglers are switching to Senko style baits as the day gets longer. Catfish in the lake and the Kissimmee River still remains a strong bite.
Tale Tales Bait & Tackle, Avon Park: 863-452-2248: Rob reports a strong Speck bite is going on most of the lakes in the Avon Park area. Pioneer Lake in Sebring and Lake Lotela, Lake Arbuckle, and Arbuckle Creek in Avon Park are a few of the hotter lakes for Specks. Minnows seem to be the bait of choice for these guys. Bass fishing is improving and becoming more consistent. Again the deeper lakes like Lake Arbuckle are leading the way. Artificial stick baits such as small Rapalas and crank baits are producing in the lakes and the creeks. Some quality catfishing is also being found on many of the local lakes.
Caloosahatchee River
Miller Bait & Tackle, LaBelle: 863-342-8264: The Corps continues to pulse water through the system during the weekends. The moving water brings all kinds of food to those downstream and attracts all kinds of fish to the spillways. As the water temperatures begin to drop bass fishing will pick up.
IN CLOSING
There are definite signs of improved fishing in the area, especially for those targeting Specks. In Lake Okeechobee the bigger males are showing up on the beds which means the female hawgs are not too far off.
